Soccer
Hope gives way to heartbreak as Ireland fans turn out to back their team
Irish fans packed into pubs across Dublin full of hope ahead of Ireland’s first World Cup qualifier match.
Wearing Irish jerseys and nabbing seats near TVs hours before kick off, supporters dared to dream of a summer of World Cup fever.
At Sinnotts sports bar, a queue of fans formed outside before kick off, while another pub set up a TV on the bar counter to draw in punters.
On social media, fans sported parrot paraphernalia and prayed for the wellbeing of star-striker Troy Parrott, the footballer whose hat-trick against Hungary kept Ireland’s qualifying hopes alive.
Ireland’s deputy premier, Simon Harris, posted to Instagram to say that it was a time where people needed “positivity”.
It was a frantic game from the off – with three goals within 30 minutes, two of which were penalties – leaving Irish fans “all over the shop”.
At the Thomas Moore bar in Dublin city, fans roared at Ireland’s chances and mumbled at the first Czech goal.
“This is proper Irish football,” one fan said after several Irish chances.
After the Czechs scored just minutes before the full-time whistle, fans covered their eyes and dropped their heads in their hands.
More heartbreak followed, after a score-less 30 minutes of extra time and a devastating penalty shootout loss – going ahead again to only lose out at the last kick.
Joey Quinn, who is from Co Kerry and watched the match in the Thomas Moore, said Ireland played well but “gave them an in”.
“We played very well, a lot better than I expected,” he said at full time.
“I thought we’d be a lot more dogged, a lot more defensive.
“We went 2-0 and we were stupid to give them a goal back.”
He said when Parrott scored the penalty he was “all over the shop” and described the second goal as “deflection, deflection and then crept over the line”.
“I thought, ‘oh my god this isn’t happening’, we’re actually going to do something. And then, typical Ireland.”
He said he was still looking forward to Tuesday’s match, as he has a season ticket.
“Because the buzz around the place knowing we have a game to get to the World Cup in Dublin, everybody will be buzzing.
“Men, women, children, no matter how much you care about football, everybody will care.”
