Saturday, June 30, 2012

Dunderry Matches w.e.30/06/2012

The under 14 footballers continued on their winning ways with a home victory last Tuesday evening.I wasn't sure whether they were playing and only saw a few minutes by accident.They are on a roll since being turfed out of the Championship for not fielding.Going well now,with only a few matches to play in the summer league.
In the B League I attended a very entertaining match between ourselves and Moynalvey in their ground.They are a very decent lot and the match was played in the best of spirits ,no dirt and loads of endeavour from both sides.The ref was Mick Ryan from Dunsany ,a man who referees club matches to County standards,in that he doesn't blow prissily nor oftenThe players responded well and I would say that all involved enjoyed themselves.We were short a few and deservedly lost.
Both sides were guilty of more than the normal number of stray passes ,but I would absolutely love to be able to do them myself at this stage.Lads play as long and as often as you can.
I was delighted to meet a former colleague at he game.Tempus definitevly fugits as we both had sons playing.Don't have the bragging rights this time.
The Feis Cup match against Skryne was played in the pitch last evening.This was the first match this year not presided over by John Brady ,who has had to take time out for personal reasons.Barry Sheridan and Con O Neill now carry the baton ,not a light load in this Parish ,where expectations to win the intermediate are high every year and where failure to do so is frowned on by the afficiandos.I know all about this,having walked the walk.They have a hard job of work ahead and I wish them and the players the very best.They and the players carry huge expectations and I have nothing but praise for the players who are in the field nearly every night ,especially the dual players.Those lucky enough to have work involving early starts and who have families to support must be suffering exhaustion between everything ,but I suppose that the physical exertion ameliorates the bubbling pressure this damned recession and austerity is imposing on all.
Conversely those with no jobs are under even more severe pressure trying to keep poverty from coming in the window and love going out the door.We live in hard times and unforgiving times.
Like the Moynalvey match the Carnaross ref,O Reilly did a great job and the players responded well.
It was an open game played in the best of spirits and not a dirty stroke and no mouthing either.A good few stray passes ,more so by us and although we were beaten by six points ,the match was contested to the end.
An unusual feature was that both sides  had former greats and men capable of still contributing to the cause on the field.We had Darren Fay,thrice an All Star and twice an All Ireland senior winner and they had Trevor Giles who I think has also two All Irelands and a number of All Stars also,the exact number of which I don't know.There is nothing big headed about either of these men and nobody on either side was out to make a name for himself by tyrying to "do" them.Anyhow these boys can mind themselves and I was delighted for my eldest Evan in that he was equal to Giles his direct opponent as was the Skryne player who marked a rusty Fay,who has missed a lot of training sessions as he is studying hard to secure employment .GAA fame is no guarantee of employment in this County or Country.
Rumour has that the game keeper Fay intends to turn poacher and try his hand at full forward.Time will tell.
The Camogie Junior Team recently put Donaghmore 's second yeam to the sword ,a feat I missed and I hear they are swaying regurarly to the beat of the rumba to get fit.
This evening there was a post painting sponsorship and feed in the field and the  Old folks committee is running a sponsored cycle to the bog also.
Any older readers I have may remember Pat Mc Elroy .a Corkonian who lived in Blanch and Who I befriended there.He won two senoir football championships with Summerhill in the late sixties /early seventies I think and would have played with the likes of Mattie Kerrigan.He was a member of a family of fourteen I am told and had eight of his own.His sisters child is young Gould who plays with Cork Footballers.He use work in Post and Telgraphs and was a thorough gentleman and a very brave man who fought his illness to the last.
I didn't make the funeral in Blanch on Thursday and Friday as I have my own medical problems,but my brothers did.Blanch was brought to a standstill as his coffin was carried through the village to the local Church and thousands followed it.There was a massive crowd from Cork there and his passing will long be remembered in Blanch .for the genuineness and friendliness of the huge attendance.
Ar dheas De go raibh a hanam dilis.
Finally those few of you away who suffer these ramblings should not be too homesick.The weather is brutal  here
Slan go foill..

Drumbeat Dividend 30/06/2012.

