Ireland will set up camp in Limerick with each of their games being played in Markets Field at the beginning of April, as they set about securing a place in this summer’s finals tournament in Northern Ireland.
A number of the U-19 squad have already gained senior squad experience with striker Leanne Kiernan, midfielder Roma McLaughlin and goalkeeper Amanda McQuillan all in Cyprus for the Cyprus Cup.
Head Coach Dave Connell admits he has a strong team to pick from and was delighted to see a number of players get game-time with the senior squad.
Connell said to fai.ie: “On paper, it’s a strong team. We’re carrying a couple of niggles coming into it so hopefully all will be well on Tuesday for the first game.
“Some of the squad were able to get game-time in the Cyprus Cup which is great for them as that can be a valuable experience to have at an early age.”
He continued: “We’ve always set our standards fairly high and we’ve had some fantastic results over the past year so we just need to build on that continuity.
“Our target from the word go has been to qualify for the European Championships. It’s a tough group for us, taking one game at a time, but we fully focused on the task at home.
“It’s a great ground for the players to play in. Limerick is a great sporting City and they’re looking after us brilliantly. It would be great to get the support of the public down here and we’re really looking forward to the week ahead.”
Republic of Ireland U-19 Squad
Goalkeepers: Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne), Naoisha McAloon (Peamount United)
Defenders: Lucy McCartan, Chloe Moloney (Peamount United), Fiona Donnelly, Jamie Finn, Lynn Craven, Niamh Prior (Shelbourne)
Midfielders: Alex Kavanagh, Roma McLaughlin (Shelbourne), Evelyn Daly, Saoirse Noonan (Cork City), Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United), Jessica Nolan (Manulla), Dearbhaile Beirne (UCD Waves)
Forwards: Eleanor Ryan Doyle (Peamount United), Leanne Kiernan (Shelbourne), Lauren Kelly (UCD Waves)
UEFA U-19 European Championship Elite Round – Group 4
Tuesday, 4 April: Republic of Ireland v Scotland, KO 19:00, Markets Field
Thursday, 6 April: Republic of Ireland v Ukraine, KO 19:00, Markets Field
Sunday, 9 April: Republic of Ireland v Finland, KO 14:00, Markets Field
Photo: fai.ie
