This should be a real boost to the economy.
While recent attention has been focused on Ireland’s bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, two other important sporting events will be held on these shores because UEFA have announced that the Republic of Ireland will host the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
The UEFA Executive Committee have also selected Northern Ireland to be the hosts of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2020.
The Republic of Ireland have reached the finals of the men’s U17 competition twice, in 2008 and 2015, but have yet to win a game, having drawn one match and lost the other five. They held the U16 finals in 1994, while their most recent hosting experience came when Dublin held the 2015 UEFA Regions’ Cup.
Regarding Northern Ireland hosting the Under-19 Championships, they previously hosted the event in 2005 and they’ll will be looking to improve on that campaign, in which they lost all three of their matches against Germany, Greece and Serbia & Montenegro.
In the 2005 event, matches were played at Windsor Park (Linfield), The Oval (Glentoran), The Showgrounds (Newry), Mourneview Park (Glenavon), The Showgrounds (Ballymena United).
There has been no confirmation yet of the grounds that the organisers are planning to use for both tournaments.