Last week's winner puts us on a winning streak of one.Throwing caution to the wind today we are opting for Almanack in the 6.30 in the Curragh.Tommy Stack thinks a lot of this improving horse and the ground should suit.The odds will be  good for this outsider.I am sorely tempted to put a fiver each way but wuill restrain myself to a fiver win to conform with the original plan of betting a fiver win each Saturday for a year and then taking stock.What a wimp.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Mulhuddard Grave Blessing 26/06/2012

Mulhuddard Cemetery was packed today,not a great day weatherwise,for the blessings of the graves.Daddy and Mammy are buried there as are many former buddies of the family and past friends from the neighbourhood and my only former Club,St.Brigids.Met George Brennan,Noel Tonge,Aidan English,Patsi Powell ,Ray Carty ,Bob O Leary ,Frank Russell ,Ellis Poynton and my own crowd,Cecil,Martin,Benjy,Barbra,John and the kids,Emily,Marie Brennan and Paul Norton  and many more.Missed my good friends the Hughes from Blanch.and was well fed in Cecil's gaff.
The Hughes left early to update themselves on the result of the All Ireland Football Feile from Portlaoise where Brigids were in the Final.
They won and the team is coached by Keith Barr,who has a son playing.They are also Dublin under 14 Hurling  Feile Champs.Some achievement and some advances from the times I played at that age there and subsequent years of involvement there.
Must try and encourage such vision and ambition here in Dunderry.
Cecil is up to his oxters in Erin go Brath and he tells me they are going well.I wish them all the luck in the world.
Can't let the occasion go without mentioning Tommy Tonge' judgement on the quality of pints of Guinnesss in the locality years ago ,when he opined in a discussion on the matter that "there is no such thing as a bad pint lads, just good ones and better ones.", but not in the pub that was so bereft of atmosphere that "it would be a great place to bring your mother in law on the way home from a funeral"



Saturday, June 23, 2012

Secularists dumbstruck.

Imagine if over 100 children died while in the care of the Church this last decade and imagine if proper records were not kept.The secular high priests and priestesses would have organised lynching parties for all the clergy ,advocated the abolition of Catholicism entirely ,severed relations with the Vatican entirely and the bigoted media would have had a field day sneering at the men in frocks.
The circle of hate would be in full spite calling for heads on plates.
But now that secular Ireland has been found out the silence is deafening.
No incandescent Vinnie Boy,no belaboured Fergi ,no hectoring Colm,no D'orcy mouthing off,no pontificating Justine,no Enda belabouring his colleagues who presided over this atrocity,no atheist Tanaiste cutting off relations with his political brothers who headed the system of human destruction,no Aodhan nor David who pissed on Christian belief in favour of the secular,no secular Ruairi putting his anti Catholic head above the parapet,no Lisa rerouting her sneers from the men in dresses against her feminist and secular friends and no murmuring Marion on her broomstick.
O Caolan of Sinn Fein the only man to take responsibility for political ineptitude of the body politic.
What a shower.
Would you entrust you kids to the care of secular Ireland.?Be very careful what you will be railroaded into in the upcoming referendum.They want to get them sooner into what has been found to be the murder machine in all but name and thet will use this as a fig leaf to cover past ineptitude and future intrusion into family life,which they are deliberately destroying with austerity measures.
Watch the secular excuses and the fir and mna breaga parading their talents .

Winner all right.

Sea Moon 3/1 winner.Back in the groove.

Drumbeat Dividend 23/06/2012

Try Sea Moon in the 3.05 at Ascot.And pray hard.
We have tipped 4 losers in a row.Time to break losing sequence.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Dunderry V Kildalkey i.H.C.22/06/2012.

We were hammered by 3-11 to 0-9 by Kildalkey this evening in Boardsmill in a match where we looked very pedestrian,jaded and tired  and where only Damian Bruton to some extent and Killian Minogue to a greater extent rose to the occasion.
Nothing went right for us and while not even one refereeing decision  went our way ,we never rose above second gear and have only ourselves to blame.
It is hard to know what went wrong,but my own opinion is that the frequency of the  training regime of the dual players and the frequency of matches is wearing down some of the players.
Kildalkey lost to Wolfe Tones and Kildalkey lost two of that team to the seniors.
The Wolfe Tones and other spectators will rightly have written us off.
Flange Mc Guinness,Junior Cahill and Gerry Mc  Laughlin will have some job restoring morale and reshaping our campaign.
Yesterday evening I witnessed the slaughter of our Junior Camogie by Kildalkey in their grounds under incessant rain.So two horrific evenings from our point of view.
Its not that long since we could manage their best teams at this level no bother.
How things have changed.Must try and see what's in the water there.
Fuller report later.
Fifty years ago I heard an auld fella saying"The tramp walked through every village in Meath but he ran through Kildalkey".Well these last two days KIldalkey ran through us no bother and without breaking sweat..
We have to up our game and deliver .Jasus we are not that bad.

