The Republic of Ireland's European championship challenge is up and running after a day which evoked memories of other carnival occasions at Lansdowne Road.

Jubilation, tinged with the realism of problems yet to be solved, greeted the result which will reverberate through football just as surely as the decline of the team in the closing phase of Jack Charlton's golden era.

A task which had weighed heavily on the minds of the Irish management ever since the announcement of the draw was negotiated with surprising ease after goals from Denis Irwin and Roy Keane, the first from the penalty spot, had established a match-winning advantage within 15 minutes of the kick-off.

In terms of significance, it was, by some way, the best win of Mick McCarthy's reign as manager, achieved at the expense of a team which had come close to bringing their romantic story to a spectacular finish in the World Cup finals in France in the summer.

And yet the probability is that with a full-strength squad available to him, McCarthy may be tempted to make as many as three changes in his starting line-up for the equally hazardous mission to Yugoslavia in four weeks' time.

That is the measure of the irony in a success which delighted a capacity crowd of 34,000 on an afternoon when Ireland had good reason to be grateful for the broad seam of experience in the team.

Much of the pre-match optimism has been based on the ability of players such as Damien Duff and Robbie Keane to marry their emerging talent with the maturity of men who had been to the coal face on many occasions.

In the event, the equation became distorted as the plot expanded and, eventually, it was left to the pragmatism of players such as Irwin, Roy Keane and Steve Staunton to undertake the biggest responsibilities in banking three precious points.

Yet, it would be misleading to suggest that none of the newcomers to competitive international football made an impact, for in the contribution of Mark Kinsella there was unmistakable evidence of a man with the skill and the temperament to make a telling impact in this championship.

In the intensity of a tough, competitive game, the Charlton midfielder was still calling for the ball at every opportunity and putting his foot on it in times when the visitors, at the height of their performance in the second quarter, were threatening the goal.

This was as challenging as anything he is likely to face in the higher grade, for the Croatians - , fast developing a reputation as one of the more cynical teams in international football - were again up to many of their antics.

In France, they had incurred the wrath of many by some shameless diving. Apart from one incident when Zvonimir Boban hit the turf with disturbing haste after a tackle by Roy Keane inside the penalty area early in the first half, they didn't go to ground quite as easily here.

The physical element in their make-up was as pronounced as ever, however, and it caused the game to explode in the 70th minute, when the urgency and at least some of the passion was beginning to leave the occasion.

Staunton, growing in influence after going to midfield in the reshuffle occasioned by Jeff Kenna's arrival as a half-time replacement for Duff, was hit twice in the space of 90 seconds with crude tackles which correctly truncated Mario Sanic's participation in the game.

And when Krunoslav Jurcic sought to take out retribution on Staunton just four minutes later, he, too, was made to suffer the indignity of a the long walk to the dressing-room - and, presumably, the wrath of manager Miro slav Blazevic.

Incidents like that are designed to earn the Croatians a place among the great unloved of the game and the imbalance in numbers was to induce an unreal atmosphere in the closing stages, with Irish complacency almost allowing substitute Igor Pamic in for a goal they scarcely deserved.

What the absent Davor Suker might have done when Panic found himself in position for a free header in front of goal scarcely bears contemplation. And yet the absence of some of Croatia's World Cup heroes ought not detract unduly from the merit of the Irish performance.

Roy Keane, prospering in his new role as captain, established the mood early on when his physical presence gave him the edge over Boban in a duel which was always going to colour the game profoundly.

This was a different, more mature Keane, a man at the epicentre of a hard, physical struggle and yet sufficiently composed to dictate the flow and the tempo as the Croatians sought to gain a foothold in their most inventive spell, immediately before half-time.

Staunton, too, was occasionally immense and if Jason McAteer struggled on the other flank, Kinsella's input ensured that the home team only rarely conceded in the critical midfield area.

Ken Cunningham, too, had a fine game and it helped preserve the balance in central defence, where Phil Babb's lack of authority in the air continues to place a question mark against his long-term future.

In those circumstances, there was good reason to be appreciative of the ageless talent which preserves Irwin among the better full backs in the game. Seldom has he played better in international football and, importantly, it was his skill which opened the way to the early breakthrough.

The game had been in progress only four minutes when his persistence forced Dario Simic into the indiscreet tackle inside the 18 yards area and the Manchester United player, keeping his cool in a pressurised situation, sent Drazen Ladic the wrong way with the ensuing penalty award.

Even as the crowd, back in full voice again, celebrated that bonus, the hapless Keith O'Neill was being carried off after his latest comeback attempt had ended in a nasty shin injury.

That was a setback but within another 11 minutes Ireland were in again. McAteer's shot, deflecting off Zvonimir Soldo, looped across the face of the goalmouth and Roy Keane, reacting first, got his head to it for a classic in opportunism.

Kinsella might well have had a third when his shot struck the crossbar in the 64th minute. At that stage, however, the game had already been won and lost and Lansdowne Road was once more a theatre filled with song.

Republic Of Ireland: S Given (Blackburn): D Irwin (Man Utd), K Cunningham (Wimbledon), P Babb (Liverpool), S Staunton (Liver pool); J McAteer (Liverpool), M Kinsella (Charl ton Ath), Roy Keane (Man Utd), D Duff (Blackburn); Robbie Keane (Wolverhampton), K O'Neill (Norwich City). Subs: A Cascarino (AS Nancy) for O'Neill (5 mins), J Kenna (Blackburn) for Duff (45), Carsley (Derby Co) for Robbie Keane (61).

Croatia: D Ladic: I Tudor, Z Soldo, I Stim ac, D Simic; K Jurcic, A Asanovic, Z Boban, R Jarni; M Stanic, S Maric. Sub: I Pamic for Maric (45 mins), P Krpan for Tudor (64 mins).

Referee: V Pereira (Portugal).