Mick McCarthy and the Republic of Ireland discovered their Euro 2020 qualifying opponents at the draw in Dublin's convention centre this morning.
Ireland were drawn in Group D, where they will face top seeds Switzerland, as well as Denmark, Georgia and Gibraltar.
There was a sharp intake of breath when Ireland were originally drawn into Group C, where they would have faced Germany and the Netherlands in a very tough draw.
But, thank the lord for UEFA's predilections for complicated draws. Three host nations cannot be drawn in the same group, meaning a move to Group D, where they will re-establish relations with Georgia and Denmark.
Robbie Keane and Ronnie Whelan were part of the delegation that picked the teams, alongside Portuguese legends Vitor Baia and Nuno Gomes.
The full draw is as follows:
Group A: England, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Kosovo
Group B: Portugal, Ukraine, Serbia, Lithuania, Luxembourg
Group C: Netherlands, Germany, Northern Ireland, Estonia, Belarus
Group D: Switzerland, Denmark, IRELAND, Georgia, Gibraltar
Group E: Croatia, Wales, Slovakia, Hungary, Azerbaijan
Group F: Spain, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Faroe Islands
Group G: Poland, Austria, Israel, Slovenia, Macedonia
Group H: France, Iceland, Turkey, Albania, Moldova
Group I: Belgium, Russia, Scotland, Cyprus, Kazakhstan
Group J: Italy, Bosnia, Finland, Greece, Armenia
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