10 years ago today, the Celtic of Larsson and Wim Jansen stopped Rangers from doing the 10 in a row on the final day of the season (I think), and Bohs fan Diarmuid O’Leary was killed in a fire in a B&B after partying in the Claddagh Club long into the night. 1998, 10 years ago, where does the time go? 
Yeah it was the final day of the season alright. Wim the Tim is forever a hero for his achievements that year. Impossible to overstate the influence that had on Celtic Football Club.
10 years ago I was living and working in Dublin. Went to the states for a 2 week holiday, started going out with a girl that I’d eventually stay with for 3 years, went to the AI final where the Biffo’s bate us out the gate, got drunk one night with a friend and Niall Quinns father in Dublin city centre… Spent large parts of the summer watching cricket live over in Pembroke ground. Had a red Peugeot 309 GTX, 90 KK 2048 with tinted window and a sunroof. No power steering and a dodgy clutch. West Ham got beaten by Arsenal (I think) in the FA cup after a replay, Manninger saved the decisive spot kick in the peno shoot out. It was the 2nd year of the Celtic tiger and Dublin was gettin up it’s own arse. Zanzibar hadn’t opened yet and we used to get VIP tickets all the time to Club M. I was flaain a feisty redhed from Coolock for a while, she went like seabiscuit. Boogey Nights came out that year as too did Titanic (maybe 1997 for that one). Ten years, gone like that…
10 years ago clare were robbed of another all ireland…them fucking 3 priests and jimmy cooney…
Christ that’s impressive.
10 years ago I was about to move to Germany for the year. Dr Jo was manager of Celtic and things didn’t really work out for him but he bought Lubo to the club so all was forgiven. Also masterminded a 5-1 victory over the huns which the rest of my family attended but I missed it, being in Germany at the time. Germany was a drunken mess of a year. Never got up before 5, there used to be a mad rush to get one lad to leg it down to the shops before they shut so we could eat that evening. Really played up to the drunken Irish stereotype - slept in the lobby of the student Wohnheim a fair bit and laughed at all the other feckers going off to college. A couple of nicely packaged bottles of whiskey for our lecturers saw us passing the year without needing to see the inside of the college. I brought a camcorder with me and we used to drink cans every evening in someone’s room with the camcorder on in the background. Then the next day we’d crack open the cans and watch last night’s drunken arguments. After a couple of hours we’d be merry enough so we’d rewind the tape and start recording again and then watch that the next night. Odd thing to do but it was a bit of craic seeing everything you’d said the night before on tv in front of you while getting tanked up for the exact same process the next night.
Jaysus the memories.
This time 10 years ago I was in the middle of preparing for the dreaded Junior Cert (an exam I was soon to learn meant nothing). I had yet to have my first alcoholic drink. My first night out in a proper night club (The Castle in Enniscorthy) only happened after I had finished my JC. It was the night before a big day to commerate the 200th anniversary of the 1798 rebellion. I was warned about not drinking when I went out so I drank Red Bull all night and then didnt sleep for about 3 days after it!
The Tour de France came to Enniscorthy and the opening stage drove by my house. France won the World Cup with 2 Zidane goals. The Biffos and Johnny Dooley scored a last minute goal to beat us in a Leinster Semi. The Wexford Footballers were a national laughing stock.
I didnt have an email address and the only time I saw the Internet was in school.
I first saw the internet in 1995 and didn’t have an email address until 1999. I forgot about the world cup. We did a buster in work and I got Norway. I went to see the Tour in Dublin too, the spin around Dublin. Festina were thrown out of it before the race. I lived in Portabello around this time and used to get a bus to the city centre close to where the garda club is. Break for the Border was popular and Coppers looked the very same as it does today. The Mean Fiddler on a Thursday night was great craic, indie music all night and I went to quite a few 21st around then too. Memories are flooding back…
The great thing about the Tour was the invasion of French people into Enniscorthy for the weekend. I think the World Cup Final was on the night before the stage started in Enniscorthy. Up till then though everyone from the town was getting annoyed by this Tour thing cos every road in the area was ripped up and being re-surfaced. You couldnt drive anywhere without being caught in roadworks. Some job when they were finished though as one of the lads remarked - “sure you could play marbles on them they’re that smooth”.
Does anyone know if anyone even plays marbles anymore?!
10 years ago:
I was just finishing 5th year in school. Despite my razor sharp intellect and supreme intelligence I didn’t like school much. I was in the same class as Appendage and Jugs from here. I thought Appendage was alright but Jugs was an idiot. Members who rarely post, cesc4 and cojak, were also in that class.
I would have been at that Wexford-Offaly game in Croke Park and Le Tour was a big thing in Wexford that summer. I was at the Enniscorthy stage start and it went by my late gran’s house. Would have spent most of the summer playing headers and volleys with Bainne and superleeds and maybe even a young Stevie G from here on the mean streets of Wexford town.
