Ireland v England, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

7 Sep 2024

UEFA Nations League Group B2

Republic of Ireland v England

Aviva Stadium

Dublin, Republic of Ireland

The programme for this Group B UEFA Nations league fixture was high quality with 66 glossy pages. It contains articles on the two managers, firstly welcoming Ireland's new Icelandic manager Heimir Hallgrimsson  and then Lee Carsley 'Ireland's man at England's Helm'. There are other articles covering the games at Stuttgart in 88, Sardinia in 90 and there's more. Thankfully mostly written in English but the last page does remind the Irish fans of their anthem in Gaelic

Following the cap reset and the increase to the number of top cappers (878) ESTC tickets for this game were in high demand with 11,752 members registering interest. The final allocation was 2981 and the total number required for a guaranteed ticket (top 70%) was 25. Sue would have made the cut on 26 but opted to go to the Paris  instead. This time tickets are 5 Euro cheaper but still a rip off at 67 Euros

The Aviva Stadium is on the site of the old Lansdowne Road Stadium which was demolished in 2007. It opened in 2010 with a game between Manchester United and a League of Ireland XI which United won 7-1. The stadium plays host to both the Irish Rugby Union and Football teams and has a capacity of 51,711. The Aviva played host to the 2024 Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen

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The England away end is the single tiered North Stand which holds about 3000. The last time we came here in 2015 for the 'friendly' 0:0 draw I stood in about the same place

Fan favourite John Stones gets the nod to be on the front cover of Free Lions edition 192

Ireland 0 v England 2

Attendance: 50,359

I'm not bitter, it's the Guinness

Day 1: I arrive on an Aer Lingus flight from Birmingham to the George Best Airport in Belfast at 1625 on 4 Sep

After checking into the ETAP in Belfast the first mission is to grab a Guinness at the famous Crown Liquor Saloon. It was once a famous Victorian gin palace dating back to 1826

The Eurpa hotel is opposite the Crown and was once famous for being the most bombed hotel in the world. During the 'troubles' it was bombed 33 times but only closed its doors twice. It was targeted by the IRA because it was frequented by journalists  (Kate Adie, Trevor McDonald, Richard Ford, etc..),  so guaranteed maximum coverage

In the Cathedral Quarter is the Dirty Onion which has live music every night, a great shout for a quiet drink!

You are never alone for long in Belfast. Here I was approached by a guy from the 'Shankhill' he bought me a Guinness and we had the craic

Whites Tavern is in the Cathedral Quarter and is the oldest tavern in Belfast first being granted a licence in 1630

Day 2: Belfast City Hall, the Black Cab tour and the 'Crum'

Despite Sinn Fein having the keys to City Hall these stained glass windows have still survived

  The exhibition takes you through the industrial heritage of Belfast from the plantation days and the linen Industry, through to ship building and the titanic, then political change, the troubles and famous Belfast people. My favourites were Norman Whiteside, George Best and Danny Blanchflower

As we enter the Falls Road we are greeted with the first Republican Mural. This one has the headline "Failte Feirste Thiar" which in Gaelic means  "Welcome to the West''. It showcases Irish culture on the Falls Road through GAA (Hurling and Gaelic Football), Clonard Monastery, Divis Tower and the central figure of girl in a traditional Irish dress

Lower Falls Road with the Divis Tower in the background. 

The Divis Tower was a stronghold of IRA and INLA activity but in the 70s the British Army converted the top two floors into an observation post, accessible by helicopter only. Sinn Fein dubbed it a 'spy post'

Entering the loyalist area off the Shankhill Road

Lt Col William 'Bucky' McCullough was a loyalist paramilitary with the UDA  in West Belfast . He was murdered by the INLA outside his home in Denmark street on the lower Shankhill on 16 Oct 1981. The 'hit' was organised by James Craig who was a member of the UDA. The grievance was caused because  McCullough had accused Craig of racketeering and embezzling UDA  funds. He was shot dead when a pillion passenger of a motorbike jumped off the bike and fired 6 rounds into his body at point blank range as he was getting into his car to drive his daughter to school  

Stevie McCrea was a volunteer of the Red Hand Commando who was imprisoned for his role in the retaliation killing of James Kerr, a young 17 yr old catholic and was given life imprisonment at Long Kesh in Oct 72. After serving 15 years he was released. On 16 Feb 89 following release from prison he was drinking in the Orange Cross club in the Shankhill area when IPLO (Irish People's Liberation Organisation) gunmen entered the club, lined everyone against the bar and started firing indiscriminately with an Uzi machine gun. McCrea is said to have dived forward to protect his friends but took the brunt of the shots and died 2 days later of his wounds. He was nicknamed XRay McCrea following a daring attempt at escaping from Long Kesh in an X-Ray van

