Oh My Word!

This has been a year sparse on joyous moments, but the odd ray of light has found its way through the tiny cracks in the darkness.

It was during the league match between St Pat's and Shelbourne, which took place here at Richmond Park 13 days ago, that we witnessed one of the most uplifting moments of the Irish sporting year. Everything about Chris Forrester's goal that sent the Saints on their way to victory in the Dublin derby was special. Everything.

From his initial control of the ball to the execution of an unstoppable thunderbolt that flew into the top corner from 30 yards, it was a moment for fans of good football to savour. Chris scored these kinds of goals, and generally sprinkled stardust all over the pitch, at regular intervals during his first spell with Pat's. His second coming hasn't quite reached those levels yet, but the goal against Shelbourne was a timely reminder of the wizardry in his feet.

However, it wasn't just the spectacular nature of the goal that made the moment so special – it was the manner in which it was celebrated outside the stadium. Not too far outside, mind. As teammates congratulated Chris on his Goal of the Month contender, the cameraman appeared to lose focus, momentarily fixing his gaze on the apartments behind the Shed End. But he knew exactly what he was doing. A split second later, as our eyes scaled the front wall of the residential complex, the bright-red hue of a flare from an apartment balcony came into view.

This was a celebration of much more than a goal. It was a triumph of the human spirit during hard times. As the pyrotechnic burned into the Inchicore sky, the sparks that spewed from its core told their own stories. They spoke of how, even though we can't attend games, it doesn’t mean we can’t be there in spirit. And even though we can't witness goals in the flesh, it doesn't mean we can't celebrate them as if we were there on the terraces.

To the ears of a zealot, the shrill sound of a full-time whistle is an alarm-of-sorts that signals the end of escapism and the return of real life. Nothing screams real life in 2020 quite like the sight of a politician giving the lowdown