Irish soccer fans at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, erupted in cheers Thursday night over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, chanting, “Lizzy’s in a box!”
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Video of the moment was posted on Twitter.
The relationship between Ireland and Britain has been strained for hundreds of years, and the United Kingdom refusing to leave Northern Ireland worsened the relationship in the 20th century. Last year, Irish Times writer Patrick Freyne humorously described the British Monarchy as “a neighbor who’s really into clowns” after “your grandfather was murdered by a clown.”
“Having a monarchy next door is a little like having a neighbour who’s really into clowns and has daubed their house with clown murals, displays clown dolls in each window and has an insatiable desire to hear about and discuss clown-related news stories. More specifically, for the Irish, it’s like having a neighbour who’s really into clowns and, also, your grandfather was murdered by a clown,” he wrote.
One Irish loyalist previously questioned if he will remain loyal to the British Monarchy in the wake of the queen’s death, indicating that King Charles III taking the throne could impact the UK’s role in Northern Ireland.
“I grew up as a loyalist. I feel loyal. But I’m not quite sure what I am loyal to. The thing that keeps us together to some degree is the queen,” community worker Sammy Douglas of Belfast said in 2019, according to The Irish Times. “She’s a wonderful woman. Absolutely wonderful. She’s held Britain together and she’s a global figure. But then the problem is when she dies, I can’t see the same loyalty or attraction to the royalty as it is now.”
Former U.S. Marine and Irish Republican Army (IRA) gunrunner John Crawley’s thrilling new book “The Yank” released this week highlights the struggle for Irish freedom from British rule. The fight could heat up once again in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
