Sorry Dublin, but this is rugby country

Rugby country, Saturday afternoon. Population: 5,000. Probably less.

For the Red Army members present for duty at Thomond Park, the words ‘big match’ can only mean one thing.

“What big match could be on other than a Munster game?” wonders Eithne Vaughan, a Limerick native, when she heard of the clash with the All-Ireland football final.

“We come to everything. It doesn’t matter who they’re lining up against. We’ll try to be there whether they’re winning or losing, good times or bad. They’re our boys in red and we support them no matter what.”

The day previous, Mrs Vaughan, a teacher, had met Colm Cooper at her school but had to ask who the eight-time All-Star was.

“He could have stood in front of me, introduced himself and I’d still have gone, ‘And you do what?’ However, if Ronan O’Gara was to walk up, I’d have a different conversation altogether.”

She is accompanied by her daughter Aoife, who clutches a rugby ball, while her husband and sons, all UL Bohs members, partake in the nearby kicking and passing challenges.

The fan zone is a major part of the attraction for an otherwise low key, non-televised fixture against Zebre. Pat and Audrey O’Connor and their daughter Tara, from Newmarket, Co. Cork, leave plenty of time in advance to take in the pre-match atmosphere.

“Tara sent her older sister a picture of her with the mascot and there was a bit of jealousy there because she went shopping instead,” laughs Pat.

“There won’t be a massive crowd so it’s a family day. And it’s these games they need the support in as well.

“I’d like to see the All-Ireland too but Cork haven’t any interest in it. It was a pity they clash but for the diehard follower rugby would take precedence over the football.” Ninety minutes before kick-off and former Gaelic footballer John Kenneally, from Askeaton, has already posted up by a railing to leaf through the programme.

“I like to come on time and fool around,” he says. “You never know who you’d meet.

“I played inter-county Gaelic football for Limerick back in the 60s. I tried lots of things and I was good at sport. But when I was coming up here there was the Ban and you could only play one sport.”

Kenneally has been coming back to Thomond since seeing the All Blacks in 1963, although he admits he was “one of the few who was at home” when Munster famously beat the world’s best team in ‘78.

“I love Sevens and I love open rugby. I always wanted to see different fellows playing and then the teams were getting better, so I kept coming back. We had all the Munster clubs winning the All- Ireland League and some of the clashes would be great. You’d pay any kind of money to go to see them.”

Mary and Willie Keating, from Shanagolden, Co. Limerick, have also stayed loyal.

“We’re very faithful Munster followers. We’ve been there on the big days so we like to come on the lesser days as well,” says Mary, who was at both of the province’s Heineken Cup wins in Cardiff.

“It’s always good to come home to Thomond. We remember it when it was less elaborate than this, when there was no fan zone and it was plain and simple Thomond. It’s good to have grown with it.”

Willie adds that the All-Ireland final did get fleeting consideration: “There was an idea of sitting in the seat in front of the television for the day, but we said we’d come out and support Munster.”

Paul Phelan, from Clarecastle, Co. Clare, revealed his plan as his son Paddy buzzed between the face- painting stand and other attractions: “I’ll have the radio on the phone. I’ll have the earplugs in and I’ll listen away to it – providing the game doesn’t get too exciting!”

As a Dubliner living in Glanmire, Co. Cork, Susan Costello-Ryall, attending with her son Dylan, had an innate interest in keeping up with the Croke Park score: “This was already organised before the replay came about, so unfortunately I can’t be in two places at the one time.”

Damien Dillon, from Limerick city, was surprised by the fixture clash: “I did find it a bit strange that it was on at the same time. I couldn’t believe it really, but that’s the way it goes.”

His group of passionate fans made use of the sparser crowd to bring Nathan Tiernan, wielding a flag as tall as himself, to his first game.

“I’m from St Mary’s Parish and we’ve grown up with rugby all our lives,” he says. “My daughter even plays now. It’s all rugby for us – a bit of hurling along the way – but football wouldn’t really come into it.”

Even after the simultaneous half-time whistles in Dublin and Limerick end very different openers – Munster having already secured a bonus point as Dublin and Mayo threatened another replay – few abandoned the rugby early. The eight TVs in Thomond’s Dug Out Bar, all showing the All-Ireland, are only watched by a handful.

But even Eithne Vaughan concedes the football did make its presence felt inside the ground as her family caught the end of the All-Ireland on a phone.

“The rugby was better though,” she concludes. “It was lovely, running rugby, so the kids loved it.”