THE players may not have been up to standard on the pitch, but off the field, Irish football supporters have been praised by Polish media.
The Republic's squad saw their Euro 2012 campaign hopes die after a defeat by Spain last week, while Monday's match against Italy was their last of the tournament.
Yet despite the poor performance from players, the vibrant atmosphere at Irish matches caused by the sheer enthusiasm of the thousands of fans who traveled to Poland and the Ukraine, caught the attention of Europe.
It is estimated that up to 30,000 fans overall followed the "boys in green" to the host nations, although a significant number left following the defeat by Spain which meant the team could not qualify to the quarter finals. However, even when facing certain defeat by both Spain and Italy, the singing of Irish fans often drowned out the noise of opposing supporters.
One of Poland's most popular sporting websites described the Irish fans as the "best in the world" while another translated the words of famous Irish ballad "The Fields of Athenry" into Polish, after its constant rendition by Irish fans - even after being trounced 4-0 by Spain - sparked interest among Poles.
Meanwhile, Polish newspaper The Gazeta, also dubbed Ireland's fans as the best in the tournament.
Their behavior was also praisedin Ireland with a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs saying this week: "The Irish fans contributed very much to the reputation of the country."
