Irish football fans regulary travel to Liverpool to support their teams despite the costs involved.
A salesman in a Dublin sports company is an ardent Liverpool Football Club (FC) supporter. His love of the club started when his dad came home with three pennants: Leeds, Arsenal and Liverpool. After his younger brothers made their selection, he was left with Liverpool.
Ever since that day, I've been Liverpool mad.
He and six of his friends are making the trip to Liverpool to attend the FA Cup fourth round tie at Goodison Park between Everton and Liverpool on 24 January 1981. From his weekly wage packet, 35% is set aside for a trip, just in case there is a match he wants to attend. Many of the Irish fans spend about 50% of their earnings on supporting their football teams. They enjoy the trips and believe it is worth the sacrifices they have to make.
A Dublin Everton fan who works as a supervisor economises every week to support his football habit.
Once you've been to a game at Merseyside, it's a certain atmosphere, and it's like magic, it draws you back again, and its like a drug, you just come back, come over.
Attending a Merseyside derby means everything to him and he has not missed one in 10 years.
Similarly another Everton supporter, who works in the Incorporated Law Society has made as many as five trips in the past year. It costs him about £25 per week.
A woman who works in printing, visits the United Kingdom to see Liverpool 10 or 12 times a season, and it costs her £50 or £60 on each occasion.
The atmosphere is really brilliant, you wouldn't see anything like it at home, anywhere.
Irish football fans depart on the ferry at 10pm on Friday evening, arriving back in Dublin at 7am on Sunday morning. While primarily in Liverpool for football, they make the most of all entertainment on offer.
I don't see Liverpool as part of Britain at all, I see it actually as the capital of Ireland.
Everton beat Liverpool 2-1. Over post match pints, the Irish Liverpool fans discuss what went wrong. Meanwhile the Irish Everton supporters are in jubilee form.
There is pressure from partners and family members about spending so much on football trips but,
No matter where in the world I am, how I finish up, married, single or whatever, Liverpool FC will always be number one to me.
This episode of 'Today Tonight' was broadcast on 12 February 1981. The reporter is Barry O'Callaghan.
