Saturday, September 29, 2012
Dividend for 29/9/2012
We pray that Beechdale Lad with jockey Tommy Tracey aboard will put an and to our losing streak.Jessica Harrington is a good trainer and we think the horse is worth a fiver win in the 3.35 in Navan.
Friday, September 28, 2012
A right fu...n Haverel.
My grandfather Paddy Mc Cormack was wont to call somebody he didn't hold in high esteem a right fecken haverel or words to that effect.I can remember him using the phrase in the 1960's and 1970's.As he was born in the 1880's no doubt he used the phrase well before the 1960's.I have checked the use of this word locally with people of my vintage(over three score) and most of them have solid memories of its use in their youth.It has fallen out of fashion hereabouts in latter years as has the word trollop which is seldom used nowadays.
I know from the context in which he used the word that it was far from complimentary but never considered what it meant until recently.
If you google it the seemingly accepted meaning of it is a fool or simpleton who never shuts his trap,or what in Dublin we used to call a "mouth".
An extremely knowledgeable brother of mine is convinced that it meant a badly castrated buck goat,while another trained mind who has an interest in these things is sure that it was slang Irish for a person who was gluttonous in the extreme ,as when a person who had stuffed his face with s food and drink would say "I made a right haverel of myself at dinner last night and have indigestion since".
The vehemence with which my grandfather used utter the word would rule out neither of the above meanings but the buck goat meaning holds the greatest appeal for me.
Can anybody throw any more light on the matter?
I know from the context in which he used the word that it was far from complimentary but never considered what it meant until recently.
If you google it the seemingly accepted meaning of it is a fool or simpleton who never shuts his trap,or what in Dublin we used to call a "mouth".
An extremely knowledgeable brother of mine is convinced that it meant a badly castrated buck goat,while another trained mind who has an interest in these things is sure that it was slang Irish for a person who was gluttonous in the extreme ,as when a person who had stuffed his face with s food and drink would say "I made a right haverel of myself at dinner last night and have indigestion since".
The vehemence with which my grandfather used utter the word would rule out neither of the above meanings but the buck goat meaning holds the greatest appeal for me.
Can anybody throw any more light on the matter?
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Suicide and the self employed.
Anybody who is self employed is fighting a losing battle against the stinginess of "our "Banks ,the austerity programme and the ocean of over regulation and multiplicity of State quangos and Government Departments.which take up disproportionate time and impose impossible conditions on these unfortunate people.Every one of these is trying to outdo the other in its zealousness to achieve preset targets and only the odd decent public servant with a modicum of commonsense makes the existence of the self employed normally bearable.
The powers theses quangos have is frightening and small traders haven't got the resources nor expertise to play them on a level playing field.All it takes is one contrary person to shut down your business and traders live in a permanent state of fear.
Unless the Government immediately keeps its promise to whittle away all this bureaucracy there is absolutely no hope of the employment numbers creeping back up as many small businesses are on the verge of shutting in the short term.
For a start there a should be a rule brought in which would limit the number of agencies who could visit any trader to a maximum of two per year and no more.This should be administratively possible.
The suicide rate amongst men is horrendous.I guess it is under reported.For example how would you know whether a one vehicle accident was accidental or deliberate , whether a man drowned himself or fell into the river or whether an unwitnessed death by machinery was accidental or deliberate.
Now back to the suicide rate amongst the self employed.
Within five miles of Dunderry six men I know of ,and I wouldn't know all the suicides within this radius ,had one thing in common,that is they were self employed.
I don't know what drove these men to take their own lives but strongly suspect that one or other of the agencies above were actively pursuing them or interacting with them..
It would be interesting to find out if our State is driving these people over the edge.
It wouldn't be too hard to find out.If the political will is there each Government and State Department ,Quango and Bank should be required to detail their involvement with the deceased in the run up to the suicide.
Will it happen.Probably not because there is no real will to do something about it other than to wring hands when opportune.
The powers theses quangos have is frightening and small traders haven't got the resources nor expertise to play them on a level playing field.All it takes is one contrary person to shut down your business and traders live in a permanent state of fear.
Unless the Government immediately keeps its promise to whittle away all this bureaucracy there is absolutely no hope of the employment numbers creeping back up as many small businesses are on the verge of shutting in the short term.
For a start there a should be a rule brought in which would limit the number of agencies who could visit any trader to a maximum of two per year and no more.This should be administratively possible.
The suicide rate amongst men is horrendous.I guess it is under reported.For example how would you know whether a one vehicle accident was accidental or deliberate , whether a man drowned himself or fell into the river or whether an unwitnessed death by machinery was accidental or deliberate.
Now back to the suicide rate amongst the self employed.
Within five miles of Dunderry six men I know of ,and I wouldn't know all the suicides within this radius ,had one thing in common,that is they were self employed.
I don't know what drove these men to take their own lives but strongly suspect that one or other of the agencies above were actively pursuing them or interacting with them..
It would be interesting to find out if our State is driving these people over the edge.
It wouldn't be too hard to find out.If the political will is there each Government and State Department ,Quango and Bank should be required to detail their involvement with the deceased in the run up to the suicide.
Will it happen.Probably not because there is no real will to do something about it other than to wring hands when opportune.
Shorthall does not make Fear Breaga list,
I disagree vehemently with Roisin' Shorthall's proposal to bar advertising by Drink's Companies of sporting events ,partly on the grounds that it has the potential to reduce sport to the level of the Pub trade,which is now on its knees,but mainly on the basis that the far more serious and fatal problems caused to society by the massive trade in illegal drugs is of more immediate and urgent concern.
I repeat that nobody is being murdered nor assaulted for the price of a drink nor a fag but murders for drugs and the addictions caused by them are commonplace .
Having said this I can only admire the principled stand that this "Old Labour"lady has taken on the issues dear to her heart and the delay in reforming the Health services.Along with her colleagues Shane Nulty, Tommy Bruen and Willie Penroser ,she has the courage of her convictions and did the right thing by resigning.Like them she is not on my Fear Breaga list.
It is no surprise to me that her Leader ,who was part of the Workers Party /Democratic Left rump which morphed so successfully into Labour Party and have effectively taken it over ,has like his former comrade Kathleen Lynch.thrown her to the wolves and chosen to back James Reilly instead.
Think about it.How many of this rump have become either Ministers ,mini Ministers ,Programme Managers etc.since the merger and work out how disproportionate the number is compared to the Old Labour people.
They seem to be in complete control and that is no jiggery pokery.
I repeat that nobody is being murdered nor assaulted for the price of a drink nor a fag but murders for drugs and the addictions caused by them are commonplace .
Having said this I can only admire the principled stand that this "Old Labour"lady has taken on the issues dear to her heart and the delay in reforming the Health services.Along with her colleagues Shane Nulty, Tommy Bruen and Willie Penroser ,she has the courage of her convictions and did the right thing by resigning.Like them she is not on my Fear Breaga list.
