John Kenny's World Cup Diary
Entry Five - 17 March 2007
So the Blarney Army once again make the trip across the Blue Mountains of Jamaica from their base at Ocho Rios to Sabina Park in Kingston to see Ireland's second game in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Having made a white-knuckle ride up from Kingston on Thursday night in Jason's cab, it''s the first time our little group has made the trip by daylight. The surroundings are pretty stark, showing us just how poor this country really is. We pass shanty shacks which pass for houses with groups of men, young and old, standing around.
Nothing to do and all day to do it!
It's a reminder of just how rich we are in the west. When I hear another moaner back in Ireland complaining about how things are at home, I will invite them to visit downtown Kingston - christened Baghdad by the locals - to see how bad things can really be when one is on the breadline or even below.
Religion and Bob Marley's music is everywhere. Taxis with sun visors proclaiming 'Jesus is the Answer' pass us on the road while Marley's reggae is to be heard everywhere.
If there is a God in Jamaica it's Marley. His music is still revered on radio, television and in print. We tried to get to his museum in Kingston the other day but we arrived too late for the half-hour tour. Pity!
Once again I am writing this diary in the front of a taxi whose driver is a little more sedate than rally-loving Jason. We're heading to see Ireland play their second Group D match against Pakistan, who lost their opening match of the group to the West Indies on Tuesday.
It's probably more with hope rather than expectation that the Irish supporters head to Sabina Park to see the game against the Pakistanis, knowing that victory over one of the world's top cricketing nations would send shock waves through the cricket world.
Ireland's thrilling tied game against Zimbabwe is fresh in the mind and it was still the talk of the town amongst the Irish fans in the north of Jamaica. Many of those same fans settled down on Friday to watch England's defeat to New Zealand.
New Zealand's winning run was greeted by a burst of applause from some of the Irish contingent. This annoyed a group of English supporters who replied that they had 'supported Ireland against Zimbabwe'.
They had a point. With Ed Joyce in the England team, there is considerable interest in cricketing circles in the Irish-born player's progress.
Secretly I think the Irish supporters cheer for England anyway even without Joyce in the side, but like all things, it's easier to follow the herd.
There was a heavy tropical rainstorm in Ocho Rios on Friday, but it has dried up since and as we left the hotel the staff at the Sunset Grand Resort were preparing for our return with a St Patrick's Day celebration to come.
By the time I send my next diary Ireland will have played Pakistan and we will know how the group stands and we will have returned to our base to honour the man who single-handedly drove all those pesky snakes out of our country.
Come on Ireland.
