THE PRESIDENT IS among the Irish people who have been swept up in the national excitement after Ireland’s win over World Champions Germany last night.
At its peak the game was watched by 1.1 million viewers on RTÉ 2, with an average viewing figure of 786,600 people.
Michael D Higgins was interviewed on The Ray D’Arcy Show this afternoon about the game.
The president was at the Aviva for the match and said the atmosphere was “just something else”.
“I saw people embracing each other with such enthusiasm … it was fantastic.”
Higgins said Shane Long’s winning goal was “wonderful”, noting it will be “recalled again and again in the future”.
The president said he was struck by how relaxed the Irish players seemed ahead of the game, noting they had “a great sense of determination”.
You got the impression of a team that had prepared for a great challenge.
Higgins said he was “very much struck” by the performance of Wes Hoolohan but said all the players were “very, very good”.
When D’Arcy asked him if the win had moved him to poetry, Higgins said: “Now come on.”
‘Hello Mr President’
Long’s mother Ann and sister Elaine also appeared on the show.
“Hello Mr President … I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Ann said.
Higgins told her: “You should be so proud.”
Ann said she was emotional after the win as she knew how much it meant to Shane.
Elaine added that she “hugged him to death when I saw him”, adding: “He’s just buzzing like everyone else, like a bit of a dream it probably hasn’t settled in yet.”
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