When he came on against Bolton he provided a bit of a spark and almost grabbed a goal, then at Doncaster he made his first start and showed he had the eye to play killer through-balls.
Of course, he showed both these qualities in his first league start against Everton, but I was surprised by something else - his ability to put his foot on the ball and show some composure when things started to get a bit hairy in the last 20 minutes.
I didn't expect that from an energetic 17-year-old (not 19 as they kept saying on Sky) who is eager to make his mark at the top level. Perhaps he gets that maturity from being a father - he has a young child.
Stuart Pearce now has a selection headache. Claudio Reyna is available again but can the City boss drop Ireland after a man-of-the-match performance?
Ireland is also causing some selection headaches at international level. the Cork-born youngster fell out with Brian Kerr, the Republic of Ireland senior coach, while the pair were with the Under-17s, and Ireland vowed never to play again if Kerr was still involved.
Current Under-21 boss Don Givens has said that the episode is in the past though, insisting he would be willing to bring Ireland back into the international fold and will be keeping a close eye on him. However, as pointed out on our messageboard recently, he could be eligible to play for England!!
What has also amazed me is how he's come through the ranks relatively unnoticed. We've known about Bradley Wright-Phillips and Lee Croft for a few years now, also about the likes of Nedum Onuoha and Stephen Jordan as they made the breakthrough after impressing in the reserves last season.
But barely anyone mentioned Ireland. Nevertheless, he's here, and so far, he's looking very, very good. The trick now is to let him blossom and see if the boy really can become a star.