IRELAND’S impressive finish in a typically Irish nail-biting qualifying campaign in 2015 means that all eyes will be firmly focused on France this summer, whether you’re a soccer fan or not.
Ireland V Sweden – Stade de France, Paris
Monday, June 13, 5pm
First up is Sweden at France’s most famous stadium. Situated in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, Stade de France will stage the opening game of Euro 2016 as well as the final, but the Irish contingent will be more interested in getting a good result against Swedes here.
The stadium is less than 10km from the centre of Paris, so it’s an ideal opportunity to soak up some of the French capital’s famous culture, history and romance.
It’s home to some of Europe’s best known monuments and museums like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre.
Foodies will think Paris is heaven (check out the Paris Chocolate and Pastry Food Tour) and the choice of shopping outlets should have fashionistas drooling.
Saint-Denis itself has plenty to keep visitors entertained. Described as the ‘town of dead kings and living people’ by poet Jean Marcenac, it’s a real-life history book.
A medieval town, royal burial place and a capital of the Industrial Revolution, its most attractive symbol is Cathedral Basilica, built in honour of Saint-Denis, the first Bishop of Paris who was decapitated in 280.
Just 300m from the Basilica is Place Jean Jaurès market, close to a former Carmelite monastery that has housed the Museum of Art and History since 1981.
Boasting around 300 stalls the market is open Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays until 3pm.
Stade de France facts:
Capacity: 80,000
Tenants: France national team
Opened: January 1998
Distances to other stadiums hosting Ireland games
* Lille – 215km
* Bordeaux – 600km
Distances from Stade de France
* Roissy Airport: 17.5km
* Orly: 31.5km
* Saint-Denis centre – 2km
* Paris centre – 9km
Ireland V Belgium – Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Saturday, June 18, 3pm
Next up after Sweden is Belgium, one of the tournament favourites, and arguably Ireland’s most difficult group tie.
A draw here would do, especially if the Irish team manages to take full points in Paris against the Swedes.
Also known as Stade Matmut Atlantique, Stade de Bordeaux is a new stadium opened just last year and it’ll host five matches during the tournament, including one of the quarter finals.
It’s a cutting edge, multi-purpose arena but with a much smaller capacity than Stade de France.
The good news is that some of the best French wines come from the cellars of Bordeaux and nearby Medoc & Saint Emilion.
There are some great organised tasting tours locally where you can learn all about the different varieties and how they’re made.
It’s equally famous for its classical and neoclassical architecture, much of which has remained practically unchanged for 200 years, and Bordeaux has more listed buildings than any other French city.
The old town is well worth exploring with its bleached stone buildings and cobbled streets hosting a wide variety of restaurants and terrace cafes.
The result is a fantastic gastronomic offering, from local dishes to food from all around the world.
Nouveau Stade de
Bordeaux facts:
Capacity: 42,000
Tenants: FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Opened: May 2015
Distances to other stadiums hosting Ireland games
* Paris – 600km
* Lille – 805km
Distances from Stade de Bordeaux
* City centre: 8km
* Airport: 17km
Ireland V Italy – Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
Wednesday, June 22, 9pm
Ireland’s final group game is against old rivals Italy and we’ll be hoping for a repeat of our most famous victory against the Italians in Giant’s Stadium, New Jersey, in 1994.
If things have gone well against Sweden and Belgium, we could lose here and still qualify but the more points we have, the better the draw for the next round so there’ll be no letting up.
Lying close to the Belgian border, Lille is a cosmopolitan city with strong Flemish roots that’s famed for its bars and bistros, referred to locally as ‘estaminets’.
No town in France has suffered more sieges down the centuries than Lille, but it’s still beautiful and the picturesque Grand Palais is reminiscent of Brussels or Amsterdam.
It’s home to Palais des Beaux-Art, one of the largest fine arts museums in France with an impressive collection of paintings ranging from the 15th century to the beginning of the 20th.
The easy-going city has a thriving cultural scene and is home to France’s third largest university complex.
The Vieille Bourse (old stock exchange) is described locally as the finest monument in the city. It looks like a single structure but it’s actually made up of 24 identical houses that form a quadrilateral around a peaceful, arched courtyard.
The most picturesque part of the city is the old town (Vieux Lille) that extends north from the Grand Place and includes two seperate areas teeming with boutiques, art galleries, cafes and restaurants.
Stade Pierre Mauroy facts:
Capacity: 50,000
Tenants: LOSC Lille
Opened: August 2012
Distances to other stadiums hosting Ireland games
* Paris – 225km
* Bordeaux – 805km
Distances from Stade Pierre Mauroy
* City centre: 7km
* Airport: 9km
Beyond the group…
IF IRELAND make it out of group E fans will be facing more travel, but that’s just more opportunities to explore France, right?
If we finish third, which most pundits seem to think is our best case scenario, we’ll be playing in either Lens to play the winners of Group E, possibly Spain, or Lyon to face the table toppers in Group A, which could be hosts France.
Lens or Lens-Liévin is enjoying a new lease of life as the home of Louvre-Lens, the first out-of-town museum of The Louvre, which opened in 2012, and a wealth of new cultural and community sites.
The second possibility is Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France.
Lyon offers outstanding museums and a dynamic cultural life, from the Renaissance Old Town to the brand new Confluence district.
If we finish group E as runners-up we’re off to Toulouse on Sunday, June 26 to face the winners of Group F, possibly Austria or Portugal.
Known as La Ville Rose – the Pink City – because of its brick-built buildings, Toulouse is a vibrant southern city with a cultural scene to match. Make sure to stroll the towpath beside the Canal du Midi and take a cruise on the river Garonne during your visit.
If Ireland manage to create a shock and finish top of our group we’ll be back to the Stade de France to face the runner-up of group D, which could be Croatia, Czech Republic or Turkey.
