Nation holds its breath

THIS extraordinary summer will be remembered for three things: the most prolonged period of amazing weather since 1995, an electrifyingly unpredictable World Cup – and the antics of a group of body-obsessed, hormonal young adults in the utterly compelling Love Island.

At 9pm ever night in households all over Ireland, couples wrestle for the remote control and more than 100,000 of us are hooked on the antics in a villa in Majorca. It reminds us that while football is the world’s favourite spectator sport, watching human interaction and attraction offers just as vicarious a pleasure.

So, when it comes to the most important competition of this incredible, memorable summer, we happily will nail our colours to the mast: Jack and Dani for the win!