Third Dunderry Exile Team

                                                    Aine Cook
                                                    (Australia)

                     Gordon Weldon                               Brian Mc Cormack
                     (Australia)                                             (England)
 Barry Conaty                          Martin Garry                    Davy Clarke
  (Australia)                                (Aus)                                (Aus)

                    Conor Moran                           Tracey Coogan
                    (Wales)                                      (U.S.A.)

Stephen Mitchell                      Sara Bligh                           Pat Conway
  (Aus )                                       (Aus)                                     (U.S.A.)
                Des Fagan.                                                      David Bray
               (England)                                                            (Australia)

I am claiming David Bray as his father and grandfather are Dunderry men.
These are only the people that I know about.There may be more.Let me know.
I am sure that the ranks of the economic emigrants from this Parish  will be swelled sooner rather than later.
this is the fourth team I have published from this small Parish and I believe it is much worse in other places in the County.

Cowen is well out of it.

I saw some of the television programme on the demise of the last Government,presided over by Brian Cowen.There is no doubt about it but the two Marys,the walking moustache and the former Minister for Report shelving ,have long lost any concept of the notion of loyalty and their rush to fillet their former leader is disgusting.Only Conor Lenihan's bizarre butchering of Cowan on a television programme prior to the last election compares for bitchiness.
These people were in a position to influence matters as senior members of the Government at the time,but did s.f.a and to now wring their hands at the events that unfolded is a bit rich.Nobody is fooled .
They are just as responsible as anyone else for selling the Country into financial servitude and should hang their heads in shame.
I would say that no Manager of even a Juvenile team would have them as selectors,as the Manager would know that if the team was beaten they would rubbish him to deflect blame.
Rodents and sinking ships come to mind.
I guess that Brian Cowen regularly thanks God that he has such friends.

Dunderry v Ballinabrackey u 21 F.C.

Well bet in the end.Report later.

Willie Penrose does not make Fear Brega list

As all in the blog consider the above to be man of honour he joins Dennis Naughton in not making the Fear Breaga list.See earlier blog on him.
Fair dues Willie.You were well reared.

It's over bar the severe shouting.

A few points to ponder.
1.The electorate took revenge on Fianna Fail/Greens/P.D.s in the last election.
2.Nobody is impressed when current Government members try to evade responsibility for their own actions by constantly referring to what the last lot did.We know what they did and have punished them for it.
Man (or woman )up and have the courage to take it on the chin for your own decisions.
3.Have the decency to stop playing the peasant to the Germans.Either you are a Sovereign Government or you are not.If you are not just say that it's all over,that the dream of sovereignty is dead and gone and we are just a slave nation.And that that is how the German Parliament has your VAT proposals before our own Dail has them.
On which issue, will the custodian of the Constitution ,our new President have anything to say on the sidelining of our elected representatives on the issue.
On to more general issues.
Anybody with an eye in their head can see the accelerated decline of rural and Provincial Ireland.The game is up for these areas as things are.Any attempt to increase VAT rates will just destroy it more completely and rapidly than heretofore.
The Government should consult its rural members before it even contemplates any such rises.
The consensus of the Drumbeat staff is that it's all over anyhow ,just that official figures have not yet picked it up.
AS grandfather of 10 young kids it kills me to admit to myself that it has come to this.
 

Tribute to Mossie and Health Bord.

I have had the luck to meet a genuinely inspirational person,who got a bad deal in the game of life when the cards were shuffled.I wouldn't even begin to understand the name of the medical conditions she labours under.She is confined to a wheelchair,an electronic one as it transpires,which she controls with a joystick.It is a fine machine ,it can climb and tips along at walking place or even better.She is a genius at the controls and can talk as good as most.
I met her first when I was called to the Health Bord Centre in Johnstown for physiotherapy following my stroke.I am well satisfied with the quality of the treatment I am getting from a first class physio .,but like most people  feel that  I could do  with more of it.
That said I encountered Mossie there .The Health Bord ,I assume, provides her with her own personal living space beside the complex in Johnstown,provides what assistance she needs to live as independently as possible and is convenient to her to keep a benevolent eye.
She is well able to do her own shopping and lots of other things and is inspirational in her approach to life. 
I met her again today and promised to mention her in my blog.which she is confident she can access.
So here is to you Mossie and I take my hat off to those who conceived the scheme that affords this lady the dignity she deserves.Fair dues.

Penrose a man of honour.

I listened attentively to the electronic media on the resignation of Willie Penrose.One thing that stood out for me was the inability of national  media commentators to comprehend that people of principle still exist in political life.Nearly every question posed was from the angle that he would be better served swallowing his principles for personal gain in other aspects of his career.It is as though these journalists have become so divorced from decency that they cannot recognise it when they see it.
This is no surprise to me ,as the way they clambered to the gutter to undermine people who had the liathroidi to run for Presidency ,( many of them lack the courage to offer themselves for election because they well know the depths to which their colleagues will sink to discredit them if they do) totally discredits their profession ,as far as I am concerned.
The casual disregard with which  Pat Kenny and Brian Hayes dismissed the issue of the capricious withdrawal of the Irish ambassador to The Holy See on last nights Frontline, will I predict ,come back to haunt both.The inability of Hayes in particular to see beyond the  strictures of economic gain  as a reason for doing any thing is nonsense.The day will come when he realises that there are no pockets in a shrowd .Material goods are a poor bargaining counter when death is imminent.I know.
Some people have lost the ability to do something because it is the right thing to do,because they have lost the ability to recognise what the right thing is.  
Willie Penrose hasn't lost that ability.He did the right thing.A true democrat espousing the laudable values of "Old " Labour ,which is nearly smothered by the glibspeak of those now in control.
He is more than welcome to join my "Reclaim your Country " movement.

November 2011 Dunderry G.A.A.News.

This morning our U 21 Football Team beat our nearest neighbours Clanna Gael in a thriller in Simonstown.Report later.
Afterwards our lads went to Rathcarn to receive the medals due for participating in the Stefan Mellet Cup,where they were feted in style and extended every hospitality.
Stefan is the son of Mairtin,one of the Mellet Clan so well known to and respected by the GAA fraternity of  Dunderry and further afield.He was killed in a tragic car accident on the cusp of manhood a number of years ago.He played with our Club and Rathcairn.The perpetual Cup was set up to celebrate a life well spent and  tragically cut short.
This celebrates the essence of sport and healthy rivalry.Just after trying to best each other on the field of play the mutual celebration of the life of a true Gael crystallises the essence of true friendship and respect.
Last night we celebrated the entrance of Jack Devine into the Meath GAA Hall of Fame in the premises of our longest sponsors Horans.No man deserved it better.
Another man synonymous with Dunderry GAA was presented with the Paddy Kelly Club man of the Year award by Cellie Bennet ,his sister ,who was accompanied by her clone and niece Josie Travers (nee Conaty) on the occasion.As last year's winner I had the honour of  making the presentation to a man who put more young players through his GAA  hands than an orphanage.No man deserved it better than Billy Bligh.
Cellie explained that the name that her brother Paddy was better known as "The Hanny"was short for Handsom ,which he certainly was and clears up a mystery for me.
The name survives in the Parish in the guise of a cousin of mine Mickey Mac Cormack.
Hanny will be well remembered for his Honda 50,which he seemed welded to.
The forthcoming White Collar Boxing rematch between ourselves and Trim will take place on Saturday week in Trim GAA Hall.
Tickets are Adults a score,Minors a tenner and Family a nifty (50) to cover two parents and offspring.
Pugilists include Joey Martin, Alan Healy,Swiss Clarke,Kevin Slattery,Killian Minogue,John Prendergast ,Paddy Gorey and a host of others who I will name later.
We have bought more ground and badly need money,so come out and support us.
Personally I had a mixed day GAA wise.Dunderry won,Erin go Brath lost and my former club Brigids of Blanchardstown ,beat Summerhill in Navan.I suppose two out of three isn't bad.
I always try and identify a Dunderry connection to events GAA.
In Brigids case I am a former Chairman and I understand that Kevin Kilmurray's aunt had land in Churchtown.I think his mother was from Trim.One son started and another came on a sub.
Aside from my brothers's involvement (sons of a Dunderry woman) in Erin go Brath ,Junior Cahill is a former trainer and manager.

Dunderry V Kilmessan.Div.2. Hurling League Filnal 29/10/2011

 Played in Trim on a sunny.nippy day,in competition with the count for the Meath West Presidential ballot,which was concurrently being executed in the Clubhouse.
There were more at the match.

The team.
                                                        Conor Farrell
Brendan Wright                               Davy  Stephens                            Damian Bruton

Darren Callaghan                            Ivan Mc Cormack                        Dylan Keenan
                              Conor O Shea                         Ted Dowd
Killian Minogue                             Bob Doherty                                Jordan Martin                           

Paddy Gorey                                   Evan Stephens                              Davy Gilkinson.