Dunderry V Dunboyne I.H.C.2012. First Round.

Played in a Longwood pitch on Sunday         June 2012 at 3.30 on a pitch that stood up well to torrential rain all day Saturday and earlier today .

Dunboyne Team per Georgie Hutton ,not a bad one in his day.

                                           Paul Brady

Liam Kane                          Patsy O Connor                    Cormac Hutton

Brendan Sweeney               Damian Buggle                    D.J. Carey

                               Danny Kane     Gary Watters

Ronald Dunne                       Michael Reilly                      Ciaran Mc Kay

Joey Coftus!!                        Stephen Clynch                     Mark Finlay


Dunderry.

                                               Chris Harrington

Davy Stephens (capt,)        Davy Mc Cormack                  Darren Callaghan

Damian Bruton                 Ivan Mc Cormack                    Brendan Wright                                             

                                       Bomber Farrell    Kevin Dowd

Killisan MInogue                         Evan Stephens            Bob Doherty          

Paddy Gorey                                 Keith Callaghan          Jordan Martin  

First few minutes were tit for tat until a ground ball from Wright went to Martin who passed to Bomber .Point.Interplay between Bomber,Bruts ,Red and back to Bomber,who lets long into square is broken when Keith is blown .We earn line ball,which Minogue directs to Finn who points.Keith bears down on goal and is harried into a wide ("Good man Horse roars Hutton").Watters wins ball and lets in to square where Davy Mac and Wright take control and clear to half forwards where Carey collects and goes on his bike until Ivan intercepts to Finn to Ted.breaks to Wright .Fouled.  Messy play ensues and Dunboyne earn a free which thy hit wide.Solid Dunboyne defending concedes a line ball to us ,which we fail to take advantage of and surrender possession to Danboyne who score a minor.Harry lands puck out on top of Bob ,who transfers to Keith ,whose rocket comes back off the crossbar .Martin collects and hits wide.Bomber wins puck out ,to Ted ,who lets in and Martin scores a cunning goal. .Shortly afterwards Watters rattles the crossbar .They over elaborate and hit wide.Finn hits wide.We break up another Dunboyne attack and ball ends with Ted,who hits wide.Bob takes fatherly point following good approach play from Finn and Martin. Ding dong play terminates with Ted conceding a free which Dunboyne take advantage of with a minor.Minogure earns a free which Keith blasts and Dunboyne save,Minogue retrieves and to Bob ,who hits wide.Watters is playing well but lacks support. Bob hits line ball wide.Ted to Gorey to Finn to Bob.Wide.Carey is a good player.Dunboyne conjure up a goal from nothing.Gorey to Bob.Wide.Watters is excelling.  Dunboyne 8 takes a good point from a bad Dunderry clearance.Ivan takes a long distance free and points.1-4 to 1-3 to us.  Gorey takes a good point from play.Keith is fouled and takes his point.Half time .1-6 to 1-3 in our favour.First half was even enough,though we never got out of third gear.We need to ratchet it up.
Ted wins throw in and to Martin.Wide.Tenacious defending by both sides over the next five minutes ,the highlight of which was a spectacular save from the Dunboyne net keeper from a Callaghabn bullet ends with a Bruton free and a move involving Finn,Keith and Gorey ends with a Gorey rocket to the net.Finn hits wide.Wright launches attack which ends up wide.Bob hits wide from a Wright delivery.A hurt Gorey makes way for Andy Coogan.Minogue hits wide.Dunboyne 15 is substituted.Bob hits wide.Dunboyne 10 gets marching orders.Coogan,Keith ,Finn.Wide.Minogue fouled.Keith scores minor from free.Dunboyne miss scorable chance.A sequence of Dunderry passes ends with a Keith point.Ivan points a seventy.Bomber hits wide.Dunboyne hit wide.Martin points from play.Bob points from play after good Dunderry interplay.Easy enough when Dunboyne are down a man.Joey Martin on.Jordan score a minor from play after a well coordinated move.Bob hits wide.Dunboyne poach a goal.Gilky is on and to Jordan.Point.Jordan hits wide.Keith rattles the net.Sprog clears and ball is worked to Andy.Wide.
We win 3-11 to 2-3.
We never got higher than fourth gear and hit 16 wides.but just as well as we won by a great margin.Against a better team we would rue so many misses.
This was a clean match and I was surprised the Dunboyne man saw red.I didn't see what happened.And a yellow was issued to one of ours for very little,as far as I could see.                          
We did enough to win .If Dunboyne have better players on their senior team than Watters and Carey they must be brilliant.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Circle of hate .

