The Whirlygig

( 1 ) .It’s half seven on a week evening in a small country shop. The lone shop assistant looks up and greets the man,a stranger to her,who has just entered.It is that sort of shop,a place for locals where everybody knows nearly everybody and people talk to each other. The man is dressed in black. He has a black hoodie and she now notices that a scarf covers his face. She is apprehensive. He then produces a large carving knife and demands the till takings. She is scared shitless and gives it over without question. He takes it and rushes out  side. She is terrified of being on her own since.

It is doubtful that the robber will be caught ever. She has to get used to the idea of working on her own if she wants work there and she does.

(2).He is nearer seventy than sixty. He has a potentially fatal illness, is under medical instruction to remove all sources of stress from his life in order to enable him to live and recover.He is depressed. He has been a model citizen most of his life and is in dispute with a supplier over the quantum of a debt,most of which he has paid. The supplier know full well the precarious state of his health. They write to him demanding the debt, threatening him with legal costs and intimating that they will look to his family home for retribution, hoping to scare him into submission.

(3). She is a professional in her sixties. A scrupulously fair woman,as her profession demands. In her forty years in business she has given employment to a cohort of about six staff and paid them decent wages. She depends on a bank overdraft to survive. She has never stung the bank, ever. She has never been greedy and just charged her customers enough to cover her costs with a small surplus for herself. She has no nest egg. Due to the recession her business has dried up. The bank has incrementally cut back her business  overdraft. She is stuck in a lease that her landlord will not reduce. She cannot pay her staff. Nor has she the heart nor resources to make them redundant. Because she is self employed she has no welfare entitlements. She gets a grave illness. And is advised to quit work for the sake of her health.

Facts are she cannot. There is no safety net for her. She sometimes thinks that death might not be that bad if it does come.

(4) . He is in his late twenties. Ten years ago things were picking up in the construction sector and he went for it. He leased machinery, negotiated wage deals with those who wanted work and paid his taxes. He gave god employment. The banks were accommodating, vieing to trump each other with the credit cards they offered him. The government gorged on his taxes. He built a house on a mortgage.

Work dried up. The banks that once lined up to throw money at him cut off his credit. The finance companies repossessed his machinery, sold it off and are hassling him daily for the balance. He has no welfare entitlements and the relieving officer is paying just enough to feed himself and his family. His creditors are trying to pry this money from him and  grasp it  to satisfy their debts. He  cannot pay his mortgage nor his kid’s school fees. He is in negative equyity and has no assets. There is no one to turn to.To cap it all a State funded  industrial tribunal , instigates proceedings against him for breach of a registered employment agreement. He cannot afford to employ anyone to represent him.He wonders at the system whereby the state is funding a tribunal to adjudiacate a debt against him while he is being maintained by the State, in favour of a claimant who is being housed by the state and kept by the state, when all parties know he is destitute.. Had he been clever enough to rely on the State for housing and not built his own house, he would be long gone.

(5) They are loaded. Suspicions lingered that certain aspects of their behaviour were not kosher. The organs of State that can handle investigation of ordinary people are unable to get to the bottom of their behaviour. Tribunals are set up to enquire and report.These guys can afford the best money can buy and challenge the tribunal officers at every hands turn. They can run to the suprerior courts at the bat of an eyelid and do regularly.. They suffer collective amnesia and their media friends lie for them. The best money can buy. To their shame they feel free to disparage the integrity of the tribunal officers. Their money protects them.14 years it took, longer than the life of the girl murdered in the North.

(6) THE QUEEN OF OUR FORMER COLONISTS HAS CONDECENDED TO VISIT.A PUBLICAN,IN EXERCISE OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ENJOY,ERECTS A BANNER SAYING SHE WONT BE SERVED IN HIS PUB. Within 24 hours the posse is assembled by the media and he is threatened with withdrawal of his afterhours  extensions and breach of planning laws. Will banners of such size welcoming her be treated similarly?

