Thursday, August 30, 2012

Eviction of Target Express Employee.

I know nothing about Target Express,now in liquidation and its finances.I do know however that the  exorbitant price of diesel and petrol ,the increasing levies of motor tax,the proliferates of tolls,the multiplicity of motoring offences and the heightening of the bar to get your van or lorry through the test has made the base cost of providing the service uneconomic.There is a Government Minister with control over each of theses areas and they have all ducked for cover blaming everybody bar themselves.
The Revenue states that it is not a lender of last resort.This is a fact,Nor is it a lender of first second,third ,fourth nor fifth resort.It is not a lender full stop.Our banks are supposed to be lenders,but they are exactly the same as the Revenue.ie.not lenders.Our Government is supposed to ensure that the banks lend and support employment.You see the result.
It is beyond comprehension that that the combined brains of the Government ,its highly paid advisers and all its civil and Public servants could not devise a way to keep these employees in work.It will cost many millions to keep them on the dole and their reduced  spending power will result in further job losses.
This Government and its predecessors have given increasingly draconian powers to its State agents enabling them to bypass the Courts and keep their actions away  from judicial supervision.
The power of attachment,whereby Revenue can go direct to your debtor and take from him the amount of money Revenue are owed  was used in this case..In a nutshell Revenue can take from a businesses bank account money earmarked for employee wages,
Not only this but they can go to your employer and take your wages before you get them.Bet you didn't know that the Jigger Poker and the Blue Rinse Brigade put this legislation through,
This sly enactment enables Revenue to  impound your wages if,for example you don't pay your property tax.
The poor man and his family facing eviction will derive poor comfort from the Liquidator's assurance that he will get his entitlements four months hence.By the way a Minister (Bruton) controls this too.
No doubt the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste will keep their solemn promises given in the Rte Debate pre  election when they respectively said on the subject of eviction "Guarantee you wont lose your home "and "Head off the bailiffs".
They surely have and will keep their words on this most basic of human rights,Won#t they.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Dunderry's loss is Australia's gain.

Ownie Mc Cormack,Aran Scannell and Yvonne Dooley ,all of this Parish ,emigrated to Australia this week.They were joined by Michelle Mc Girr,Ownie's girlfriend ,a native of Kilmessan.All the Parish and I am sure their parents, some of whom have other children abroad,mourn this modern day flight of the Earls.
These most decent of people were fully involved in all aspects of communal and sporting activity in the Parish and GAA Club since childhood and are grafters of the highest calibre.They will be joining the multitude of other emigrants of their age group  abroad who have fled this rapidly declining and visibly wilting corner of rural Ireland ,where work is non existent and the daily oppression of decent people continues unabated. They will be joining their peers from Cortown,who can field more footballers in Brisbane than Cortown and Ultans ,where 9 of the 15 starters of their recent winning championship team have emigrated.
All these people are more than anxious for work and I know that many of their enmigrant peers are working their socks off in and for the benefit of their adopted countries.
How the fir and mna breags in the ruling political classes and the acolytes who canvassed for them can show themselves in public is beyond me.Clearly they have no shame whatsoever.
Personally I wish these latest emigrants the very ,very best of luck and know they will prosper and hope they adjust quickly.Ironically they have a great chance of settling in quickly as so many of their peers are there to welcome them with open arms.
Go neiri an bothar libh. 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Cork/Donegal.Sinful pleasure.

The Mini Minister for Jiggery Pokery,Stick it to the Unemployed and Force them to Emigrate,The  Pursuer of the grandchildren of the man they want to force  top himself and the Man known as the cold bloode death bed enforcer will not be dictated to by Catholic Prelate in Ireland.At a push he may lobby ,but only just. No the only Dictator they bow to is their new God,her of the femme gonad ,whisper her name Merkel.Yes they chant ,we inherited this.And yes we will appease her,down to the last inhabitant .Let the pet jornos and econs argue about the shape of the latest knot on the lash,but merco says the knot must be lashed on the bleeding backs of the locals.And yes her wish is their  command.
Now the Kapos are awaiting dictating fom Merco on how to profit from the almost carnal pleasure the the slave race deerived from their very own game of football between Donegal and Cork last Sunday.Such pleasures should be denied to these sub cultures and ways must devised to entirely block them out less they become too uppity and rise agsainst the blue rinse and red rose brigade
And let no man nor woman ever argue again that a leader of conviction and character makes no difference.
Mc Guinness and Counihan ,I adore ye.Never let yer names be sullied by lining out with any version of the Kapos.Stand by your peoples.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

