For those who can't cope without their home comforts or are just looking for somewhere to watch the match on a big screen and partake in the banter, Hamburg has a good number of Irish pubs (authentic and less so) dotted around the city.

Finnegans Wake is on Börsenbrücke, just behind the Rathaus (City Hall), and is everything you'd expect of a city centre expat establishment - fairly deep and cavernous, a decent enough set of draught beers and pub grub, and even a quiz on Sundays. (U-Bahn Rathaus, U-/S-Bahn Jungfernstieg)

The Shamrock on Feldstraße is one of the old stagers and always a comfortable place for a drink or two - wooden interiors, unashamedly smoky air and all. (U-Bahn Feldstraße)

And, of course, there are a couple of Irish pubs to be found along the Reeperbahn (most notably Thomas Read's), though you're better off darting down one of the side streets at the Große Freiheit end and finding yourself a seat at somewhere local, like Rosie's on Hamburger Berg, for an endless supply of bottled Becks and Astra and great music.

As mentioned elsewhere, the Schanzenviertel quarter is a fine old mixture of run-down buildings, punks, hippies, students, immigrants, and some of the best little bars and restaurants - almost anywhere is good for a drink or three, and try Olympisches Feuer on Schulterblatt for a plateful of souvlaki or gyros to fuel your engine before heading out for the night. (U-/S-Bahn Sternschanze)

Finnegans Wake: Börsenbrücke 4; tel: 040) 374 34 33; www.finnegans.com
The Shamrock: Feldstraße 40; tel: (040) 432 77 27 5; www.shamrockirishbar.com
Thomas Read's: 10a Norbistoru (along the Reeperbahn, in the same building as the Erotic Art Museum)
Rosie's Bar: Hamburger Berg 7
Olympisches Feuer: Schulterblatt 63; tel: (040) 435 597

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