Centurions

Following Jack Byrne's first cap, Ireland have now awarded senior international caps to 500 players. But who are the other players to earn caps at the various multiples of 100?

100. Ned Weir.
Awarded caps by both the Irish Football Association, and the Football Association of Ireland, Ned Weir was spotted playing football in Scotland and recommended to both associations. He made his debut for the FAI in March 1939, four days after earning his only cap for the IFA, drawing 2-2 with Hungary in the first international held in Cork. He went on to earn two more caps for the association, and later managed Dundalk, winning the FAI Cup ten years after his international debut

200. Andy McEvoy.
22 years later, in May 1961, Andy McEvoy became the 200th player to earn an international cap for the Republic, losing to Scotland in a qualifier for the 1962 World Cup. McEvoy himself was born in Dublin in July 1938, less than a year before Weir's first appearance. After spending 11 years with Blackburn, McEvoy returned to Ireland to play for Limerick, winning the FAI Cup in 1971

300. Eamon Deacy
After winning the 1980-81 first division championship with Aston Villa, Deacy was called up by Ireland manager Eoin Hand in April 1982 to face Algeria, becoming the 300th player to earn an international cap in the process. Deacy has the unfortunate record of the most caps by a player who lost in each of those games - losing to Algeria on his debut, then to Chile, Brazil, and Trinidad & Tobago on a South American tour the following month

400. Paddy Kenny
Kenny made his debut in March 2004 (coincidentally also 22 years after Deacy's debut) in a friendly against the Czech Republic, coming on for Shay Given in the 81st minute. This was only 12 minutes after the Republic's 399th player made his first appearance when Liam Miller came on for Gary Doherty

500. Jack Byrne
501. James Collins
502. Kieran O'Hara

Three Broken Ducks

In the friendly win over Bulgaria, Alan Browne, Kevin Long, and James Collins all scored their first goal for Ireland. This was only the fourth time in the 562 game history of the Republic of Ireland where three players all scored their first international goal in the same fixture.

In the third international played by the Republic, a 4-2 win over Belgium in 1928, Jimmy White, Billy Lacey, and Jack Sullivan scored their first goals for the international side, with White notching a brace. This was the first win for the team.

It would take 48 years for the feat to be repeated, when, in a friendly game against Norway in March 1976, Liam Brady, a Jimmy Holmes penalty, and Mickey Walsh(on his debut) all scored their first goals in a 3-0 win. The game was also notable for being Tony Grealish's debut.

Fans would only have to wait 11 years for three players to open their international account in the same game, when David Kelly, John Byrne, and Niall Quinn all scored in a 5-0 win over Israel in November 1987. Kelly actually notched a hat trick in what was his first cap - the only Irish player ever to mark his debut with three goals.

Round Up for weekend of Saturday, 7th September 2019

Saturday, 7th September 2019

League 1

MK Dons 2-1 AFC Wimbledon

Ryan Delaney made his first appearance of the season, starting for loan club AFC Wimbledon

Doncaster Rovers 2-1 Rotherham

Ian Lawlor's 100th career start was also his 100th career appearance

Bristol Rovers 3-3 Accrington Stanley

Seamus Conneely was sent off for the first time in his career

Fleetwood 2-1 Oxford United

Jimmy Dunne made his first appearance of the season, at loan club Fleetwood. This was also his first starting since April

League 2

Bradford City 2-1 Northampton

Dylan Connolly made his first appearance for loan club Bradford City
Michael Harriman unfortunately marked his first start for new club Northampton with an own goal, his first OG since April 2018
Paudie O'Connor scored his first goal in League Two

Cheltenham 4-2 Stevenage

Sean Long scored his first goal of his career, five years after his career debut in August 2014

Macclesfield 1-1 Crawley

Fiacre Kelleher was booked for the first time this season

Mansfield Town 2-0 Scunthorpe

Conor Shaughnessy made his first appearance of the season, starting for loan club Mansfield Town

Morecambe 2-2 Salford City

Richie Towell made his first assist of the season

Tuesday, 10th September 2019

International Friendly

Republic of Ireland 3-1 Bulgaria

Ireland scored three goals in a game for the first time since beating Uruguay 3-1 in June 2017
This was the first win against Bulgaria since beating them 2-0 in a Euro '88 qualifier in October 1987
Three players all scored their first international goal in the same game for the fourth time in Irish football history, and the first time since 1987
John Egan captained his country in his first appearance since Thursday, 15th November 2018
The starts of Kevin Long, Cyrus Christie, and Callum O'Dowda was their first appearance since Monday, 19th November 2018
Alan Judge's was named in an Ireland starting XI for the first time since Friday, 25th March 2016
Alan Browne marked his fifth appearance for Ireland, and his first start since Monday, 28th May 2018, with his first goal at international level
Ireland awarded debuts to five players (Mark Travers, Josh Cullen, Kieran O'Hara, Jack Byrne, and James Collins) in a single game for the first time since May 2009
Byrne was also the 500th player to play for the Republic of Ireland 
James Collins marked his debut with a goal, the 38th player to do so, and the 178th player overall to score for Ireland