DUNDERRY DELIVERS ON THE DOUBLE

As I have been predicting anything is possible for this improving and lucky Meath Minor Football Team.In the last outing Stephen Coogan scored a last gasp goal to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat,Today Paddy Kenneally finished to the net the goal that ensured Meath's victory,Not only that but he won a line ball that led to the penalty in which he was intricately involved that resulted in Meath's penultimate goal.To term him an impact sub would be an understatement in terms of his involvement today ,
All in Dunderry are hugely proud of our lads involvement in this team and their exploits to date and will be willing them on in the Final.Dublin or Kerry await.I,d say Dublin,but there are no such things as certainties these days in this grade,
Being a reasonably honest man I cannot let the occasion go without commenting on the standard of refereeing in this game.It was absolutely scandalous.I usually do not comment on how referees do ,but after the comical performance in the Meath /Louth  Leinster Final two years ago ,you would imagine that the GAA would appoint to an All Ureland under 18 semi final a team of officials and a referee who had a passing acquaintance with the rules of the game.
Were I a Mayo man and I am not ,I would say ,we were rode out of the game as wrong decision after wrong decision was made against them in the last ten minutes.
Apologists saying that Mayo were the authors of their own defeat due to missed chances are way off the mark,Missing scorable chances is no excuse for this type of behaviour.It may well be the last time that some of these Mayo players get on the field on such an occasion and will leave a fierce sour taste in the mouth for the rest of their lives.
Were the roles reversed I am sure that many in Meath would have much legitimate comment to make.
In this instance I think that the GAA should apologise to the Mayo players foe what happened.,
This is not to take away from the Dunderry lads ,nor young Sullivan and O Coilean,whose dads I greatly admire nor anyone in the Meath setup.
Despite all the present day coaching and assessment of referees I genuinely have to say that in general over my fifty years involved the men from years ago were far better than their present day brethern and performed on average far better.I genuinely cannot recall such bad perfirmances years ago.It may be that the men then were  more motivated by idealism to the Gaelic game .
As one who was twice floored while refeering in Meath ,once in underage hurling and secondly in Junior Camogie and who never took a penny I make this proposition with some trepidation.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Dunderry W/O Drumree fail to field

Yesterday evening,as foul an evening as you could experience,our under 18 Camogie team travelled to Batterstown to play Drumree.Wasted journey however as Drumree failed to field.We got a walkover.Fair dues to our mentors and players.

Drumbeat Div for 25/8/2012

Time Up at 16/1 in 3.05 at York tomorrow is good value for a fiver each way.Last time out in Goodwood  he was hampered and with William Buick on board should finish in the first three.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

What goes around comes around.

Its Thursday 23 August 2012,as miserable and as wintry an evening as you could imagine.On top of which I am coming down with something so my mood matches the weather.
Anyhow 1947 was a fierce bad year weather wise.It rained incessantly and all around here was flooded.My uncles told me that the Clady river burst its banks and Mrs King'  house which was beside the river at the extremity of the Curragh boreen was swamped and her life was saved  by my uncle Tommy who carried her on his back as far as Seamin Herbert's house,where the flood waters ended.
It rises in the bog at Tullaghanstown and it also burst its banks there.There was 2 to 3 feet of water on the road at the cross and it took a brave man to wade through.
The story goes that a tramp was making his way from Athboy to Navan through the cross when he met a local."Excuse me sir,is this a seaport town " he smirked.The reply directed him to "ask me gateaux"or words to that effect.
Fast forward to the present day.The O.P.W.is mending a bridge over the same river on my land in Meadstown.And let me say that four more decent,competent and pleasant men you could not meet in a long week's walk.These men are never unplugged.
Anyhow the water is at most two feet deep where they are working.There  is a sign up  saying "DeepWater"with a lifebuoy attached.I understand they are lucky not to be forced to wear life jackets.
Health and Safety reasons seemingly.
How prophetic was that tramp in 1947 and would anyone wonder why this over regulated country and continent  is fecked.This is the law,com padre.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Russians unlikely upholders of respect for religion.