Davy Mc Cormack,team captain was sidelined having broken bones in his hand in the last match.Would the lads cope in his absence?
From the throw in we work the ball to Finn,who shoots wide under pressure from Miley Donnelly ,the ageless and wily Kilmessan full back.A mouth watering battle in prospect.Neither will back down.The heavens burst and play is held up for about three minutes.Must compliment Messieurs. Gaynor and Mc Gee from Trim,who looked after yours truly during downpour and kept me dry and comfortable.
KiIlmessan hit wide from play.Against a strong wind our puck out is short and we concede  a line ball.Play develops ,both sides playing strong and Kilmessan score a point from play.Scrappy play in our back line ,where Bruton and Sprog get down and dirty is relieved by a Keenan clearance to Martin,who passes to Gorey .who is fouled.Gilky converts.  Martin pulls on ball ,Finn pulls hard and ball breaks to Minogue,who uncharacteristically takes the wrong option,ignoring the obvious free man,and tries the impossible shot.Ball works to Finn ,thence to O Shea and Kilmessan clear at expense of a line ball to us.We are competing well but not scoring.Doc hits it well but ball cleared and Minogue retrieves it.Pass goes astray and we concede line ball.Farrell relieves an under pressure Bruton and finds Martin,who is bested,but ball breaks to Gorey and back to Martin ,who delivers to Gilky ,who parts to Finn.Good point.Kilmessan attack halted by a magnificent Bruton catch,passes to Sprog ,whose clearance is intercepted by KIlmessan,but Minogue makes brave retrieval  and passes to Gilky,who just fails to reach it and we concede a line ball.Dowd wins ball,to Finn to Gilky to Martin,who loses control.Ball works to Dowd who mishits it and KIlmessan clear only for Ted to regain possession after a throw in and a Kilmessan clearance.Ted to Red to Ivan to Minogue ,but attack peters out.Kilmessan attack is repelled and KIlmessan attacker finds that Doc is a man you ought not run into.Kilmessan hit a wide from play.KIlmessan win the puckout and the resulting attack culminates in a well taken goal.The pressure is on.Under pressure Sprog is hit on the hand by a Kilmessan Hurley when clearing the ball.Ivan's free finds Gorey ,then O Shea ,who is growing in stature and influence as the game goes on.He takes a fine point.Dylan Keenan's clearance goes to Kilmessan ,who gratefully take their point.1-2 to 0-3 to KIlmessan.Ted rolls back the years with a catch that Mick O Connell would be proud of but we  don't capitalise.A top class Dunderry move involving Ted,Red,Minogue ,Gilky,Minogue and Ivan ends in Finn being fouled by Miley.Gilky convertts the tricky free.We are not lying down.Good defending ending with a Sprog clearance  and exemplary persistence by Minogue works the ball to Martin ,who produces a goal from the top drawer.We are on a roll.Paddy Gorey Senior ,who is beside me forgot his glasses and can see little.
He roars approval.Paddy is following this team a long time now,through thick and thin.He thinks a lot of Paddy Junior .And why wouldn't he.Both teams commence hard hurling.No quarter given .A foul on Doc..free by Ivan to Minogue,who in the vernacular ,scores a "fatherly "point.We own the ball for a while,but defensive excellence involving Wright ,Sprog,O Shea and Keenan is necessary to work the ball to Gorey ,who catches the ball in the clouds and takes a first class point.We lead 1-6 to 1-2.Attack and counterattack ends with a Dunderry free for over carrying by Kilmessan.Gilky converts.Half time whistle blows.
We have wind in backs for second half.We get first wide from Martin.Anton O Neill comes on for Kilmessan.Kilmessan rattle off three points in succession.We have taken the foot off the pedal.Gilky misses a scorable free awarded for a foul on Minogue.Wright is fouled.Ivan's free ends up with Gilky ,who atones for previous miss with a fine point.Kilmessan changes are working.They score a minor from play.Keenan is fouled and Ivan converts from 80 yards.That's more like it.Minogue hits wide from play.Keenan catches in the clouds and parts to Doc.,whose shot is collected by the goalkeeper.Gilky gains possession and passes to Gorey ,who points.Harrow and Coogan come on and Doc.registers a minor from play.Finn passes to Gorey.Wide.KIlmessan take point from free.Score 1-11 to 1-7 in our favour.Finn scores a good point following a fine Dowd pass.Doc. scores following good O Shea lead up.KIlmessan player had thrown hurl at Doc.,who threw hurl over the line.He is booked for this.Sloppy play from both sides ends with a 21 yard free for KIlmessan.O Neill opts for point.Gilky points from play.Kilmessan attack terminated by Bruton who parts to Keenan,whose shot goes wide. Kilmessan get free of sympathy kind and take point.Sprog clears a ball ,Kilmessan gather and hit wide.Gilky scores point from a free.Keith Callaghan comes on.Fin goes midfield,Sprog clears to Ted ,who is fouled.Ivo misses free.Tom Doc.gets a run for red Callaghan.Keenan takes masterful line ball to Finn ,who gives sweet pass to Gilky who misses .Pity ,some move.
Full time.We win 1-15 to 1-9.Well deserved.
Ted Murtagh presents the first adult hurling silverware won in a long time.A sizable Dunderry contingent materialise on the pitch for the presentation,headed by the ever enthusiastic Vince Rattigan ,with grand daughter Sarah in tow.You would get hard to imagine where they came from.
This is a good Dunderry team.They are physically strong and skillful.The older man have nothing to prove and the younger lads are strong and skillful to boot.
They blend well together and with a bit of luck will make a serious assault on all competitions next year.All played well and O Shea opened his shoulders and showed a glimpse of the promise we always knew he has in abundance.

Post script.
The lads had a feed in the Lodge after.I was damp and headed home for a bit of drying and heat.Had no intention of moving out until Gerry Mc Loughlin,Whacko,Tommy Keenan and spouse and a few more landed over from Horans with a Naggin of bacardi ,a few cokes and a few pints of their own to celebrate.I was dragged ,shouting and screaming (not ) across to Nancy's where the celebrations were wild and prolonged.Any Dunderry person will know exactly what I mean.Great day lads.  

             

The penny has finally dropped.

Sinn Fein has done the State some service by placing on the public record the scandalous pensions being paid to ex ministers ,That any person should draw over E.100,000.00 per annum AND be paid another plum salary from Government coffers for appointment to government sponsored positions is nothing short of sinful.That some of the recipients are members of political parties that supposedly care for the poor and disadvantaged is at least hypocritical.
An ex chairman of the Revenue Commissioners,Dermot Quigley,who undoubtedly is on a good pension, has the decency to work for nothing for the Valuation Office. It is high time that others on good pensions from the state  took note and helped the State out in its moment of need.
Leo Varadkar made a pre election promise not to pay unsecured bondholders in Anglo a single penny.Of course weasel words were composed to renege on this promise.
In recent articles I have strongly criticised his constituency colleague Joan Burton for the failure of her Department to provide any funding whatsoever for native Irish people who have no money whatsoever,not even for food.It is absolutely appalling that this is allowed to happen.
But it now makes sense .What Leo may have  meant was that not a penny would be paid to Irish who had no security because their stamps had run out.
Of course you don't count these people in the unemployed statistics as they get no State assistance.If you could cut off  199,000 more people or force them to emigrate you could claim a corresponding decrease in unemployment.
They are not even a statistic and appeals take so long that they will be starved into emigrating,.
I thank God that I left Dublin West so long ago as the possibility of even encountering people who allow such misery to prevail sickens me to the core.

Brigids, Erin Go Brath double a cause for joy.

Was at Parnell Park last Sunday to witness two of the three Clubs I played with battle it out for the Senior Football Championship.
To explain,I was involved with Brigids for twenty five years as both player and administrator until 1986 ,when I moved to Dunderry.I played all grades of hurling and football with them up to and including Senior.Medals were scarce those years.The height of my playing achievements with them was to captain the team to the Intermediate Football Championship won in 1980 and to win Intermediate Hurling Championships with them in earlier years.
In my early teens there was no hurling in Brigids so I played with Eoghan Ruadh,which was based around Manor Street in Dublin ,and won an under 16 and a half champoinship with them about 1966.
Eoghan Ruadh no longer exists and have amalgamated with Plunkets.
I was cheering for Brigids and they were deserved victors.In my view by far the best man on the pitch was the pony tailled Brigids number 6 Sean Murray,who cleaned Bernard Brogan .
I am so long gone that many of the players weren't even born when I left,but do know the people of Graham Norton .whose first cousin is Trevor Brennan and Young Mullins ,whose father Terry was a fair footballer.
Maybe it is my imagination but Parnell Park seems smaller than it was in my day.Or maybe the players are just fitter.Certainly space was at a premium and the first half was brutal.The second half was more competitive and after Brigids repelled two goal chances the writing was on the wall for the opposition.The right team won.
After the parting of the ways with Brigids my brothers revived Erin Go Brath which is flowering in Littlepace and they won their way through to the Division 4 Junior Football Final for the first time ever.Cecil is as proud as punch and this is just as important to them as the Senior was to Brigids.
Phil (Junior ) Cahill of this Parish trained this team prior to his current sojourn in Sweden.He would be be entitled to share in the victory and the column wishes him,his partner and son Evan ,the best of luck.
Hope they win the final
As I write this I am listening to sickening auld one called Emer O Kelly belittling full time mothers on the television .What a mouthy old bag.Hope she gets here wish and grows a willy.Auld wans like her ,if they had their way ,would stop recreation as being beneath them.Too late for her now.She will never know the joy of motherhood and clearly has no taste for it.
Fair dues to the the mothers of all the men who gave us such entertainment week in week out.
There is always a Dunderry connection to matters GAA and Sunday was no different.Our physio Roy was running the line for the losers on Sunday.For once I was glad he was with the losing team.
As an ex Ruadh player Sean Og used say ,slan a "Chairde Gael".
Fair dues and congratulations on their second Senior success.I think that this generation of Plunketts players have missed the boat.

