Ireland: New €15 silver Proof coins mark 50 years of Ireland women’s football team

The Central Bank of Ireland has released new silver Proof coins, which mark both the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Ireland women’s Football team as well as their achievements on the playing field. The Women’s Football Association of Ireland was established in 1973 and is the governing body responsible for organising the Republic of Ireland women’s national football team, the FAI Women’s Cup and the Women’s National League, as well as various county and regional leagues and junior cup competitions. It was on the 13th May 1973 that the first official women’s international game took place in Wales. Affectionately known as “the Girls in Green,” they won 3-2 against the Welsh team, and it was the start of something special. In 1991, the Women’s Football Association became affiliated with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), which also governs the men’s Irish team. There have been many highs for the women’s national team since then, but qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup with a play-off victory away to Scotland eclipsed them all. This secured the team’s first-ever place at a major tournament, along with 23 other national teams. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the quadrennial international association football championship contested by women’s national teams and organised by FIFA. The most prestigious international football competition is set to take off in Australia and New Zealand from the 20th July to the 20th August. The world’s best women’s footballers will compete for glory in the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 2023 event marks the first time that countries within the Oceania region are hosting the tournament. The women’s team of the Republic of Ireland takes on the host country, Australia, on the first day of play.

The silver Proof coins are produced by the Royal Dutch Mint at their facilities in Houten, Netherlands, on behalf of the Central Bank of Ireland. The obverse side features the newly designed logo or insignia of the Football Association of Ireland, unveiled in March of 2023. The design includes a green shamrock, considered a symbol of luck. Just under the shamrock is applied colour consisting of the tri-colour of Ireland’s national flag: Green, white and orange. Surrounding the logo is the commemorative text IRELAND WOMEN’S NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM 2023. Below the primary design along the lower edge is the denomination 15 EURO. The reverse side depicts the national insignia of Ireland, the cláirseach, or Celtic harp, which is centred. The text EIRE and 2023 are positioned on either side of the harp.

Denom.	Metal	Weight	Diameter	Quality	Mintage Limit
15 euro	.925 Silver	28.4 g	38.6 mm	Proof with applied colour	3,000

Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a Central Bank of Ireland-branded custom case accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. For additional information about these and other coins available from the Central Bank, please visit their retail website.

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