On those magic summers when Ireland takes its place among the nations of the earth at the World Cup or a European championships, there is one constant.
No matter how good or bad the team performs, the fans always emerge as the stars of the show...
Long after the team have gone home, received the acclaim from the hordes in the Phoenix Park, the fans will receive their award for being the best supporters in the tournament.
Here's our loving tribute to the most passionate supporters around...
We have no fear of the cameras
We have knowledgeable five year olds who make their view known
When the heroes land home, the streets are clogged
There isn't a landmark on the planet that hasn't seen some Irish supporters gathered outside.
We're not shy of giving our views on international politics...
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We somehow end up at the most unlikely events - did the folk around Wimbledon realise how privileged they were to be in the presence of such a historic jersey?
Celebrations Irish style make everyone else look like a poor show
The weather barely bothers us - because we have ways of dealing with it
Ironically, we have the same way of dealing with the Sun
We're so caught up in the moment that we have to remind ourselves what the Irish flag looks like when the national anthem is being played
You don't need to look as far as the scoreboard to see how we're doing - writ large on our face
We're versatile in the sports we can get behind
That's why Irish fans are the most passionate in the world.