Shitty Pup bought hook,line and sinker.

The abandonment of Shane Mc Entee by his Government colleagues and his obvious impotence to deliver on his public committment to reverse the ban on stag hunting comes as no surprise.I am not cynical enough to consider the campaign organisers who were so active in this regard prior to the election a thinly disguised Fine Gael/Labour action front agitating an anti Fianna Fail /P.D./Green agenda ,with no intention of following through once the election was over.
I am certain that the organisers will now resume the campaign as publicly and vigorously as in days of yore .Yeah right.
No doubt Shane Mc Entee will resign.
My own view of the Dublin 4 set who hold such sway in Fine Garel and Labour is that if they have their way the horses will end up riding the jockeys ,rather than the other way around.Don't say you haven;t been warned.
I heard Damian English give a committment to set up a Government fund  to help those fighting the overland Eirgrid power lines.Maybe the fund was to put pensioners who refused to be bullied put in jail?Yeah that's it ,he got his (overground )lines crossed.I hear that he is a genuine good neighbour.
Bad and all as the last lot were,and they were bad,I am unaware of any deserving person being left without the price of food during their tenure,a practise that is unashamedely creeping in now.
The shite tax is official.
What have we come to?
It is time for R.I.S.E. to show that they eare more than a Fine Gael front and get back in the saddle.

Dunderry 2-12.Moynalvey 0-6.

In a bitterly cold Simonstown tonight an understrength Dunderry deservedly terminated the involvement of an equally understrength Movnalvey in the Under 21 Football Championship.THe winning margin was well deserved and a game opposition had no answer to a well drilled,committed,skillful and enthusiastic Dunderry outfit,who dominated from start to finish and were well worth the margin of victory.
That 25 players turned up is a tribute ,not only to the players and the Club but to the the management team of Ted Dowd,Swiss Clarke,Eddie Maguire,Paul Mc Govern and Donie Mooney ,who will realise that this is an important step on the journey to the laurels ,and won't get carried away.

                                                                Kenny Patterson
                Eoin Dempsey                                                        Simon Carty
Conor O Shea                                     Conor Farrell                                   Damian Bruton
                         J.P.Kenneally                                      Liam Dempsey
Jordan Martin                                      Dylan Keenan                               Conor  Daly
                       Daragh Scannell                                   Stephen Coogan

and replacements Alan Garry,Paddy Kenneally,Andy MC Geogh,Davy Gilkinson and Shane Mooney were so in control that it would be churlish to single out anyone for praise over the other and it again demonstrates that all things being equal our lads are as good as can be got.In particular young Bruton.a late convert to the big ball game, showed that he is a match for anyone in a fair contest,which I understand he was denied in the recent past. 
The usual supporter suspects ,lead in order of seniority by Jack Devine,Shamin Cregan,Phil Fay,Phil Cahill,Vincie Rattigan and Benny Brien were well backed up by the sixty year olds led by Jim Newman who in withdrawal sympthoms for the sweets usually supplied by Phil Fay on these occassions ,was desperately seeking stray sweets from the previous batch.No luck.
Consensus was that this is a fair team and shows some promise.
Even the judge was silent,a tribute to theis quality of some of the  men he helped shape perhaps.
A good day at the Office.Roll on the Clans.
.

Humiliation of Irish Catholics continues apace.

Consistent with the anti Catholic bias displayed by this Government since ascending to power and to the undoubted glee of their present cheerleaders in the media,it comes as no surprise that a Labour Party dominated by individuals hostile to religion should lead from the front in closing the Irish Embassy to The Holy See.
That the decision was supposed to be on economic grounds merely demonstrates that this Government knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Just as the European Union is anti religious in its ethos and anti democratic in its activities( as witnessed by the political mugging and overt bullying of the Greek Prime Minister by the schoolyard tactics of Sarkozee and Merkel and their groupies) the present Government has lost the basic qualities of compassion and the ability to love ourselves and our neighbours.
Government policy regarding its citizens is purely based on price not need .The rich and powerful prosper ,the poor and needy suffer and  emigrate and those on low or no income bail out the same rich and powerful'
The evictees and the needy are sacrificed and the main source of comfort to them,their Catholicism is slapped down at every opportunity.
No amount of weasel words can justify this petty closure.

Burton a disgrace.

Like most people I have been reared on the notion that Labour was the party of the poor and the working class.They are supposed to be the party of compassion.
Not a word about it.Ordinary and dispirited people who fall on hard times are being treated disgracefully by her Department,being left without any resources whatsoever,being put at risk of homelessness and with the full knowledge of her staff begging for basic foodstuffs from day to day.I am personally aware of a number of Irish citizens who have been reduced to despair by the dictates of her regime .I strongly suspect that at least one person I know was driven to suicide by the Dept.she presides over .
Some one should examine the suicide stats.and determine how many such people were reliant on Welfare at the time that tragedy struck.I guess that many were,just as a large number of people have died this last 10 years while under State care.
She and her Government colleagues should hang their heads in shame and beg forgiveness at the cruelty they are imposing on decent and helpless people.
If anybody reading this wishes to do something concrete about the situation,please contact me.

Democracy still alive,thank God.

Great to see that the citizens of Ireland voted  not to give politicians the right to act as judge ,jury and executioner over whomsoever they would have liked.Remember that all the parties favoured the defeated amendment.We still have enough true democrats outside Parliament to see through bullshit.
If the political classes are genuinely concerned about wrongdoing by the powewrful and think that Tribunals are an inefficient way to investigate them,the solution is simple.Let them enact laws that would make wrongdoing by the wealthy and powerful as amenable to scrutiny as the actions of the rest of us..And let them properly resource the investigation of these wrongdoings.With three thousand a week fleeing our shores and half the professionals in the County out of work there should be no problem in recruiting plenty of eminently suitable personnel at no great expense.
When push comes to shove you must hand it to the Greeks.Not for nothing is it called the home of democracy.Their Prime Minister is a graeat one .He trusts his people and has the manners to consult them on momentous decisions.Not one other Prime Minister has the courage to follow suit.Basically these leaders are terrified to let the citizens have their say.Watch now for the weasel words spouting forth ,most of which will be to the effect that these matters are too complex for citizens to understand and should be left in the hands of our betters.
Let us raise our glass to the Greeks.

Nulty connection to Dunderry

Patrick Nulty is,to the best of my knowledge,the first indigenous person from Blanchardstown to have been elected to the Dail.Just as Kilbride and Robinstown are part of Dunderry Parish,so is,to my mind,Mulhuddart and Clonsilla part of Blanchardstown Parish.
In my youth Blanchardstown Church was the main parish Church,with a subsidiary Church in Porterstown.There was no Church in Clonsilla nor Mulhuddart and when we lived on the Shilleran Road in Huntstown Lawn in the 1970's a Mass Bus used leave Mulhuddard Village each Sunday for nine o clock Mass in Blanchardstown .
As far as memory serves me Partick Nulty's grandfather and granny on his father's side were long time residents on the Shilleren Road ( rechristened the Blakestown Road) and I vividly recall many animated conversations with her as she rested from her bicycle on her journeys past our house.A grand woman.I would say that she was a very hardworking woman .I think her husband had a bad accident late in life.
Those times there were two competing clubs in the Parish.Brigid's GAA Club,which we belonged to and St.Mochtas Soccer Club,who I never played with ,but my brother Benjy did.A lot of lads would have played with both.
Patrick's uncle Nicky was a skillful footballer and I played underage football with him in Brigid's up to under 21 level.He played a few Senior games.He was fairly good and very skillful but on the small, side and came in for considerable rough treatment from the opposition.He was also a skillful soccer player and played with Mochtas,where at one stage all the players adopted the names of Manchester United players of the day and he was known as "Buchan".
He got less abuse at soccer and stuck with it rather the Gaelic.
His younger brother Vinny also played with both clubs and was a good footballer too.I didn't play with him but my younger brothers did.He gravitated more towards the soccer ,where he became a committed administrator.I wouldn't know Patrick's father at all but am certain that my brother Benjy would.
Nicky's son is the spit of his father,is great friends with my nephews and has  played for many years with Erin Go Brath,which my brothers founded and which Cecil in particular has helped establish as a fixture on the GAA map of Dublin West.
Another uncle of Patrick is Shane ,a good friend of my family,a great friend of my brother Martin and a resident of Kilbride in this parish for some time.
I am delighted to be able to congratulate all the Nulty's (including those from River Road ,Blanchardstown ) on the success of Patrick and it is indeed great to see one of our own getting on politically.

Presidential Election and all that.

