...but it didn’t end as well for the other Harry!
Highs – then lows – in Harry’s ancestral home as England bow out
WE may not have made it to the World Cup once again, but last night one pocket of Galway was cheering like it was the Boys in Green battling against Croatia for a place in the final.
That’s because it was Letterfrack – the homeland of England captain Harry Kane’s grandfather.
And inside Molly’s Pub, where a free pint was promised for every goal Kane scored, the fans included the striker’s cousin James Keane.
With a free pint on offer, fans continuously cheered: ‘Give it to Harry! Give it to Harry!’ but there was little to cheer about, and no free drinks, as the night wore on.
The bar had been a regular gathering place for Kane supporters throughout the World Cup.
In their previous games, there was loud cheering and celebration as England eased their way through their group and through the quarter finals.
While fans cheered and raised their glasses when England scored just five minutes into their game against Croatia, the celebrations dulled when Croatia equalised and ended when they scored the winning goal in the dying minutes of extra time.
It was a portrait of the new, more self-confident Ireland inside Molly’s, as fans openly wore English jerseys in the pub, where portraits of Padraig Pearse, Michael Collins and James Connolly hang on the wall.
Harry’s first cousin James Keane joined the early celebrations with friends Niall King and Shane Heaney. Harry’s family were originally Keanes before his grandfather moving to England.
While none of the three Irish men wore England jerseys, they did cheer on the town’s famous son as he led the team out to play Croatia last night.
Behind the bar, Damian Lyons, the bar manager, joined in the early celebrations with his mother, Sally.
England tourists visiting Ireland were by far the loudest and most loyal to the English team.
Nick Edwards and his son, Alex, from Worchester were among the group of English supporters who travelled to the pub to cheer on Harry.
Nick wore a red English Three Lions T-shirt for the game. Both screamed with delight when England took a very early lead but their mood turned more sombre as England’s lead slipped away.
‘Give it to Harry! Give it to Harry!’
And the town will always be linked to the England captain, despite the loss.
Kane’s grandfather, Michael John, emigrated to London and the family have been regular visitors back to Ireland over the years.
Kane’s father, Pat, returned to the village recently and presented the nearby Angler’s Rest pub with a signed Spurs shirt.
Kane, who was born in Walthamstow in London and was a regular visitor to Connemara as a boy. He returned five years ago for the funeral of Michael John, who is buried at nearby Baunogues cemetery.
Meanwhile, Limerick’s singing group, The Corrigan Brothers, have released their tribute to Kane, whose maternal grandmother Theresa hails from Caherline in the county.
One of the brothers, Ger Corrigan has rewritten the lyrics of his original smash hit, ‘There’s noone as Irish as Barack Obama’, to instead say: ‘There’s no-one as Irish as Harry Kane’.