:00:09. > :00:13.Northern Ireland had a disappointing start to their European Championship
:00:14. > :00:17.campaign, losing 1-0 to Poland in Nice.
:00:18. > :00:20.They were kept under pressure for much of the game.
:00:21. > :00:34.It is exactly 30 years since Northern Ireland last played at a
:00:35. > :00:38.major football finals will stop but the long-awaited return and their
:00:39. > :00:41.first time playing in the European Championship ultimately ended in a
:00:42. > :00:47.frustrating and disappointing defeat. Michael O'Neill's men beaten
:00:48. > :00:52.for the first time in 13 matches by their own admission, they lost to
:00:53. > :00:56.the better team on the night. Still, a resilient performance by Northern
:00:57. > :01:00.Ireland. Unfortunately, the result didn't live up to the occasion. The
:01:01. > :01:04.world was watching every twist and turn of Northern Ireland's return to
:01:05. > :01:12.the football big ten. The players had never experienced anything quite
:01:13. > :01:17.like this before. But they arrived with a record unbeaten run and much
:01:18. > :01:20.anticipation. This is the moment that everyone in Northern Ireland
:01:21. > :01:24.has been waiting to see, these shirts of their country hanging in
:01:25. > :01:29.the dressing room of a major finals. The manager is confident his players
:01:30. > :01:34.would be overawed. The team was greeted by thousands of fans who had
:01:35. > :01:41.made the trip to the south of France. Northern Ireland were forced
:01:42. > :01:44.to suck up Polish press promotes the first half, with Michael McGovern
:01:45. > :01:51.producing a brilliant save to leave it a 0-0 at. But after the second
:01:52. > :01:58.half, Poland struck. There was little he could do with Arkadiusz
:01:59. > :02:02.Milik's strike. It was a goal that Poland deserved. They had chances to
:02:03. > :02:07.equalise and bought right to the end. The captain Steven Davis was
:02:08. > :02:11.through on goal, but couldn't convert. It was difficult, hot out
:02:12. > :02:18.there, against a good team. We let them have a lot of possession and we
:02:19. > :02:25.have done a lot of running, which we had to do. We couldn't get up to the
:02:26. > :02:30.ball at times. It was difficult, it is more mentally draining than
:02:31. > :02:35.anything. Your concentration, you are fully focused and not getting a
:02:36. > :02:38.result, and things like that. So it is disappointing at the minute but
:02:39. > :02:45.we will have to go again and the most important thing now is the
:02:46. > :02:52.reaction to it. We will see how we could do better but you can only
:02:53. > :02:56.dwell on it for maybe a day or 24 hours, because the games are coming
:02:57. > :03:02.on thick and fast and we need to get a good performance against Ukraine.
:03:03. > :03:04.But after the game I spoke to the Northern Ireland manager, Michael
:03:05. > :03:10.O'Neill. Obviously, we're disappointed. I think we could play
:03:11. > :03:15.a lot better than we did. I doubt Poland were very good, to be honest.
:03:16. > :03:21.They looked stronger physically. We struggled at the opening part of the
:03:22. > :03:24.game to match their physicality, didn't win enough balls. But we
:03:25. > :03:29.stayed in the game, to be fair to the players, they hung in there.
:03:30. > :03:33.It's just look like it was a tough game for us today. It was a steep
:03:34. > :03:37.learning curve. Northern Ireland with it all to do. They will have to
:03:38. > :03:43.beat Ukraine in the next game on Thursday before travelling to play
:03:44. > :03:54.Germany, the world champion, in Paris.
:03:55. > :03:59.Thousands of Northern Irish fans are in Nice to cheer on the green and
:04:00. > :04:06.white army. There is an empty feeling in the
:04:07. > :04:12.centre of Nice in more ways than one. This is the Fan Zone, where
:04:13. > :04:17.more than a thousand Northern Irish fans watch the game earlier on. The
:04:18. > :04:25.result was bad, let's be honest, but most people had a good day out. At
:04:26. > :04:30.least they won the singing contest. Win, lose, or draw, Northern Ireland
:04:31. > :04:35.fans were always going to enjoy themselves. But after the final
:04:36. > :04:37.whistle, there was no disguising the sense of disappointment.
:04:38. > :04:44.Heartbroken. I didn't think there was much in it. No, there wasn't.
:04:45. > :04:49.The way it set out, you only need to win one game, so realistically there
:04:50. > :04:54.is still a chance. That was the view from these bands own. What about the
:04:55. > :05:03.people arriving back from the match? A bit disappointed. A terrible goal
:05:04. > :05:08.to give away. We didn't do ourselves any justice. How are you feeling
:05:09. > :05:11.tonight? A little disappointed. Heartbroken. It was good
:05:12. > :05:20.entertainment, a good night. I'm raging. Better luck next time. I
:05:21. > :05:30.think we went to defensive to start with. We played to a laptop and then
:05:31. > :05:36.nothing worked. Can it be put right? I think Ukraine is a must win now.
