Our beloved brother and father of Robert Junior died in the evening of 23/06/2014 and is now at peace ,his ordeal thankfully ended.He remains will be reposing at 14 Roselawn View ,Castleknock,D 15,his former residence ,where his days came to a comfortable end ,from 5.00p.m to 7.00 p.m. this evening,whence they will depart for his home at Ballinlough,Kells for his wake this evening.
His funeral Mass is scheduled for St.Brigids Church ,Blanchardstown at 11.00 am. tomorrow Wednesday,June 25th,following which he will be interred in Mulhuddard Cemetery beside our late Father and Mother.
May he rest in Peace.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
Dunderry V Drumree I.H.C.16/06/2014.
On one of those rare evenings ,with the sun splitting the stones,we took on Drumree in the first round at a resplendent Kilmessan this evening at 7.30.There was a decent crowd present to witness the match and I imagine the crowd was boosted by the news that Dunderry would compete against Drumree at half time at under 8 and under 10 level in exhibition matches.
This gave me some pride as I had two sons involved with the adult team and a grandson Padraig,Finn's son involved at under eight level and thanks be to God I was still alive to witness all this.
Any feeling of exultation I had turned to apprehension when I saw how the team lined out and who we were missing.
We lined out as follows:-
Damian Bruton
Brendan Wright Davy Mac Cormack Conor Dempsey
Killian Minogue Ted Dowd Conor O Shea
Liam Dempsey Garrett Dooley
Davy Gilkinson Finn Stephens ( C) Johnny Moran
Luke Martyn Kit Harrington Conor (Bomber Farrell )
Davy (Sprog )Stephens ,our normal and good corner back and Thomas Doherty ,our goalie this long time were sidelined through injury. Two good men ,who I knew full well would be missed badly.And I wasn't gone on the positional changes either.Wright was playing at full forward until this,Conor Dempsey at number 5 and Bomber is clearly not suited to the corner.In addition Damian Bruton had not held a hurley in competition for 18 months.He is not short of courage however but it was expecting far too much to put a man so short of practise in such a vital position .I attach no blame whatsoever to him for what transpired.
Drumree are a ficely competitive outfit and Ted had coached them these last two years.One of their boys is involved at managerial level with us this year ,so you would imagine that no secrets would lie buried.( Our Drumree man had gone on holidays ).There is a fierce rivalry between the teams and no quarter was sought or given.
The warriors squared up for the throw in.In the blink of an eye Finn had registered a minor.But then my worst fears were realized,Not once ,not twice but thrice Drumree registered goals of egg yolk sort.And tagged on five points and a further decent goal before half time,Johnny Moran,having his best game ever for us scored another minor and Gilky scored another two to make the half time score 4-6 y top 0-4 for Drumree.
Everything they touched turned to gold and the little possession we got turned to lead.We were bewildered and out of sorts and the half time whistle couldn't,t come quick enough.The underage entertainment provided a mild distraction and Drumree were back out early to resume battle.Such was the delay with our boys coming out ithat I wondered what in the name of God and the name of the Gaelic Game was going on,Was there a row in the camp ?I don't know but when we did re emerge there was more of a pep in our step and a number of positional changes.Doc was in goals,Bomber and Garrett swapped positions and O Shea was at number 6,with Ted going to the wing.But could we pull back a 14 point deficit and more importantly restore some pride in the jersey.
Well we didn't lie down and with renewed determination started to whittle down the deficit with 5 consecutive poins to their 2.We needed a goal and we delivered ,but they pulled back another 2 points.We kept at it and .After Wright had been moved to the forwards and Bruton, Ryan and Feeney introduced we rattled in a goal from Gilky .And another and another ,both from Wright frees ,as far as I could see.Finn had started to play a Captain's part and run at them and this helped us to start goaling.One of his points clipped the cross bar and went over instead of under.Such is life.