(7). After 30 years the Queens Government apologises for the actions of one of her soldiers who shot a 12 year old girl in the back, twice, while on her way to confessions, killing her stone dead.. He had been aquitted of manslaughter at the time.

And the  secular wing of our new government gets its retaliation in early. The dog’s tail  is  to decommission the Catholic ethos from our schools. The dog is getting worried. Already.

Catholics,ordinary people  and Irish speakers ,don’t apply.Get out.Sorry for speaking down to ye,You are way ahead of me. Ye are gone and queing up to go in your droves.

Expect more constitutional red herrings to keep you distracted. It worked before

Remember Irish = bad.Post colonial multiculturalism = good.

Until the ass roars again.

Slan go foill.

DUNDERRY CAMOGIE EXILES.

                                                     ELAINE MULLIGAN
                                                            ( AUS.)
ANNE MULLIGAN                     SINEAD FAGAN                    JENNY NEWMAN
  (SCOTLAND)                                   (U.K.)                                        (U.K.)

JOANNE MC CORMACK          AOIFE CARROLL                   YVONNE CALLAGHAN
   (CANADA)                                   (FRANCE)                                   (AUS)

                                        JACKIE THORNTON             LORNA GARRY
                                               (U.K.)                                       (U.S.A.)
SIOBHAN FEENEY                      LISA DOOLEY                        BLAINID FEENEY
    (U.K.)                                            (AUS)                                          (AUS)

                                  GERALDINE SMITH            CHRISTINA LEONARD
                                                (U.K.)                                          (SCOT.)

International expansion

The Drumbeat has now gone global, with the reverse takeover of the Robinstown Recorder, the Kilbride Klarion, The Lambay Leader and the Churchtown Chronicle.

In addition I am pleased to announce that the founder and sole director of the P.L.C.(People of Lawlesses Cross) , Gary Travers, has decommissioned his felt pen and  has sought fraternal links with my Save Ireland movement.We are still negotiating over the membership fee, which the PLC had fixed at the price of a pint but as I cannot drink pints anymore, I am thinking of changing. This may need the input of the Labour Court,tripartite medi ation and scrutiny of at least three quangos. Any ideas before a fatwa or a jihad is declared.

On a more serious front a member of the exiles team has undergone the horrific and shocking experience of discovering a dead body in a suitcase in a canal in Australia lately. Our thoughts are with him.We commend his bravery.

On the Asian front, God help the people of Japan.A tsunami alone is savage enough reminder that the power of nature can exceed all man’s inventiveness, but the added threat of nuclear escape puts the cap on it. The possibility of a second Hiroshima must be in their minds. On the subject of which,who bears the responsibility for all the deaths resulting. The man who released the bomb or the man who ordered its release.If the latter the question arises whether any politician will ever see heaven. In the event of the death of even one Libyan civilian are all the politicos who agreed the bombing on the schute to eternal damnation?

I hope that this puts to bed any further thoughts of nuclear development anywhere else in the world.

Lest we be accused of ignoring the local scene I am reporting under on the B League Div.3 game in Dunderry last Sunday and the adult hurling match in the field yesterday. To the players and mentors it is as important as any of the world events and so it should be. 

Dunderry V Woulfe Tones Hurling league

Sat 19/03/2011

Team

                                        Davy Geraghty

DAMIAN BRUTON            DAVY MC CORMACK         JOEY MARTIN

DARREN CALLAGHAN       IVAN MC CORMACK         DILLON KEENAN

               BOB DOHERTY                           BRENDAN WRIGHT

CHRISTOPHER HARRINGTON   K DOWD                    KILLIAN MINOGUE

PADDY GOREY                  EVAN STEPHENS                 KEVIN BRUTON

With Kevin Dowd, Bob Doherty and Davy Geraghty available again Paddy Kenneally and Davy Stephens lost out from the lineout that fielded against Rathoath, Owen Mc Cormack being unavailable.

