Ireland U-21 recruitment drive

http://www.the42.ie/martin-keown-son-1983065-Mar2015/

Callum O'Dowda, Shamir Goodwin and Niall Keown have all been called up to the latest U-21 team.

There are some very glaring omissions in that squad.

Anthony Forde is injured but I believe Matt Doherty, Derrick Williams, John O'Sullivan and several other Irish lads playing at a higher level have been left out. I believe they are all young enough to play. I'm open to correction on that.

I just hope it's not quantity over quality when it comes to the new recruits. They are at an age where they should be on the cusp of first team football and we have enough Irish kids playing in the top 3 divisions without calling up, no disrespect, near 20 something League 2 players.

I'm happy to see new faces. I wouldn't worry too much about who's omitted. We are only playing Andorra so I'd imagine Noel King wants to look at some of the fringe players. Don't know too much about the new recruits but I think Goodwin also goes by the name Fenelon & O'Dowda is supposed to be a prospect we will one day see in the Premiership according to a recent article written by Michael Duberry who now writes for the Oxford Mail.

O'Dowda at Oxford and O'Nien at Watford. I have never heard those surnames before.

O'Dowda is a grandson of a famous Irish tenor called Brendan O'Dowda. Can't speak for O'Nien.

O'Dowda is a straight anglicisation of the name Ó Dubhda. I don't know why O'Dowd has become so much more popular. O'Nien is a new one on me too.

Williams, O'Sullivan and Doherty aren't eligible. Doherty is 23 - he was only eligible for the last one by a few days.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

O'Nien is a new one on me too.

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It may not be of Gaelic origin at all. Could it be related to O'Nion?: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/O%27Nion

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Originally Posted by Surname Database

This interesting and unusual name, though curiously Irish in appearance, is in fact of Welsh or French origin. In the former case, the derivation is from the Old Welsh personal name Einoin, anvil, an implement represently stability and fortitude. One, Einion yrth was recorded in ancient Welsh documents, dated 420 A.D., and an Ennian filius (son of) Gieruerth appears in the 1159, "Pipe Rolls of Shropshire". Variant forms of the name recorded are Eynon and Eynun, (Shropshire, 1221); Eignon, (Cheshire, 1284); Anyun, (Berkshire, 1279); Vnyon (Chirk, 1392), and Onnyon (Suffolk, 1568). The derivation in the second case is from the Medieval English "oyn(y)on", ultimately from the Old French "oignon", onion, and originally given as a metonymic occupational name to a grower or seller of onions. In the modern idiom the name is spelt Onion, Onyon, Onian(s), Enion, Inion(s), O'Nion etc., the last mentioned form being altered folk etymology as if of Irish origin. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Onoiun, which was dated 1279, "The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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Ah I see.

As a Brighton fan (on the side) I wasn't even aware that Shamir Goodwin/Fenelon (he's changed to the latter surname) was eligible.

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Originally Posted by KianD

As a Brighton fan (on the side) I wasn't even aware that Shamir Goodwin/Fenelon (he's changed to the latter surname) was eligible.

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It is bit depressing seeing the 21s bringing in players like the wigan lad who is not getting a look in , 2 lads at brighton who are never involved , using jack byrne who should be left in the 19s he has not played a min of league football anywhere. Even mcevoy is surely a spurs player in name only at this stage and was underwhelming at peterboro. Hard to see those 21s doin much in that group. Is sam byrne injured?

Absentees I can gather : Eric Grimes(Leeds), Sean Long(Reading)Shane Griffin(Reading), Pierce Sweeney(Reading) Mason Watkins Clark(Stoke) Brian Lenihan(Hull) Eoghan O'Connell(Celtic), Liam Kelly(Reading) Will Hayhurst(Notts County), Kieran Sadlier(West Ham) Sam Byrne(Everton) The U21s won't be too bad when everyone is available.