:)
Since your handle is Fighting Irish, I'll tell you an Irish soccer story.
In 1994 I spent six months in Hanover, Germany on business. The company I was working with had a satellite operation in Ireland. Just before the World Cup Germany hosted a friendly with Ireland in Hanover. Both teams had qualified (Germany was the defending champ), but no teams from Great Britain made it.
The match was Sunday at 6pm. A guy from Ireland was in town for a meeting and stayed the weekend for the match. Meanwhile hundreds and hundreds of Irishmen and women poured into Hanover and ended up -- as did my colleague and I -- drinking all weekend from Friday to Sunday, singing Irish songs, singing football songs, and singing Irish football songs.
Some idiot pulled out a Union Jack -- fortunately he decided to put it away before there was a fight.
Then some idiot from Denmark who drank too much and was wearing Irish colors starting abusing a German girl about the Nazis. A couple of her friends were ready to fight -- and since they were tight with the bar owners, it looked bad. I finally was able to convicne the troublemaker to leave -- pointing out that I was American, not German, and that we didn't need the trouble. (I later asked my colleague why Americans always have to break up fights among Euros).
Someone brought in a cardboard cutout of Coach Jack Charlton -- famous England football star become Ireland Coach -- and these drunken anti-English Irishmen started yelling "Jack! Jack!" and bowing down to the cutout. Never mind that he's english -- he drinks Guinness & He led Ireland to the Cup, so he's Pope of Ireland as far as they are concerned.
5pm Sunday -- head to the game, riot police around (although the crowd was peaceful, just drunk) and we took the U-bahn to Niedersachsen Stadium to watch Germany - Ireland. The Irish were all excited and ready for the game, but realistically the Germans were heavy favorites and hadn't lost at home in six years.
I went to sit with my German colleagues who had bought me a ticket, but by this time I was so drunk on Irish Kilkenny that I was pulling for the underdog Irish.
Germany 0, Ireland 2.
Oh boy! One of the biggest wins in Irish Football history! If they were partying before, how about now?
Went back to the pub, where the drunks were all drinking. They were pooped out. Not much celebration - nothing. "Pat", I asked my colleague "What's up? You beat the Germans in Germany!! Where's the Celebration?"
"We've been drinking since Sunday, we all fly home tomorrow, we're all beat."
So yes, even the Irish can get partied out.
"Come on you boys in Green, come on you boys in green, come on you boys, you boys you boys in green"
"Come on you boys in Green, come on you boys in green, come on you BOYS, you boys you boys in green"
(Sung to "Those were the days, my friend"