Martin O’Neill’s early Christmas cheer at Euro 2016 progress

Martin O’Neill believes his team’s Euro qualification prevented a pre-Christmas gloom descending on the Irish public given the disappointment of the recent Rugby World Cup.

Monday night’s play-off victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina ensured Ireland will be represented at European football’s biggest international event next summer for only the third time in history.

Jubilation inside the 50,000-capacity Aviva stadium has since been replicated around the country, with an estimated 30,000 fans expected to travel to France for the showpiece in June.