Irish in Pole position for Euros

If, as the property gurus would have us believe, it’s all about location, location, location, then Ireland can already claim victory in the European Championships.

A visit this week to the Trojmiasto – the tri-city area on Poland’s Baltic coast – left a terrific impression of what will be the Irish team’s home from home this June. You could call it the Mars Bar effect: the Irish will work in Gdynia, rest in Sopot and play in Gdansk (against Spain), as well as using this tournament base in the north for flying visits to and from Poznan, 300km to the south, for the games against Croatia and Italy.

All other journeys, at least for the duration of the group stage, will be short hops – Sopot is just a 20-minute local train ride from Gdansk, and Gdynia a further 15 minutes along the coastal line.