Republic of Ireland Senior Football Team Results 1940 – 1959

Up to the end of the 1930’s Ireland had only played six competitive football matches and with mixed results. Two matches in the Paris Olympics and four qualifiers for the World Cup. This was in the days before there were qualifying groups as we know them today had been introduced.

With so little competitive team soccer behind the national soccer team positive results in terms of qualification for the World Cup was a very tall order for such a small nation.

Irish Football Results and the World War II

Nevertheless Irish domestic soccer was relatively healthy and optimism was high. Sadly for the soccer world, and the World in general, World War II erupted in 1939 forcing the cancellation of the 1942 and 1946 World Cup competitions.

In addition to this the first European Championships finals were not held until 1960 thereby further limiting the number of competitive football available to the Republic of Ireland.

Ireland’s first competitive match during the 1940’s was in an Olympic qualifier in July 1948 against the Netherlands almost eleven years after the Republic’s last competitive match. It was a poor result as Ireland lost the match on a score line of 3-1.

Republic of Ireland Match Results 1940 to 1959 (inclusive)

Scores in parentheses are half-time scores