Drico gripes expose our national insecurity

I was on a different continent when Ireland missed a host of chances before Thierry Henry handled in Paris.

I watched the game, was naturally disappointed, but was thankful of my location because I thought it would allow me to escape the mass hysteria and pseudo self-righteousness we do better than anyone else when it comes to sport. But even our misplaced moans as a country made their way across oceans and, embarrassingly, so did the stories that went along with them.

From the man ringing national radio in an attempt to start a campaign boycotting Cuisine de France — it being an Irish company — to protests outside the French embassy to John Delaney hinting at a 33-team World Cup, we let everyone know what kind of people we are. All the while, I tried to keep my head down and my passport hidden.