Another thing we spent hours doing was playing a hurling game with a tennis ball where one person was in goal and the others had to try score on the volley from passes and crosses. Rules were if the keeper caught your shot then you were in or if your shot was wide you had to get in. If the 'keeper made 3 saves in a row (without catching the ball) then whoever took the shot for the third save had to get in. This quickly developed into a scenario where we’d be standing 10 yards out teeing each other up for volleys and trying to batter the 'keeper in the gut, back, legs, head or wherever. You’d hit him in the nuts twice but then make sure you scored so he’d have to stay in goal and wouldn’t make that 3rd save. Then we’d resume trying to hit him again. I believe the kool kidz were smoking and drinking over in the factories while we amused ourselves in this manner.
10 years ago:
Preparing for the Junior Cert as well. Remember not sleeping at all (only ever did this twice in my life) before my English exam such was my worry about it. To be honest I was more interested in the World Cup which was starting the next day as well. Soon realised that the Junior Cert was a pile of shite and watched more and more of the World Cup as it went on…
We heavily fancied our chances against Galway in the Championship but were beaten out the gate by them in Carrick. They went on to lift Sam that year. Was huge into snooker at the time so remember watching Doherty and Higgins in the final of the World Championship willing Doherty on to be the first debut winner ever to retain the title. Alas not to be. That definitely doesn’t seem like 10 years ago - fook me.
Anyway - later part of the year I went into 5th year and was like a fish out of water as all my mates had decided to do Transition Year and I refused point blank. Had to make new friends which I did and I am still in contact with only one of them today such is life…
finishing up 5th year like Bandage too. spent summer working in a local shop and watching as much of the world cup as I could. Remember that billy dooley fecker getting that late jammy goal against us to knock us out of the championship. was out all evenings training with football or hurling or playing up in the soccer field kicking about. crossbar challenges and headers and volleys.
Aye, I was in Mac’s class then doing the Junior Cert. Don’t think I was as stressed as him though. Turned out to be a hayp a piss. I remember our Irish teacher going on about how important these exams were. We then had the same teacher in 5th year and he told us to forget all about our Junior Cert results as they’re not worth a damn.
Made a decision that year not to play for the school hurling team the following year as I couldn’t stand the trainer-feckers went and won the All Ireland for the first time in years then of course.
Also remember the World cup being on the time of the exams and then my Leaving 2 years later corresponding with Euro 2000.
Was on the Hill with me Da for the Offaly injury time win. Worst I’ve ever felt. Also the Ref didn’t play enough time. Biffo’s went on to win the AI.
Started a Summer Job in a drinks factory and worked there every Summer til 2003 I think.
I remember the Tour as well and not being that impressed as it was all over in a short period of time. Bit of a disgrace though that the current Irish Race doesn’t go through Wexford at all!
All the bicentenary celebrations around Wexford then for 1798 was gas. Everyone dressing up as Pikemen and going on marches all over the county-another reason for piss ups no doubt.
Twas johnny gman. I can still see the replay of him taking the helmet up off his eyes and luckily spotting the loose ball and letting fly. Hoor.
And we had the Pikeman on the sleeves of our jerseys that year as well. Also remember Robert Hassey missing 2 or 3 chances to get a point that would have put us out the gate.
My main memory of the World Cup was trying to get home after the English exam to see Scotland play Brazil. I think I walked into the room as John Collins (I think) scored a penalty to tie the game up but they ended up losing.
Bandage - where did your gran live out of interest?
My gran lived on Mill Park Road beside the IFA building. That’s where I was perched for Le Tour.
Tom Boyd got a late o.g. in that game against Brazil and they lost 2-1.
I was pretty glad to have JC in '97 and LC in '99 as they were non football tournament years.
I remember strolling down the steps of the Hogan Stand after that Offaly game and there was a typically ignorant biff behind myself and my auld lad literally ‘yahooing’ and hollering jibberish with his stupid ginger fooking head on him. I hate those inbred fooks anyway but even more so after that day. I got into a strop with my auld lad then as he’s one of those really sporting supporter types and turned around and shook hands with yer man and wished them well. I was there ‘don’t even talk to them.’
Aodhn Mac Suibhne screwed us over completely that day and proceeded to do so on numerous occasions after that too. I recall him reffing an AI semi against Cork in 2003 and they scored 2 illegal goals that he didn’t spot, especially the one where Timmy Murphy dropped his hurley when soloing through and made a handpass for someone else to finish off. Completely blatant.
[quote=“Bandage”]My gran lived on Mill Park Road beside the IFA building. That’s where I was perched for Le Tour.
[/quote]
Is that the house between the IFA building and the Post Office?
Don’t start me on the MacSuibhne fella.
Nope, other side of the IFA building.
I love being pedantic-it was Niall McCarthy that dropped his hurley and passed to Timmy McCarthy who finished off.
In that game also, Setanta O Hailpin caught the ball 3 times before laying off to Joe Deane who dispatched to the net.
Indeed Mac Suibhne was a bollix
Beside the proddy place
Ah yes. Was that the drawn game or the replay?! I honestly don’t remember which game the controversy came in.