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| Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
| Association | Irish Football Association | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach |  Lawrie Sanchez, 2004- | ||
| Most caps | undefined | ||
| Top scorer | undefined | ||
| FIFA code | NIR | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 58 | ||
| Highest | 33 (May 1994) | ||
| Lowest | 124 (March 2004) | ||
| First international | |||
Template:Country data Ireland-1753 Ireland 0 - 13 England  (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February, 1882) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Template:Country data Ireland-1753 Ireland (IFA) 7 - 0 Wales  (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 1 February, 1930) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Template:Country data Ireland-1753 Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February, 1882) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | none (first in -) | ||
| Best result | - | ||
| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | none (first in -) | ||
| Best result | - | ||
First 
The Ireland football team is the branding used by the IFA when it plays friendly internationals with any of the home nations, and has historically been the national team for the whole island.
The team is run by the Irish Football Association, formed in 1880 in Belfast to organise football throughout Ireland. Two years later, on February 18 1882 Ireland made their international debut against England, losing 13-0 in a friendly played at Bloomfield Park in Belfast.
British Home Championships
From 1884 to 1984 Ireland regularly competed in the British Home Championship. During the early competitions Ireland were regularly defeated by large margins and they did not register their first victory until 1887, a 4-1 win over Wales in Belfast. Their second victory came in 1891 against the same opponents. The championship was monopolised by England and Scotland with Ireland only winning the competition outright on three occasions in a century.
In 1914 Ireland won the championship out right for the first time with a team that included Patrick O’Connell and Liverpool legend Bill Lacey. After beating Wales 2-1 away, Ireland then beat England 3-0 at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough with Lacey grabbing two of the goals. They clinched the title following a 1-1 draw with Scotland at Windsor Park in Belfast.
Ireland won the last ever competition in 1984, and the trophy remains at the Irish Football Association's headquarters in Belfast.
IFA v FAI
In 1921 Ireland was partitioned into Northern Ireland and the Southern Ireland, later to become Republic of Ireland. A rival association, the Football Association of Ireland emerged in the south and organised a separate league and international team. At the same time the IFA continued to organise the Ireland team. Both associations claimed the right to administer the game throughout the whole island and continued to refer to their teams as Ireland. Several players including Paddy Moore, Johnny Carey and Peter Farrell were selected to represent both the IFA and the FAI Ireland teams.
It was not until 1950 that FIFA intervened, placing restrictions on the selection of players and decreeing that the FAI team be officially designated the Republic of Ireland team. In 1954 the IFA team became Northern Ireland, however it was allowed to retain the right to call it's team Ireland and select players from the whole of Ireland for matches outside of FIFA and UEFA competions against England, Scotland and Wales. In practice the IFA did not fully exercise this right and only drew from those players eligiable to play for the Northern Ireland team.
The IFA continues to run the Northern Ireland national team, which is seen by FIFA and UEFA as the continuation of the Ireland team, and all past and future matches played by Ireland are appended to Northern Ireland's record.
Honours
- British Home Championship: 8 (5 shared)
- 1903, 1914, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1980, 1984
denotes a shared champioship