O Wednesday of this week the mortal remains of Noel Morris ob. 21/4/2012 were interred in the family plot in Dunderry graveyard after the funeral Mass in Robinstown.A native of Bective, Noel lived in Dunderry for many years with his partner Lorraine Mc Guinness and children Graham,Kirsty and Hayleigh.He was a mechanic par excellence ,especially for diesel vehicles,lorries being his speciality and could walk into any job in Ireland which involved repair of these vehicles.
It is not that long since his father died and was buried in the same grave and Noel's death at such a young age so soon after his father's brings into sharp focus the fragility and shocking uncertainty that life holds for all God's peoples.
If ever a man worked hard he did.He was a good provider for his family as long as he was able to work.And ironically it was probably this dedication to his trade that done him in.I met him last at his father's funeral and he did not look well at all.He told me he was taking huge doses of steroids to enable him breathe as he suffered from COPD ,I think it is called.Basically his lungs were shot as a result of exposure to asbestos dust from the brake linings of the thousands of lorries which he passes through his hands over a busy but all too short lifetime.
He was aware that the future was not too bright then but neither he nor me thought at the time that it would be so short.He was fairly accepting of his fate at that stage but there is no convenient time to die.
That he endeared himself to he people of Dunderry is indisputable as his grave was dug in ancient Dunderry tradition by local people including Tommy Farley,Banana Reilly,Terry Mc Donagh,the Lord Mayor and Jimmy Smith and Johnny Coogan in the most torrential rain and biting wind seen this many a day.
This weather persisted until his internment but did not diminish the huge crowd that turned up in the graveyard to pay their final respects and bid him adieu.
His brothers,sister ,in laws ,ex partner and children were there in strength despite the inclement elements ,which were so bad that the gravediggers had to hold on to the awning which was supplied to keep the priest and main mourners dry ,to stop it blowing away.
I know that his daughter Kirsty was very attached to him and we missed her from the Camogie these.last few months ,due to the care and attention she so lavished on him.
Noel was a member of a long established GAA family ,his father having been a founder member of Bective GAA Club and all his family including his wide circle of in laws and his children have and continue to grace the Association.
Graham was a good footballer and hurler for Dunderry .Kirsty and Hayleigh play Camogie.I trained and mentored them for many years and found them well mannered,brave and skillful as you would expect as their mother was no slouch herself on the field of play ,having only recently retired from the Camogie team ,of which she was captain for one year.His nephew Danny Morris is one of our most promising juvenile hurlers along with being a boxer of note.
Fate plays cruel tricks on people as the Doyle connection to the family was very recently struck by the tragic and most premature death of a young man on the cusp of manhood.
To Noel and all those close to him we send our condolences and sympathy.
Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam dilis.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Dunderry Championship results tonight.
IFC v Syddan,won 12points to 9
J Camogie V Trim.Draw.
Last Thursday u15 CAmogie V Kilmessan.Won pulling up.
Unfortunately missed Junior CAmogie as on same time as football.
reports later.
J Camogie V Trim.Draw.
Last Thursday u15 CAmogie V Kilmessan.Won pulling up.
Unfortunately missed Junior CAmogie as on same time as football.
reports later.
Aldi.Never again.
Those who know me will be familiar with my disabilities suffered from a severe stroke in July 2009.I walk with a noticable limp,have lost the ability to lift the front of my left foot up to facilitate walking and have very limited use of my left arm and hand.The limp is noticable and the keeping of the left hand in the belly pocket of a hoodie whilst walking with a walking stick would leave only an amadan in doubt that I am either disabled or alternatively a good actor.
I have resat my driving test and passed it and am competent to drive a vehicle with an automatic transmission with a ball on the wheel .I now drive such a car ,an automatic Nicra with a ball on the wheel and it gives me great independence.
Today I drove the car with the missus on board to Aldi in Navan to do the weekly shopping,about £150.. worth.Aldi was partly chosen because of a recent promotion of disability products and I wanted some.
I have good days and bad days health wise and spirit wise.Generally it takes huge effort to walk any distance and I realise if I don't make the effort my ability to walk will be lost and that is one eventuality I want to postpone as long bas possible.Use it or lose it.
Today was a glass half empty day and I parked in one of the three disabled spaces outside Aldi.Herself went in to do the shopping and I rolled down the car window to read the paper.My concentration was brutally broken by the aggressive loud and threatening voice of a male who put his face practically against mine shouting "This space is for disabled drivers ,get out of there".I shock I said I am disabled ,to which he said "You have no sign up "before disappearing.(I admit I never got a sign.).He could see through the open window the ball on the steering wheel and the automatic geaerchangs and if he wanted the walking stick.
Still in a state of shock and as the individual involved never identified himself nor wore any identifiable tag nor uniform as far as I could see,I reasoned that such ignorance could not belong to any person employed by the Store and maybe an aggressive customer was trying to take his frustrations on a helpless victim.To address this I got out of the car and saw the individual in question getting into a white van with lettering a on the side some distance away.I shouted to him to wait and made my way to him.I said that I was disabled as he could see and resented being spoken to like that and asked him his name .He refused to give it,said that he worked for a car park management company ,told me to read the sign which said that a permit must be displayed and threatened to clamp the car if I didn't move it.
I invited him to do so if that was his policy and again asked his name,which he refused to give.He jumped into his van and left the car park.The name of the Car Park management firm is NCPS.
.I afterwards checked the other cars in the reserved spaces .Only one of the three had a disabled sticker.
Rarely have I encountered such aggressive hatefulness and never again will we shop at either Aldi nor any shop employing this company.
This will be my protest.
I have resat my driving test and passed it and am competent to drive a vehicle with an automatic transmission with a ball on the wheel .I now drive such a car ,an automatic Nicra with a ball on the wheel and it gives me great independence.
Today I drove the car with the missus on board to Aldi in Navan to do the weekly shopping,about £150.. worth.Aldi was partly chosen because of a recent promotion of disability products and I wanted some.
I have good days and bad days health wise and spirit wise.Generally it takes huge effort to walk any distance and I realise if I don't make the effort my ability to walk will be lost and that is one eventuality I want to postpone as long bas possible.Use it or lose it.
Today was a glass half empty day and I parked in one of the three disabled spaces outside Aldi.Herself went in to do the shopping and I rolled down the car window to read the paper.My concentration was brutally broken by the aggressive loud and threatening voice of a male who put his face practically against mine shouting "This space is for disabled drivers ,get out of there".I shock I said I am disabled ,to which he said "You have no sign up "before disappearing.(I admit I never got a sign.).He could see through the open window the ball on the steering wheel and the automatic geaerchangs and if he wanted the walking stick.
Still in a state of shock and as the individual involved never identified himself nor wore any identifiable tag nor uniform as far as I could see,I reasoned that such ignorance could not belong to any person employed by the Store and maybe an aggressive customer was trying to take his frustrations on a helpless victim.To address this I got out of the car and saw the individual in question getting into a white van with lettering a on the side some distance away.I shouted to him to wait and made my way to him.I said that I was disabled as he could see and resented being spoken to like that and asked him his name .He refused to give it,said that he worked for a car park management company ,told me to read the sign which said that a permit must be displayed and threatened to clamp the car if I didn't move it.
I invited him to do so if that was his policy and again asked his name,which he refused to give.He jumped into his van and left the car park.The name of the Car Park management firm is NCPS.
.I afterwards checked the other cars in the reserved spaces .Only one of the three had a disabled sticker.
Rarely have I encountered such aggressive hatefulness and never again will we shop at either Aldi nor any shop employing this company.
This will be my protest.
Drumbeat Dividend for Saturday 28/4/2012.
Try a fiver on Baby Shine in the 5.05 in Punchestown tomorrow.
This English raider will love the ground and the trip and chased home the superb Smogsig last time in Aintree.This represents a big step down in grade.
But always remember that there's many a slip between the cup and the lip.
Will be praying for divine assist tonight at Vigil.
This English raider will love the ground and the trip and chased home the superb Smogsig last time in Aintree.This represents a big step down in grade.
But always remember that there's many a slip between the cup and the lip.
Will be praying for divine assist tonight at Vigil.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Gaelgoiri Laimbe anseo 75 bliain.
The 1930's in Ireland were tough times.I have heard my ancestors discuss them and they have made it clear that there wasn't a bob stirring because Dev. had refused to pay the Land Commission Annuities to the Brits and they had retaliated by slapping prohibitive levies on the import of livestock to Britain ,which commodity then as now was the one thing we could produce in abundance.Brave man compared to what we have now.
