The story of Troy is now etched into the hearts of Irish people. Even the dogs on the street seemed to be smiling as they trotted past Josie Parrott’s home on Dublin’s Portland Row on the brightest of mornings after the most magical of days.
Troy Parrott’s grandmother emerged only briefly. Standing under a large poster of her grandson celebrating in an Ireland jersey, she hoarsely explained that she was “too tongue-tied” to talk anymore.
While Josie was reluctant to talk to The Irish Times, she was certainly not done talking. A parade of family and friends came and went from a house that suddenly finds itself at the centre of the Irish footballing universe. Some of the visitors carried bags containing what looked to be cans, so perhaps the celebrations are ongoing.
And long may they continue.
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Granny Josie had spent much of the previous day in the Bridge Tavern around the corner on Summerhill, where she has attained legendary status.
Some loose-lipped folk who aren’t from around here appeared to be unaware of that status on Sunday.
“We were in the pub before the match and she heard someone saying Troy was s***e,” a neighbour said. “She absolutely went for him. I’ll tell you what, he won’t be saying that again.”
He certainly won’t. Whatever happens next, the hat-trick against the Hungarians and the double against the Portuguese means Parrott’s place in the pantheon of Irish sporting heroes has been cemented.
In the pub, a handful of locals sat sipping pints as Elvis Presley’s The Wonder Of You played, but it was the wonder of Troy that was always on their minds.
“I was watching the match out the back on the big screen and I couldn’t believe it when he scored that third goal,” said Noel Fagan as he nursed his pint of stout. “There was bedlam in the place. I have been following Irish football for a long time and I never saw anything like it.”
At that point, his friend at the bar interrupts: “A long time? You’re so old, your age is in Roman numerals.”
“Go on out of that,” responded Fagan without missing a beat. “And you having to go into Store Street Garda station to pick up your passport pictures.”
“Anyway,” said Fagan, returning to the matter at hand. “This is a really strong footballing community and it always has been.”
He pointed to a large framed picture on the wall. “That there is the Gloucester Diamond off Gardiner Street. It used to be the best seven-a-side pitch in the country and Eamon Dunphy, John Giles and Ashley Grimes all would have played on it.”
As a football man going back to the 1960s, he was measured in his response to the exploits of the national team in recent days.
“We haven’t won anything yet. We haven’t even qualified yet. It’s great to be still in with a chance but we have to keep it going. I wouldn’t compare it to Italia 90, at least not yet. But for a local lad to score a hat-trick the way Troy did, that’s a special thing.”
Shay Barrington also watched the game in the pub and he described the atmosphere as “unbelievable”.
He admitted to feeling deflated as the five allotted minutes of injury time ticked by.
“I’ll be honest with you, once the five minutes of injury time had passed, I thought we had no chance,” said Barrington. “I thought we were gone and that was that. But then there was Troy. He barely got his toe to it. It was his studs really. But that was all he needed. It was just fabulous.
“It’s fabulous for him, for his family, for the area, for the Belvedere Youth Club where he started out. It has done so much for all the young people in the neighbourhood. Sunday was just so special. I mean, can you remember the last time an Irish player scored five goals in two games? It’s just not something we do. But we do it now.”
Outside, people kept coming and going, talking of the heroics of Troy.
Ann Gannon from Ballybough said: “We are so proud. We have four international football players and Kellie Harrington all living on Portland Row. What an achievement for that road. It is absolutely fantastic."
Back around the corner, the owner of the Bridge Tavern, Liam Gifford, was coming into work. He was a little bleary-eyed after a long Sunday shift.
“The atmosphere in the pub yesterday and on Thursday night was just brilliant,” he said. “It was like the old days of 88. And having a local boy scoring made it something else. His granny Josie has her own seat in the pub and she deserves it, fair play to her.
“When she comes in, everyone knows it’s Josie seat. She’s a very special person and so is her grandson. I’ve met Troy a few times, but he doesn’t come into the pub that often. It’s all about the football for him.”
