Don't Look Back in Anger

The programme recounts events from 2002, a year marked by Roy Keane’s well‑known dispute with Mick McCarthy. It also covers Bertie Ahern steering Fianna Fáil to a general election win, though the party fell short of an outright majority in the Dáil.

The piece is a single‑episode programme that aired in 2002, packaged as an episode‑length feature. It’s presented as a concise look back at that particular year, using the format of a television programme to bring together the most talked‑about stories from the time. Though brief, the episode aims to capture the spirit of the early‑2000s by focusing on two high‑profile incidents that dominated the headlines. The core of the episode centres on two pivotal events from 2002. First, it revisits the well‑known clash between footballer Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy, a dispute that captured the nation’s attention and sparked endless debate among fans and pundits alike. The second storyline follows the political arena, where Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fáil secured a victory in the general election but fell short of an outright majority, leaving the government in a delicate position. Both moments are presented as the defining narratives that shaped public discourse that year. Beyond the headline incidents, the episode weaves these episodes together to illustrate how sport and politics intersected in the public consciousness of 2002. By juxtaposing the heated football argument with the election’s hung‑parliament outcome, the programme offers a snapshot of a year when both the pitch and the polling stations produced stories that still resonate. The concise format keeps the focus tight, delivering a clear picture of the era’s most memorable clashes.