The circle of hate, that in this country hates all things Catholic ,is but one such cog of a worldwide machine that adores militant secularism and feels an entitlement to tramp all over the rights and feelings of believers,particularly Christians.
In Ireland a cohort of disbelievers are set to legislate against the sanctity of confession and have cut off diplomatic relations with the Vatican.A week hardly passes without the theft of religious artifacts from Catholic and Christian Churches.The heads of various pet organisations which are State funded or have Charitable status miss no opportunity to stick the boot in.Catholics and indeed all Christians should bear these insults in mind when the collection boxes of these organisations are rattled in our faces.
Russia is a huge country.Members of the Pussy Riot deliberately choose Moscow's Christ the the Saviour Cathedral wearing balaclavas ,short skirts and tights and put on a show ,which was later spliced with lewd lyrics and the refrain "Put Putin Out" .made sacrilegious remarks about the Virgin Mary and broad cast on the Internet.
If these actions do not show total disrespect for the beliefs of billions of Christians worldwide I don't know what does.
The defendants further mocked their trial by constantly giggling and rolling their eyes when sentence was announced.A yes sure this is great craic entirely they clearly feel.
Can nobody see any similarity between this blatant disrespect of Christian's and their institutions and the brutalisation of Jews and their institutions less less than 60 years ago.Well I for one can.
I take my hat off to the female judge who found them guilty of religious hatred,,of committing a grave violation of public order and displaying disrespect for society,and am surprised at the leniency of the two year sentence.
Wasn't Sean Quinn Junior sent to six months for disrespecting effectively only one judge (the Court )and these people disrespected billions of believers with malice aforethought.The sentence was disproportionately short in my view.
European and U,S,sources have predictably denounced the verdicts as being too harsh.Presumably they think it fine to behave like this and were it to happen in their jurisdictions it would be treated as just a bit of gas and high jinks.
On a recent visit to a local Court I witnessed a defendant/with the urgings of the Gardai, having his sentence increased by six months because he shouted profanities at a Garda in Court.. By this  standard what would the Pussy Patrol have got for their in Court behaviour ?
The E.U and the USA and NATO supported the anti Qaddafi side in the Libyan Civil War and are now supporting the anti State side in Syria.Many many people have died because of this support and neutral NGOs say torture and murder by both sides are commonplace.
It would better serve these spokespeople to address these issues than to poke their noses into the misdeeds of the Pussy Patrol.
All they are achieving is the elevation of Russia into the unlikely role of modern defenders of freedom of religious practise and respect for its followers and institutions.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Friday, August 17, 2012

Drumbeat Dividend 18/08/2012.

With last week's tip coming in second and having drawn E.22.50 for the previous week's winner,we are opting this week for Mount Athos in the 2.30 at Newbury.He has won both his starts this year and with Ryan Moore on board can win this Group 3 at odds of about 3/1

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Prayer needed.

It is hard to like everybody.God commands us Christians to love our enemies.A hard road to follow.I suppose we all think that our friends are the best.It is easy to pray for our friends but to pray  for our enemies it is far more difficult.And as for strangers ,well that is a far remoter proposition.
I don't quite know how to put this without naming the people involved but it will be easy for me to pray for a number of Parishioners who are poorly at the moment because I know them.It is far harder for people to pray for Dunderry Parishioners they don't know and who could do with God's help.
Nevertheless I am asking all who make a hit on this blog,no matter where in the world they live to say a prayer for a number of sick parishioners from this neck of the woods .
These poor feckers are ill,in strange surroundings and more likely than not very scared.Say a prayer for them.Please.
This sinner will.

Dunderry Inter Football clinging to Rim.

Last Saturday was deemed "D Day" for our Inter Footballers and the Management Team as they faced Na Fianna in the group stages in a vital match..I opined it was a "shit or get off the pot" occasion, as I expected the winners to advance and the losers to face a further year in the grade,there being no relegation to Junior this year .Indeed it would be a very sad state of affairs were a proud club like us reliant on a technicality ,like the  absence of relegation this year , to avoid the drop to Junior.
Well we were beaten by a point in a match of high quality where the result was in doubt right up to the end.And believe it or not we are still clinging to the rim of that pot by our fingertips.It has transpired were we to beat Clanna Gael by a sufficient margin in the next match and were both Syddan and Fianna to continue on their winning ways then we could hang in there.It is far from ideal that the future is not solely in our own hands.However the dream still lives.
I missed the match myself,as I suspect did any farmer who was trying to salvage hay in the one window of opportunity that presented itself this year.We had four days of reasonable weather to try and salvage hay for the first time this miserable summer and were clinging to the rim also ,trying to get the stuff baled on Saturday evening before the weather broke that night.My  men were delayed due to technical difficulties with the baler and it was near midnight before they landed instead of the seven o clock start  scheduled and the once fit hay was bailed damp with dew and is heating.I have it under cover and am hoping that it won't heat too much.It is typical of this summer that the worst day for rain and weather is today and it had to be covered were it not to be lost entirely.
I am reminded of the "Cat"and his spake that he was making hay and history in the month of November  and from seven to twelve on Saturday  was seething that I could not do substantial physical work because of the stroke I suffered.Were I able I would have cocked it and gathered up a crew to do it with me.
Even there the Cat would have had an advantage  in the help stakes ,he having  a "double barrel" to my single.
Such is life.
Back to the match itself.I have spoken to several people who were in attendance and have got so  many differing versions as to who played well and who didn't ,that I am not going to say much,except that we were beaten on a scoreline of 0-17 to 1-13.
All say this is a good Fianna team ,so therefor we cannot be too bad.
The starting team was.
                                                 Davy Jennings
Evan Stephens                           John Kelleher                                          Davy Mc Cormack

Damian Clarke                          Darren Fay                                                 Alan Garry

                           Peadar Callaghan            David Callaghan

Simon Carty                               Ivan Mc Cormack                                    Seamus Harte

 Paddy Kenneally                       Keith Callaghan                                       Stephen Coogan

Introduced .Darren Callaghan,Bob Doherty.

