For the weekend that’s nearly in it.
Saturday, 19 January 30 March 1985.
Wee’ Barry McGuigan, Live Aid, and Optimus Prime dominated our thoughts.
When many young people were forced to roll up their sleeves. And go sockless. Such was the pernickety fashion of the time.
And Ireland’s second ‘Tripler’ of the ’80s was within kicking distance.
The earlier fixture, postponed by a flurry of snow, led to this Ireland team famously decamping to O’Donoghue’s of Merrion Row, Dublin for a session St George-busting strategical think tank and wedgies.
It worked.
Irish coach Mick Doyle (top sitting far right) said:
“The lads were plucky, they wanted to win and it showed in the last 15 minutes, particularly in the way they tried to avoid doing the the expected things…”
Meanwhile, in the following Monday’s irish Times.
Rugby sage Edmund Van Esbeck was beside himself.
The strife is done now and the battle won: the tumult and the shouting have died away, the carnival is over but the memories will linger on.
Illustrious players and memorable matches have graced Lansdowne Road turf for well over a century now, but the happenings at this aristocratic among rugby grounds last Saturday will be indelibly etched into the history of the game and the minds of all 50,000 people who saw Ireland beat England by 13 points to 10. The prize for that victory is the Triple Crown and International Championship…
He’s no McGurk in fairness.
RUCK!
Previously: Cabbage Patch Kids
We could never beat bloody France.
you know the photograph on the wall of odonoghues of Phil lynott, George Best and a man in sunglasses. who is the guy in the sunglasses? this is worthy of a bs post. they say Gary Moore but it doesn’t look like Gary Moore.
If it was Gary Moore he’d surely be recognisable with all his facial scarring…. don’t recall the photo myself, been a while since I darkened the door of ODonoghues :)
Which pic? Isn’t it Luke Kelly that’s in one of ’em with Philo and George-name-an-airport-after-me-Best?
Jaysus, I’d have been able to play rugby back then. They’re normal sized people.
The guys in this clip are roughly the same girth as the average player today’s forearms. Draw your own conclusions, but I don’t think its diet / exercise somehow.