Not only was money scarce but food also.And genteel poverty was rampant.In fact my mother ,having read Angela's Ashes,thought very little of Frank Mc Court for belittling his own people because of their poverty ,when nearly everybody else was also that way but would not shame their people and country by broadcasting it.
I have heard people saying that they had to survive on crab apples in the period between the spuds running out and the emergence of the new praities.My uncle Paddy worked at the building of the "White Man's Grave",more civilly known as Dalgan Park and so called because the wages paid at the construction of same in the thirties was twice the usual rate , people were treated worse than slaves and a good few died during construction.In later years Paddy remarked that "if the foremen there during his time there were not in hell there's no such fu..... place."
Nevertheless the job was much sought after and I heard that on the first day that Pat Rattigan sallied forth on his bike to work there his mother Biddy.who lived beside the Mc Cormack's called worriedly into them at dusk because Pat wasn't home and she feared he might have been killed.They all waited together for him on the boirin until he eventually turned up.
This was Pat's second job,his first one having been with Captain Eccles ,who lived in Phipherstown House and for whom Pat spent six months driving a horse and dray to collect farm machinery borrowed from the Captain ,but which the borrowers "forgot" to return.
In the thirties Dev organised a grant for farmers to clean their ditches.The grant was 2 shillings and six pence a perch and farmers sublet it out at half the grant rate to the unlanded .Dinner was thrown in and the common practise was for the farmer's family to eat at the dinner table in the middle of the kitchen and the workers to eat at a side table at the wall of the kitchen.
Even between the workers there was discrimination as I have heard that a man of the road,who lived in Horan's shed, called Mc Keown (I think he is buried in Dunderry Cemetery ) made the comment when he was served one herring to everybody elses two " Mam.wheres its companion".
In such times in 1937 De Velera had the decency and found the money to bring thirteen families from Connemara to Lambay,in Kilbride of this Parish.Irish was and still is the working language of these households.
Each family was supplied with a house on twenty five acres,two cows,a horse and cart,chickens ,hens and a cockrel,to be polite.I presume that they had to pay Land Commission Annuities to the Government.
Well last weekend the arrival of the families in our midst was celebrated well.A dinner dance was held on Saturday night in the Aras in Rathcarn and Mass was said in Irish in Kilbride at three on Sunday by Father Noel Hornick .I was at that Mass ,which was packed to capacity and a member of each family contributed something to the ceremony.In my own case my granddaughter Aisling Mc Donagh ,whose father Terry is the son of Tommo (R.I.P.) and Mary ,read a lesson and I am as proud as punch of her as her Irish is fluent.
The original arrivals increased and multiplied well and a fierce crowd turned up.There has been much intermarrying of the Lambay people with other families in the parish and they are contributing much to the community.Terry was a staunch GAA man for Dunderry Club and County and is training the under six hurlers ,where his son Cormac excels.Aisling is an outstanding camogie player and Tomas Conroy is a hurler of note and a good footballer too.The Currans,O Learies ,Conries and Martins ,Joe ,Patsy ,Domo,Damien,Michael , the Grogans and the Griffins,Joe,Evelyn and kids Joe ,the exceptionally talented camogie player Julieanne and Pearse ,to name but a few have all made massive contributions to the GAA here and wider afield.And my dead friend John Conroy enticed five hundred euro membership from everybody in Lambay to help build the Clubhouse ,when money was needed.
Two household names from that neck of the woods ,namely former Labour T.D. Frank Mc Loughlin and T.V.personality Blaithin Coffey and her sisters were at Mass .Yes they are both Lambay people from Kilbride and Dunderry Parish people.
For the record the people from the West landed in Lambay two years after the people landed in Rathcairn as the houses were built later.
And as a matter of record the GAA pitch in Rathcairn was put there by the contributions of both Lambay and Rathcairn people in days gone by.
I have had the pleasure of drinking,socialising ,falling out with and falling in again with some of thee people of Lambay and very much appreciate the enriching values and customs they have shared with us.And yes Missus I will pay you back the Two Euro you loaned me to put on the plate last Sunday.
A resounding congratulations to all involved and a pleasure to be there.
Not only was money scarce but food also.And genteel poverty was rampant.In fact my mother ,having read Angela's Ashes,thought very little of Frank Mc Court for belittling his own people because of their poverty ,when nearly everybody else was also that way but would not shame their people and country by broadcasting it.
I have heard people saying that they had to survive on crab apples in the period between the spuds running out and the emergence of the new praities.My uncle Paddy worked at the building of the "White Man's Grave",more civilly known as Dalgan Park and so called because the wages paid at the construction of same in the thirties was twice the usual rate , people were treated worse than slaves and a good few died during construction.In later years Paddy remarked that "if the foremen there during his time there were not in hell there's no such fu..... place."
Nevertheless the job was much sought after and I heard that on the first day that Pat Rattigan sallied forth on his bike to work there his mother Biddy.who lived beside the Mc Cormack's called worriedly into them at dusk because Pat wasn't home and she feared he might have been killed.They all waited together for him on the boirin until he eventually turned up.
This was Pat's second job,his first one having been with Captain Eccles ,who lived in Phipherstown House and for whom Pat spent six months driving a horse and dray to collect farm machinery borrowed from the Captain ,but which the borrowers "forgot" to return.
In the thirties Dev organised a grant for farmers to clean their ditches.The grant was 2 shillings and six pence a perch and farmers sublet it out at half the grant rate to the unlanded .Dinner was thrown in and the common practise was for the farmer's family to eat at the dinner table in the middle of the kitchen and the workers to eat at a side table at the wall of the kitchen.
Even between the workers there was discrimination as I have heard that a man of the road,who lived in Horan's shed, called Mc Keown (I think he is buried in Dunderry Cemetery ) made the comment when he was served one herring to everybody elses two " Mam.wheres its companion".
In such times in 1937 De Velera had the decency and found the money to bring thirteen families from Connemara to Lambay,in Kilbride of this Parish.Irish was and still is the working language of these households.
Each family was supplied with a house on twenty five acres,two cows,a horse and cart,chickens ,hens and a cockrel,to be polite.I presume that they had to pay Land Commission Annuities to the Government.
Well last weekend the arrival of the families in our midst was celebrated well.A dinner dance was held on Saturday night in the Aras in Rathcarn and Mass was said in Irish in Kilbride at three on Sunday by Father Noel Hornick .I was at that Mass ,which was packed to capacity and a member of each family contributed something to the ceremony.In my own case my granddaughter Aisling Mc Donagh ,whose father Terry is the son of Tommo (R.I.P.) and Mary ,read a lesson and I am as proud as punch of her as her Irish is fluent.
The original arrivals increased and multiplied well and a fierce crowd turned up.There has been much intermarrying of the Lambay people with other families in the parish and they are contributing much to the community.Terry was a staunch GAA man for Dunderry Club and County and is training the under six hurlers ,where his son Cormac excels.Aisling is an outstanding camogie player and Tomas Conroy is a hurler of note and a good footballer too.The Currans,O Learies ,Conries and Martins ,Joe ,Patsy ,Domo,Damien,Michael , the Grogans and the Griffins,Joe,Evelyn and kids Joe ,the exceptionally talented camogie player Julieanne and Pearse ,to name but a few have all made massive contributions to the GAA here and wider afield.And my dead friend John Conroy enticed five hundred euro membership from everybody in Lambay to help build the Clubhouse ,when money was needed.
Two household names from that neck of the woods ,namely former Labour T.D. Frank Mc Loughlin and T.V.personality Blaithin Coffey and her sisters were at Mass .Yes they are both Lambay people from Kilbride and Dunderry Parish people.
For the record the people from the West landed in Lambay two years after the people landed in Rathcairn as the houses were built later.
And as a matter of record the GAA pitch in Rathcairn was put there by the contributions of both Lambay and Rathcairn people in days gone by.
I have had the pleasure of drinking,socialising ,falling out with and falling in again with some of thee people of Lambay and very much appreciate the enriching values and customs they have shared with us.And yes Missus I will pay you back the Two Euro you loaned me to put on the plate last Sunday.
A resounding congratulations to all involved and a pleasure to be there.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Media demonisation of Catholics continues.
Not content with trying to destroy the character of a brave Catholic priest and having to apologise abjectly for failure to tell the truth about the man, the Irish media in the person of another atheist Ray Darcy seeks to blame Catholicism "For in so many ways fucking up this country".