Fine Gael imploded.Fianna Fail got it as wrong as wrong could be.The young didn't vote.The electronic and printed media ,particularly the Independent are anti Republican ,the latter being dominated  by anti Irish and pro British journalists ,owned by a Knight of the realm ,which never miss a chance to stick the boot into those who bloodied the nose of their beloved Empire over the years.( This includes English lovers by birth and inclination and partitionists.).
RTE and TV3 and their pet panellists pander solely to the Dublin luvvies and their groupies and are virulent anti Catholic.A la ca rte Catholicism is a cloak to be worn or discarded at a whim and atheists are now reinventing themselves as "spiritual " beings.
Avoiding straight answers is the new fashion as aspiring candidates strove mightily to avoid answering searching questions.Appearance, not substance, is the new yardstick.
Journalism has reached a new low as they stampeded to the gutter to see who could hit the most hurtful ,sneaky and mortal blow to those they opposed.As they reaped so shall thy sow.What goes around comes around.Or so one hopes.    
Feminism persists in the Aras,as two women are succeeded by an ardent feminist.
Cromwell is  spinning in his grave as the Westies occupy all the main political offices,Taoiseach,Tanaite and President.
Dublin is on a different planet,culturally and politically from the rest of the Country.Every where bar Dublin,the natives support their own ,even those with remote claims to an area.Dublin seems to despise their own.What is wrong with them.Are they ashamed of their own and in awe of others.
Personally I wouldn't be a supporter of Gay Mitchell,but he is a true blue Dub.Must count for nothing.No loyalty there at all.Maybe the Dubs have been over run in their own county.
Michael Martin was true to form.He made a balls of it,because he has none himself.There are plenty of Fianna Fallers in the Country who clamored to Gallagher and some even voted for Higgins.
Young Dev,was right .He should have run.He is as clean a politician as there is and the pedigree is head and shoulders above the rest.He would have romped home as the electorate have already extracted revenge on the Party and realise that Tweedledum is no different than Tweedledee.
In a way the Republicans have had a resounding victory.Labour has been hijacked by the Workers Party,the political front of the former Official IRA,Sinn Fein increased its vote,and Gallagher picked up the Fianna Fail (the Republican Party )vote and "Old Labour"faction of the Labour Party has as its icon James Connolly who died in combat in the against the Empire.Even Fine Gael pays tribute to Michael Collins a courageous and brave fighter against the Empire.
So Republicans won the day.Just a matter of the hue.

Death of Kitty O Riordan.

It never rains but it pours.So it must seem to Denise Coogan,wife of Christy of Tullaghanstown,who had no sooner returned here from the burial of her sister in Boston,when she had to fly back to the bedside of her mother Kitty,who took a turn for the worst after the death of her daughter.
After a defiant struggle she finally succumbed to her illnes and went to meet her Maker two days ago.
Our hearts go out to Denise ,her father Alfie,her sisters Tina and Tricia,her brothers Kevin,Barry and Alfie and her grandchildren.
We know and love  her Dunderry grandchildren and we know how much they mourn her passing.We know well that  all her grand children ,in laws,relatives and friends equally mourn her passing.
All in this Parish sympathise with the bereaved on the cruel losses they are enduring.
We pray for God to give them help and succour.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.

Exodus from country gains momentum.

With the departure of Davy Clarke and Martin Garry to Australia in pursuit of a decent living and real work,the Parish is further diminished and two more native families are in deep mourning.
There are times in the affairs of men that are taken on the tide and such is the exodus that those left behind feel that they have little option but to join the majority of their friends in foreign fields,such is the lack of hope in this austere and subjugated land,where our political kapos jump to the tune of our Continental masters.
The exodus is taking on a life of its own and will soon become a torrent.
We are all fed up of weasel words and being talked down to by gutless politicians ,over paid commentators,spineless journalists,useless academics ,who between them could not create even one sustainable job.
God help us.

Turkeys being asked to vote for Christmas.

It is gratifying to read that eight former Attorney Generals,appointed in turn from all the political Parties have strongly supported the Blog's call ("Constitutional Amendments out ,out,out.") to vote against these proposed amendments to reduce judges pay  and allow members of the Dail and Seanad  to play at being judge,jury and executioner.
These are the sort of powers that dictators dream about and would completely erode individual rights to fair procedure,their good name and fair play in general.
Alan Shatter,the Justice Minister,who already stifled debate on the matter ,is reduced to sneering at one Attorney General ,who presided at AIB after his term and presumes to be more knowledgeable than the combined wisdom of the eight.
 These men have nothing personal to gain and much to lose from the stance they are taking,including as they do former Fine Gael ,Labour,P.D.and Fianna Fail  appointees in their number.
How the present Attorney can stand behind this travesty is astounding.
Power hungry politicians want nothing more than ultimate power to satisfy their super egos.
Don't be a turkey voting for your own extinction.
Vote No and No.

Dunderry v Oldcastle u 21 football challenge.

Last evening was brutal weatherwise.Thoroughly miserable.
Our boys travelled to Oldcastle for a challenge and,from what I hear ,did well.
On a night you wouldn't put a milk bottle out,that's dedication for you.

Barbaric Mutilation of Ghadaffi

Just finished watching The Omen.It featured many violent and  horrible deaths at the behest of the Devil.
Nothing in the film  compared to the barbaric death inflicted on Qaddafi and the macabre treatment of his mortal remains..In theses matters  you never blame the monkeys ,rather identify the organ grinders.These are the supposed renowned and civilised leaders of the free world.
How these people sleep at night is beyond me.It baffles me how at Our Rulers can  throw open the hospitality   of the State to these people but vilify our own for far less.NATO ran 26,000 bombing expeditions over Libya.Hilary Clinton is reported to have said that once Qaddafi was removed from the scene she didn't much care how it was achieved.The very sight or sound of her , her allies and her enemies,all of whom think so little of the dignity of human life, much send shivers down the spine of right thinking people.
It has been left to Zuma,the president of South Africa to articulate the views of decent people.Betcha not one Irish Presidential candidate  nor Parliamentarian will have the guts to comment on the matter either way., 

Enda puts his foot in it.

I heard the Taoiseach using the privilege of the Dail today to condemn the man who developed those flats in Dublin, which have been temporarily closed to have remedial repairs done in order  to satisfy the Fire Officers.
This cheap shot was delivered to get at Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams,who was raising questions about the Aviva downscaling.
The man was not there to defend himself.
I would guess that this man can never be prosecuted for anything to do with whatever shortcomings may arise regarding these buildings as he has been publicly found guilty of wrongdoing in the most privileged and public of fora in the Country and to be condemned so publicly by the Taoiseach of the day ensures that he will never get a fair trial.
Do you want politicians ,who may,like the Taoiseach ,condemn in advance people who haven't had a chance to defend themselves ,to investigate anyone they choose in either the Dail or Seanad?
IF you don't, vote against the proposed constitutional amendment.
These amendments are a severe threat to democracy.

Proposed Constitutional Amendments Out,Out,Out..

There is much that is wrong about the way the law operates in this country.The main complaint I have is that ,like the best medical treatment ,the best law is generally only available to those with the deepest pockets.In civil cases ,in any event,the richest litigants get the best and maybe only practitioners and therefor the best  results.
With the exception of a small number of practitioners,some of whom I have the honour of knowing,and those good people in "New Beginning"I think it is called ,who take cases for poor litigants on a no foal no fee basis ,the civil law is beyond the financial  reach of the bulk of the populace and rich bullies and gredy lawyers can manipulate the situation to their advantage.
It would be great were that situation addressed in the upcoming vote ,but no fear of that.
The Government of the day appoints judges.One presumes that they will not appoint someone with diametrically opposed views to their own.
Once appointed they are very difficult to remove .
The reason they are independ  from the Government is so  they can act independently in the interest of the citizens.The reason that their salaries cannot be reduced after appointment is to protect them from victimisation from a Government that might disagree with decisions they make.
Put simply the Government might put them under financial pressure by reducing their salaries until they pip at the seams and change their tune.
We should know enough about politicians not to trust them on this one.
The second matter to be voted on concerns the desire of politicians to play at being judge ,jury and executioner in the Dail or Seanad.They want to usurp the role of the Courts by effectively trying people in the Houses of the Oireachtas "in matters of the public interest."
Given the performance of the politicians in bringing the Country to its knees ,the crushing austerity being imposed on the populace,the sucking up to the European and world bank henchmen,the mass emigration resulting and the widespread abandonment of hope by so many,I would have thought that no one in their right mind would even contemplate letting politicians stick their noses into this area.
It is not that long since collective amnesia was experienced by so many politicians when it came to taking donations from developers and such like when they were plied with money for" political purposes "in the interest of the democratic process."
Look when ,if ever, they arrive at the stage that they can run the country in some sort of reasonable manner and stabilise it to the benefit of our citizens ,then and only then should we even remotely contemplate them playing at lawyer.
To make a decent living as  either a Solicitor or Barrister you need to be married to or partners with a person laying a golden egg all the time,be independently loaded or else live like a monk.In rough times like now unless you have a cushion to fall back on you are doomed.Really it is a rich man's game and always was.The general populace don't like lawyers much,considering them on a par with traffic wardens ,grippers,the traffic corps  and Revenue and Social Welfare enforcers.Of course this is a generality and there are many fair people in all theses categories,but who doesn't dread receipt of a Solicitor's letter or the service of proceedings,invariably promising all sorts of ruination.and usually when you are at your lowest.
It is not great that theses bodies regulate themselves,but to allow politicians who couldn't get a drink in a distillery to appoint the majority of the  governing regulating body is recipe for disaster.Didn't they look after the regulation of the financial sector and look where that got us.
A resounding no,no,no.  

