Well, I have just experienced something in the weekend just past that I may not again see for years.

Between 20,000-25,000 Irishmen made their way to Melbourne for a big double header weekend of football. Friday night was a cross between Aussie Rules and Gaelic football, a hybrid game that has been played for about 6 years between Australia and Ireland.

That was only the warm-up to the real reason that so many were here. The all-important game between these two countries in the Rugby Union World Cup was packed to the rafters, with thousands more packing into bars around the city to watch the game.

I was lucky enough to go to the first game and even luckier to be able to join a number of them in a small pub after the game on Friday night. It was odd being outnumbered in there by the men in green and orange, but fun all the same. I returned to the city on Saturday night and spent most of it inside a little Irish bar, drinking pints all night and having a great time with the tourists, who were so bloody friendly and could out-sing and out-drink most of us. Look out Ireland, here I come!! :P