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Eileen Gleeson. Ryan Byrne/INPHO

'We had a lot of distractions about whether we lacked motivation or personality'

Departing interim head coach leaves with exemplary record and takes aim at critics.

ALL GOOD THINGS must come to an end at some point. Eileen Gleeson departs her stint as interim head coach of the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team with the enviable record of six games, six wins.

Northern Ireland, Hungary and Albania were put to the sword. Home and away. Not a cast that would have struck much fear in the past but expectations are well above where they were, pre World Cup. 6-1 was some scoreline to sign off on.

And there was the added historical significance, as Amhrán na bhFiann was played here, for the first time in Windsor Park. It wasn’t lost on Gleeson.

“It was great to be part of this occasion, coming full circle from the Aviva. Sport bringing together north and south. And our main focus was performance. A nice loop from the Aviva bringing it to Windsor,” she said.

There’s a slight bristle as she slightly objects to the suggestion there might have been a stuttering opening, and she shakes her head as she says she doesn’t know the euphemism of ‘dirty petrol’, stating, “I didn’t think it was a stuttering opening, we gave respect to Northern Ireland, we knew they would be competitive at the start and they were, we had to be patient and wait to carve open the chances and when they came we took them. 

“We were clinical, six different scorers, so for us it’s a really good performance, good intensity, we had a lot of distractions about whether we lacked motivation or hadn’t got personality. We didn’t want to listen to that. We know who we are and that showed on the pitch.” 

Having already qualified for the top tier of European football, the challenge for Gleeson was to keep motivation and standards high.

The mere suggestion though seems to bring about a Keanesque reaction.

“You don’t need to motivate these girls, it’s intrinsic. You’re playing for your country. There’s nothing you can be prouder for.

“It’s not always a given but I know the girls and there’s one bad performance and suddenly we lack motivation and we’ve no personality, so let’s keep perspective here.

“We know the girls, we know their character, we see their character game in game out. I didn’t have any, or ever have any doubts about that. Their motivation is there. The squad is competitive, and the girls work super hard. We saw out there.”  

With Gleeson going, she is asked if there are any more developments with the staff around the team. An FAI media handler interjected at this point to note that there will be an, ‘update due in the next coming weeks.’ 

Gleeson leaves headaches for the new man or woman. Good headaches.

“Yeah it’s a really positive time I think,” she responds.

“Young players transitioning through which is a super exciting time. We’ve got to bring in some young players from the League Of Ireland as well so it’s a really positive time for women’s football in Ireland.

“It’s been a magnificent year 2023, participation in a first ever World Cup, promotion to League A, six games from six.

“The story is continuing and I keep saying the longer-term aim is Euro 2025 and the World Cup 2027, and having the consistent qualifications for those tournaments, so these young players coming through are really bright. We want to keep continuing to develop those young players.” 

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    Mute Etherman
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:13 AM

    Dublin would have been perfect. No problem for the athletes sourcing drugs.

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    Mute windbag
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:50 AM

    The Olympics in Dublin……. Hahahahaha…..

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:56 AM

    Can’t get 6 Garth Brooks concerts sorted but can do the Olympics?? Yeah…..nah.

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Jul 30th 2016, 6:18 PM

    Haha brilliant. No other city had drugs problems. That’s why it’s so funny

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    Mute The Dublin Cynic
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:52 AM

    Would have got it if we had included a decent bribes committee

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    Mute phil
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:36 AM

    Here we go again the auld Irish attitude laughng at such a bid. We have some marvelous rivers that would be brilliant for the canoeing. Brilliant golf courses. We have an 85,000 capacity stadium for track and field. We have the Aviva for the soccer, I am sure one of our many 30,000 + GAA Stadia could be used for sevens rugby. The 3 Arena for boxing. The list goes on. We could and we should be hosting an Olympics, World Cup and Euros.

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    Mute john
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:16 PM

    Where is this 85,000 seat track and field stadium?!! Because croagh park doesn’t have a track last time I looked.

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    Mute fiachra29
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:18 PM

    I do think holding the Olympics would be a stretch too far for a country of 4.6 million, however at the same time we do seriously need to shake off the small town attitude we have. Any badly needed major infrastructure project is often met with laughs of “ah shur what do we need that for you’d swear we’re all living in New York” or something along those lines.

    Perhaps holding the Rugby World Cup would be a very achievable aim that would help people become a little bit more ambitious about the development of this country.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:31 PM

    Yes and where were we going to get the money for revamping crokepark and the other stadiums? The Olympic village would be a bit of a problem don’t you think and families homeless? Not too mention the money that would have to be spent on public transport and infastruture in order to be even considered.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Jul 30th 2016, 2:36 PM

    And plenty of turnstiles for the hurdle races

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Jul 30th 2016, 2:45 PM

    Don’t we have every nationality living in Dublin
    Just organize them

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    Mute Ruadhán MacEoin
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    Jul 30th 2016, 3:41 PM

    Just alone regarding Croke Park:

    Despite now being Europe’s 3rd largest stadium and sandwiched between two railway lines, it does not have even one railway station.