An indicator of his mindset can be gauged from his profound apology for use of the word "fuck"and his cowardly attempt to differentiate between Catholics like his mother and the Hierarchy in refusing to do the manly thing and apologise for the latest outburst of media bigotry .
Even atheists must know that the Hierarchy is an intricate part of the Catholic religion.
It is no surprise to me that another like minded sneer of similar ilk,Ian O Doherty of the Irish Independent declarers to be a like minded fellow fellow traveller.
An indicator of his mindset can be gauged from his profound apology for use of the word "fuck"and his cowardly attempt to differentiate between Catholics like his mother and the Hierarchy in refusing to do the manly thing and apologise for the latest outburst of media bigotry .
Even atheists must know that the Hierarchy is an intricate part of the Catholic religion.
It is no surprise to me that another like minded sneer of similar ilk,Ian O Doherty of the Irish Independent declarers to be a like minded fellow fellow traveller.
100 year smoker on the button.
In his 2007 book"Beyond the Pale",Donal Hickey recounts the story of Anna Bourke of Clare,who at the age of five score still enjoyed her smoke and tipple.This farmers widow and mother of ten had it sussed and was more perceptive than all the academics ,commentators ,economists and financial know alls in the Country put together.
"Money is too easy to earn now.Some can't handle it.it's only leading to trouble."
This was at the height of the Celtic Tiger.
Hard to beat education in the University of Life.
I don't know whether this lady is still alive .I hope she is.
Of course were she to get sick and have to go to Hospital now the Health Taliban and schoolyard bullies would deny her a smoke in the grounds of many Hospitals and humiliate her for smoking."For her own good."
Arrogant fascists.
"Money is too easy to earn now.Some can't handle it.it's only leading to trouble."
This was at the height of the Celtic Tiger.
Hard to beat education in the University of Life.
I don't know whether this lady is still alive .I hope she is.
Of course were she to get sick and have to go to Hospital now the Health Taliban and schoolyard bullies would deny her a smoke in the grounds of many Hospitals and humiliate her for smoking."For her own good."
Arrogant fascists.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Davy's Drumbeat Dividend
Dunderry has had a horse named after it .Remember Dundoire.The horse racing bug and interest in all things equine soared as a result.The place is choc a bloc with tipsters.But read my article "Johnny F Roe",which illustrates the point that the experts know sweet f.a .when it comes down to it.
Anyhow,starting next Friday I will be putting a fiver on one horse in the following week.The horse will be nominated by a shy tipster who plays in goals for the first football team.And the chosen bet will be nominated on this blog.
Dang the expense.
Anyhow,starting next Friday I will be putting a fiver on one horse in the following week.The horse will be nominated by a shy tipster who plays in goals for the first football team.And the chosen bet will be nominated on this blog.
Dang the expense.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Meath vote on Banty.
"A prophet is never appreciated in his own land."Never was this spake more applicable than last night where the Meath Clubs snubbed for the second time the services of the man who has given a lifetime of service to the GAA in the services of Dunboyne ,Meath ,Leinster and Ireland.Sean Boylan is the most successful Manager ever produced by Meath,in terms of All Irelands .Leinsters ,production of All Stars and the respectability brought to Meath football,which is now at an all time low.
That the services of Banty ,who remains in place on a vote of 43 to 31 against,because of the two thirds rule,when everybody knows that if he was defeated Sean would take over is reminiscent of the heave orchestrated against him a number of years ago by certain Clubs in the County.
And we see where that got Meath Football.Sean is some decent man to overlook this first snub and again put his head on the line when his County needed him.
The vote was by secret ballot and one can only hope that those Clubs whose members he made into household names had the decency to vote for him.We in Dunderry don't forget and place huge importance on loyalty and hard work.
Rumour has it that the vote was not really about Banty and Sean but was an attempt to get at the County Board by certain individuals and clubs who have various axes to grind.Personally I have always found Barney Allen,Cyril Craven and indeed Fintan Ginnity to be thoroughly honourable and totally dedicated G.A. A.men and those other members of the executive I know are also fierce sound.Not to mention that they have devoted a huge part of their lives to the Association for its advancement.
Very few Counties have the equivalent of Dunganny for example and Parc Tailteann is not a bad asset to have.
Admittedly there are some worrying developments afoot,including the inability of such areas of population density as Ashbourne and Dunboyne to field an under 16 hurling teams, I was told by our mentors when Dunderry defeated their combined team lately.But this is hardly Barney's fault and the forum to address this is the AGM each year when all voluntary officers put their jobs on the line,not in a confidence vote on the future of the current Meath Football Manager.
Already Barry Callaghan and Liam Harnan resigned from Banty's management team shortly after joining it.I don't know the reasons why.
Maybe their Chrystal balls showed a probable future in Division 3 of the League.Who knows.
One thing is certain is that It is long past backs to the wall time for Banty and his team.
Now is the time to shit or get off the pot.
That the services of Banty ,who remains in place on a vote of 43 to 31 against,because of the two thirds rule,when everybody knows that if he was defeated Sean would take over is reminiscent of the heave orchestrated against him a number of years ago by certain Clubs in the County.
And we see where that got Meath Football.Sean is some decent man to overlook this first snub and again put his head on the line when his County needed him.
The vote was by secret ballot and one can only hope that those Clubs whose members he made into household names had the decency to vote for him.We in Dunderry don't forget and place huge importance on loyalty and hard work.
Rumour has it that the vote was not really about Banty and Sean but was an attempt to get at the County Board by certain individuals and clubs who have various axes to grind.Personally I have always found Barney Allen,Cyril Craven and indeed Fintan Ginnity to be thoroughly honourable and totally dedicated G.A. A.men and those other members of the executive I know are also fierce sound.Not to mention that they have devoted a huge part of their lives to the Association for its advancement.
Very few Counties have the equivalent of Dunganny for example and Parc Tailteann is not a bad asset to have.
Admittedly there are some worrying developments afoot,including the inability of such areas of population density as Ashbourne and Dunboyne to field an under 16 hurling teams, I was told by our mentors when Dunderry defeated their combined team lately.But this is hardly Barney's fault and the forum to address this is the AGM each year when all voluntary officers put their jobs on the line,not in a confidence vote on the future of the current Meath Football Manager.
Already Barry Callaghan and Liam Harnan resigned from Banty's management team shortly after joining it.I don't know the reasons why.
Maybe their Chrystal balls showed a probable future in Division 3 of the League.Who knows.
One thing is certain is that It is long past backs to the wall time for Banty and his team.
Now is the time to shit or get off the pot.
Eviction scenes evocative of Famine times.
The newspapers today are full of scenes of the forcible eviction of an elderly couple from their family home.Thanks be to God the matter was witnessed by journalists and recorded on video,so that this barbaric and shameful practise,implemented in our name can receive the opprobrium it so richly deserves.The harrowing scenes involving the forcible eviction of an elderly couple by both female and male bailiffs is an indictment of our society and will conjure up for most people the vision of bailiffs accompanied by Redcoats putting poverty stricken people from their homes because of failure to pay rent.
Substitute Gardai for Redcoats and little has changed.At least then we could blame the Landlords for having recourse to the law,which was enacted for the benefit of the landlords and was used as an instrument of oppression .
Now we have no excuse.Now our Banks,which are ashamed to use their former names,and blew out money like confetti,are the motivators in this savagery,the Courts which facilitate it are our Courts,The Sheriffs who do it are appointed by our politicians,the Bailiffs who do the manhandling,male and female apparently are employed by our Sheriffs and the Gardai who are there to enforce the law are there in the same capacity as the redcoats.And our legislators preside over the whole sorry spectacle.
In this particular case the money involved is big.But the principle remains the same.It is only a matter of degree.There are thousands of people who through sickness ,unemployment or other circumstances ,caused in the main by the failure of the self same banks and State regulators ,find themselves unable to pay their debts.
And the precise same thing can happen to them.Don't think it won't happen to you.If the creditor wants it will.
I am personally aware that it has happened to local authority tenants ,including single mothers ,who for lack of funds or emergency cannot pay the rent.
In February 2011 I published an article in my blog"Policy on evictions and repossessions of domestic dwellings",which recorded the answers given by the party leaders on the Pat Kenny interview on 14/2/2011on the issue.
The answers given were :-
E.Kenny."Guarantee you won't lose your home."
E.Gilmore."Head off the bailiffs."
M.Martin."Increase mortgage interest relief and in no circumstances take the roof from over their heads"
G.Adams."No evictions in Ireland."
