Stephen Kenny had a largely mixed stint with Ireland, with numerous factors making the job all the more difficult during his time in charge.
Much of that related to the churn within the coaching staff.
Ireland would go through a huge number of backroom staff during his three years in charge, with key figures within the setup leaving for various reasons.
Some of them have gone on to have very interesting careers in the game.
The exploits of Stephen Kenny’s Ireland coaches
Keith Andrews
What ever happened to this lad?
Keith Andrews is the only member of Stephen Kenny’s coaching staff that with him right throughout his Ireland tenure, departing alongside the manager at the end of 2023.
He went on to have a brief spell on the Sheffield United backroom team, before joining Brentford under Thomas Frank. Of course, he would graduate into the top job at the Premier League club last summer and lead them to ninth in the league during his debut campaign.
Damien Duff
Damien Duff left his Ireland role under mysterious circumstances at the start of 2021, with rumours abound that it had something to do with the handling of the controversy around a motivational video shown to the players ahead of the game against England a few months prior.
Duff went on to have a brilliant spell in charge of Shelbourne, leading the club to their first League of Ireland title in 18 years in 2024. He surprisingly resigned from the role midway through the following season.
After some time away from football, the Dubliner is set to link up with Keith Andrews once again as Brentford’s assistant manager next season.
Alan Kelly
Another figure who left soon after the England video controversy, Alan Kelly had worked as goalkeeping coach under previous managers before linking up with Kenny after his appointment.
The former Ireland international would leave in 2021. He continued to fulfil a similar role at Everton, which he departed from in the summer of 2024.
Ruaidhri Higgins
Ruaidhrí Higgins worked alongside Stephen Kenny at Dundalk, following him into the Ireland setup as an opposition analyst.
He was another departure in 2021, leaving to take up the manager’s job at Derry City. He spent four seasons at the club, winning the FAI Cup in 2022.
Higgins would leave Derry at the end of the 2024 season, being appointed at NIFL club Coleraine last year. They finished as runner-ups behind Larne during his first campaign in charge.
Stephen Rice
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Stephen Rice replaced Higgins as the opposition analyst, a role he continued until Heimir Hallgrimsson’s appointment.
Rice would then have a brief spell as assistant manager of the Ireland U21 side. He joined Brentford as a set-piece coach last summer, filling Keith Andrews’ old role.
He will work alongside Andrews and Duff at the club next season.
Dean Kiely
Dean Kiely was drafted in to replace Alan Kelly as goalkeeping coach, staying with the team until 2024.
He combined the position with the same role at Crystal Palace, where he had been since 2018. Kiely would leave Selhurst Park in the summer of 2025.
The 55-year old was appointed as goalkeeping coach at Israeli club Macabbi Tel Aviv back in February.
Anthony Barry
Anthony Barry made his first steps into international football with Ireland in 2021, combining the coaching role with a similar position at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel.
However, he did not remain long under Kenny. Barry would take an offer from Belgium to join Roberto Martinez’s staff 12 months later, following the Spaniard to Portugal.
He would also work with Tuchel at Bayern Munich, before becoming the England assistant manager under the German. He hit headlines during their opening World Cup game this summer for his no-nonsense approach.
John Eustace
Barry’s replacement had an even briefer spell with the team.
John Eustace was drafted in to replace him in March of 2022, being part of the coaching staff for the following two international windows. Remarkably, he left the position that summer in order to take up the manager’s role at Birmingham City.
Eustace did quite well at the club, but was sacked midway through his second season in favour of Wayne Rooney despite hovering around the Championship play-off positions.
The Englishman would then have a 12-month spell in charge of Blackburn Rovers, before leaving to take up an offer from Derby County. They would finish eighth this season.
John O’Shea
Having been brought into Stephen Kenny’s coaching staff in 2023, John O’Shea is the only man bridging the gap between the Stephen Kenny and Heimir Hallgrimsson eras.
The Waterford man also had a spell as assistant manager at Birmingham City during this period, before a surprisingly lengthy stint as Ireland assistant manager in 2024.
O’Shea currently serves as assistant manager under Hallgrimsson.