On Wednesday night, a few men in Ireland jerseys were walking through Lille after Ireland’s victory over Italy when they came across another group of Irish fans, among them a woman who was pregnant. “There’s only one name for that baby now,” one of the men said to the woman with a smile as they passed. “Robbie.”
The woman laughed and the group continued on their way. As the men walked on, they looked back and noticed that the group all had one name and number on the back of the jerseys they were wearing: Brady – 19.
When Robbie Brady ran to his family at the final whistle in Lille and wept as he hugged his girlfriend, it crystallised something about this Irish team. As Brady’s brother cried beside them and his extended family and friends exploded in celebration, it showed the country how much victory meant to these players. Strangely that is often forgotten.
This picture of Brady celebrating with his girlfriend and brother is like a Renaissance masterpiece #COYBIG #IRE pic.twitter.com/QEesDIY0Nx
— Martyn Rosney (@rosney) June 22, 2016
It was something that needed to be demonstrated. For a long time, the Irish public had an ambivalent relationship with the Irish football team. They have been perceived as highly-paid strangers some of the time, men who earn staggering sums of money, turn up to play internationals and go home again.
When Giovanni Trapattoni was appointed manager, some looked at the YouTube clip of him lambasting the Bayern Munich team and welcomed the culture shock that was in store for the Irish players. Like those who pine for conscription as a way of teaching the young something about the world, there were those who felt this was what the Ireland players deserved.
A short, sharp shock would make them care as they should care.
This was always an unfair depiction of the Ireland team, but as they struggled through the European Championships in 2012 in search of a win, or even a point, they were a hard team to embrace. They remained unknowable and, after 2012, they weren’t even mysterious winners.
In the build-up to this tournament, Martin O’Neill repeatedly stressed how difficult it would be to leave players out of his squad. Playing for Ireland meant so much to them, he would say, that it made those decisions so difficult.
On Wednesday night, we saw how much Ireland care. When Brady celebrated with his partner and brothers, we glimpsed how much it means to the players and their families. In those moments, we got a glimpse of how it has always been for them and how we had allowed ourselves to forget how much they care.
In the mixed zone after the Italy game, Shane Duffy was among those who appeared close to tears. There were a lot of tears. Ireland might have defeated a second-string Italy side in a game their opponents needed nothing from, but the psychological achievement for Ireland cannot be overestimated.
If Brady’s goal didn’t change everything, the minutes that followed surely did. Roy Keane spent some time on Friday defending his joyous mood at the final whistle, as if it were nothing unusual. He talked about his penchant for hugs, although few would ever confuse him with Amma, the hugging saint. But Keane’s happiness only reflected the mood of the nation which some might see as significant in itself.
Those minutes were the time when this Ireland team penetrated the consciousness of the Irish people. By Thursday, the country wanted to know about Robbie Brady. The interview with his sister Amber led many to cry all over again, while Brady’s mother also spoke about her pride in her son and the country shared this sense of pride.
This was a team Ireland could love, but perhaps all that was different to those who had gone before was victory. Ahead of Sunday’s game, there has been a lot of talk of revenge for 2009, most of it from the French media, but if Ireland are motivated by any memory from the past, it’s the European Championships in 2012.
Four years ago, Seamus Coleman and Wes Hoolahan were not part of Giovanni Trapattoni’s plans, while James McCarthy withdrew from the squad due to his father’s illness. Shane Long was on the pitch for 30 minutes during the course of three games. The three defeats in a week were a miserable experience for a squad who had hoped to emulate the achievements of Ireland teams who went to tournaments in 1988, 1990, 1994 and 2002, but left as the side nobody wanted to remember.
Trapattoni was blamed for most of it, but the players who were there suffered too. Ireland went into this competition with the oldest squad in the competition, which included ten of those who had been part of the 2012 experience.
“The older players here will feel that they want to enjoy it as much as they can,” O’Neill said on Saturday. “Some had experience of four years ago and in the case of Shay who retired and came back to play, he didn’t want to end his international career in the manner it did.”
On Wednesday, O’Neill made the changes to his side which ensured that Ireland’s tournament would not end in that manner this time. In doing so, he also subtly took another step away from the past. When Glenn Whelan and John O’Shea were left out, Ireland lost two players who had experienced all but ten minutes of 2012 between them.
The energy O’Neill craved was part of the new line-up and if Stephen Ward is fit then he should send out the same side to play France in Lyon.
France have had a week to prepare for this game which is unusual in tournament football. They will be more rested, but Ireland can use their high-energy approach to unsettle a side who may not be ready for what is coming.
The pressure is on France, even if they have talented players who could undo Ireland.
Ireland, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. They have achieved the victory the players longed for, even if O’Neill and Roy Keane will believe they can achieve much more.
Another victory would be unprecedented and unlikely, but if Ireland take the same approach they can have hope. “You don’t want to go out meekly,” O’Neill said in his pre-match press conference. “You want to go out blazing.”
Robbie Brady’s goal was the cathartic moment for this Ireland team, the moment which gave him a special place in Irish football history. It also altered the relationship the team has with the country. They are no longer strangers. Ireland knows them and their families. And the country knows how much victory would mean against France. If they lose, they will lose one way and it won’t be the way of 2012.
“You start swinging and hope for the best,” Roy Keane said last week as he explained how Ireland could bounce back from the Belgium defeat.
Ireland came out swinging against Italy, now they can make history if they can find the energy to land some punches again.