:05:37. > :05:40.If we don't win in Ukraine, that's it, we are out. Putting aside the
:05:41. > :05:45.result, what about the occasion? Brilliant, a brilliant atmosphere.
:05:46. > :05:53.There was no segregation. Polish and Northern Ireland fans were all on
:05:54. > :05:58.the same bus, it was unbelievable. Brilliant. One match gone, at least
:05:59. > :06:02.two to go. Northern Ireland may be down, but they are by no means out.
:06:03. > :06:04.There was a little bit of trouble last night in Nice.
:06:05. > :06:15.A party atmosphere, no trouble the centre of Nice at all. But there was
:06:16. > :06:19.a minor incident last night. As you just sign my report, the Northern
:06:20. > :06:23.Irish and Polish fans have got on really well, but they were attacked
:06:24. > :06:26.last night by a small group of French hooligans. I have to be
:06:27. > :06:37.honest, about a dozen or so Northern Ireland fans did retaliate and did
:06:38. > :06:41.throw some bottles at a police men. One fan was arrested. Three Northern
:06:42. > :06:45.Ireland fans had been arrested over the course of the last couple of
:06:46. > :06:49.days, not for anything serious but, that's fewer than I normally
:06:50. > :06:51.arrested in Belfast on a Saturday night.
:06:52. > :06:52.More than 15,000 people from Northern Ireland there,
:06:53. > :07:02.They certainly are. Who would believe that this millionaire's
:07:03. > :07:07.playground. Monaco is only up a road. It has become a small corner
:07:08. > :07:14.of Northern Ireland this weekend. Everywhere you go, you seem to bump
:07:15. > :07:17.into someone you know. I met if you -- a few boys from the Shankill Road
:07:18. > :07:23.this morning who asked me where they could get an ice cream soda here.
:07:24. > :07:28.There has been plenty of beer as well, a little bit of drunken
:07:29. > :07:32.behaviour. One fan try to scale a building and we were told they
:07:33. > :07:34.arrested him for his own safety. It has been very good-natured though,
:07:35. > :07:36.those were exceptions. Back to the football,
:07:37. > :07:43.the next match is on Thursday. The reality is now that that bubble
:07:44. > :07:48.of expectation for Northern Ireland, the so-called foreign team of the
:07:49. > :07:51.tournament, that bubble has burst. They are seen very much as the
:07:52. > :07:52.underdogs, but that is the way they like it, of course.
:07:53. > :07:55.The match drew a huge television audience at home and thousands
:07:56. > :07:58.of them went to Euro's Fan Zones, with one of the largest crowds at
:07:59. > :08:18.word that the wet weather would put the fans off, they were wrong.
:08:19. > :08:22.Thousands of supporters turned up at titanic Belfast to watch the match
:08:23. > :08:27.on the big screen. As the first half progressed, most of the cheering for
:08:28. > :08:33.Northern Ireland's defensive capabilities, rather than strikes on
:08:34. > :08:38.the Polish goal. As long as we keep tight at the back, they will be all
:08:39. > :08:41.right. What you think of the atmosphere? Absolutely brilliant. We
:08:42. > :08:45.brought the kids down very good day out. You could have watched it at
:08:46. > :08:51.home. We could have, but down here is the only place to be. It's good
:08:52. > :08:58.to see the crowds coming out here. You're seeing clips on Facebook,
:08:59. > :09:02.unbelievable, the following. It is just one of a number of Fan Zones
:09:03. > :09:07.across Northern Ireland for the Euros. These are for fans or
:09:08. > :09:13.couldn't get tickets and didn't make the trip to France. That is nothing
:09:14. > :09:17.to dampen their enthusiasm. But when Poland scored, the writing was on
:09:18. > :09:25.the wall, and for some it was too much to bear. We just have to keep
:09:26. > :09:31.going. Well done, Northern Ireland!. Back down. The result wasn't what
:09:32. > :09:32.they were looking for, but the Fan Zone was.
:09:33. > :09:35.In other news, a flat in Lisburn was petrol bombed in the early
:09:36. > :09:40.Windows were broken and the inside of the property at Mourne View Park
:09:41. > :09:48.Three men were seen leaving the area on foot shortly afterwards.
:09:49. > :09:50.Four family fun days have taken place in parks across Belfast
:09:51. > :09:53.as part of celebrations for the Queen's Official
:09:54. > :10:02.Families braved the weather at Orangefield Park in the east
:10:03. > :10:05.of the city where a number of activities were on offer
:10:06. > :10:12.including archery, face painting and even a petting zoo.
:10:13. > :10:18.Today is organised by Belfast City Council and it is a free fun day for
:10:19. > :10:21.all the family to come down and take part in activities. As usual, here
:10:22. > :10:22.you can never plan the weather and that is what happens.
:10:23. > :10:24.Hundreds of Orangemen in County Down have been commemorating
:10:25. > :10:26.the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.
