Family considerations are understood to have been paramount in Bryan Hamilton's decision to reject an offer by the FAI to become their new technical officer, one of the most senior posts in Irish football.

Hamilton informed the FAI that he had changed his mind about accepting the job, only 24 hours before he was due in Dublin for the official announcement at a press conference.

Officials were clearly shocked that after a series of three interviews during which the former Northern Ireland manager expressed his enthusiasm for the challenge of installing and overseeing a new national coaching structure, he had a change of mind at the eleventh hour.

Yet, their disappointment was tinged with the realisation that for Hamilton, himself, the sense of anguish was still greater, after he had ruminated at some length on the problems of transferring his family from Heswell on the Wirral to Dublin.

That was not the only reason, however, for the volte-face. Since parting company with the IFA in November, he has been employed as a coach with Ipswich Town and speaking yesterday, he intimated that he wasn't keen to turn his back on the daily involvement of club football for a second time.

"Obviously, I had to take my family's feelings into consideration in making my decision but there was also the issue of ending my day to day involvement in club football. That's a big break for anybody accepting a position with a body such as the FAI and, unquestionably, it would have hurt.

"That said, it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I was honoured to be offered the position by the FAI and that made it ever more difficult to decline. I believe that the association is on the right track in their long-term planning and it would have been a privilege to be involved in it.

"Although I have now made up my mind that I wish to retain my position with Ipswich, I wish the FAI well in the future."

The decision to offer Hamilton the job in the first place, was seen as a bold ecumenical move at a time when there is a growing bond of trust between football officials on either side of the Border. Hamilton is well regarded in the Republic - indeed, there were times in the closing stages of his Northern Ireland reign when he appeared to enjoy more confidence south of the Border.

Jack Charlton was among those highly appreciative of the complexities of the task his old adversary was facing and publicly endorsed his work on at least two occasions. More recently, Charlton's successor, Mick McCarthy has been generous in his praise of Hamilton's stewardship of the Northern Ireland team during their unrewarding World Cup campaign.

If that effort didn't lead, as the IFA hoped, to a place in the finals in France this summer, there was widespread admiration of Hamilton's flair for pubic relations and, in particular, his reputation as a bridge builder.

Pulling the different strata of Northern Ireland society together in support of the team, has long been acknowledged as a hazardous exercise. The wooing of one section of the community, is often viewed with suspicion by another but Hamilton who, on occasions took his players training at the Donegal Celtic complex on the Falls Road, was acknowledged to be more successful than most in spanning the divide.

That was not a factor in his appointment by the FAI who viewed his credentials purely in a football context but there is little doubt that it would have been afforded a significance above and beyond the norm if it had gone through as planned.

After conveying his decision to the FAI, Hamilton spoke with McCarthy who had backed his appointment with some enthusiasm. "My initial reaction was one of great disappointment for I believed Brian to be the right man for the job," he said.

"He is a truly a fine football person whose friendship I value and the fact that he felt unable to accept the position after discussions had been on-going for so long, made it all the more disappointing when he called and told me that he wouldn't be accepting it.

"I can readily understand his reasons for not taking it however, particularly, in relation to his family. And while I wouldn't change jobs for anything just now, I know what he means when he says that he misses the daily routine of club football."

FAI officials have been uncommonly secretive in their efforts to fill the post vacated by Joe McGrath almost two years ago. It is understood that of the 30 applicants, ten were from overseas but only seven first round interviews were held. Among those thought to have been interviewed was one of the big name Ireland players, associated with both the Charlton and McCarthy eras.

It now appears, however, that Hamilton was identified an ideal appointment at a relatively early stage and it was on this premise that he was invited to Dublin on two subsequent occasions to meet with top ranking FAI officials.

The FAI would now appear to have three options - to re-appraise the original list of applicants, re-advertise the post or head hunt designated personalities.

"We have a meeting on Friday to see where we go from here but we will not be putting a time limit on the job being filled," said Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI's chief executive. "The bigger consideration by far, is that we end up with the right man."