God Save the Queen
Posted on Sunday, February 25, 2007Well? What happened? Did some crazed Shinner suicide bomber charge into the crowd and explode in a hail of teeth and bedsprings?
No.
Oh, well perhaps a gang of frothing ideologues harangued the people through ancient megaphones on their way to Croke Park?
No. Not that either.
In that case, there must have been a small huddle of patriots in knitted caps holding placards: Down with this sort of thing!
Eh, no Ted.
So there you have it. The English came to Croke Park. They sang God Save the Queen, and what happened?
I’ll tell you what happened. The people of Ireland stood up in respectful silence while the combined Army and Garda bands quite properly played our visitors’ anthem. When the visitors’ anthem finished, the Irish people applauded them with courtesy and grace. Then the band struck up Amhrán na bhFiann and the people turned into a massed chorus, singing the the loudest and proudest rendition of that song ever heard.
And then the game started and we thumped the shit out of the Brits, 43-13.
I heard an old guy in the toilets at half-time: Christ, would ya believe it? We should be down on our knees thankin’ ‘em for learnin’ us this game!
All’s as it should be and the sky didn’t fall.
_____________________
Also
The Croke Park Trilogy - Part 1
Stumble it!
February 25th, 2007
Nicely put.
February 26th, 2007
well done ya jammy sod, i hope ya made us munster people proud and yelled like a jackass considering the input we had on the pitch, go ya good thing bock lol
February 26th, 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it - admittedly via TV. And I was proud of the way it was all carried off. Not least the result! The tension nearly did for me, but who cares?
February 26th, 2007
go ya good thing, hope ya made us munster peeps hproud and roared like a jackass, considering the input we had on pitch lol. well done Ireland
February 26th, 2007
In that case, there must have been a small huddle of patriots in knitted caps holding placards: Down with this sort of thing!
That did happen, actually. And it was really amusing too.
See here:
http://skinflicks.blogspot.com/2007/02/ireland-43-england-13-protesting-morons.html
February 26th, 2007
Pass some shinners on the way to the match on Saturday. They were protesting and one or two had banners says no English sports in Croke Park. The funny thing is, they had on Man Utd and Celtic shirts. Bloody fools.
February 26th, 2007
Indeed, Bock. Indeed. A victory for common-sense and a crushing defeat for national embarrassment. Thank Jesus some tossers didn’t arse it up and have the rest of us red-faced and shamed.
Incidentally, I was told in the week that God Save the Queen was proudly played in Croker a year or two back during the Special Olympics. Can’t vouch to the validity of that but I find it delicious to think that it was and that the Shinners and the hobby-nationalists missed it ‘cos they weren’t paying attention.
February 26th, 2007
…the people turned into a massed chorus, singing the the loudest and proudest rendition of that song ever heard.
And all the players too, Bock. They sang with heart-thumping pride. Or wept with the emotion that pride brings.
Unlike our other national team where the players stare at their boots or sternly straight ahead. Mouths tightly shut.
February 26th, 2007
Indeed, it would’ve brought a tear to a glass eye.
February 26th, 2007
It was a great day in so many ways, and I think the game of rugby will have benefitted so much from it. People will associate rugby with such a positive day for Ireland.
As someone who was brought up on the 11-man game, it further throws into saddening perspective the state of that team, and also makes you think about how their supporters would have observed GSTQ….
February 26th, 2007
Yeah I saw one “protester” with a placard which stated “No To Foreign Games” and you guessed it he was wearing a Scottish Football Club jersey.
Anyway the game was great.
February 26th, 2007
Weren’t they just unbelievable. Heroes all.
February 26th, 2007
As someone stated this is really the only team that can accurately say that they represent Ireland - all of it. And do it in style, and what style at that. Best sporting even I have ever seen. The bar I was at in San Francisco was packed to the girders and my ears were ringing for hours afterwards and my hands were sore from clapping for the rest of the day.
February 26th, 2007
Just a quick note to let you know that Battle of the Blogs has started. Round One will last until Sunday evening.
Leesa (http://dsmoya31410.blogspot.com)
February 27th, 2007
Classic picture was of one of the Shinner protesters outside the ground - he was holding a “No to foreign games” placard, yet wearing a Celtic jersey!!!!
February 27th, 2007
nice to see the Irish beating the English at something for a change even if its only just a game.
March 1st, 2007
george: thanks
nora:it was great
colette: I’m hoarse
skinner: what a tosser
reds:what tossers
trousers: I don’t think it was played, but so what? It’s only a song.
sneeze:emotional day
kav: I’m told Jerry is a great crier
tommy:too many wankers following soccer these days (and managing it)
knitter:same tosser
mairéad:they sure were
john:and don’t they represent it well?
pagano:the self-same tosser
knudsen:we’ll start with a game and take it from there
March 2nd, 2007
Its a shit anthem anyway. (And I’m English) Totally outplayed by the better side, and out sung.
March 3rd, 2007
Bock I can’t understand it. We give out about the yanks being all pc. We’re as bad. I think it’s a great testiment to all Irish people that the English national anthem was treated with all the respect that every nations anthem deserves. And that the English team and supporters were welcomed into Croke park, a bastion of Irish nationalism. More power to us. But for the love of jesus couldn’t we have at least mustered up a rendition of Sean South or Banna Strand to show some equal respect to our own?
September 4th, 2008
God save which Queen? Elizabeth or Charles? Freddy Mercury?
September 4th, 2008
It’s the name of a song.