Westlife lead party for cup heroes
Ireland’s World Cup heroes arrived back in Dublin tonight to a welcome from nearly 100,000 cheering, singing and dancing fans.
Led by manager Mick McCarthy, the squad so cruelly knocked out of the international soccer tournament by Spain in a penalty shoot-out, went on parade at a pop concert staged in their honour in the centre of the Irish capital’s Phoenix Park.
Their appearance followed a reception in the nearby official home of Irish President Mary McAleese, attended by Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister, Mark Durkan.
Immediately before McCarthy led his men on to the stage, to be met by a massive roar of appreciation, Irish boy band Westlife - bill-toppers for the night in the gig that preceded the footballers - made their own appearance.
Wearing white jackets with green and orange arms in the Irish national colours, the group sang their hit which was so suitable for the night, World of Our Own.
The huge crowd of flag-waving, colourfully-dressed supporters began arriving in the park at around lunchtime. And tonight they were still streaming in, even after the squad themselves got there.
Most of them were transported from the city centre in a shuttling fleet of almost 200 buses. Cars were
banned from the park all day in a bid to keep traffic disruption to a minimum.
Eventually the mass of fans covered almost every inch of a part of Phoenix Park known as the Fifteen Acres.
And on a night of chants and cheers, one of the most significant to be heard was the unanimous shouting of ‘‘Keano, Keano.’’
A month ago that would have been a reference to Roy Keane, the Manchester United midfield general, who never kicked a World Cup Finals ball for Ireland after being sent home by McCarthy following a disciplinary bust up with the manager.
Tonight it was heard from tens of thousands of voices in praise of striker Robbie Keane, of Leeds United, who returned as one of several Irish stars from Japan and Korea.
A clearly emotional McCarthy was the first of the Irish party to be introduced to the throng.
He told them, prompting a massive roar: ‘‘We were told to expect a reception, but, honestly, we never ever expected anything like this. You are just amazing.’’
The manager added: ‘‘This is just incredible. It makes you feel very humble - and also very proud to be Irish.’’
The night signalled the final end of Ireland’s 2002 World Cup dreams. But it all concluded with the ‘‘Ole, Ole, Ole’’ anthem that marks all of Ireland’s soccer campaigns - sung by probably the country’s biggest choir.
Earlier, the Irish party had flown into Dublin airport in a specially-chartered jumbo jet of the Dutch airline KLM after a 12-hour flight from Seoul, Korea.
Fans heeded advice not to flock to the airport, and the squad spent the first hours of their return in family reunions.
