Preview: Ireland seek more positive vibes in Hungary

The dust had barely settled on the Republic of Ireland's historic 3-0 defeat of Northern Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday before the players were on the move.

After doing the rounds in the media mixed zone down in the bowels of the stadium, interim boss Eileen Gleeson and her squad boarded the bus to begin the journey to Budapest.

It had been quite a day.

The Girls in Green started their UEFA Nations League campaign with a relatively comfortable win over the North, as Lucy Quinn, Kyra Carusa and Lily Agg chipped in with the goals that delighted a colourful and noisy attendance of 35,944.

It was the first time the Ireland women's football team played at the Aviva. It will not be the last.

A joyous lap of honour after the full-time whistle was a sweet and deserved moment.

Only the most churlish would begrudge the players that walk to the four corners of Lansdowne Road, craning their necks to take in the sea of green as they picked out friends and family.

Six years ago the Ireland women's team threatened strike action as they pleaded for the most basic improvements in standard.

They've since lifted the bar to an unprecedented height, and the evidence was all around them on the post-match stroll. It was in the dugout too, with one of the leaders of that rebellion - Emma Byrne - part of Gleeson's back-room team.

Bringing her into the camp was a shrewd move by Gleeson; Byrne is revered by the players, many of whom grew up in awe of a player capped 134 times for her country.

She's helped to bring a sense of levity to the environment after a period of heavy going.

The air is finally beginning to clear after Vera Pauw's painful and protracted exit. And while the FAI continue their search for a permanent successor, Ireland can get on