The Henri Delaunay Trophy has been on a whistlestop tour around schools and workplaces in Dublin over the past 48 hours. Whoever gets their hands on it when the Euro 2020 Championships draw to a close at Wembley in a little over 19 months time, will have kids of all ages across the city nodding and saying, “yeah but I got there first.”
The tour is part of an overall engagement between Dublin City Council, the FAI and UEFA ahead of Sunday’s draw for the qualifying group stages.
As Chair of the Dublin City Sport and Wellbeing Partnership Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business happened to be at the Civic Offices on Wood Quay on Wednesday and couldn’t resist popping over to shake hands with Henri.
Dublin has been spoiled in recent years with the almost continual presence of Sam Maguire on a tour of schools, clubs and communities. This one is different in that the dream of it being carried in having been won on the field of play is perhaps a little optimistic but the excitement of having such a major global event right on our doorstep is certainly raising smiles.
The City has been dressed with flags and there is a Street Legends series of events taking place across the City this week. Later today Robert Pires and Gaizka Mendieta will be dropping in on one of them in Mountjoy Square.
There will be a special reception at the Mansion House for those involved in our first taste of Euro glory back in 1988 and the Samuel Beckett Bridge will light up with a very special display at the weekend as well.
The eyes of the world will be on us on Sunday when the draw is made at the Convention Centre. In the run up though it was the hands of the kids that were even more valuable.


Image Credit: Stephen McCarthy, Sportsfile