merrion street

Speaking today about tonight's Europa League Final, held in Ireland's Aviva Stadium, the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, said...

This is a great day for the Aviva Stadium and for the sport of soccer in Ireland. It’s a privilege for Ireland to be providing the backdrop to what I hope will be a great game. And it’s a pleasure to see the magnificent Aviva Stadium playing this crucial role.

This is the first time that a major international soccer final has ever been held in Ireland. The Europa League Final is the second most prestigious club competition in Europe.

I would like to wish both teams, Porto and Braga, the best of luck in my capacity as Minister of State for Tourism & Sport. I would also like to welcome the thousands of Portuguese fans travelling to Ireland for the final. It’s a pleasure for Dublin to play the host, and I hope they enjoy the experience.

The Minister continued...

This is a unique opportunity to showcase Ireland and the Aviva Stadium as an ideal location for major international sporting events. The Europa League Final is expected to have a worldwide audience of 40 million people. I would love to see more of these events happening here, especially since the Government is doing everything to prioritise tourism and sport as part of our economic recovery.

Concluding, Minister Ring said...

I hope the visiting fans will return to Portugal with happy memories, and spread the word about Ireland. And I look forward to seeing this exciting game being played out in such a premier stadium.