McCarthy - takes Republic to finals (Allsport).

By Alistair Grant, PA Sport

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As a nation, the Irish love to party - and as a manager, straight-talking Yorkshireman Mick McCarthy would love nothing more this summer than to uncork the biggest knees-up the Emerald Isle has seen in a dozen years.

The Barnsley-born Republic of Ireland manager, who amassed 57 caps for his adopted nation as a rugged centre-back, knows he now stands on the verge of finally banishing the ghost of Jack Charlton.

England's 1966 World Cup winner was elevated to icon status in pubs and bars across Ireland in Italia 90 when, as national team boss, he guided his men to the quarter-finals.

That achievement sparked wild celebrations, both among the travelling jolly green army in Italy - and back home, where the Guinness brewery must have been close to being drunk dry.

It was McCarthy, a player in the celebrated 1990 side, who was handed the near-impossible task of replacing Charlton - one of the few men who can ever claim to have been a legend on both sides of the Irish Sea.

But now, six years down the line, he has overcome the play-off gremlins that dogged the first half of his managerial reign and is ready to finally dislodge the monkey off his back.

The critics may argue that the chances of repeating the last-eight heroics of 1990 in 2002 are, in reality, a distant dream - but any follower of the Irish national team down the years knows that reality has a peculiar habit of blurring into fantasy.

Take that momentous summer afternoon 12 years ago, in the second-round sudden-death penalty shoot-out against Romania.

David O'Leary drilled home the winning spot-kick and suddenly the Irish were in the last eight of Italia 90.

Now McCarthy, who has signed a two-year contract extension until after Euro 2004, has more fairytale success in his sights.

"Now this contract is sorted we can get on with the business of doing well in the World Cup," he said.

"We're not happy or content at qualifying - we now want to perform and have a good tournament rather than coming home on June 12."

A flight back to Dublin on that date is unlikely as the opposition lined up for Ireland in Group F appear lightweight in comparison to England's daunting Group of Death.

First up for the Irish are Cameroon, the African outfit who roared onto the global stage in 1990 but now - crucially - lack the element of surprise in their armoury.

Then comes the crunch date with Germany, a match which should decide which nation tops the group.

The encounter will be approached with far less fear than it would have been five or six years ago, when the Germans were still at the pinnacle of world football.

The final fixture of the group stage is against Saudi Arabia, a naive and unproven team which should present few difficulties to McCarthy's men.

And if a second-round place is assured by topping the group, a last-16 clash with the Group B runners-up - possibly Paraguay - would leave the Irish supporters dreaming of the quarter-finals again.

McCarthy feels both he and his squad have the calibre to emulate the feat of 12 years ago.

He added: "There's been a progression of me learning over the last few years, getting more experienced and being able to do the job better in tandem with the players.

"Those that came in with me in 1996 are all far better players now - both in terms of personality, in the dressing room and on the pitch - so we've all improved."

Improvements were necessary after the Irish came unstuck in the qualifying play-offs for both France 98 and Euro 2000.

This time around, Ireland's big-stage nerves had been strengthened sufficiently to steer them through the pressure-cooker showdown with Iran and into the World Cup finals.

McCarthy has already made significant inroads on the Jack Charlton legacy - and his desire to continue that success as Ireland boss is no weaker than his determination as a player.

His standards are so high, in fact, that he has pledged to quit if Ireland's Euro 2004 qualification bid fails.

He said: "I just hope we've not peaked and this World Cup will be the pinnacle of it all.

"If we go on to the European Championships and don't qualify, I'm not going to be around. I'm not going to stay and it's as simple as that. I'll go if we don't qualify.

"The standards have now been set with us qualifying for the World Cup, and if we hadn't done that I wouldn't be here now. That would have been my decision and the same applies for the European Championships."

But Republic fans worried another adopted Englishman is ready to uproot and return across the Irish Sea should not be too concerned.

McCarthy is a manager who demands the utmost devotion from his players. And if his men continue to provide that crucial ingredient, his increasing profile in Irish folklore will become more and more established - long past this summer's World Cup and Euro 2004.