Seamus,formerly of the Meadstown Road,Dunderry and latterly of Navan has passed away this morning after a long illness bravely endured.
He had made his peace with God and everybody else.
He was one of life's characters and during his 72 years on this earth he made many many people smile and laugh.
He was irrepressible .
To his wife Claire and three children ,Derek,Brian and Niamh and grandchildren ,Nina and Aoife especially we offer our sincere condolences.We also sympathise with his only brother Pat.
When we were much younger Jimmy and Nan,Seamus's parents, took in my siblings and I when my mother would be in Hospital having the latest baby.Seamus and Patrick were older and were kind to us.
They were fierce interested in racing bikes then and indeed subsequently.I had never seen one, especially one with a fixed wheel and had no idea how it worked.
In any event they gave me an old one and challenged me to a race up the Meadstown Road past I think WOOD's shop .
Wishing to give a good account of myself I pedalled like the clappers until I came to the finishing line ,when I stopped pedalling and was thrown over thee handlebars and nearly kilt.To this day I don't know whether this was their idea of a joke or not.If it was it was in poor taste.
Our house in Blanch was a pit stop for all Dunderry people,especially our relatives and the Meadstown Mc Cormacks called in many many times when passing through Blanch.
There were nine kids in the house and had my mother notice of arrivals one of us would be dispatched to Shaw's shop -----now Maccarris Chipper---- to get provisions .
But one day they called out of the blue and provisions were low,so the best the Ma could do was to produce a plate of cheese sandwiches,which everybody tucked into bar Pat".Whats wrong Pat "said the Ma."Aunt Peggy I am not very enthusiastic about cheese ".After a very pregnant silence the Ma said "For a ten year old he has a fierce command of the English language ,hasn't he."And so it went.
Much later ,when Seamus was in his early twenties the Ras Tailteann was going through Blanch on its way to Navan.We were in our back and only kitchen having a cup of tay ,when this vision in Lycra came in the back door breathless and shining with sweat with the bike on his back.
"Jaysus Peggy I am the fuckest man in Ireland ,make us a feed "said Seamus."That's the end of my cycling days"
Seamus had many careers and was never boring.He was prone to exaggeration and could spoof with the best.He always dressed well and could and probably did sell sand to the Arabs.
Goodbye Cousin.
Ar Dheis De go raibh a hAnam Dilis.
He will be reposing in his residence in Ferndale ,Navan from 5.00 pm to 8.00pm on Thursday 26/4/2018 with the Funeral Mass on Friday 27/4/2018 in St, Mary's Church ,Navan at 10.00 a.m.
Burial after wards in St.Mary's Cemetery.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Dunderry 2-14.Drumbarragh 1-9.IFC ROUND 2.
As a kind of prologue to this report mise has missed a number of football and hurling matches this year for one reason or another.Hopefully things will sort themselves out henceforth.
Generally I take the view that Dunderry has traditionally been a strong Intermediate football team through most of its existence,occasionally winning a Championship and heading upwards to Senior.
The last wave of players to go Senior stayed up a considerable time ,winning a Senior in 1996 and staying up until 2005,when we were demoted down.
We have been strong at Inter level since then .losing a final replay to St.COLMCILLES two years ago probably being the epitome of our always gallant efforts.
I have seen a number of League matches this year .The one versus Senchaelstown being the most recent.
They are a solid but currently non spectacular Senior team and in my time we have been just as good as them even though we are a grade below them.
We played them in our pitch recently and it was a draw.
Even though we were short half a team between County commitments and injury 20 men and boys togged out,so caps off to players and mentors.
I think we scored only 0-4 in the worst half of football we played for decades.
The second half was different though as we raised our game and both sides put on an exhibition that would warm the cockles.
The deciding factor was probably the dismissal of one of their players and we were cute enough to make the advantage pay.
The refereeing of that match was very fussy as are all the matches I attend and I genuinely wonder whether over fussiness has contributed to the falling through the ranks of the County Team.Put simply do guys feel they are inhibited from robust legal challenges to the extent tat they don't even try.
