On Thursday we brought you this still image of David O’Leary’s famous penalty against Romania in Genoa.
Well, that was just the beginning.
Jamie Lennon was a child during the most glorious summer in Irish sporting history, and witnessed at first hand the hysteria around the Irish team with his dad.
He shared this family photo album with us after he and his dad captured some of the moments that the TV cameras and professional photographers never picked up.
Jamie told us the story of the aftermath of the Romania game.
“After the game the party poured out onto the streets and down to the fountain in the main Piazza where thousands of Irish congregated and celebrated,” he said.
“At the same time Italy had beaten Uruguay so all the Italians in Genoa joined the Irish for the biggest street party that city has ever seen. After that experience there was no way we were going back to our holiday in France so we drove on down to Rome and settled in Genzano, a little town in the hills outside the city where the Irish team were staying.
“In footballing terms that World Cup wasn’t the greatest but a big story that the world’s media picked up on was how a little nation like Ireland, in their first World Cup, had got to the quarter finals against the hosts.
“We went to watch the Irish team train everyday in Genzano before the Italian game and we were interviewed by journalists who were interested to know the Irish story. There was lots of hassle getting tickets for the game and confusion with the FAI but we got sorted in the end and went to the Italian game.
“Schillaci broke Irish hearts. It was a long drive home to Cork from Rome but a summer that lives long in the memory.”
