MEGAN SMYTH-LYNCH HAS been appointed interim head coach of the Republic of Ireland Women’s U16 team.
The 25-year-old, who plays for Shelbourne in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division, will step up from her assistant coach role to take over from Tom Elmes until August 2023.
Elmes is Vera Pauw’s Women’s National Team assistant and is in that job on a full-time basis ahead of the World Cup.
Smyth-Lynch is a Uefa A Licence coach, and has been steadily building her coaching career with involvement in the FAI’s Girls’ Centre of Excellence, U15 Girls’ National Academy and with the Metropolitan Girls League [MGL] Academy.
An SETU graduate, with qualifications in Sports Management and Coaching, she works full-time with the FAI. She previously represented Peamount United, making the move to Shelbourne ahead of their 2022 double-winning season.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a talented group of players and a highly-skilled backroom team in what is a really exciting time for women and girls’ football in Ireland,” Smyth-Lynch said.
Delighted to receive this opportunity for the next few months 🇮🇪 thank you to @Tom_Elmes and all the staff so far for their continued support and I am looking forward to contributing to a huge year for women’s football in Ireland ⚽️☘️ #COYGIG #WEAREONE @FAIreland https://t.co/RQMxGUtQNa
— Megan Smyth (@MeganLynch97) February 17, 2023
“With the support of the FAI and Tom Elmes, I will embrace this role to continue the excellent work that has been ongoing with the Women’s U16s and from the pathways that lead into that.
“We have some important international camps coming up, so I’m looking forward to getting in and working with the players and staff.”
The team will have training games in February, March and April before travelling to Serbia for a Uefa Development Tournament on 19 April.
FAI CEO Jonathan Hill said: “We are really pleased to have someone of Megan’s quality available to take on the head coach role with the Ireland Women’s U16s on an interim basis, especially considering the shortlist was made up of the highest standard of candidates.
Congratulations Megan! So well deserved! 👏💥 https://t.co/Cs18qVFtqh
— Vera Pauw (@verapauw) February 17, 2023
“With Tom Elmes assisting Vera Pauw for the Women’s World Cup, we are confident that Megan can continue the excellent work with the team over the next few months to help develop the next generation of Ireland international players.”
“We are excited to see Megan take on this role as she continues her progression as a coach and helps with the development of our best players at that age level,” FAI Director of Football Marc Canham added.
“It is important that Megan is already familiar with the set-up, having worked alongside Tom Elmes, and she will have a support network around her to ensure that she can excel in the role.
“This is also a key appointment for coaching pathways for aspiring women as Megan continues to advance along the coaching pathway and, hopefully, inspire other women to pursue coaching opportunities at an elite level.”