This was probably the first time this year that the selectors had a near full deck to deal from so now they know who is fit for the fray and who is not and whose presence boosts team morale and whose does not.
I understand that this was a very tactical game and that our team was placed to counteract their two man full forward line and to curb the threat of Queeney .I hear it worked to the extent that you would not pick him out.However I believe that his brother at midfield was outstanding.Hard to win ,isn't it ?



Friday, August 10, 2012

Drumbeat Div.for 11/8/2012.

Fully restored to the bosom of his family after his temporary absence,the tipster advises "Go for Jet Away in the 2.55 in Haydock.Same colours as Frankel ,not as good but should be good enough to win a poor group 3."
Who am I to disagree.

Dunderry 1-10 Walterstown 0-9 JFBC. 9/8/2012

Bligh's babes committed grand larceny tonight in a  nail biting match played in a well appointed Bective pitch before an attendance who stayed right to the end.
The REAL troika hereabouts are Billy Bligh,Derek Hickey and Kevin Keaveney who run the second string footballers in Dunderry.Bligh is to Dunderry what Mick O Dwyer is to Kerry.The undisputed King.In my view he would make an outstanding director of football not only for the Club but also for the County.Derek and Kevin are no daws either.They know their football.They are coaxing good results from a mix um gathering  of lads on the way up,lads on the way down and lads who are in their comfort zone.
After a light drizzle which the forecasters had promised last weekend for next Sunday but not for today and which had many in the attendance who dropped meadows yesterday questioning the forecaster's genealogy ,the match pitch was damp but not overly slippy and the battle began in near ideal conditions.
Dunderry Team.

                                                    James Mitchell
Kenny Fay                                  Kevin Slattery                    Eoin Dempsey   

Davy Stephens                           Gary Newman                    J.P.Kenneally

                                 Conor Farrell             Liam Dempsey


Paul Bartley                                Thomas Doherty                Alan Watters                         

Darren Blaney                              Trevor Conaty                  Jordan Martin .

We started well scoring 1-3 in the first 10 minutes.The goal was a sloppy affair.Conaty beat his man and launched a well directed scud towards the goalmouth trying ,I would say, for a point.The greasy ball fell short and the goalie fumbled it,allowing it to cross the line before he could retrieve it.Trevor will claim it and well entitled to.Bothy teams played a nice brand of intelligent football and the play was devoid of dirt entirely.There was little clean fetching around the midfield area where the four tall combatants denied each other clean catches and the ball broke often.They had a few speed merchants who were hard to handle but we stuck manfully to our task,helped in no small measure by their inaccuracy from both placed and open play balls.
We failed to register for the last fifteen minutes of the half and were glad to go in two points up on the  scoreline 1-3 to 0-4.
Our knowledgeable supporters were looking with trepidation to the second half .
They needn't have worried as we started with a bang,registering two quick points in succession.Fully deserved I might say and this put us back in the driving seat.Then they proceeded to play their best football,gradually hauling us back and they went in front by a point with seven minutes to go.
Then we awoke from our stupor and rattled off four points to win by two.
They are a good team and must wonder how they left this behind.But as I said ,we are no daws either and even if a pass or two did go astray,we hammered home the nail when it mattered.
Slatts was brilliant and Gary "Rudolph"Newman was impressively aggressive.Our Davy (Sprog )
gave a masterclass in wing back play and the other backs stuck manfully to their tasks.
Mitchell was steady in goal  and the midfielders broke even steven.just about.
Bartley (Bugle) is awful sporty for a man near forty and nearly everything was channelled through him. Slight indecision crept in a few times but all in all he gave his direct opponent a torrid time.I still regret his refusal to give football a full go in 2005 when I was manager.He could have made a difference.
As a unit the forwards played an unselfish game and the speedy Mattin kicked at least one superb point in the last five minutes.They never gave up the chase,rightly as it transpired.
As the bemused Walterstown players and mentors trooped off at the end  I swear to God I saw Bligh and co.doing a little hop ,skip and jump.
No gold medals yet but the dream lives on.
Jack Devine at ninety is as avid a supporter as you could get and left with a wry smile on his face. If he hasn't seen it all by now who has ?

The dynamic duo over the Intermediate team were in attendance and were in animated discussion.The fate of the Inter.Team lies in their hands and Fianna will be no pushovers.Its shit or get off the pot time now.We wish them and the team luck tomorrow evening in Boardsmill.

