Sir, - It seems - regardless of next Tuesday's meeting with SaudiArabia - that the "ups and downs" of Ireland's World Cup are going toinvolve more than the spectacular loss of a famous player, thedemonising of Eamon Dunphy and the fickle form of other Group E teams.
During the games against Cameroon and Germany, a marvellous peacereigned in our emergency department, to be shattered within minutes ofthe finish of both matches, alas, by the arrival of patients with anarray of conditions caused by jumping up and down wildly in front ofthe television.
In fact, the growing injury list for spectators at home (twistingtheir ankles, jabbing themselves in the eye with glass tumblers orfainting with excitement) seems likely to make Mick McCarthy's injuryworries pale into insignificance.
Should the red and and yellow ("it's your round") characters whohave entertained viewers between games perhaps add to their repertoiredemonstrations of the correct way to somersault from a bar stool, takea high jump or blow into a brown paper bag? - Yours, etc.,
Dr L.C. LUKE,
Consultant in Accident
and Emergency Medicine,
Cork University Hospital,
Wilton,
Cork.