:10:27. > :10:29.A parade from the Somme Museum near Bangor followed the route taken
:10:30. > :10:31.by the 36th Ulster division when leaving the Clandeboye Estate
:10:32. > :10:37.Some participants wore uniforms of First World War soldiers
:10:38. > :10:40.There were also new banners on display to honour
:10:41. > :10:50.More now on the European football championship,
:10:51. > :10:52.and the Republic have their first match tomorrow in Paris.
:10:53. > :10:54.Martin O'Neill's men face Sweden in the Stade de France.
:10:55. > :11:07.The Parisien rain has certainly made the Republic of Ireland players feel
:11:08. > :11:14.at home. They are said to be at full strength for tomorrow's game here at
:11:15. > :11:21.the stadium. Having trained yesterday, Robbie Keane and McCarthy
:11:22. > :11:26.also said to be available the opening fixture. Great to be off to
:11:27. > :11:29.a good start. I'm sure that Sweden are targeting us, in the sense that
:11:30. > :11:33.they feel that if they could win this game against us, it gives them
:11:34. > :11:38.a great chance. We must deal exactly the same way. Martin O'Neill's
:11:39. > :11:50.Neymar going to have to find a way to stop the best players. He has
:11:51. > :11:56.also delivered on the international stage. This tournament, he will
:11:57. > :12:00.become the first player ever to score in four separates European
:12:01. > :12:07.Championships. The individual objectives for me comes second, the
:12:08. > :12:11.collective lives two is more important. If the collective can do
:12:12. > :12:14.good, the individual comes amongst that. Most importantly, the team
:12:15. > :12:17.does good and what I do after that, it is a bonus for me.
:12:18. > :12:19.GAA now and Fermanagh lost out to Donegal in the Ulster
:12:20. > :12:39.It is Donegal through to the Ulster semifinal. They defeated pro-manner.
:12:40. > :12:46.It all came down to injury time. A penalty was given to Fermanagh.
:12:47. > :12:53.Donegal now just had 14 men. The penalty was missed, meaning Donegal
:12:54. > :12:59.needed to match points at the break. Donegal really took control which
:13:00. > :13:01.means it'll be a repeat of next year's final in this year
:13:02. > :13:03.Well, let's get a look this year at the weather prospects
:13:04. > :13:20.We have some fairly big downpours in places during the course of the
:13:21. > :13:24.weekend, and as we start the new week, we still have a lot of cloud
:13:25. > :13:27.around, showers as well. By the winds are alike, they could be quite
:13:28. > :13:34.slow moving, perhaps not quite as heavy to the weekends. The breeze
:13:35. > :13:38.picks up and it will turn pressure and drier. Still a few showers as
:13:39. > :13:47.well, particularly for Northern and eastern areas. The misty patch is as
:13:48. > :13:51.temperatures settle. Tomorrow, we are still looking at a good deal of
:13:52. > :13:55.cloud in the forecast and some showery rain through the day. We may
:13:56. > :13:58.see some brightness, but only briefly, as the cloud then gathers
:13:59. > :14:02.and we will get some patchy and showery rain moving in from the
:14:03. > :14:06.west. Behind that, it turns a little bit brighter, with showers across
:14:07. > :14:10.the Republic of Ireland. For most of the country, a lot of cloud tomorrow
:14:11. > :14:15.and slow-moving downpours, which could lead to a lot of surface water
:14:16. > :14:20.on the roads, some thunder mixed in. A bit misty and murky. Towards the
:14:21. > :14:24.north-east of Scotland, this is where we will see the best of any
:14:25. > :14:28.dry and sunny weather. Northern Ireland, the cloud will dominate the
:14:29. > :14:32.sky as we head into the afternoon. Still some patchy and showery rain
:14:33. > :14:37.around. Not as heavy as we have seen lately. Temperatures rising to
:14:38. > :14:42.between 16 and 18 degrees. Through the middle part of the week, low
:14:43. > :14:45.pressure is still with us, like twins slow-moving showers. Towards
:14:46. > :14:50.Wednesday, the Isa buyers start to pack in a little bit more towards
:14:51. > :14:55.the west. That is indicative of increasing winds. Tuesday, plenty of
:14:56. > :15:01.showers breaking out and some of those will be heavy and thundery,
:15:02. > :15:03.giving a lot of surface water. They will be quite slow-moving.
:15:04. > :15:07.Slow-moving showers for England and Wales as we head into Wednesday. The
:15:08. > :15:11.winds are still light, but they pick up towards the west and pressure
:15:12. > :15:15.will drive those showers to the south. Into Thursday, still breezy
:15:16. > :15:16.but apart from a few spots of rain, it will be drier.
:15:17. > :15:19.Our next BBC Newsline bulletin is at 6:25 in the morning.
:15:20. > :15:25.Until then, you can keep up to date with local news on BBC Radio Ulster
:15:26. > :15:32.From everyone on the BBC Newsline team, goodbye.