Rub o' the Green

St Patrick's Day Greetings to all as I fly my ancestral colours and spare passport. Hats off to the USA for keeping the green alive.

Ireland's not much kop at football, 'tis true. Gaelic football is still the most played sport over there and with 4.5 million people, the player pool is kinda small anyway. Eire reached the last eight of Euro '64 but did little until England World Cup winner Jack Charlton took the reins in 1986 for nine crazy years which took them to the last eight of the Euros and the World Cup, albeit via some semi-neanderthal tactics.
I'll never forget how all Ireland was mad about soccer then, behind the team to a man, woman and leprechaun.

Fallow years since, but hope springs eternal that with Dublin's new 50,000-seat stadium opening this year, there's a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow.
After a second-round exit in Korea 2002 and missing out on 2006, Ireland have been rejuvenated by 69 year-old Giovanni Trapattoni but were unlucky to have Mr. Henry's hand block their way to South Africa, lest we forget...There's always next time. C'mon you boys in green, tiocfaidh ar la (our day will come)...

Meantime, some highlights of Irish soccer's modest history:

• Beating Brazil in a 1987 friendly
• Defeating England at Euro '88
• Whelan's wonder strike against the USSR at Euro '88
• Reaching the last eight at Italia '90, as retold by 'The Van'
• Shocking Italy at USA '94
• Dumping Holland out of the World Cup qualifiers
• Tying finalists Germany in Japan 2002

Of course there is a second Irish national team - Northern Ireland, whose Irish Football Association, based in Belfast, is the original soccer organisation in Ireland (the country split into two in 1921). Because of its British connections, the North has always held football as its premier sport and until recently, were historically superior to its southern neighbour and produced one of the game's greatest ever players - George Best, who sadly never played in a World Cup finals. Another of their greats was Tottenham legend Danny Blanchflower.

N.I. did reach the quarter-finals in Sweden 1958 and memorably beat the hosts Spain in 1982 before exiting in the second round. Four years later in Mexico, Northern Ireland were back but failed to make it out of a group containing Brazil and Spain. They have yet to return to the World Cup or make it to a European Championship but have shown signs of revival recently, defeating England in 2005 and beating Spain two years ago.
Many, including Best, wondered if the two Irelands should not join forces like they have in rugby to ensure Irish football is up there on the big stage more regularly, but two national teams in a land of 6 million remain.

-Sean O'Conor, London