It was the inspirational talk that had Johnny Sexton on the verge of tears prior to Ireland's win over France and now James Ryan has elaborated on what went on behind the scenes.
Former Ireland players Brian O’Driscoll, and David Irwin, who was injured in an IRA bomb blast in 1987, visited the Irish camp a couple of weeks ago, to hold a viewing of the Shoulder to Shoulder BT documentary, which dealt with the all-island make-up of the rugby team and the importance of Ireland’s Call, Phil Coulters 1995 song.
Sexton, who misses Saturday's Guinness Six Nations game against Italy through injury, alluded to the power of the speeches in the post-match interview following the round two victory against Les Bleus.
Ryan, whose great-grandfather fought in the Easter Rising, said:"[We learned] a little bit around the sacrifices that people like [David Irwin] made during the Troubles, those eras of sectarian violence in the 1970s and '80s.
"The sacrifices that men like him made to wear the green jersey. It was great hearing from him, a great opportunity to listen as a group.
"I knew a little bit about him, because I'd read about it.
"It was still fascinating to hear about it.
"[Brian] was probably thinking about coming in and having that conversation for a while.
"But yeah, it was great because it gave guys like Mack [Hansen from Australia] and even Bundee [Aki from New Zealand], Rob Herring [from South Africa] and some of the other guys that grew up elsewhere an understanding of the jersey, the journey that it's been on and the strength of it.
"Even the guys that grew up in Ireland as well, it gave them a deeper understanding of it too, so it was good for everybody."
Hansen qualifies for Ireland through his mother who left Ireland as a child.
The winger said the whole presentation was an eye-opener.
"It was so strong and powerful," said the 24-year-old.
"Not only did they get to speak but listening to some guys in our team speak on it as well, they gave their points of views, which wasn't planned, they came out and expressed some things.
"Keith Earls and James Ryan spoke really well about what the jersey meant to them and what the song Shoulder to Shoulder [Ireland’s Call] meant to them, which makes it really hit home.
"It made me realise how [much] bother this country was in at one point and it's amazing to think of one team out of every sport stayed together, which was rugby, and were able to keep going.
"It just made me realise how special this jersey really is and how much it actually means to everybody here, how special it is.
"You can't say that there's any other team in the world that has gone through what we have and stayed together. It was really powerful."
"They probably don't understand the bigger picture of it, the uniqueness of it"
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Ryan, who will captain Ireland in Rome, preferred to keep some of the detail to himself but added: "I don't want to get too deep now but it was just about the history of the jersey and the Irish rugby team; a little bit about Ireland's call.
"People seem to give out about it a bit but they probably don't understand the bigger picture of it, the uniqueness of it and the uniqueness of the Irish rugby team, because it's the only song that recognises the fact that the Irish rugby team makes up the whole island, North and South.
"Then it's just understanding how sport binds people together and how over the last almost 150 years, the Irish rugby team is one of the only things that has persisted, in unity and in solidarity on this island.
"So it's understanding the strength of it and the sacrifices that people made to wear the green jersey, and the privilege to wear it."
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