[caption id="attachment_71930" align="aligncenter" width="540" caption=""We didn't come here to make up the numbers" says Irish captain Robbie Keane. Inhpo "]
THE Republic of Ireland football team has arrived in Poland ahead of its opening game in the Euro 2012 contest. The squad, performing in its first international tournament in a decade, are based in the Polish resort of Sopot, on the Baltic Sea coast, ahead of their opening game against Croatia this Sunday.
Fans and players alike know Ireland has a tough time ahead in their "Group of Death", where they must face soccer heavyweights Spain and Italy to qualify for the final stage of the tournament which is being hosted by both Poland and Ukraine.
Accepting the challenge ahead, Irish captain Robbie Keane said: "We didn't come here to make up the numbers, and we always play better in the big competitions. We play the first game against Croatia and now that's the most important thing for us."
The Chief Executive of the Football Association of Ireland, John Delaney said the strong relationship between Ireland and Poland, thanks to waves of recent immigration, could see Ireland supported by a host of native fans.
Meanwhile, hoping to inspoire even more agility to Ireland's goalkeeper, Fota Wildlife Park in Cork has chosen a name for its new baby primate. It's Shay Gibbon. The Irish keeper is, of course, Shay Given.
"We are delighted with the name Shay and hopefully he might bring some luck to the lads in Poland," said Fota's head of marketing, Stephen Ryan.
There's only one potential hitch. The baby is being so closely watched by mom that it's not yet been possible to determine its sex. Shay could well be a keeperette!