It has long been my contention that despite the overwhelming majority of Citizens professing themselves to be Catholics ,a fact the latest consensus confirms , a tiny and disproportionate number of atheist and secular politicians ,journalists and media commentators have poisoned the mindset of many people against Catholicism by a continuous barrage of of anti Catholic bigotry at every available opportunity.
You know the people involved as well as I do.I call these people the circle of hate.
Very properly Religious who sexually abused children at any stage in the past have been tried in Court and properly sentenced.RTE has even gone so far as to accuse at least one innocent man of the heinous crime totally without foundation and it would make you wonder about the accuracy of anything they report.
Those against  Catholicism are attacking the very nub of the Faith while maintaining secrecy in secular matters.There is little difference between the approach of this particular Government to the sanctity of the confessional and that of the most communist and totalitarian regimes in this respect.
The mantra was basically Secular Good and Catholic Evil.
Now boys you see how Secular society treated children under their charge this last decade.Over 100 avoidable deaths at least and gross negligence all over the place.And records missing or incomplete.Now imagine were we to go back fifty years.What numbers would be involved and what records would be available.Your guess is probably better than mine.Maybe thousands.
And these matters were presided over by secular politicians ,secular Judges and Secular civil servants and Secular Public Servants.
Already the members of the circle of hate are making excuses .Listen to the double standards of the circle members .Do you think that the witch hunt against Catholicism will be replicated against the Secular State Agents and the political leaders responsible for these deaths and do you think that the matter will be looked at back for fifty years.
This very imperfect Catholic knows full well that not even one prosecution of a politician nor any of the States agents will take place.
I await the outrage of the circle of hates devotees.

Muskateer gets a sickening blow.

Last Friday June 15th.2012 the Muskateers were in disarray.Carmel kept the flame burning .I was absent because of personal matters but the most decent of men ,Liam Dalton did not appear and you would just know that something was seriously amiss.And sadly it was.That very day his brother Paul,who was suffering from terminal cancer suddenly expired.
Just the previous Friday we had discussed the man and Liam had no notion of any impending disaster.Paul had spent many years in Australia ,whence he had returned about two years ago and had contacted cancer shortly afterwards.In latter weeks he was well cared for in a nursing home in Athboy and Liam was a regular visitor,as you would expect.
Our sympathies go to Liam,his 95 year old mother.extended family ,great neighbours and wide circle of friends ,who packed the Church in Robinstown and Dunderry Graveyard afterwards.
Go deana Dia trocaire ar a hanam dilis.