It is no surprise to me that her Leader ,who was part of the Workers Party /Democratic Left rump which morphed so successfully into Labour Party and have effectively taken it over ,has like his former comrade Kathleen Lynch.thrown her to the wolves and chosen to back James Reilly instead.
Think about it.How many of this rump have become either Ministers ,mini Ministers ,Programme Managers etc.since the merger and work out how disproportionate the number is compared to the Old Labour people.
They seem to be in complete control and that is no jiggery pokery.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Dunderry Minor's odessy ends. Loundes continues.
With Dublin winning the minor All Ireland Football final today the exciting journey taken by the three Dunderry lads,Stephen,Paddy and Alan comes to an end.Stephen started,Paddy came on and Alan ,although number 17 didn't get the nod.A good Dunderry judge of football told me some time ago that this was an exceptional Dublin Team and although Meath pegged the lead back to a point early in the second half,after a foul on Kenneally,Dublin surged into a lead they were never to surrender. They are worthy winners and very very few players get to play for their County ,never mind to an All Ireland ,so our lads can hold their heads up high.I know these fellas well enough to know that they will not get swelled heads ,as some have opined.
Actually Dublin had a Meath man of impeccable breeding on their team.The man in question is Eric Loundes,son of Imelda Maguire of KIlmessan and John Loundes a true son of Dunboyne.They live in Mulhuddart ,just a stone's throw from the Meath/Dublin border and I have no doubt but had reasonable priced housing been available in Meath years ago that its Meath not Dublin he would be fielding with.
We lived in Mulhuddart when they settled there and if memory serves me right a Donegal man,Seamus Mc Anaw ,was a founding member and driving force in setting up Saint Peregrins GAA Club ,for which Eric and his brothers play and of which their father is Football Manager.Sean Stephens is my nephew and son of Teresa Maguire and a first cousin of Eric and played minor football for Meath in his day.
I'd say that thee is a little corner of Heaven ,where the hedge is being cut by Paddy Maguire ,their grandfather ,and where the linnets are singing in harmony and Paddy is saying"Be Janey .isn't it great all the same and we still have the minor Hurling Final Replay to look forward to."Isn't that right Mary "
Actually Dublin had a Meath man of impeccable breeding on their team.The man in question is Eric Loundes,son of Imelda Maguire of KIlmessan and John Loundes a true son of Dunboyne.They live in Mulhuddart ,just a stone's throw from the Meath/Dublin border and I have no doubt but had reasonable priced housing been available in Meath years ago that its Meath not Dublin he would be fielding with.
We lived in Mulhuddart when they settled there and if memory serves me right a Donegal man,Seamus Mc Anaw ,was a founding member and driving force in setting up Saint Peregrins GAA Club ,for which Eric and his brothers play and of which their father is Football Manager.Sean Stephens is my nephew and son of Teresa Maguire and a first cousin of Eric and played minor football for Meath in his day.
I'd say that thee is a little corner of Heaven ,where the hedge is being cut by Paddy Maguire ,their grandfather ,and where the linnets are singing in harmony and Paddy is saying"Be Janey .isn't it great all the same and we still have the minor Hurling Final Replay to look forward to."Isn't that right Mary "
Lynch lauding of Reilly a step too far.
To put things in perspective there was a claim that some years ago a mother of a very sick child was forced to hand over a ring from her finger as security because the doctor asked to treat her sick son didn't believe that he had a medical card ,which would entitle him to free medical attention.He worked for James Reilly's practice in North Dublin.He left some time afterwards.
Despite the media spin , as a Minister Reilly did attempt to cut back on carers time for the most severely handicapped people in the State to save money.This was only reversed when the very same people were forced to protest in all their obvious handicaps outside the Dail in the full glare of electronic and print media.Had they lain down passively like the rest of us there is little doubt that the cutbacks would have gone sneakily ahead as another knot on the whip of the austerity programme.
His fans were loud in praise of his achievements in cutting back the numbers in various in house hospital procedures and said so in the debate in the Dail on the no confidence motion .The flip side of this was revealed the day following the Dail debate when he reason why the in house figures improved became clear,that is because they virtually stopped taking in people to hospitals and over 340,000 out patients were waiting to be seen.Relative to the size of our population is this a Western European record. ?
In any event Kathleen Lynch was fulsome in her praise of her Boss the Minister.I have often wondered at the ability of the former Sinn Fein /Sinn Fein Workers Party/The Workers Party /Democratic Left/Labour members to change parties and colors so easily .As many faces as Big Ben some would say.They definitely have morphed from Dark Green to pink to Red.
After her support for the Fine Gael Minister I wonder if she will now morph chameleon like to Blue.She wouldn't be the first Labour minister to so do.
As a footnote I have no sympathy for Fianna Fail on these issues.As far as I am concerned their shameful neglect of Navan Hospital over their years in power ,when they failed for decades to supply clot busting medication there is despicable.Just how many deaths did this cause and just how many people wee left permanently disable as a result will never be known.
I m most firmly of the view that Fianna fail /Greens /Progressive Democrats put this country back forty years and since getting the reins of power this Fine Gael /Labour coalition have regressed us another 15 years.
Despite the media spin , as a Minister Reilly did attempt to cut back on carers time for the most severely handicapped people in the State to save money.This was only reversed when the very same people were forced to protest in all their obvious handicaps outside the Dail in the full glare of electronic and print media.Had they lain down passively like the rest of us there is little doubt that the cutbacks would have gone sneakily ahead as another knot on the whip of the austerity programme.
His fans were loud in praise of his achievements in cutting back the numbers in various in house hospital procedures and said so in the debate in the Dail on the no confidence motion .The flip side of this was revealed the day following the Dail debate when he reason why the in house figures improved became clear,that is because they virtually stopped taking in people to hospitals and over 340,000 out patients were waiting to be seen.Relative to the size of our population is this a Western European record. ?
In any event Kathleen Lynch was fulsome in her praise of her Boss the Minister.I have often wondered at the ability of the former Sinn Fein /Sinn Fein Workers Party/The Workers Party /Democratic Left/Labour members to change parties and colors so easily .As many faces as Big Ben some would say.They definitely have morphed from Dark Green to pink to Red.
After her support for the Fine Gael Minister I wonder if she will now morph chameleon like to Blue.She wouldn't be the first Labour minister to so do.
As a footnote I have no sympathy for Fianna Fail on these issues.As far as I am concerned their shameful neglect of Navan Hospital over their years in power ,when they failed for decades to supply clot busting medication there is despicable.Just how many deaths did this cause and just how many people wee left permanently disable as a result will never be known.