Dunderry V Dunboyne IHL Semi Final 16/10/2011

Dunderry beat Dunboyne 4-16 to 1-6 today in a well contested match in Trim.Despite the margin of victory the match was keenly contested right up to the final whistle and was no pushover.Dunboyne don't do surrenders now nor never did.
Whacko and selectors employed the cunning strategy of resting the players in the run up to the match and it worked spectacularly with a refreshed and invigorated team producing a committed and thoughtful performance.
Team.
                                                      Conor Farrell
Damian Bruton                             Davy Mc Cormack                           Davy Stephens

Darren Callaghan                         Ivan Mc Cormack                             Dylan Keenan

                         Ted Dowd                                           Bob Doherty
Conor O Shea                            Brendan Wright                                   Killian Minogue

Paddy Gorey                                Evan Stephens                                  Davy Gilkinson.

Subs used.Chris Harrington,Darren Clabby,Ed.Maguire,Keith Callaghan,Joey Martin.

Everyone played well,the full forward line being particularly lethal.Of course the ball they were fed had a lot to do with this.
Young Clabby is physically immense and as brave as they come.In fact we are developing a few physically commanding players.
A good day's work .Roll on Kilmessan in final.
Footnote.Edward Maguire is on a roll.Yesterday he was a selector on the victorious  Dunderry u21 Football Team.Today he contributed to the hurling success and this evening he had a vital  part to play in the birth of our latest grandson.  Does it get any better?

Dunderry V Rathkenny.u.21 F.C.15/10/2011

Match played in Navan.We won by a big score.I missed it but am promised a report in due course.Davy Gilkinson scored two goals.

Sacrelige at Holycross latest manifestation of anti Catholic bias.

I opined some time back that the incessant anti Catholic rhetoric  from the Government, some presidential candidates,the printed media, prominent journalists in the electronic media and other prominent people was encouraging low life scum to prey on Catholics and their institutions.I instanced the robberies from churchgoer's vehicles and the spitting at priests as evidence of this.
Currently RTE are running an ad sneering at the Angelus bells.
All these people bear an indirect responsibility for the theft of religious and sacred relics from Holycross Abbey recently as they have stirred up hatred of the Catholic Church and all things Catholic.
No doubt they are rubbing their hands at this latest desecration.
The faithful should remember the disdain poured upon them by these bigots and so called "practising Catholics" when going to the polls in the Presidential election.

And yet another burglary

Having finished with the desecration of the home of the eighty year old yesterday the perpetrators drove up the road to the home of an even older gentleman ,who lives alone,gained entry by calling out his name (they knew his name seemingly),forced their way into his home and held him prisoner there as they ransacked it for booty.My people tell me that the perpetrators were three adults ,two men and one woman.
Failte to post colonial,multicultural,secular Ireland.
Is there no protection for us,particularly the elderly?

Burglarly epidemic out of control

Today the low- lives preying on our parishioners reached a new low,even for them.They desecrated the house of an octogenarion widow in her absence.This woman has been through hell recently,losing her daughter and  husband in quick succession.She herself sufferred the most bizarre and serious injury at the time of her husband's funeral and was unable to attend.
These cowards chose to inflict further senseless pain on this woman,breaking into the house,sawing through the locked bedroom door,wrecking all the rooms ,stealing a lifetime of irreplacable memories and ensuring that she will live in fear for her remaining years.
Feelings are running high in the Parish.When these people are caught,as they are bound to be,I imagine that retribution of the most severe kind will be extracted.
The authorities seem to be ineffective in face of this type of activity .
Far be it from me to tell the Gardai how to do their business,but it seems to me that were they to apply the same diligence to collaring these scum as they have to catching drunken drivers in the past they would be caught long before now.
With the death of the pub trade it is time to redeploy the troops ,not to catch decent people doing their best to survive ,but to put this filth away.
People are losing faith and urgent action is needed.

After the Brown Presidential Debate.

The media obviously talk only to each other.The same pet panellists appear on each show and soak themselves in admiration at their mutual wit and insight.Most of these commentators are either failed politicians or also rans or haven't the balls to run themselves for office. Both they and the majority of the presenters have personal agendas relating to their own failings and bias and the chips on their shoulders aren't long emerging when they get the chance to stick the boot in.
You may take it as a general rule that anyone with a D4 accent ,or in the PRO world,or who mixes overmuch with these people ,or who was rejected by the electorate and is part of this set,is virulent anti republican,anti Catholic and particularly so when people from the North and South, who didn't stand idly by, offer themselves for Public Office.
I stood idly by myself.I have nothing but admiration for those who didn't and suffered the consequences.They stood by their people when the rest of us  spouted pious platitudes and conjured up excuses for doing nothing for them.
It annoys to see wimps,irrespective of their intellectual capacity ,belittling such people and spouting revisionist bullshit to try and cover their own cowardice .
Vincent Brown went to huge trouble to discredit Martin Mc Guinness as evidenced by the huge pile of books he had at his side .Only for Mc Guiness.Not for anybody else.Mc Guiness bested him ,despite his usual hectoring.I would say that Mc Guiness was in far more lethal sights than Brown's and that Brown is a pussy cat  by comparison.Game set and match to Mc Guinness.
Of course Brown's attack was undermined by the corner boy antics of Mitchell.As a Dub myself I was disappointed that he cannot behave in a more statesman like manner.
The surge of support apparent in the polls for Gallagher,totally unseen by the so called experts,is no surprise to me.He is decent Fianna Fail stock and I would say that the old style Fianna Failers are backing him,as indeed are many floating voters who now realise the the present crew are not the answer either.Many many people now regard them as indistinguishable from their predecessors on the job and if anything more smart alecy.Even Bertie could go to GAA matches without fear of being jeered.
Gallagher's popularity magnifies the cowardice of Fianna Fail in not entering a runner.Young Dev would have polled well and if Gallagher does well I would say that Martin won't last long.
Every day Norris participates in this contest he is further discredited.My guess is that he will do well to even get the homo sexual vote.
The Davis participation in the contest ,so far as I am concerned,has only served to highlight the enormous fees these sort of Charity heads garner for their services,both for wages and outside activities.To tell the truth I think more of our under 11 club mentors ,who devote the entirety of the spare time they have to looking after teams than  I do of all these professional "Charity " people grouped together.  Who wouldn't head a Charity for that type of money.Great work if you can get it.
From now on I will be giving great thought to which charities I will contribute at the Church gate.
Certainly any charity with an executive paid these sort of astronomical sums will get Nada.
I suppose that she will get the Miriam vote(vote for whatever woman you want ),as she is more "yummy mummy" and D4 than Dana ,who is overtly Catholic and Northern ,to boot ,and therefor unacceptable to to the West Brit Pepelopes and Bevans My arses who hate all things Irish and who really should return to their motherland such is their oft stated dissatisfaction with this country.
I would say that Dana will poll well enough and surprise many.
Where have the Labour Ministers gone to.A few months ago they were all over the place.You couldn't turn on the radio without being subject to the Burton Shriek or animated gesticulation ,or the Rabbite jigger and poker as his words of learned length and thundering sound bedazzled all around.I'll tell you where.They have gone to ground,The former "Workers Party" comrades are too busy selling off the State's assets  .standing idly by as 65 year old women languish in jail because they challenged semi state bullying ,presiding over continuing  mass emigration and denying the Irish Diaspora who hit hard times from Social Assistance on their return here from abroad.
Michael D.is one of these comrades.I would guess that no Labour big wig will even appear on his behalf in the hope that the cuddlability factor will get him there.If any of the other candidates have any sense they will point out that Labour is only a heavier version of Fianna Fail light and if anything even worse.
If the young go out in force Mc Guiness to win.

Who to back in Presidential Stakes.

I believe that this post is an unnecessary extravagance in these straitened times.Most of  these well heeled candidates have lived well 'till now from the fat of the land.This coveted position is just an extension of that lifestyle.
Seeing however that my view is of no consequence for this election the question is whether to vote and for whom.As democrats we should vote.
In theses fearful and depressing times we should,I believe, vote for the person you would like to have beside you fighting the Irish cause when in  a corner and your back  to the wall.This will be my criteria.
There are no circumstances in which a vote for either Fine Gael or Labour should be considered presently.

Returning Irish emigrants and their families are being refused social assistance by Joan Burton's Dept.under the habitual residency regulations,operated by her Dept.
As seeing is believing I can tell you that a young Irish man,born of Irish parents ,who has returned to this country from England to try and make a better life for himself here has been refused Social Assistance,He comes from decent ,hard working,respected and patriotic stock.His great grandfather fought for Independence from the Empire in this,his  own country.
This Government should hang its head in shame.
In this regard they are truly political kapos, running the country for the benefit of their European masters and on their instructions.
Croppy lie down and starve ,or preferably,get out.

Plague of Burglaries spreads.

Bad enough that an octogenarian was burgled last week in Meadstown.I was apoplectic about this.It gets worse.Two other houses were also burgled around the same time.This is out of control.
Unless the authorities nip this in the bud this plague will become an epidemic.