Death of Nora Coffey,Yellow Walls

Yesterday (Tuesday ), evening ,while his son Calvin was togging out for an under 14 Match in the pitch,Colin Coffey received the call to go urgently to the Mater Hospital ,where his mother Nora was a patient.The rest of the family ,save himself and his father Tim,were already up there and they immediately answered the call.We were quietly praying that it was a false alarm ,but it proved not to be as the Matriarch of this family ,who have embedded themselves in every aspect of community activity in the Parish ,expired peacefully shortly afterwards ,surrounded by her loving family.
Survived by her husband Tim,a legend and hero of the football fields of Meath in his heyday and still going strong when most his age would be relaxing by the fireside bright , her sons Peter,Colin ,Dessie and Dermot, daughters Eileen ,Paula and Bernie and a a large number of grandchildren ,this most decent of families have been and continue to be mainstays of Dunderry GAA Club,where Coffeys ,Brutons and Bonds represent the Club on the hurling and football fields of Meath week in week out and where Eileen (Bruton ) is still a member of the Executive and a great one at that.
It is a long time now since we cut our teeth mentoring under age hurling teams with which her three sons plied their hurling trade with the full encouragement of Tim.
Fearlessness is a trademark of the Coffeys and this trait was clearly inherited from Nora and Tim and her passing severs a historic link to the past and to times that ere undoubtedly tough in which they raised a family anyone would be proud of.
All Gaels ,neighbours and friends,relations and in=laws will mourn her passing and on behalf of myself and my family and the GAA and Caogie clubs in Dunderry,we offer our sincere sympathies and condolences.
Her mortal remains will lie in repose in Heffernan's Funeral Home in Trim from 3.00 P.M. next Friday,whence they will depart to arrive in Dunderry Church for 7.00 that evening.
Funeral; Mass on Saturday at 12.00 and burial immediately afterwards in Dunderrry Cemetery.
Ar Dheis De go raibh a hanam dilis.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Drumbeat Dividend for 16/06/2012

We aim to break our duck by placing a fiver win on Dance and Dance in the 3.45 at York.Drops down in class after chasing home Side Glance at Epsom and ground and  track should suit.And say a Hail Mary as well.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Wallace and fair weather friends

Unlike many former colleagues,who cost the Taxpayer hundreds of Millions in Tribunal fees to get to the truth,Mick Wallace has confessed to a false declaration in relation to the VAT liability of one of the Companies he was a director and shareholder of. One resumes that he did this because the publication of this fact by the Revenue Commissioners was imminent.It flows from this that the Revenue have already decided ,under their interpretation of their care and management powers ,that prosecution is not appropriate in the circumstances of this case.
Any attempt ,either by the Oireachtas or anyone else to reverse this decision amounts to interference  in the exercise of Revenue powers and calls by opportunistic Ministers to to open the veil of secrecy with Revenue in his regard only and not in relation to their own areas of responsibility is not on.Every Government Department is actively touting for informers and the people informed on ,who may have their lives destroyed by such "Good Citizen " reports have just as much entitlement to know the identity of those informing on them as any Minister has to stick his or her nose into the exercise of Revenue of its duties with individual taxpayers.
If taxpayers feel that their confidential information furnished will not be treated in confidence then the system will fall apart.A result the promoters of the decommissioning of the confessional seal hope will befall Catholicism.
It is not that long ago since  Ministers were diligent to remove from themselves any powers they had to decide such matters,presumably as they viewed it as inimical to their image.If they are unhappy with the Revenue all they have to do is to enact laws so that they ,the politicians can make these decisions in future cases.
But one assumes that as the three Revenue Commissioners are appointed by either the Taoiseach of the day or the Government of the day they have adequate faith in their appointees to do the proper and prudent thing in these matters.
Now the main issues that concern me are different than those opportunistic soundbites shouted from the high secular ground by a diverse spectrum of politicians who by their actions,or absence of them have reduced us to the status of  beggar man of Europe and surrendered our sovereignty by incremental kow towing to the Reich and its satellites,of which we are now the most abject and spineless.
The public are so disillusioned that 50% of the electorate didn't even vote in the recent referendum surrendering more sovereignty and of the 50% that did vote  only 60% voted in favour despite the active backing of  the three biggest political parties in the Dail and the urgings of their friends in business,most of whom I imagine are hoping for a quid quo pro in return.
The most hypocritical and vociferous critics ,both in the media and in politics bases their rantings on the following facets:-
(1).He broke the law and is therefor unfit to be a member of the Dail.
(2)He lied in a declaration to Revenue and as a liar is not proper material for the job of T.D.
(3)His colleagues should have the authority to sack him.
Now I would have major problems with all these propositions.
There is no obligation on anyone to obey an unjust law in my view.The line that the secular  law was sacrosanct was  peddled by Hitler's Germany,Stalin's USSR,Mao 's China,Pol Pot's Cambodia,Japan's Hirohito and many more more recent regimes who have mass murdered their populaces and others.
I have no doubt that the principle of upholding of the law will be pushed by those Labour,Fine Gael and Fianna Fail  T.D.'s who have sold out their electorate by endorsing the unjust and inequitable  household charges,the septic tank charges and the plethora of disgraceful ,sneaky and oppressive laws they have enacted to get at decent people whatever way they can.
Believe  me you ain't seen nothing yet.
To see where these incompetents have left us do a tour of Kells,Navan and Trim,taking in the industrial estates in the hinterland and imagine what the places will be like in five years when the Mines wind down.Now imagine what it would be like if the forty thousand who emigrated were kicked back home.
The trustee taxes of PAYE/PRSI and VAT are the biggest scam of all time,when viewed from a certain perspective.
VAT is not a just tax in any form .A millionaire pays the same amount on the goods or service as a pauper. The regime has been arranged to make every Registered person an unpaid collector of revenues for the State and imposes the most severe penalties and fines if the job is not done properly by that  person.Actually the Collector General collects no VAT at all from unregistered persons.What it does is manage the real collectors.Every politician.judge and public servant knows full well that if the registered traders are not kept in line their salaries and pensions will dry up.Their victims are therefor whipped into line at every opportunity and this may explain the utterly severe sentences imposed by a political appointed judiciary on offenders of late.
As I predicted some time ago the Government has broken the spirit of the Judiciary by not allowing them to fight against the wage reduction imposed for reasons of subjugation  and the ordinary citizen is at a huge disadvantage when he takes on the State in matters affecting the health of the Exchequer..
The politicians know where their mullah comes from.And so do their buddies.
While there is some element of equity in the Income Tax and RSI system ,in that it takes into account the income level of the individual, Registered employers are also unpaid collectors for the State and my remarks in relation to VAT Registered persons have equal application.

