While the countdown continued, barely noticed, to tomorrow evening's World Cup qualifier in Cyprus, yesterday's events at the Irish party's base in Limassol was dominated by the news, none of it good, from home. For FAI general secretary Bernard O'Byrne, the confirmation that foot-and-mouth disease had spread into the Republic was a blow he had been hoping might somehow be avoided.
Mick McCarthy, on the other hand, had said before he left Larnaca airport he was resigned to receiving the news of his father's death at some stage on this trip. Yesterday morning the word duly came that Charlie McCarthy, aged 74 and originally from Tallow in Co Waterford, had passed away.
The Ireland manager had also said that, in accordance with his father's wishes, he would see the trip through whatever happened and within a couple of hours of hearing the news, he went training with his players. McCarthy said before yesterday's session he already knew tomorrow's starting line-up and to judge by the allocation of the training bibs at the start of the morning's kick around, he may have been giving us a glimpse of the 11 to be named this morning.
If so, there will be no place for one of his most trusted defenders of recent years, for Kenny Cunningham found himself helping to contain the striking partnership of Robbie Keane and David Connolly for the best part of the game, although he did switch sides as the coach looked at his options.
Yesterday's run-out would suggest Connolly for Niall Quinn, Shay Given for Alan Kelly and Gary Kelly for Steve Carr will be the only changes from the starting line-ups against Holland, Portugal and Estonia.
Afterwards, McCarthy shrugged off the suggestion he had shown his hand, remarking, "I've been trying to have a look at a lot of things, not because I don't know what I'm going to do but because you never know, we might have to change things over the course of the game and, if we do, I want the lads to have tried it out on the training ground."
Still, it did appear McCarthy was leaning towards the retention of Richard Dunne over the vastly more experienced Cunningham in central defence alongside Gary Breen on the basis of the pairing's success in Amsterdam and Lisbon.
McCarthy confirmed that, outside of those changes forced upon him he wanted to keep "as close as I can" to the starting line-up in those cities but then added that he also "wanted as experienced a side as I can put out there; I want fellas who have been in this situation before too, so it's a question of striking a balance".
One of those fairly certain to retain his place from the opening qualifiers is Charlton's Mark Kinsella who will start tomorrow evening despite not having played a full 90 minutes of competitive football since just after Christmas.
As several of his team-mates received attention for minor niggles - put down, for the most part, to the firm surface at the training ground - the Dubliner insisted he was fit and ready to play his part in midfield.
"The whole thing took a lot longer to sort out than it should have," he said, "and the fact that I haven't played a game this year really isn't ideal but I've been training properly now for two weeks and I've been feeling stronger all the time. I'm happy that I'm ready and the gaffer back at Charlton (Alan Curbishley) has told me that after the time away here I should be fine to go back in against Leicester."
The FAI's officers met yesterday morning, meanwhile, and decided to recommend acceptance of Sky television's bid for an extension of the contract for British television rights to Ireland's home international games to members of the Board of Management.
Further clarification of the offer, which is aimed at continuing the present arrangements between the two organisations up until 2006, will be sought. But it is expected a deal can be concluded over the coming week or two after which Sky will pay £1 million of the estimated £3.7 million the contract is worth.
