Soccer Irish transfer news: "Market? What market? Nothing's been happening anywhere," as Mick McCarthy put it yesterday, in reference to what appears, so far, to be a near-dormant British transfer market this summer.
For an ample proportion of Brian Kerr's senior squad it has meant much-anticipated moves have yet to materialise, with all the speculation surrounding Damien Duff, Stephen Carr and Steven Reid, to name but three, yet to amount to anything more than newspaper-talk.
McCarthy, though, expects things to liven up between now and the start of the new season.
"I think we could now be coming into a busy period, managers will be getting back and will be looking at their squads and the finances available," he said. "We'll be finding out more about what players will cost and I think it will start moving."
Colin Healy, whose contract with Celtic has expired, will hope McCarthy is right.
"I keep hearing about these clubs wanting to sign me," he said, "but I haven't actually spoken to anyone about a transfer. I am hoping it is just because everyone is on holiday at the moment, but it is definitely worrying that I still don't know what is happening."
"I have to say that any club not interested in taking Colin on a free is out of their box in my opinion," said Healy's agent Mel Stein, "I believe he is the new Roy Keane - and I don't say that lightly."
Agents do, of course, say lots of things "lightly" about their clients, but after his performances for Ireland in the last year it's a surprise that Healy hasn't, as yet, found himself a new club.
McCarthy confirmed yesterday, however, he had spoken to Healy, but admitted that until he reduces the size of his squad at relegated-Sunderland he is not in a position to sign the player, to whom he gave a senior international debut early last year.
"Colin is someone I like and someone I have spoken to - he would interest me when I'm in a position to get new faces, but right now, I can't do that," said the manager.
Aston Villa had been favourites to sign Healy, where he would probably push Mark Kinsella further down the midfield pecking order, with Stein confirming David O'Leary's interest in the player, while Everton were also reported to have expressed an interest.
To date this summer the only senior Irish internationals, past and present, to have secured moves are Matt Holland (Ipswich to Charlton), Steve Finnan (Fulham to Liverpool), Graham Barrett (Arsenal to Coventry), Dominic Foley (Watford to Sporting Braga, Portugal) and Dave Savage (Oxford United to Bristol Rovers). Phil Babb and Gary Breen continue to look for new clubs - Breen was linked with a move to Mallorca or Atletico Madrid last week.
David Connolly is mulling over a transfer to first division Reading, who agreed a fee, estimated to be €650,000, with Wimbledon's administrators on Monday. Reading are also said to be attempting to sign Liverpool's Richie Partridge, the former Irish under-21 international. No developments so far, though, in Leicester City and Cardiff City's reported interest in Spurs' Gary Doherty.
Plenty of developments at Carlisle United, where manager Roddy Collins is moving closer to the day, intentionally or not, when he can field an all-Irish team at the third division club, oft dubbed the Sellafield Shamrocks.
Will McDonagh and Peter Murphy have signed new contracts, securing their immediate futures in a squad that includes Richie Foran, Brendan McGill, Rob Byrne and Northern Ireland's Darren Kelly, while Des Byrne and Brian Shelley have been give a second chance by Collins after a bout of off-the-field unruliness last season.
And Dubliner Paul Byrne, the former Celtic player who was Collins's captain in Bohemians' double-winning season, has been given a trial at Brunton Park.
Meanwhile, Bolton Wanderers' striker Jonathan Walters, a Blackburn Rovers Academy product, has declared for the Republic of Ireland, birthplace of his late mother, following an under-20 call-up in May.
