It was a potent cocktail of mercurial passion, with its heart-stopping hand-clapping and epic display of explosive footwork.

For two hours, the performance was shot through with moments of sheer elation, bitter disappointment and, finally, an ending sodden with the sweat-mingled tears of tragedy.

But enough about the Ireland match.

Having spent the afternoon comforting grown men as they sobbed into their beer mats, I felt like a bit of a traitor as I took my seat for Jaleo Flamenco.

But, as Spain celebrated its place in the quarter finals and Ireland prepared for the plane journey home, it seemed as good a place as any to rejoice in the enflamed passion of a world in thrall to football.

Jaleo began touring outside Spain in 1988 and, since then, have appeared on television and radio, released records and toured theatres across Europe.

This well-regarded flamenco company is just one of a glut of exports to have come from the Iberian peninsula in recent years.

With an abundance of cheap flights to Barcelona, tapas counters in supermarkets across the land and a branch of Mango on every High Street, it seems Spanish culture has become increasingly close to British hearts.

Something about the flouncy passion and high-bred emotion of flamenco appeals to the part of us that longs to escape from that staid straitjacket of greyness that comes with being English.

That longing is answered perfectly by Jaleo Flamenco's performance.

The furious foot-stomping of dancers Ana Ma Blanco and Silverio and the haunting, throaty singing of Trinidad Montero and Moises Cano was complimented beautifully by the guitar-playing of El Ingles and Carlos Ayala.

The Gardner Arts Centre was probably not the best venue for a performance that would have benefited from a more intimate or atmospheric space.

But the stage gave the dancers the space they needed to show off their abilities in style.

One of the most exciting dances was the Martinete, a slow, unaccompanied song with its origins in the blacksmith's forge.

Other dances included the Zorongo, the joyful Alegrias and the furious Noche de Fiesta, which brought the evening to a close with more spell-binding force than a penalty shoot-out.