“When Irish eyes are smiling, Sure it’s like a morn in Spring,

In the lilt of Irish laughter, You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay,

And when Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, they steal your heart away’.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling is a lighthearted song in tribute to Ireland. Its lyrics were written by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff, Jr, set to music composed by Ernest Ball. It was first published in 1912, at a time when songs in tribute to a romanticised Ireland were very numerous and popular both in Britain and the United States. During the First World War, the famous tenor John McCormack recorded the song. The song continued to be a familiar standard for generations. The song has been recorded on over 200 singles and albums and by many famous singers, including Bing Crosby, Connie Francis, and Roger Whittaker.

Ireland and Wales are Celtic neighbours separated by the Irish Sea, So how close exactly are we? Well, the Llyn Peninsula and the Wicklow mountains are only just over 31 miles apart.

Eryri to Howth is some 85 miles, so the closeness is very real, and with that closeness comes a fierce rivalry that goes back many decades.

That rivalry was reconvened yesterday in Cardiff, and it ended with Irish eyes smiling, and Welsh eyes moist, though not with salty tears as was the case in Paris and Rome. On this occasion, they were moist through glistening with pride after putting in a staggering performance that rocked one of the best teams in world rugby.

Wales and Ireland had met 135 times up until yesterday, with Wales winning 70, Ireland winning 58, and 7 matches drawn. It came as no great surprise that Ireland narrowed that gap with a victory in the Welsh capital.

Wales with a new coach and only six survivors from the starting fifteen that faced Italy were desperate to prove themselves on their first home game of the championship, following two away games that showed an alarming lack of gain line penetration and attacking nous.

What Wales provided this afternoon had most of the Principality Stadium rubbing their eyes in bewilderment as they witnessed an energy and physicality that it was thought this squad were incapable of. A dominant scrum, an imaginative attack and a fully functioning line out were equally unexpected.

The fact that the game was still in the balance with two minutes left to play was perhaps the biggest shock of all.

But like all great sides, Ireland managed to dig out a win and gain a Triple Crown in the process.

Irish eyes may well have been smiling, but it was Welsh hearts and minds that probably had the greatest reward. They were finally given hope plus a slice of optimism.

Despite Wales’ 15th consecutive defeat, the future doesn’t seem quite as bleak as it it did this morning, and maybe that elusive win we are all so desperate to witness may be nearer than we think.