The biggest night in the European rugby calendar is fast approaching and Irish fans have been scrambling tickets since both Ulster and Leinster booked their places in the Heineken Cup final. Tickets are like gold dust but The Irish World have two tickets to be won by a lucky reader. See this week's edition for your chance to be at Twickenham on May 19

By David Hennessy

“It has not been easy to choose 23 players,” said the Republic of Ireland Manager Giovanni Trapattoni at Monday’s announcement of his Euro 2012 squad. “Several players have proven their abilities to us during the qualifying campaign, and we are thankful to all who have played a part. However, we are happy with our choices. The game against Bosnia in Aviva stadium will be the beginning of our EURO 2012 journey and it is important for the players to feel the energy from Irish fans before we go to our training camp.

The Italian football great continued: “We will look to emulate the attitude and performance that brought us qualification, and push our limits further as we prepare for this tournament. We will be focused as we enter this important time.”

Many followers of the Boys in Green would have been delighted with James McClean’s inclusion as it has been a long time since Ireland has produced such an exciting prospect. He may have just one cap to his name but the 23 year old from Derry just might be Republic of Ireland’s secret weapon in Poland where they must overcome Croatia, Spain and Italy if they are to progress in the tournament.

Naming McClean and fellow wide players McGeady, Duff and Hunt, Trapattoni immediately addressed the omission of James McCarthy, explaining that he had spoken to the player and that James had decided to pull out of the competition due to his father falling ill with cancer. “It was his choice,” stated the Republic of Ireland Manager.

The player himself, McCarthy revealed just what a difficult time it had been in a statement issued by the FAI: “I have made the very difficult decision to withdraw my name from selection from the Euro 2012 squad following the diagnosis of my father with cancer and an ongoing requirement for treatment. I have discussed this with the manager. He was very understanding and I thank him sincerely for that. I take this opportunity to re-affirm my complete commitment to playing for the Republic of Ireland.”

There was little surprise in the goalkeepers that Trapattoni announced: With Shay Given, Kieren Westwood and David Forde, he went for his three most experienced stoppers. Westwood has deputised competently for Given when needed but Forde has lost his form, confidence and place in the Millwall team. The reason Forde still finds himself travelling to Poland is the lack of an adequate replacement since Trapattoni continues to overlook Paddy Kenny.

Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger are both included. Despite their recent injury problems, they were always likely to travel. Richard’s leadership and inspiration is key to Trapattoni’s team’s chances in Poland and that is why Trap would bandage Dunne up like a mummy if it was necessary to get him on the field.

Stephen Kelly is also rewarded for his recent form with Fulham, while Darren O’Dea and the Wolves pairing of Kevin Foley and Stephen Ward also make it into Trapattoni’s final 23 man panel. Ian Harte has been instrumental in Reading’s charge towards the Premiership but has not been rewarded with a late return to the international fold.

John O’Shea and Darron Gibson, former Manchester United team mates, have looked rejuvenated at their new clubs Sunderland and Everton where they have both relished key roles. Gibson’s stunning goal against Manchester City shows what a game changing player he can be while O’Shea has been assuming the leadership that comes with being his club’s vice- captain.

Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan were always going to travel as Trapattoni’s favoured central partnership. I just hope they can hold firm as at times during our qualification games, the back four were left exposed. They got away with it against Russia and Slovakia but the Spanish and Italian attackers will pounce at the slightest chink in the Irish defence.

Ready to step in if needed is Birmingham’s Keith Fahey. The scorer of the first goal Republic of Ireland scored in their qualifying campaign, Keith is deserving of his place and an attacking threat who may just come off the bench to add to the three goals he has already scored for his country.

There are no surprises in attack with Premiership hitmen Doyle, Long, Cox and Walters joining captain Robbie Keane. Will Trapattoni keep faith in Doyle who has lost his scoring touch, or waver towards Long? Long suffered with injuries towards the end of the qualifying campaign but is fit and ready for Poland.

Simon Cox has also acquitted himself well when he has been asked but Stoke’s Jonathan Walters excites me more. His inclusion in the starting line up at the expense of Simon Cox for the play-off first leg against Estonia was a surprise but one Walters justified. A bustling presence, he has the ability to rough up defences and Spanish opponents struggled to cope with him when Stoke took on Valencia in Europa League this year.

There is no place for Anthony Stokes despite being prolific in a Championship winning season for Celtic. Another striker missing out, Leon Best is struggling to get into the Newcastle side at the moment. Best deserves more of a chance with the national team so hopefully when he is scoring again at club level, he will be rewarded.

The experienced manager also named five stand- by players who will come in if needed. These include Andy Keogh who has been a revelation since moving to The Den, scoring ten goals that have lifted Millwall out of danger, and Seamus Coleman who has perhaps been pushed out of the 23 named by McClean’s exciting emergence. Darren Randolph of Motherwell is the reserve goalkeeper, rewarded for helping his club secure Champions League football next season.

For the full story, please pick up this week's Irish World...

If you are one of the thousands of Irish supporters preparing for Poland/ Ukraine, David Hennessy gives you everything you need to know before you travel…

It has been ten long years since an Irish team travelled to a major tournament and 24 since they last competed at the European Championships. After enduring such a long wait, it should be no surprise that Irish fans are travelling in massive numbers to the sporting showpiece that kicks off in little over a month’s time.

