Budapest 1989. Were you there.

I heard an interview on the radio with Frank O'Mara on Sunday 20 years on from his famous world indoor win in the 1500 metres i think. It was interesting just listening to him describing his memories of arriving at the stadium to find the place packed with a few thousand irish football fans who were over for the Ireland v Hungary game on the following wednesday.

I was just curious are there any posters here that remember the trip. I was'nt there for the Athletics but i was at the Ireland v Hungary game that marked my first away trip. Our only away trip with Ray Tracey. Even his prices back then were steep £379 Punts for two nights. A great trip all the same.

Apologies if i have posted in the wrong section.

I was at the football but not at the Athletics. Quite a few went out early all right. I think it was on the previous saturday.

A friend of mine travelled down from Germany with a girl who was a "reporter" from Radio Free Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Free_Europe). She used the opportunity of the game to go behind the Iron Curtain to meet and interview Hungarian resistance leaders. She also had input in planning a large peaceful protest march that happened the following saturday just as she predicted. It led to the reform of the communist regime and the opening up of Hungary later that year. The march was a big news story the following saturday on RTE.

Unfortunately for my mate she had as much interest in him as she had in the football match. She did go and cheer us on.

Looking back now had she been picked up by the secret police no doubt we'd have been arrested too.