"A nation holds its breath"
The iconic words of commentator George Hamilton are well etched in the minds of the Irish, an entire nation united for this one moment.
Ireland played Romania in the last 16 of the tournament, which ended 0-0 after extra-time. It meant a penalty shootout, which was a tense affair, tied at 4-4, before goalie Packie Bonner saved the final Romanian penalty, paving the way for David O'Leary to make Irish history.
Ireland would go on to face hosts Italy in the quarter-final, and while they lost 1-0, it ended an incredible adventure that united the country.
There has been nothing else that has matched this moment since, and is best summed up by the late sportswriter Con Houlihan, who remarked, "I missed Italia '90. I was in Italy at the time."
It's hard to properly state just how much Italia ’90 gripped the entire country, and the delirious scenes that occurred all across the land after O’Leary scored his penalty. For all of June 1990, Ireland’s World Cup debut was the only thing on people’s minds.
Thousands travelled to Italy to see the Boys in Green, while those at home banded together in homes, pubs, schools, community centres, and any other nook and cranny that had access to a TV or radio.
Italia '90 lives long in the hearts of the many generations who experienced it and those who didn’t, the memories so vivid it feels like they’ve experienced it themselves. "Put 'em under pressure", and the subsequent Olé Olé still sung by those who weren’t even born in 1990, the iconic Irish jersey, and O’Leary’s goal still live on in Irish legend.
Not a soul was going to miss their matches. Tales of people taking half-days off work, schools bringing all their students into the halls to watch the game, and people finding ways to sneak off to see it were all commonplace.
Any success Jack Charlton's team had on the pitch, at home, it was friends, family, and strangers together, jumping up and down, cheering, cars beeping on the road, and the party vibes spilling out onto the streets. When Ireland beat Romania, the celebrations eclipsed those of countries that won the World Cup.
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RTÉ News report interviewing fans after Ireland's draw with the Netherlands
Friends and strangers alike cheered, hugged and sang together, people partied into the wee hours of the morning, and the Irish flag flew high and proud anywhere and everywhere.
To put the pivotal nature of this World Cup into context, Ireland was emerging from a turbulent decade. A major recession defined the 80s, and morale across the nation was low, but it was slowly building up confidence on the world stage as it entered the 90s.
The Irish football team had qualified for its first major tournament, Euro '88, where it put in an impressive performance, but Italia ’90 was the period that truly captured imaginations. What the world saw was a country growing in confidence and showing that it could match anyone on a global stage.
Once Ireland impressed the world by navigating a challenging group stage containing England, Egypt, and the Netherlands, excitement continued to build and went into overdrive after beating Romania. Despite losing to Italy, the feel-good factor continued long after, with an estimated 50,000 people turning out at Dublin Airport to welcome the team home.
Throughout it all, the one constant was the shared experience. The whole country was united in its support and aspirations, which shone throughout.
Italia '90 wasn’t just a burst of confidence on a global scale; it brought out the best of communities, those who had supported the team and their areas through the good times and the bad. Their consistency was the foundation on which such a moment was possible.
The credit union has been at the heart of communities across Ireland, supporting people in local towns and villages. From the get-go, the credit union has played a major role supporting Irish people getting to where they want to go, that includes the sport fans! You can find out more about how your Credit Union can support your plans by visiting www.creditunion.ie
Credit Unions in Ireland are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
