'There are crazy stories out there!' - Irish fan set for 'magic trip' to Armenia after flight snag

Republic of Ireland supporters will travel to the Caucasus region of Armenia over the coming days to watch the Boys in Green begin their UEFA Nations League campaign on Saturday.

Armenia v Ireland: Preview, team news, time, TV schedule and everything you need to know

Stephen Kenny's side, along with the most dedicated of Irish supporters, will travel over 4,000 kilometres to the Armenian capital of Yerevan for this weekend's fixture.

'Trips to this part of the world have been enjoyable' - Irish football fans face lengthy journey to Armenia

Among those Irish fans travelling over for the game will be Mullingar native Jackie Kiernan and his son Cillian.

"It is a magic trip to look forward to," Jackie said ahead of his flight. The long journey will involve travelling from Dublin to Frankfurt, then on to Vienna and the final route will be from the Austrian capital to Yerevan.

Jackie explained that many supporters, including himself, had to rebook several flights due to complications and cancelled flights with the airline Wizz Air.

"There are lads going on this trip that have booked and rebooked a lot of flights - there are crazy stories out there! I had to rebook all mine, it was pricey enough but it wasn't as bad as others got caught," he said.

The DFA have advised Irish fans travelling to Yerevan to have a "high degree of caution" due to the protests in the capital because of the government’s approach to their relationship with Azerbaijan. This has prompted the FAI to send a security delegation to Armenia ahead of the Irish team travelling east on Wednesday.

ℹ️ Updated Travel Advice for Armenia

A ‘High Degree of Caution’ is advised for Irish citizens travelling to #Armenia. Find out more ahead of #ARMIRL on Saturday 4th June @FAIreland⚽️https://t.co/PkypmQAvw1 #KnowBeforeYouGo @IrlEmbSofia @dfatirl

— DFATravelWise (@dfatravelwise) May 30, 2022

Jackie said: "It is going to be crazy over there but I am looking forward to meeting up with the old faces and catching up with friends. The one thing we have in common is the love of our team and the great trips we go on. This is definitely going to be one of them. As they say, the further east you go, the better the trip!"

He added: "It is great to bring Cillian to the away games. You make great memories on these trips and that is what life is about."

Following the Armenia game, Ireland will welcome Ukraine to the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday, June 8 before they host Scotland on Saturday, June 11. The Boys in Green will conclude their June Nations League schedule with another away trip to Poland to face Ukraine on Tuesday, June 14.

A busy camp ahead!#COYBIG | #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/quDCi75LVm

— FAIreland ⚽️ (@FAIreland) May 29, 2022