VIDEO & PICS: Cardiff turns green as Irish invade in force

The wait is nearly over and as Ireland’s World Cup campaign begins this afternoon, the green hordes spread from Bristol and across the Severn River will gather in Cardiff hoping for a win against Canada. For some, it’s been a journey more than a year in the making.

Take Dave Hackett from Waterford and his three friends. Dave bought a camper van “especially for the occasion” on donedeal.ie last October. He spent “a few quid” doing it up and now he’s here, camped within earshot of the Millennium Stadium on the eve of a World Cup opener.

“We booked the campsite 12 months ago and it was nearly booked out then,” Dave said. He’ll get repeat business out of it — he’s back in a few weeks for the French match, alongside his mate Donal O’Brien, originally from Mitchelstown.