All told we scored 3-6 to their 5 points in the second half ,at one stage coming within four points of them.But the gap was too big and we finished defiantly on a scoreline of 4-11 against our 3-10.A four point defeat but a hell of a lot better than the 14 point gap at half time.
And don't let anyone tell you that Drumree took their foot off the pedal.They did not.
Fair dues to our boys they fought to the bitter end and never gave up.
Our management will have learned much from this display.
We missed enough scorable frees to make a difference and we will have to work on this.Gilky scored a 0-5 from frees and 1-1 from play,Moran 0-1 ,Finn 0-2,Bomber 0-1 and Wright 2-0 from frees..Killian Minogue suffered a head or neck injury.We hope he will be all right.
We will have to resume winning ways quam cellerime.
Afterwards I met Mairead Delaney whose son was playing at number 8 for Drumree.I am unsure what position she holds in the County Board but can assure that she is far from a token woman and earned her position by her qualities as a person and not because of the shape of her gonads.
This gave me some pride as I had two sons involved with the adult team and a grandson Padraig,Finn's son involved at under eight level and thanks be to God I was still alive to witness all this.
Any feeling of exultation I had turned to apprehension when I saw how the team lined out and who we were missing.
We lined out as follows:-
Damian Bruton
Brendan Wright Davy Mac Cormack Conor Dempsey
Killian Minogue Ted Dowd Conor O Shea
Liam Dempsey Garrett Dooley
Davy Gilkinson Finn Stephens ( C) Johnny Moran
Luke Martyn Kit Harrington Conor (Bomber Farrell )
Davy (Sprog )Stephens ,our normal and good corner back and Thomas Doherty ,our goalie this long time were sidelined through injury. Two good men ,who I knew full well would be missed badly.And I wasn't gone on the positional changes either.Wright was playing at full forward until this,Conor Dempsey at number 5 and Bomber is clearly not suited to the corner.In addition Damian Bruton had not held a hurley in competition for 18 months.He is not short of courage however but it was expecting far too much to put a man so short of practise in such a vital position .I attach no blame whatsoever to him for what transpired.
Drumree are a ficely competitive outfit and Ted had coached them these last two years.One of their boys is involved at managerial level with us this year ,so you would imagine that no secrets would lie buried.( Our Drumree man had gone on holidays ).There is a fierce rivalry between the teams and no quarter was sought or given.
The warriors squared up for the throw in.In the blink of an eye Finn had registered a minor.But then my worst fears were realized,Not once ,not twice but thrice Drumree registered goals of egg yolk sort.And tagged on five points and a further decent goal before half time,Johnny Moran,having his best game ever for us scored another minor and Gilky scored another two to make the half time score 4-6 y top 0-4 for Drumree.
Everything they touched turned to gold and the little possession we got turned to lead.We were bewildered and out of sorts and the half time whistle couldn't,t come quick enough.The underage entertainment provided a mild distraction and Drumree were back out early to resume battle.Such was the delay with our boys coming out ithat I wondered what in the name of God and the name of the Gaelic Game was going on,Was there a row in the camp ?I don't know but when we did re emerge there was more of a pep in our step and a number of positional changes.Doc was in goals,Bomber and Garrett swapped positions and O Shea was at number 6,with Ted going to the wing.But could we pull back a 14 point deficit and more importantly restore some pride in the jersey.
Well we didn't lie down and with renewed determination started to whittle down the deficit with 5 consecutive poins to their 2.We needed a goal and we delivered ,but they pulled back another 2 points.We kept at it and .After Wright had been moved to the forwards and Bruton, Ryan and Feeney introduced we rattled in a goal from Gilky .And another and another ,both from Wright frees ,as far as I could see.Finn had started to play a Captain's part and run at them and this helped us to start goaling.One of his points clipped the cross bar and went over instead of under.Such is life.
All told we scored 3-6 to their 5 points in the second half ,at one stage coming within four points of them.But the gap was too big and we finished defiantly on a scoreline of 4-11 against our 3-10.A four point defeat but a hell of a lot better than the 14 point gap at half time.
