Ryanair seemed determined to keep the Friday night flight on the deck, but they found the loose bolt and fed the hamsters on the wheel to keep the fuel flowing.
Cracking trip to Eire, but to quote Father Jack "Fecking 'ell" it was expensive. I looked high and wide for a lucky Leprachaun, found their museum, just no gold pots. Perhaps the current Pope can drop some Nazi Gold... stop stop stop.
Anyhow, Celtic fans I met were mostly well meaning, met a few k*obs on way... but none more than the Dublin Man U fans who were meeting in the Isaacs Hostel on Sunday morning/noon. What a bitter bunch of Red Twats, Bitter Red Arrogant Git Scum (B.R.A.G.S.).
Met the odd Inter fan, and a few Celts for drinks after day 1 (all good games, the Inter keeper saved Celtic a hiding like the ex-TNS keeper saved the Airtricity XI a whooping).
Every Blue I met out there was happy, enjoying it but fecking quit the (queue old issues rearing ugly head) Munich chants, grow up.
Celtic fans made some atmosphere but didn't deserve to hammer the Ireland XI until after a few ropey substitutions (manager of that select side tinkered too much) then the floodgates opened.
Guinness - 5 Euros in ground, but a cracking and better pint could not be had.
Gates - 20K-ish per game day, sh*te, out-priced locals, out-priced tourists on the whole, bank holiday weekend where Dubliners head to countryside or GAA game weekends.
Teams - Inter and Celtic barely fielded any unknowns, City chucked a reserve/EDS combo squad out for first game. Aittricity team didn't look too bad for ungelled players and semi-pro standard. If the Irish FA/league have this signed up for 10 years,m can't be a bad way to boost national and regional experience etc.
More photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150390372375760.440884.506585759&l=366f8091d1&type=1