A true legend of the Irish game, it was only a matter of time before Robbie Keane got a poem written about him
Throughout history, the poem has been the form of expression with which a society honours their heroes, tells the tales of their epic deeds, and commits them to a shared cultural memory.
In particular in Ireland, we have a rich heritage of poetry, story-telling and of course song, a key way in which many of our other sporting greats have been remembered, with such haunting and stirring tunes as “Ooh Ah Paul McGrath” and “We All Dream of a Team of Gary Breens”.
Rather than song, Robbie Keane has been honoured by this brilliant poem, and if we’re honest, it’s actually quite moving when read with feeling by the author, Colum McCann, who clearly is a big fan of the Boys in Green and their record goalscorer.
Robbie is not without his detractors, but it’s worth remembering his goal tally, his constant commitment to that green shirt, and the way in which, like almost no Irish player in living memory, he made us dream that anything was possible.
Hat-tip to the fantastic Emerald Exiles on Twitter.
