From South London to Dublin: The growth of the Irish Eagles

Club

11 Dec 2025

As the Eagles continue our first European tour and Oliver Glasner’s history-makers play in front of crowds across the continent, it's quickly becoming clear: Palace is everywhere.

A number of international Supporters Clubs across Europe have already been able to witness the Eagles in action this season: from the Austrian Eagles welcoming their compatriot Glasner and his players back in pre-season, to CPFC Norway there being there a historic night in Fredrikstad in August, and CPFC Polska welcoming Palace to Lublin at the start of the league phase, many a dream of watching the Eagles abroad has already been realised.

Today, we hear from Andy of the Irish Eagles, who'll be at Tallaght Stadium tonight to watch their beloved Palace play in their home nation...

Andy, it's great to be in Dublin! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your Crystal Palace story.

"My father was born in Dublin, but in the early 70s, he and my mam moved to Croydon for work. It was then that my dad started following Palace, living just about 10 minutes from the ground.

"They returned to Ireland in the late 70s, bringing their love for Palace with them. I was born in 1981 and have been supporting the club for around 36 years, starting when I was about eight years old.

"We used to travel over to games regularly, up until he passed away in 2021. I followed in my dad's footsteps, and now my three boys support Palace too. Slowly but surely, we're growing our Irish base of supporters!"

Tell us a little more about your group, the Irish Eagles.

"Back in 2010, Mark Mannion and I happened to meet on a flight while heading to watch a game, and that's when our group was born. We started with a simple Facebook page, and with time, our numbers steadily grew.

"Over the years, we've traveled to various games, held regular meet-ups in Dublin and other parts of Ireland, and even sponsored jerseys for Irish players like Owen Garvan and Damien Delaney.

"Although our group experienced a bit of a lull in recent years for various reasons, we've reignited the group this year. We've organised several meet-ups and monthly competitions, with plans to travel together as a group in the upcoming year.

"Currently, we have around 150 members registered, and I believe there are about 18 Season Ticket Holders and 300 official club members in Ireland!

"We're especially excited about our big meet-up for this week's upcoming Shelbourne game!"

Let's turn attentions to that game – what do you make of this current Palace side?

"Honestly, we’ve been spoiled since Oliver came in!

"I was really impressed with him from early on. You could tell he was an elite manager, the way he spoke and carried himself, and he had a style and system that you could see almost straight away, he was different to what we were used to! He just seems to get the club and fans too, it all feels connected.

"Obviously, he did well when he came in first, but what impressed me most was how he managed the difficult moments. When we struggled a bit at the start of last season... I think we didn’t win for eight league games, and then we only had one win in 13 games. But even in some of those games, you could see we weren’t too far off it. He proved his quality as a manager by then going on to win the FA Cup and finishing 12th.

"The FA Cup was so special... to spend it in Wembley with family and friends is something that I will never forget!"

How special will it be to see Palace play a competitive game in Ireland?

"It’s a dream come true!

"I was over for the AZ Alkmaar game at the start of November, and getting to see Palace play in Europe was special – but getting to watch them play in Ireland, in Europe is extra special. I can’t wait!

"I'll be going to the game with my wife and three boys. We're meeting up with friends that we would normally meet when we are over in Selhurst.

"We’ve organised a big meet up for the Supporters Club too, pre-game."

What can Palace expect from Shelbourne as an opposition?

"I think Shelbourne will be up for it and will try make it difficult for us.

"They’ve done okay in the other group games, and have been in the games for most of them. I think if we perform, we should have no problems, and have the quality to win the tie easily – but we need to respect them and the game, and I think the rest will take care of itself.

"My prediction would be 3-0 to Palace."

Finally, for any Irish Eagles not yet with you, how can they get involved with your group?

"We are on the normal social platforms, and our email address is below too:

X
Facebook
Instagram
Email

"We look forward to hearing from you!"

Match Details

Shelbourne v Crystal Palace

Thursday, 11th December
20:00 GMT
UEFA Conference League
Tallaght Stadium
Live audio commentary on Palace TV+

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