IF THE prevailing wind from Croke Park was scented with testosterone, the O2 was oestrogen city on Saturday night as Girls Aloud strode into town.
So, while the finest of Irish manhood was celebrating or drowning sorrows in city-centre hostelries, the finest of Irish womanhood was gathered in mutual adoration of the slickest lady pop combo in the world.
It wasn’t that the women weren’t interested in the Munster v Leinster match. Ciara Kelly and Alison Grace, two 17-year-olds from Cork, were fully aware there had been a match on. “Stop. I don’t want to hear it. You’re depressing me. Munster should have won,” said Ciara.
And yes, she would have taken a ticket to the match before a ticket to Girls Aloud, she says. Alison is torn. “I’d take the Girls Aloud ticket, but then again . . .” The girls’ favourite band member is Nadine Coyle. Their favourite Munster player is Peter Stringer. Draw your own conclusions.
And who says that women are the weaker sex. Okay – so it was a tough match at Croke Park, but Nadine, Cheryl, Nicola, Kimberley and Sarah lasted longer than 80 minutes, their set plays were excellent and there were no substitutions. When the Leinster lads can manage five costume changes a game, they can get back to us. Oh, and by the way, the Girls did it all again yesterday as well.
They’re a bit of a conundrum as well, these Girls Aloud. The twinkling bunny ears on sale were more Bugs than Playboy, the costumes are revealing, but not sleazy, the routines sexy, but more directed at a female audience than men. They should be a feminist’s worst nightmare, but they’re really quite dreamy. Clever.
And lest we forget, they really are a dream come true. These five young women won a TV talent show and became a pop phenomenon. That’s why they came in their thousands this weekend – to dream of an escape from the humdrum.
“Deadly,” chorused Kerry Rafferty (7), Shanice Rafferty (9), and Tori Boylan (11) from Clondalkin and their cousin Leila Martin (11) from Rialto as they gathered up their glo sticks to leave. Woman of the match? I asked, as all five names got yelled at the same time. Tough one. Like Leinster, they all played a blinder.
But if Brian O’Driscoll gets the nod for Leinster, I’m giving it to Nicola.