J.Gormley."Don't take roof from over their heads."
Empty vessels is right.
This is the reality of austerity and all turkeys should vote for more.
Substitute Gardai for Redcoats and little has changed.At least then we could blame the Landlords for having recourse to the law,which was enacted for the benefit of the landlords and was used as an instrument of oppression .
Now we have no excuse.Now our Banks,which are ashamed to use their former names,and blew out money like confetti,are the motivators in this savagery,the Courts which facilitate it are our Courts,The Sheriffs who do it are appointed by our politicians,the Bailiffs who do the manhandling,male and female apparently are employed by our Sheriffs and the Gardai who are there to enforce the law are there in the same capacity as the redcoats.And our legislators preside over the whole sorry spectacle.
In this particular case the money involved is big.But the principle remains the same.It is only a matter of degree.There are thousands of people who through sickness ,unemployment or other circumstances ,caused in the main by the failure of the self same banks and State regulators ,find themselves unable to pay their debts.
And the precise same thing can happen to them.Don't think it won't happen to you.If the creditor wants it will.
I am personally aware that it has happened to local authority tenants ,including single mothers ,who for lack of funds or emergency cannot pay the rent.
In February 2011 I published an article in my blog"Policy on evictions and repossessions of domestic dwellings",which recorded the answers given by the party leaders on the Pat Kenny interview on 14/2/2011on the issue.
The answers given were :-
E.Kenny."Guarantee you won't lose your home."
E.Gilmore."Head off the bailiffs."
M.Martin."Increase mortgage interest relief and in no circumstances take the roof from over their heads"
G.Adams."No evictions in Ireland."
J.Gormley."Don't take roof from over their heads."
Empty vessels is right.
This is the reality of austerity and all turkeys should vote for more.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Debt Forgivness and Writeoff.Chuckle Brothers.
With notable exceptions our professional classes have let us down badly.For example there is a three tier health system,one for the poor (medical card people).one for the slightly better off ( private health insurance and Mater Private) and one for the rich and the super rich (whatever you are having yourself).One can only conclude that greed plays a huge part in the equation.This is all the more disgusting as all theses medics are highly subsidised by the taxpayer in learning their trade.I have long argued that there should be a payback to the populace in the form of say five years service to the State for the average industrial wage before they are free to make their fortune wherever their fancy takes them.
Similarly with the law.The more money you have the more access you have to the legal system and the greater the opportunity you have to seek remedies to defend yourself.Probably a three way system there also,that is FLAC for the practically destitute in civil matters,legal aid for them in criminal matters and the very brightest advocates in both civil and criminal matters for the rich and the super rich.
With few exceptions judges are drawn from the latter category ,are usually affiliated to political parties and would likely have most empathy for the class of people from which they are drawn.
Even within the profession itself there are,it is argued,localised coteries of favoured practitioners in broad consensus with the judges and gardai ,which resents the appearance of outsiders to the circle.
Teachers beat the crap out of the poorer and less influential pupils right up to the abolition of corporal punishment ,while sucking up to the pupils of the rich,no matter how stupid they were in class.
I personally know of one elderly man of poor background who sat beside another man of rich background at school.The poor pupil was brighter than the rich one and the rich one used copy the poor one's lessons.No problem when the poor man was right but when he was wrong he was always beaten for copying from the rich pupil.He never ratted and took it.Not once did the rich kid have the balls to speak up and tell the truth.
Of course the universities are full of pupils from private schools,whose parents have the money to send them there ,thereby perpetuating the system.Not too many from the techs make it.The odd one perhaps.
The assorted Tribunals into the Gardai,the Planners,the Banks ,the Politicians show that many professionals in these arenas drove a coach and four around the law and all semblances of decency to favour the objects of their benevolence.
It is inconceivable that no one in civil society was aware that some religious were abusing their charges ,considering that they were sent there in the first place by the Court's and that the State was legally charged with their welfare.Some professionals there,weren't there.
As for journalists ,they must have been blind and or cowed for at least half a century.
You can probably get the drift that I am a fierce sceptic of self promoting experts.which the country is full of and which country was never as fecked.
Which is why I am sick to the teeth of academics,professors and economists ,who couldn't foresee the bust and who promoted the entities responsible for it,pronouncing on the issue of debt write off.
So the experts say.
Similarly with the law.The more money you have the more access you have to the legal system and the greater the opportunity you have to seek remedies to defend yourself.Probably a three way system there also,that is FLAC for the practically destitute in civil matters,legal aid for them in criminal matters and the very brightest advocates in both civil and criminal matters for the rich and the super rich.
With few exceptions judges are drawn from the latter category ,are usually affiliated to political parties and would likely have most empathy for the class of people from which they are drawn.
Even within the profession itself there are,it is argued,localised coteries of favoured practitioners in broad consensus with the judges and gardai ,which resents the appearance of outsiders to the circle.
Teachers beat the crap out of the poorer and less influential pupils right up to the abolition of corporal punishment ,while sucking up to the pupils of the rich,no matter how stupid they were in class.
I personally know of one elderly man of poor background who sat beside another man of rich background at school.The poor pupil was brighter than the rich one and the rich one used copy the poor one's lessons.No problem when the poor man was right but when he was wrong he was always beaten for copying from the rich pupil.He never ratted and took it.Not once did the rich kid have the balls to speak up and tell the truth.
Of course the universities are full of pupils from private schools,whose parents have the money to send them there ,thereby perpetuating the system.Not too many from the techs make it.The odd one perhaps.
The assorted Tribunals into the Gardai,the Planners,the Banks ,the Politicians show that many professionals in these arenas drove a coach and four around the law and all semblances of decency to favour the objects of their benevolence.
It is inconceivable that no one in civil society was aware that some religious were abusing their charges ,considering that they were sent there in the first place by the Court's and that the State was legally charged with their welfare.Some professionals there,weren't there.
As for journalists ,they must have been blind and or cowed for at least half a century.
You can probably get the drift that I am a fierce sceptic of self promoting experts.which the country is full of and which country was never as fecked.
Which is why I am sick to the teeth of academics,professors and economists ,who couldn't foresee the bust and who promoted the entities responsible for it,pronouncing on the issue of debt write off.
Let me get this.The experts in the Government and the Banks were so inadequate that they bankrupted the banks and sold the country into hock.In the words of the Blues brothers song"you.me everybody is bailing them out and we now own them.We concurrently owe them debts we could never repay even were we to live to a thousand.So we fund them to persecute us for repayment of money we haven't got because we gave it to them in the first place.Why does the phrase "that fellow is so mean that he owes himself money"come to mind?
And the experts tell us debt write off is a non runner.Yeah it is better that the turkeys emigrate,commit suicide ,break up their families,lose the ability to sleep and lose their homes rather than trust them to pay off what they can and write off the balance and let them live peaceful lives.Risk of "moral hazard they say.e they don't trust us.Look before we owned the banks both Charlie Haughey and Garrett Fitzgerald had debts owed to the banks written off.What was good enough for them is good enough for us plebs.Or perhaps we are not worthy.
So the experts say.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Dunderry V Michaels IFC 15/4/2012.
Match played in Kilskere at 7.00 p.m. on a pitch in the finest of order.Touch chilly but ideal for football.Kilskere stewards on their game and Jimmy Brady and Peadar Byrne Senior looked after me well securing me a sideline seat.Much appreciated lads.Thanks.
Dunderry Team.
David Jennings
David Mc Cormack John Kelleher Darren Callaghan
Alan Garry Finn Stephens Swiss Clarke
Ted Dowd Paddy Kenneally
Simon Carty Lar Callaghan Seamus Harte.
Ivan Mc Cormack Bob Doherty Stephen Coogan.
(Capt.)
This is a match Dunderry had pencilled in as a likely win on the basis that Michaels had been badly hit by emigration and we had already beaten them in the League.As it transpired League form went out the window and a number of their emigrants had returned home.The first ten minutes totally belonged to Michaels as they ran us ragged,scoring two minors from play and one from a free.They were totally dominant at midfield and won the majority of the breaking ball.
From the kick out after the pointed free Kenneally fielded well ,went on a solo run and passed to Ivan who took his point well.They won the kick out and sprayed the ball around until Finn fouled ,a free they converted. Michaels gather kick out but over held.Ted takes free to Ivan to Carty to Swiss to Bob to Stephen Coogan.Wide.
