A smaller crowd, but just as powerful.
Irish supporters have been in fine voice during Euro 2016 as Paris, Bordeaux, Lille and various other cities have played host to the legions of fans that have traveled to support the boys in green.
We’ve no doubt our French hosts have joined in with countless versions of ‘COYBIG’, ‘Shane Long’s On Fire’ and ‘Olé, Olé, Olé’ but there’s one song that’s quintessentially Irish.
You may have heard a few different versions of ‘The Fields Of Athenry’, but this stripped-back version featuring three Irish fans in a quiet French train station is just something completely different to what we’re used to. It was filmed by Barry Conlan at Valenciennes Station just a few hours before Ireland’s memorable win over the Italians.
Even with such small numbers, it’s just as powerful and as poignant as the the crowd-roaring renditions in stadiums.
The three fans are Drogheda men – Brian Connolly on piano, his brother Des Connolly on lead vocals and Sean Maguire supporting him. The piano is a frequent fixture in the station for whoever wants to play it, but we doubt anyone will perform a better tune.
Have a listen…
Thanks to Barry Conlan for filming this and sending it our way. If you have something you would like to share with us, send it to our WhatsApp number 087-4001102, [email protected] or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter.