There again Meath is producing more more top grade Inter County refs. than any other County so the POWERS THAT BE SURE LIKE THEM.
Maybe there is a case for referees to be instructed to give the benefit of the doubt to robust play at Club level and cut back on the blowing of the whistle for little or nothing .Surely a decent level of physicality is the hallmark of our games and we shouldn't leave this aspect of confrontation to the Rugger crowd,where it is regarded as an attribute.
Now I missed the match against Longwood which I expected us to win.We lost by 3-12 to 1-13 a fair beating even if we were short a number of regulars.
So the omens were not good.
In ATHBOY ,where the gate man refused to believe that t I was an OAP we fielded as follows;-
Jennings
O Shea Dempsey Conor Watters
Martin Oisin Davy Mack A.Newman
Kenneally Dempsey Liam
Martin Jordan Bomber Dermot Kelly
Luke Martin Coogan Stephen Kane Mark
For the first time this year we were playing with a full deck.
Eoin Dempsey,and Ronan Brady ere wbrough on in the second half .
For the first quarter it was tit fot tat.The second quarter saw us string together some lovely moves and scores and we were well ahead at half time on a score of to .
After half time they rattled the onion bag but we raised our game well and were well out of sight at the final whistle Lukie scoring a first rate goal and missing an easier one.Kane scored the other.
Our scorers were Dermot Kelly 0-8 all frees.Stephen Coogan 0-2 .1 free.Lukie and Kane a goal apiece .Bomber 0-2 and Aron Newman,Jordan Maryyn a point apiece.
DERMOT AND Stephen scored 0-9 from frees, a testament to the fussy referring of Gerry Mc Givney WHO WAS PERHAPS A LITTLE WHISTLE HAPPY, BUT OTHERWISE DIED A FAIR GOOD JOB.
We were good value for our win and all played well.A massive improvement on last years contest against the same opposition.
Generally I take the view that Dunderry has traditionally been a strong Intermediate football team through most of its existence,occasionally winning a Championship and heading upwards to Senior.
The last wave of players to go Senior stayed up a considerable time ,winning a Senior in 1996 and staying up until 2005,when we were demoted down.
We have been strong at Inter level since then .losing a final replay to St.COLMCILLES two years ago probably being the epitome of our always gallant efforts.
I have seen a number of League matches this year .The one versus Senchaelstown being the most recent.
They are a solid but currently non spectacular Senior team and in my time we have been just as good as them even though we are a grade below them.
We played them in our pitch recently and it was a draw.
Even though we were short half a team between County commitments and injury 20 men and boys togged out,so caps off to players and mentors.
I think we scored only 0-4 in the worst half of football we played for decades.
The second half was different though as we raised our game and both sides put on an exhibition that would warm the cockles.
The deciding factor was probably the dismissal of one of their players and we were cute enough to make the advantage pay.
The refereeing of that match was very fussy as are all the matches I attend and I genuinely wonder whether over fussiness has contributed to the falling through the ranks of the County Team.Put simply do guys feel they are inhibited from robust legal challenges to the extent tat they don't even try.
There again Meath is producing more more top grade Inter County refs. than any other County so the POWERS THAT BE SURE LIKE THEM.
Maybe there is a case for referees to be instructed to give the benefit of the doubt to robust play at Club level and cut back on the blowing of the whistle for little or nothing .Surely a decent level of physicality is the hallmark of our games and we shouldn't leave this aspect of confrontation to the Rugger crowd,where it is regarded as an attribute.
Now I missed the match against Longwood which I expected us to win.We lost by 3-12 to 1-13 a fair beating even if we were short a number of regulars.
So the omens were not good.
In ATHBOY ,where the gate man refused to believe that t I was an OAP we fielded as follows;-
Jennings
O Shea Dempsey Conor Watters
Martin Oisin Davy Mack A.Newman
Kenneally Dempsey Liam
Martin Jordan Bomber Dermot Kelly
Luke Martin Coogan Stephen Kane Mark
For the first time this year we were playing with a full deck.