They win kick out and play keep ball until Carty breaks in and secures ball,to Swiss to Finn to Harte to Ivan to Finn,blocked and Michaels secure possession.We foul and they play keep ball until penalised for over carrying.Disciplined play by Dunderry backs.Jennings finds Harte to Lar whose punt falls to the Michaels full back.They patiently play ball towards our goal until Swiss is penalised and they work a point from the resultant free.With Michaels dominating midfield a Dunderry back is a hateful job.
Harte breaks ball to Finn to Lar to Alan Garry to Kenneally .Wide.Michaels pick ball from ground from kick out and we hit free wide.At this juncture our Padraig,who cannot get the attention of his father Finn abandons me and goes to his mother.Carty wins break from kick out and to Ted to Swiss to Kenneally .Point.Harte breaks kick out to Ivan who solos and lets across the goalmouth,where it is collected by their goal man who mounts a counter attack ,which our backs break up and earn a free.Taken by Finn to Bob,who is bundled off ball and is penalised.The hop of the long free deceives Davy Mac and falls fortunately for his man ,who buries it in the back of the net.We are in big trouble.Michaels 6 gathers kick out and they embark on an intricate passing movement which Kelleher breaks up ,to Finn to Swiss To Carty to Coogan.Fouled.Coogan misses free.1-5 to 0-2 against us still.Michaels win kick out again and their long ball in is put over sideline by Kelleher interception.Michaels earn free from kick out which they convert.Finn wins ball from kick out to Coogan to Ivan who lets across goal,where Michaels mop it up and counterattack ,which in turn is ended by Jennings who passes to Finn to Simon to Lar to Ted ,when Michaels regain possession and counterattack and earn a free ,which Garry intercepts,to Lar to Harte who lets it in to Bob who breaks it to Kenneally bearing down on goals and who bravely follows through when ball goes out of control hurting himself.No coward he.Swiss gains possession from free out and is fouled.Stephen kicks it wide.Darren Fay replaces Ivan.Hard on Ivan I thought.They win kick out and Kelleher gathers long ball in and to Harte to Fay ,whose long ball in is gathered by Michaels who counterattack is freakishly broken up by Davy Mac who somehow prevents a certain goal. Finn gathers and back passes to Jennings,to Swiss to Davy Mac ,to Finn,who pass is intercepted and a point is registered against us.We fight on.Swiss's pass is intercepted but Michaels hit wide. Ted wins kick out,to Finn to Bob,loses ball .Their counter attack results in a wide.We win free from kick out ,which Lar takes to Simon ,who is fouled.Lar hits to Bob who returns to Lar who pops over a minor.Half time.1-7 to 0-3.We were very very poor that half.Big deficit to make up.You would have to wonder at the wisdom of starting the minors after a hard County match yesterday.Are they firing on all cylinders?.Whatever about them there is no excuse for the rest of them.
Aaron Newman replaces an injured Kenneally and starts at corner forward.Fay is now on the forty and Ted and Lar in the middle.Bob and Stephen are a two man full forward line.We resume and Ted breaks ball to Harte to Lar who lets in long to Bob to Garry whose pass is mistimed and Michaels counter attack.Finn breaks it up and is fouled.Ball travels from Lar to Ted to Finn to Davy Mac to Lar to Stephen to Ted ,who lets in long ball which hops wide.Bit more urgency about us.Michaels win break from kick out and let in long and Red Callaghan breaks it up ,to Ted to Finn to Swiss to Harte to Stephen .Point.We retrieve ball from long pass in by Michaels with a good block abd Finn to Swiss to Finn to Ted to Stephen.Fouled.Short to Bob who lets across goal and is deflected for a 50.Stephen misses.Kick out breaks to Stephen whose shot falls short to goalie and they counter attack the whole way up the field and score a point.Michaels win kick out and play keep ball until Finn secures possession and lets in long to Carty to Fay to Stephen to Harte .Fouled.Handy free.We miss it.Fay to Finn to Harte to Newman ,hits awkward ball to Bob .Ball lost but Michaels over carry and Newman converts free.Fay wins ball.To Harte ,to Swiss to Finn,to Newman,blocked,Harte blocks a Michaels free and lets in long ,where Michaels retrieve .In turn their long ball in is gathered by Swiss,to Ted to Fay to Finn to Carty ,whose pass is misplaced to a Michaels man.They work up the field and score a minor.Jennings to Swiss to Finn,in low to Stephen to Harte ,back to Stephen.Point.6 points down now.
Bob breaks kick out to Harte to Stephen.Wide.Andy Coogan on for Bob.Fay in full forward,Swiss gets break from kick out and to Finn,who lets in long high ball towards Fay ,who somehow gets it and bears down on goal.He is through and shoots.Somehow the goalie diverts it for a fifty.We earn free from short fifty which Newman converts. Game on.Andy to Swiss to Harte to Ted ,back to Swiss.Point.Lar to Ted to Stephen to Andy .Wide.Lar to Harte ,back to Lar.Free to us.Point by Stephen.13 minutes left.3 points in it.Ted fouled.Takes it quick to Stephen.He is fouled.Takes Lar by surprise with quick free,but Lar responds well and to Finn on the burst,who lets fly.Wide.Harte wins kick out,to Carty to Andy.Across the goal.Wide.Micheal's miss clear chance at goal,not once but twice and eventually send wide.Regan introduced for Michaels.On Garry.From a Harte free kick Lar drops ball on top of Fay outside the square.He goes for it fairly and is wrongly blown.Probably the only mistake made by the ref.who otherwise is having a good game.Good defending by us breaks up the resultant Michaels attack and we work ball to Stephen who is fouled.Ball floated in for Faye ,but falls to Newman,whose overhead kick is caught by the goalie who hits over the sideline.Swiss and Regan exchange pleasantries.Lars sideline ball is deflected for fifty.He hits it short and fielding Michaels man is fouled.Swiss gathers free kick and is fouled thirty yards out.Coogan converts,Two point game .5 minuted left.Michaels get possession and their attempt to play keep ball is broken up by Andy,to Simon to Ted to Aaron.Fouled fifty yards out.Put it on top of Darren they roar.Ball breaks to Andy.Wide.Jasus they say.We break up Michaels attack and earn line ball fifty yards out.Last chance saloon.Swiss lets it in .Fay breaks it but Michaels win break.Final whistle,. 1-9 to o-10 for Michaels.
Ref .Watch.Did a great job,save penalising Darren FAy when he did.
Crowd.For the time of year the crowd was big and well humoured.Massive Dunderry support.
Analysis.
We were all over the shop the first half ,which was not good.Probably a mistake to start the minors who playd yesterday for the County as were not themselves.I wonder if they ran out of steam?I would say that the management have much to ponder.In fairness they have never had the full panel available to them.Aside from that we were very flat and ponderous the entire first half.When Stephen was off colour on thr free taking arena we had no replacement on the field after Ivan went off and until Aaron came on.Probably the selectors delayed too long in making changes,but when the eventually did we started to play with something approaching the potential we have.
We completely dominated the second half ,when the positional switches and replacements were felt .Midfield is a problem area.
We could have snuk a result but overall Michaels were the better team.
From now on it is effectively knockout.A hard road ahead.
I hate making these criticisms as I know only too well what it is like to be under pressure in the management arena,being the last Dunderry Manager to manage a Senior Team,before we reverted to Intermediate.
The challenge is formidable and rven lads with Senior All Irelands and All Stars havent been able to manage us back up.Pressure lads,pressure.Keep the faith.
Dunderry Team.
David Jennings
David Mc Cormack John Kelleher Darren Callaghan
Alan Garry Finn Stephens Swiss Clarke
Ted Dowd Paddy Kenneally
Simon Carty Lar Callaghan Seamus Harte.
Ivan Mc Cormack Bob Doherty Stephen Coogan.
(Capt.)
This is a match Dunderry had pencilled in as a likely win on the basis that Michaels had been badly hit by emigration and we had already beaten them in the League.As it transpired League form went out the window and a number of their emigrants had returned home.The first ten minutes totally belonged to Michaels as they ran us ragged,scoring two minors from play and one from a free.They were totally dominant at midfield and won the majority of the breaking ball.
From the kick out after the pointed free Kenneally fielded well ,went on a solo run and passed to Ivan who took his point well.They won the kick out and sprayed the ball around until Finn fouled ,a free they converted. Michaels gather kick out but over held.Ted takes free to Ivan to Carty to Swiss to Bob to Stephen Coogan.Wide.
