Ella's weekend of a lifetime

Photo courtesy Land Rover.

It was the weekend of a lifetime for 10-year-old Ella Berney, which culminated  last Saturday in her singing Ireland's Call with Ireland's rugby team in front of 80,000 people at Paris's Stade de France, writes Brian Byrne. Earlier, with her mother Aisling, Ella had gone to the top of the Eiffel Tower to view the City of Light which the day before they had already toured in an open-deck bus.

Ella, daughter of Aisling and Jaime Berney of the iconic Berney Bros Saddlery in Kilcullen, had won the trip in a competition by Land Rover to select a mascot for the key Ireland-Scotland pool match in the Rugby World Cup 2023 series. After the opening march-out and the anthems, Ella and her mum were able to watch the very exciting game from a prime spot in the stands.

It had been a long day. In addition to sightseeing on Saturday morning, Ella and Aisling had to take part in rehearsals at the stadium, along with Alistair the Scotland team's mascot and his dad. For these, Aisling played the part of Johnny Sexton and Alistair's dad the part of Scotland's captain. The practice included the Irish pair singing Ireland's Call along with the recording, to the empty stadium. "There was a producer from the TV people there who explained what everyone was to do," Aisling told the Diary. "He spent ages with Ella and Alistair, showing them where to stand and where to look, along with three French kids who were there with the flags. Then we had to sing the anthems twice, which for me personally was amazing."

Ella admits that coming out of the tunnel with Johnny Sexton was a nervous experience. "I hadn't seen him coming, and then there was a hand on my shoulder and then we walked out. It was very loud and there were lights flashing on the roof." But she says that standing there with the full team, singing Ireland's Call, was something she will remember forever. "It was really fun, and something I'll never be able to do again."

Back at school yesterday was almost as big an event, with all her friends in 4th class in St Conleth and Mary's primary school in Newbridge coming up to talk to her. "I brought in the mascot bag and the shorts and tee-shirt and we went around some of the classes to show them."

Rugby is Ella's winter sport — she has been playing U10s in Newbridge Rugby Club — though her primary sports interest at the moment is in GAA, in which she plays U10s in Sarsfields. With Roisin Byrne from the Kildare Ladies team in her school, there's a very influential mentor, and Ella's main focus is to be on the school team.

But the cheers from thousands of Irish fans as they rose to the last notes of Ireland's Call in Paris last Saturday evening will be echoing in her memory for a very long time. 

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