I m most firmly of the view that Fianna fail /Greens /Progressive Democrats put this country back forty years and since getting the reins of power this Fine Gael /Labour coalition have regressed us another 15 years.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Unbridled Joy
At 5.47 a.m.on Thursday last Liam Evan Stephens clocked in at 8 lb11 ounces.Mother Aoife is grand and Evan is fine also as is the new arrival.This completes the spine of a future football and hurling team.We have full and centre backs,two midfielders and centre and full forward.I am delighted.
The fact that there was a meteor shower around the time of his birth has been remarked on but we draw no special significance for the moment.
The fact that there was a meteor shower around the time of his birth has been remarked on but we draw no special significance for the moment.
Dividend for 22/9/2012
We had frost last night so we pick White Frost in the 5.15 at Ayr to break our losing streak.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Dunderry V Blackhall IHC 15/09/2012
Its Saturday evening and I head for the Showgrounds in Navan for the quarter final showdown between Blackhall and ourselves.Our Padraic, 5 years ,Evan's son comes with us with a complete set of gear,that is bag packed with boots ,knicks,socks boxers ,towel ,hurley and helmet.And ,which was never about in my day,deodorant for freshness afterwards.Isn't Evan's wife great all the same.Packing for husband and son.We have to persuade him to leave the gear in the car at the game as he won't be playing just yet.No problem.
The stile man on duty is at his highly civilised best and ensures a smooth entrance for me.Fair dues Dessie.The pitch is at its immaculate best and the weather is grand with a strong breeze blowing towards the clubhouse end.
The 4 .00 p.m. start caught me out somewhat and the game was on when I arrived.Against the wind we were level pegging at 3 points each.
Our quatrain of Flange,Junior,Mc Loughs and Frog lined them out as follows.
Doc
Sprog (Capt) Finn Red
Swiss Wright Ivo
Bomber O Shea
Martin Keith Geraghty
Gorey Baby Doc Spongy
Yes we do have monikers here but that does not make us Pikers as some Blackhall players taunted us.Not that we would mind fielding any Traveller eligible to play for us had we got them.I have heard this term of abuse used against Travellers ,but usually by certain low bred English bigots and not here before.Just goes to show that the spawn of the Tans thrives in some still.This sort of thing has no place in the game of the Gaels and the sooner it is culled from its supposed participants the better.And sad to relate similar abuse has spread to Camogie circles as I am aware that certain young players our Camogie sisters field were threatened at least once by the opposition before the ball was thrown in.Not good enough says I.
Well back to the game itself.
From the puck out after the levelling Blackhall point a series of line balls in our favour result with the ball eventually reaching Baby Doc who is blown up in possession,why I don't know.Some committed play from both sides ends with Blackhall taking a point from play.An inter passing move between O Shea and Ivo gets the ball to Martin who takes a fine point.
4 points apiece.
Finn breaks up a probing attack and delivers to o Shea who passes to Ivo ,whose long delivery breaks to Keith and he is blown up .The crowd are vociferous in their displeasure at the free for which no reason is apparent from the stand.The first of what will transpire to be many Blackhall breaks in play results when a gaggle of physios ,water boys and maors enter the field of play to treat a player who appears to be on death's door but miraculously recovers some minutes later.Blackhall land a long free in our goalmouth but we are awarded a free out.Square ball perhaps.Bomber catches our free and lets it into the forwards.Another free out to them.This clean but manly game is being riddled with frees.Blackhall play the tidier hurling and secure a point from play.Doc's puck out finds Geraghty ,who delivers to Martin who pulls the trigger but misses.Wide.Blackhall 10 gets a free ,not clear to me what for.Point.0-6 to 0-4 to Black hall. Spongy wins the ball and passes to Gorey who hits wide.Referee gives a free to Blackhall which they point and gives Bomber a yellow card.I am baffled.They miss. Blackhall water boy is on pitch again.These antics must distract players .Black hall attack is broken up by Sprog to Bomber to Ivo to Gorey to Baby Doc who splits the posts.
Ivo wins puck out and lets in low but it crosses the sideline.O Shea is fouled in possession and Ivo's free goes to Geraghty whose delivery is foiled by a fine block .Black hall earn a free which is an opportunity for another pitch invasion by a gaggle of Black hall physio ,water boys and selector.The dead arose eventually and in fine fettle played on.Free missed target and shortly afterward another more scorable one awarded ,which they pointed.They followed up with a wide from play.Keith catches the puck out and to Bob via Geraghty who is fouled.Happy days.Keith secures the point. 7 to 6 in their favour.Finn breaks up attack and clears under pressure.Blackhall regain possession and point from play.After some robust play Keith is clocked and gets a free.He needs attention .No free.We register a wide and half time whistle blows.
Early on Swiss and Wright changed positions and Spongy went to midfield.
We are two points down but have a strong wind to follow.We are in the hunt .
Minogue replaces Geraghty .Geraghty can consider himself unlucky.
Good defensive play by us force an overcarry by them but Keith misses the long distance free.Black hall hit wide under pressure from Sprog.Doc finds Minogue who hits wide.Gorey shoots wide. Martin takes a fine point from play.Keith atones and splits the posts..Minogue wins puck out with a long distance point following a foul on Bomber.Blackhall waterboy on pitch yet again.
Minogue wins puck out and transfers to Ivo to Martin who scores again.Another intrusion onto the pitch by a waterboy.
A clear Dunderry line ball is blatantly wrongly signalled the other way by three Blackhall officials and a linesman.The crowd howls its frustration.The ref,saw it and gives us the lineball.Successive frees concede by Gorey and d Ivo result in a further point to Blackhall.Wright is blown and they work a point from play.Spongy works ball to Baby.Wide.
Gallant defending forces Blackhall into another wide from play.Good interplay from Finn,Swiss Martin and Baby results in a Spongy point.A Blackhall player is on his back and Physio ,water boys and others invade the pitch.There is a long delay and the seemingly helpless player makes a miraculous recovery, trotting like a spring foal to his position.Mysteriously Martin gets a yellow.Nothing to do with the man on the ground.The crowd again howls in frustration.A scorable free is given against us and moved further in,about twenty yards I judge , but thankfully falls short.They work a point from play however.Another Blackhall player is down and on cue the gaggle of Blackhall officials et al. invade the pitch.When play eventually resumes and with the Blackhall player restored to full vigour ,Bomber secures possession and passes to Spongy who scores.Another unfathomable free is awarded against which Finn repulses twice at the cost of a lineball which they hit wide.Yet another mysterious free is awarded against us and yet again it is moved closer to goal .Everyone is baffled and Blackhall ride their luck and score.They could scarcely miss.Wright is replaced by Keenan.Keith fires over s free.12points each.O Shea off,Gilky on.Red is poled defending his lines but jumps straight up and Keenan hits the resultant free long and true into open ground ,where Spongy collects and is penalised for over carrying.It falls short and we get a free out.Only four minutes to go.Tension is palpable.Our long free lands in their 21 and they get another free out,After fierce defending ,particularly by Sprog and Swiss we concede a point.We are one down with two minutes normal to go.Gorey is fouled and Keith shows that Canning has a peer in Dunderry and levels.Announcement that a miserly three minutes extra time will be played.Seems inordinately short and is wrong.One break alone lasted that time.Blackhall score from play and Carty replaces Gorey.Gilky is fouled and Keith delivers yet again.Liam Dempsey replaces Baby Doc.
