The Football Association of Ireland is delighted to announce the intake for the 2025-26 UEFA Pro Licence course, with 14 coaches from diverse backgrounds in the professional game beginning their journey to achieve the highest coaching qualification in football.

The new cohort features a number of high-profile figures from the League of Ireland, including Shelbourne manager Joey O'Brien, Dundalk manager Ciaran Kilduff and Wexford manager Stephen Elliott.

They are joined by a host of former senior Republic of Ireland internationals who have forged successful coaching careers, including current Barnsley Head Coach Conor Hourihane, Reading manager Noel Hunt, and former Ireland goalkeeper and current Plymouth Argyle Head Coach, Marie Hourihan.

Current Ireland U-21 & Ipswich Town coach Rene Gilmartin, former Ireland international Michael Doyle and St. Patrick's Athletic Assistant Coach Sean O'Connor also come into the course working towards their UEFA Pro Licence. 

The 18-month course began earlier this month with the first in-person block of sessions at the FAI National Training Centre. A key highlight was a 'Football Discussions' roundtable, where the participants were joined by Republic of Ireland Head Coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, Assistant Head Coach John O'Shea, and esteemed League of Ireland managers Alan Reynolds, Kevin Doherty, John Caulfield and Stephen Kenny for an invaluable exchange of ideas.

Niall O'Regan, FAI Head of Education and Development, said: 'It was fantastic to welcome our latest UEFA Pro Licence cohort for their first block of sessions. This course is designed to develop expertise through mentorship from subject matter experts in areas like sports psychology, communication, and transformational leadership. We also aim to challenge the group and take them out of their comfort zones, through unique experiences provided by the Defence Forces. Welcoming Heimir, John, and a number of top League of Ireland managers allowed for some excellent football discussions, a collaborative element I am looking forward to continuing throughout the course.'

Craig Sexton, FAI Coach Development Manager, said: 'This is an exciting time to showcase our new approach to coach development, putting a spotlight on these key learning areas while working within the UEFA Coaching Convention framework. It is a really exciting and diverse group that has come through the robust application process, and we look forward to both challenging and supporting them on their development journey over the next 18 months.'

Full 2025-26 UEFA Pro Licence Cohort: Ciaran Kilduff, Joey O'Brien, Marie Hourihan, Stephen Elliott, Michael Doyle, Rene Gilmartin, Shane Robinson, Jason McGuinness, Michael Hefele, Conor Hourihane, Noel Hunt, Chelsea Noonan, Jack Cassidy, Sean O'Connor.