He’s at a loss to understand all the negativity. “There are reasons to be cautious,” he says, but caution, he insists, should not turn in to “despair”. Ireland have enough to be thinking about for now, so it’s unlikely their thoughts will drift towards October 2027 just yet. But that’s when they’ll open their World Cup campaign against Portugal in Sydney, John O’Sullivan bringing you all the fixture details for the tournament. Gavin Cummiskey previews the new League of Ireland season, the key question being: can anyone stop Shamrock Rovers from being crowned champions for the sixth time in seven years?

Source: The Irish Times February 04, 2026 18:05 UTC