City's true colours shine as Munster put on a show

A lot has changed in 30 years. Take the ticket prices for starters -- 12,000 lucky souls paid 80p each to see Munster vanquish the mighty All-Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978.The ground, seen as a temple even then, was open and decrepit and the match could be seen from the roofs of the nearby houses in Ballynanty.Corporate hospitality was a bag of chips and if you gave the fella on the gate the nod, he'd probably let you in. But the past is another country.Last night 25,500 fans, clad in all manner of Munster branded hats, coats, jerseys, retro jerseys, tee-shirts and scarves poured into their magnificent steel and concrete cathedral.They gathered in part for an historic sporting occasion, in hope for the right result and in sorrow as they recalled the sickening and untimely ending of a young man's life.New Zealand, the All Blacks, the biggest name in world rugby, were back after 30 years to pay homage to a team which somehow bettered them all those years ago.For a city badly in need of a lift, Limerick last night seized the opportunity with both hands putting on its best face with a show of razzmatazz and glamour.And even though Munster couldn't hang on for another famous victory, the city still had a lot to smile about after the final whistle.There were fireworks, drums, Bono, Michael Flatley, lusty renditions of the 'Fields of Athenry' and an Air Corps helicopter airlifting the matchball directly into the stadium.This was like the Superbowl. Whoever did the choreography, it was masterful. The heroes of '78 flashed up on the screen. Foley, Ward and the rest. The crowd was getting wild.Brian Cowen's face appeared on the big screen. But there were no boos, just warm applause, as the Taoiseach officially opened Thomond. He might be back if this keeps up. Then, quite unexpectedly, there was a bloodcurdling Haka -- from Munster. Thomond was rocking as Munster cheekily stole the thunder from the men in black. Battered by weeks of grim publicity, the Limerick crowd mourned Shane Geoghegan with a one-minute silence and celebrated his life and links with his beloved Garryowen.But the message was clear; the city is not about violence and gunmen and thugs, it's about decent sportsmen, families, civic pride and rugby and that, of course, means Munster.Limerick was up and about itself early yesterday with every business from the chic Leather Store to Sadlier's butchers off O'Connell Street decked out in red flags and bunting.Former Munster hero Peter Clohessy's bar was heaving by 4pm as die-hard fans waited outside Thomond for the gates to open. At 5pm they flooded in to claim their places on the terraces, a full two-and-a-half hours before the game started.In 1978, a tiny handful of the 12,000 crowd would have worn a simple red Munster jersey with the crest of yellow crowns on blue background.Now there's branding and official merchandise. Instead of the '78 game sponsored by Condell's Stationers of Roches Street, now there's Guinness, Toyota and Adidas.With millions of euro at stake and more fans than they can handle, Munster's commercial machine could teach Manchester United a thing or two about generating cash.During the morning, the hordes queued outside the door of the Munster Rugby Store in O'Connell Street.They bought anything with Munster printed on it; silver cuff links (€87.50), coffee travel mugs (€10), a Munster ladies watch (€99) and the baby Munster kit (€45).Everyone, it seemed, wanted the €70 retro shirt, half red, half black with 1978 branded on the back of the collar. A drawing of the victorious '78 team was yours for €450.The young shop staff could barely keep up. "Have you got extra, extra, large?" trilled a large Corkman. "They're all gone," came the reply.Ian Latham from Taranaki in New Zealand had bought the €75 All Black training top. It was blue. "I had to have it," he grinned.His friend David Starke was gobsmacked when he got to Thomond. "Back home they are obsessed with rugby, but by God they show it here."And show it they did. Munster's half time lead of 16-10 had people swooning as Limerick shrugged off its troubles. The city was smiling again, and even a late Kiwi try -- giving victory to the visitors -- didn't take the shine off the occasion. Download our iPhone App Now