I remember we were on camp in the Glen and it was arranged that trucks would take us into Dublin to welcome the team back. Some of the regular cadre even made green white and orange dickey bows to sell to us, such was their dedication.

We parked the trucks in Trinity College, probably courtesy of Pat Holohan, and set off to find the boys in green. As we set off we looked up Dawson Street and saw a crowd gathered at the Mansion House and went up there expecting to see the team. They weren’t there, but Nelson Mandela was there, getting the freedom of the city.

Nelson must have been overcome to see such a large crowd gathered waving Irish flags. He may not have understood the chant that went up though – “Oooh, Aaah, Paul McGrath’s Da”!

Much later the team bus arrived and I watched from half-way up a lamp post on College Green before we headed back. Happy days…