'A Tale of Two Irelands' - Northern Ireland and The Republic Of Ireland’s World Cup participation against the backdrop of 'The Troubles'

During this week’s episode of ‘The Way We See Life, The Way We See Sport’, Chris and Nathan look back upon the forays of both of Ireland’s football sides during the successive World Cup competitions of 1982, 1986, 1990 & 1994. At a time when day-to-day life on the Island of Ireland was beset by the sectarian conflict, the participation of Northern Ireland (1982 & 1986) and The Republic of Ireland (1990 & 1994) in “The Greatest Show on Earth” provided a welcome distraction from the everyday horrors of ‘The Troubles’. The successes of Billy Bingham’s Northern Ireland and Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland sides threw up some of the most memorable moments in successive World Cup competitions. Within this episode, we will explore the story of how football was able to act as both an escapist vehicle and force for positive change. Whilst day-to-day life in Ireland was undoubtedly affected by the conflicts of ‘The Troubles’, the outstanding performances of both Irish soccer sides meant that Irish hearts were happy and four successive World Cup tournaments seemed brighter and gay as result.