What a week.
I was at the joyful wedding of our own Garret Dooley to Elaine Murphy from Blanchardstown .The marriage took place in St.Brigid's Church in Blanch where I served Mass for many years and of which I have such happy memories ,having been treated like a king by the then clergy involved .
I know Elaine's father this while back but not that well I wrongly thought.Because at the reception in Cabra Castle afterwards a man presented himself to me and shook the hand off me."Bet you don't know who I am " said he in the best of Blanch accents."I don't " said I ."well I am Mick Mulvaney from Godamendy " said he "and you used look after me playing juvenile many years ago "."Jasus I have ya now,its many many moons since I met you "."It is " said he "35 years.".
He had emigrated to New York then and has lived there since.And we chewed the cud.He is the bride's uncle on the mother's side and was home for the wedding.His accent was pure Blanch .Unlike the gob shites from my youth who used go to Butlins for a fortnight and come home with a Northern accent because there used be a big North of Ireland clientele there on holidays too.
A pure gentleman.
And Derek Williamson is married to the sister of the bride's mother. .Derek too is a gentleman and I still have the photograph of me being carried from O Toole Park in 1980 when I captained St.Brigids to their second ever I.F.C.Final victory and Derek was one of those hoisting me from the pitch.( I was a lot lighter then .)He was there too with his wife and we spoke of old times too.
Now I have the breed of Elaine .Sound as a pound.
She is a physio and has that lean and hungry look the mark of that profession.She and all her family are true Blues and adore the Dubs.She played with distinction with Brigids and Dublin for many years at ladies football and is one nice woman.Garret adores her and said so repeatedly at the wedding.I wouldn't blame him.She is a dinger.
Garrets brother Niall was home from England for the wedding as were his sisters Lisa and Evonne home from Australia.Garret was educated at third level in England and Scotland and won an All Ireland Club with James Mitchells while living in Liverpool where he also met his wife.A fair double.
Three of the Dooley siblings are living abroad and three at home ( Garret ,Emma and Tommy )which says it all for the masters of the universe who have destroyed this country and brought it to its knees.
The Dooleys are bursting with brains and have pushed themselves by the dint of hard work and sweat to where they are today.Garret is a chemist and Niall they say is actually a rocket scientist.
A rumour circulated at the wedding that he was involved in the search for the missing plane in the Indian Ocean.
Niall I remember well from his limited hurling career when his gigantic glasses and frail physique didn't prevent from feats of the utmost bravery and fearless tackling of much bigger opposition ,This was when I was able to snatch him from his part time job of gathering glasses and pulling pints in Geraghty's for a few bob.
All the Dooleys are decent people and the progeny of the latest union will be well bred at least.Dubs or Meath .This is the question.
Dunderry and Brigids were well represented at the reception and the meal was out of this world.I kid you not.The band was brilliant,the speeches grand ,the company brilliant and the craic mighty.
Herbie and Mona Hughes joined up with us and I thoroughly enjoyed their company as always.Herbie is 80 years young .a real native of Blanch for generations back,having been reared in Ballycoolin where his father and mother reared 7 kids on a 5 acre market garden allotment.He is President of Brigids and one of nature's gentlemen.
We discussed a whole range of topics including his football career.
He may have a unique record.He played with Dublin in the 1950.s but got only limited playing opportunities as Vincents lorded the county scene at one stage filling the fourteen outfield positions on the Dublin team.
Modestly enough he reckons that Johnny Brophy ,another Brigids man was one of the best forwards in Ireland but never got a chance because of Vincent's dominance and that a Margaret's man called Scally was the best half back he ever saw but got no chance either.
Mick and Tom Kennedy's mother was a sister of this man.The apple never falls far from the tree.Mick won all Ireland's with Dublin much later on,
Now to Herbie's record,Despite the ban on playing foreign games he played in the one year in Croke Park (Brigids won IFC). Dalymount Park (Tolka Rovers won championship Cup ) and Landstown Road (Won league with Railway Union ).
Anyone equal this ?
Paddy Duffy is a Mayo man loving in Blanch for years,A Brigids man to his fingertips.He is not well.He is a total gentleman and I know him well.He used work in the Dept of Agriculture.He worked in Abbotstown in the 1950 as as did a lot of the locals,
From time to time in those hungry fifties an odd bag of oats or barley used go walkies,Paddy's job was to stamp this out.
On a non working Saturday he was cycling in the gate to do a surprise check when he met a worker,a father of thirteen ,cycling out with a bag of oats on the carrier of his bike."Where are you going with that " said he,"I have a fierce sick beast "said the other .The man was so stretched he couldn't afford even a cat but he had to say something."Well said Paddy "If he's that sick he won't be able to ate it,Better lave it back."
And that was that.
The day after the wedding I was invited to and attended the 21 st ,Birthday Party of the Keaveney triplets ,Elaine,Catherine and Michael in their father#s farmyard in the Black Road.
Kevin and Margaret and his mother and the triplet's two sisters are smashing people as are the triplets.One is nicer than the other and I think much of the entire family.They all occupy a large space in my affections, particularly Kevin ,who was treasure of the GAA Club when I was Chairman in 2009 and who along with Secretary Billy Bligh visited me nearly daily in Navan Hospital when I suffered a stroke and made me feel I was still in the Chairman's saddle so to speak.We did run the Club from my hospital bed but the two boys were in reality the movers and shakers.
The place was buzzing and the Camogie training I inflicted on many of the young wans there,including Catherine and Elaine stood them in good stead as they boogied the night away.
An occassion of joy and happiness all round and I guess a large sigh of relief from the parents as they have brought the triplets this far without faltering.It can't have been easy.
And then the news that the house where Timmy Kennedy and family used live in Oak Court was burned to the ground.Timmy sold out some years ago and people called Rispin bought it.I don't think I know them but am informed that it has been vacant for some time and is for sale.
I have no idea of the cause of the fire but it is a desperate thing to have happened.;
Everybody around here is in a state of shock..
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