And don't let anyone tell you that Drumree took their foot off the pedal.They did not.
Fair dues to our boys they fought to the bitter end and never gave up.
Our management will have learned much from this display.
We missed enough scorable frees to make a difference and we will have to work on this.Gilky scored a 0-5 from frees and 1-1 from play,Moran 0-1 ,Finn 0-2,Bomber 0-1 and Wright 2-0 from frees..Killian Minogue suffered a head or neck injury.We hope he will be all right.
We will have to resume winning ways quam cellerime.
Afterwards I met Mairead Delaney whose son was playing at number 8 for Drumree.I am unsure what position she holds in the County Board but can assure that she is far from a token woman and earned her position by her qualities as a person and not because of the shape of her gonads.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Communion Day in Rathcairn.
Today my grandson Cormack Mac Donagh made his First Holy Communion in Rathcairn Church as gaeilge.He goes to school in Rathcairn and lives in Lambay with his parents Terry Mac Donagh and his wife Jacinta ,my daughter.
He is a lovely little fella and well reared.He is a wizard on the computer and regards my hesitancy with it with disdain tinged with amusement.
It was a lovely day weather wise and the Church was resplendent and totally packed out.Even after standing room only a sizable number had to stand outside and listen to the ceremony.Me included.My better half got inside and told me that the way that the children presented the gifts to the Priest brought a tear to her eyes such was the care and pride exhibited by them in this their first public Church duty.
I stood outside at an opn window and heard the whole thing as gaeilge.The school choir,the school orchestra and the organist were outstanding as was the celebrant who spoke a dialect of Irish I could understand.
Cormack looked smashing in a fine suit with shiort and tie and it brought back memories of my own kids Communion day when they were similarly attired.And indeed myself and my brothers,Some things never change thank God.
Afterwards we were treated to light refreshments in the Halla attached to the School and this went down a treat.Then back to Mac Donagh's house where we were again treated to a spread that would do justice to a King.
Alla my children and their spouses and a myriad of others were feated and all fourteen grandchildren were present.Thea bouncy castle and swings were all the rage and a smashing family gathering helped Cormack celebrate his Wonderful day in style.
And he got loads of cards with attachments of the best kind to help celebrate his Communion and his birthday.
Thea anti Catholic vitriol spewed out by the atheist media in this land has not found its way to this Parish nor any others hereabouts Buiochas le Dia.
A huge vote of thnks must go to all concerned especially the teachers ,who helped prepare the children so well.
He is a lovely little fella and well reared.He is a wizard on the computer and regards my hesitancy with it with disdain tinged with amusement.
It was a lovely day weather wise and the Church was resplendent and totally packed out.Even after standing room only a sizable number had to stand outside and listen to the ceremony.Me included.My better half got inside and told me that the way that the children presented the gifts to the Priest brought a tear to her eyes such was the care and pride exhibited by them in this their first public Church duty.
I stood outside at an opn window and heard the whole thing as gaeilge.The school choir,the school orchestra and the organist were outstanding as was the celebrant who spoke a dialect of Irish I could understand.
Cormack looked smashing in a fine suit with shiort and tie and it brought back memories of my own kids Communion day when they were similarly attired.And indeed myself and my brothers,Some things never change thank God.
Afterwards we were treated to light refreshments in the Halla attached to the School and this went down a treat.Then back to Mac Donagh's house where we were again treated to a spread that would do justice to a King.
Alla my children and their spouses and a myriad of others were feated and all fourteen grandchildren were present.Thea bouncy castle and swings were all the rage and a smashing family gathering helped Cormack celebrate his Wonderful day in style.
And he got loads of cards with attachments of the best kind to help celebrate his Communion and his birthday.
Thea anti Catholic vitriol spewed out by the atheist media in this land has not found its way to this Parish nor any others hereabouts Buiochas le Dia.