Time runs out.Draw game.Extra time.
Sprog wins the toss and elects to play against the wind.
Blackhall hit wide from throw in.And miss another scorable chance.We defend heroically and Blackhall spurn an open goal,Martin misses a scorable chance set up by the speedy Carty.Blackhall water boys on the pitch again.Blackhall full forward is grounded and this sparks another gaggle of Blackhall officials onto the field.The prone player miraculously jumps to life ,defying all the odds seemingly and is given a yellow card as is Finn.Spongy and Keenan slip and the ball rolls to Blackhall who score.They attack ,we repulse and they are awarded a seventy.n.Two Blackhall players lie down and five Black hall officials enter the field of play,This is joke.Eventually they convert the seventy.And refreshed score another from play.They are all over us.Martin scores from play having been set up by Keith.The excellent Carty is fouled and Keith delivers yet again.17 to 16 against us.Martin who was having the game of his life gets a second yellow and line.His opponent gets a yellow also.Most st undeserved and a thorn in Black halls side removed.Blackhall make it 18-16 and Baby Doc replaces Dempsey.Stays same after extra time.
A wild pull on the throw in gives us a scorable chance but ball falls short and as Spongy bends to pick it up he is shouldered in the back resulting in a free to them.I have never seen the like.Fin fields the free is fouled in turn and Blackhall introduce another sub.Finn then takes the free,which we secure and score .18 to 17 now.As is usual when we get up steam another Blackhall man is down,The usual multi peopled invasion happens and the player hops up the finest after a while.The umpire is consulted.They temporarily return to the sideline but the warterboy returns to the field without water,Play resumes and they get a free ,which Davy intercepts and is fouled.Ive scores from an impossible distance.There is hope.Under pressure Blackhall shoot wide from play.Another Blackhall man is down and five more Blackhall officials are on the pitch holding play up yet again.As per usual the apparently mortally wounded player resumes after a considerable time with no obvious impairment.Ball is worked to Baby who shoots wide.A tense period of ding dong play ensues and we score from play.WE concede a seventy ,which they shoot short and a free which they convert.19-19 with a conservative extra three minutes to go.All or nothing now.Desperation stakes.We shoot short to goalie and Bomber kicks wide.The Blackhall physio runs on to the pitch again but has to retreat as no one is down.WE are awarded a scorable free and two Blackhall players drop like slaughtered cattle ..where the free is.Now the physio is in sync with the action and re enters the field.Keith delivers yet again.Great stuff.
Another miraculous double recovery and play resumes we hold out.And the spirit of the game triumphs.Thanks be to God.
The referee was young and I would guess never hurled .It was impossible to guess when he would blow or who might get the free.This was for both sides but had we lost I might have had less charitable thoughts.He can only improve.
The continuous breakages in play caused by the incessant falling of Black hall players to the ground ,if orchestrated ,was an abuse of the rules.Not one apparently injured player failed to miraculously recover as far as I could see and some of the Blackhall officials spent as long on the field as some of thee players.They had ten substitutes and if so many of their players were in such delicate physical condition as to need constant physio attention its a wonder they didn't give the subs a chance.
Goalie and full backs are thriving and while Wright didn't reach the heights of our draw with Rathmoylan he is a good player .He will improve more and most importantly helped me calve a cow later that evening.Swiss is flying and Bomber is manning up nicely.O Shea had an off day by his standards due no doubt to his successful studies.Martin excelled,Keith is priceless and Geraghty did all that was expected from him,Davy Mac is at the height of his game and fulfills all high expectations we have of him,The full forward line did all they could but there is room for improvement there.Minogue,Carty and Gilkinson did well when introduced and Dempsey and Keenan contributed also.
The boys on the line made the right calls.
All in all we were lucky to win but Blackhall have only themselves to blame for losing.Ironically the continuous breaks in play may have done themselves more harm than good.
The stile man on duty is at his highly civilised best and ensures a smooth entrance for me.Fair dues Dessie.The pitch is at its immaculate best and the weather is grand with a strong breeze blowing towards the clubhouse end.
The 4 .00 p.m. start caught me out somewhat and the game was on when I arrived.Against the wind we were level pegging at 3 points each.
Our quatrain of Flange,Junior,Mc Loughs and Frog lined them out as follows.
Doc
Sprog (Capt) Finn Red
Swiss Wright Ivo
Bomber O Shea
Martin Keith Geraghty
Gorey Baby Doc Spongy
Yes we do have monikers here but that does not make us Pikers as some Blackhall players taunted us.Not that we would mind fielding any Traveller eligible to play for us had we got them.I have heard this term of abuse used against Travellers ,but usually by certain low bred English bigots and not here before.Just goes to show that the spawn of the Tans thrives in some still.This sort of thing has no place in the game of the Gaels and the sooner it is culled from its supposed participants the better.And sad to relate similar abuse has spread to Camogie circles as I am aware that certain young players our Camogie sisters field were threatened at least once by the opposition before the ball was thrown in.Not good enough says I.
Well back to the game itself.
From the puck out after the levelling Blackhall point a series of line balls in our favour result with the ball eventually reaching Baby Doc who is blown up in possession,why I don't know.Some committed play from both sides ends with Blackhall taking a point from play.An inter passing move between O Shea and Ivo gets the ball to Martin who takes a fine point.
4 points apiece.
Finn breaks up a probing attack and delivers to o Shea who passes to Ivo ,whose long delivery breaks to Keith and he is blown up .The crowd are vociferous in their displeasure at the free for which no reason is apparent from the stand.The first of what will transpire to be many Blackhall breaks in play results when a gaggle of physios ,water boys and maors enter the field of play to treat a player who appears to be on death's door but miraculously recovers some minutes later.Blackhall land a long free in our goalmouth but we are awarded a free out.Square ball perhaps.Bomber catches our free and lets it into the forwards.Another free out to them.This clean but manly game is being riddled with frees.Blackhall play the tidier hurling and secure a point from play.Doc's puck out finds Geraghty ,who delivers to Martin who pulls the trigger but misses.Wide.Blackhall 10 gets a free ,not clear to me what for.Point.0-6 to 0-4 to Black hall. Spongy wins the ball and passes to Gorey who hits wide.Referee gives a free to Blackhall which they point and gives Bomber a yellow card.I am baffled.They miss. Blackhall water boy is on pitch again.These antics must distract players .Black hall attack is broken up by Sprog to Bomber to Ivo to Gorey to Baby Doc who splits the posts.
