From our special correspondent in the pubs,
It’s a Wednesday afternoon like any other on Boulevard de Clichy, where local people, Vélib drivers and tourists eager for Moulin Rouge and Sacré Cœur coexist. Hopefully they took advantage of it, because on this World Cup quarter-final weekend and like every day of Ireland’s match in Paris, the artery will be drowned in a green tide. Although they are rarer during the week, the Irish never really leave the area: the existence of the neighboring pubs Corcoran’s and O’Sullivan By The Mill will always justify their presence.
“It’s a bit like the boulevard of the Irish,” joke Donald and Madeleine, a couple, in their forties, between two sips of Guinness next to a barrel which serves as a table. Here, we speak English and we watch the matches of snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan on TV, rehashing the first exploits of the Clover XV before facing the All-Blacks. There is consensus among the half-dozen people we spoke to: “the highlight at the moment was our third match against South Africa. We feel that something has been created.” And of course, we will happily explain to you why Irish supporters are the best in this World Cup.
They were already the best at Euro 2016
The enemies of my enemies are my friends. The Irish have capitalized on this maxim to establish their good image abroad and particularly in France, where it is a question of distinguishing themselves at all costs from their common rival, England. “When I go shopping somewhere in France,” explains Donald, “I manage to say “I’m Irish” because I want to be sure not to be confused with an Englishman. » The syndrome of “Canadians who travel with a maple leaf on their backpack for fear of being taken for Americans” according to Paraic Maguire, emeritus member of the Irish in France association and great enthusiast of pétanque and Calvados .
“It goes back to Ireland’s first historic qualification for Euro football in 1988,” explains the expatriate. It was a victory to be there. We wanted to convey our joy, and show that, not being English, we did not behave like them. It was the time of hooligans. So those who went to Germany in 1988 did very well and built up a good reputation. We don’t want to lose her so everything is self-policing. This is why there are rarely any problems with Irish supporters. »
During Euro 2016 football, the Boys in Green stood out by getting along with local residents and police and even repairing cars. Four years earlier, at Euro 2012, Ireland received an award for best public. This year, they are especially making us laugh by playing rugby around the Stade de France, working on the touches or attempting drops in the middle of the crowd.
Zombie or the apotheosis of the Irish phenomenon
Donald has a very specific plan for the Clover XV: victory in the quarters against New Zealand, in the semis against Wales and a reunion in the final with the Springboks. “My ideal final would be Ireland-France, but from a very pragmatic point of view, I would have a better chance of getting tickets to the final if you are not there. » Our supporter knows what he is talking about, a few days earlier, he braved the virtual queue for the potential half of the Irish, a pure ordeal. “You imagine for thirteen hours, from 8 to 9, I refreshed the page every five minutes. » “I filmed him going crazy, do you want to see the video?” », laughs his companion again. We can understand the obstinacy when we see what the previous celebrations at the Stade de France, against South Africa and Scotland, looked like. Green everywhere, a hell of a noise in key moments, capable of changing a match like at home.
It’s even better than in Dublin because there people who buy their tickets go to the stadium to watch the match while remaining seated. At the Aviva, you’re like at the cinema, you sometimes have to let people pass who want to go to the toilet in the middle of a match. The best fan experiences are when traveling during the World Cup, because here all the fans come to create a good atmosphere. »
And incidentally sing Zombie, of the Cranberries, at the end of the match. A tradition borrowed from Munster fans, where the group led by the late Dolores O’Riordan came from. The singer’s problematic character and the divisive context of the song had very little effect on the ambient enthusiasm. “It’s not a rebel song,” protests Brian, another Irishman at Place de Clichy. It is a song of unity, against violence. People who think the opposite don’t understand anything. » “Yes, it’s a song that brings people together,” says scrum half, Connor Murray. Bundee (Aki) thinks they are singing “Bundee, Bundee”, but that’s not it at all. » The song also has the advantage of being inclusive: the Clover XV is also that of Northern Ireland, which is not recognized in the only Irish anthem played before the World Cup matches.
The XV of the grateful Clover
The party is for the people, but contaminates players and journalists. The phenomenon is such that there is no longer a post-match press conference without an allusion or thanks to the public at the Stade de France. Our slight preference goes to Johnny Sexton, as sure of his strength as of that of his fans. “My brother sent me a message three hours before the match [contre l’Ecosse]. He was at the stadium and he warned me. A Scottish physiotherapist told me it would be 50-50 in the stands this week. I told him: ‘you’ll see!’ » The rule is this. As long as they don’t play France, the Irish will be at home. “Unbelievable, it’s not loud enough, it’s astonishing to see the number of Irish supporters, the noise they make,” prop Andrew Porter said. It’s humbling to see all these people here, and we try to make the best match possible for them. »
Green madness, from Boulevard de Clichy to the Stade de France
Return to O’Sullivan By The Mill, where Emily, an Irish woman who has lived in France for a year, serves us a pint of lager. Half happy, half exhausted, the waitress endures the festivities every weekend. “Friday is the most tiring day, the day when the supporters arrive. » Match days, too, are not easy. “We have to come here,” insists Donald! It starts at 9 a.m., until 3 or 4 p.m., and then we head to the stadium. » Those who don’t have tickets will wisely stick their faces in front of the pub’s TV. “The O’Sullivans are partners with Irish in France,” explains Paraic Maguire, “so we organize events in the pubs for each match. »
At the final whistle, Emily and her colleagues are hit in the face by the boomerang of Irish fans returning from Saint-Denis. Beer, vodka, gin, all mixtures are permitted to celebrate the gang’s victories in Sexton. Emily is a little saturated. “This World Cup is really an opportunity to highlight the alcoholism problems of our people, we have customers who leave at 6 a.m. and come back to drink at 11 a.m. »
Brian pleads guilty. “After Scotland we were a small group on the boulevard at 7 a.m. singing even though we couldn’t stand up anymore. The next day I woke up at 6 p.m. I ate something, went back to bed and moved on to the next day. » “Sometimes some people fall asleep before 9 p.m. and even miss the match because they have drunk too much, even if it is rare,” regrets Maguire. It’s bad publicity, we’ll say. But the quantity of alcohol consumed here is just for the occasion, not a reflection of the daily life of the Irish. »
Act III of the green madness in Paris will take place on Saturday during the match against the All Blacks. The last ? “We have a good chance of winning but we are wary,” warns the couple of supporters. We hope that the team will be able to learn lessons from the past and not let themselves be eaten away by the fact of never having made it past the quarter-finals in the World Cup. “At worst, there will always be the Irish from France. They are estimated at several tens of thousands. But these are wiser.