Eoin Dempsey,and Ronan Brady ere wbrough on in the second half .
For the first quarter it was tit fot tat.The second quarter saw us string together some lovely moves and scores and we were well ahead at half time on a score of to .
After half time they rattled the onion bag but we raised our game well and were well out of sight at the final whistle Lukie scoring a first rate goal and missing an easier one.Kane scored the other.
Our scorers were Dermot Kelly 0-8 all frees.Stephen Coogan 0-2 .1 free.Lukie and Kane a goal apiece .Bomber 0-2 and Aron Newman,Jordan Maryyn a point apiece.
DERMOT AND Stephen scored 0-9 from frees, a testament to the fussy referring of Gerry Mc Givney WHO WAS PERHAPS A LITTLE WHISTLE HAPPY, BUT OTHERWISE DIED A FAIR GOOD JOB.
We were good value for our win and all played well.A massive improvement on last years contest against the same opposition.
Cowslips poking heads through.
I cannot remember a worse winter than the one gone by.From Christmas until last week there were only 4 days hereabouts when it didn't rain or snow.
My uncles used say "strip the meadow ground in February and cut the meadows the first of May".
The first of May is nigh and there is more greenery on a billiard table than on the meadow ground.
Every small farmer I know is severely broke from prolonged buying of fodder and depression is widespread all over the shop.
The Government badly misread the situation and what it came up with was too little too late.
It will take years to overcome the disastrous setbacks and some will never recover.Time nor money is not on their sides.
Notwithstanding this mother nature is kicking in on a small scale .
On the fringes of unmanured fields and along ditches the very odd cowslip is starting to emerge.
You know them.They are on slim stalks with yellow bell shaped flowers hanging down from the tops of the stalks.
Signs of better things to come hopefully.
My uncles used say "strip the meadow ground in February and cut the meadows the first of May".
The first of May is nigh and there is more greenery on a billiard table than on the meadow ground.
Every small farmer I know is severely broke from prolonged buying of fodder and depression is widespread all over the shop.
The Government badly misread the situation and what it came up with was too little too late.
It will take years to overcome the disastrous setbacks and some will never recover.Time nor money is not on their sides.
Notwithstanding this mother nature is kicking in on a small scale .
On the fringes of unmanured fields and along ditches the very odd cowslip is starting to emerge.
You know them.They are on slim stalks with yellow bell shaped flowers hanging down from the tops of the stalks.
Signs of better things to come hopefully.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Death of Joe Clarke,Dunderry.
Joe Clarke ,renowned Dunderry veterinarian recently died after a very short illness.I think he was 88 years old.I had great time for Joe as he was a pleasant and decent man and easy to talk to.
Dunderry Gaels have good reason to laud his decency, as for many years prior to the Gaa Club securing and opening the present grounds in 1988, he allowed the Club the use of his field adjacent to the graveyard for the training of teams and the playing of games .
I had the honour of playing on it and I am sure that several generations of hurlers and footballers far better than me honed their skills there .
There was a family connection also as my mother's people the Mc Cormacks availed of his veterinarian services from the time he qualified until he retired.
I often heard them laud his decency saying that they had to approach him after 50 years looking for a bill for services rendered for all those years.
Fifty quid he asked for and fifty quid he got.
In recent years I asked him was that true .He said it was,remarking that some others were similarly billed but never coughed up.
He farmed and was a horse breeder of renown for decades past
He was predeceased by his wife a number of years ago and is survived by his son Thomas and daughters Cogie and Blainid and a number of grandchildren,to whom we offer our sympathies.
Ar Dheis De go raibh a hANAM Dilis.
His remains will be received in the Parish Church ,Trim this Thursday evening at 7.00 p.m.with Funeral Mass on Friday at 11.30.a.m.
Dunderry Gaels have good reason to laud his decency, as for many years prior to the Gaa Club securing and opening the present grounds in 1988, he allowed the Club the use of his field adjacent to the graveyard for the training of teams and the playing of games .
