Sunday, May 03, 2009

On the Red train.

I missed the last bus home (by AGES).
I missed the last train home (9pm) by minutes.
I proceeded to panic.
Aaaargh!

BUT my panic was wasted. There were two additional, slightly-later services loading! “Rugby Special” trains. This one left at 9.20pm, exclusively for Thurles and Limerick. It’s full of good-humoured (if mildly disappointed) Munster Fans. (But at least there’s an Irish team in the final. *nods*)

I think I’m the only plain-clothes person on the train. People are looking at me like I’m foreign. No one even sat next to me. (Well, my pile of bags and "I’m-Asleep" act may have deterred them…) I’m a Munster girl, though! I swear!

Know that Supermac’s in Heuston station? Usually empty. Tonight? Thronged. Supermac's is very much our thing. :)
I regret now that I turned my nose up at the queue – there’s a guy a few feet away with a chicken burger and it…smells… so… good… What I’d give for a Curry Chip ’n Cheese and a CanaCoke now! Ah well. I bought posh train-juice and an extortionate Freshways sandwich. I got funny looks for asking for Egg and Bacon, and, when they didn’t have that, Ham Salad. Fuck off. I like pig meat, and you’re an idiot.

I also heard a kid shout “Piggy!” when someone sneezed earlier. The swine flu thing’s getting tiresome. But ya can’t BUT laugh at the online buzz... Like Swineflu - The Game. ^_^

Anyway. Heuston station was dearg le daoine. Packed with Red jerseys with sloppy pints bein' waved around. But no-one annoying. No prominent assholes.

I’d much rather be on a Munster train home than a Leinster one.

I can never get my head around the chasm of a difference between Munster and Leinster Rugby. In Limerick, everyone likes Rugby. You just do. You don’t even need to LIKE Rugby to like Rugby. You don’t need to watch the match, even. (‘Though, it’s better craic if you do!) What’s not to like? Families, friends, strangers in the pub, schools, parishes, whatever; we all get behind the team. It’s always a mad and messy night out, and always good craic, and just a good buzz all ‘round.

And when they’ve got the big, BIG screen on O’Connel St… wow… It really is spectacular. The whole city just stops: everything revolves around this colossal projection and everyone’s laughing and cheering and jeering and biting their nails… It doesn’t matter what area you’re from, or who you are – you’re in Limerick and you’re in Red and everyone’s in it together. Whose idea was that big screen anyway?! It’s GREAT! At least once, everyone should experience being squashed into a crowd, watching a match, standing in the street… (sneakily sipping yer Cider can, and NOT climbing the lamp posts, please.)

Rugby’s a funny kind of relief for Limerick. It’s the one time where everyone’s on the same side. The snobby areas chill out, the dodginess dies down… The bad press gets Red-washed over for a while.

Then in Dublin it’s a cliquey statusy thing? I’ll never understand it.





(written on train, no Internet, forgot to post ‘till now, after getting home and watching half of Tropic Thunder.)




10 comments:

  1. I don't know if swine flu is pretty popular there, do you get the scare or something? I hope it hasn't spread elsewhere outside the states and mexico..

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  2. haha... no. it's not a problem here.. i think some people here may watch too much tv...

    plenty of hypochondriacs in EVERY country. :)

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  3. We got our first confirmed case before nine last night actually!

    And it's only kinda snobby because the best players come from private schools.

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  4. Nice Toyota team. You know your so pretty.

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  5. I think I need to get out more... I totally didn't get the bacon/ham thing, until you mentioned the swine flu...

    I thought you were in a particularly Jewish part of Ireland, or something :P

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  6. Are you serious, afafolie?? Thats quite scary. The thing I noticed about rugby while cycling around the city center was that O Connell street was a sea of RED. EVERYONE on O connell street, DUBLIN, was a munster fan. I can count the amount of blue jerseys I saw on one hand. Although the blue jerseys are far, far, far hotter than the red ones. Much more rip-offable.

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  7. Anonymous6:56 pm

    And the guy who had it was 22 and lives in south dublin, works in town


    aaaaaiiiiiieeeeeekkkk

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  8. I dont understand what is bad about that......??????
    Ud still give him one

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  9. plus I am 21, live in south dublin and used to work in town.......and go to college in town....plus go out with someone who lives in south dublin, works in town......................................................................?

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  10. lol@ "Ud still give him one" ^_^

    I don't agree that the blue jerseys are hotter, though..!

    But yeah, supposedly there were 50,000 Munster fans at the match, and only 30,000 Leinster lads. We care more!
    ...Shame we don't PLAY better.

    btw - Leinster v Leicester? Confusing!

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