    Moreover, a railway station was supposed to be provided when the stadium was redeveloped.

    Yet strangely, when the GAA redeveloped above the railway tracks a few years ago, the station was never built – but CIE got two corporate boxes for heart own private use.

    Now the GAA are baffled as to why the natives object when events such as concerts are proposed, yet all the while, the main and most obvious problem is movement of people – i.e. a transport issue.

    If those in authority are too arrogant or oblivious so as to provide such obvious facilities – where infrastructure is already present regarding one stadium – it can only be considered a great blessing that Dublin was not burdened with further incompetence that would have happened with Olympics.

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    Mute Alan Cooke
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    Jul 30th 2016, 5:44 PM

    Engage brain before posting Phil. The article says back in the early 90′s we had no infrastructure. Most of the golf courses you refer to along with croke park the aviva the national aquatic centre were not built. Gay Mitchell was a gob sh**e back then and still is. Thankfully the people saw that when he went for president. Again I point out we had nothing as CJ had spent everything and hived it off for himself and his cronies.

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    Mute Dotrice Altrium Hollohatch
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:14 AM

    It would’ve been our best chance at getting GAA into the Olympics…

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    Mute The Oracle of Delphi
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:20 AM

    Yes. We could’ve competed against ourselves. Guaranteed gold.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:22 AM

    The Aussies would probably beat us in the football though

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    Mute Motherofdivinejebus
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:15 AM

    Poor old DOB would have made an absolute fortune in renting out his barriers – I bet you he is still wringing his hands and crying into his brandy over missing out.

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    Mute Bleep12345
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:19 AM

    That feasibility study must have cost a bit.

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    Mute Paddy Colreavy
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:27 AM

    We couldn’t hold a Web summit

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    Mute Patrick Lawlor
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:13 AM

    With the politicians in Ireland they would be off and running with all Comercial profits before the competition even started. A joke, the whole concept in the banans republic that the Irish politicians have shafted to their own gain going back to De Valera’s time. Tony Gregory was the last true Irish politician with integrity but then he didn’t have much competition

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:14 AM

    Gay mitchell is a populist. He wanted the headlines but never intended to host anything

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    Mute Martin Fahy
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:35 PM

    I’m not sure how the beach volleyball would have fared on Dollymount Strand with the cold cold, wind and showers.

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    Mute Tony Mcgrath
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:11 AM

    People thought it was a joke because it was a joke

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    Mute Edmund Dantes
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:11 AM

    Gay Mitchell is one of the biggest toolbags this country ever had, the first mainstream party candidate in the history of the state to lose his deposit when he ran for the Presidency !! His idea was completely mad & wasted a load of money at a time when the country hadn’t an ass in it’s pants. Deserves to be punched everytime he shows his weasel face in public !

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    Mute Declan Gibney
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:48 AM

    Gay Mitchell is dead, have a pinch of respect ffs.

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    Mute VIncent McGloughlin
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:25 PM

    Gay Mitchel is not dead. His brother Jim is.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:34 PM

    The poor of Brazil will suffer for decades because of the money they had to out into hosting it. No thanks leave it to bigger nations that have the money.

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    Mute Andrew Mac Mahon
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:26 PM

    Olympics are a giant money pit. Way this county is we’re very lucky someone came to their senses and said no

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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:00 PM

    It was a ridiculous idea, then same as now.

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    Mute Brendan Grehan
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:14 PM

    Irwin accused Mick Wallace of looking like a tramp. I can never listen to his west Brit voice after that. He also used his charity to run for the seanad.

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    Mute Colm O'Connor
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:47 AM

    The Dublin Dons would have been great

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    Mute Noel Falkhall
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    Jul 30th 2016, 3:31 PM

    Cheaper to host than the recent bailout

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    Mute 6ljJQRRU
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    Jul 30th 2016, 9:11 PM

    well glad that didn’t go ahead would haven been yet more money spent on Dublin and the rest of the country shafted again! Dublin produces a log of gdp for Ireland…which is not a surprise given all development takes place there and so many people from outside sublime have had to move there dubliners can’t afford a house anymore. How ironic.

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    Mute Michael Kenny
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:20 PM

    Dreaming in that is like Leitrim winning the all Ireland!

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    Jul 30th 2016, 5:41 PM

    Amazing how public money can be spent on the ridiculous and it seem to be a relentless trait by the buffoons in power.

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