It's official... Here Come The Good Times

Altogether now...With Keane to lead us, there's nothing tofear, This time 2002 is going to be our year.

Nos sooner had disc-spinner Ray D'Arcy given it a lash with his listener-inspired lyrics for the official Irish World Cup song, Here Come The Good Times than Sayonara Connemara comes falling onto the desk.

As catchy as your normal pop pap, listeners to D'Arcy's Today FM radio show provided the new words to an old song from Dublin band

A House. Recorded by some of Mick McCarthy's players and a scattering of, er, Irish celebrities, such as Westlife's Nicky Byrne, Aslan's Christy Dignam and Dustin the Turkey, the battle is about to commence on the airwaves before a ball is kicked in Japan.

Sayonara Connemara, says the press release, is "hailed as Ireland's most popular anthem for World Cup 2002," but D'Arcy insists that he and his team are going to make Here Come The Good Times the hit it should have been first time around. The original, written by ex-A House singer Dave Couse, failed to make the charts when released about 10 years ago.

Given the threatened bar workers strike and the fact that Ireland's matches, because of the eight-hour time difference, will be screened at lunchtime or in the morning, Here Come The Good Times may struggle to gain the exposure of other World Cup "classics" such as Italia '90-inspired Put 'Em Under Pressure and Give It A Lash Jack.

Put 'Em Under Pressure was the one with The Horslips Celtic rock intro and U2 drummer Larry Mullen's arrangement, while Give It A Lash Jack contained one or two timeless lines. Consider "Ronnie Whelan had them reelin'/The Russians had confirmed it as a fact/To ensure that they don't meet Ireland/They're trying to change the Warsaw Pact."

Here Come The Good Times will be released on May 10th with all the proceeds going to charity. Be charitable.

Here Come The Good Times

It's been a long time since the USA,

We've come this far, now we're going all the way.

With Keane to lead us, there is nothing to fear

This time 2002 is going to be our year

We all believe in the Irish team

We all believe in Mick McCarthy's dream

Here come the good times

Here come the good times

Here come the good times, Ireland, Ireland.

With the ball at our feet, we shoot, we score

This a time we'll celebrate, we'll hear the Irish roar,

We dream of goals in the Rising Sun,

An Irish name on each and every one,

Win, lose or draw, stand up for the team,

Let's make ourselves heard, let's shout, let's scream,

Here come the good times,

Here come the good times,

Here come the good times, Ireland, Ireland

It's good to hear the cheers again,

It's good to hear the cheers again,

It's good to hear the singing one more time ,

Here come the good times.....