FOR THOSE TRAVELLING to Poznan over the coming week, Paul McKeown is your go-to guy.
Appointed Ireland’s Cultural Representative by their city council last year, he has spent several busy months arranging, organising and ensuring that an estimated 45,000 visiting Boys in Green are made feel welcome over the next four weeks and thereafter.
Living in Poland the past 12 years, McKeown ran his own events management company before getting the job and has been working closely alongside local businesses to guarantee discount fan rates for everything from transport and accommodation to restaurant bookings, beer tours and trips to a number adventure parks.
Through his website EnjoyPoznan.com and its Facebook page, eager travellers have been making bookings in advance of their arrival, but he says there are still places available.
“We’ve got a huge amount for the fans to do on the days in between games,” he told TheScore.ie yesterday. “Visits to historic locations, vodka-tasting tours, a day at a shooting range, you name it. And we’ve signed deals with them all to keep the prices down.”
With only a day to go before the spectacle kicks off, the fan zones have been built and fans have begun to stream into the city which will host two of Ireland’s three Group C matches.
It’s all just the finishing touches now. At the moment there are a lot of German fans here who have come instead of travelling to Ukraine but the Irish will soon outnumber them.”
According to his figures, the Green Army will bring double that of the Italians (20,000) and four times as many as Croatia (12,000), while Spain play their first three games in Gdansk.
For the GAA lovers who don’t want to miss out on next week’s SFC championship action while they’re away, McKeown promises that several pubs are showing them live.
The huge numbers making the journey over means for those without arranged accommodation, it may prove difficult to find a place to put the head down.
While many campsites are now full, however, he advises looking a little further out of town and says private accommodation is still an option.
“For anyone unsure, feel free to contact us and we’ll be able to help out and find somewhere which suits your budget,” he adds.
To find more information, visit EnjoyPoznan.com or their Facebook page.
Good man Paul!