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TODAY is arguably the biggest day in years for Irish sports fans, with the rugby and soccer teams playing vital games.
Many of you will be heading down town on Sunday afternoon to sample the atmosphere in the pubs showing the matches on the big screen.
It’ll be a long evening, so here’s our tips on how to get through it…
1. Get there early
Yeah, I know. Pubs normally try the ploy of advertising a game for 5pm when the kick-off is an hour later, but they’re really only concerned about your punctuality.
This time though, pay attention. Seats will be scarce in the popular pubs, so get down at around 4.15pm at the latest, for the rugby kickoff, leaving half an hour to listen to whoever the TV3 crowd have on the panel.
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2. Avoid the rugby bellower
“HEAVE!” “THAT WAS FORWARD!” “IT WAS OUT ON THE FULL REF!”
There’s fan atmosphere and there’s the plague.
Funnily enough, it’ll be the guy who developed an interest in rugby at the age of 35 back in 2006 when Munster won the Heineken Cup, who’ll be the most vociferous in the pub.
Just slide that barstool 20 feet up the bar and you’ll be grand.
3. Get some soakage
Yeah, you may have had half a cow and 15 spuds for Sunday lunch at two o’clock, but now it’s 6.45pm, Ireland have beaten France by 10 points, you’re buzzin’ and it’s an hour to the soccer game.
The brain chants “Pints! Celebrate! Pints!” but common sense better kick in soon or you’ll be a face-down-on-the-bar-counter-drooling-mess by 10pm.
Snack-box time!
Continued below…
4. Share your happiness with loved ones
If things are going really well, it’s good to make contact with loved ones to tell them how you feel and share your happiness on such an amazing occasion. Paul O’Connell’s twitter account is @Paul_OConnell
5. Pace yourself
Things can get tense during matches and you’ll be drinking deep in between plays, while the free, suspiciously extra-salty sausages and chips supplied by the bar at half-time, might encourage you to drink more than you would.
Take it easy, it’s a long night and you’ve work/college in the morning.
6. Resist your primal urges
As appealing as it may seem at the time, refrain from holding an impromptu scrum with the lads on Denny Street at 2am. Not a good look…in court.
7. Capture the moment
This one is for the people who have no interest in either game and have been dragged to the pub for the afternoon/night.
If Ireland are hanging on in both games in the closing stages, it might be fun to film the reactions of the crowd at the final whistle for posterity.
And then send them in to us here at TraleeToday.ie so we can show everyone!
See what we did there?…
