Ireland national cerebral palsy football team
Federation | Football Association of Ireland (FAI) |
---|---|
Head coach | Paul Smyth |
Asst coach | Alvin Rouse |
Captain | Joseph Markey |
IFCPF ranking | 8 (December 2024) |
Highest IFCPF ranking | 5 (2017) |
Lowest IFCPF ranking | 8 (December 2024) |
Ireland Men's national cerebral palsy football team represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international cerebral palsy (CP) football.[1] They have participated in several Paralympic Games and World Championships. They have won two bronze medals and a silver at the Paralympics. Their best finish at the World Championships was first at the 1982 edition in Denmark.
Background

Paralympics Ireland manages the national team.[2] In 2011, members of the Irish national team participated in a study that looking at endurance and running performance as part of a researcher's efforts to understand the fairness of cerebral palsy football classification.[3] In October 2014, an IFCPF coaching workshop was held in Wales to try to further develop the sport, with participants from Wales, England and the Republic of Ireland.[4] While Ireland was active in participating on the Paralympic and World Championship level by 2016, the country did not have a national championships to support national team player development.[5]
In 2016, after getting an endorsement by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA), the IFCPF Anti-Doping Code was formally amended to allow for out of competition testing. This was done through a WADA approved Whereabouts Programme managed through ADAMS. Drawing from players in a Registered Testing Pool, players from this country were included ahead of the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.[6]
Ranking
Ireland was ranked fifth in the world by the IFCPF in 2016.[7] In September 2012, August 2013 and November 2014, the team was ranked number seven in the world.[8][9][10] In July 2011, the team was ranked sixth in the world.[11]
As of December 2024, the team is ranked eighth in the world.[12]
Players
There have been a number of players for the Ireland squad.
Name | Number | Classification | Position | Years active | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daragh Byrne | 5 | FT7 | Midfielder | 2012 | [13] |
Peter Cotter | 11 | FT7 | Forward | 2012 | [13] |
Kieran Devlin | 2 | FT7 | Defender | 2012 | [13] |
Luke Evans | 4 | FT7 | Midfielder | 2012 | [13] |
Simon L'Strange | 16 | FT6 | Goalkeeper | 2012 | [13] |
Gary Messett | 7 | FT7 | Midfielder | 2012, 2014 | [14][13] |
Joseph Markey | 3 | FT7 | Defender | 2012 | [13] |
Brian McGillivary | 1 | FT5 | Goalkeeper | 2012 | [13] |
Eric O'Flaherty | 8 | FT7 | Defender | 2012 | [13] |
Finbar O'Riorden | 6 | FT7 | Defender | 2012 | [13] |
Daragh Snell | 9 | FT7 | Forward | 2012 | [13] |
Aaron Tier | 12 | FT5 | Forward | 2012 | [13] |
Results
Ireland has participated in a number of international tournaments.
Competition | Location | Year | Total Teams | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pre-Paralympic Tournament | Salou, Spain | 2016 | 7 | 5 | [15] |
Northern European Open Championship | Denmark | 2015 | 4 | 2 | [16][17] |
Euro Football 7-a-side | Maia, Portugal | 2014 | 11 | 4 | [14] |
Intercontinental Cup | Barcelona, Spain | 2013 | 16 | [18] | |
Ireland CP International Tournament | Ireland | 2013 | 4 | [19] | |
2012 Paralympic World Cup | London, England | 2012 | 4 | [20] | |
Nottingham British Paralympic World Cup | Nottingham, England | 2010 | 4 | [21] | |
CPISRA International Championships | Arnhem, Netherlands | 2009 | 11 | [22] | |
Nations Cup | Lilleshall, England | 2009 | 4 | [23] |
IFCPF World Championships
The Republic of Ireland has participated in the IFCPF World Championships. At the 2011 CP-ISRA World Championship in Drenthe, Ireland beat Canada 6 - 0.[24]
World Championships | Location | Total Teams | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 IFCPF World Championships | England | 15 | 6 | [25] |
2011 CPSIRA World Championships | Netherlands | 16 | 9 | [26] |
1994 CPISRA World Championships | Dublin, Ireland | 2 | [27] | |
1990 CPISRA World Championships | Assen, Netherlands | 2 | [27] | |
1986 CPISRA World Championships | Gits, Belgium | 3 | [27] | |
1982 CPISRA World Championships | Greve, Denmark | 1 | [27] |
Paralympic Games
Ireland has participated in 7-a-side football at the Paralympic Games. Their best performance was at the 1992 and 1984 Games when they won silver medals. They also won a bronze at the 1988 Games.[28] After qualifying for the gold medal game in the sport's debut at the 1984 Summer Games, they lost their match to Belgium to finish with a silver medal.[29]
Paralympic Results
References
- ^ "Ireland CP Squad Set for European Championship Challenge". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ "Our Members — CP Football". IFCPF. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ Saichon Kloyiam; Sarah Breen; Philip Jakeman; Joe Conway; Yeshayahu Hutzler (2011). "Soccer-Specific Endurance and Running Economy in Soccer Players With Cerebral Palsy". Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly. 28 (4): 354–367. doi:10.1123/apaq.28.4.354. PMID 21914907.
- ^ "2016 - Coach Education Workshops — CP Football". www.ifcpf.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "Worldwide Reach - CP Football". www.ifcpf.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
- ^ "IFCPF Newsletter" (PDF). CP Football. June 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ^ "Ranking — CP Football". CP Football. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ "World Ranking 2014". CPISRA. November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "World Ranking List Football 7-a-side updated after Intercontinental Cup 2013, Barcelona Spain" (PDF). CPISRA. August 2013. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "World Ranking List 2012 Football 7-a-side after PG Londen 2012" (PDF). CPISRA. September 13, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "Football_7-a-side_CPISRA_World_Ranking_List" (PDF). CPISRA. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ "Men's Rankings - CP Football". www.ifcpf.com. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "IRE v USA Match Results" (PDF). CPISRA. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ a b "Final results of the European Championships 2014 Football 7-a-side". CPISRA. 2014. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ "IFCPF Newsletter" (PDF). CP Football. June 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ^ "Tournaments — CP Football". www.ifcpf.com. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ^ "Denmark host Northern European Open Championship — CP Football". www.ifcpf.com. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ^ "Match Reports: Intercontinental Cup 2013, Barcelona | CPISRA". cpisra.org. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ^ "Ireland CP International Tournament 2013 Match Reports | CPISRA". cpisra.org. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ^ "2012 Paralympic World Cup | CPISRA". cpisra.org. Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ^ "2010 Nottingham British Paralympic World Cup | CPISRA". cpisra.org. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- ^ "2009 Arnhem CPISRA International Championships Football 7-a-side Match Reports | CPISRA". cpisra.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- ^ "2009 Lilleshall, England Host Nations Cup | CPISRA". cpisra.org. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- ^ "Canadian Soccer Association 2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Canadian Soccer Association. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ run2 (2015). "Fixtures & Results — Cerebral Palsy Football World Championships 2015". 2015 CP Football World Championships. IFCPF. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "2011 Final Results". CPISRA. 2011. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "History — CP Football". www.ifcpf.com. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Paralympic Games — CP Football". CP Football. IFCPF. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ a b "Sport Week: History of football 7-a-side". International Paralympic Committee. May 26, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.