Ivo wins puck out and lets in low but it crosses the sideline.O Shea is fouled in possession and Ivo's free goes to Geraghty whose delivery is foiled by a fine block .Black hall earn a free which is an opportunity for another pitch invasion by a gaggle of Black hall physio ,water boys and selector.The dead arose eventually and in fine fettle played on.Free missed target and shortly afterward another more scorable one awarded ,which they pointed.They followed up with a wide from play.Keith catches the puck out and to Bob via Geraghty who is fouled.Happy days.Keith secures the point. 7 to 6 in their favour.Finn breaks up attack and clears under pressure.Blackhall regain possession and point from play.After some robust play Keith is clocked and gets a free.He needs attention .No free.We register a wide and half time whistle blows.
Early on Swiss and Wright changed positions and Spongy went to midfield.
We are two points down but have a strong wind to follow.We are in the hunt .
Minogue replaces Geraghty .Geraghty can consider himself unlucky.
Good defensive play by us force an overcarry by them but Keith misses the long distance free.Black hall hit wide under pressure from Sprog.Doc finds Minogue who hits wide.Gorey shoots wide. Martin takes a fine point from play.Keith atones and splits the posts..Minogue wins puck out with a long distance point following a foul on Bomber.Blackhall waterboy on pitch yet again.
Minogue wins puck out and transfers to Ivo to Martin who scores again.Another intrusion onto the pitch by a waterboy.
A clear Dunderry line ball is blatantly wrongly signalled the other way by three Blackhall officials and a linesman.The crowd howls its frustration.The ref,saw it and gives us the lineball.Successive frees concede by Gorey and d Ivo result in a further point to Blackhall.Wright is blown and they work a point from play.Spongy works ball to Baby.Wide.
Gallant defending forces Blackhall into another wide from play.Good interplay from Finn,Swiss Martin and Baby results in a Spongy point.A Blackhall player is on his back and Physio ,water boys and others invade the pitch.There is a long delay and the seemingly helpless player makes a miraculous recovery, trotting like a spring foal to his position.Mysteriously Martin gets a yellow.Nothing to do with the man on the ground.The crowd again howls in frustration.A scorable free is given against us and moved further in,about twenty yards I judge , but thankfully falls short.They work a point from play however.Another Blackhall player is down and on cue the gaggle of Blackhall officials et al. invade the pitch.When play eventually resumes and with the Blackhall player restored to full vigour ,Bomber secures possession and passes to Spongy who scores.Another unfathomable free is awarded against which Finn repulses twice at the cost of a lineball which they hit wide.Yet another mysterious free is awarded against us and yet again it is moved closer to goal .Everyone is baffled and Blackhall ride their luck and score.They could scarcely miss.Wright is replaced by Keenan.Keith fires over s free.12points each.O Shea off,Gilky on.Red is poled defending his lines but jumps straight up and Keenan hits the resultant free long and true into open ground ,where Spongy collects and is penalised for over carrying.It falls short and we get a free out.Only four minutes to go.Tension is palpable.Our long free lands in their 21 and they get another free out,After fierce defending ,particularly by Sprog and Swiss we concede a point.We are one down with two minutes normal to go.Gorey is fouled and Keith shows that Canning has a peer in Dunderry and levels.Announcement that a miserly three minutes extra time will be played.Seems inordinately short and is wrong.One break alone lasted that time.Blackhall score from play and Carty replaces Gorey.Gilky is fouled and Keith delivers yet again.Liam Dempsey replaces Baby Doc.
Time runs out.Draw game.Extra time.
Sprog wins the toss and elects to play against the wind.
Blackhall hit wide from throw in.And miss another scorable chance.We defend heroically and Blackhall spurn an open goal,Martin misses a scorable chance set up by the speedy Carty.Blackhall water boys on the pitch again.Blackhall full forward is grounded and this sparks another gaggle of Blackhall officials onto the field.The prone player miraculously jumps to life ,defying all the odds seemingly and is given a yellow card as is Finn.Spongy and Keenan slip and the ball rolls to Blackhall who score.They attack ,we repulse and they are awarded a seventy.n.Two Blackhall players lie down and five Black hall officials enter the field of play,This is joke.Eventually they convert the seventy.And refreshed score another from play.They are all over us.Martin scores from play having been set up by Keith.The excellent Carty is fouled and Keith delivers yet again.17 to 16 against us.Martin who was having the game of his life gets a second yellow and line.His opponent gets a yellow also.Most st undeserved and a thorn in Black halls side removed.Blackhall make it 18-16 and Baby Doc replaces Dempsey.Stays same after extra time.
A wild pull on the throw in gives us a scorable chance but ball falls short and as Spongy bends to pick it up he is shouldered in the back resulting in a free to them.I have never seen the like.Fin fields the free is fouled in turn and Blackhall introduce another sub.Finn then takes the free,which we secure and score .18 to 17 now.As is usual when we get up steam another Blackhall man is down,The usual multi peopled invasion happens and the player hops up the finest after a while.The umpire is consulted.They temporarily return to the sideline but the warterboy returns to the field without water,Play resumes and they get a free ,which Davy intercepts and is fouled.Ive scores from an impossible distance.There is hope.Under pressure Blackhall shoot wide from play.Another Blackhall man is down and five more Blackhall officials are on the pitch holding play up yet again.As per usual the apparently mortally wounded player resumes after a considerable time with no obvious impairment.Ball is worked to Baby who shoots wide.A tense period of ding dong play ensues and we score from play.WE concede a seventy ,which they shoot short and a free which they convert.19-19 with a conservative extra three minutes to go.All or nothing now.Desperation stakes.We shoot short to goalie and Bomber kicks wide.The Blackhall physio runs on to the pitch again but has to retreat as no one is down.WE are awarded a scorable free and two Blackhall players drop like slaughtered cattle ..where the free is.Now the physio is in sync with the action and re enters the field.Keith delivers yet again.Great stuff.
Another miraculous double recovery and play resumes we hold out.And the spirit of the game triumphs.Thanks be to God.
The referee was young and I would guess never hurled .It was impossible to guess when he would blow or who might get the free.This was for both sides but had we lost I might have had less charitable thoughts.He can only improve.
The continuous breakages in play caused by the incessant falling of Black hall players to the ground ,if orchestrated ,was an abuse of the rules.Not one apparently injured player failed to miraculously recover as far as I could see and some of the Blackhall officials spent as long on the field as some of thee players.They had ten substitutes and if so many of their players were in such delicate physical condition as to need constant physio attention its a wonder they didn't give the subs a chance.
Goalie and full backs are thriving and while Wright didn't reach the heights of our draw with Rathmoylan he is a good player .He will improve more and most importantly helped me calve a cow later that evening.Swiss is flying and Bomber is manning up nicely.O Shea had an off day by his standards due no doubt to his successful studies.Martin excelled,Keith is priceless and Geraghty did all that was expected from him,Davy Mac is at the height of his game and fulfills all high expectations we have of him,The full forward line did all they could but there is room for improvement there.Minogue,Carty and Gilkinson did well when introduced and Dempsey and Keenan contributed also.
