BURNLEY will spend a week in Ireland as part of their pre-season plans this summer.

The Clarets will hold a training camp near Dublin on the second week of pre-season and will end it with a friendly against League of Ireland Premier Division side Shamrock Rovers at their Tallaght Stadium on Friday, July 14 (7pm).

Burnley have been to Evian on the shores of Lake Geneva for their training camp for the last two years, but boss Sean Dyche said he been to look at the facilities in Ireland and had decided to for a change this time around.

The trip to Ireland is sure to be popular with Clarets fans, while Burnley could also have plenty of Irish support with four players in the latest Republic of Ireland squad in Kevin Long, Stephen Ward, Jeff Hendrick and Robbie Brady.

The following weekend Dyche will split his squad to play two games on the same day at National League North sides Kidderminster Harriers and Alfreton Town on Saturday, July 22, with both games kicking-off at 3pm.

On Tuesday, July 25, the Clarets will play Championship side and local rivals Preston North End at Deepdale (7.45pm), and then on Saturday, July 29 they will play another Championship side away from home, with the details still to be confirmed.

Pre-season will end with two home friendlies against European opposition, with details again still to be confirmed.

Of the trip to Ireland, Dyche said: "We have made a decision to go just outside Dublin. I flew over there recently to have a look and the facilities are great, which is key.

“We are also going to play a friendly at the end of the week which is good for our fans who might like to come over.

"It’s a change from the norm and we don’t want to go too far away from our thinking here, because we have this new training facility which is fantastic.

“But pre-season is a long period, so I think it’s good to get the lads away, and in that more confined environment where everyone is together for five or six days to allow us to get that bonding done, as well as the physical, tactical and technical work.

“We went to Evian two seasons running and we loved it, but this just fitted in with our thinking this time around.”

Dyche believes the two games against non-league sides will provide the ideal chance to give as many players as possible from the first-team and development squads some game time before stepping up a level in preparation.

"We will take on the appropriate challenge that we think necessary, particularly the games against Championship teams, who we have chosen because I think they always give you hard games," he said.

“That’s important and then towards the end of pre-season we’ll host two foreign sides as we gear up for the new season.”