Alan Quinlan Recalls Paul O’Connell Story All Munster Fans Can Relate To

Who remembers the old Thomond Park?

Thomond Park isn’t what it used to be. The famous rugby ground underwent a large scale development in 2008, bringing the capacity up to over 25,000 making it one of the most impressive rugby grounds in Europe.

Many Munster fans however may recall the gold old days, before massive stands and walls existed, when young fans (and old!) used to try their hardest to hop the wall and go in and see their favourite stars.

Everyone would bide their time until they saw a window and then all charge at once like a scene out of Braveheart. You would lose some soldiers along the way, who would be caught by stewards, but they always got a second chance to join the wave and go again.

Paul O’Connell not too long ago was one of those fans, attempting to hop the wall and see his favourite Munster stars.

Alan Quinlan explains in his Independent column today,

“…It is so hard to believe that my first impressions of Paul O’Connell were of this gangly, big lump of a lad, who had mad red hair, and who was dressed in a scruffy sweater and a pair of jeans.

A while previously he’d climbed over the wall at Thomond Park to watch our Heineken Cup game against Saracens and when he told us that story, we slagged him for being such a cheapskate.”

Munster take on Zebre in Thomond Park today at 5pm. Keep an eye out for O’Connell, although we suspect he might not have to jump the wall this time.