God help us.
Ireland are up against it in France, everyone knows that.
They came in through the playoffs, seeded fourth, in a group that’s going to be downright competitive.
The bookies have them odds-on favourites to exit the tournament at the earliest possible junction and nerves are running in short bloody supply now.
Only three teams have longer odds than Ireland to win Euro 2016 https://t.co/Umz8ZtOcYQ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 1, 2016
Memories of 2012 are harrowing.
Ireland went out the first day against the supposed weak links of the group, Croatia, and they crashed to a 3-1 defeat. That was as good as it got. Eventual tournament finalists Italy and Spain waited to give Trapattoni’s men a hiding and, whilst fans might’ve sang their hearts out, the hope and enthusiasm of the nation soon drained with their voices.
And any of that spark stayed away until October. It stayed away until Germany came to Dublin and Shane Long wrote his name into the annals of history.
Still, it’s going to take more than one good memory to ease the trauma. It’s going to take more than one big Darren Randolph hoof upfield to navigate our way through tricky encounters with Sweden, Belgium, and Italy.
Your granny would tell you to light a candle . Well, now you can do just that.
Derry artist John Rooney has illustrated and designed a very special souvenir candle for Euro 2016.
Complete with a homage to the country’s leader, Martin O’Neill – who of course is draped with a Roy Keane medallion around his neck – Ireland fans can put the nation’s football team at the very forefront of their prayers this summer. God knows we’ll need it.
Rooney and his friend Chris Cullen thought up the invention, bought every candle case they could find before they printed out their own design in the print shop that John works in (wonder if they know) and put the finished product together themselves.
The candle stands at 14cm in height with a diameter of 6cm and comes with either text, ‘God Help Us’ or ‘Have Mercy On Us’ – both are pretty relevant.
They’re priced at 10 euros each and can be purchased here or by contacting John Rooney via Facebook or Email.
Light a candle, folks. Every man and his dog are doing it.
