It is hard to miss that there is a Notre
Dame/Navy football game going on here in Dublin.
There was not an
empty seat on the Aer Lingus 109 from New York to
Dublin last night as we joined the 35,000 mostly Irish fans who have flown from
America in an unprecedented pilgrimage.
If you saw more green and “Go
Irish” t-shirts per square foot than you’d see on St.
Patrick’s Day, then you knew you were on the plane to the game.
You
could hardly have missed it either as the Aer Lingus employees at the airport
were decked out in Notre Dame caps in a nice touch.
Not that Navy was
utterly outmatched. When the pilot announced as we closed in on Dublin that a
Navy battleship was steaming into Dublin port right underneath us, the cheers
for “Go Navy” were loud and raucous.
At the airport itself, Uncle Sam on
stilts, perfectly kitted out in his red white and blue was there to greet the
tired but eager fans as they poured off the plane.
A host of
photographers and TV cameras closed in on the Irish
Americans as they left the terminal. This game is big news here in Ireland
and a massive boost worth an estimated $100 million to the ailing economy.
A large Notre
Dame display in the main arrival hall at the airport added that extra touch
to the festivities. This game has been organized expertly down to the last green
balloon knot.
I had shared the flight with a couple from upstate New York
who compared their trip to Ireland with the Hajj to see Mecca.
Lifelong
Notre
Dame fans, Bob and Ruth Murphy were living the dream as the plane
decelerated and the Irish coastline came into view.
Neither had been to
the Emerald Isle before but had been there often in their dreams.
A sunny day sweeping away the wet weather that has plagued Ireland this summer
awaited them.
“Perfect,” said Bob as he gazed out the window, as his wife
slept. “A dream come true.”
The pilot announced that we were coming in
over Mayo where Bob’s ancestral people come from so he felt right at
home
At the Merrion Hotel, staff marveled at the enthusiasm and
child-like happy faces they were seeing these last few days.
Notre
Dame fans were in their second home and all of Dublin knew it.
The
game has taken over the city and tickets on the black market are changing hands
for $2,000.
The locals have embraced it. I had four messages from friends
here asking about tickets.
It will be a wonderful occasion, like no other
I have seen as the Fighting Irish take the field on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium
a mile or so from here.
We can hardly wait.