The EU is dependant on contributions from each member State  to exist so both the E.U. and each State have vested interests in imposing the severest penalties and conditions on these unfortunates.
Such is the burden of compliance on business in relation to these matters and the unending requirements of other State organs and quangos that you would want to be mad to go there and the reality is that it is impossible to be straight all the time.Any honest business person or civil servant would tell you this if pushed and it is long past time that these issues were addressed and simplified.If not the EU will die the death very shortly.
Secular law regards breach of tax law as the greatest crime.Similar to East Germany before the fall of the wall.Give all to Caesar and let God go to Hell is the secularists motto.And compassion has no place,only retribution.
Those individuals and organisations whose neglect impoverished the populace to the extent that it is impossible to satisfy all creditors from one's resources and leave no way out except to cheat are the real culprits here.And we know who they are.
In brief I do not believe that what Mick Wallace did in relation a Tax which I consider unjust is wrong ,particularly if,as appears to be the case ,there was no way he could meet the impossible demands of a multiplicity of demented creditors from resources that withered because of the gross neglect of the people regulating the Country.There but for the Grace of God go us all.
The Dail needs far more people drawn from the business community who know first hand the vicissitudes of business and to be lectured to by former teachers and the like ,who never created even one job and never employed anyone save the substitute they employ to preserve their pensions,is a bit rich.
Regarding  the suitability for the Dail of people who lie,   I 'd saythere would be very few qualified,maybe a few dozen in the Country.In my life so far I have only met one man who told me he never lied .
I do think however that anyone who tells another that he has hired a hit man to collect a debt,when it is untrue ,in order to scare a debtor ,is beneath contempt and should not be welcome in decent company,never mind the Dail.
There are very few circumstances where politicians should have the power to decide to unelect democratically elected deputies .Such a power would make them self perpetuating dictators and fascists.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Dunderry Grave Blessings 2012

Dunderry CemeteryTwo Ceremonies.Saturday 7th July 7.30 P.M.Mass and Blessing after.

                                                                           Sunday 8th July 11.00 A.M.Mass and blessing after.
                                                                            Take your pick.
Churchtown Blessing.:Tuesday 10th July 7.30 P.M.

Retaine Blessing: Wednesday 11 th July at 7.30.P.M.

Clady Blessing :Weednesday 11th at 8.00P.M.

Kilcooley ;Wednesday 11th at 8.30 P.M..

Kilbride :Sunday 15th July ;Mass 7.00 P.M.Blessing after Mass.