Mc gourty on sideline with Keenan and Coogan.

This match was not competitive and Dunderry were the masters in all compartments.

It will hardly be as handy in the Championship. Will it?

Half time: Dund.3-8.Tones 0-4.Full Time Dunderry. Out of sight.

Subs used: David Stephens,Conor O Shea, J.P.Kenneally, D.Clabby ,T .Doherty.

Same Circus

Was in Navan Hospital during the week.Now someone tasked me a while ago that it was no wonder I got so few votes in the election considering that I was belittling the hospital when everybody else was actively campaigning in its favour.Of course this is nonsense.My position was and is that it should be fit for purpose.In my case it didn’t stock the clot busting drug that may have saved me being crippled for life.I don’t know who was responsible for this omission,but do know that had I gone to say Blanchardstown the drug would have been available.

The point is that the people of Meath should be entitled to as good a service as the people of Blanchardstown.Our politicians ought to have known this and should have  made sure that the hospital was fit for purpose.In this they failed and jumping on the bandwagon after the horse had bolted is political hypocracy.

Personally I believe that the buck stops with the relevant Ministers for Health over the years.Mary Harney was Minister at the time I got the stroke and the blame lies at her door,as far as I am concerned.I would gladly swap a splash of paint for a lifetime disability.Of course the splasher has been prosecuted .

We will wait and see what 5 of the 6 Meath T.D.s are in the Government parties do about s it.Dont hold your breath.

Anyhow the home county of the instigator of the smoking ban has  again excelled  itself in sticking its nose into others business by introducing a myriad of health and safety regulations to effectively stop people from digging the graves of family members.That these should be conceived in Cork is no surprise to me .Any mindset that could conceive buildings regulations to so torture law abiding smokers is so perverse that the capacity for nonsense is limitless.

I have remarked that the outgoing administration thought more of the rights of a stag than they did of the stroke patients in Navan Hospital.Well now I can tell you that the present crew think more of the rights of a bike than they do of a smoker.Outside the front door of the Hospital is a brand new bike shelter ,prominently marked “no smoking”.A few yards away the ill patients who happen to be addicted to a legal pastime have to take their drags in the spilling rain.Fair dues to ya Michael and to your jackboot health zealots.No doubt yer chests swell with pride at your achievements.

Not to put a tooth in it,ye have also ,by the vindictive nature of the ban,decimated the pub trade,created a new brand of smuggling crime class and crucified the poor yet again.Put simply the rich can afford fags whatever they cost but the poor cannot.But then again they probably don’t vote anyhow and are easily cowed.

Any how demonising and picking on minorities is nothing new in Europe and if nothing else we are such good Europeans that we have to lead by example ,don’t we..After all like the Frank Sinatra song New York ,we voted twice and our Euro friends in our political groupings will surely help us out of our beggar ststus .Won’t they.And of course they won’t bully us out of our 12.5% Corporation Tax rate.

It is indeed ironic that a man was jailed in Monaghan this week for a breach of the smoking regulations ,while an advocate and admitted user of an illegal drug is sitting in the Dail and the people who bankrupted the country and cause death ,despair and the daily suffering endured by us all ,are all as free as the wind,many drawing pensions the smokers are funding.Some circus.

You couldn’t make it up.

DUNDERRY EXILES PLAY DUNDERRY EXILES

DUNDERRY EXILES PLAY DUNDERRY EXILES  (VENUE T.B.A.)

TEAM A.

                                                    GARRET DOOLEY (C)

                                                             ( U.K.)

KENNY FAGAN                           PHILIP CAHIL        RAYMOND FAGAN

(U.K.)                                         (SWEEDEN)                     (AUS)

GERRY MURRAY                   BARRY HEGARTY      SEANIE CALLAGHAN

 (AUS)                                                                                 (AUS)

                  FR .LYNSKEY                            BRIAN NEWMAN

                   (AFRICA)                                          (USA)

DONIE MC GOURTY                      PADDY DARCY               TOSH GARRY

(USA)                                            (UAE)                                     (U.K.)

