Ireland off the mark under new manager

Trips abroad can gift many cherished memories. For me, travelling to the Republic of Ireland away days is my passion.

Last week I arrived in the Finnish capital of Helsinki in good spirits to see the Scandinavia region for the first time and take in the UEFA Nations League contest on Thursday night.

Irish fans travelled in their numbers with roughly one thousand supporters in Finland to see the Boys in Green put a halt to their poor run of form thanks to a 2-1 win in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

Expectations amongst the travelling fans were realistic but Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side produced a stellar comeback victory over Finland - their first in a competitive fixture since 2013 when an Irish team, led by then interim boss Noel King, came back to beat Kazakhstan.

The weather in Helsinki was a wet and chilly climate experience as one would expect, but it was a city which came across as friendly and warm in nature.

I had the opportunity to tour around the area during my first day in the Finnish capital - a small centre with markets, a port, plenty of shops and of course, the usual Irish bars.

During that guided tour, one thing which stood out to me was the amount of bunkers the city had due to the country’s bordering with Russia. The guide mentioned Finland’s relationship with its neighbour is expectedly complex, especially since the current Russia-Ukraine war.

The food and drink experience was vastly different to what we would be used to - for example, reindeer and salmon soup would be popular in their culture while prices of pints can cost up to nine-euro if there are no offers in certain pubs.

On matchday itself, the Irish supporters gathered in their number pre-match to soak up the atmosphere and travelled to the stadium in the hope of a much-needed three points.

Thanks to Robbie Brady’s late goal following a top-notch cameo from substitute Festy Ebosele, the supporters were rewarded and went home, some onto Athens, in elation.

The scenes after the match-winning goal was memorable. Being in the away end to cheer on the players as they applauded the support felt special - they are the moments you wait for as a fan and make it worthwhile travelling to support your country.

The morning after the game, I had an early start to make my way back home, and as I walked past the Irish bar it was still hopping at 4am.

The journeys and different experiences I’ve had in countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria and Luxembourg were fantastic but the Finland trip was certainly one of the best.

While Ireland lost in Greece on Sunday, there remain positives from last week’s international window, especially if you compare the performances to Heimir’s first two games in charge.

Onto London next month, when the Boys in Green head to Wembley for the final away outing of this year after they host Finland in the reverse fixture a few days prior.

The players need confidence and with a bit of luck, a corner can hopefully be turned going into next year’s World Cup 2026 qualifiers.