 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Jubilant Ireland takes afternoon off Posted: Tuesday June 11, 2002 11:23 AM
As thousands of fans spilled out of bars after the final whistle, car drivers hooted their horns and celebrating supporters waved Irish tricolor flags to chants of "Ole, Ole, Ole," and "You'll Never Beat the Irish." "It's a great result. I'm just upset because I'll have to spend the next eight hours working like a mad thing," said Paul Nolan, a 26-year old barman in Oil Can Harry's bar in Dublin after the 3-0 win. The match in Yokohama, Japan, kicked off at 12.30 p.m. Irish time, bringing work in offices and shops grinding to a halt as many headed to the pub for an extended lunch break. Just after 1 p.m. a usually packed sandwich shop in central Dublin was deserted save for two employees nervously following the game on television, while the notoriously traffic-clogged streets of the capital were eerily quiet. "I'm absolutely ecstatic, absolutely ecstatic," said 42-year-old civil servant Ray Byrne, jumping up and down and clad in a tricolour waistcoat as he celebrated in a city center bar. "I'll have to go back to work soon but I'll just stay for one or two pints." "That's me for the evening," said Carol Chubb, 42. "It's just as well my car got towed away today, because I'll be in no fit state to drive it. I'm only sorry I left my Ireland shirt in the back of it." Tense atmosphere Although Ireland has reached the second phase or beyond in both its previous World Cup finals appearances -- in 1990 and 1994 -- it had never before scored more than one goal in any game, and had won only one game in open play. With Mick McCarthy's side needing to win by two clear goals to be sure of progressing, the atmosphere among fans was tense for much of the game despite a nerve-settling early goal from striker Robbie Keane. "I didn't enjoy it until the second goal went in but we're through, fantastic," Dublin accountant John Keenan said. The win, sealed with second half goals from defender Gary Breen and winger Damien Duff, sets Ireland up for a second-round clash with either Spain or South Africa. As the celebrations began Irish President Mary McAleese sent a message of congratulation to McCarthy and his team, praising them "on their fantastic performance to date and on giving the fans, both here in Ireland and in Japan, such a sense of pride." The party atmosphere was in sharp contrast to the mood at the start of the tournament when the sending home of star player Roy Keane following a bust-up with McCarthy plunged the nation into gloomy predictions of an early exit. "That was great, we really deserved to win," said Ross
Farrell, a 30-year-old civil servant. "We watched the match in
the office but we came into the pub to soak up the atmosphere.
There won't be much work done today."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