 
  

Monday, August 6, 2012

Chinks of Light dispel Tumbleweeds in Dunderry

Hard work,decency,talent and application bring their own rewards.Bit like prayer really.Never wasted.Take this as read from an unholy Joe.
This August Bank Holiday weekend the grafting classes here defied the odds and withered  the tumble weeds at germination.
Not once,not twice but thrice.and counting.
First we have three lads,Christy Coogan,paddy Kenneally and Alan Garry on the Meath Minor Football panel.
On Sunday evening they beat a good Tyrone team by the minimum due to a last minute goal by Stephen Coogan,who played start to finish at full forward.He had an exceptional first half scoring four points from play.That he is here at all is a minor miracle in itself.His father Christy emigrated to America in the hungry eighties where he met Denise O Reardon ,whose family had also emigrated there from Cork.They hooked up there and drawn by the irresistible lure of the soil returned to rear their family here.I would say that they were economically disadvantaged in relocating here,but like all true  children of the soil are rooted in a community they love with a passion.
Alan Garry has two brothers in exile in Australia,two hard working goosons who would gladly work here were the economic gobshites who destroyed this countryeven half competent..He has cousins and uncles all over the globe.He is proudly carrying a family GAA tradition on his capable shoulders.He wasn't called into action on Sunday but as a team is only as good as its panel this is still an honour.
Paddy Kenneally was introduced as a sub on the forty in the second half .He played well after a thundering welcome onto the pitch from his opponent.His Kerry father will take some consolation from this victorty and I would say it  will help sooth the pain of Kerrys defeat to Donegal.This family ,who are relatively  recent arrivals to the Parish choose Dundery as their base brecause of its grounded application of the Gaelic ehtos.
Meath meet Mayo next and have realistic expectations of advancing.According to my source ,who was at the game and has been at them all,this is a good and improving team and can go the whole hog .Dublin are exceptional I am told ,but hey Kerry were bet in the Senior and Meath are improving by the new time.Everything is possible.
The presence of our lads on the team leaves a warm glow in Dunderry hearts all over the world not only here.There are toasts being raised in Australia,America,England and even the United Arab Emirates .

Secondly the high profile sports man,T.V.and print  pundit,School master and famed All Ireland winner ,Colm O Rourke ,has found time, at no cost to the Club, to put our lads through their paces this(Monday) evening,Not one person in Dunderry would make little of him for supporting the Quinn family last week ,nor would anyone here sniggeringly nor sneeringly refer to Quinn as the "son of  Brian" and sneer at Quinn nor O Rourke as was done by some of the gob shites on Charlie Bird's radio show on Sunday.Conversely we would pray that someone of Quinn's stature would come to create jobs to stop the advance of the tumbleweeds.Some of these commentators are beginning to sound like the comic character Judge Dread incapable of sprouting anything other than the "The law is the Law."They were saying the same at the time of Jesus.Around here we "get "Sean Quin and Colm O Rourke,even our own blue shirts. We also"get" Sean Boylan ,another man who backed the Quinns ,and would be equally honoured were he to show his face here again.

Finally the Club organised a barn dance last evening in Geraghty's shed.Truth to tell money is fierce scarce around here with everybody,even those lucky enough to have State jobs.Those who could afford a mini blast supported the outing in numbers enough to make it a success in today;s terms.The upside for those who like a jar is that they get a buzz now after about two drinks such is their lack of practise  due to the lack of cash.Great for the punter Id say but not so good for the publican.
But those who went made the best of it.
All in all a glimpse at the rainbow.
P.S.Val Andrews who managed Louth and Cavan is a grandson of John Newman ,after whom the pitch in Bohermeen is named.His daughter is Val's mother and her brother James played football with Dunderry at the same time as my uncles Joe and Paddy.John is buried in the Black Church in Meadstown,Dunderry .
Another Dunderry disciple you might say.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Dunderry favourite Nevin nails it.

The foresight of the GAA Club in backing winners is sometimes frightening.The star of our fight night against Trim ,John Joe Nevin (see earlier blog on the matter )has delivered where it counts. Gold and Silver beckons.Only the best for the best.

Investigative journalism at its best.

If you want to see the nadir of puke journalism read an article by Valerie Hanley in today's The Irish Mail.On the front page the question is posed "Is Mountjoy really the place for a little girl Mrs Quinn?"
"Shock as child visits Sean Quinn Junior "it further trumpets.
On page thirteen it leads "Little girl in tow,Quinns visit Sean in jail."
Reading down the article we learn that "a little girl ,her brown curly hair tied in pigtails is the picture of innocence."She is referred to as "Maresa"and "little Maresa"
Accompanying the article is a picture of picture of three adults holding the hand of a child ,with only her face blacked out ,of about four years of age.This child is portrayed as "Maresa".
The "shock " referred to by the report is that the child was brought to Mountjoy to visit Sean Quinn.

