Highs, lows & history: Ireland's rollercoaster 2023

The Republic of Ireland broke new ground in 2023.

They featured at their first ever Women's World Cup, acquitting themselves well in a fiercely tough group; then over the course of the autumn and winter, the Girls in Green swaggered to UEFA Nations League promotion with six wins out of six.

There were difficult periods of course. Vera Pauw's reign ended in a drawn-out and messy fashion as claims and counter-claims between the manager and the FAI soured what had been a successful era. But overall, it's been a tremendous year for a team that continues to raise the bar.

Here's how it all unfolded.

JANUARY - Controversy rocks the camp

The tone was set for a rocky first eight months of the year in a wet and windy January which saw Vera Pauw sanctioned by the US National Women's Soccer League [NWSL]. In December 2022, Pauw had been named in the Joint Investigative Report, which alleged that while manager of Houston Dash from November 2017 to September 2018 she had shamed players for their weight and attempted to exert excessive control over their eating habits.

Pauw strongly rejected every allegation made against her, but the story would linger for the rest of her reign as Republic of Ireland boss.

In her first act of official World Cup preparation, Pauw confirmed she'd be bringing her squad to Marbella in February for a 10-day training camp that would include a behind-closed-doors game against Germany and an international friendly with China.

Elsewhere, Chelsea launched an audacious £250,000 bid to sign Katie McCabe from Arsenal. The offer was rejected.

FEBRUARY - New faces called in as prep ramps up

Pauw named her first squad of the year for the Spain camp, with US-based Marissa Sheva and Manchester United’s Aoife Mannion earning