Sanctity of Confession.

The attack of the Government and its allies on the sanctity of confession is nothing more than a smokes screen by anti Catholic liberals to secularise society even more than it already is secularised and to denigrate Catholicism.
Solicitors and Barristers acting in criminal cases are bound by legal and professional privilege not to reveal the secrets of their clients.
Family Law cases are held in camera and the identity of the parties are protected to the extent apparently that the parties cannot be named even in disputes over fees.
State employees bound by the Officials Secret Act can be jailed for breach of confidentiality and must by law keep secret information gleaned by them in the course of their official duties.
Government Departments ,Local Authorities,the Police and the multiplicity of official quangos do not reveal the names of the the many informers on their books. 
Journalists undertake not to reveal their sources.At least one brave man,Kevin O Kelly ,went to jail in an era of strict censorship, tightly applied by a Labour Minister,to uphold this principle.And if I am not mistaken a much renowned newspaper editor torched relevant documents to ptotect the source.
.So called liberal journalists,politicians,reporters and alleged civil rights groups are calling for religious personnel only to  breach confidentially.
Ex members of paramilitary organisations and their political associates do not reveal their secrets.
Government archives are kept secret for many years.The Courts cannot direct disclosure of Cabinet considerations.At least one Presidential candid ate refuses to reveal the contents of letters he wrote on legal advice.
What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
If Catholic confessor are made legally obliged to report the content of confessions,then all the above groups should be similarly treated.
Only Catholics ,alone of the above brief list , will be  victimised if populist politicians and a baying and  compliant media get their way.
Remember the thousand year Reich didn't last more than ten years,its secular successor the E.U .is presently on the ropes,our boys lost economic and arguably political sovereignty after 90 years ,Communism has come and gone,Feminism is on the wane,the great temporal Empires have all bitten the dust ,but the Catholic Church is still standing.
There is no chance that Catholic Church will contemplate breaking the seal of confession,nor should it.
A la ca rte Catholics should get out now and stop calling themselves practising Catholics when politically expedient.

Terrified populace under siege.

The cowardly thieves have struck again.For the second time in a few months the house of an octogenarian has been burgled.Hopefully this thief or thieves will make the mistake of entering a house with a fit man or men at home and get an appropriate welcome.There will be a queue to welcome him or them,male or female.Welcome to secular, multicultural,inform on your neighbour,pan European, Ireland.
It could be a mistake to think that the culprits are limited to the usual suspects.or that they are necessarily young and male.Their age span may be older than imagined and they may not be male.
An attempted burgalarly was also made yesterday at a local house.Be vigilant and be careful of strangers looking for directions.Memorise the number of their cars.

What Hitler couldn't achieve with an army of a million men,Angela Merkel has achieved with the stroke of a pen.

The pen is mightier than the sword.When Germany says "jump" our leaders say "how high".Our own politicians and state employees are now treating ordinary citizens with such contempt,that Hitler must be revolving in his grave wondering how European submission was so easily won by his compatriots,and without the spilling of one drop of German or indeed French blood.
Persecution of Irish people who did their best during the Celtic Tiger years and lost it all continues unabated.The State continues to fund quangos investigating employment practises on behalf of "New Irish",now living in State provided accommodation and being provided for by the State against "Old Irish",who have lost it all and themselves are dependant on the State for survival.Very often the "Old Irish" cannot afford legal representation but the "New Irish "seem to have no problems in this regard.See my earlier article about the wildebeest transversing the Serengeti and the multitude of predators and scavengers awaiting in ambush.
Unconfirmed reports have reached me that the offspring of Irish people who emigrated years ago due to political ineptitude and who return to the Country are being refused Social Welfare assistance by our Government.Seemingly "No Irish need Apply" is the new mantra in Mrs.Burtons Dept .for these people.Wouldn't happen to East Europeans and others,discrimination you know and Amnesty and a host of others would be up in arms.But anything will do for "Paddy."
I.d say Hitler would be salivating at the ability of the French to have their police investigate alleged crime in Ireland  with the full cooperation of Irish politicians,judges and policemen.What next ? The German Chancellor giving orders to our Taoiseach ? Never ?

Final Repose of Late John Conway.

The final remains of John Conway,late of Halltown,whose recent death was earlier referred to and who was cremated in Blackburn,will be interred in Dunderry Cemetery this coming Saturday October 1st.2011 after 12.00 Mass in the local Church. 

The dog's dinner.

In the 1960's when we lived in Blanchardstown,myself and the brother got a grand brown wire haired mongrel dog as a present.I would say he was six months old when he arrived.We christened him "Rolo".The very first thing we did with him when he settled in was to bring him for a walk across the fields which were to the back of our house .We had hurleys and a ball with us and the craic was to hit the ball as far as we could with the hurleys and watch the pup follow it and retrieve it,which he did with great gusto.Great fun all round until when swinging on a ball the dog jumped up to get it before the hurley connected and took the full force of the swing on the head.A terrible accident which reduced us both to tears and knocked the unfortunate dog out.We were fearful to go home with the new dog unconscious,so we carried him to the Tolka river and doused him with water until he came around.When he could walk without a stagger we headed home. The parents thought that Rolo looked the worse for wear but we said the long walk and all the running must have tired him out.
The dog went blind in one eye as a result of the blow.We never cracked on why.The dog became a loved pet on account of this disability and we all loved him the more because of it.
A few years later the dog was sick.He could walk but was not himself.The father came home from work and the brother ,who had long since claimed ownership ,asked him could we bring him to the vets. The da was parched for a pint after a hard day's work and said he had only three lids  (pounds ),about the price of a few pints and smokes and was not inclined to spend the money on the dog.The brother pleaded and the da relented.
The vet's surgery was about two miles away and as we had no car the lads had to walk there.We had no lead for the dog,so the da got out one of his neck  ties and used it as a lead for the dog and headed off.They got there without incident.In the waiting room of the surgery the dog took fright ,broke loose and made a bolt for freedom causing all sorts of mayhem.The vet heard the commotion from his surgery and came to investigate.The dog was caught,tie still in situ and the da apologised .The vet said "no problem,sure didn't the dog come dressed for dinner".Witty I thought.
Role was treated ,recovered and lived a long and happy life.He was never at the vet's again and a neck tie was never used to lead him around again.

Death of Cathy O Riordan,sister of Denise Coogan.

Denise Coogan (nee O Riordan ),wife of Christy of Tullaghanstown,is mourning the death of her sister Cathy,who was killed by a train in an accident in Boston,where she resided, on Friday 16th September at the tender age of 34 years.The misfortunate mother of three small children is also survived by her partner, her parents Kitty and Alfie,her sisters Tina and Tricia,and brothers Kevin,Barry and Alfie.She was a native of Cork who emigrated to Boston  some years ago.
We offer condolences to Denise,Christy and their family and to her parents,partner,children .siblings and all her relatives and friends and our prayers are with them.
The G.A.A.Club and Camogie Club ,to whose activities Denise's family here contribute so much, also express their condolences to them in their despair at this terrible accident.
Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam dilis.

Fianna Fail sign own death warrant.

Many many people have voted for Fianna Fail in the past,yours truly being one such voter.Even after selling out our national economic sovereignty a la Diarmuid mac Murrough,many people still voted for them in the General election earlier this year.Many thousands of decent people are saddened by what happened under their stewardship, are punch drunk politically and probably prepared up to now  to wait and see if they could redeem themselves and whether they had any backbone or conjules left.
Any person would tell you that you cannot win a war with no soldiers in the field.Any Club person knows that when you concede a walkover you might as well forget about fielding a team at all and the Club might as well fold altogether
Fianna Fail were recently a senior inter county hurling team at the top of their game.The electorate relegated them to the equivalent of a struggling Club junior division six team(And that because there is no division seven).
There are no juveniles coming to augment the present players.Instead of standing their ground and hurling at the level they now play at(they have a lot more players than any of the Independents),their Captain has decided to give a walkover in the President's Cup.And the players cannot see that no matter what spin is put on it they will be seen forever more as gutless cowards.
I thought that Leabhras and Young Dev had some backbone,but when push came to shove they also choose not to play.
As these two gents are not prepared to stand up to their Captain and Selectors they should do the right thing and resign.
They could then apply for a transfer to  my "Reclaim our Country"movement and if they rediscover their conjules the transfer might be approved.I have a soft spot for both as I consider them to be men of principle.
On which subject Robert Ballagh's application would be fastracked through.
Now that's a man worth his place.

This shit has to stop.

During the  All Ireland on Sunday another house on the Meadstown Road was burgled.The occupants were out at the time.
During the following night an attempt was made to rob the contents of a locked trailer hemmed in by a parked car.Probably the thieves were interrupted and fled before they could complete the task.
These thieves are picking on vulnerable people.No fear of them trying a house where a man could possibly be present.
Sooner or later they will break into a house and be caught.
I repeat that in my belief this will end badly.
Until these scumbags are found please look out for your neighbours,

The Dubs.

What a game.Magic.'Nuff said.

