Up Ireland!

Last night was a World Cup qualifier match between Ireland and Georgia. (For those of you who might prefer the other kind of football, I should mention this was a soccer match.) Even though the next World Cup isn't until 2010, the teams are deciding now who will be attending the final in South Africa. A bit hasty, I think, but I love a good sports game, so I can't really complain.

In my new house, I live VERY near Croke Park, affectionately known as 'Croker,' the stadium where basically all Irish sports are being played at the moment. Usually, soccer matches are played at Landsdown Road (no, Boston fans, not THAT Landsdown Road), but since that stadium is under construction, soccer has joined rugby, gaelic football (don't ask), and hurling (really don't ask) at Croke Park. Thus, I can be assured that about once a week, the Gardai will shut down my street, which will then be inundated with green-clad men, women, and children, all yelling and pretty much all intoxicated. The atmosphere on these days is unbeatable, and I have been known to just walk the length of my street, trying to be a part of it. I can't afford a ticket (nor do I know the rules to most of these sports), but that doesn't stop me from putting on my green and white striped shirt and walking with the crowd.

Yesterday, I decided to walk not only up my street, but also to continue on all the way to the pub, so that I could actually watch the match. Joining the green mob in the pub, I watched the playing of the Irish national anthem, which no one really knows, and sat down with my pint of cider to watch. Within the first minute, Georgia scored, and things looked really poor for Ireland. After another pint and some helpful instruction from a hardcore fan of the Irish team, I felt comfortable enough to offer my own high-decibel advice to the television screen. Ireland finally came back towards the end of the second half, scoring two goals in five minutes, and effectively preventing me from having to deal with upset drunks outside my house all night. When the team wins, the Irish fans go out for another drink, but when they lose, they tend to hang around the stadium for a while first.

I walked back home, through the throng of singing Irish fans, seriously enjoying the post-win buzz. They turned off the stadium lights fairly late, but they'll be on again next weekend, when Ireland plays Italy in Six Nations Rugby. And then I'll get to do it all again.