Anyone who was lucky to be at Stade de France for Ireland’s Euro 2016 opener will cherish the memories for years to come.
There was a plethora of Swedes in-situ for the 1-1 draw but their voices were often lost in the din coming from the Irish sections.
In good spirits all day, the Irish fans arrived in good form for their team’s first pool game.
There were an estimated 30,000 Irish fans in the stadium and every single one of them must have bellowed out Amhrán na bhFiann. The noise could be heard all the way through at least eight arrondissements.
VIDEO: Rabble-rousing Amhrán na bhFiann from inside the Stade de France is just out of this world https://t.co/jnGERbRqPl
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 13, 2016
Post-match, Shane Long told RTE just how special the reception Ireland received from the fans was. He said:
“It was amazing. Both sets of fans made a lot of noise but the national anthem at the start of the game, well, it was just amazing to be out there on the pitch and singing along.
“I’m sure the Irish fans were happy with what they’ve seen but were just as disappointed as us not to get the win.”
Despite heavy concerns over Jon Walters’ fitness, Long allayed them by saying ‘I’m sure he’ll be fine’.
“We’ll kick on,” Long stated as he looked ahead to games against Belgium and Sweden. “We’ve got two tough games coming up but we’ll be right up for the battle.”
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