Double trouble for twin sisters at Euro 2016

Irish twin sisters have joked about being outnumbered among the boys in green at Euro 2016 where a perk is not having to queue for the toilet.

Emma and Kathryn McLoughlin, 22, from Glasnevin in Dublin, have travelled to France with four male friends for the football extravaganza.

The pair are in wine capital Bordeaux where the Republic will take on Belgium at the Stade de Bordeaux on Saturday afternoon.

They said their mother was "terrified" when they told her they were going and she has been sending them daily text messages to check they are okay.

Emma told the Press Association: "We follow it at home and a lot of people were up for it so we thought we'd make the trip."

On the lack of women at the tournament, she said: "We're outnumbered very heavily but I don't mind too much. No queues for the ladies!"

Emma said she knew a lot of Irish fans would be in France but is shocked there are so many.

"I'm delighted I made the trip," she said.

Her sister Kathryn said: "We didn't know if we were going to make it or not. It's great craic, like. "Everyone does a double take when they see us. They're like, 'oh, a woman!'"

"Our mother was terrified," Kathryn said, adding that they receive frequent texts asking: "What are you doing now?"

Looking ahead to the Republic's match against Belgium, Kathryn said: "We tend to put in a better performance against bigger teams.

"I think it's worked in our favour that Italy are basically through. A win hopefully. But a draw wouldn't be a disaster either."

The match is taking place on the 22nd anniversary of the Ulster Volunteer Force massacre in Loughinisland, Co Down. Earlier this month, families of the six men murdered by loyalist gunmen in the Heights Bar hailed a watchdog investigation that exposed significant police collusion with the killers for finally delivering "the truth".

Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire was damning in his assessment of the police role in the 1994 massacre.

Two UVF gunmen burst into the packed bar at around 10.10pm on June 18 1994 and fired at customers watching the Republic of Ireland play Italy in the World Cup in the USA. Six were killed and five injured.

A post on social media is calling for people to stand up six minutes into Saturday's match for the Loughinisland six. Those murdered were Barney Green, 87, Adrian Rogan, 34, Malcolm Jenkinson, 53, Daniel McCreanor, 59, Patrick O'Hare, 35, and Eamon Byrne, 39.