A fiddle player is hoping his medley of tunes will evoke the elation of Italia 90 for Irish football fans this summer.
Niall Murphy from Camlough in County Armagh has created a mix of Irish traditional music featuring the Republic of Ireland’s song from the 1990 World Cup when the team qualified for the tournament for the first time.
Put ‘Em Under Pressure – which references manager Jack Charlton with its chants of Jackie’s Army – was the anthem more than 25 years ago, and pangs of nostalgia are likely to hit fans as they listen to Murphy’s music ahead of the European Championships.
The 24-year-old musician says the piece will bring fans down memory lane as Martin O’Neill’s men bid for glory in France next month.
Murphy, who started playing the fiddle when he was seven years old, appears in a video to go along with the music which also includes reels Toss The Feathers and The Gravel Walks, as well as the Irish national anthem.
“I think a lot of people want to hear the first 10 opening notes … it brings them back to 1990 when the whole country sort of shut down for about three weeks when Ireland qualified. It brings them down memory lane back to that time I suppose,” he told the Press Association.
He said the piece – also called Put ‘Em Under Pressure – was very much “trial and error”, adding: “I’m surprised at the reaction it’s got so far, and hopefully it keeps going.”
Murphy, who plays music with folk singer Cara Dillon, tours with Breaking Trad and gives lessons around the world, said it will be available on iTunes soon.
Robbie Keane and his team mates will open their Euro 2016 campaign on Monday June 13 against Sweden.
Thousands of supporters are expected to throng the streets of Paris, Bordeaux and Lille where the Republic’s group stage games are taking place.