The boys on the line made the right calls.
All in all we were lucky to win but Blackhall have only themselves to blame for losing.Ironically the continuous breaks in play may have done themselves more harm than good.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
HSE drug warning compelling proof of my views on prohibitionists.
The recent warning of the dangers of a brown powder mix containing various drugs and the apparent fatal consequences of its ingestion lends considerable support to the views expressed by me in my recent article on the proposal to ban sponsorship by drinks companies.
A deceased friend of mine remarked some years ago that a pub we strayed into that had a funereal atmosphere "would be a great place to bring your mother in law to coming from a funeral",.
An entirely predictable consequence of making pubs places a substantial minority of people do not find appealing and of effectively emptying them by the introduction of draconian laws ,is to drive people to house parties where a everything goes.
Were the governance of pubs and drink driving laws relaxed to reasonable levels people would party there under some decent level of supervision and perhaps the deaths recently experienced might not have happened.
A deceased friend of mine remarked some years ago that a pub we strayed into that had a funereal atmosphere "would be a great place to bring your mother in law to coming from a funeral",.
An entirely predictable consequence of making pubs places a substantial minority of people do not find appealing and of effectively emptying them by the introduction of draconian laws ,is to drive people to house parties where a everything goes.
Were the governance of pubs and drink driving laws relaxed to reasonable levels people would party there under some decent level of supervision and perhaps the deaths recently experienced might not have happened.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Political establishment attacks pay packets of workers.
Tonight the Finance Minister casually mentioned that the tax attacking the ownership of residences which his political masters have instructed him and the other political kapos to impose on the populace will be deducted from your wage packet ,before you get your wages,And if you don't get wages but get for example a farm payment for producing cheap food it will be deducted from that payment by the process of attachment.
Not one politician nor trade union objected to the legislation introducing this sleight of hand when the legislation was passed by the Oireachtas.SO we can assume that all of them are in favour of further impoverishing ordinary decent working people.
At times like this I am in awe of the foresight and principles of those genuine Labour members who resigned on principle from the Party when the jigger pokers of the Sinn Fein/Sinn Fein the Workers Party/Workers Party/Democratic Left morphed into and took over the Labour Party.
Neither the Labour Party nor the Unions have the remotest concern for working people nor their pay packets and poor auld James Connolly must be revolving in his grave looking at the betrayal of the party he founded by his so called successors.
Remember that precisely the same collection machinery will be used for the household charge,the septic tank charge and the water charges and whatever other chicanery they dream up to torture us with.
If you know any ex Labour Party members who left over this betrayal go up to them,say sorry sir/madam for buying into the spin of the jigger pokers and shake their hands.
AS for Fine Gael.Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein,aren't you now real glad you voted for them.Look what they helped to foist on ye.
A further step in the continuing re subjugation of the Irish.
Not one politician nor trade union objected to the legislation introducing this sleight of hand when the legislation was passed by the Oireachtas.SO we can assume that all of them are in favour of further impoverishing ordinary decent working people.
At times like this I am in awe of the foresight and principles of those genuine Labour members who resigned on principle from the Party when the jigger pokers of the Sinn Fein/Sinn Fein the Workers Party/Workers Party/Democratic Left morphed into and took over the Labour Party.
Neither the Labour Party nor the Unions have the remotest concern for working people nor their pay packets and poor auld James Connolly must be revolving in his grave looking at the betrayal of the party he founded by his so called successors.
Remember that precisely the same collection machinery will be used for the household charge,the septic tank charge and the water charges and whatever other chicanery they dream up to torture us with.
If you know any ex Labour Party members who left over this betrayal go up to them,say sorry sir/madam for buying into the spin of the jigger pokers and shake their hands.
AS for Fine Gael.Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein,aren't you now real glad you voted for them.Look what they helped to foist on ye.
A further step in the continuing re subjugation of the Irish.
DUNDERRY V BOARDSMILL J.F.B.C. 6/9/2012
This match was played under lights in O Mahoney's side pitch in Navan.It must be one of the finest pitches in Ireland and the hurling wall beside it is something else.The Navan men manning the gate are among the most civil in the county,fair dues to them.Our own Phil Fay Junior is coaching the underage girls in football .His own daughter plays there.They tell me that the variety and excellence of his drills is something to behold.Our loss is Navan's gain.Maybe he would come to take over the Intermediate football in Dunderry next year.He might be THE MAN.
Ned Howley is coaching underage there as well.Another gain to Navan and loss to us.Maybe he would add to our coaching efforts here also.He is a good man.
With our Inter Football Team gone out of the Championship there was good support for the team ,including Club Director of Coaching Sean Kelly ,who was keeping absolutely schtum on his position vis a vis the Meath job.My own view is that if he is ever going to take it ,now is the time.Assuming the County Board wants him that is.
Bligh ,Hickey and Keaveney selected the following team.
James Mitchell
Kenny Fay Kevin Slattery Owen Dempsey
Davy Stephens Gary Newman J.P.Kenneally
Conor Farrell Liam Dempsey
Thomas Doherty Paul Bartley Alan Watters
Jordan Martin Trevor Conaty Paul Govern.
Sub used .Killian Minogue,Davy Gilkinson ,Paddy Gorey. Chris Fitzgerald
We hoped that this team would continue to entertain and surprise as they have done for the year to date and we opened with a miracle point from distance by Martin.Despite being marginally outplayed for the rest of the half we were unlucky to go in four points down at half time.
Rocked by the concession of a soft goal our spirits sagged and the writing looked to be on the wall. Luckily the players didn't share this view and commenced a spirited fightback making a compelling ding dong battle of it and hauling back a five point lead to two with minutes to go.
We had our chances to draw level but careless and lazy passing gave away hard earned possession on a number of occasions and must have broke the hearts of those players who put it on the line for the year ,not to mention the management team who also gave their all.
The concession of a penalty at the stroke of full time put the hat on it and we were beat by 2-12 to 2-7.
Goalkeeper backs and midfield were adequate and gave all they had.Slattery's experience stood him in good stead.Fay's speed and guts were somewhat diminished by the concession of frees but he remains pound for pound one of the classiest players in the Club.Dempsey was caught for pace a few times ,Stephens continued his good form despite the deployment of the Mill full forward to blunten his effectiveness,Newman was efficient and Kenneally had a good outing ,some stray passes excepted.
Farrell was the better of the midfielders with Dempsey'lack of participation on the training field glimpsing through at times, one miracle long distance foot pass excepted.He has vision however but needs to up his fitness level to enable execution of his potential.
Despite glimpses of potential the forwards ,with the honourable exception of Bartley ,who ran till his legs gave way.cannot have been satisfied with their contributions.Bugle is an example to all who aspire to realise football potential.
