There was both joy and disappointment for families and young footballers who gathered at a north Dublin stadium to watch Ireland take on Canada in their second Women’s World Cup fixture.
Fans cheered and chanted and rose to their feet as they watched the 3×6-metre screen set up in front of the fans’ stand at Dalymount Park in Phibsborough.
Among the Ireland fans was Edel, accompanied by her two sons wearing Ireland jerseys, who said ahead of the match she was hoping for a draw.
“The social barriers they have broken down as a team is amazing,” she told the PA news agency.
“Even their physical fitness, they work so hard, and we’re just so proud of them.”
Stephen O’Leary brought his five-year-old daughter Ava, who was sporting a knitted tricolour scarf and football shorts of her team, Celtic.
“She has loads of footballs and goals at home,” Mr O’Leary said.
“(The Ireland team are) inspiring them as well – she’s going to be joining the local football team.”
Soon after kick-off, triumphant roars filled the Bohemian FC stadium as Ireland scored their first goal of the World Cup.
As Ireland captain Katie McCabe curled a corner into the Canadian net, around 200 people jumped to their feet, some punching the air.
From that moment on, every save by the Irish goalkeeper and clearance by defenders was celebrated with a cheer as if it were another goal.
A group of young boys standing in the rafters of the stadium conducted several chants of “Come on Ireland” throughout the first half, with other punters joining in.
The two Canadian goals that marked defeat for Ireland – an own goal just before half-time and another in the first minutes of the second half – only slightly dampened Irish spirits as chants for the girls in green continued.
There were also some chants for the opposition, as two Canadian tourists and their two sons huddled together in the stadium to watch the match.
“We’re just on vacation,” Jeremy said, adding that they considered watching from a pub before deciding Dalymount would be the best experience.
“The crowd were great, really friendly. They could tell we were Canada fans but they weren’t mean or anything.
“We’d cheer when we scored and then be just quiet afterwards,” he laughed.
“We’d be cheering and then looking around (us),” Zabine said, adding that their two young sons enjoyed the match too.
“Everybody is so friendly.”
Also in the stands were former Ireland players Linda Gorman, Breda Hanlon and Janice Mooney, all from Finglas in north Dublin.
“We never thought we’d see the day,” Hanlon told PA, referring to Ireland’s qualification for their first Women’s World Cup.
When asked how Ireland had made it to the World Cup, she said: “I think it’s the attitude of the players. They play with a lot of heart, never say die. That’s half the battle when you go to play a football match.
“You know what I find when the girls play, if you watch the line-up for the anthem, they all sing the anthem.
“The fellas, they don’t all sing the anthem. But the girls do.”
Mooney said it showed the level of “heart and pride” in representing their country, adding that football was all about “heart and determination”.
“I just hope that more and more girls and women take up the sport,” she said.
After the match, defeat did not seem to dampen the spirits of young supporters and aspiring footballers.
Nine-year-olds Casper and Sam, both from Rialto, said the Ireland goal was amazing.
“Their second goal was scored from a throw-in, but it was meant to be our throw-in, but the ref gave it to them,” Sam said.
“So it should have been 1-1, and if it was 1-1, Ireland would have put their heads down and they might have scored, so it could have been 2-1 if the ref was fair.”
“They played well, they tried their best, but Canada were better,” Casper said.
Nine-year-old midfielder Aisling said it was “amazing” that at one stage in the match Ireland were winning 1-0 against Canada.
“It was really good that there were loads of people here, and all the excitement,” she said, adding that she would “definitely” watch next week’s match against Nigeria.
