Republic of Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews sealed a deadline day transfer to English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion.

The switch of the 31-year-old from Blackburn Rovers was one of several involving Irish players at the end of the mid-season transfer window.

Andrews, capped 26 times at senior level times for Ireland, spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Ipswich Town, scoring nine times during an impressive stint.

Many clubs had expressed interest in signing the Dubliner since his return to Ewood Park but Baggies boss Roy Hodgson won the race to secure someone he's rated for a long time.

"Keith is a player I know well and have admired for several years," Hodgson told the club's official website upon wrapping up a permanent deal until the end of the season.

"He's a flexible midfielder who can play in a number of roles across midfield. He will bring experience to the squad and also has a good goalscoring record.

"We're delighted to have him on board as we look to achieve or our primary target, which is to secure a third successive season of Premier League football."

In other transfer news for the Irish, striker Andrew Keogh joined Millwall from Wolves while his colleague at Molineux switches to Hibernian until the end of the season on a loan basis. Hibs manager Pat Fenlon also recruited ex-Irish Under-21 winger Roy O'Donovan on loan from Coventry City.

Barnsley snapped up Leyton Orient's combative midfielder Stephen Dawson while Under-21 international Robbie Gibbons returned from Cyprus to sign for Scunthorpe United.

Two Irish strikers, Graham Cummins and Rhys Murphy (loan), have linked up with Preston North End and Billy Clarke moves from Blackpool to Crawley on loan. Huddersfield Town winger Donal McDermott has joined the club he'd previously spent a stint on loan at from Manchester City, Bournemouth.

Finally, an Irish player on the move earlier in the window, senior international Darron Gibson, claimed his first goal for Everton in the vital one-nil victory over league leaders Manchester City just hours before the deadline struck. 

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