They win kick out and play keep ball until Carty breaks in and secures ball,to Swiss to Finn to Harte to Ivan to Finn,blocked and Michaels secure possession.We foul and they play keep ball until penalised for over carrying.Disciplined play by Dunderry backs.Jennings finds Harte to Lar whose punt falls to the Michaels full back.They patiently play ball towards our goal until Swiss is penalised and they work a point from the resultant free.With Michaels dominating midfield a Dunderry back is a hateful job.
Harte breaks ball to Finn to Lar to Alan Garry to Kenneally .Wide.Michaels pick ball from ground from kick out and we hit free wide.At this juncture our Padraig,who cannot get the attention of his father Finn abandons me and goes to his mother.Carty wins break from kick out and to Ted to Swiss to Kenneally .Point.Harte breaks kick out to Ivan who solos and lets across the goalmouth,where it is collected by their goal man who mounts a counter attack ,which our backs break up and earn a free.Taken by Finn to Bob,who is bundled off ball and is penalised.The hop of the long free deceives Davy Mac and falls fortunately for his man ,who buries it in the back of the net.We are in big trouble.Michaels 6 gathers kick out and they embark on an intricate passing movement which Kelleher breaks up ,to Finn to Swiss To Carty to Coogan.Fouled.Coogan misses free.1-5 to 0-2 against us still.Michaels win kick out again and their long ball in is put over sideline by Kelleher interception.Michaels earn free from kick out which they convert.Finn wins ball from kick out to Coogan to Ivan who lets across goal,where Michaels mop it up and counterattack ,which in turn is ended by Jennings who passes to Finn to Simon to Lar to Ted ,when Michaels regain possession and counterattack and earn a free ,which Garry intercepts,to Lar to Harte who lets it in to Bob who breaks it to Kenneally bearing down on goals and who bravely follows through when ball goes out of control hurting himself.No coward he.Swiss gains possession from free out and is fouled.Stephen kicks it wide.Darren Fay replaces Ivan.Hard on Ivan I thought.They win kick out and Kelleher gathers long ball in and to Harte to Fay ,whose long ball in is gathered by Michaels who counterattack is freakishly broken up by Davy Mac who somehow prevents a certain goal. Finn gathers and back passes to Jennings,to Swiss to Davy Mac ,to Finn,who pass is intercepted and a point is registered against us.We fight on.Swiss's pass is intercepted but Michaels hit wide. Ted wins kick out,to Finn to Bob,loses ball .Their counter attack results in a wide.We win free from kick out ,which Lar takes to Simon ,who is fouled.Lar hits to Bob who returns to Lar who pops over a minor.Half time.1-7 to 0-3.We were very very poor that half.Big deficit to make up.You would have to wonder at the wisdom of starting the minors after a hard County match yesterday.Are they firing on all cylinders?.Whatever about them there is no excuse for the rest of them.
Aaron Newman replaces an injured Kenneally and starts at corner forward.Fay is now on the forty and Ted and Lar in the middle.Bob and Stephen are a two man full forward line.We resume and Ted breaks ball to Harte to Lar who lets in long to Bob to Garry whose pass is mistimed and Michaels counter attack.Finn breaks it up and is fouled.Ball travels from Lar to Ted to Finn to Davy Mac to Lar to Stephen to Ted ,who lets in long ball which hops wide.Bit more urgency about us.Michaels win break from kick out and let in long and Red Callaghan breaks it up ,to Ted to Finn to Swiss to Harte to Stephen .Point.We retrieve ball from long pass in by Michaels with a good block abd Finn to Swiss to Finn to Ted to Stephen.Fouled.Short to Bob who lets across goal and is deflected for a 50.Stephen misses.Kick out breaks to Stephen whose shot falls short to goalie and they counter attack the whole way up the field and score a point.Michaels win kick out and play keep ball until Finn secures possession and lets in long to Carty to Fay to Stephen to Harte .Fouled.Handy free.We miss it.Fay to Finn to Harte to Newman ,hits awkward ball to Bob .Ball lost but Michaels over carry and Newman converts free.Fay wins ball.To Harte ,to Swiss to Finn,to Newman,blocked,Harte blocks a Michaels free and lets in long ,where Michaels retrieve .In turn their long ball in is gathered by Swiss,to Ted to Fay to Finn to Carty ,whose pass is misplaced to a Michaels man.They work up the field and score a minor.Jennings to Swiss to Finn,in low to Stephen to Harte ,back to Stephen.Point.6 points down now.
Bob breaks kick out to Harte to Stephen.Wide.Andy Coogan on for Bob.Fay in full forward,Swiss gets break from kick out and to Finn,who lets in long high ball towards Fay ,who somehow gets it and bears down on goal.He is through and shoots.Somehow the goalie diverts it for a fifty.We earn free from short fifty which Newman converts. Game on.Andy to Swiss to Harte to Ted ,back to Swiss.Point.Lar to Ted to Stephen to Andy .Wide.Lar to Harte ,back to Lar.Free to us.Point by Stephen.13 minutes left.3 points in it.Ted fouled.Takes it quick to Stephen.He is fouled.Takes Lar by surprise with quick free,but Lar responds well and to Finn on the burst,who lets fly.Wide.Harte wins kick out,to Carty to Andy.Across the goal.Wide.Micheal's miss clear chance at goal,not once but twice and eventually send wide.Regan introduced for Michaels.On Garry.From a Harte free kick Lar drops ball on top of Fay outside the square.He goes for it fairly and is wrongly blown.Probably the only mistake made by the ref.who otherwise is having a good game.Good defending by us breaks up the resultant Michaels attack and we work ball to Stephen who is fouled.Ball floated in for Faye ,but falls to Newman,whose overhead kick is caught by the goalie who hits over the sideline.Swiss and Regan exchange pleasantries.Lars sideline ball is deflected for fifty.He hits it short and fielding Michaels man is fouled.Swiss gathers free kick and is fouled thirty yards out.Coogan converts,Two point game .5 minuted left.Michaels get possession and their attempt to play keep ball is broken up by Andy,to Simon to Ted to Aaron.Fouled fifty yards out.Put it on top of Darren they roar.Ball breaks to Andy.Wide.Jasus they say.We break up Michaels attack and earn line ball fifty yards out.Last chance saloon.Swiss lets it in .Fay breaks it but Michaels win break.Final whistle,. 1-9 to o-10 for Michaels.
Ref .Watch.Did a great job,save penalising Darren FAy when he did.
Crowd.For the time of year the crowd was big and well humoured.Massive Dunderry support.
Analysis.
We were all over the shop the first half ,which was not good.Probably a mistake to start the minors who playd yesterday for the County as were not themselves.I wonder if they ran out of steam?I would say that the management have much to ponder.In fairness they have never had the full panel available to them.Aside from that we were very flat and ponderous the entire first half.When Stephen was off colour on thr free taking arena we had no replacement on the field after Ivan went off and until Aaron came on.Probably the selectors delayed too long in making changes,but when the eventually did we started to play with something approaching the potential we have.
We completely dominated the second half ,when the positional switches and replacements were felt .Midfield is a problem area.
We could have snuk a result but overall Michaels were the better team.
From now on it is effectively knockout.A hard road ahead.
I hate making these criticisms as I know only too well what it is like to be under pressure in the management arena,being the last Dunderry Manager to manage a Senior Team,before we reverted to Intermediate.
The challenge is formidable and rven lads with Senior All Irelands and All Stars havent been able to manage us back up.Pressure lads,pressure.Keep the faith.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Three Muskateers evicted by wedding singers.
Myself,Leo and Liam turned up at six on Friday for the Vigil.We were not alone.Two female singers were in the gallery singing the most delightful songs.Wedding songs seemingly.It is hard to pray with such melodious distraction.And the loudspeaker system in the Church is working to perfection as the volume was just as loud in the two side aisles as the body of the Church.
Not to be denied we went outside to the grotto of our Lady and said our prayers ,including a decade as Gaeilge.No bother at all.
Today one of the Julie Annes I raved about in an earlier blog was married in the Church.Julie Anne Boland that is.All the women in our house were gawking through the windows at the style.She was smashing and he wasn't bad either.Both Anne and Ciaran were in high spirits and why shouldn't they be on the marriage of their only daughter.
We wish them luck.
Maybe our prayers are beginning to bear fruit .5,000 protesters at the Labour Party conference in Galway,some of whom were pepper sprayed ,is perhaps the initial spurt of serious protest against the economic carnage being inflicted on decent people by the austerity being slavishly imposed by the Coalition.
