Postcard from Faro: Ireland fans get well-earned break to the sunshine coast

Ireland supporters need a holiday after what has been a horror show of a campaign on the road to Euro 2024, so the timing of this visit to the Algarve coast has proved the perfect tonic following the disappointment of everything that has gone on since that opening day defeat to France.

Planes full of Ireland supporters for away days in Athens, Paris and now Portugal, have been the one constant throughout these difficult days of Stephen Kenny's tenure, and it was no different jetting out of a wintering Dublin airport for the three-hour spin to the sun.

Well not so much sun, as it happens, with lots of cloud cover, but a balmy 23 degrees and climbing, a welcome respite as the mercury started to slide down to single digits in the capital.

Spirits were high, as usual, on the short hop to Faro, with no hangover remaining from that awful outing on Friday night in Greece.

Jimmy – my travel buddy in the close quarters of Ryanair Row 8 for the duration – and his party of 24 had booked this trip long before things started to unravel in Group B.

Jimmy’s a hurling man, and proceeded to offer a blow-by-blow account of Sunday’s Meath intermediate club hurling final between his beloved Navan O’Mahony’s and Kildalkey, which ended in a draw after extra time – the ref played on until the draw was secured according to the still-raging Navan man.

No interest in soccer, as it happens, and yet he was first to stump up the €350 for the three-day October outing with his extended group of mates scattered about the packed plane.

Three or four planes out of Dublin to Faro every day from Saturday, while others will jet in from all four corners of the country, and beyond to the diaspora with huge numbers, as always, travelling in from London.

Three or four