Despite my relatively early night, I was still feeling tired this morning, no doubt a result of the constant travel of the past few days, but rose early and got out to see some of the city centre, and visited the National Museum.

Korea was invaded several times by Japan, and was occupied from 1910 to 1945, a time remembered with great bitterness by the Koreans. During the Japanese occupations, most of the buildings in this palace were destroyed. However, what remains is an impressive relic of what life was like in ancient times. The colourful changing of the guard ceremony takes place here every day.

Korean National Museum

The museum (or rather, those items that are on view) is currently located in a modern building on the grounds of the Gyeonbokgung Palace, in the heart of the city. There's an on-going saga about this museum. Up until 1995 it was housed in the Japanese-built Capitol building, which dominated these palace grounds. After much discussion, the decision to tear down the Capitol building was made by the president, and the contents of the museum were moved to various other buildings around the site of the original. In the meantime, a new building for the museum is being built on another site, but this too has been dogged with various problems, and is not expected to be completed for another couple of years. So the range of exhibits on view was rather disappointing, being limited to the period up until the 5th century.

Afterwards the colourful Changing of the Guard ceremony, a re-enactment of that carried out in former times, took place at Gyeonbokgung Palace. I tarried so long watching this that I didn't have time to visit the Folklore Museum which is nearby.

By the time I returned to the hotel the others had left, so simply grabbed my gear and went to the station to take the train to Suwon, about half an hour from Seoul.

The Beautiful Game—Ireland v Spain

At Suwon the masses were gathering. Shuttle buses were laid on to take the supporters to the game, but there were still a few hours remaining, so I went looking for a TV to watch the Senegal-Sweden game. In a side-street I came upon a little "hof" as they called pubs here, which sold large bottles of lager for 800 won, and in no time it was filled with Irish fans watching the match. Against the run of play, Senegal won with a golden goal in extra time. Henri Camara, who had equalized earlier to force extra time, took a backheel pass from Pape Thiaw and sent a "golden goal" into the bottom left-hand corner of the net off the post in the 104th minute. For only the second time, an African nation is in the quarterfinals (Cameroon, 1990). After the game we all re-emerged into the sunshine to join the lengthy queue that had formed for the shuttle bus to the stadium.

At the stadium I found myself underneath a huge tricolour, bearing the legend "Flag-waving leprechauns walk tall", a response to sports commentator Eamonn Dunphy's allusion to the Irish fans as such. As a matter of interest, Dunphy had just been suspended by RTE for turning up "incapable" for work, ie, he was drunk on the radio. The seat was just behind the goal—the Irish goal in the first half, and the Spanish goal in the second.

Spain went ahead through an early Fernando Morientes header, and continued to look dangerous in the first halve. In the second half Ireland really put on the pressure. Ian Harte missed a penalty, but Robbie Keane scored a penalty in the dying seconds to send the match into extra time.

With David Albelda unable to continue because of injury and all their substitutes used, Spain had to play with only 10 men throughout the extra 30 minutes. Ireland, with all the momentum and an extra man, piled on the pressure but Spain held on for the penalty shoot-out.

The penalties took place on the opposite side to where we were sitting. Holland hit the bar, Kilbane and Connolly had their shots saved, while Juanfran and Valeron missed their penos. So Spain won on penalties.

The songs:

We all dream of a team of Gary Breens (to the tune of Yellow Submarine),

All you need is Duff, (to the tune of All You Need Is Love)

We love you Duffer, because you've got red hair,
We love you Duffer, because you're everywhere,
We love you Duffer, trust in me while I say
(to the tune of I Love You Baby)

After the game, joined the throngs of spectators crowded around the area designated for the shuttle buses. This was very disorganized, crowds wandering around not knowing where they were going, policemen lined along the road with flourescent batons blowing whistles like clowns at a circus.

We managed to hop onto a passing local bus (one of several which were weaving in and out of the shuttle buses) and alighted at the station. Again confusion with the metro. The last train for Seoul was supposed to depart at 12:40, but after the crowd had jammed into it like sardines, it went only as far as another station, where we had to alight and were re-routed to another platform already jammed with waiting fans, and we had a long wait for a train. Met a few acquaintances in the crowed, among them the Cork lads I had been with back in Niigata—an eternity ago. Arrived back at the hotel, very tired, at 3:30, while the others went on to party in Itwaon.