UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                            (Amendment No.               )*
                                          ---------------

                        SMARTFORCE PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                  Common Stock
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    83170A206
                  ---------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                                 August 31, 2002
         --------------------------------------------------------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)


     Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this
Schedule is filed:

                         [x] Rule 13d-1(b)
                         [ ] Rule 13d-1(c)
                         [ ] Rule 13d-1(d)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).


                               Page 1 of 10 pages
SEC 1745 (2/92)


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CUSIP No. 83170A206                   13G                     Page 2 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
     S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

          Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P.  36-3820584

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

          Not Applicable                                                 (a) [ ]
                                                                         (b) [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3    SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          Delaware

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       5    SOLE VOTING POWER

     NUMBER OF                 None

      SHARES           ---------------------------------------------------------
                       6    SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY
                               5,750,000
     OWNED BY          ---------------------------------------------------------
                       7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
       EACH
                               None
    REPORTING
                       ---------------------------------------------------------
      PERSON           8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

       WITH                    5,750,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

          5,750,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

          Not Applicable                                              [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

          10.0%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

          IA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!


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CUSIP No. 83170A206                   13G                     Page 3 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
     S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

          WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

          Not Applicable                                                 (a) [ ]
                                                                         (b) [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3    SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          Delaware

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       5    SOLE VOTING POWER

     NUMBER OF                 None

      SHARES           ---------------------------------------------------------
                       6    SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY
                               5,750,000
     OWNED BY          ---------------------------------------------------------
                       7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
       EACH
                               None
    REPORTING
                       ---------------------------------------------------------
      PERSON           8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

       WITH                    5,750,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

          5,750,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

          Not Applicable                                              [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

          10.0%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

          CO

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!


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CUSIP No. 83170A206                   13G                     Page 4 of 10 Pages
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1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
     S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

          Liberty Acorn Trust

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*

          Not Applicable                                                 (a) [ ]
                                                                         (b) [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3    SEC USE ONLY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          Massachusetts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       5    SOLE VOTING POWER

     NUMBER OF                 None

      SHARES           ---------------------------------------------------------
                       6    SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY
                               5,250,000
     OWNED BY          ---------------------------------------------------------
                       7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
       EACH
                               None
    REPORTING
                       ---------------------------------------------------------
      PERSON           8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

       WITH                    5,250,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

          5,250,000

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

          Not Applicable                                              [ ]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

          9.1%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

          IV

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Item 1(a)      Name of Issuer:

                    Smartforce Public Limited Company

Item 1(b)      Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                    900 Chesapeake Drive
                    Redwood City, CA  94063

Item 2(a)      Name of Person Filing:

                    Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
                    WAM Acquisition GP, Inc., the general partner of WAM
                    ("WAM GP")
                    Liberty Acorn Trust ("Acorn")


Item 2(b)      Address of Principal Business Office:

                    WAM, WAM GP and Acorn are all located at:

                    227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
                    Chicago, Illinois  60606


Item 2(c)      Citizenship:

                    WAM is a Delaware limited partnership; WAM
                    GP is a Delaware corporation; Acorn is a
                    Massachusetts business trust.

Item 2(d)      Title of Class of Securities:

                    Common Stock

Item 2(e)      CUSIP Number:

                    83170A206

Item 3         Type of Person:

                    (d)  Acorn is an Investment Company under section 8 of the
                         Investment Company Act.

                    (e)  WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under section
                         203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; WAM GP is
                         the General Partner of the Investment Adviser.


                               Page 5 of 10 Pages


Item 4         Ownership (at August 31, 2002):

                    (a)  Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of rule
                         13d-3:

                    (b)  Percent of class:

                         10.0% (based on 57,434,679 shares outstanding as of
                         August 9, 2002)

                    (c)  Number of shares as to which such person has:

                         (i)   sole power to vote or to direct the vote:  none
                         (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
                               5,750,000
                         (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the
                               disposition of: none
                         (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct disposition
                               of: 5,750,000

Item 5         Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

                    Not Applicable

Item 6         Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:

                    The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf of
                    discretionary clients of WAM, including Acorn. Persons other
                    than WAM and WAM GP are entitled to receive all dividends
                    from, and proceeds from the sale of, those shares. Acorn is
                    the only such person known to be entitled to all dividends
                    from, and all proceeds from the sale of, shares reported
                    herein to the extent of more than 5% of the class.

Item 7         Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               Company:

                    Not Applicable

Item 8         Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

                    Not Applicable

Item 9         Notice of Dissolution of Group:

                    Not Applicable


                               Page 6 of 10 Pages


Item 10        Certification:

                    By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge
               and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and
               are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired
               and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of
               changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the
               securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection
               with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose
               or effect.


                               Page 7 of 10 Pages


                                    Signature
                                    ---------

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Date: September 12, 2002


               The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
               and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule
               13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of the security
               reported herein.

                                        WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
                                           for itself and as general partner of
                                           LIBERTY WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.



                                        By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Bruce H. Lauer
                                           Senior Vice President and Secretary

               The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
               and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule
               13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of the security
               reported herein.

                                        LIBERTY ACORN TRUST


                                        By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Bruce H. Lauer
                                           Vice President, Treasurer and
                                           Secretary


                               Page 8 of 10 Pages


                                  Exhibit Index
                                  -------------

Exhibit 1      Joint Filing Agreement dated as of September 12, 2002 by and
               among Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P., WAM Acquisition GP,
               Inc. and Liberty Acorn Trust


                               Page 9 of 10 Pages