Cricket and Ireland

Its hard to believe that in a recession Ireland hold three prestige’s ruby titles, Six Nations Grand Slam, Magners League and the Heineken Cup. It’s wasn’t that long ago people where talking about the effects the success of the Irish soccer team had in 1988 and 1990, the driving force behind our now deceased economic boom. This early success under Jack Charlton, meant Irish people started to believe in themselves. We started to believe we could achieve greatness, we had brushed away the negative and suppressing influence of the church, governments and our parents. We young Irish had self belief and drive.

Now we have the same success, even better, we have actual won, got the trophies to prove it. But will this success on the rugby pitch encourage our next generation of business leaders and millionaires. It may be, given rugby’s social status, that it will re-encourage the upper class, some of whom have pulled their way out off the lower class, thanks to our building boom.

Where soccer inspired a nation, rugby seems set to inspire the classes. Shame really, given that our rugby teams hold a lot more home grown players than our soccer team. It’s also an issue that our upper class are to depressed right now. Their way of life is threaten by this recession, they are most likely down sizing. If not that, their reviewing bank statements, yes theirs millions but not in the bank just on paper. It could be their so low right now that no amount of trophies will get them on their feet again.

Then there’s the lower class, they’ve enjoyed a ten to fifteen year period of sitting on their asses. How could anyone inspire a person who during the economic heights still didn’t bother to go out and get work. How could anyone inspire a person who has enjoyed life on the sofa as benefit payments arrive weekly on time. How could anyone inspire a person whose home is mortgage free, a home they probably received by jumping up the housing list by having a baby, which also increases benefit payments, this realization and quick math sees more babies being born.

Apart from a few of our lower class, they will most likely never be inspired by rugby or soccer, our middle class is seeking refuge in English soccer and clinging on to there false admiration of rugby. Rugby to them meant business, business meant free trips with the boss. With out free trips and taking the brut of the recession the middle class are depending on television The middle class are resigned to the days of old with the international soccer team, they’ll get inspired after 2010 world cup in south Africa, should we make it, but can we wait that long. Until then they will take false hope in whoever wins the English Premier League, this years its United.

Our upper class have enjoyed the moment and the glory rugby has brought them, there’s still the odd free trip to games, but no staff welcome. But still the clouds are to dark for any sunshine to get thru just yet, so those trophies will sit in darkness for a while. Those trophies will be a reminder of that time the shit hit the fan, big style. The GAA will only keep the country divided at county level, the Dub’s will suffer most in another failed attempt at the football title, Cork will no doubt go on strike, and Kilkenny will do what Kilkenny do, simple win.

Our only saviour will be cricket, untapped by any of the classes. Ireland were inspirational in 2007 World Cup, typically Irish they embroiled in a murder inquiry. Thankfully it wasn’t murder and our Ireland have continued their high performance to date. In 2007 this nation started talking about, over’s, runs, wickets lbw’s, fours and six and what are extras. Maybe this summer, in England our cricket team can do it again in the 20-20 world cup, an unlikely sport to inspire a nation, but is not test cricket, so there’s not much yawning. But a sport not divided in Ireland class system has to be good. Just as ice hockey in Belfast, had no territorial, political or social divides it has become the outlet for both Catholics and Protestant. Perhaps here in the South it will be cricket that inspires a nation, all of a nation lower to upper, and will inspire us to go for it again.