I am not going to belittle them but they must know that effort must be matched by some element of carefulness when in possession.Carelessness in passing is not acceptable in any circumstances and the simple pass has no trump when all is said and done.
All in all this voyage was an interesting one and I was sad to see it come to an end.I wish the Mill all the best in the competition and would concede that they were the better team on the night.
As one whose football days are but a memory every single body who played for us on the night can up their games in the future and owe it to themselves to do so.
This should be their aim from this moment forth.Time stands still for no man and before ye know it the clock will have consigned ye to the sidelines of sporting life.
Make the best of it while time is on your side.
Ned Howley is coaching underage there as well.Another gain to Navan and loss to us.Maybe he would add to our coaching efforts here also.He is a good man.
With our Inter Football Team gone out of the Championship there was good support for the team ,including Club Director of Coaching Sean Kelly ,who was keeping absolutely schtum on his position vis a vis the Meath job.My own view is that if he is ever going to take it ,now is the time.Assuming the County Board wants him that is.
Bligh ,Hickey and Keaveney selected the following team.
James Mitchell
Kenny Fay Kevin Slattery Owen Dempsey
Davy Stephens Gary Newman J.P.Kenneally
Conor Farrell Liam Dempsey
Thomas Doherty Paul Bartley Alan Watters
Jordan Martin Trevor Conaty Paul Govern.
Sub used .Killian Minogue,Davy Gilkinson ,Paddy Gorey. Chris Fitzgerald
We hoped that this team would continue to entertain and surprise as they have done for the year to date and we opened with a miracle point from distance by Martin.Despite being marginally outplayed for the rest of the half we were unlucky to go in four points down at half time.
Rocked by the concession of a soft goal our spirits sagged and the writing looked to be on the wall. Luckily the players didn't share this view and commenced a spirited fightback making a compelling ding dong battle of it and hauling back a five point lead to two with minutes to go.
We had our chances to draw level but careless and lazy passing gave away hard earned possession on a number of occasions and must have broke the hearts of those players who put it on the line for the year ,not to mention the management team who also gave their all.
The concession of a penalty at the stroke of full time put the hat on it and we were beat by 2-12 to 2-7.
Goalkeeper backs and midfield were adequate and gave all they had.Slattery's experience stood him in good stead.Fay's speed and guts were somewhat diminished by the concession of frees but he remains pound for pound one of the classiest players in the Club.Dempsey was caught for pace a few times ,Stephens continued his good form despite the deployment of the Mill full forward to blunten his effectiveness,Newman was efficient and Kenneally had a good outing ,some stray passes excepted.
Farrell was the better of the midfielders with Dempsey'lack of participation on the training field glimpsing through at times, one miracle long distance foot pass excepted.He has vision however but needs to up his fitness level to enable execution of his potential.
Despite glimpses of potential the forwards ,with the honourable exception of Bartley ,who ran till his legs gave way.cannot have been satisfied with their contributions.Bugle is an example to all who aspire to realise football potential.
I am not going to belittle them but they must know that effort must be matched by some element of carefulness when in possession.Carelessness in passing is not acceptable in any circumstances and the simple pass has no trump when all is said and done.
All in all this voyage was an interesting one and I was sad to see it come to an end.I wish the Mill all the best in the competition and would concede that they were the better team on the night.
As one whose football days are but a memory every single body who played for us on the night can up their games in the future and owe it to themselves to do so.
This should be their aim from this moment forth.Time stands still for no man and before ye know it the clock will have consigned ye to the sidelines of sporting life.
Make the best of it while time is on your side.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Dunderry Football winds down for year.
On Thursday last the Junior B's were beaten by Boardsmill,bringing to an end the interest of this team in the competition.Report is cooking.
Clanna Gael have withdrawn from the I.F.C.so we get a walkover tonight in the fixture.
Sin sin.Where will our football addicts get their weekly fix now.
Not a great year,compounded by Billy Bligh stepping down as manager.
Only the hurlers left now.
Clanna Gael have withdrawn from the I.F.C.so we get a walkover tonight in the fixture.
Sin sin.Where will our football addicts get their weekly fix now.
Not a great year,compounded by Billy Bligh stepping down as manager.
Only the hurlers left now.
Dividend for 8/09/2012
After some frustration with last week's tip Richard Hannon's Strong Suit is fancied to prove himself a top sprinter on the quickening ground at Haydock in the 3.25.He is worth a fiver win we judge.Should be decent odds and the tipster is strong on this one.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Mainstream media bias in U.S.presidential election.
I have more than a passing interest in the U.S. presidential Elections.This is because 7 out of 10 of my maternal grandfather's siblings emigrated there between 1890 and 1920 and they have families over there.In addition many people I know of more recent vintage have been forced there by economic mismanagement in this country.I am well aware that many millions emigrated there during and after the famine years ,when the alternative was death by starvation in a country governed by an Empire on which the sun never set.America was good to us and I suppose we were good for America.
Many families here were kept going by emigrant remittances.
I have a curiosity about what happens there and I rely to a great extent for information on the Irish media both electronic and papers.I must say however that it seems to me that all the reporters are unashamedly biased towards the Democratic party In their coverage of the issues and the candidates .They put across the Republican side as gob shites and backwoodsmen and never cease to sneer at them.
This may be because the of the liberal convictions of the same reporters in matters of gay marriage,feminism ,anti unborn life,secularism and religious bigotry.
In order for us to form informed opinions on the Election a lot more balanced and objective reporting is needed.It surprises me that the reporting imbalance is not taken up by republican and fair minded Americans before now.
Many families here were kept going by emigrant remittances.
I have a curiosity about what happens there and I rely to a great extent for information on the Irish media both electronic and papers.I must say however that it seems to me that all the reporters are unashamedly biased towards the Democratic party In their coverage of the issues and the candidates .They put across the Republican side as gob shites and backwoodsmen and never cease to sneer at them.
This may be because the of the liberal convictions of the same reporters in matters of gay marriage,feminism ,anti unborn life,secularism and religious bigotry.
In order for us to form informed opinions on the Election a lot more balanced and objective reporting is needed.It surprises me that the reporting imbalance is not taken up by republican and fair minded Americans before now.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Proposal to bar drinks advertising in sport absurd.
The Prohibitionists that dominate all the main political parties have learned little from history.It is widely acknowledged that the failed American experiment with Prohibition did little but create and consolidate a well resourced criminal fraternity that persists to this day.
Already I would guess that the exorbitant prices charged for Motor fuel and cigarettes is creating a new smuggling elite as we speak.
Speaking plainly the most socially destructive social scourge in this country is that of heroin.Addicts must have their fixes daily and do rob their own mothers and anyone else they can to get the price of their next fix.Other drugs are nearly as addictive.If there are 30,000 such addicts robbing for their fixes each day and indeed twice a day you don't have to be a genius to work out the number of robberies resulting..Given that the stolen goods are fenced at way below their actual value the stolen property must be worth millions of Euro each day.