A huge vote of thnks must go to all concerned especially the teachers ,who helped prepare the children so well.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Daviin Power in frame for Garda Commissioner job?
The usual suspects are out of the traps in implying that religious sisters dumped over 800 bodies of babies in their care into a septic tank in Tuam in County Galway and in condemning the Order involved of outrageous criminality in so doing.This is based on the recollection of two twelve year old boys and the research of a local historian and is a total lie.
The presumption of innocence afforded to all citizens is as per usual not afforded to Catholic religious and amongst other unfounded allegations I have heard so far on RTE are that many nuns were themselves illegitimate,that they involved the children in illegal drug teasting,that the places involved were on a par with the concentration camps of the Nazis where over six million people were murdered.and that unspecified crimes were committed.The lie that breast feeding was forbidden is also being put about.
This is what is called a witch hunt and all or some of the above allegations have been spread worldwide as undisputed fact.The people responsible for this denigration of our ancestors are guilty of treachery in my view.
AS per usual RTE is leading the charges here,particularly Mary Wilson and David Davin Power who present a completely one sided analysis of the situation and interview nearly solely those who blame the nuns and the Church and frame questions in such a way that nearly the only answer possible is to appropriate blame to the nuns.
Drive time is on radio constantly belittling the action's of the Gardai and paintings them as idiots in relation to the matter.Clearly they knows better than the Gardai how to investigate the matter for criminality and are not slow to say so.Is this investigation by Radio ?
There is nothing stopping him from jacking up in RTE ,applying for admission to the Gardai and qualifying himself in these matters.Clearly he can run for the position of Garda Commissioner he is so knowledgeable.
And the RTE religious affairs correspondence has as per usual slithered in the suggestion that because a nun in a home in Cork was dismissed for allowing children go about with putrid nappies that that incident may offers a clue as to why 800 babies were allegedly buried in the septic tank.
This is akin to saying that the clear anti Catholic bias permanently displayed by RTE may find an explanation in the fact that they had to admit libelling a Catholic priest and paying him compensation.
Although I strongly suspect that the anti Catholic bias may have more to do with the liberal and secular agenda so blatantly promulgated by the station and the fact that many of the staff are either divorced ,have two or more living husbands or wives as the case may be or are blatant promulgators of the homosexual lifestyle ,all of which the Catholic and many other Churches have problems with.
Unlimited air time is given to the Justines,Ferguses,Colms and their ilk by blatantly biased presenters and their ilk to spread their anti Catholic racist agenda and whip up hatred against octogenarian nuns who stepped into the breach when the families of the mothers and their children ran them from their homes.As per usual the State did stand idly by and did sfa except wring its hands.
The biggest failure is that of journalists ,professionals and academics from those days who were if anything more useless than their present day professional descendants who failed to highlight the scandals .IF SCANDALs there were at all by the standards of the time's we are talking about..
Any attempt to dismiss the matter by inferring community guilt is as absurd as blaming the entire populace for the economic mess we are in by saying we all partied.All of us did not party.And all of us most definitely did not run our daughters and children into homes.
There must be hundreds of thousands of families who took it on the chin,didn't give a fig about what the neighbours thought ,kept the child and grandchild at home and reared the latter as an extra child of their own.
And inciting racial hatred against the nuns and the churches is nothing new to the liberal and secular sisterhood and brotherhood.They are at it for years and people are fed up with them.See what happened the Labour Party in the recent elections.This is by far the most secular and anti religion party in Ireland, a member of which thought it hilarious to tell me that the Irish for priest was paedophile.
If we are going to look at the matter in an honest manner let us include in the examination the facts of infanticide and the number of women guilty of this who lived in the homes,the incidence of syphilis in children and mothers and why they were not in hospitals rather than these homes,the numbers of children and mothers who suffered from t.b. starvation, neglect and other diseases before they were sent to or sought admission to these homes.And let us judge the mortality rate by that applicable in fever and comprable hospitals where many children ought have been in receipt of medical care.
