The year was 1994 and Ireland were riding a wave of euphoria all the way to Quidditch World Cup glory. Thousands of fans made the trip across the Irish Sea as the old enemy shat on the eggs once again to ensure there'd be little opposition to Ireland's march through to the final against Bulgaria.
As we all know, Victor Krum caught the snitch and because Quidditch rules are a bit shit, Ireland won. Cue one hell of a party that made the Death Eater's riot look like teatime at a nunnery.
22 years on from Ireland's glorious triumph at the 422nd Quidditch World Cup, we have decided to look back at the most successful Irish international side ever and ask: where are they now?
Aidan Lynch (Seeker)
Lynch was both captain and Seeker on the Irish side in '94. He reitred as Ireland's greatest ever Seeker and rode the crest of the Irish support for some time, and became incredibly wealthy as a result of a series of endorsement deals with broom manufacturers and community banks.
Lynch was appointed Irish Quidditch coach back in 2012, and presided over the failed bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in the Patagonian Desert. (The awarding of the competition to the Patagonian desert was rife with controversy, and amidst numerous claims of bribery, the head of the International Quidditch Federation resigned).
He is now the token Irishman on the ITV Quidditch panel, where he gained notoriety for throwing a pen across the studio at Gabby Logan during the 2014 tournament.
Barry Moran (Chaser)
Moran tragically died in 2005 from a mysterious injury that was shown to be CTE in his autopsy. His death called into question the barbarism of Quidditch and the presence of the Bludgers (for the uninitiated, these are kinds of flying rocks intended to knock players off their brooms) in the sport. Moran's passing was a national tragedy, and a national day of mourning was declared upon the day of his funeral.
It has since been revealed that several former players have suffered frequent memory loss during retirement, owing to a number of head injuries suffered throughout their careers. The International Quidditch Federation are currently subject to a massive lawsuit led by hundreds of ex-players over the governing body's alleged failure to offer them adequate protection during their careers.
Barry Ryan (Goalkeeper)
Ryan retired immediately after the '94 World Cup win to pursue a career in the arts, attempting to write a novel for muggles. The novel's main protagonist was a young Quidditch-playing wizard, and centred around his struggle against evil in the magical realm. He failed to find a muggle publisher as it was deemed 'too far-fetched'. Subsequent publishing developments have left him feeling an odd combination of both bitterness and vindication.
With a writing career in ruins, Ryan returned to sport, where he crossed codes and played in the League of Ireland with Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's among many others.
Aisling Mullet (Chaser)
Mullet was born in Shrewsbury, but qualified for Ireland as a result of a grandfather born in Westport. Mullet was possibly the most limited player on the Irish side, but raised her performances along with her team-mates during those heady tournament days. She was a fans' favourite, and a number of Irish fans grew mullets in tribute to her. Bono was the most famous yet poorest exhibit of this.
A journey-woman career beckoned for Mullet after the World Cup, and eventually she played out her career in the English Quidditch's 3rd division with Manchester United. Mullet currently presents Ireland's only dedicated Quidditch podcast. It's a bit crap if we're being honest but she's a national hero so no one has to heart to say it.
Robert Troy (Chaser)
Troy - not to be confused with the Longford-Westmeath TD of the same name - sadly tore his cruciate knee injury in a freak skiing accident following the World Cup. He never recovered form the injury, and now works as a physiotherapist in Santry, where he is consistently forced to deny that he is a TD. He is married with three children. Injury robbed both him and Ireland of a potentially glittering career.
Brian Quigley (Beater)
Quigley retired from the sport in protest at what he perceived to be an unlawful use of performance enhancing magic during games. He shone a light on these darker aspects of the game with his pioneering book 'Rough Broomride', a book which has helped him become one of Ireland's most respected journalists. Contrary to public perception, he is a huge fan of balls.ie.
Michelle Connolly (Beater)
Connolly is the most controversial member of this list. She failed a magic doping test in the aftermath of the 1996 Olympics, where it was alleged she mixed some whiskey with her magic. That failed test has tainted the Irish World Cup win for some, although many just choose to conveniently ignore it.
Today, Connolly spends much of her time threatening legal action against journalists.
For everything that we didn't pull entirely out of our arses, we've relied heavily upon this Harry Potter wiki.
