The luck of the Irish seems to have deserted the green-clad hordes who have descended on Melbourne for the sporting weekend of a lifetime.
First their Gaelic football stars came up just short in the annual International Rules series against the pride of the AFL, losing on aggregate despite winning the
second test by three points before more than 60,000 fans at the MCG on Friday night.
And after making some progress, Irish stayer Holy Orders was back to his cantankerous worst, refusing to gallop despite the best efforts of his trainer, a horse whisperer and anyone else willing to chip in their two bob's worth.
Holy Orders is still scheduled to run in tomorrow's Melbourne Cup, although even the most fervent of Irish sports fans must now be looking elsewhere in the search for a winner.
That left the Irish rugby team carrying the hopes of a nation at Telstra Dome on Saturday night in the most important clash between the two countries since the Wallabies' famous 19-18 victory at Lansdowne Rd 12 years ago.
It wasn't to be, with the men in green losing 16-17.
