Ward’s assistant will be former Republic of Ireland men’s international Alan Mahon, who was assistant manager at Manchester City for 10 years.
Additionally, Emma Byrne will remain as goalkeeping coach after taking on a role as part of Gleeson’s management team.
FAI chief football officer Mark Canham said Ward would bring “the passion, dedication and skillset we were looking for during the recruitment process”.
“Cara’s experience as a coach, matched by her ability to bring out the best in those around her, marks her as our first choice and we are confident she will be an excellent appointment. ”
FAI chief executive David Courel said Ward “has the perfect blend of expertise and experience to realize our ambitions of qualifying for major tournaments”. he added.
The Republic of Ireland qualified for the 2023 World Cup, to be held in Australia and New Zealand, and reached the final of a major women’s competition for the first time, but missed out on Euro 2025.
