LEAGUE OF IRELAND NEWS:BOHEMIANS SKIPPER Owen Heary was last night named Eircom/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland Personality of the Year. The right back, who originally came to prominence during his time at Shelbourne, had an outstanding year, leading the Dalymount outfit to the double.
Brian Murphy won the association's goalkeeping award for the second successive year. The 25-year-old rounded off a wonderful year in last month's cup final at the RDS where he saved two spot kicks in the shoot-out that decided the game.
The organisation's Special Merit Award, meanwhile, went to Noel O'Reilly, the widely respected and enormously popular coach who passed away suddenly in September.
Cork City have announced the signing of Davin O'Neill, the versatile 25-year-old who scored eight times in Cobh Ramblers' unsuccessful attempt to avoid relegation from the top division.
The Irish under-19s learned yesterday that they must travel to Belgium in June for the elite phase of the qualifying tournament for next summer's European Youth Championships.
As well as host nation Belgium, the Irish will have to finish ahead of Switzerland and Sweden if they are to secure a place at the finals tournament, which is due to take place in Ukraine in July.
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