The Green Army have a reputation for out singing opposing fans and many will remember when a sea of green dominated the Giants Stadium in New York for a World Cup 1994 game. With Little Italy nearby, it was thought the Irish would be outnumbered which turned out to be far from the case. And you could say the support played a massive part in the Irish toppling one of the best teams in the world before The Azzurri went on to narrowly lose out on the trophy to Brazil. Ray Houghton’s exquisite lob also had something to do with it though.

Of course, Ray Houghton also played a part in the greatest moment of Republic of Ireland’s European history when he scored the winner against England in 1988. Bobby Robson’s team boasted stars like John Barnes, Peter Beardsley, Bryan Robson, Chris Waddle and the top goal scorer in the previous world cup in Mexico, Gary Lineker. Jack Charlton’s tournament newcomers were not given much of a chance but the experts who wrote them off were stunned when Ray Houghton headed past Peter Shilton in the 6^th minute. It has been the highlight of Republic of Ireland’s European exploits until now, but this summer could see some even greater memories made…

The venues

Poznan- Home to The City Stadium, where Republic of Ireland will play their first group game against Croatia, and their final Group C encounter against Italy. This small city has a real party atmosphere and few who have visited it will say anything negative about it. The electro dance scene is strong but Poznan also has a penchant for jazz and has an Irish pub that is popular for its live music, The Dubliner. This city really does have something for everyone.

Gdansk- Home of the PGE Arena, where Republic of Ireland will take on Spain. Gdansk is not quite as prepared for foreign visitors as other cities in Poland with some visitors running into difficulties finding English speaking staff at the train station (making booking a ticket extremely difficult!). However, you can assume they will be well prepared for an influx of visitors brought by Euro 2012. Despite the sun not setting in this city until after 22:00 during the summer, Gdansk boasts varied nightlife that means you never really know what to expect when you step out.

Getting there

Many Irish fans have selected to fly into Wroclaw, which is three hours away from Poznan on a train, since the price of direct flights to Republic of Ireland’s main destination, Poznan have been rising steadily. However, given Poznan’s proximity to Berlin, only an hour away, it could be wiser to book a ticket to the German capital.

However, if you want to see some sights along the way and avail of some great deals, Megabus have recently started taking people to Europe for as little as £1. These great deals sell out very quickly but if you have time and the adventurous streak, why not let Megabus take you to Boulogne, Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels, where you can easily make your way onto Poland? Remember Eurotrip?

But these are not the only options with many opting to snap up camper vans for the experience, but will have to deal with some pricey tolls as they go through Europe. You can avoid this as one Irishman will, by travelling from the UK to Poland for the tournament on a bicycle.  

Accomodation

Irish fans were disappointed last month when the Irish Fan Village project, which promised affordable accommodation for 9,000 Irish fans, was cancelled. But Carlsberg, the official beer of the FAI and the UEFA Championships, has come to the rescue with four fan camps that offer paradise for any fans who land there. There will be a camp in Poznan and Gdansk, so Irish fans should be well taken care of for the group stages, but also in Warsaw and Wroclaw. These camps have all the basics like a bed and bathroom facilities but can also boast safety and security, restaurants, a great mix of people enjoying a great tournament and atmosphere, concerts and lots more. It will probably be the best accommodation for Euro 2012.   

Beer

Many will be looking forward to enjoying the Polish beer but have been warned they may not to handle its strength. Polish expats living in Cork point out that their homegrown beers can be up to three times stronger and quite a lot cheaper than anything we find over here. While some may be tempted to go to town on such reasonably priced lager and ale, the MyCork Polish Association say: Handle with care.

For the full story, please pick up this week's Irish World...

By David Hennessy

Roy Hodgson has been confirmed as the new England manager, just two days after it was announced the FA had made an approach. The announcement will come as quite a shock as the smart money was always on Harry Redknapp for the post. Hodgson was complimentary about the Spurs manager as he was unveiled in England's number one job: "We've unwittingly become rivals but I hope it won't affect our friendship and I think he's dealt with the situation extremely well in all his interviews."

Managerless and captainless prior to the announcement, there was little expectation for England going into the summer's European Championships, but Hodgson says England can mount a challenge in Poland and Ukraine: "England always have to go in tournaments to win them because we are a major football nation. I certainly think the players would be very disappointed if we expected anything less of them than to win the tournament."

"It's going to be very important after this press conference to get straight down to the task, making certain that when the time comes to name the squad I've done as much research as I can and spoken to as many players as I can," he added.

Hodgson has experience of taking charge of a national team before, when he took Switzerland to the World Cup in USA in 1994. He has also taken charge of many European clubs, including Inter Milan. However, his spell at Liverpool was disastrous just prior to turning things around at his current club, West Brom. 

He confirmed that Wayne Rooney would be selected, despite being suspended for two games. "I'm looking forward to Wayne Rooney coming to the Euros with us and making a contribution even though he cannot play the first two games.

"It is a very proud day for me, I'm a very happy man to be offered the chance to manage my country. I'm looking forward to the task ahead. Everyone knows it is not an easy one but I'm hoping that everyone, fans and supporters will get behind the team.

"It's the team that counts, they go out and win football matches. What I'll do is try to make sure the team is well prepared for the challenge ahead. I'm really looking forward to it. The most important thing for me is that the whole country gets behind England and gives us the best chance of doing well at the Euros."

The new manager of England will delay naming his European squad until after the Premiership season finishes on May 13. Giovanni Trapattoni will name his Republic of Ireland panel next Monday 7 May.