The rivalry between Ireland and England is set to be renewed when the perennial underdogs welcome their English foes to Dublin in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday.
Remarkably, it will be the first competitive soccer clash between the two nations since they drew 1-1 in a European Championships qualifier back in 1990, nearly 34 years ago.
Ireland have defied expectations with regularity against the English, even holding them to a draw when they last met in Ireland in a friendly back in 2015.
They go into Saturday’s clash, justifiably, as major underdogs but new manager Heimir Hallgrimsson knows how to get the better of the Three Lions – having famously done so as Iceland boss at EURO 2016.
There can be no greater start to his reign than a potential win against England on home soil. Such a result would live long in Irish soccer folklore.
The fixture marks the latest chapter in a sporting rivalry that has spanned decades, beyond soccer and into other sporting codes across the globe.
Nothing quite satisfies the Irish sporting appetitite more than a win against the old enemy; particularly when it comes on the biggest stages.
Thankfully, there have been a handful of examples throughout the years from soccer to rugby and elsewhere.
How about we revisit them?
Ireland’s most satisfying sporting wins against England
Ireland vs England: EURO 88
The day Ray Houghton put the ball in the English net.
A day which took Irish soccer to new heights like never before, Ireland did the unthinkable and – under the stewardship of Jack Charlton – stunned England 1-0 at the 1988 European Championships.
Houghton, revered for eternity for his exploits on that day, put Ireland ahead after just six minutes in Stuttgart before the Boys In Green channeled an almighty defensive display that would become intrinsic with the Irish indentity.
12 June 1988; Republic of Ireland’s Charlie O’Leary, left and Ray Houghton celebrate after defeating England. European Championship Finals 1988, Group B, Republic of Ireland v England, Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, Germany. Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE
Household names like Gary Lineker and John Barnes could not breakdown an Irish side competing in its first ever major soccer championships and their efforts ultimately proved futile.
While Ireland would be unlucky not to beat the USSR in a 1-1 draw, defeat to the Netherlands meant they would not advance to the knockouts.
But that win against England undoubtedly gave Irish soccer – and Irish sport – a confidence boost like no other and is one that inspired the country to similar successes ahead.
Ireland vs England: 2007 Six Nations at Croke Park
There has perhaps never been a sporting occasion held on this island with as much historic weight and emotion behind it as the visit of England to Croke Park during the 2007 Six Nations.
With Lansdowne Road knocked and the Aviva Stadium on its way, the Irish rugby and soccer teams needed a temporary new home. The obvious choice was the 82,000+ seater Croke Park on the opposite side of Dublin, but just as obvious were the barriers that could prevent that from becoming a reality.
The GAA, tenants of Croke Park, holds its identity as a nationalist organisation, and the infamous ‘Rule 42’ prevented the playing of non-Gaelic Games in GAA stadiums.
In a historic move in 2005, the GAA’s central council passed a modification to Rule 42 which would allow football and rugby to be played in Croke Park during the time of Lansdowne Road’s redevelopment.
With the history of the GAA rooted in nationalist identity, and the historical significance of the Bloody Sunday massacre having been perpetrated by the British RIC at Croke Park in 1920, the game against England in 2007 – the second to take place at Croker – took on enormous historical significance.
Fears abounded before the game that boos would ring out during ‘God Save the Queen,’ but the English anthem was met with impeccable respect by the Irish crowd.
The subsequent rendition of ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’ still ranks right towards the very top as one of the greatest moments in Irish sporting history. Watching it back all these years later, you find yourself similarly teary to John Hayes and Jerry Flannery. An extraordinary moment in Irish sports and cultural history.
And what made it all the better was that Ireland went out and walloped their opponents. On perhaps the most emotional day in the history of Irish rugby, Eddie O’Sullivan’s side recorded their biggest-ever victory over England, barely giving the world champions a sniff on a memorable day in Croke Park.
43-13 was the final score, on a day when four different Irishmen scored tries and ROG and Paddy Wallace were flawless from the tee. Everything went right on the day of all days.
More than a few pointed out the poignant irony that Shane Horgan’s try in front of Hill 16 was a result of a catch that only a man raised on Gaelic football could have pulled off.
Recommended
This was not just the most satisfying victory over England for Ireland. It ranks among the very best they have ever achieved.
