Ireland's trailblazers lap up recognition 50 years on from historic first international

The joy of reuniting with a long, lost friend has a special resonance and the buoyant sounds of belated catch-ups and warm embraces echoed around the lobby area at Dublin's Westin Hotel on Friday.

Those responsible for the animated atmosphere were a special group of players. The first women to represent the Republic of Ireland in an international fixture, brought together once again five decades on.

The date was 13 May 1973 when they lined out against Wales in Llanelli and in a happy coincidence, the 50th anniversary of that historic kickstart coincides with the year that an Irish team will kick off on a World Cup stage for the first time.

Former player Linda Gorman, who managed Ireland from 1991 to 1992, captured the mood as collective memories flooded back.

"Some of them I haven't seen in 50 years, so football is the mechanism by which we are all together here today," said the former Girls in Green captain who played internationally until 1985.

"I just can't wait. I haven't seen half of them, I just can't wait to see them, everything else is oblivious because it brings back so many memories - good and bad - of our youth and the things that we did and the friendships that we made and the fact that we were all on the same road, trying to better ourselves, play international football as best we could and yet we were all torn apart because of the geographical areas that we've lived in."

The depth of joy is probably only deepened by the fact that until the belated recognition of more recent times, the early pioneers of the women's national team were left with few mementos beyond the memories of what they had experienced first-hand.

"When people say to me, 'Do you have your Irish jersey? I said we were lucky to get them for the