I had the honour of playing on it and I am sure that several generations of hurlers and footballers far better than me honed their skills there .
There was a family connection also as my mother's people the Mc Cormacks availed of his veterinarian services from the time he qualified until he retired.
I often heard them laud his decency saying that they had to approach him after 50 years looking for a bill for services rendered for all those years.
Fifty quid he asked for and fifty quid he got.
In recent years I asked him was that true .He said it was,remarking that some others were similarly billed but never coughed up.
He farmed and was a horse breeder of renown for decades past
He was predeceased by his wife a number of years ago and is survived by his son Thomas and daughters Cogie and Blainid and a number of grandchildren,to whom we offer our sympathies.
Ar Dheis De go raibh a hANAM Dilis.
His remains will be received in the Parish Church ,Trim this Thursday evening at 7.00 p.m.with Funeral Mass on Friday at 11.30.a.m.
Monday, April 2, 2018
Auld traditions alive in Dunderry.
If there is anything worse than the needy it is the greedy.A few years ago the greedy professional Rugby crowd fixed a match in Thomond Park between Munster and Leinster for Good Friday and the greedy publicans of Limerick and elsewhere decided that it was not enough to open for business 363 days of the year but that they also needed to open up on Good Friday too ,the day of Christ's cruxifiction,to cater for the superior rugger crowd who more than anyone else had to have their thirst sated on this Holiest of days.
Of course a judge called O Donnell allowed the opening of various pubs to cater for the Rugger crowd who presumably are of his class and who deserved more than anyone else to be catered for.
I well remember that some idiotic Limerick gurriers displayed banners bragging that Rugby was more popular than Religion in Munster.
While this may or may not be true it is clear that spit roasting too is de rigeur for certain participants in this greedy sport of the privileged and one can only hope that it too is not sought special status by the Rugger crowd.
As a matter of record Munster have won nothing of significance since.Maybe they have atoned since for this blasphemy.Time will tell.
Of course the political parties have followed on in this vein in their vain efforts to shed this religious legacy of the Irish people and their fore bearers.
Given that most people check their hand to see whether all their fingers are still all there after shaking hands with most politicians this is no surprise.
Last Friday signalled the bedding in of Official Greed in Eire ,when for the first time it became legal to serve alcohol in pubs and elsewhere on the most sacred of days.
So bereft is RTE of news that it identified a town in Cork where the Pubs choose not to succumb to greed and stayed closed.
I am glad to report that the two pubs of Dunderry,Horans and Geraghty's had the backbone not to hop on this populist and greedy horse and chose to remain closed for the day.
Fair dues to them
As the pub in Robinstown has closed some time ago are were we the only dry Parish in Ireland on Good Friday.
Of course a judge called O Donnell allowed the opening of various pubs to cater for the Rugger crowd who presumably are of his class and who deserved more than anyone else to be catered for.
I well remember that some idiotic Limerick gurriers displayed banners bragging that Rugby was more popular than Religion in Munster.
While this may or may not be true it is clear that spit roasting too is de rigeur for certain participants in this greedy sport of the privileged and one can only hope that it too is not sought special status by the Rugger crowd.
As a matter of record Munster have won nothing of significance since.Maybe they have atoned since for this blasphemy.Time will tell.
Of course the political parties have followed on in this vein in their vain efforts to shed this religious legacy of the Irish people and their fore bearers.
Given that most people check their hand to see whether all their fingers are still all there after shaking hands with most politicians this is no surprise.
Last Friday signalled the bedding in of Official Greed in Eire ,when for the first time it became legal to serve alcohol in pubs and elsewhere on the most sacred of days.
So bereft is RTE of news that it identified a town in Cork where the Pubs choose not to succumb to greed and stayed closed.
I am glad to report that the two pubs of Dunderry,Horans and Geraghty's had the backbone not to hop on this populist and greedy horse and chose to remain closed for the day.
Fair dues to them
As the pub in Robinstown has closed some time ago are were we the only dry Parish in Ireland on Good Friday.
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