Yesterday, the Irish team were afforded a day off. Most of the media, however, weren’t.

As Giovanni Trapattoni himself has often made a point of saying, Ireland aren’t exactly a team blessed with big names.

You know you’re entering the unique atmosphere of an international tournament your country is actually involved when, as you take your seat on a plane, a middle-aged woman walks down the aisle bedecked in a full Irish kit (yes, shorts and socks too) and a green twiggy wig.