NorthernIreland

Englishman stole hearts of a nation

12-Jul-2020 01:30:00 | Irish Independent

The death of former the Republic of Ireland football manager Jack Charlton calls to mind a decade, from 1986 to 1996, which marked monumental change in Irish society, associated in the history books with the development of the peace process in Northern Ireland to the birth of the Celtic Tiger, two events which has been linked by some to the appointment of the first-ever Englishman to take charge of the national football team. While the extent of the reality behind those claims can be debated - and there seems little doubt the man himself would have disregarded his influence in a typically direct manner - there is no doubt his impact on the national psyche was profound and wholly positive, and for that, the nation shall forever remain deeply indebted to the man affectionately known the length and breadth of the country as Big Jack.