I have never heard of a person mugging another for the price of fags nor drink,but I have often come across people mugged or threatened for the price of a fix.
Yet the Authorities devote far more resources in fighting the legal pastimes of smoking and drinking than in the other more destructive areas of addiction.
For over 30% of the population having a drink and a smoke concurrently are a pleasurable past time.Michael Martin initiated a Taliban like Prohibition on smoking in Public Houses that signalled the death knell of the Public House in Ireland. All parties contributed to this and had no problem bullying thirty percent of the population.
There were three public houses in this Parish.Now there are two.A blind man could see that the trade of the remaining Pubs is way down on what it was.It is the same all over the country.
Between the smoking ban and the over zealous drink driving laws single and elderly people in rural Ireland have been turned into depressed recluses .
A more insidious by product of this is that house parties are on the increase.There is no knowing what goes on at these.At least in the pub there was some check on behaviour.I have little doubt but that there are those in the Prohibitionists Taliban that would only be too glad to patrol the private homes of everybody to impose their will.a la the Stasis.
The politicians that made a basket case of the country are proposing an increase in the price of drink and the banning of advertising by drinks companies to penalise all drinkers and sports fans.These are the same politicians that swore blind that all the proceeds of the National Lottery would be filtered back exclusively for sports and recreational needs.Yeah right,
By far the most social destruction in the Country was caused by the behaviour of the banks and the regulators etc.Think emigration,suicide depression, premature death,mental and actual illness,hunger ,and unending stress.
These institutions have given nothing only unremitting miseryA few pints or glasses of wine will give some little relief.
Leave the drinks companies and the millions of imbibers alone and ban advertising by the banks.
And don't fuck up the sporting organisations in the country the way ye did the entire country by sticking your unwanted oar in.
Rather run the health services in a way that doesn't involve depriving the old ,the disabled and the feeble of mind of essential services and stop killing them with neglect.
Already I would guess that the exorbitant prices charged for Motor fuel and cigarettes is creating a new smuggling elite as we speak.
Speaking plainly the most socially destructive social scourge in this country is that of heroin.Addicts must have their fixes daily and do rob their own mothers and anyone else they can to get the price of their next fix.Other drugs are nearly as addictive.If there are 30,000 such addicts robbing for their fixes each day and indeed twice a day you don't have to be a genius to work out the number of robberies resulting..Given that the stolen goods are fenced at way below their actual value the stolen property must be worth millions of Euro each day.
I have never heard of a person mugging another for the price of fags nor drink,but I have often come across people mugged or threatened for the price of a fix.
Yet the Authorities devote far more resources in fighting the legal pastimes of smoking and drinking than in the other more destructive areas of addiction.
For over 30% of the population having a drink and a smoke concurrently are a pleasurable past time.Michael Martin initiated a Taliban like Prohibition on smoking in Public Houses that signalled the death knell of the Public House in Ireland. All parties contributed to this and had no problem bullying thirty percent of the population.
There were three public houses in this Parish.Now there are two.A blind man could see that the trade of the remaining Pubs is way down on what it was.It is the same all over the country.
Between the smoking ban and the over zealous drink driving laws single and elderly people in rural Ireland have been turned into depressed recluses .
A more insidious by product of this is that house parties are on the increase.There is no knowing what goes on at these.At least in the pub there was some check on behaviour.I have little doubt but that there are those in the Prohibitionists Taliban that would only be too glad to patrol the private homes of everybody to impose their will.a la the Stasis.
The politicians that made a basket case of the country are proposing an increase in the price of drink and the banning of advertising by drinks companies to penalise all drinkers and sports fans.These are the same politicians that swore blind that all the proceeds of the National Lottery would be filtered back exclusively for sports and recreational needs.Yeah right,
By far the most social destruction in the Country was caused by the behaviour of the banks and the regulators etc.Think emigration,suicide depression, premature death,mental and actual illness,hunger ,and unending stress.
These institutions have given nothing only unremitting miseryA few pints or glasses of wine will give some little relief.
Leave the drinks companies and the millions of imbibers alone and ban advertising by the banks.
And don't fuck up the sporting organisations in the country the way ye did the entire country by sticking your unwanted oar in.
Rather run the health services in a way that doesn't involve depriving the old ,the disabled and the feeble of mind of essential services and stop killing them with neglect.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Dunderry I.F.C hopes run out of road.
With St.Michaels beating Syddan well this weekend our hopes of progress in the I.F.C.is over.Kaput.Its been a long year and a hard one on players and management.My heart goes out to them.This is the first time in a while that we failed to qualify.
I personally refuse to believe that there is not an I.F.C. in this group of players.The long serving ones have been in many playoffs ,always the bridesmaid but never the bride.Must be sickening.
The management should know that they are in good compny in failing to win outright.Even Tommy Dowd and Barry Callaghan ,multiple all Ireland winners both,couldn't bring home the laurels as managers .
Nevertheless I firmly believe that a Messiah is out there that can deliver. If not two.I have my own dream team.
One thing the club must do is to try and advance all teams at juvenile level up to grade one in all competitions within a maximum of three years.
We have one match to play in the I.F.C. against our near neighbours Clanna Gael.Like ourselves they ae playing for pride only at this stage.I will be attending the match this Saturday.
The burden of bringing home the football laurels rests on the shoulders of the Junior B team under Manager Billy Bligh and selectors Kevin Keaveney,Derek Hichey and Mickey Casey.
They play Boardsmill this Thursday in the quarter final in Navan.
Beidh me ann le cuineamh De.
I personally refuse to believe that there is not an I.F.C. in this group of players.The long serving ones have been in many playoffs ,always the bridesmaid but never the bride.Must be sickening.
The management should know that they are in good compny in failing to win outright.Even Tommy Dowd and Barry Callaghan ,multiple all Ireland winners both,couldn't bring home the laurels as managers .
Nevertheless I firmly believe that a Messiah is out there that can deliver. If not two.I have my own dream team.
One thing the club must do is to try and advance all teams at juvenile level up to grade one in all competitions within a maximum of three years.
We have one match to play in the I.F.C. against our near neighbours Clanna Gael.Like ourselves they ae playing for pride only at this stage.I will be attending the match this Saturday.
The burden of bringing home the football laurels rests on the shoulders of the Junior B team under Manager Billy Bligh and selectors Kevin Keaveney,Derek Hichey and Mickey Casey.
They play Boardsmill this Thursday in the quarter final in Navan.
Beidh me ann le cuineamh De.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Dividend for 01/09/2012
Tommy Stack and Wayne Lorton are in cracking form and their winning streak can continue with Mister Aviation in the 3.20 in KiIllarney.Should be about 3/1.The tipster is on a roll and it would be a foolish man who would go against him.After collecting E.82.00 last week I for win will chance a fiver win.Feck the expense.