Former Irish international scrum half, Tom Tierney,, has been appointed coach of the Irish Women's rugby team.
The Limerick born Tierney earned eight caps in 1999 and 2000, and was first choice scrum half for the oft-lamented 1999 World Cup campaign which ended with defeat to Argentina in Lens. He appeared in the following year's Six Nations opener at Twickenham, before Gatland made a raft of changes, drafting in Peter Stringer instead.
Tierney later played for the Leicester Tigers and coached Garryowen.
He takes over from the hugely successful Philip Doyle, who coached the side between the years of 2003 and 2006 and then again from 2010 until this year. Under Doyle's reign, Ireland won the Grand Slam in 2013, and defeated New Zealand on their way to the semi-final in this year's World Cup.
