iconnell sent me this email a few minutes ago. Thought anyone who has direct tv might be able to watch this match beginning at 12:30 or 1:30 this afternoon. It should be a doozy! he goes on with the historical perspective:

Lansdowne Road- Irelands national sporting ground for soccer and rugby is currently in the process of redevelopment. Short of being Faced with the prospect of having to play home games abroad. Recent law changes permitted the playing of "foreign" sports in the sporting grounds of the Gaelic Athletic Asoociation. The original laws were set up to provide a safe haven for Irish men and women to participate in Irish sports Hurling, gaelic football and Handball within their own playing fields across the country while the nation was under british rule. The stronghold of this was Croke Park in Dublin.

Two weeks ago, the first non-Gaa game was played in Croke Park, Ireland hosted France in Rugby. Today they will host England in the same sport.

Another game it may seem, but Croke Park is a shrine to Irish nationalism. The last time the English came to that stadium, they came not with Rugby balls and Team Kits, but with armoured cars and tanks and guns.

On November 21, 1920, during our war of independance,Michael Collins' Squad killed 18 British intelligence agents (now these were military men) at different places around Dublin. In response, Black and Tan Auxiliaries British force drove in into Croke Park during a football match, shooting into the crowd of spectators at random. 14 unarmed people were killed and 65 wounded.

Two of the players, Michael Hogan and Jim Egan, were gunned down. A young Wexford man who attempted to whisper an act of contrition into the dying Hogan's ear was also shot dead.

Maybe its just a game, but for myself, to see the English flag raised and to hear God save the played over the tannoy's will make my blood boil.And its not just me, it seems to be the way the vast majority of people are feeling here and I'm sure the seven signatories of the Irish Proclamation, Thomas Clarke, Sean Mac Diarmada, Thomas MacDonagh, Padraig Pearse, Eamonn Ceannt, James Connolly and Joseph Plunkett will turn in their graves to hear that anthem played in a place which was once a safe haven from the English


Now you might say to me, I'm talking about the 1920's and its like me expecting a 30 year old german to take the blame for the holocaust.

However, Rugby is a sport that has United Ireland,The team represents not only the republic, but also the Northern Ireland also. The last time the English rugby team came to dublin, and this was to Lansdowne Road, the english team refused to line upcorrectly to meet our president,but fair play to her she walked off the red carpet and still shook their hands.

The last time the English soccer team came to Ireland in 1995, Ireland scored the first goal in the 28th minute and the english fans ripped the stadium to pieces and rioted against the Irish.

See if you cant get to watch it on television. Ciaran has a ticket for the match and will be there in Hill 16, named after the 1916 easter rising.

If you want to feel the hairs standing on the back of your neck and your heart pound with pride, watch the singing of Amhran na bhFiann and Irelands call.

To see frustration on the faces of 60,000 irish men watch the garda brass band play god save the queen.

If your a fan of sport , and want to see a game of passion feulled by 700years of opression, tune in

I'll be in the pub.

Ian