Conversely I find it shocking that any so called newspaper should stoop so low as to exploit the innocence of a young girl to attempt to sell newspapers.I am appalled that another woman should so arrogantly and heartlessly exploit the visit to denigrate those who brought her on the visit.I am disappointed ,but not surprised ,that the privacy of an innocent child should be so readily disregarded and flaunted for the world to see for monetary gain.
Marisa,s parents ought keep this article and give it to Maresa so that she can take appropriate action against Valerie Hanley when she is of the age.
If Valerie Hanley has children of her own,and I severely doubt this ,I would ask her if she would like published the image and description of her four year old child to sell newspapers.
I would also ask the secular sisterhood to outright condemn such actions by one woman against another much younger but "innocent" woman and pose the question whether such actions advances the notion of gender politics.i.e. that anyone should be favoured for election because of the shape of their gonads.
All women are caring me arse.
I cannot understand how journalists in the same stable,Joe Brolly for example,  can continue to work for such a rag,which will never pollute my house again.

P.L.C.Founder Cracks it.

Rumour has it that the founder of the P.L.C.,who was in self imposed exile,deep in cider land,has resurrected his campaign of anarchy,is again tattooing inanimate objects which offend his finely attuned sensibilities and has cracked his way back to web land.Like James Bond,this secret agent has been shaken and severely stirred.This mine of information relays his cracked messages from his lair via his trusty lieutenant and confidant Bar the Book.
We are ecstatic at this earth shattering news.

Football quarter Finals.

I have watched all these on the telly.My reaction so far is as follows:-
None of the Armagh tradesmen  have been able to recreate the splendour of endeavour and delivery of their sole All Ireland victory plotted so well by Big Joe.Neither Geezer nor Mc Nulty have delivered.Bulking up and getting superbly fit is only half the battle.Like the Irish Rugger boys,when they meet true class they have consistently failed to deliver.Kildare have reached their plateau and must look elsewhere if they are to progress.
Laois will advance further .Until they reach the standard of Kildare probably. But like them they will have to look elsewhere to achieve greatness.This is a pity as they have some of the most natural players in the country.
Dublin were lucky.They play a grand brand of football and in full flow are a joy to watch.I feel they were lucky to beat Kerry last year and also think that winning the All Ireland this year is the only way to dispel these doubts.The job ahead is a tough one and will be hard to complete .
Mayo are still a work in progress.Their brand of football is their own and is free from cynicism.They are lacking a few hard men and will win nothing until they find them.
Down are just not good enough.They haven't enough good players.
Cork have been consistently the best team in the country these last five years and have the best ,the biggest and the strongest panel of players I have seen in years.They have underachieved .
Kerry have peaked and back to the drawing board.They will have to rebuild for the next few years.
Donegal are something else and combine a fine team ethic with some very talented individuals skilled in the arts of football.The team that beats them will win the All Ireland.
I can't stand Sinead O Connor but her song "Nothing compares to You"sums up perfectly the atmosphere generated at Croke Park yesterday at the finishing stages of the Kerry/Donegal game.All GAA people get this.The carcass pickers just don't.
I am drooling at the prospect of the Cork/Donegal game.Bring it on baby.Dublin and Mayo has it charms too ,but is a mere teaser to the main offering.
What titillating prospects await us.

Muskateers go al fresco.

Friday last the Church was locked when the musketeers turned up.The regular sacrosanct was on her holidays and her replacement closed up shop in the early afternoon.Not to be deterred the troupe took up position on the school wall beside the Grotto and proceeded apace.A few double takes were made by passers by who expecting to see a youngsters taking perhaps a sly smoke there saw instead three old farts partaking in the secularist crime of praying.
And we prayed for the release of our tipster.It worked.He was sprung on Saturday with a winning tip .
Interestingly the sun shone throughout our prayers and it kept shining even though it rained a little.Perhaps a sign of things to come.
The omens are encouraging.
Firstly I read that Maeve Binchy ,who was what I think an agnostic,was received in a Catholic Church on her own instructions.What you might call an each way bet in a one horse field.

Secondly I read that that most vituperate of anti Catholic commentators vincent brown attended the funeral in the Church.How can such a supposedly principled man swallow his principles and even enter a Church after continuously spouting such derogatory things about the Faith.

Thirdly the crowds attending Mass here are slowly on the increase.

Fourthly another Christening after Mass today.

Fifthly there is a strong probability that the tumbleweeds will be put to flight tonight  for the GAA Barndance in Geraghty's shed.