GUSSIE DALY                   GOLLY NEWMAN                 JOHN DALY

(UK)                                      (USA)                                      (U,K.)

MANAGERS ;DONAL DALY (U.K.)

TEAM B.

                                               THOMAS NEWMAN.

NIALL DOOLEY                     NOEL CLARKE                      PADRAIC CARROLL

(U.K.)                                     (AUS)                                       (AUS)

TONY FAGAN                     GERRY COOGAN                 OLLY DALY

(U.K.)                                      (USA )                                     (U.K.)

             MICKEY SMITH                     DAVID SMITH

               (U.K.)                                      (U.K)  (U.K.)                                                                                                                                                             JOE J.HIGGINS                     STUART GILKINSON          JAMIE WILLIAMS

(CAN.)                                      (AUS.)                              (IOM)

TOMMY FEENEY         EAMONN GARRY                   CHRISTY FAGAN

(N.Z.)                                     (U.S.A.)                                  (U.K.)      

MANAGERS; GARY COOGAN (USA), JACK FAGAN(U.S.A.), BOB CLARKE (U.K)

Scrap Saturday, the Five Point Test and Grannies

The Club made great fist of THE Scrap Saturday.In these times of economic woe it is wonderfully innovative of Clubs to come up with such brilliant fundraisers.Not only does it induce people to get rid of quantities of scrap that it would be otherwise troublesome to dispose of, it also raises much needed finance for the Clubs,which in rural Ireland are the social glue holding the community together.It is not by chance that these organisations,run by amateurs to the highest professional standards,hosted many of the counts in the recent elections.

Happiness all round says you.Well you’d be wrong.I f Press reports are to be believed the GAA are set to ban them.On insurance grounds seemingly.I would not be surprised if Health and Safety zealouts have also put in  their oars.Another innovative idea redtaped to death.No wonder there are Dunderry viewers of this blog from the USA,Australia,the U.K.The Isle of MAN,Signapore,Norway,Italy ,Germany, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.(How’s it going Retaine?)

Maybe you’d let me know discreetly whether your new homelands are as over-regulated as we are?

It is my firm view that the GAA should call in their Insurers and explain to them that someone is insuring the scrap merchants and that the clubs should have appropriate cover also.I am sick to death of oppressive hurdles being put in the path of community innovation and there must be a limit to nonsense.

I remember organising the Meath Mayo football match for the pavilion opening two years ago with Billy Bligh.As soon as we cleared one hurdle another was placed in our faces.Billy spent 60 euro on his  payphone one afternoon being shunted from Himself to Jack,if you get my drift.

Anyone who tries something in this country is stymied from the start by a no no nanny state and I must say a GAA that is getting too fussy too.

There organisations should go out of their way to help and assist their members ,not stymie them. 

On a political note I will judge the incoming administration on the following Five Point Test-

(A)Whether it puts an end to evictions and repossessions  in genuine cases,as all the the big five party leaders promised to do.

(B)Whether people who genuinely cannot pay debts and fines continue to go to jail .(7,000 people who could not pay fines were jailed last year and committal orders continue to be issued by the Courts)

(C)Whether the  blight of forced emigration is stopped and reversed.

(D)Whether the unemployment rate is genuinely reduced. (sending 25 year olds plus back to full time education does not count.The old Frank Hall crack that the solution to unemployment lay in keeping people at school until they were 66 and them putting them directly on the old age pension applies .)

I will judge the effectiveness of the opposition on how they tackle these issues.

Incidentally all the above issues arose in 1845 at the time of the famine and it is a source of bafflement to me how the 4 million populace we now have are not living in the lap of luxury,given scientific and educational advancement since then, when 8 million subsisted on spuds alone and the cream of our produce went to England to pay rents .

