President Michael D Higgins has led tributes to former Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton.
He died on Friday after a long-term illness at the age of 85.
President Higgins said: "The news of the death of Jack Charlton will have been received with great sadness by those of us who took him to their hearts as he brought Ireland to some of our most celebrated moments in Irish sporting history.
"He leaves a legacy of outstanding leadership of a group of players of many diverse talents, which he moulded into the successful team that captured the imagination of the nation.
"It was not just the success on the field of play, Jack’s endearing popularity also had much to do with the warmth and personality of the person who quickly became such a legendary sporting icon.
"From a family that loved soccer, he had many connections with Ireland, which he chose for one of his quietest recreations -fishing."
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: "It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Jack Charlton, one of the great characters of the football world. He was an iconic figure on and off the pitch, in England and Ireland.
"He came to personify a golden era in Irish football at a European and World level from the late 1980’s onwards.
"The Italia ‘90 campaign was more than just a football tournament for us all, it was a time of unbridled joy and celebration throughout the nation.
"The great moments of that campaign are embedded in a generation’s memory. It was truly a magical time.
"We thank Jack for his honest, workmanlike and no-nonsense contribution to football and to Irish life."
Ireland and Liverpool legend John Aldridge told Down to Business: "He gave the opportunity to play - I was born in Liverpool - I could have played for England and Ireland.
"When I first met him I was a little bit in awe.
"He was big presence of a man, a big World Cup player for England and I had the most respect for him then.
"When he asked me there was no way I was never going to say no".
"He had 10 years under him - what a man, football man, what a genius.
"People don't realise what he did with us and how he set us up to be successful".
"I got to know him not just as a manager but as a friend, and a drinking partner at times.
"I loved him, we all loved him - all the players.
"I spoke to a couple of players already this morning... we'd literally go through a brick wall for him.
"Anybody told us to do it, we'd just do it for him".
"People forget: he got us into the world rankings, I think it was fifth or sixth - you know, wow."
"It wasn't just on the pitch, it was off the pitch.
"The comraderyship between us - you hear one of our players and you're going to get it.
"The togetherness in that camp was unbelievable on and off the pitch.
"We were great buddies, and he let us get away with some things that the English players that I knew couldn't believe - buying the odd pints of Guinness a couple of days before the match.
"I adored the man".
'Jack Charlton led the band'
Mick McCarthy and Niall Quinn have led Irish football tributes to Charlton.
"I’m sure I’m not the only Irish person who shed a tear or two this morning," Niall told FAI.ie.
"I’m devastated. I am finding it very hard to put into words what Jack meant to the whole country, not just to me and to those of us lucky enough to have played for him in an Ireland shirt.
"Jack Charlton led the band. He brought us, as a players and fans, to places we never thought possible beforehand and gave us so many precious moments.
"He changed lives. For his players, he gave us the best days of our lives.
"This news has hit me with a bang. We have so much to be grateful to Jack for and I am truly saddened, like so many others, with this news today."
Mick McCarthy said: "I loved the bones of the man, I am devastated with this news and my heart goes out to Pat and the family.
"Jack’s passing will touch Ireland, England and the football world but the loss to football will be felt in Ireland more than anywhere else.
"English fans will always remember Jack as one of their World Cup winners in 1966 but what he did with Ireland will, I suspect, mean even more to our fans and the country.
"He turned a really good team into a team that qualified for tournaments and made an impact at them.
"He changed my life, he changed everything for all of us who played for Ireland and just look at the memories we have."
FAI President Gerry McAnaney added: "We all have so many memories of Jack Charlton and all of them positive - he was the man who brought the nation to a standstill as we all held our breath back in 1990.
"I know I speak on behalf of everyone involved in Irish football and everyone in Ireland when I extend our sympathies to Pat and the Charlton family.
"Thanks to Jack, they are part of our family now as well and we will never forget what he did for our game and our country.
“He transformed our sport. He changed the way we played football, of course, but he also changed the way the country looked at Irish football.
"He gave Ireland a team to be proud of and the country took him to our hearts in return".
