The night Palestine came to Phibsborough

May 15 is a significant day in Palestinian history; the Nakba refers to the displacement of 750,000+ Palestinian people from their native land.

The day took on more significance in 2024 as the Palestinian people stare down a war against neighbouring Israel.

The Israel-Hamas war has been raging on since the events of October 7th with no corner of the earth left untouched by its cultural and political implications.

In the United States, the ongoing war has become one of the defining issues in this year’s re-match between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Brazilian president Lula Da Silva has referred to the ongoing war as a “genocide,” and the Japanese government say they show “deep regret” over the war. 

Ireland has emerged as one of the nations that has taken an acute interest in the war and new Taoiseach Simon Harris has formed an unlikely partnership with Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in wanting both countries to acknowledge Palestine’s statehood.

The week after the game, Ireland joined up with Spain and Norway in formally recognising Palestine as a state.

It is amid this backdrop that Phibsbourough’s own Bohemians played host to the Palestinian women’s team in the first-ever football match between a team from Palestine and a team from Europe.

Bohs, known for their outward-looking and progressive worldview, are a natural fit to host a team from Palestine amid the backdrop of a contentious conflict. 

People who say that football and politics don’t mix (and clearly have no idea about the history of the sport) would have been aghast at local and European candidates handing out leaflets outside the game nor would they likely have approved of politicians being guests of honour at the game.

The match was political by its very nature, which was best exemplified by President Michael D Higgins receiving a standing ovation as he and the other guests took their seats.

Higgins, who was also in attendance when his hometown team Galway United saw off Bohs’ over the Bank Holiday weekend, received a rockstars welcome.

As fans entered the ground, they saw that an army of volunteers had placed the Palestinian flag on every seat, with fans encouraged to wave them.

A smorgasbord of the Irish political scene was present at the game, such as Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald and Lynn Boylan, MEP Mick Wallace, Palestine ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, and Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and local Senator Marie Sherlock in attendance.

The strains of The Beatles’ All You Need Is Love played as the teams took to the field, and both national anthems were performed impeccably. 

A minute’s silence to commemorate Nakba saw an air of stillness descend over the ground, underlining the occasion.

The mood in Dalymount could be described as 80% joyful and 20% solemn.

It was clear that the match was being played in the backdrop of a major global conflict and the reverence of the occasion was not lost on people.

An Irish team playing a team from Palestine has long been in the making; last summer, we reported on efforts by Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward lobbying the FAI to host an international friendly with Palestine.

A team from Palestine travelling from a war zone was not lost on the media, with the Irish Times’ preview piece capturing the significance of the match.

Player Dina Abdeen told the newspaper, “I haven’t been able to be with the squad in Palestine, there are borders and barriers that don’t allow us to be there together so we’ve had to meet somewhere else. In Gaza, our fields and our stadiums have been demolished.”

However, the evening was also a cause for celebration.

At the game itself, fans were able to avail of falafel and the flags were in full flow (along with plentiful Mexican waves).

Owing to the nature of the event, chants such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “one two three four, occupied no more, five six seven eight, Israel is a terrorist state” rang out.

At half-time, Mary Black performed No Frontiers after the initially slated Christy Moore had to withdraw.

In the lead-up to the game, the team visited President Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin and were greeted by Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste.

Speaking to the media after their arrival at Dublin Airport, Busan Abuaita explained that players are from Palestine itself and from the wider Palestinian diaspora. 

Speaking to RTÉ, Abuaita said, “this game is more special for us as we are going to a country that shows so much solidarity to the Palestinian people, we are doing this to play a game but also to support Gaza and all Palestinian people.”

4,390 people packed into the stadium, and the events on the pitch gave fans something to shout about.

Football is often seen as a healing tool in times of strife; Croatia’s 1998 World Cup heroics helped heal divides in a country that was at war not even five years earlier.

May 15 may be the only occasion in Irish football history where the home team cheered the away team scoring the winning goal.

Palestine saw off Bohemians 2-1, with a 78th-minute winner from Nour Youssef emitting a deafening roar that was probably heard in Stoneybatter.

Bohemians were the better team for the first half and a good chunk of the second half, but the Palestinian team rose to the occasion with two well-taken goals.

The highlight of the evening came when both teams took part in a lap of honour in front of the fans.

While the two teams were rivals for 90 minutes, they were friendly rivals.

There were no Roy Keane-style tackles and players were quick to help each other up.

Football, for all its problems of poor governance, never-ending manager searches and massively inflated transfer fees, is still a communal game at heart.

Proceeds from the game went towards covering the visit of the Palestinian team and backroom staff, with the rest of the proceeds going towards charity partners Palestine Sport for Life, Medical Aid for Palestinians and Aclaí Palestine.

As the sun set over Phibsborough it was clear to those in attendance that they had just witnessed something historic, something that was bigger than football.

The serene walk out of the ground being interrupted by people trying to sell Palestinian bucket hats quickly burst the bubble.