Even substituting usury for rents cannot fully explain it and it is a fact that never were we so educated as a nation and never were we so banjaxed.

Finally I must pay tribute to a section of society who,like myself ,are probably too long in the tooth and too tired to read this blog,namely the grannies of Ireland.Having reared their own families they are well on the way to rearing their grandchildren,will probably have to hold on to rear the next generation and cope with their elder relatives ,when the aging process really takes root.

If ye don’t make Heaven there’s no such place.

Dunderry V Simonstown.

A League. Div.2. Sunday - 06/03/2011
Weather overcast and pitch in great condition.

                                           D.Jennings

Darren Callaghan.           D.Fay                                       D.Mc Cormack

D.Clarke                             D Callaghan                           J Kellegher

                  P.Callaghan                          T.J.Garry(0-2)

J.P.Kenneally                    P.Govern                                  A,Coogan

S.Coogan (0-1)                   E.Stephens                              K.Dowd.

B.Wright

A..Waters

S.Carty

M.Garry

A.Garry

J.Mitchell

B.Doherty*

K.Slattery *

I mc Cormack

J.Martin

C.Harte.*

P.Kenneally*

K.Callaghan*.

(*  =used as sub)

Manager.B.Callaghan.Selectors.C.O.Neill,T.Garry,P.Conaty.S.O.Rourke.

 Simonstown deserved their victory and the referee had a good game.

Half time SIm.0- 6.Dund.0-  3.Full time  Sim.0-11 Dun. 0-3.

We have played better.

The best of people and the worst of people

First the good side.

On Friday last I went to the Irish Wheelchair people beside Newgate Motors on the Navan to Kells road to attend to various matters which had arisen.They are very efficient and helpful people.

While walking past the office a young lady came to me saying”I bet you don’t remember me Daithi”.You might depend that I did.She is a young lady called Emma from close to the Dublin border who I first met as a Child in a Camogie context and whose parents I have the honour of knowing  as a consequence.All I will say of this most pleasant young woman is that she is living proof of the adage  that an ounce of breeding is worth more than  a ton of feeding.

Now to the bad side.

On Saturday afternoon I decided it was time to take to the trike seriously and shed a (good) few pounds from the bulging waistline.I headed to Trim and after much huffing and puffing landed in the  Town,of which I think a lot and whose business people are class acts.

Having spent some time in Mc Geogh’s I headed down Emmet Street in the direction of Trim Hardware.I was on the tricycle with my walking stick strapped to the rear basket and my purchases alongside.As I cycled past the front of the Marigold Chinese Restaurant a group of about 20 boys were gathered and on seeing me attacked me trying to pull away the walking stick and lift the bags.They tried their damnest to knock me from the bike ,laughing and jeering.When you are as I am this is a terrifying experience.This happened in broad daylight at 5.00pm on a main street in the capital city of Meath and these feral scum just did not care.They think it their right to commit whatever opportunistic crime they want.I would put their age range at 9 to 14 years.

Only for the fact that a passing motorist saw what was happening and started honking his horn I was done for.His /her reward was to have the car surrounded by this scum and be threatened in turn.Whoever you are I owe you a lot and thank you for tour intervention.

I got as far as Trim Hardware,dismounted from the bike and looked back up the street.They hadn’t moved and were staring in my direction.I took my mobile from my pocket and phoned the Gardai.Only then did the bulk of the mob saunter casually towards the Steppes ,while the ringleaders sprinted across the road in front of the Marigold and disappeared from the street.I would say that this was not the first time those tactics were used.

The Gardai arrived within 5 miinutes and spoke to the mob in front of the Steppes.The ringleaders were not there.The Gardai searched a number of other areas.The ringleaders were not there.

I am satisfied that this mob are traveller  children,who are out of control.

I cannot praise the Gardai enough for their prompt attention.Nor can I praise Pearse Murphy enough.He stood guard on my trike until I returned to collect it.

