With the weasel worders gone on holidays there is no distraction from the football and hurling championships ,where all that is best of our native games allow real men to show what it is that makes the Irish,well Irish.
On the football front what a weekend.The real men from the west showed how it is done .Mayo deserved every point of their victory and caused the shock of the year so far.Cork were worthy champions but were short a few vital men.Despite all the systems,blanket defences and tactical ploys employed in the modern game,when all is said and done,great players are irreplaceable and the old truth that there is no substitute for a man still rings true.
After a brutal first half Donegal and Kildare served up a classic second half and period of extra time.The unbridled look of delight on the the face of the young supporter from Donegal when Cassidy kicked the winning point is the distillation of what the G.A.A.is about and the marketing gurus should capture this image and use it to promote the games.In this instance one picture is worth a thousand words.
Kildare can feel hard done by as a perfectly good goal was disallowed.IT is time to do away with this square ball idea for once and all,such is the inconsistency in its application and it is cruel to be beaten on a bad call.One wonders whether playing Johnny Doyle midfield was such a goor idea after all.I know that even from there he was their top scorer but suspect that as a free scoring forward ,which is what he is,he would have scored even more.The old principle that you always play a man in his best position still applies ,in my opinion.As a forward he was surely worth one point and might not have been in the way of so many robust challenges.
Donegal are a good team and will take some beating.Michael Murphy is easily the best full forward to grace the position this long time.He has it all.He can catch,kick and pass to perfection.He won't be bullied to easily and is totally unselfish.His skill in footlfting the ball and delivering it accurately led to the winning point.
Kerry beat Limerick without too much trouble.Limerick appeared to be a bit overawed by the occasion.Unlike Limerick Commercials who beat Pearse O Mahony's in the 18880s when the first Dunderry man to play in an All Ireland fielded with O Mahonys.He was a Mc Cabe from the Curragh Boreen and his people still flourish in the Parish.Kerry will fancy their chances big time now that Cork is gone but there is many the slip from the cup to the lip.
Tyrone beat Roscommon handily in the end but the Rossies put it up to them for half the match and missed a number of scorable chances.No bad team Roscommon and no bad team Tyrone.But at this level you must take your chances and the Rossies did not.
Tyrone also will be hard bet and Mickey Harte is some man.Given what he and his family have been through you would have to marvel at how he keeps going and where he draws his enthusiasm from.Roll on Tyrone and Dublin.
And hats of to the real men on all teams who give us such honest endeavour and entertain us so well.Long may it last.
Of course the nanny state is doing all it can to deny us the simple pleasures of simply enjoying our own games.I am sick to the teeth of these finger wagging and depressing advertisments by the road safety people which deny us just a few hours simple pleasure in front of the T.V.set.
Not only have our political leaders and their quangos utterly failed us and sold us into economic slavery but they insist on denying us the few hours hapiness we are surely entitled to.Butt out lads.
Finally I thought I was in hospital land rather than a football field last week when I heard a forga reminding patrons that it was forbiden for anyone to smoke either in the terraces or in the stands.
The persecution of smokers continues apace.
One wonders whether smokers should boycott all intercounty and club matches and withdraw entirely from Club involvement.The tobacco police will surely fill the void.won,t they?Or will they be too busy spying on you in your homes to see if you are fit parents?
With the untouchable arrogant condecension displayed by these people it is only a matter of time.
Truly we do live in an open prison
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