merrion street

The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny has sent his best wishes to Giovanni Trapattoni and the Irish soccer team ahead of their opening Euro 2012 fixture against Croatia in Poznan.

I wish Giovanni and the lads the best of luck this evening. It has been a long hard road to get this far and the commitment, dedication and skill shown by everyone involved has been excellent.

The fans are already making a huge and positive impact in Poland, while here at home the sense of excitement and pride is wonderful. Everybody is right behind the Boys in Green and we know they will give it their everything. I wish them every success.