Moyet:Tuesday 17th July 7.30.P.M.

Tullaghanogue:Tuesday 17th at 8.00 P.M..

Black Church.Thursday 19 th July 7.30.P.M.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Colmcilles by a point.

Last Monday we were beat by Colmcilles from the Laytown/Bettystown area by a point in the A League.I missed the  game but am told that we were well ahead until the last twenty minutes when we fell asunder.
As per usual we were short up to a half dozen panel members.Not saying we would have done any better.
Next Friday we play Na Fianna in the Inter Championship.Shit or bust for all involved.

Drumbeat Dividend for 09/06/2012

After the disasters of the past two weeks we are hoping to get back in the winning enclosure withVAN ELLIS in the 2.35 in Chester.Remains unexposed after four outings and his sole victory came in Dundalk last month.He is likely to force the pace under Joe Fanning and is great value at 6/1.
We need this one as the bookies are well ahead at this stage.My fiver is going on in any event.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Living the dream at a fiver.

My grand kids are pure magic.One six year old has an imagination that knows no boundaries and spends much of his time in cartoon land,where we all know everything is possible and America speak is the norm.
On one of those balmy days last week,borrowed from the Caribbean,his mother invested a fiver in a marked down inflatable pool,maybe a foot across and six inches deep.She filled it with water and his lordship languidly lay down in it,Lidl sunglasses on his nose and pronounced "I'm living the dream."
Priceless.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Drumbeat Dividend for 02/06/2012.

At the pin of our collars we are plumping for Beaten Up in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket.The favourite will be hard to beat but if he slips up William Haggis reports he has nothing at home to come up to the standard of Beaten Up.Should be about 5/1 

Death of John Greally

Earlier this week I had the unpleasant task of attending the funeral of John Greally in Blanchardstown.While there really is no convenient time to die the mid forties really is far to young.And that was John's age,far too young to be found unexpectedly dead in his bed,to the great distress of his misfortunate mother,brothers Gerry and Michael and sister Anne and his nephews , nieces and a very wide circle of stunned friends.
Better known as the "bear"to his friends in St.Brigids,where I first met the extended family many moons ago,he was a prison officer by profession and his colleagues turned out in force to pay respects to what was clearly a well respected and admired work colleague.They had a guard of honour and a piper played his farewells.
There were as many people outside the Church as inside ,such was the respect and esteem in which he was held and he was buried in Mulhuddart alongside his father Mick who predeceased him by two years.His mother was distraught by the hammer blows rained down on her by the double burden of losing a husband and son so closely in time and by the un natural burden of being predeceased by a child.God help her.
The bear was a decent and straight man.His word was his bond.I have reason to know.This is no surprise as his father and mother were of similar trait and the apple never falls far from the tree.
I had the pleasure of playing football with both father and son.Both showed a determination in the tackle which would put the fear of God into the bravest opponent,the father more so than the son it must be said.
And while the father won All Irelands and represented Connaught in his day and John didn't ,he was nevertheless a solid and inspiring corner back at club level for Brigid's.
I would have to say that his father was one of the toughest men I ever played with and honest to his fingertips on the field of play.He served as Chairman of Brigids when it was dangerous to do so and steered the Club through some very choppy waters.
Ar dheis De go raibh anam dilis Eoin.

Unexpected death of Dickin Conway

Word is just filtering through of the unexpected death of one of nature's gentlemen,Dick Conway of the Hill of Faughan.This is a further blow to the wider Conway clan as we had just buried his double first cousin Nell Gough,at whose wake I had met his sister Eileen.
Many older residents of Dunderry will remember Dickin well as he spent much of his youth around the area.He was a fanatical sportsman and I well remember kicking football with him in Jack Conway's field in my youth,.
One of my claims to fame is that I was on the Dublin under 21 football panel in 1971 ,when Dublin played Meath in Drogheda.Meath won in a match where Ken Rennicks gave a master display in a match that included such Dubs as David Hickey on the field,.
Dickin was there ,no doubt to support Ken,but spoke to me also ,a mere sub on the day.I have never forgotten this.
My abiding memory is that he was a good footballer and fielded with Dunderry when my uncle Tommy was over the Club.
Another good and kind  man gone to his eternal rest.