The good people

The cream always rises to the top.In there tough times worthy charities are particularly under pressure.Great to see that Mags Kilcooley,who happens to be my daughter, ran 10 kilometers this morning for the Aisling group.Great achievement for a woman who did no specific training.
She said that the crowd was disappointing.Probably not the brightest idea to hold it on All Ireland Final Day,I would have thought.
At Dunderry Mass this morning there was a church gate collection for another charity ,whose name I cannot pronounce,but seems to be for a Navan man doing relief work in Soutth America.More luck to him and I hope they did well.
Sean Cleary,the Malahide Dub,asked me today to mention a novel upcoming event in the residence of Sonny and Mary Stanley on 24th.September.It is for the charitable work of Winnifred Farry from Trim,who provides succour and HOPE for the dying destitute of Calcutta.
A day of organic plenitude is promised by the hosts,with all sorts of organic consumables being available and local musical and other talent on display.
I'm told that a basket weaving lesson will be given and that there is a chance that another warbling basket case could appear for the Match making.
All in all it should be the cat's whisker and it runs from 12.30 to 5.00 pm.
All are welcome. 

Encouraging Comments and sad death of Maggie Morgan.

The Johnny Roe mentioned in my blog "Johnny F...in Roe" is alive and well.We have been in contact and he liked the story and the blog.If Pat Rattigan was alive he would be delighted and would make some fuss.
I also received a letter from Billl Mc Mahon of Navan,chiding me on a few lapses in spelling and over the overuse of the "I",as presumably in "I" myself .Spellings corrected and "I" can only talk for myself and not anyone else.So Bill "I" am afraid you will have to put up with it.But thanks for your letter.
Thanks to other friends who have also offered encouragement..Hello to Leon where ever you are.And to the Dunderry and Irish diaspora worldwide.The incompetent gob shites who were in charge have allowed forced emigration on a par with famine times to develop and our current captains are merely political kapos implementing the policies of our new masters.
There are a plethora of Fir Breaga prancing the boards of the political stage jiggering and pokering and pirouetting their way out commitments given.
We are effectively a slave nation and it is heartbreaking that such a sound generation have had to abandon the sinking ship and build up their destination countries rather than their own.For those left behind here it is no joke either as all live in fear ,particularly the unemployed and self employed.Informing on your neighbour instead of helping him is the new religion here,as the number of informant helplines increase and multiply.Larkin's successors lead the posse in this regard.
It is ironic that a decent woman who denied Eirgrid access to her land in Tipperary is languishing in jail while those that destroyed the country are as free as birds.And creditors are getting committal orders against impoverished people .Yes ,putting the poor in jail because they owe money and cannot pay it continues.That will surely make money appear.And if they go to the Credit Unions for money their chances diminish by the hour as the Regulators treat them as economic units not social ones.The idea governing the foundation of the Unions,i.e helping out your neighbours, has been lost sight of as the money men take over.
With the demise of conveyancing the legal profession (and all trades) are in decay and something like 40% of legal work is now concentrated in debt collection.Creditors are in competition to strip the carcasses of impoverished people and the tragic deaths of so many middle aged males .who happen to be self employed ,is a direct result.
Ordinary people can be likened to the wildebeest who migrate across the 500 kilometers of the Serengeti in central Africa and which are hounded at every turn by prides of lions,alligators,vultures, hyenas and every scavenging animal you can imagine.Match the creditor to the predator.
Money has never been as scarce and any more taxes ,open or sneaky are not on.
Most people haven't enough to eat and any more cutbacks will be the last straw.
It is not to Europe that our emigrants are heading ,but the historical traditional destinations.The time has come to quit Europe and paddle our own canoe again.It was titled the European Economic Community and that is just what it is--- an economic community that is destroying our social society.
When Angela and Nicholas say "jump" our boys say "how high" and I suppose that when the Americans tell the to jump they will give the same response.
About the only source of hope is the Gaelic hurling and football,the quintessential expression of our Irishness ,which all Gaels hold close to their hearts,whether at home or abroad.Often copied but never equalled ,long may the games prosper.
Let us give all these amateurs,however lowly, a buaile bas.Let us pay homage to all those who are lucky enough to represent their counties and fawn at the true grit of the participants in all All Ireland Finals,both men and women.
The highest compliment you can pay a man ,in my view is to afford him the accolade"every inch a man".I suppose the same could be said of women.
There are many Gaelic sportspeople you can say this about.
On a sad note Maggie Morgan,a woman who helped promote our Camogie Club here in Dunderry this many years, passed away today,well before her time.having fought the good fight to the end.She was a great one and wanted only the best for her kids and this community.We sympathise with them and her devoted husband Gerry..
Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam dilis.

Dunderry V Kildalkey.IHC.Simonstown.16 Sept.2011.

The saga ended tonight with Kildalkey winning by two  points.Probably the most exciting,tense and heartbreaking hurling match I have seen since we failed to put Trim away in the S,H,C, final many years ago.We went down fighting.Tiochaidh ar la.
Will give more detail when the heart mends, 

Yet another burgarly in Parish

As I'v said previously,we are prisoners in our own homes.Another house in the Parish was  burgled today.It was unoccupied at the time.The house belongs to a priest.
Some one knows who is at this.There is a catch phrase doing the rounds here to describe anonymous reportage of suspicions about neighbours to Social Welfare.It is called "doing a Burton " on your neighbours.
I understand that when Brendan Corish became minister for Social Welfare years ago ,he directed that anonymous "good citizen reports" be binned as they are capable of being used for causing severe distress if used for ulterior motives.
In rural communities Welfare checks immediately arouse suspicion that your neighbour reported you and the imagination runs wild trying to guess who is culpable.Very often the wrong person is blamed and the seeds of distrust ,which have generational application are sown.It is a dangerous and potentially fatal  practicein my view.
That rumbling sound you hear is Brendan Corish revolving in his grave.
We must look out for our neighbours and keep a sharp eye out for  robbers.
 If we know the culprits responsible we should have no hesitation in informing a responsible person up front.

More break-ins and thefts in Parish.

The incessant denigration of Catholics by politicians and the print and electronic media has filtered down to like thinking lowlifes to the extent that these low lives now feel free to vandalise and steal from the cars of Mass goers while the owners are at Mass.
It happened again last Sunday in Robinstown during Sunday Mass.
Led by the the Government,propagated by the printed media (Sir Anto's  Independent) and the Sunday Times (stablemate of the disgraced News of the World) and the electronics media (even Marianne Finuccane screeching her vitriol over the airwaves)is it any wonder that Priests are being spat at in public and that low lives feel justified in robbing the property of Mass goers.
Seems that we may have to hire security guards to attend Mass now.
And the thefts continue apace.Another house robbed in broad daylight and another attempted break in yesterday.
Yes welcome to post colonial, multicultural ,secular,inform on your neighbour, Ireland.

dunderry V Moynalvey 10/09/2011

I am bitterly disappointed.We didn't perform and were well beaten--5 or 6 points.A huge committment for the year comes to naught.What is it with us and semi finals in Navan.Put another way "we shit on the traces" again.All involved must be sick.If I can build up to a fuller report I will.

Jesus Jeeps on the button.

Jesus chose his mode of transport and animal friends carefully.The most stoic,intelligent and lovable of animals,the donkey were present both as transport and in the stable for his birth.Donkeys bear the sign of the cross on their backs as visual evidence of his favour,it is said.
Because he chose then for transport ,they are called Jesus jeeps in this part of the country.This is not to disrespect them.Were donkeys not kept to work they wouldn't exist for very long.Working donkeys are a rarity in Western countries.We would rather pollute the  environment with the toxic waste of oil products and use weapons of mass destruction to bomb non Caucasian peoples back to the stone age to protect oil wells than use resources that can survive on what nature provides i.e vegetation for donkeys and horses etc.
I have evidence that God,favourite animal is still on the button.
A well loved and eccentric gentleman of my acquaintance has had a hard life and been at the butt end of tragedy and bureaucratic attack most of his long life because of his unconventional way of making a living.This elderly man has long concluded that donkeys are preferable companions to many humans,and given the intolerance that many displayed towards him ,it is hard to blame him.He lives alone,except for two donkeys who share his house with him.They adore him and he adores them.They are both jacks.
He often goes "on Ceili"( a word used around here to describe prolonged visits to the houses of friends and neighbours)to his neighbours.Come eight o clock in the evening,he will keep a check on the time and will depart home to make base before nine o clock.
When challenged on this he explained that the "lads" usually love watching the television and that he leaves it on when he is not at home.He says that whatever overcomes them when the news comes on they dislike it that much that if he is not there to switch it off "they will kick the T.V. to pieces."
Yes they are on the button.

LIving in fear of Stasi like snoopers and enforcers.

I was glad to see that Sean Gallagher,the aspiring presidential candidate ,was able to deduce from his countrywide travels that the populace are living in fear.The penny has finally dropped for him.I had this sussed a long time ago.See my election logo elsewhere on the blog.He said this on a T.V.3.programme this morning in response to a female presenters claim the Irish people are ashamed to be Irish.One must question what planet this woman lives on to put this up as a serious proposition.
I have come to the reluctant conclusion that all these media people,whose mutual admiration for each other is so blatant and who largely sing from the same hymn sheet.,mix with with only each other  to the extent that they have lost touch with reality.
I have argued that we live in an open prison for some time and that self perpetuating quangos and enforcers have persuaded servile politicians that the more powers they have the better it will be for the country.
This week I have spoken to four different people who were belittled by these self important, hugely feared and largely unaccountable  bullies.
Without exception these people can do just as they please,because they have State backing and the small people are afraid to tackle them because they don't have the resources to match the State and they fear that if they do complain that the organisation will get revenge on them in due course.This feeling is rife ,even amongst professionals and is indicative of a fascist state.
So we sit back and take it out of fear.
IT is time to tear up the rule book and start again from scratch.

