Football trip to the green island: Part of something bigger in Dublin written by Jens Skovgaard Andersen
“Stand up for the boys in green!”
The article is from 2017, when we met Ireland in the World Cup qualifiers.
There is no doubt that you are in Ireland, when 49.000 green-clad fans slam their support down against their green-clad heroes on the green lawn. Aviva Stadium in the south Dublin has been invaded by fans from all over the country, all of whom want to help send the Irish national team to the World Cup in football.
The stadium is located between residential blocks in typical British brick style, the drizzle hangs in the air and you can buy Guinness in the stadium bar. It's as it should be. The many many Irish have been joined by 2.500 equally enthusiastic Danish fans, and I am one of them.
The trip goes to Dublin on a football trip
My trip to Dublin was booked right away when the draw showed we were going to face Ireland in November. A fast airline ticket search showed that a return ticket could be obtained for 500 kroner with a stop in Scotland on the way out and nonstop home.
The accommodation took place in one of the many hostels, which are located over most of the manageable city, and a bed in a dormitory costs about 100 kroner. The mood at the city bars was high already when I stuck my head inside just after landing and it rose steadily all evening.
Common Singing and Guinness
One of Dublin's most popular areas to have fun in is Temple Bar. It is mostly for tourists, but there are also a lot of them all year round.
Compared to the rest of the city, Temple Bar's pubs have raised prices a lot, but it did not bother the hundreds of happy Danes who had come to the city to hold a red and white party in the green sea of people.
Both international and Irish singing classics were sung, and the beer taps rarely stood still. A Guinness takes 119½ seconds to pour if you want to do it right, and you have to in Ireland. So the bartenders were busy - more than usual on a Monday - with the many calmnesses on the football journey.
Find cheap flights to Dublin here
Dublin around on foot
Dublin is the largest city in Ireland, but it is not very large for that reason. It is possible to walk around for most things and it suits me perfectly.
A walk around the city featured the medieval university Trinity College, the cozy park St. Stephen's Green, Grafton Street, Dublin's statues such as Molly Malone and James Joyce, the medieval castle Dublin Castle, the old Jameson Whiskey Distillery, a long strip of beautiful churches and of course the river Liffey, which runs through towns and divides it into north and south.
Add to that the many cafes and alternative shops south of the Temple Bar area, and Dublin is the perfect destination, whether the sun is shining or raining - and it often does; this is how Ireland has become the Green Island…
You are never alone when you go on a football trip
As I said, I had traveled alone to Dublin, but it is impossible to be alone on a trip like this. Everyone greets everyone and everyone is friends. This applies not only to the Danish fans who can know each other by the colors, but also the local fans are part of the group of friends. There are smiles and greetings everywhere, and DBU's slogan 'Part of something bigger' really comes into its own.
The Irish fans, with their demeanor and mood, have a reputation for being the best in the world, and it's hard not to agree with that consideration. When the equally famous Danish rolans make up the opponent, then the result can only be festive. And it was festive.
Football party in red, white and green
The match itself was clearly the most fun for the Danish fans, when our boys went home with a 5-1 victory and a ticket to the World Cup in their luggage. However, it was not only the game that made a big impression. The whole stadium was a big party, where it was first the Irish who led, while the Danes took over the baton as the goals peb into the Irish end.
After the match, Irish fans came and congratulated us on the result and wished them a good trip to the World Cup in Russia, and we thanked them for being sovereign hosts. We exchanged scarves and other effects, and both fan groups clapped each other on the way from the stadium. One team had won over the other, but we shared the experience.
Thanks for now, Dublin - now the trip then goes on to the next country on a new football trip.
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