John Callaghan and his husband joined the super-popular Irish football supporters at the Euros in France, only to find themselves surrounded by homophobic chanting

I proudly told my American husband that Irish football supporters are the best in the world after he watched a few Internationals with me, an ex-pat from Ballymun. I gushed about how they were welcomed the world over for the joy of their singing and their playful engagement with their opponents, and mostly for their indomitable spirit, win or lose. So it was with happy heart that I bought some tickets for Ireland versus Sweden in Stade de France and we headed to join the green army from our home in California.

Our experience sadly was not what I imagined it would be. On our first day in Paris we struck up a lunchtime conversation with a bunch of green-clad lads in a traditional French bistro. Following the usual ‘where are you from’ introductions, one of the boys asked ‘From San Francisco? Are youse a pair of butch queers?’

Suspecting he wasn’t using the word ‘queer’ in the modern ‘liberated’ sense I nonetheless answered in the affirmative. Nobody seemed too put out by this fact until the same lad, a Limerick man, in response to a lighthearted jibe from one of his buddies about my husband stabbing him with a fork, said, “No problem. So long as that’s all you stab me with.”

We began to detect a note of discomfort on the part of the Limerick man. The camel’s back was finally broken when he pointed to a group of young women sitting across the way and blurted: “I can’t understand how you like mickey when there’s that sittin’ over there.”

We challenged the ignorance and plain offensiveness of the remark only to be met with a chorus defending the Limerick man on the basis he was drunk and meant no harm.

An isolated experience with a few boys who had a bit too much drink taken, you might say.

We left the stadium, deflated

On match day we painted our faces, donned our Ireland jerseys, wrapped ourselves in the tricolor and headed for the game. Even the journey to the venue was emotional, with the rivers of green and yellow flowing together in ebullient harmony. We stood for the national anthem and belted out the Fields of Athenry. The mood was amazing. But then came the sour note.

The taunts shouted by the Irish fans when a Swede played particularly well included the chant that he was a “faggot” and “took it up the arse”.

We left the stadium a little deflated, and not just because we really deserved to win that game rather than settle for a 1-1 draw.

Now I don’t want to detract from the fact that the Irish are the best supporters in the world. Fair play and long may they continue. I just want to point out that there seems to be a collective blindspot when it comes to all things gay. Ireland did itself proud last year when it voted for marriage equality so I don’t believe gays are not welcome in the stands. I don’t even believe it’s necessarily meant to be hurtful. But nonetheless it is. It’s time for the green army to catch up and treat the gay people within its ranks and on the field with the same courtesy and respect it so graciously gives to our opponents and our hosts.

Come on you boys in green! We can do better.