And let us not fall into the trap of totally excusing the women themselves and their families from close scrutiny and regarding them as lesser human beings who had no willpower of their own and who lacked the capacity to stand up for themselves .I have known women who would now be over 100 years old.They were as well able to stand up for themselves as any of their gender since born.So to dismiss them as helpless morons who had no control over their destinies and that of their children is a total nonsense.
Of course the fannyista will insist that they be excluded from examination and that their word be taken as Gospel without challenge and that they be compensated without question..A state of affairs they will not afford to their religious sisters.
They say that where there is a will there is a relative .We will see now that where there is a whiff of money there will be a host of victims worldwide in the queue.
I for one am fed up seeing my tax money going out hand over fist to these victims.Let them look to the real sources of their grievances,themselves or their families.
I would exempt from this cases where the State through neglect or the Courts were directly responsible for injustice.
And Iwould put a time limit on it.But I would include the results of the famine and its consequences. in the ambit of the enquiry.
The Brits have never compensated us for the genocjde perpetrated during the eras they misruled the roost.
But seeing that they recently most cetainly did not afford a decent burial to preborn babies disposed of them by incinerating them beside the trash of the abortion mills operated there ,they are unlikely to cough up anything at all.
The presumption of innocence afforded to all citizens is as per usual not afforded to Catholic religious and amongst other unfounded allegations I have heard so far on RTE are that many nuns were themselves illegitimate,that they involved the children in illegal drug teasting,that the places involved were on a par with the concentration camps of the Nazis where over six million people were murdered.and that unspecified crimes were committed.The lie that breast feeding was forbidden is also being put about.
This is what is called a witch hunt and all or some of the above allegations have been spread worldwide as undisputed fact.The people responsible for this denigration of our ancestors are guilty of treachery in my view.
AS per usual RTE is leading the charges here,particularly Mary Wilson and David Davin Power who present a completely one sided analysis of the situation and interview nearly solely those who blame the nuns and the Church and frame questions in such a way that nearly the only answer possible is to appropriate blame to the nuns.
Drive time is on radio constantly belittling the action's of the Gardai and paintings them as idiots in relation to the matter.Clearly they knows better than the Gardai how to investigate the matter for criminality and are not slow to say so.Is this investigation by Radio ?
There is nothing stopping him from jacking up in RTE ,applying for admission to the Gardai and qualifying himself in these matters.Clearly he can run for the position of Garda Commissioner he is so knowledgeable.
And the RTE religious affairs correspondence has as per usual slithered in the suggestion that because a nun in a home in Cork was dismissed for allowing children go about with putrid nappies that that incident may offers a clue as to why 800 babies were allegedly buried in the septic tank.
This is akin to saying that the clear anti Catholic bias permanently displayed by RTE may find an explanation in the fact that they had to admit libelling a Catholic priest and paying him compensation.
Although I strongly suspect that the anti Catholic bias may have more to do with the liberal and secular agenda so blatantly promulgated by the station and the fact that many of the staff are either divorced ,have two or more living husbands or wives as the case may be or are blatant promulgators of the homosexual lifestyle ,all of which the Catholic and many other Churches have problems with.
Unlimited air time is given to the Justines,Ferguses,Colms and their ilk by blatantly biased presenters and their ilk to spread their anti Catholic racist agenda and whip up hatred against octogenarian nuns who stepped into the breach when the families of the mothers and their children ran them from their homes.As per usual the State did stand idly by and did sfa except wring its hands.
The biggest failure is that of journalists ,professionals and academics from those days who were if anything more useless than their present day professional descendants who failed to highlight the scandals .IF SCANDALs there were at all by the standards of the time's we are talking about..
Any attempt to dismiss the matter by inferring community guilt is as absurd as blaming the entire populace for the economic mess we are in by saying we all partied.All of us did not party.And all of us most definitely did not run our daughters and children into homes.