This mirrored a similar opportunistic attempted assault on me in Trim about 3 months ago.On that  occasion I was dropped by my son at AIB to withdraw money from the cash dispenser.I did so and went to Trim Hardaware to pay a bill.I walked from there to the car park opposite Coogans Butchers to await my pick up.I was walking with the aid of my walking stick on this occassion.While waiting there a man, in his late twenties I guess, with an East European accent approached me bawling for money for wine.As I was standing my ground my son pulled up and my threatening  assailant retreated,lifting his mobile to talk to another man who was standing watching about 50 yards away.I was lucky again.These opportunistic scum are here and just waiting their chance to strike.

I will now bring up another incident which happened to me the Saturday before the Elections ,when I was canvassing on Kennedy Road in Navan on my tricycle,with a poster and leaflets in the back basket.I was accosted by a group of children about  ten strong of similar attitude and demeanour  to those who accosted me in Trim ,who pulled the poster ,also in broad daylight,from my trike ,lifted my handouts and tried to knock me from my trike.They said they were Sinn Fein and that was why they were doing it.Luckily my two brothers were within shouting distance and arrived on my call..These impudent little shits got hard enough to move on.

Now I don’t for one minute believe that they had anything to do with Sinn Fein .If I’m not mistaken I know Peadar Toibin’s father and know they are decent people.

With so many of our own decent young men emigrating how long before these opportunistic scum take over entirely.Unless this is  addressed promptly the disabled,the elderly and the weaker members of our society may lock themselves away behind their own doors for ever.

I was right to canvass on the basis of” reclaiming our country”,although this is not exactly what I had in mind.We must do it street by street,village by village, town by town and county by county,before it is too late.

I ,for one, will not be hiding.

Ratoath V Dunderry.Hurling league 27/02/2011

Played in pleasant conditions in Ratoath about 12.30.

Dunderry Panel.

                                             Paddy Kenneally

Davy Stephens                   Davy Mc Cormack                        Damian Bruton

Darren Callaghan               Ivan Mc Cormack                          Joey Martin

                Brendan Wright                         Killian Minogue

Dylan Keenan                        Kevin Bruton                               Chris Harrington

Owen MC Cormack               Evan Stephens                            Paddy Gorey

SUBS.

Eddie Maguire

Paddy MC Geogh

Darren Clabby

J.P.Kenneally

Stephen Coogan

Shane Mooney

Managers for day.Tommy Coogan and Tommy Keenan.

From the throw in Wright hand passed back to Mc Cormack(I),who drove it to Bruton(K) ,who hand passed to Stephen(E) ,who struck a minor.

From the puck out Ratoath drove ball up the field and over the bar.

From puck out ball worked to Keenan.Unlucky with handpass,which is intercepted from a scoring position.Referee very fussy on both sides.Hard from sideline to know why he is blowing for frees.In his favour both sides suffer .

From a free in half back line Stephens(E) catches ball and scores a second minor.

Mc Cormack (I) drives a massive free off target and his brother cannot stop it going wide.Ref gives free against Ownie.

Ratoath score a well worked point from play.Keenan makes a good catch and is fouled about 80 yards out.Minogue takes free.Has the distance but to the right and wide.

Twenty minute mark Ratoath score a point from a well struck long distance free.

Minogue delivers good free to full forward line.Either Stephens or Gorey are fouled.Ownie converts resultant free.

Damian Bruton blown for harmless free.Ratoath convert.

Keenan ploughed out of it.Ref gives free against him.He and Mc Cormack protest .Couldn’t blame them.Ref advances ball 14 yards.Ratoath score.Minogue wins puck out,drives to Bruton,who catches on the run and scores a good point.Mc Cormack (I) wins free after tough broken play 80 yards out.Ref advances ball 14 yards .NOT CLEAR WHY.something said?Ownie scores from free.

Davy Mac on the burst gets fair belt on leg while kicking ball to safety.Goes down and stays for a while.Recovers.

