LONDON – It was hardly surprising to hear the words “rain stopped play”echo around Malahide Cricket Club when Test cricket came to Ireland for thefirst time on Friday.

Yet the grey skies around Dublin did not dampen the enthusiasm of the fansin green, many of whom had waited decades for the day Ireland might at lastbe granted the opportunity to play in the five-day format so steeped intradition.

“I played cricket way back in the ’50s and as a child, of course, youdreamed of playing the international stuff,” said Barry Ramsey, 76, whotravelled from the north-west county of Donegal with his son, Barclay, tosee the landmark match against Pakistan. “Now to be at this stage, eventhough it’s a long time since I played, is absolutely phenomenal.”

Despite a World Cup win against Pakistan in 2007, an even more celebratedone over England in 2011 and their elevation to full Test match status lastyear, Ireland has always seen cricket very much as a minority game, waybehind soccer, rugby and the traditional sports of Gaelic football andhurling.

Ramsey recalled playing in the cricket street leagues in Donegal, a Gaelicfootball stronghold, and having to bow his head in team photos for fear theGaelic Athletic Association, which until 1971 banned members from playingor attending so-called “foreign games”, would forbid him from playingfootball.

Others were attending their first cricket game, keen to savour theoccasion, while teachers brought lines of school children into thetemporary stands, which were close to a 6,300 sell-out on the opening day.Australians John Stewart and Jeremy Jastrzav had flown from Sydney just forthe Test before returning home next Tuesday.

The pair are members of the Randwick Petersham Cricket Club, an amateurteam Ireland played against in a World Cup warm-up three years ago. “Cominghere and watching a Test in Ireland is a bit of a unique experience, thisis a bit different to the SCG (the world-famous Sydney Cricket Ground) forus. It’s an historic game,” Stewart said.