The Summer of 69 is generally thought to be the beginning of the 'Troubles' in Belfast, most symbolically by the burning of Bombay Street. This mural is inspired by those events and the  Frankie Quinn photograph "Belfast 1984"

Belfast 1984 by Frankie Quinn

Stevie Top Gun McKeag was a commander of the UDA's C Company in the 90's and is responsible for many killings of Catholics. His unit was the most active unit of the UDA/UFF and he commanded the hit squad. He earned the nickname Top Gun because of his dominance in the annual award for the UDA's top hitman, there was even a an actual trophy of a model gum with a plaque and inscription. He was involved in a bad motorbike accident in 1998 which led to a lesser active role. He was found dead in his home with a bruised face and armed with a cross bow but the post mortem showed that he had died of a drug overdose. Conspiracy theorists believe he was murdered by Mad Dog Adair due to an internal feud.

The Peace Wall on the Falls road

D Company 2 Battalion IRA known as 'The Dogs' covered the Falls Road and West Belfast

The funeral murders on 19 Mar 88 shocked the world. This is the gate from which Corporal's Derek Wood and David Howes left in an unmarked military vehicle. During their journey they turned the wrong way and became trapped in an IRA funeral procession which was proceeding along Andersontown towards Milltown Cemetery. The soldiers' exit was blocked by Black Cabs and mourners, who believed that the two men were members of a loyalist paramilitary group and later they believed them to be SAS (both incorrect). Although the 2 men were armed with 9mm pistols they were soon disarmed and taken to Casement Park where they were stripped and tortured. Father Alec Reid pleaded with the gunmen for clemency but they refused. The priest gave the soldiers their last rites after they had been beaten, stabbed and shot multiple times.

Clonard Monastry is located at the interface of Falls Road district and the Shankhill road district, with Bombay St and Cupar St behind it. On 14 Aug 1969 loyalist burned down the whole of Bombay St which helped escalate the troubles. Successive priests of the monastery were actively involved in safeguarding local residents during this time. Alec Reid was the priest at Clonard Monastery during the funeral murders and gave last rites to Cpl's Howe and Wood

Th Bobby Sands mural was painted in 1989 and is the most famous mural on the Black Cab tour. He is famed for the Hunger strikes in Long Kesh Prison (H Block), The Hunger strikers wanted POW status and resorted to refusing food until their demands were met, which they never were. Bobby Sands died on 5 May 1981 after fasting for 66 days. In all another 9 IRA prisoners died after Bobby Sands and they became known as the Hunger Strikers.

This Garden of Remembrance on Falls Road in West Belfast is dedicated to D Company, 2 Battalion of the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA. 

D Company's (AKA the Dogs) area of responsibility was the Lower Falls, Clonard and the Divis Flats

After the Black Cab tour I met up with Charlie and Dave Balster and headed up the road to the Crumlin Road Gaol 

Albert Pierrepoint, the UK's senior hangman often visited Belfast and the Crumlin Road Gaol

The tunnel leading under the Crumlin Road from the Courthouse to the Gaol

The Circle is point from which you can view all of the wings

The Circle in the Crum

C-Wing of Crumlin Road Gaol

Hangman's cell

Wessex helicopter from RAF Aldergrove was decommissioned and left on the site

After the gaol we headed to 'The Royal' on Sandy Row which was Alex Higgins' local watering hole. He also used to live across the road in the flats

Dez and Harry have just arrived, best stay for another🍺

Day 3: The Titanic Experience and Ballymena

The above photo is my digs at 141 Newtonards Road

Take a closer look at the Titanic Workers Appt

Newtonards road is the border between Loyalist East Belfast and the Catholic Short Strand 

St Matthew's catholic church was the site of the Battle of Short Strand which took place on 27-28 Jun 1970. It began after several Orange Marches entered catholic areas across the city. In East Belfast a marching group entered the area of the Short Strand leading to stone throwing and shots being fired, although this is disputed by loyalists who claim they were lured into a trap and by the IRA who had been pre-armed. 3 men died from the gunfire (2 loyalist and one catholic)

Memorial to the Titanic Workers, just a short walk from my accommodation on Newtownards Road

Titanic Mural on Newtownards Road

Samson and Goliath are two gigantic shipbuilding gantry cranes which dominate the Belfast skyline and are still in use

Just a 10 minute walk from my digs is the impressive Titanic Experience Museum. One of the best museums I have visited

The bronze sculpture 'Titanica'

The slip ways of Olympia (on the left) and Titanic (on the right) as seem from within the museum

