Tommy Martin: As in politics, Ireland’s mood for change is heavy in the sporting air

If rugby and GAA grappled with lofty matters of power and equality, soccer seemed to console itself with a very traditional debate: whether the manager of the national team was any good or not

Ireland players stand for the national anthems before the Autumn Test Series match between Ireland and Japan at the RDS Arena in Dublin. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Is Ireland really poised on the brink of radical political change?

After all, this is a country which has never been richer, healthier, or better-educated. The United Nations ranks its quality of life as second best on the planet. It is one of the few developed countries in which income inequality has fallen in recent decades. As the State approaches its centenary, according to Mark Henry, author of In Fact: An Optimist’s Guide to Ireland at 100: “Not only have we taken our place among the nations of the world, but we have taken our place among the leading nations of the world.”