THERE WAS a cheer from Irish fans yesterday as it was revealed their team would be travelling to Poland rather than Ukraine to face Spain, Italy and Croatia.
“It’s great that we are going to Gdansk. It is a lovely seaside resort so we are looking forward to that,” said Dave McCormack from Dalkey, Dublin, after watching the draw in Kiely’s of Donnybrook.
“I think most fans were hoping for Poland just for the logistics of the whole thing,” said Karl Kavanagh from Sandyford.
“Purely from football terms it is going to be a tough group to get out of,” said Daniel Moroney from Sandymount. “Spain will possibly hammer us, but we are delighted that it is a Poland-based group.
Enjoying the drama of the draw alongside the fans was the Polish ambassador to Ireland, Marcin Nawrot, who said that Irish fans would enjoy a great welcome in Poland. “This is an opportunity for Polish people to offer Irish people the hospitality which they enjoy here,” he said.
Along with the difficulty of the group, the other disappointment expressed by fans after the draw was that the Republic had missed out on a chance to face England.
“We wanted England, we could have beaten them,” Mr McCormack said.
“We would have had to listen to the hype for six months, but I think we would have done them,” Mr Kavanagh added.