A moving display of Titanic's final hours

Mr John Henry Hesketh was a Second Engineer from Kirkdale, Lancs who was working in Boiler Room 6 when Titanic struck the iceberg. Although he did escape to Boiler Room 5 he died when the ship sunk and his body was never recovered. On his death his estate was worth £447.10s. Henry Hesketh's character is played by Andrew Keir in the 1958 film 'A Night to Remember'

Many years later Steve Hesketh discovered Henry's memory in the archives of the Titanic's digital book of remembrance

After the Titanic Experience all ticket holders are treated to a free tour of the Nomadic which was a tender ship to Titanic and is the last remaining White star vessel

Northern Ireland U21 v England U21 

at the Ballymena Showgrounds

The first building I see coming off the train at Ballymena  was the heavily fortified Police Station. The town is mainly protestant and is considered at the heart of the 'Bible belt'

The Braid river runs through the town

The Moat Bar was a lively watering hole and I strongly suspect that it was a UDA bar, nevertheless a good craich

One of the regulars (Jaqueline) was having great fun with her English guests 😐

Mr Mellor has met his match

Heading towards the ground we discover an up market pub, 'The Front Page'

We are joined by Big Tony, Tozer, Lamby and Bish

Big Tony

The gang

Enroute to the turnstiles

Main Stand where we are sat

Bexley has his flag up

Opposite is the Warden Street Stand

Not my best side

Bish with the kids

View of the Main Stand

Day 4: Matchday in Dublin

After getting the early 0720 Dublin Express from Belfast to Dublin we picked up tickets, had a free breakfast and I booked into my AirBnB in Beggars Bush Barracks.

The Barracks was a former British Barracks in the days of the Empire before Home Rule. Designed as a Training Depot in 1827 and significantly it was the barracks where 2 squadrons of the South Irish Horse were mobilised to the Western Front in Aug 14. In 1922 it became the first barracks to be handed back to the IRA . Today it is mostly private housing but there is also a small museum and a cafe

The route to my digs

Good to know that the security is tight

The lounge

The Bath is in the Beggars Bush area on Bath Avenue and is convenient for the Aviva, later on it will be full of green shirted  fans who hate the English so it's an early drink for us

After meeting with Bish's Wolves mate we sink 3 pints of the black stuff and head off to the centre

As we cross the Liffey there is an open water swimming event 

I met up with Charlie, Martin, Dave, Dez and Harry in the most awful pub in Dublin. The Wetherspoons called the Silver Penny. Cheap and shite💩

Next we head back to the Grand Canal Hotel for Charlie and Dave to collect their tickets

Charlie and Dave

After a good drink in the Old School House we head down Bath Avenue to the Aviva

The away end popping out from the terraced houses

Harry and Fez

Entering the Aviva

The view just to the left of the goal is decent and this time I have avoided that view obstructive camera

Setting the scene - Ireland v England

As the teams line up for the anthems..

England appear to have an extra man in their line up, number 69 'Chubby Chubs'

The Irish booing of GSTK is quite toxic

The Irish anthem 'Amhran na bhFiann' (The Soldier's Song) gets rightly savaged by the England faithful

England faithful in the North Stand - my left

Selfie in the ground with Fez and H

Steve H reporting from the Aviva

The North Stand to my right as England celebrate going 1:0 up courtesy of  Declan Rice who refused to celebrate

A close up with the impressive West Stand in the background

Jack Grealish makes it 2:0 to the Irish boys😁

The North Stand

Young low IQ pitch invader 

 

The official attendance was 50,359

It finished 2:0 to the English with both goals being scored by the Irish Boys, Declan Rice and Jack Grealish

Pano of the Aviva

I'm getting butterflies with this English team

View on leaving the Aviva's North Stand

After the game I kicked about a bit, had some noodles, went for a walk to Temple Bar but ended up in Ryan's Beggars Bush which is just next door to my accommodation. I had a great craich with three Irish lads who were from the city, one of whom is married to an English girl and lives in Grantham 

Day 5: Morning walk and departure

On my final morning I decided to explore the area around the Aviva Stadium in search of some good photos like the mural of Diego from 1986  with the Aviva in the background

This photo partially explains why the North Stand was constructed in such a way. It was all about the residents' light

I saw a few match balls in the various gardens on my walk😐

The Aviva from the River Dodder

The Oscar Wilde Monument in Merrion Square.  The first statue features Oscar Wilde sitting on a rock with his famous Jade smoking jacket with his face being a mixture of emotions, with the left side happy and the right side sad.

The Oscar Wilde Memorial Sculpture is a collection of 3 statues. The 2nd is Dioysus and the third is the statue of Constance Lloyd (his wife at 6 months pregnant). The latter 2 have many quotes on their plinths "I can resist everything but temptation", "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes" and "We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars"

" A cynic is a man that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing". On that note it is farewell from Dublin.