Ireland be proud, you have moved on

THE historic Croke Park stadium once again hosted a truly momentous occasion that struck deep into the hearts and minds of Ireland.

Hoarse and overcome with emotion, tens of thousands of men, women and children poured out from this citadel of Gaelic games.

Everyone was certain they had stepped out into a different Ireland than the one that had tortured itself for weeks over the playing of the British national anthem in this sacred ground.

“I thought there was a real sense of history,” said a clearly moved Martin Hess, 47, from Brighton, who had travelled to the game with his son, Matthew, 19.

Both of them had read up about the 1920 massacre of 14 civilians by British soldiers at the GAA stadium.

They were aware of the controversy that raged throughout the country and that evaporated into the cool night air in a moment of magic, as 82,000 Ireland and England rugby fans stood shoulder to shoulder.

“I thought for Ireland there was a sense of moving on,” said Martin. Behind him, on an Irish tricolour draped from a window of one of the Victorian terraces was printed in thick black letters: BO’D Save Our Gracious Team.

Ireland had moved on, it seemed, during one of those rare and memorable events where sport triumphs over politics and exorcises the ghosts of a troubled past.

When the two teams ran out onto the hallowed turf, the cheers carried out over terraced rooftops drowned out the drone of the Garda helicopter overhead.

In the new hotel, opposite the grounds, more than 20 workers, mostly immigrants — the ‘new Irish’ — roared and cheered on their adopted home.

In the stands, Eoghan Crawford, 30, from Naas, Co Kildare, was nervous as the Garda band struck up the opening chords of God Save The Queen.

“I was surrounded by GAA men and it was a bit tough. I was apprehensive — that something would go wrong,” he said.

But it didn’t go wrong.

“It shows that Ireland has grown up,” he smiled.