Ireland fan Jamie Monaghan has been presented with the prestigious Médaille de la Ville de Paris by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, at a special reception in the French capital this evening.
The 17-year-old had been selected earlier this week to receive the award on behalf of Irish supporters who attended Euro 2016.
Jamie had attended all four of Ireland's games at the tournament with his father.
The Liverpool and Drogheda United fan suffers from a rare genetic condition called Trisomy 9 mosaicism (T9M), which means he cannot walk or talk. But he can communicate well with others and is very sociable.
He travelled around France for Euro 2016 with his father Philip in a specially customised wheelchair, which the Ireland squad signed for him.
Jamie and the Chairman of the Confederation of Republic of Ireland Supporters Clubs, Joe McKenna, picked up the award which was presented to the Irish supporters for their "exemplary behaviour" during Euro 2016.
Jamie Monaghan accepts 'Médaille de la Ville de Paris' on behalf of the Irish fans! #IRL https://t.co/uM3nyqFjcX pic.twitter.com/0p01DnTciY
— FAIreland (@FAIreland) July 7, 2016
The award was simultaneously presented to the Northern Ireland supporters at a special ceremony in the fan zone in Paris, which was also attended by the Irish Ambassador to France Geraldine Byrne Nason ahead of the semi-final match between France and Germany.
Jamie's father, Philip Monaghan, described the award as a huge honour and said that it has been the greatest experience of Jamie's life to accept the award on the Irish fans' behalf.
Here are Jamie Monaghan and Jim Spratt getting those supporters' awards from Anne Hidalgo Mayor of Paris. pic.twitter.com/Y1DjShtuaP
— emmet malone (@emmetmalone) July 7, 2016
"This has been a huge honour bestowed on Jamie, and of course for our family. Ever since [FAI Chief Executive] John Delaney asked him to represent the supporters at the reception, Jamie has been so excited and tonight has been one of the greatest experiences in his life," he said.
Meanwhile, McKenna commented: "I'm so proud to be here with Jamie and Philip, as well as the Irish Ambassador to Paris to represent all of the many great supporters of the Republic of Ireland national team. This honour proves that we are amongst the best in the world."
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