Not to be denied we went outside to the grotto of our Lady and said our prayers ,including a decade as Gaeilge.No bother at all.
Today one of the Julie Annes I raved about in an earlier blog was married in the Church.Julie Anne Boland that is.All the women in our house were gawking through the windows at the style.She was smashing and he wasn't bad either.Both Anne and Ciaran were in high spirits and why shouldn't they be on the marriage of their only daughter.
We wish them luck.
Maybe our prayers are beginning to bear fruit .5,000 protesters at the Labour Party conference in Galway,some of whom were pepper sprayed ,is perhaps the initial spurt of serious protest against the economic carnage being inflicted on decent people by the austerity being slavishly imposed by the Coalition.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Under 15 Camogie.Dunderry 5-3.Drumree 2-3.10/4/2012.
Venue .Batterstown.In good nick and conditions ideal for Camogie
Dunderry Team.
Tara Fleming
Anna Stenson Blaithnid Keyes Megan Doherty
Labhaoise Martyn Michelle Doherty Isobel Varley
Aisling Mc Donagh Tara Scanlon
Aine Coogan Aoife Minogue Rachel Keaveney
Niamh Daly Aoife O Shea Holly Keenan.
Replacements.Anna Byrne,Rachel Brennan,Ciara Casserly,Hazel Carty.
Mentors.Manager.Tracy Fitzsimons,Trainer.Hugh Scanlon.Mentor Evelyn Griffin.
Hugh Scanlon couldn't make it because of work commitments and Blaithnid Keyes father stood in,a more than capable replacement.
From time to time I go to these matches for two reasons.Firstly to check that the game is being properly promoted and secondly to check out the progress on my own grand daughter Aisling Mc Donagh.
Well I can tell you now that I was well assured on the two fronts.
The management team know what they are at.The team was well placed and skillful.There were plenty of parents present and even though Hugh Scanlan was not there his wife Rose kept him updated.While Tracey and Evelyn have no historical background in Camogie they have been quick learners and are up to par and even better.Goes to show that a willing horse will always drink the water.
This team was well trained and their hurling skills and commitment was a joy to behold.They possess in abundance the qualities of defiance,bravery and courage that Dunderry is renowned for and battle to the limit.An example to other teams in the Parish.The goalies were good,the backs tenacious,the midfielders excellent and the forwards score hungry.The spine of this team is solid ,even inspirational and unflappable.The wings are supportive and game and skillful always.
The players back each other up ,as you would expect from players together since they were 10 years old .Had Mags been present she would have approved that her protegees have been so well nurtured .
Drumree were no daws either and had their quota of good players and guts aplenty also,as you would expect from that part of the country.
It was a ding dong battle up to the final whistle and a referee who has improved with age let the play flow to good effect.
Dunderry were the better team on the day and fully deserved their victory.
I am not going to pick out and praise one above the other as it would be unfair at this age group.I will say this however,as founder and a mentor of the Club for over twenty years.This is a team brimming with promise and blessed with as skillful and as brave players as ever graced this Club.
If they have the dedication and perseverance qualities of their predeccessors the sky is the limit.
Congratulations to players ,mentors and supporters on a job well done.
Hon the girls.
Dunderry Team.
Tara Fleming
Anna Stenson Blaithnid Keyes Megan Doherty
Labhaoise Martyn Michelle Doherty Isobel Varley
Aisling Mc Donagh Tara Scanlon
Aine Coogan Aoife Minogue Rachel Keaveney
Niamh Daly Aoife O Shea Holly Keenan.
Replacements.Anna Byrne,Rachel Brennan,Ciara Casserly,Hazel Carty.
Mentors.Manager.Tracy Fitzsimons,Trainer.Hugh Scanlon.Mentor Evelyn Griffin.
Hugh Scanlon couldn't make it because of work commitments and Blaithnid Keyes father stood in,a more than capable replacement.
From time to time I go to these matches for two reasons.Firstly to check that the game is being properly promoted and secondly to check out the progress on my own grand daughter Aisling Mc Donagh.
Well I can tell you now that I was well assured on the two fronts.
The management team know what they are at.The team was well placed and skillful.There were plenty of parents present and even though Hugh Scanlan was not there his wife Rose kept him updated.While Tracey and Evelyn have no historical background in Camogie they have been quick learners and are up to par and even better.Goes to show that a willing horse will always drink the water.
This team was well trained and their hurling skills and commitment was a joy to behold.They possess in abundance the qualities of defiance,bravery and courage that Dunderry is renowned for and battle to the limit.An example to other teams in the Parish.The goalies were good,the backs tenacious,the midfielders excellent and the forwards score hungry.The spine of this team is solid ,even inspirational and unflappable.The wings are supportive and game and skillful always.
The players back each other up ,as you would expect from players together since they were 10 years old .Had Mags been present she would have approved that her protegees have been so well nurtured .
Drumree were no daws either and had their quota of good players and guts aplenty also,as you would expect from that part of the country.
It was a ding dong battle up to the final whistle and a referee who has improved with age let the play flow to good effect.
Dunderry were the better team on the day and fully deserved their victory.
I am not going to pick out and praise one above the other as it would be unfair at this age group.I will say this however,as founder and a mentor of the Club for over twenty years.This is a team brimming with promise and blessed with as skillful and as brave players as ever graced this Club.
If they have the dedication and perseverance qualities of their predeccessors the sky is the limit.
Congratulations to players ,mentors and supporters on a job well done.
Hon the girls.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Dunderry Strictly come dancing
Fresh from the presses,or rather from the missus,comes the news that Dunderry GAA Club and Brendan Grace have one thing in common,that is they can both fill the biggest room in the Cusack Hotel in Trim and believe me that is no mean feat.
The boys have sore arms counting the loot.Dar Callaghan and Julie Bligh won,both offspring of former football greats so you would expect them to have twinkle in their toes and swings in their hips..Much more when time permits..
The boys have sore arms counting the loot.Dar Callaghan and Julie Bligh won,both offspring of former football greats so you would expect them to have twinkle in their toes and swings in their hips..Much more when time permits..
Three Muskateers back on track.
Friday gone myself ,Liam and Carmel united again in the Church at 6.00.Circumstances had dictated that recently Liam was missing twice ,I once and Carmel once..However there was always one to keep the flag flying.
Talking of which and particularly in view that over 95% of the population consider themselves as being attached to a formal religion (85% Roman Catholic) it comes as no surprise to me that at this Holy time of Easter the atheist tail should again attempt to wag the overwhelmingly Christian dog by publicising its intentions to grip the Catholic Schools and Hospitals for the benefit of the State as part compensation for child abuse .That same State where judges appointed by the the self same political parties tore children from their families and failed for half a century to even check on their welfare. That same State governed by the same political parties and under similar political appointees, also sold us into slavery, is keeping us there and which has hundreds of people waiting over four years to see consultants to get on another list.
Yes these atheists and secularists are the boys to sort it .
I for one am sick to the teeth of these journalists ,editors and proprietors ,mainly lapsed Catholics because they are on the second or third husband or wife as the case may be.or suffer bad doses of feminist penis envy ,constantly putting down us Catholics who are doing our very best to live our lives as responsible citizens.
Enough is enough I say.There will be a backlash if this constant pagan invective does not stop.
And finally ,I would humbly advise The Archbishop of Dublin,if he is again organising an Easter procession to put some proper effort into it.As they say around here,"I ofter saw more at the sticking of a pig".Having such an event ,without doing the homework,is just handing ammunition to an antagonistic press.
Hoping the resurrection comes sooner rather than later.
Talking of which and particularly in view that over 95% of the population consider themselves as being attached to a formal religion (85% Roman Catholic) it comes as no surprise to me that at this Holy time of Easter the atheist tail should again attempt to wag the overwhelmingly Christian dog by publicising its intentions to grip the Catholic Schools and Hospitals for the benefit of the State as part compensation for child abuse .That same State where judges appointed by the the self same political parties tore children from their families and failed for half a century to even check on their welfare. That same State governed by the same political parties and under similar political appointees, also sold us into slavery, is keeping us there and which has hundreds of people waiting over four years to see consultants to get on another list.
Yes these atheists and secularists are the boys to sort it .
I for one am sick to the teeth of these journalists ,editors and proprietors ,mainly lapsed Catholics because they are on the second or third husband or wife as the case may be.or suffer bad doses of feminist penis envy ,constantly putting down us Catholics who are doing our very best to live our lives as responsible citizens.
Enough is enough I say.There will be a backlash if this constant pagan invective does not stop.
