Patrick Kealy, far right, with his son Patrick and Jonathan Donnelly.
Niall Kelly reports from Warsaw
WARSAW IS BUZZING with anticipation ahead of tonight’s crunch Euro 2016 clash — and the travelling Irish fans are confident that they’re in for another big night.
“We’re so lucky to be here playing for automatic qualification,” Gary from Dublin tells The42.
“We booked this months ago and we thought we were coming here for a weekend away.
“We’re here now for an automatic qualification place and I actually think we’ll do it. I think we’ll beat them.”
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Most of the Irish contingent arrived here on Friday or Saturday, still on a high following that remarkable win over Germany.
But while a sold-out Aviva Stadium savoured one of Irish football’s most famous nights, Garreth McNamee and Brynmor Pattison had already set up base in Poland.
“We were in the pub five months ago and decided we were going to Poland,” McNamee explains.
“The flights on Friday were very expensive so we thought let’s book on Thursday, forgetting the Germany match was on.
We found a sports bar full of Polish fans watching Poland-Scotland, and then there was one little TV with Ireland-Germany.
“I never cried in front of so many beautiful women in my life!”
(L-R) Brynmor Pattison, John Kane, and Garreth McNamee.
One man who could spoil the Irish party is Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who is in red-hot form with a ridiculous 14 goals in his last five games for club and country.
But Patrick Kealy, whose first away trip with the Boys in Green was back in 1976, is confident that Ireland can shackle Poland’s star man.
“He played against us in the Aviva and scored nothing, and he played in Poznan (in 2013) and scored nothing.”
“Everyone was saying we were never going to beat Germany,” adds Jonathan Donnelly from Kilkenny, “but we did beat the world champions.
“We’re here today and it’s in our hands. We’ve just got to go out and produce the goods like we did on Thursday.”
Jack Keane from Roscommon was out at the Narodowy Stadium nice and early. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Most optimistic of all is John Kane from Shankill who declares that not only will Ireland win tonight — they’ll go all the way and win Euro 2016 as well.
(Though, he admits, he has been saying the same thing for the last five years.)
“We have the playoff place so we can have a free swipe at Poland tonight,” he says.
'It's in our hands!' - We went out to meet the Irish fans who have travelled to Warsaw
Niall Kelly reports from Warsaw
WARSAW IS BUZZING with anticipation ahead of tonight’s crunch Euro 2016 clash — and the travelling Irish fans are confident that they’re in for another big night.
“We’re so lucky to be here playing for automatic qualification,” Gary from Dublin tells The42.
“We booked this months ago and we thought we were coming here for a weekend away.
“We’re here now for an automatic qualification place and I actually think we’ll do it. I think we’ll beat them.”
Most of the Irish contingent arrived here on Friday or Saturday, still on a high following that remarkable win over Germany.
But while a sold-out Aviva Stadium savoured one of Irish football’s most famous nights, Garreth McNamee and Brynmor Pattison had already set up base in Poland.
“We were in the pub five months ago and decided we were going to Poland,” McNamee explains.
“The flights on Friday were very expensive so we thought let’s book on Thursday, forgetting the Germany match was on.
“I never cried in front of so many beautiful women in my life!”
One man who could spoil the Irish party is Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who is in red-hot form with a ridiculous 14 goals in his last five games for club and country.
But Patrick Kealy, whose first away trip with the Boys in Green was back in 1976, is confident that Ireland can shackle Poland’s star man.
“He played against us in the Aviva and scored nothing, and he played in Poznan (in 2013) and scored nothing.”
“Everyone was saying we were never going to beat Germany,” adds Jonathan Donnelly from Kilkenny, “but we did beat the world champions.
“We’re here today and it’s in our hands. We’ve just got to go out and produce the goods like we did on Thursday.”
Most optimistic of all is John Kane from Shankill who declares that not only will Ireland win tonight — they’ll go all the way and win Euro 2016 as well.
(Though, he admits, he has been saying the same thing for the last five years.)
“We have the playoff place so we can have a free swipe at Poland tonight,” he says.
Letter from Warsaw: ‘One team with everything to lose; one with everything to gain’
Analysis: How Ireland pulled off a famous victory against the world champions
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