Long distance free from Ratoath well cleared by full back line and half back line all of whom are playing well.Long ball into our full forward line.Ownie in possession is fouled and scores the resultant free.Stephens (E) is fouled in tough passage of play.Ref moves ball 14 yards nearer goal.Ownie scores a good long distance free.Wright earns free 30 yards from our goal ,driven to full forward line.Gorey wins ball and fouled.Owenie converts.

Harrington wins good ball but snatches shot.Wide.

Half time score per ref.Dunderry 0-9.Ratoath 0-6

Clabby on for Harrow at half time.Dunderry win throw in and work ball into scorable position,but spurn chance.Dunderry earn free 40 yards out and near side line.Ownie misses.Davy Mac earns hard ball .Passes to Keenan about 50 yards out.Wide.Clabby earns hard ball.Gets overexcited and crosses sideline.He’s young and hardy and will learn.Davy Stephens harshly blown against about 60 yards from goal.Free converted.Minogue earns free.Wide.Finn battles hard for ball and hits under pressure.Wide.Martin makes way for Coogam(S).Finn and Wright earn a free in passage of tough play.From half way line Ownie hits it wide.

We need to score or we will be beat.

Ratoath score from open play.Finn earns free 70 yards from goal.Elder Mc Cormack shapes up and scores from free.Duck broken.Gorey earns handy free 70 yards out,Elder Mc Cormack misses.Finn fouled again.Ownie hits free.Gorey collects and heading for corner hits angled shot to top left hand corner of net.Millane couldn’t do better.Finn fouled by chop.Free missed.Ratoath empty bench.Davy Mac fouled,but free given against him.Even Ratoath supporters puzzled and perplexed.Resulting free converted.Coogan fouled and Mc Cormack junior converts point.

Wright and Finn switch,the latter to midfield.Ratoath given free 40 yards out.Go for goal and a rasper just over the bar.Kenneally the younger on for  Bruton the younger.Ratoath given free which is dropped into goalmouth and an overhead pull is acrobatically saved by Kenneally the elder.Match ends.

Dunderry  win by 4 I think.

This was a nice game played in a sporting spirit.Both teams will meet tougher opposition.The blend is good and they work well for each other.Support play and lack of selfishness is encouraging.This team shows definite promise and when missing players return (and manager),selectors have good mixture of experience and youth to mould .Once they keep balance displayed in this game progress is likely.

All played well.The older players excelled and the younger contingent  did well too.Maybe the bench could have been emptied to and the other lads given a run.But there you are,horses for courses.

I like the interaction between management and players.

The band of brothers and super “D” full back line is worth supporting.

End of political career

I congratulate Fine Gael  and Sinn Fein on their long sought and deserved victories. I sympathise with the ordinary Fianna Fail members on the whipping their party received.Personally I appreciate the irony of the count being held in Trim GAA Club and of the fact that both my own club in Dunderry and  Ratoath,where I attended  matches yesterday ,have such fine facilities,due it must be said,in no small part to great assistance from the Fianna Fail led Government.

I have had the honour of meeting most of the other “also rans”and have the height of admiration for them.They ,like myself,had the common sense to know that they were fighting an uphill battle and that every  single vote earned takes huge effort by the candidates and huge courage by the voters in face of the established parties spin that a vote to us is a vote wasted

I would like to sincerely thank my family and friends and those who voted for me,particularily the first time voters,and to those who helped me.

In Dunderry Parish,where people know me best,I got 20 per cent of the valid poll and appreciate this ,but realise that no realistic base exists for my further involvement in politics.

My family can rest in the assurance that I will not be running for the presidency and the energies I have left will be for their benefit .

Next blog will be on hurling match in Ratoath and I certainly will have something to say about the  next government,whatever it is,

All this pales by comparison to the unimaginable grief being suffered at the moment by one of ,if not the most,decent families in the Parish,with whom we  all sympathise.