The UEFA Regions’ Cup comes to Cork this weekend, bringing the highest level of European amateur football to Turner’s Cross as Ireland begin their 2026-27 campaign with three games in seven days.

Ireland will be represented by Munster, winners of the FAI Amateur Inter-Provincial Tournament in March, with Belarus, Malta and Croatia providing the opposition in Group 8 of the Intermediate Round.

The competition offers a rare international stage to players operating outside the professional game. A total of 34 UEFA National Associations are involved this season, with Ireland carrying a strong pedigree, having won the tournament on home soil in 2015.

Head Coach Jason Purcell, who also led Munster to the Inter-Provincial title earlier this year, has retained much of the group that has been building towards this competition.

“We’re excited now, and the lads are looking forward to it,” he said.

“We have 11 players from the last Regions’ Cup, so a lot of the players have been together for the last two years, and that continuity is a big thing for us.”

Ireland open against Belarus on Sunday evening before facing Malta on Wednesday and Croatia on Saturday afternoon, with Purcell determined that attention does not drift beyond the first assignment.

“We’re just focusing on that first game on Sunday against Belarus. The last time we played in this competition, we had 23 attempts in our first game and it came back to haunt us a little bit, so we won’t look past this first game.”

Choosing Turner’s Cross gives the tournament an established football setting and continues Cork’s role in staging Ireland international fixtures outside Dublin.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 team has enjoyed strong backing at the ground in recent seasons, something Purcell hopes can be replicated for a group of players more accustomed to representing clubs including Villa, Fairview Rangers, Ringmahon Rangers, Rockmount, Newmarket Celtic and Killarney Celtic.

“We’ve seen the great local support that the Ireland Under-21s have gotten in Turner’s Cross of late, and that counts for a lot,” he said.

“It is a good stadium, and we hope to get good crowds for our games because it means a lot to the lads to play these games at home.”

That home support is part of what sets the Regions’ Cup apart. International football is normally associated with the elite professional game, but this tournament gives amateur players the same representative experience, complete with UEFA competition structures, international opposition, and the chance to play in a recognised stadium in front of a home crowd.

Preparation has reflected the level of ambition.

Ireland have played a friendly against Northern Ireland, faced the Under-20 academy sides of Cork City and Waterford, and spent four days at Preston North End’s training ground in England ahead of the Cork series.

Purcell has now reduced that wider group to an 18-player squad.

Craig Dunphy of Villa and Shane Hallahan of Midleton are the two goalkeepers, with the rest of the squad drawn from across the Munster amateur game.

Villa have four representatives in Dunphy, John Tamen, Adam Conway and Conor Kilgannon, while Ringmahon Rangers contribute Christopher McCarthy, Jamie O’Sullivan and Jack Cairns.

Fairview Rangers, Rockmount and a number of other leading clubs from across the province are also represented.

 

Ireland Regions’ Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Craig Dunphy (Villa), Shane Hallahan (Midleton)

Defenders: Jake Dillon (Fairview Rangers), Jason Cross (Fairview Rangers), Sean Guerins (BT Harps), John Tamen (Villa), Cian Murphy (Rockmount), Christopher McCarthy (Ringmahon Rangers)

Midfielders: Adam Conway (Villa), Matt Keane (Killarney Celtic), Conor Kilgannon (Villa), Conor Coughlan (Aisling Annacotty), Jamie O’Sullivan (Ringmahon Rangers), Keelan Crowley (College Corinthians)

Forwards: Eoin Hayes (Newmarket Celtic), Jack Cairns (Ringmahon Rangers), Luke Casey (Coachford), Eoin Murphy (Rockmount)

Management and Staff: Jason Purcell (Head Coach), Stewart Fitzgerald (Assistant Head Coach), Greg Foley and Paul Breen (Coaches), Michael Costello (Goalkeeping Coach), Dr Garret Linehan (Team Doctor), Pearse Foley (Physio), Tadgh O’Neill (Equipment Manager), Barry Cotter (Team Operations Manager)

UEFA Regions’ Cup – Group 8

Sunday, November 1
Ireland v Belarus
Turner’s Cross, 7.30 pm

Wednesday, November 4
Ireland v Malta
Turner’s Cross, 7.30 pm

Saturday, November 7
Ireland v Croatia
Turner’s Cross, 3.00 pm

 

Tickets are priced at €10 for adults and €5 for Under-16s and OAPs, with Under-12s admitted free.

 

 

 

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Image Credit: FAI

 

 

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