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 thousand is what is expected at Estadio Algarve later tonight, as the coastal resorts of Albuferia, Vilamoura, and the salubrious setting of the Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lado enjoy an end-of-season bump with the influx of Irish.
An away game where the Irish will dominate in the 30,000-seated stadium with few fans expected to support the home team of Gibraltar, who cannot play at in their native land until the Victoria Stadium is brought up to UEFA levels.
For the Ireland team, however, it appeared to be business as usual with the usual pre-match routine of press conference followed by a training session on the pitch taking place on Sunday afternoon.
Stephen Kenny showed up with Josh Cullen to talk about a game of football that must rank among the deadest of rubbers in recent history of the national team – the manager’s message of hoping for a strong finish echoed ominously around the corridors of the empty stadium.
The only points that either side have accumulated thus far have been the three that Ireland earned for their hard-fought victory over Gibraltar in Dublin last summer.
Five defeats apiece coming into this game, and while Ireland’s early ambitions were to split France and the Netherlands, they have now been reduced to a wooden spoon contest ahead of the final group game in Amsterdam next month.
Another nice away day for the fans who would have planned their trip to the Dutch capital back when they were dared to dream that it would prove a crucial and perhaps historic night for the Boys in Green.
But, like the approaching winter, the immediate future for this Ireland team is bleak, while the calendar year for 2024 is starting to look like two rounds of friendlies in March and June before another stab at the Nations League, which has not been kind thus far.
As for Jimmy and the party of 24; there is every chance that he may not even make the match, but at least his future is a bit brighter, with that club final replay to look forward to when he eventually makes it back to the Royal County.
Watch Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland in Euro 2024 qualifying on Monday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live radio commentary on 2fm's Game On
