Caoimhín Kelleher, Jake O’Brien, and Matt Healy have all been nominated for FAI International Awards, with the winners set to be announced before Friday's friendly between the Republic of Ireland and Senegal at the Aviva Stadium.
Those selected for Amateur Player of the Year will be announced before the event, alongside the inductee into FAI Hall of Fame and the Special Merit recipient.
Kelleher is nominated for Senior Men’s International Player of the Year and that follows a breakout 12-months for the goalkeeper after Gavin Bazunu picked up an Achilles tendon injury.
The Ringmahon Rangers academy graduate stepped up and made the number one jersey his own, in a year that accumulated in a season defining victory over Finland at the Aviva Stadium.
The Boys in Green had to win if they were to avoid automatic relegation, and it looked like they were well on their way to the three points when Evan Ferguson got on the end of a Mikey Johnston cross.
The striker then gave away a penalty in the 77th minute and with everything on the line, Kelleher dived right and stopped Joel Pohjanpalo’s spot kick.
The clean-sheet complimented a 2-1 victory on Helsinki, and that was enough to avoid automatic relegation to League B.
Matt Healy of Shamrock Rovers congratulates team-mate Graham Burke, right, on scoring their third goal during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Matt Healy of Shamrock Rovers congratulates team-mate Graham Burke, right, on scoring their third goal during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Kelleher is nominated for this award alongside Ferguson and Nathan Collins, who is the only outfield player to start and finish every single Premier League game this season.
Jake O’Brien is up for Young Men’s International Player of the Year, after first making his senior Ireland debut during a friendly with Hungary last June at the Aviva Stadium.
That was followed by a move to Everton from Lyon in France, and with that came a regularly run in the national team under Heimir Hallgrímsson.
The Youghal native did not have everything his own way during this period as he struggled to assert himself under Sean Dyche at Goodison Park, and he came into his own after the appointment of David Moyes.
That included a starting appearance in the second leg of the Republic of Ireland’s 4-2 aggregate victory over Bulgaria at the Aviva Stadium.
O’Brien is nominated for his award alongside Finn Azaz and Festy Ebosele, who set up Robbie Brady to get the winner against Finland in Helsinki last October.
Healy is up for Men’s Under-21 International Player of the Year alongside Anselmo Garcia-MacNulty and Andrew Moran.
The midfielder was ever present in Jim Crawford’s squad as they missed out on qualification to Euro 2025 in heartbreaking fashion.
The Boys in Green had their destiny in their own hands until a shock draw with Norway at Turner’s Cross.
That meant they had to beat Italy away in Trieste, and the best that they could do was a spirited 1-1 draw with Moran equalising midway through the second half.