There must be hundreds of thousands of families who took it on the chin,didn't give a fig about what the neighbours thought ,kept the child and grandchild at home and reared the latter as an extra child of their own.
And inciting racial hatred against the nuns and the churches is nothing new to the liberal and secular sisterhood and brotherhood.They are at it for years and people are fed up with them.See what happened the Labour Party in the recent elections.This is by far the most secular and anti religion party in Ireland, a member of which thought it hilarious to tell me that the Irish for priest was paedophile.
If we are going to look at the matter in an honest manner let us include in the examination the facts of infanticide and the number of women guilty of this who lived in the homes,the incidence of syphilis in children and mothers and why they were not in hospitals rather than these homes,the numbers of children and mothers who suffered from t.b. starvation, neglect and other diseases before they were sent to or sought admission to these homes.And let us judge the mortality rate by that applicable in fever and comprable hospitals where many children ought have been in receipt of medical care.
And let us not fall into the trap of totally excusing the women themselves and their families from close scrutiny and regarding them as lesser human beings who had no willpower of their own and who lacked the capacity to stand up for themselves .I have known women who would now be over 100 years old.They were as well able to stand up for themselves as any of their gender since born.So to dismiss them as helpless morons who had no control over their destinies and that of their children is a total nonsense.
Of course the fannyista will insist that they be excluded from examination and that their word be taken as Gospel without challenge and that they be compensated without question..A state of affairs they will not afford to their religious sisters.
They say that where there is a will there is a relative .We will see now that where there is a whiff of money there will be a host of victims worldwide in the queue.
I for one am fed up seeing my tax money going out hand over fist to these victims.Let them look to the real sources of their grievances,themselves or their families.
I would exempt from this cases where the State through neglect or the Courts were directly responsible for injustice.
And Iwould put a time limit on it.But I would include the results of the famine and its consequences. in the ambit of the enquiry.
The Brits have never compensated us for the genocjde perpetrated during the eras they misruled the roost.
But seeing that they recently most cetainly did not afford a decent burial to preborn babies disposed of them by incinerating them beside the trash of the abortion mills operated there ,they are unlikely to cough up anything at all.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Dunderry V Kildalkey u 14 Camogie Final 01/06/2014
The adventure continued on a smashing Sunday morning in a resplendent and well attended Athboy on a morning that would warm the cockles of your heart.
Suzanne Kelly and her astute selectors,Donie Mooney and Caroline Duffy lined out the team as follows:-
Kaylinn Mooney
Katie Duffy Hannah Morgan Emily Lynch
Lauren Finnegan Helana Garry Deirdre Mac Hale
Katie Buchanan Orla Daly
Ellie Keenan Niamh Keaveney Sadbh Nelson
Katie Callaghan Laura Casserly Grace Stenson
Subs.Rachel Duffy, Aine O Brien,Lauren Travers,
Ciara Huesoff.
I thought this selection exactly reflected the semi final performance and offered the best opportunity to at last garner some winning silverware for this team who have exhibited such perseveres in trying their best this last five years.Not to mention their management.
Kildalkey are a serious proposition in any contest with the Caman and have made serious progress sine starting up Camogie only a few short years ago.Must be something in the water there.
They matched us for size .
Nothing wrong with the Dunderry water either .
The ball is in the game is on.We are strong up the middle.So are they.In about six positions we dominate.In the balance they have the edge.After initial sparring the game enters a pattern.We break even at midfield but they have an edge and our backs are under constant and sustained pressure.We break for two isolated points.They score six goals.
We are bursting ourselves but to no avail.they are slightly sweeter and have a number 14 who is as good for her age as I have ever seen.And she is not alone.
The half time whistle blows.
Suzie tries to raise morale and truthfully says that the top goal is the scoring goal.Give it a lash she says.And they do.Rachel Duffy is now in goals and Kaylinn is in the forwards.But within a short time Katie Buchanan and Grace Stenson are forced ashore by Knee and shoulder injuries.(none serious as far as I know.).You would fear for us now.
