BRACE YOURSELVES – the lyrics of the anthem supporting Ireland’s soccer team to the Euro2012 championships this summer have been chosen.

Listeners to the Ray D’Arcy Show on Today FM collaborated to re-write the lyrics to the Dubliners classic Rocky Road to Dublin. Damien Dempsey and producer John Reynolds selected lines from among the thousands of entries – and the result can be seen below.

Earlier today, Damien Dempsey, Bressie (formerly of The Blizzards), Danny O’Reilly of The Coronas, and the Dubliners recorded Rocky Road to Poland (which we’re told is the working title of the track) at Windmill Lane Studios. The single is due for release in April by EMI Music Ireland and the proceeds will be split between the John Giles Foundation and Today FM’s Shave or Dye campaign.

The campaign has raised €360,000 so far this year for the Irish Cancer Society.

(Note: You might need to get some practice in ahead of #Euro2012. Anyone who needs a reminder of/to learn the tune can check it out below):

Rocky Road to Poland

T’was in the merry month of June, from our home we started,
Left old Eireann’s Isle, to Poland we departed,
Hope within our hearts, we can win the trophy,
We are all a part of Trappatoni’s army,
Get behind the team, hear the Irish scream,
C’mon you boys in green, Ireland’s bouncing back again,
We have got our Trap, the cat is in the sack,
We’ll not forget you Jack, On the rocky road to Poland.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five,
Irish eyes are smiling,
Let your voices ring
Trappatoni’s army,
Everybody sing.

You’ll never beat the Irish x 4

Make your mother proud, inflate your plastic hammer,
Bate your bodhrán loud and learn your Polish grammar,
Credit Union loan, sold the Opel Corsa,
Hired a camper van, picked it up in Warsaw,
Been so close before, hopes slammed in the door,
Now we’re back for more, we can win the battle,
C’mon you boys in green, never have we seen,
Such a fearless team, on the rocky road to Poland.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five,
Irish eyes are smiling,
Let your voices ring
Trappatoni’s army,
Everybody sing.

You’ll never beat the Irish x 4

Ireland Abú. We love.

(Video uploaded by originalboland)