Final detour to the EURO’s 2016…
Although the Republic of Ireland Football Team was knocked out of the EURO 2106 by the host nation France last Sunday, the travelling hoards of fans who made the journey in support of their footballing heroes are to come home with a big prize nonetheless.
Today the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced that the Irish fans are to be awarded the Medal of the City of Paris the ‘Grand Vermeil’ for their “exemplary sportsmanship behaviour” together with the goodwill “atmosphere” they created in all of the cities in which they based themselves for the duration of the tournament.
As an Irishman and a football fan I am pleased no end, and though the cynic in me is screaming “who will the award be presented to? When will it be presented? Where will it be presented? Will there actually be any genuine football fan present at the presentation ceremony? etc. etc.” I suppose I should just acknowledge that any award recognising such a large travelling contingent of Irishmen and Women should not be too easily dismissed as a triviality, and perhaps deserves such international plaudits for promoting some of the better elements of what this island of ours, both North and south, has to offer. Well done to all, we may have been beaten on the green fields of France, but there’s always next time. Roll on Serbia on 5th September!!!!
See, everything’s rosy in the garden…COYBIG
and as the above picture shows, everything’s rosy on plot 49 as well
…roses and photograph compliments @janpaulkelly
Monster In The Corner... 