Weather forecasters haven't a clue.

My late aunt,Molly Mc Cormack,used watch the weather forecasts and listen to them on the radio very attentively.This was because they were farmers and the weather had a huge bearing on when you cut your hay.No hay for the winter and you were snookered.I think that a lady called Joan Blackbourne was the Forecaster for a long time.I often heard Molly say"that Joan Blackbourne would sicken you "on the occasions when she got it wrong.
Evelyn Cusack is the woman of the moment.I am sure I heard her say that one has a fair chance of telling the weather 6 days in advance.Well I was listening attentively to the forecasts this last week as I had a late meadow to cut and wanted to make hay.The confident predictions was that this past week was to be fine,today Friday being the best day ,with the weekend brutal.Well we had two good days since last Monday,the day the meadow was felled.It pissed rain last night and did the same today(Friday).Wasn't I some gob shite turning the grass twice a day since Tuesday.
I will be saying to anyone who will listen to me "that Evelyn Cusack would sicken you".

Congratulations Brian.

Brian,who played football and hurling with Dunderry.Do you remember when at age 14 during a hurling match you and an opponent were shoulder to shoulder pulling on the ball.And the other fellas father took exception to it.And he ran on the pitch,grabbed you and went to burst you with a box.And I , the referee ,ran at him and knocked him down before his punch reached your face.I fell too and when getting up,he kicked me straight in the face,busting my nose and breaking my glasses.And when I squared up to him a well meaning mentor held my arms in case I would kill him.And he busted me again when held.And then retreated against the paling.Thank God your Da was watching and chastised him from outside the paling.And he had to take it as your DA grabbed him from the other side of the paling,your DA;s belly to his back.God,he got some lecture then.
Well you turned out to be some sportsman and played at the highest level.
You are in America this good while.I know you follow this blog.I hear you got married recently.Me and mine wish you the best of luck

Plague of robberies hits area.

In the last few months at least 11 houses have been burgled within a two mile area of this village.There may be more.This is the number I am aware of.As far as I know all these burglaries were executed when the occupants were not at home.Either the burglars called by chance or by design at the appropriate and opportune time.
I haven't heard of any arrests but that does not mean that there haven't been any.
The net result is that people are afraid to leave their homes in case they are burgled.We are effectively prisoners in our own homes.
This is post colonial secular multicultural Ireland.
I feel that this will end badly.
In the meantime look out for your neighbours.
This problem is unprecedented in this parish,as far as I know,

Dunderry V Na Fianna I.F.C.20/08/2011.

Kildalkey venue is in great nick and it is a grand summer's evening.Only drawback is slope on pitch but over hour that balances out.

Dunderry Team

                                                       David Jennings
Red Callaghan                             Darren Fay                        Davy McCormick
Colm Harte                                   Finn Stephens               John Kellegher
                               Davy Callaghan(Lar)           Peadar Callaghan
Andy Coogan                                 Keith Callaghan           Martin Garry
T.J.Garry                                        Stephen Coogan           Ted Dowd.
 This is a must win match.
Fianna dominate first few minutes.Lar breaks up possession and passes to T.J. Breaks tackle and narrowly wide.Ref ,makes bad mistake ,blows Stephen for lifting straight from ground ,when he didn't.Certain point denied us and they work point from free.We get free.Lar takes too high for T,J, and Fianna counter attack.Finn breaks it up and to Harte ,who is fouled.Lar takes it ,to Keith.Wide.Andy to Peadar to T.J.Short shot to goalkeeper and he launches attack.We attack but lose direction and they counterattack.Finn gains possession.To Kelleher,to Ted,who gives good long ball to T.J.He is fouled .Stephen converts.Jennings saves ball and to Finn,to Peadar,to Davy Mac,who is badly fouled.Free driven to Martin Garry and ref,gives 21 yard free to us.Stephen scores it.We win kick out and a foul on Kelleher is blown.Stephen directs to T.J.,who buries it in the back of the net.Finn wins ball and is fouled.Ball back to Jennings,to Davy Mac,to Red,to Stephen.Ball crosses sideline.Fianna line ball.Attack and counterattack culminate with Fianna point from play.Stephen is at end of good move involving Lar and Harte ,but overplays ball and concedes free.Fianna counter with fine point.We need to tighten up.Fianna score another minor from a free.Broken play ends with long run from Fianna 5 and another point scored.We have to tighten marking in half forward line.Another point for them.Finn switched to mark 12.Their 7 wins break,to 11,back to 7.Point.We are a point down and deserve to be.Short kick out to Kelleher who sends in long.T.J. fouled before ball comes and 21 yard free pointed by Stephen.Good defending by us breaks up Fianna attack.Fianna end broken play with well taken point.Finn back centre back.Fianna now bossing us and take point from play.Harte to Finn to Keith to Fay to Marty.His ball falls short and ends up in goalkeepers hands.Half time whistle blows.Fianna 0-8. Dunderry 1-3.

Second half,Simon Carty replaces Martin Garry.Sloppy play from both sides.Finn wins ball,to Lar,to T.J  Good wide.Lar to Kelleher to T.J.Rattles onion bag.Good goal.Ted fouled.Free to Keith.Point.Free to Fianna.Fifty conceded.Ted wins ball,kicks up field to T.J.Loses ball.Fianna attack.We defend well and Carty secures ball.To Lar whose delivery is too high for Keith.Good Dunderry defending returns possession to us and forces pickup from Fianna.Free by Lar to Ted.Long ball in and T.J.wins it under pressure.Forced out to sideline but delivers across goal.Fianna regain ball .We repulse attack .Good defending. Ball got by Lar,to Kelleher to Harte,to Lar,to T.J.Ball lost and Fianna free ends up wide.Fianna free resumes attack,but good defending stymies it.Ball breaks to Lar,to Stephen.Doubly fouled.Quick free taken ,but Fianna intercept.Dunderry break up attack and earn free out.Taken to Carty.Runs like a hare and passes to Andy.Narrow wide.Finn wins hard ball.Knocked over sideline .Our ball.Fianna all out attack breaks down when Kelleher fouled.Free quick to Carty.To Stephen.Point.Successive Fianna frees results in a point.Bob Doc on for Keith.Finn to Harte,to Coogan to Doc.Splits posts.Peadar and opponent reach clouds and catch ball together.Ref,throws ball up.Breaks to Coogan.Andy shoots wide.Andy gathers kick out is fouled and Stephen hits short,Na Fianna counter attack is broken up by Lar at expense of conceding line ball.They hit scorable free wide.Peadar opens his shoulders and catches magnificent ball.To Harte who beats two men,but hits aimless ball ,which Bob retrieves and again splits the posts.good football.Na Fianna attack rewarded with point.Kelleher loses concentration and Fianna point results.Pressure is on.Finn wins break,to Harte ,to Ted  to Andy.kicks a point.Breaks duck.Lar takes sideline ball.Ends up a sideline ball for them.Ivan Mc Cormack on for Ted.They go for goal.We defend and Carty gets ball.Fouled from 4 different directions.Ball to Ivan,to Bob,has a go .Wide.We are 3 up,three to go.Good work by Andy ,who passes to Doc.Splits posts again.Fianna 7 scores point.Fianna go all out but we hold out well.Winner all right.2-9 to 0-12.

Ref. Made few strange decisions early on and tried to balance them out.Settled before half time and had good second half.

Team assessment.Aside from a few lapses in concentration we performed well.Backs were solid and worked hard.Midfield more than held their own and Peadar is becoming the footballer his late Father predicted he would be,who predicted a long time ago that he would be a late developer.
The forwards are getting their act together and the younger lads are proving their worth.The older lads are giving their all.
We were worth the win on balance.Na Fianna were devastated..

Selectors did all the right things .Inspired substitutions.Some job picking team for semi-final.

Post script.
My 60th birthday was well celebrated in Horans after.All is well in the world.Match won,all in great form.Young ,old,in between celebrated in harmony.Not a wrong word and Nance was bustling.Eddie had the place rocking from early  and friends old and new let it rip .Thanks all.Never thought I'd make it.Kinda wished i didn't on Sunday.Wasn't alone I;d say.
Big,big thanks to all .

Keep Government to committments on Mortgage Arrears Promises.

See my pre election blog dated 14 02 2011 "Policy on evictions and repossession of domestic dwellings"
Take note that on the leaders debate on 140211,involving the "big five",the present Taoiseach and Tanaiste had this to say on the topic of evictions:-
Enda Kenny"Guarantee that(owners) won't lose house."
Eamon Gilmore"Head off bailiffs"
Now the Finance Minister is talking about "no silver bullets " being widely available to help those with mortgage arrears they cannot meet,
I believed them then ,Did you.?Did they?