Here's to Con Houlihan ,who my friend Joe remembers meeting in Navan a number of years ago, in a restaurant of course.Not.His drink that day was brandy and milk.The milky brand kid?

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Tipster resurfaces at last

Released from his self imposed exile,the Tipster sent me the following text today "The Fugue in the 3.15 in Goodwood is really fancied today and with Richard Hughes up and William Buisk picking the favourite Izzi Top to win ,the time to back him is now.Give it a lash Daithi."
"P.S.I am sending this from Ballyconnell,where I have been imprisoned alongside Sean Kelly ghost since last weekend.Could not break through the wall of the lies pedalled by the mainstream media about  Sean Kelly's presence here and the fog of smugness and veil of  snickering  by the carcass pickers and their secular cohorts."
Like Sean Quinn I took a punt on the tip.It won.Unfortunately I could not share it with you as it came too late.Had it lost I would not have blamed ye for my mortgage arrears.As I own Anglo and the other banks I went in ,said I own you and asked for a fiver.The teller is still laughing at me.All the way from the bank you might say.
All these populist shites spouting that we own the banks should see can they even got a fiver from their banks.Guess not.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Circle of hate targets the Quinns.

I have long since satisfied myself that a circle of hate,consisting of  mainly atheist journalists , spiteful feminista, pet commentators and some politicians have devoted considerable time and energy into demonising all things Catholic at every opportunity . These exact same  media luvvies are now being wheeled out to do down the Quinn family at every opportunity ,despising not only the Faith of the Quinns but also their Nationalist,Parochial  and GAA roots.Figure out who they are for yourself.

These spawn of the squaddies despise all things connected to Nationalist Ireland and are seeking to destroy and stamp out those who do not fit neatly into the professional carcass picker classes to which they owe allegiance.In particular they despise those who they fear as being the very fabric of society.

Just to get this in perspective.The Quinns did not cause the property boom that destroyed not only Ireland,but also Spain,Italy,France,Portugal.Malta ,Greece and Cyprus.Nor did they cause the  Banks Europe wide to totally destroy the Economies of Europe.Nor did they press gang the Regulators and the Politicians into causing the greatest economic catastrophe since the Second World War.
They certainly didn't foist an ill thought out  Euro currency on some European Union countries.The geniuses who did are still winging it hourly.
The actions of the Bank That efuses to say its name and the spin generated by its admirers would nearly convince you that the whole thing is down to one   family and the blood curling cries for revenge,particularly from a few screeching female journos,who never created even one job ,is disgusting.

I averred to their treatment in my article "Croppie lie down"As far as I can see they are being targeted in an effort to blacken their names and impoverish them in advance of the action they are taking for being allegedly induced into an illegal scheme by Anglo Irish Bank.

I have no doubt that Judge Kelly is a man of probity but cannot see, ,in view of the comments he has already made about the Quinns ,how they can ever get fair play in any Irish Court.I am also shocked at the extent of the Court's powers and the tactics employed by the former Anglo.Targetting his children ,his wife ,his in laws and his grandchildren are tactics we would condemn from Somali pirates and has no place in a modern democracy.

As for the gutter press.These vultures feasted on the advertisements during the property boom,embellished the wares advertised beyond all reason and reaped huge financial benefit.Publishing photos of people in jail and rejoicing in reporting that the Quinns must now apply for nappy money for their children is a new low,even for a profession that never investigated its own proprietors and their vast wealthy and whose English cousins tapped the phones of the dead.And saw  no wrong in it.

The people who rallied to support the Quinns were totally within their rights and the divide and conquer tactics of a Fine Gael Party who has its tentacles all over the GA will soon force the real Gaa men into the open.Watch this space.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Dunderry V Round Towers u 14 .F. 30/7/2012.

Every so often something happens to lift the spirit in times of misery .And God knows we need these uplifts to sustain the spirit.This Summer League Final played in Dunderry last Monday evening defied the elements in that it was a stray day borrowed from a real summer and it helped dispel the eerie silence and despair that is strangling "Tumbleweed Ireland" as I write.Don't mind the pet journalists ,economic commentators and spin merchants ,fir breaga all,Ireland is spiralling rapidly to the point of no return.
It is only the community spirit and stoic stubborness of the Fior Volunteers in the GAA that is keeping the show on the road in rural Ireland.
On Monday the pride of Dunderry,Robins town and Kilbride took on their counterparts from Drumbaragh and Kilmainham,under the banner of Round Towers.Rural parishes all and you would know it.The only nasties I heard were from people whose accents and sentiments betrayed their non rural roots.Thankfully they were lone voices in a sea of appreciation.
This Dunderry team had the worst of bad starts to the season ,conceding a walk over in the championship and being expelled as a result.Just didn't work on the day for mentors Jim Mitchell and Darren Yourell.The latter is new to the GAA scene and has had a baptism of fire.Jim is an older hand and at the start of the year was looking forward to a well earned sabbatical.Some chance.
I stuck my oar in after the championship debacle and am trying to impart some of the lifetime experience into the gosoons.
Its a quare set up but it works.
We won out in the Shield ,are qualified for the final stages of the sevens and last Monday Round Towers stood in our way.They had beaten the Pats the only team  to beat us,so we knew we were up against it.But then so were they.
Both teams were well supported in our Pitch for the battle.
Like all small villages we never have a team on the cusp of the age.Our players ranged in size from the tiny to the tall and all stages in between.We don't do fear ,ever ,and even the smallest don't have it.The bigger lads are maelstroms of raging hormones and like all lads of that age ever born ,know everything.Well seemingly so.Takes a firm hand and loads of diplomacy for which I would be renowned!!I'd say Jim and Darren would be better equipped in this area.
We were without the services of Danny Morris ,one of the better players in the county.A surfeit of hormones recently.He was there cheering on ,as you would expect.
Dunderry team ;-

