Redemption for Ireland. Is Henry watching?

When the referee blew the final whistle in Ireland’s 1-1 draw against Estonia in the UEFA Euro 2012 Playoffs, the AVIVA Stadium in Dublin erupted to life. The packed stadium had every reason to cheer: The Boys in Green were going to Poland and Ukraine next year, and it was only natural that pints of Guinness would be downed by means of celebration. On the surface, yes, the Republic of Ireland are going to Euro 2012. But scratch a bit more and one can see that the cause for celebration is a lot more than that. Hark back to 2010: yes, THAT night in Paris, when Robbie Keane had put his side level on aggregate at 1-1 against France, who played the role of ultimate spoilsports when Thierry Henry handled the ball in extra time, and crossed to William Gallas, who headed home from point-blank range. Several Irish players began to mob the referee, furiously arguing that Henry had handled the ball. But the referee could see nothing from his point of view, and the melee in the box meant it was hard for the officials to spot the ball. Despite Henry later admitting to his mistake, FIFA saw fit to send them through to South Africa, and Les Bleus, who had been torn apart by internal strife since Euro 2008, famously imploded for all the world to see. Ireland felt cruelly hard done by, and this will make qualification to next year’s Euros all the sweeter. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) did appeal to FIFA to enter as a never heard before 33rd team, but FIFA, in what seemed to be a throwback to the colonial era, waved away Irish complaints and did themselves no favours by making themselves even more unpopular than they already were. [caption id=“attachment_133575” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Ireland will be competing in the European Championships  after 15 years. Getty Images”]  [/caption] The win for Ireland is not just a win for a nation as a whole, but as a statement of defiance in the face of FIFA, a stand that says ‘we are as good as the big boys, and we will play with them.’ It is a stand for lesser teams everywhere. Life has now come full circle for the Irish. It has been fifteen years since the Irish played in the European Championship, nine since they played the World Cup. The current crop of players have never experienced what it is to have played in front of thousands of raucous fans away from home, egging your team on to give it their all. And I don’t see why Ireland can’t cause a few heads to turn. They have quality in every department of the pitch; in goalkeeper Shay Given they have plenty of experience, a cool head, and reflexes that defy his 35 years of age. Their defence, consisting of the oh-so-versatile John O’Shea, veteran Richard Dunne, youngster Ciaran Clark and former Celtic player Darren O’Dea boasts an immense amount of talent, with Sean St.Ledger and Stephen Kelly waiting in the wings. In midfield, Ireland boast a group that would put many an international side to shame. There is plenty of experience and quality in Damien Duff, Keith Fahey, Aidan McGeady and Glenn Whelan. The youth factor is present as well, with Darron Gibson, James McCarthy and Seamus Coleman more than capable of filling in where necessary. Backing up this impressive array are Keith Andrews and Stephen Hunt. Up front, Robbie Keane is obviously the talisman of the team, and is well supported by Leon Best, Simon Cox, Jonathan Walters, Shane Long and battering ram Kevin Doyle. Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Monaghan - in fact, all of Ireland will be rejoicing as the nation so well known for dark beer, Leprechauns and four-leaf clovers makes it to the Euros. In truth, the last year or so hasn’t been the best for the Republic, with the country bearing the brunt of the Eurozone debt crisis which has seen huge spending cuts by the Irish government and a reliance on Europe;s other big players to pull them out of the economic spiral. Christmas might have just come early for the Irish. Don’t be surprised if the Irish make a mark on the Euros next year. I’ll certainly be watching them. Will you?