And finally ,I would humbly advise The Archbishop of Dublin,if he is again organising an Easter procession to put some proper effort into it.As they say around here,"I ofter saw more at the sticking of a pig".Having such an event ,without doing the homework,is just handing ammunition to an antagonistic press.
Hoping the resurrection comes sooner rather than later.
Austerity Update
Called to see Korea Mc Donagh today.He wasn't in the best of form and confined to the bed.I wrote about this man before.He is in his mid eighties now and fought with the USA army in the Korean War,where ha was missing ,presumed dead,for seven years.He was even waked,before turning up alive ,having been a prisoner of war for the duration.I don't know how he was treated for those years but strongly suspect that what happened to him was not good.Jimmy Coogan sang at his "wake".The irony is that having survived all that hardship and cheated death in the battlefields and camps,he nearly met his Maker while having a whizz in a rural boreen the far side of Athboy,when a car went out of control and somersaulted on top of him.You couldn't make it up.He was crippled by the accident and I met him in the disabled shelter in the Showgrounds two years age when we both attended a Dunderry Championship match ,he to support his grandsons T.J.and Martin Garry.We lost.
I was well received by his daughter Anne,who is a peach and the spit of her sister Monica.We had a long and friendly chat over a cup of Tay and home baked brown bread.Don't understand why the single men of Ireland are not beating a path to the door.Maybe they are.A lovely lady.
Also met for the first time a cousin of my own.Kate Mc Donagh ,also a beautiful young lady with whom I felt an immediate empathy even before I knew we were related.She has the beautiful skin for which my grandmother Kate Mallon was noted.Whether by accident or design they share the same name.
Anne informed me that another grandson of Korea Michael has since gone to Australia to join the others.That elevates his status from three to four,if this is a suitable word.
I was well received by his daughter Anne,who is a peach and the spit of her sister Monica.We had a long and friendly chat over a cup of Tay and home baked brown bread.Don't understand why the single men of Ireland are not beating a path to the door.Maybe they are.A lovely lady.
Also met for the first time a cousin of my own.Kate Mc Donagh ,also a beautiful young lady with whom I felt an immediate empathy even before I knew we were related.She has the beautiful skin for which my grandmother Kate Mallon was noted.Whether by accident or design they share the same name.
Anne informed me that another grandson of Korea Michael has since gone to Australia to join the others.That elevates his status from three to four,if this is a suitable word.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Hughie Mc Geogh RIP and Barney Mc Kenna RIP
Hugh Mc Geogh,who I got to know well since moving to Dunderry died recently and I was honoured to attend his funeral.He owned a hardware shop opposite the Church in Trim in Patrick Street I think it is called.It was and is much more than a shop and is a veritable Aladdin's cave.I have no idea where himself and his son Gabriel sourced the goods on display there but if you browsed long enough you would never know what you would find tucked away in some nook or cranny.Always useful and unusual.Like the man himself.
Firstly ,if he thought you sound,he would take a chance on you and give you credit.Secondly he was a mine of information on all things pertaining to his vocation of hardware proprietor and thirdly his premises was a veritable gathering room and ceili house for customers who were friends as well as purchasers.
There was nothing he couldn't source if he hadn't got it in stock and he would go to great lengths to satisfy your hardware needs.
He was a son of a policeman and had Tipperary connections,a factor he shared with my wife a native of Templemore and when they met they would discuss things Tipperary ,(God's own County the Divil's own people)..
He had a bad run health wise in recent times but was blessed to have a family that lavished love and attention on him to the very end in his own home.
He was one decent man and his passing will be deeply mourned by all that knew him.To his wife ,son and daughters and grandchildren ,some of whom attend Dunderry School,we offer our heartfelt condolences.
Everybody knows who Barney Mc Kenna was .The reason I mention him in the same breath as Hugh Mc Geogh is that I met him once and once only in Mc Geogh's shop.I couldn't resist putting chat on him and found him to be a decent ordinary man and a son of the soil above all actually.As far as I know he had a connection to Castlerickard near Longwood and I am sure that Pat Clark,also deceased ,who was a patient in Navan Hospital during my stay there,spoke well of him.
Another friend of mine Tom Flanagan ,who spent some time in the FCA when Pat Clark was involved reckons that Pat was a step above the norm in the decency stakes,so if Pat recommended you ,you were a dinger.
Ar deis De go raibh a anam dilis.
Firstly ,if he thought you sound,he would take a chance on you and give you credit.Secondly he was a mine of information on all things pertaining to his vocation of hardware proprietor and thirdly his premises was a veritable gathering room and ceili house for customers who were friends as well as purchasers.
There was nothing he couldn't source if he hadn't got it in stock and he would go to great lengths to satisfy your hardware needs.
He was a son of a policeman and had Tipperary connections,a factor he shared with my wife a native of Templemore and when they met they would discuss things Tipperary ,(God's own County the Divil's own people)..
He had a bad run health wise in recent times but was blessed to have a family that lavished love and attention on him to the very end in his own home.
He was one decent man and his passing will be deeply mourned by all that knew him.To his wife ,son and daughters and grandchildren ,some of whom attend Dunderry School,we offer our heartfelt condolences.
Everybody knows who Barney Mc Kenna was .The reason I mention him in the same breath as Hugh Mc Geogh is that I met him once and once only in Mc Geogh's shop.I couldn't resist putting chat on him and found him to be a decent ordinary man and a son of the soil above all actually.As far as I know he had a connection to Castlerickard near Longwood and I am sure that Pat Clark,also deceased ,who was a patient in Navan Hospital during my stay there,spoke well of him.
Another friend of mine Tom Flanagan ,who spent some time in the FCA when Pat Clark was involved reckons that Pat was a step above the norm in the decency stakes,so if Pat recommended you ,you were a dinger.
Ar deis De go raibh a anam dilis.
Medical services a Disgrace.
The news that there is a waiting list of over 178,000 people awaiting attention by medical consultants comes as a surprise to me,cynical and all as I am.That some people are waiting over four years to see a consultant is absolutely horrific.
The fact that citizens ,whose tax contributions educate thousands of doctors in Irish medical schools at enormous expense ,have to wait so long for attention is baffling ,particularly as so many Irish doctors emigrate and minister to other peoples.
There is something rotten in a system which allows the wholesale emigration of Irish Doctors and nurses ,educated by the State, being replaced by immigrant Indian and Pakistani doctors and nurses.Nothing against the latter.but they shouldn't be needed in the first place.
The whole secretive world of the medical profession,the health services and its administration from start to finish needs to be held up to up to examination to see whether it is run for the benefit of the practitioners or for the benefit of the populace as a whole.
I would say that if you delayed four years in getting proper attention for a sick animal ,you would be prosecuted for cruelty.
Anyone who presides over a system who denies proper medical attention to a sick human being for such lengthy periods should suffer similar fates.
My uncles used say that a random referee should be shot every week to keep the rest on their toes.It is probably too extreme to suggest that the same be done to those in charge of the Health Services.
Having said this I have nothing but praise for the staff in Temple Street Hospital ,who gave such expert medical assistance to my grandson at short notice.
The fact that citizens ,whose tax contributions educate thousands of doctors in Irish medical schools at enormous expense ,have to wait so long for attention is baffling ,particularly as so many Irish doctors emigrate and minister to other peoples.
There is something rotten in a system which allows the wholesale emigration of Irish Doctors and nurses ,educated by the State, being replaced by immigrant Indian and Pakistani doctors and nurses.Nothing against the latter.but they shouldn't be needed in the first place.
The whole secretive world of the medical profession,the health services and its administration from start to finish needs to be held up to up to examination to see whether it is run for the benefit of the practitioners or for the benefit of the populace as a whole.
I would say that if you delayed four years in getting proper attention for a sick animal ,you would be prosecuted for cruelty.
Anyone who presides over a system who denies proper medical attention to a sick human being for such lengthy periods should suffer similar fates.
My uncles used say that a random referee should be shot every week to keep the rest on their toes.It is probably too extreme to suggest that the same be done to those in charge of the Health Services.
Having said this I have nothing but praise for the staff in Temple Street Hospital ,who gave such expert medical assistance to my grandson at short notice.
Thanks for Prayers.
The excellent staff in Temple Street Hospital delivered and the operation was a success.Thanks to them and to all who prayed for his well being.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Please Pray
New grandson Thomas Daithi,son of Mags and Phil ,two days old, is undergoing surgery in Temple Street Hospital tomorrow.Please pray for him.
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