RICHARD BURKE,
Sir, - Now that Roy Keane won't be playing in the World Cup finals for Ireland, perhaps it would be appropriate to reflect on the remarkable footballing success of Denmark at the 1992 European Championships.
The Danes entered the finals only as a very late replacement for the former Yugoslavia, which was prevented from playing by UEFA due to the tragic political situation in that country.
The Danes were considered by many to have little chance of going beyond the opening group stage. The team consisted mainly of honest, hard-working professionals and appeared to have few outstanding players.
But after qualifying from the group stage by the skin of their teeth, they beat a star-studded Dutch team on penalties in an epic semi-final. They were then thought to be a push-over for the then world champions, Germany, in the final as several of the Danes were either injured or apparently exhausted after the Dutch game. The fairytale didn't end, though, as they won 2-0 against all the odds and became European Champions.
The Roy Keane connection? Michael Laudrup, the best Danish footballer of his generation and widely regarded as one of the most gifted midfielders in the world at that time, played no part in those finals because of a dispute with the manager, Richard Moller-Nielsen.
Dream the dream. Come on, Mick and the lads! - Yours, etc.,
RICHARD BURKE, Springfield Court, Ennis, Co Clare.
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Sir, - Roy Keane had the chance to swallow his pride and play, but decided to sulk at home. I really am not interested in who is right or wrong in all of this, but at the end of the day because of a huge ego Keane has deprived a lot of people, including very many children who hold him in hero status.
While some people are writing our World Cup obituaries already, I would like to remind them that we still have 22 players who are willing to give their all to Ireland. As a point of interest I noticed after the last three home friendly games we played there was one name on everyone's mind. That was not Roy Keane but Damian Duff; so move over, Roy, there is a new kid on the block.
Good luck to the "real" men in green. - Yours, etc.,
JOE HARVEY, Glenageary Woods, Glenageary, Co Dublin.
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Sir, - It was disturbing to observe the extent to which the Keane-McCarthy story dominated the RTÉ News and Prime Time. Surely there are more pressing world issues which should be shared with the public? In disgust, I switched off the TV and turned to begin a new book - Emotional Intelligence, - by Daniel Goleman. Ironically, the opening quotation was:
"Anyone can become angry - that is easy. but to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way - this is not easy." - Aristotle, The Nichomachaen Ethics.
Perhaps both parties could learn something from this? - Yours, etc.,
HAZEL STANLEY, Shinrone, Co Offaly.
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Sir, - First we had the "English c**t". Now we have the "English toe-rag", courtesy of E. Dunphy, referring to Jack Charlton in Ireland on Sunday.
Big Jack has again succeeded in making our Eamon lose the run of himself (remember Italia 90). Recently on Sky Sports Eamon was extolling the virtues of Jack as a manager, sagely pronouncing that he would have found a solution to a very difficult situation. He would have managed the situation much better than Mick.
That Jack appears on the Late Late Show and duly informs the nation how he as a manager would have dealt with Roy Keane. Mr Dunphy is apoplectic with rage.
Some people are really hard to please. - Yours, etc.
DANIEL KELLY, Highfield, Drogheda, Co Louth.
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Sir, - Eamon Dunphy may or may not have taken the "Keane shilling" (Mark Hayden, May 28th,) but he is certainly viewing the situation through Roy's tinted glasses. - Yours, etc.,
TONY DAVIS, Hazel Avenue, Kilmacud, Co Dublin.
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Sir, - Regarding the Tommie Gorman/Ray Keane interview, am I alone in being disheartened by the spineless attitude and whimpering tone displayed throughout?
Was this really the same colossus of a man who has given such brave and courageous performances on home and foreign soil down through the years?
Having said that, though, I don't think Roy Keane came out of it with too much credit either. - Yours, etc.,
STEPHEN WALSH, King's Court, Mungret Street, Limerick.
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Sir, - Mick McCarthy was very right. UCC were very wrong. - Yours, etc.,
A.J. BROWNE, Park Drive, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.
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Sir, - Thank goodness for Lyric FM. Otherwise, Keane for breakfast, lunch and dinner. - Yours, etc.,
DOROTHY TAYLOR, Dalkey, Co Dublin.