(This section was originally written by Balls.ie’s Eoin Harrington)
Ireland vs England: 2011 Cricket World Cup
There were high hopes for Ireland going into the 2011 Cricket World Cup. This was a team, after all, which had beaten Pakistan at the showpiece event four years prior.
Bangladesh was viewed as a winnable opener but those hopes were extinguished when things failed to go as planned. Already, Ireland were on the back foot.
England awaited the Irish next, and already the doubts had set in. That victory against Pakistan in 2007 had come against a side in disarray, after all.
However, there was no need for the apprehension against England. Ireland undisputedly wiped the floor with their rivals in the greatest night of cricket this country has had.
Kevin O’Brien was the star of the show, putting in a career-defining performance to claim a century on the grandest stage of them all.
100 runs off just 50 balls! 🔥#OnThisDay in 2011, @KevinOBrien113 blasted the fastest ever @cricketworldcup century as Ireland recorded the biggest successful chase in the tournament’s history in a famous win against England! pic.twitter.com/EyADIj3jdx
— ICC (@ICC) March 2, 2018
The Dubliner smashed the quickest 100 in World Cup history, scoring his 100 off just 50 balls. When he was run-out on 113, Ireland were in an incredible position, needing just 11 runs from the remaining 11 balls.
Trent Johnston and the brilliant John Mooney cleaned things up with the winning runs and Ireland had done it. History was made. We had beaten England at their own game.
Ireland vs England: 2019 World Cup of Darts
While darts does not quite garner the widespread attention of some of the other sports on this list, the enormity of what Willie O’Connor and Steve Lennon achieved in 2019 should not be overlooked.
The World Cup had not been a fruitful event for those clad in green and white shirts but that all changed five years ago.
O’Connor and Lennon did a professional job on Greece before encountering title contenders England – who boasted 2018 world champion Rob Cross and Michael Smith – who had just lost the world final earlier that year.
Pundits and punters alike gave Ireland little chance but they were soon undermined with the series – which featured two singles matches and a potential doubles decider – not even going to the shootout as Ireland ran out emphatic winners.
Lennon met Smith – a future world champion who has since vindicated that label – and showed serious nerve to pin double 4 in a last leg decider and put Ireland 1-0 ahead.
But it was the performance of O’Connor that could live in the history books for decades to come, the Limerick man averaging a staggering 115.10 in dismissing Cross 4-1.
☘ – The Republic of Ireland have done it!
England are out! 😱
It’s one of the greatest performances we’ve seen at the World Cup of Darts as Steve Lennon and William O’Connor breeze to a 2-0 win!
Watch live reaction and more on Sky Sports Action now: https://t.co/oLjIxRjNzk pic.twitter.com/ulDTLogC5q
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) June 8, 2019
Contextually it is the greatest performance by a dart player from the Republic of Ireland and one that may never be bet when it comes to the eye-watering stats.
It was no fluke either, with Ireland again finding form in casting Austria aside before dethroning defending champions Netherlands – who had Michael van Gerwen in their ranks – 4-0 in a doubles decider in the semis.
Unfortunately, Scotland had too much for Ireland in the final but it was a run which will be difficult to emulate in the coming years.
Ireland vs England: Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron II, 2023
Katie Taylor has entered most fights in her illsutrious career as the favourite but found herself as the underdog going into a must-win meeting with England’s Chantelle Cameron in 2023.
The Bray native had conquered all before her at amateur level on her way to Olympic gold before revolutionising the professional game en route to her finest hour, beating Amanda Serrano at a sold out Madison Square Garden.
Cameron was a respected opponent when Taylor then moved up to take her on in her long-awaited homecoming although it did not go to script, her powerful opponent making her look ordinary in the first loss of her career.
Taylor took a gamble in seeking another chance against Cameron, who looked to have too much for the former champion when they first met in the Irish capital.
However, Taylor clearly learned from her mishap and overcame the pressure to reclaim her titles at a level above her preferred weight class in a thrilling encounter.
In doing so, she joined Claressa Shields and Terence Crawford as the only boxers in history – male or female – to hold all four world title belts simultaneously in two separate weight divisions.
It was an unsuspecting undertog tale in the career of Taylor which few would have expected just months prior, a dynamic which made her win all the more satisfying.