                                                    Ronan Brady
                Mark Lynch                                                Jamie (Timber ) Leavy

Shane (Gunner) Gartland             Tomas O Conaire             Calvin Coffey

                  Alexandros (Ali) Mairtinas              Conor (Tipp ) Mc Kenna

Oisin Martin                                 Jamie Darcy       Kevin Clynch

                  Diarmuid O Ciorrain                          Eoin Smyth

Subs used.ShamusO Neill, Liam Lenin O Ciorrain,Adam Keenan.


Older readers will recognise some names who  here for generations.Ronan is a son of John and grandson of Seamus,the third generation to play for the Club.Jamie's father Tommy and grandfather Paddy Kavanagh played also.Shane Gartland is Kevin' Brady's son son and his father and uncle Tommy played in the Parish.I think his grandfather Tommy did as well.Tomas is Tommy's son from Lambay also a fine footballer in his day and a first cousin of the Curran's through his mother.Calvin is Colin's son and a grandson of the legendary Tim.Ali is a recent arrival,of south African descent I think.He has it in spades as does Mark Lynch ,a quiet man and good footballer ,who gets on with the job with a minimum of fuss.Conor also excels at the garrison game and premiership trials beckon.Oisin 's father Gerry excelled with Slane and Meath and the son is following in his footsteps.Jamie is following in the footsteps of his grandfather Billy and uncles Paddy and Brian and has already wore the county colours in the small ball game.Kevin's family have been at the heart of sport here since the time of his grandfather Billy and Eoin is following in the sporting footsteps of his mother Trish and her sisters and brothers .flange is bursting with pride and the Lord mayor and Rose are  delighted.Diarmuid and Liam are sons of Colm and a good Galway woman and are good footballers,no surprise as I hear their father showed great promise but preferred the sales ring in Trim Mart,alas.Shamus has a heart of a Lion and even if a bit small at the moment has all the attributes needed .His Daddy Donal is a big man and I would say Seamus has some sprouting to do Adam is a son of Tommy and Breda Gough and the genes for greatness are there.

These guys are a work in progress.They have made rapid advances this year,playing with courage,conviction and no little skill.They now totally get the team ethic and back each other up.We have worked on free taking and would expect 100% accuracy within 35 yards and the odd fifty to be pointed.They get the necessity of back tracking when beaten and the craic of placing hands on hips when beaten is now defunct.They play an intelligent brand of football.With only one solo and one hop allowed on a full sized pitch in this competition they realise that giving the ball away is a no-no.They don't give up.
A young lad refereed the match.He did good enough.Certainly wasn't biased.He drew the ire of both sets of supporters only occasionally .Good enough for a tight well contested match ,which this was.
The teams were evenly matched in both skills,commitment and tenacity.Good hard honest football with few mistakes.They opened with a bang,two goals and a point up before we knew where we were.Our boys didn't panic and clawed our way back by half time.We probably shaded the second half but lost concentration half way through.and it took a supreme effort to kick the equalising point on the cusp of the final whistle.Either side could rue the draw as both had missed scorable chances.The attendance was enraptured.encouragement all round.Both sides were tired after a huge effort.
We marshalled our forces for the two ten minute periods of extra time.
Like a cobra we struck.Three goals and two points in the first ten minutes.Shock and awe.Half way there.
While we conceded a goal in the second period they had no way back.
Finished on a scoreline of 5-11 to 4-6.
Great day at the office.Hard luck Round Towers.
Personally I was totally enraptured ,a fact that didn't escape our Paudi ,who at four years of age shouted his heart out for Dunderry and met the teasing of our Carina and her opposition buddies with the dirtiest looks a imaginable.Takes after his Tipp Granny.
Take a well earned bow all involved.