Just days after announcing that their European Championship build-up programme was complete, FAI sources said yesterday that it may be revised to include an additional fixture.
Talks are in progress for a game against Jamaica on March 22nd, just 24 hours before Ireland travel to Prague for their game there against the Czech Republic on March 25th.
The Jamaicans, who have qualified for the finals of the World Cup for the first time, will be in Britain in March to meet Wales and are anxious for an additional fixture to familiarise themselves with British-style opposition.
What makes the proposal even more interesting is that the game, if it takes place, will be staged in London. Lansdowne Road is not normally available to the FAI until the last week in March and instead of assembling his players in Dublin en route to Prague, Mick McCarthy may prefer London as a meeting point.
Just how the English FA would react to an international friendly fixture between two foreign teams in London on that date is another matter. Although there are no Premiership games listed for that weekend, it could still be interpreted as an unwelcome precedent.
If the necessary agreements are forthcoming, the most likely venue would be either Highbury or White Hart Lane, although Chelsea's ground at Stamford Bridge also has a lot of appeal for Irish expatriates.
Ireland have only once encountered opposition from the Caribbean when Trinidad and Tobago, scarcely among the heavyweights of football, inflicted a humiliating 2-1 defeat at Port of Spain in May 1982. That result still rankles with some of those who played in the game but has to be set against a shattering 7-0 beating by Brazil at Uberlanda just three days earlier.
Recently, there has been some speculation that Shelbourne's Mark Rutherford may be a candidate for selection in Jamaica's team but while the authorities in Kingston have been alerted to his form, they have not so far acted on the advice.
It was confirmed yesterday that leading FAI officers are to meet on Friday to examine the vacant post of technical officer following Bryan Hamilton's surprising decision last week not to accept the job.
Hamilton, who had a series of three interviews with the FAI, announced that he was withdrawing less than 24 hours before a press conference to announce his appointment was due to be held. In the process, he threw the FAI's medium-term plans into some disarray.
The options available to the FAI include re-advertising the post or appointing one of the unsuccessful applicants in the earlier round of interviews. Another - and possibly more attractive - possibility would be to head-hunt suitable candidates.
Officials at Merrion Square are reluctant to comment on their next move but the indications are that they may go for the third option.
