A country lifted from its knees.
Ireland was bloodied. But unbowed.
Defeat in Glasgow in November spelled trouble for the nation’s Euro 2016 hopes. A home draw to the Poles in March, not ideal. A home draw to Scotland in June? The end.
Almost.
But the Republic rallied. Dragged from the ashes by a few good men, football on this island was resurrected in a short period of time.
Qualification to a major tournament was secured, memories to last the ages were inscribed and the next generation was inspired.
2015 was massive.
10. Roy Keane can’t understand why Robbie Keane wouldn’t be available
Are you here to play ball or not?
Meet the Keanes. #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/RPCc7bl3N0
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) October 6, 2015
9. James McClean’s tackle against Poland
Arkadiusz Milik… welcome to Dublin.
McClean promised. McClean delivered. Ireland were 1-0 down to the Poles in March. The game was flat, the team uninspired, the crowd uninterested. James McClean came on and everything changed. One mincing tackle on Milik to win the ball back had the Aviva rocking and the Derry man proceeded to electrify down the left flank as Ireland surged back from the jaws of defeat. It was definitely the catalyst for Shane Long’s injury time equaliser.
8. Richard Keogh outrunning Edin Dzeko
The first leg in Bosnia. Keogh has had two good games against Germany and Poland. Now, it’s do or die. Edin Dzeko is their go-to man. If they’re to do anything, it will come from the Roma player. It’s early in the game, Dzeko chases one in behind. Keogh comes from behind him, outpaces the striker, runs past him and nicks the ball away. Ireland fans know this guy is no mug. They know they have a gem in their midst. https://twitter.com/JHAC96/status/666031013345280000
7. Martin O’Neill is pushed into the middle of the Aviva
The crowd demand it. He has earned it.
The Republic manager, who manoeuvered his way through the toughest qualifying group with no shortage of critics, came up trumps and delivered the sort of unbridled joy that Ireland has been crying out for.
After the Bosnia win and after the country had booked its place in France during what Liam Brady described as the biggest night ever in Dublin, O’Neill was thrust into the centre of the historic pitch to accept the plaudits and adoration of the 50,000-strong crowd.
It was a unifying moment between team and country. A moment when there was a unanimous realisation in the air that this was Martin O’Neill in charge. That Martin O’Neill.
6. Wes Hoolahan does a Maradona
Actually, Maradona just did a Wes Hoolahan 29 years earlier.
The world champions come to town. Wes Hoolahan isn’t scared.
He took it past two Germans. Maradona only managed it against one English man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWNnK99mcrw It’s a simple question…
5. Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane go apeshit for Jon Walters’ goal against Georgia
The game that Ireland needed to win. And you could see Jeff Hendrick’s moment of magic and Jon Walters’ crucial finish on the faces of the two men in charge.
This.
Roy Keane standing up in suspense. The suit in the background suddenly uncrossing his arms. And Martin O'Neillhttps://t.co/RDJxZgCiKx— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) September 8, 2015
4. Robbie Brady appears from the fog in celebration
“We’ve scored? We’ve scored?”
Hardly anyone got to see it. But no-one will forget that white shirt of Robbie Brady’s emerging from the fog and celebrating a crucial away goal in qualification against Bosnia.
Studying him, trying to make sure, seeing him sliding on his knees and then finally allowing yourself to celebrate. It will go down as an iconic moment.
WHAT WE SCORED????? Woo hooo!!!!!! #COYBIG Robbie Brady!!!! #IREvBOS GOAL 🍀⚽️ pic.twitter.com/k0IM9YxopR
— RTÉ 2FM (@RTE2fm) November 13, 2015
3. Jon Walters’ volley against Bosnia
The main man returned. The main man scored. The main man scored again and carried Ireland to France on his ox-like back.
That second half strike against Bosnia was emphatic. The sight of it hitting the net had the Aviva shaking on its hinges as scarves were waved, fans jumped and Fields of Athenry was belted proudly from the lungs every man and woman and child in Dublin 4 that night.
The buzz in the build-up to the final whistle was sheer ecstasy. And it was thanks to this.
2. Jon Walters holding the ball in the corner against Germany
It seemed like an eternity.
With the nerves dripping out of the open jaws of every Irish fan in the country, Jon Walters took the sting out of the tie with some classic hold-up play and time wasting in the corner.
The story that will be told is that he had nine Germans unable to get past his bullish back and that he stood there with the ball for at least 102 minutes.
Him and Hendrick performed heroics that night just to run the clock down expertly.
1. THAT goal
The night the Aviva came of age.
Shane Long made history. Ireland erupted. The world champions were shaken. The spirit of the old Lansdowne Road was revived.
On a night that had grown men crying, Shane Long finished off the Germans having been sprung from the bench to tear in behind the defence chasing after a Darren Randolph punt upfield and he finished gloriously past the best goalkeeper in the world.
Even if Ireland hadn’t have qualified, it was a night that would be remembered forever. Children were lofted into the air, the buzz in the country was back. And, as it turned out, that result was crucial.
And it was this moment that got us there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceG7EUOjDGg
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