Helena has her hands full now and is breaking even with her marker at best.The vanquished Athboy opponents from the semi final are there cheering us ,but mainly her on.A vignette shows that practise makes perfect.During a long break in play she practices her pucking with a friend on the sideline.
We don't give up and struggle manfully ( womanfully ? ) to the end throwing all in our armoury at them.
WE score 2-2 to their 2-4 ,a remarkable achievement given our injuries.Maybe just maybe they took the foot off the pedal slightly.
We were beat fair and square by a superior team on this occasion.No excuses.
Orla Daley played out of her skin for the hour.Katie e Buchanan for as long as she was on and the rest gave it all they had.Ellie Keenan made some telling hooks as well as playing well in general play But Katie Duffy to me played as plucky a game as you could wish.
No shame girls.Ye have runner up medals .As an aside I played from 10 yeas to twenty one years and won only one winners medal in all those years. I guarantee that if ye stick with the mentors ye have ye will do far better.
Thanks for the adventure.
And thanks for inviting me back to the Clubhouse for the very tasty refreshments served up with such hospitality.
Suzanne Kelly and her astute selectors,Donie Mooney and Caroline Duffy lined out the team as follows:-
Kaylinn Mooney
Katie Duffy Hannah Morgan Emily Lynch
Lauren Finnegan Helana Garry Deirdre Mac Hale
Katie Buchanan Orla Daly
Ellie Keenan Niamh Keaveney Sadbh Nelson
Katie Callaghan Laura Casserly Grace Stenson
Subs.Rachel Duffy, Aine O Brien,Lauren Travers,
Ciara Huesoff.
I thought this selection exactly reflected the semi final performance and offered the best opportunity to at last garner some winning silverware for this team who have exhibited such perseveres in trying their best this last five years.Not to mention their management.
Kildalkey are a serious proposition in any contest with the Caman and have made serious progress sine starting up Camogie only a few short years ago.Must be something in the water there.
They matched us for size .
Nothing wrong with the Dunderry water either .
The ball is in the game is on.We are strong up the middle.So are they.In about six positions we dominate.In the balance they have the edge.After initial sparring the game enters a pattern.We break even at midfield but they have an edge and our backs are under constant and sustained pressure.We break for two isolated points.They score six goals.
We are bursting ourselves but to no avail.they are slightly sweeter and have a number 14 who is as good for her age as I have ever seen.And she is not alone.
The half time whistle blows.
Suzie tries to raise morale and truthfully says that the top goal is the scoring goal.Give it a lash she says.And they do.Rachel Duffy is now in goals and Kaylinn is in the forwards.But within a short time Katie Buchanan and Grace Stenson are forced ashore by Knee and shoulder injuries.(none serious as far as I know.).You would fear for us now.
Helena has her hands full now and is breaking even with her marker at best.The vanquished Athboy opponents from the semi final are there cheering us ,but mainly her on.A vignette shows that practise makes perfect.During a long break in play she practices her pucking with a friend on the sideline.
We don't give up and struggle manfully ( womanfully ? ) to the end throwing all in our armoury at them.
WE score 2-2 to their 2-4 ,a remarkable achievement given our injuries.Maybe just maybe they took the foot off the pedal slightly.
We were beat fair and square by a superior team on this occasion.No excuses.
Orla Daley played out of her skin for the hour.Katie e Buchanan for as long as she was on and the rest gave it all they had.Ellie Keenan made some telling hooks as well as playing well in general play But Katie Duffy to me played as plucky a game as you could wish.
No shame girls.Ye have runner up medals .As an aside I played from 10 yeas to twenty one years and won only one winners medal in all those years. I guarantee that if ye stick with the mentors ye have ye will do far better.
Thanks for the adventure.
And thanks for inviting me back to the Clubhouse for the very tasty refreshments served up with such hospitality.
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