CAOIMHÍN KELLEHER

Born in Cork in 1998, the Liverpool FC goalkeeper joined the Reds in the summer of 2015 and made his first-team debut in 2019. An expert in penalty shoot-outs, no LFC goalie has saved more spot-kicks when cup ties have gone to penalties and Caoimhín Kelleher also scored the winning penalty in the 2022 Carabao Cup final against Chelsea FC at Wembley. He made his Republic of Ireland debut in 2021, the same year that Liverpool FC Women signed…

LEANNE KIERNAN

A cross-country champion who played football with the boys until joining Shelbourne FC Women in 2015, Leanne Kiernan was signed for West Ham United FC Women by manager Matt Beard in 2018. The striker scored eight goals in 40 appearances for the Hammers before following Beard to LFC when he returned to manage the Reds in 2021. Kiernan, who netted 14 goals in season 2021/22, was born in Bailieborough which is a 45 minute drive away from…

DUNDALK FC

Formed 120 years ago in 1902, Dundalk FC is the only club from the Republic of Ireland to have played LFC in competitive fixtures. The Railwaymen were hammered 10-0 at Anfield in 1969 in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup on a night when future Reds boss Gérard Houllier stood on the Kop. They lost the second leg at Oriel Park 4-0 and faced the Redmen again in the European Cup in 1982. The Reds won 4-1 in Dundalk and 1-0 at Anfield with the winner scored by…

RONNIE WHELAN

The Dubliner was signed from Home Farm FC by Bob Paisley in 1979 at the age of 18 and broke into the first team in 1981, replacing Ray Kennedy on the left of midfield. Ronnie Whelan became a mainstay in the team, scoring 73 goals in 493 appearances for the Reds - the most games played by any Irish-born player. He won 12 major honours and lifted the FA Cup at Wembley in 1989 after captaining the side to a trophy win, something also done by…

NIAMH FAHEY

Capped 111 times by the Republic of Ireland Women’s team, Galway girl Niamh Fahey joined Liverpool FC Women from FC Girondins de Bordeaux Women in 2018. A centre-back or defensive midfielder, she is a lifelong Red and in 2020 was appointed as skipper. Niamh lifted the FA Women’s Championship trophy in 2022 after leading the Reds to promotion and last season played alongside Natasha Dowie, who recently opened Dublin’s new…

OFFICIAL LIVERPOOL FC CLUB STORE

Located in Swords Pavillion Shopping Centre, Sami Hyypiä was also on hand to open the Irish capital’s new store 12 days before Christmas. It is the second Official LFC Club Store in the city - Didi Hamann opened one in the ILAC Centre in October 2014 - and the unveiling was also attended by Mighty Red plus musicians Kieo and Katy Alex. Several Reds have been born in Dublin over the years including Robbie Keane, Mark Kennedy and the legendary…

STEVIE HEIGHWAY

A skilful, tricky winger with the ability to beat a man, supply brilliant crosses and score goals himself, Stevie Heighway was one of the stars of the 1970s. Signed from non-league Skelmersdale United FC, he scored 76 goals and got 66 assists in 475 appearances for LFC and won 12 major honours before going on to become the club’s youth development officer and Academy director from 1989 to 2007. No wonder he was immortalised by Kopites in the…

FIELDS OF ANFIELD ROAD

‘All round the fields of Anfield Road, where once we watched the King Kenny play (and could he play!). Stevie Heighway on the wing, we had dreams and songs to sing, of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road’. Few Anfield anthems sound better than Fields of Anfield Road - a rewrite of the 1979 Irish folk song The Fields of Athenry, composed by Pete St Best. Adopted by fans of the Republic of Ireland national team, it can often be heard ringing around the…

AVIVA STADIUM

Built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium and officially opened in 2010, the Aviva is the national stadium for Ireland’s football and rugby union teams. A UEFA Euro 2028 venue and stadium we would all love to be visiting for the 2024 UEFA Europa League final, it has hosted four Liverpool FC friendlies. The Reds faced Celtic FC (2013), Shamrock Rovers FC (2014) and Athletic Bilbao (2017) before SSC Napoli in 2018 when on the bench was…

CAOIMHÍN KELLEHER

“Our main aim is to win any competition we’re in, but we have to take that step by step and we’ve taken this competition very seriously from the start,” said LFC’s Ireland international goalie Kelleher about the UEFA Europa League. “I’m obviously very happy that the manager has trusted me to start the games. Playing a bit more games is giving me that more match sharpness and we want to continue winning ways in the competition.” Can you imagine what Fields of Anfield Road would sound like in the Aviva if the Reds did make it to Dublin? It wouldn’t just be Irish eyes that are smiling that night…