Irish manager, Rino Giglione has led the Irish Deaflympics side to the quarter-finals of the 2009 Deaflympics which is currently being held in Taiwan after finishing on top of a group containing Great Britain, USA and Japan.

The Irish got their campaign off to a flying start when they defeated the highly fancied USA side 2-0 with goals from Dan Johnston and Kilkenny's Eamon Byrne. In a hotly contested group, Giglione's side drew 0-0 with both Japan and Great Britain and the five points gained from the three matches was enough to put the Irish through to a quarter-final showdown with France tomorrow, September 10th at 2.30 pm (local time).

The Deaflympics is one of a number of events in the Olympic ‘family' that includes the Paralympics and Special Olympics as well as the main summer and winter Olympics.

In association with the FAI, 21 players throughout the island of Ireland have been selected to compete in the Deaflympics Football finals. Manager of the Republic of Ireland team, Rino Giglione will be confident that his team can build on the 4th place that his team claimed at the 2005 Deaflympics which was followed by a bronze medal at the 2007 European Deaf Football Championship in Lisbon with a penalty shoot-out victory over Germany.

National Irish Deaf Football Team
Michael Walsh - Dungarvan AFC (Goalkeeper)
Ciaran Moloney- St Vincent's Deaf FC (Goalkeeper)
Darren Dunne- St John's Arsenal Deaf FC, UK (Captain)
Damien Mc Mahon- Transport FC
Stuart Foy - St Vincent Deaf FC
Joseph Watson- Waterford Crystal FC
Noel O Donnell- Belfast Deaf United FC
Andrew Wynne-Valley Park United
Richard Dougherty-Belfast Deaf United FC
Dan Johnston-Everton Deaf FC,UK
Eamon Byrne- Freebooters FC
Mark Sinclair- Doncaster Deaf FC
Brian Daly- Swords Celtic FC
Brian Babb-Belfast Deaf United FC
Eoin Burns- Fulham Deaf FC,UK
Ryan Lewis-Everton Deaf FC,UK
Derek Jordan- Moate Celtic FC
Stephen Miller- Glasgow Athletic FC, Scotland
Kevin Dudley-Bohemian FC
Bryan Moore- Fulham Deaf FC, UK
Jason Maguire- Glebe North FC

Manager: Rino Giglione