There are football results, and then there are nights that become part of who we are.
The Republic of Ireland’s 2–0 win over Portugal last night wasn’t just an upset, or a surprise, or a performance that defied odds, even though it was all of those. But it was more. It was a powerful, almost spiritual reminder that when an Irish team is winning, well, everything is better and anything is possible.
Ireland doesn’t measure its footballing legacy in trophies. We measure it in nights. In moments. In that electric charge that runs through a stadium when a team in green decides that reputation, rankings, and reason don’t get to dictate what happens next.
Tonight was one of those nights.
For years, Irish supporters have lived in a space somewhere between nostalgia and stubborn hope. We’ve had tough campaigns, false dawns, heartbreaking draws, and the lingering ache of what might have been. But Irish fans don’t leave. They don’t waver. They don’t forget. We turn up again and again, and we are ridiculously, but genuinely, convinced that we are the best team in the world.
We have carried Stuttgart ’88 in our bones. We’ve replayed Jason McAteer’s strike against the Dutch so many times we could sketch it from memory. We’ve whispered stories about Giants Stadium to younger fans who were barely born when Ray Houghton’s left foot carved itself into history. Shane Long against Germany, Liam Brady against Brazil. There are songs to be sung about these. And now add Troy Parrot’s brace against the Portuguese maestros.
Through the frustrations of recent years, the loyalty has never cracked. Not once. Tonight the stadium was packed to the rafters, 50,717 fans who knew that it was a long shot but wanted to be there just in case.
Portugal arrived with stars, swagger, and expectation. Ireland had defiance in the kitbag.
And from the first whistle, you had the possibility that that would be the most important thing.
The first goal is barely believable; the second, ecstasy; Ronaldo’s Red Card, poetry; and then seven minutes of injury time. Surely not, surely they wouldn’t tear our hearts in two again. And then it was over. A night for the memory bank.
The Aviva Stadium, preening in the glitz of the new sponsorship extension announced with now impeccable timing on Monday, fresh from being readied to host seven games at Euro 28, didn’t just roar at the end, it almost rose into the night sky with the delight of a nation.
This was one for the Jack Charltons, the Bill O’Herlihy’s, the Ollie Morans, the Eamon Dunphy’s and all the cast of characters that are a part of the theatre that is a great sporting occasion
It might all come to nought in terms of qualification if we fail to beat Hungary in Budapest on Sunday night, but it will never be forgotten.
Football in Ireland has always been about more than the game. It’s about identity. About resilience. About taking pride in a team that reflects the grit, humility, and heart of who we are. It’s about the songs, the flags, the stories.
And mostly, it’s about hope. Hope that survives barren years, missed tournaments, and rough performances. Hope that builds slowly, stubbornly, quietly, then in a blur on a night like last night, a night to stir the soul.
Image Credit: FAI, Sportsfile
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