While the atmosphere remained fairly jovial in the Aviva Stadium, some trouble erupted on the streets of the capital after the game.
Gardaí have said they made numerous arrests following England’s 2-0 win over Ireland last night, as clashes between fans occurred near the stadium after the final whistle blew.
Before the teams even arrived at the Aviva yesterday afternoon, all of the discourse was taken up by what kind of reception Declan Rice and Jack Grealish would receive and Lee Carsley’s decision not to sing God Save The King.
Ireland fans could be heard booing the English national anthem and a chorus of green followed those jeers with a deafening rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann.
Once the ball came into play, it became clear fairly quickly that one team were levels above the other.
In true poetic tradition, former Republic of Ireland players Declan Rice and Jack Grealish gave the Three Lions a 2-0 lead going into the break, and Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Boys in Green never quite got going across the 90 minutes.
While thankfully there was no repeat of the 1995 Lansdowne Road encounter, when the game had to be cancelled after 27 minutes as a result of clashes between England and Ireland fans in the crowd, it seemed all wasn’t quite as peaceful as it seemed on television.
According to the Irish Mirror, a Garda spokesperson confirmed that a number of arrests were made following what they described as a “minor disturbance” after the game.
They did not clarify if those arrested were Ireland or England fans or a mixture of both.
Footage filmed close to the stadium showed gardaí on horseback patrolling the streets amid clashes between the opposing sides.
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England fans were heard chanting; ‘Football’s coming home’ as large groups of spectators flooded the street, while other clips posted online showed Ireland supporters shouting ‘Lizzy’s in a box’ as travelling fans walked by.
Ireland fans singing “Lizzy’s in a box” 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/vJNgduoGWp
— Casual Mind (@CasualMind_) September 7, 2024
The spokesperson confirmed that an incident took place on Shelbourne Road following the underwhelming match. They added that several arrests were made and no injuries were reported.
Ahead of the fixture, The Times revealed that all Garda leave in Dublin had been cancelled and around 350 specialist officers were scheduled to be on duty.
These measures were part of a major policing plan – named Operation Dearóil – which ran from Friday to this morning.
While reports suggest there was trouble between some factions of fans, the atmosphere seemed good natured as fans of both sides filled Dublin’s pubs well into Saturday evening.
Footage from The Camden, a sports bar in the city centre, showed England and Ireland fans jokingly aiming chants at one another – one of which referenced Declan Rice to the tune of Zombie by The Cranberries.
“He’s in your head, Declan Rice” 🎵
— England Football Fans (@EnglidsAway) September 8, 2024
England fans celebrating their victory in Dublin 🍺pic.twitter.com/jV4WvxnG6y
