In September 2009 I came home from Hospital in a wheelchair after a stroke that nearly whipped me entirely,barely able to function at all.My family transported me to an under 13 or 14 second division final where our girls played Na Fianna ,I forget where.It was a brilliant match and we won after
a titanic struggle.
Those players had been assembled from the three primary schools in the Parish,Dunderry,KIlbride and Robinstown and Boyerstown a few years previously and were at the vanguard of our efforts to promote and reinvigorate the Club from juvenile level up.
Our Mags, assisted I think by Evelyn Griffin and Tracey Fitzsimons ran our show.
I was one very happy Chairman and mightily impressed with the performance.The calibre of the players shone through brighter than a lighthouse beacon.
The performance lifted my spirits no end.
Fast forward to last weekend where our debutantes were fixed to play a combination Dunboyne /Kiltale team in Dunderry in the pitch in the afternoon at minor level.
Now both Dunboyne and Kiltale are senior clubs and we are an intermediate club.Population wise there is no comparison.I blinked twice and shook my head at the scenario.unfolding and expected that the best we could hope for was a heroic defeat.
Boy was I wrong.And boy did I have little faith.
Thea competition is nominally fifteen a side.They could field only thirteen.
We had the full compliment plus subs.
It was a bank holiday in Dunderry the same as in Dunboyne and Kiltale.
Dunderry Team.
Anna Byrne
Eimear O Shea Michelle Daly
Aisling Mc Donagh Blaithnid Keyes Eimear Daly
Anna Stenson Labaoisa Martyn
Zara Rodgers Aoife MInogue Niamh DAly
Cara Woods Aoife O Shea.
Subs.
Megan Doherty
Jade Eitzsimons
Ciara Cassidy.
I recognised one Dunboyne player at least,I think she is a daughter of Ciaran and Teresa Clinch and she caused us no end of trouble as it transpired.The apple never falls far from the tree,
WE were entitled,as far as I know to play the full compliment .WE played 13 against 13 to give all an equal chance.Very sporting I thought.
Now Dave Keyes is our trainer and a great one is our Dave.Himself and wife Stella are at the forefront of our development.He has the girls at the top of their game physically and mentally and they fielded in so positive a state of mind that they were prepared to put themselves to the limit of their endurance to achieve victory.
From first whistle to last they never stood back nor pulled up,They put their bodies where danger lurked unpredictably and where brave men might flinch.
And Everyone of them did this ,not only the starring few.And this is badly phrased,because they were all outstanding in the communal cause.
The opposition were brimming with class players too but the work ethic and never say die spirit of our lads,combined with endless qualities of long practised skills were a joy to behold.
By half time we led by 1-9 to 1-0 I think but you would know it would be no cakewalk.And so it transpired,The combination left it all on the field in the second half but we were well up to the mark,running out comfortable winners by six well deserved points.
We have a few hurling genii on our team,but I am not going to name them.Go and see for yourself.
Tracey Fitz and Dave are doing some job with this bunch of sportswomen.
And Pat Gannon is a referee of the highest calibre ,even if he did blow up my granddaughter Aisling for putting her body where you wouldn't put a dumper truck.Terry must be delighted that she is so like mise.
This ream has frightening potential and the magic I saw in this bunch five years ago is undimmed and developing by the week.
I am one proud President.
You will see that three Daly sisters figure on the team.There is another waiting in the wings and she is just as good but a tad young.It may have been that three of my daughters did play on the one team,I don;t remember,but doubt it given their age span.I think Charlies three ,to become four,create history.
And yes he is one of the bog Daly's in exile at Connells Cross.
Now Trace and Dave and crew ,Don't get big heads,ye won nathing yet.Keep it country and for Family,Club and Dunderry .go the whole hog.
C'm on Dunderry.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Death of Paddy Reilly from Kingscourt and Birmingham
Today in the emergency Dept.of Navan Hospital I met old friends and neighbours Paddy Conway and his lovely wife Phyllis.When I say "old "friends I mean it. Paddy is over 80 years and I am not brave enough to ask Phyllis her age.
They were like drowned rats having had to queue outside the Social Welfare Office in Trim in the pouring rain beforehand.
If they were refugees there would be a furore,the Council for Civil LIberties and Amnesty woukld be hogging the airwaves condemning their treatment , but anything will do for Paddie(s)
Anyhow I was sad to learn that her brother Paddy who I mentioned in a previous blog died suddenly from cancer shortly after I published the article.
This man was a double trades man,a carpenter and a mason,
I didn't have the pleasure of knowing him but do know that if he was even half as sound as his older sister he had to be a great one.
To his surviving family and all who knew him we offer our profound sympathies,
Ar Dheis DE go raibh a anam dilis,
They were like drowned rats having had to queue outside the Social Welfare Office in Trim in the pouring rain beforehand.
If they were refugees there would be a furore,the Council for Civil LIberties and Amnesty woukld be hogging the airwaves condemning their treatment , but anything will do for Paddie(s)
Anyhow I was sad to learn that her brother Paddy who I mentioned in a previous blog died suddenly from cancer shortly after I published the article.
This man was a double trades man,a carpenter and a mason,
I didn't have the pleasure of knowing him but do know that if he was even half as sound as his older sister he had to be a great one.
To his surviving family and all who knew him we offer our profound sympathies,
Ar Dheis DE go raibh a anam dilis,
Death of Betty Coogan
Word has just filtered through that Betty Coogan (nee Mulligan ) has gone to meet her Maker after a long illness,She was a lovely and very private woman.
To her immediate and wider family we extend our genuine and heartfelt sympathy.
Ar dheis DE go raibh a hanam dilis.
She will be lying in repose today Wednesday from 4pm to 7pm at the home of her brother Gerry in Boyerstown (opposit the Church ,I think ) and her funeral Mass is tomorrow,Thursay at noon in Boyerstown Church.Burial afterwards in Dunderry Cemetery.
To her immediate and wider family we extend our genuine and heartfelt sympathy.
Ar dheis DE go raibh a hanam dilis.
She will be lying in repose today Wednesday from 4pm to 7pm at the home of her brother Gerry in Boyerstown (opposit the Church ,I think ) and her funeral Mass is tomorrow,Thursay at noon in Boyerstown Church.Burial afterwards in Dunderry Cemetery.
Lowlife scum at it again
Garrett- Fitzgerald's government deprived communities and voluntary clubs of the possibility of raising significant finance by greedily grabbing any floating money for the National Lotto ,against whose prizes no Club can hope to compete,and the proceeds of which are now largely offset against operations which have nothing to do with the promotion of sporting and community facilities which were originality touted as the sole raison d'etre of the Lotto.
Only a small proportion of the monies generated are redistributed in the forms of grants to sporting and community organisations now and local political fir is mna breags line up to claim credit for these allocations to individual clubs.
I am not confining my disdain for this cunning con to Fine Gaelers only but also include all parties in Government since Garrett the God got his marching orders from a pissed electorate.
Anyhow the establishment of the National Lotto left numerous Clubs up the Swannee without a paddle when it came to fund raising and clubs like my own had to go house to house to collect monies from persons of goodwill to make up a prize fund for prizes much less attractive than those offered by the National Lotto for club lottos to keep the show on the road.
But more con jobs perpetrated by cowardly and gutless politicians in screwing every last cent from a docile populace to satisfy their European buddies has significantly reduced the amount of spare cash available to support voluntary Clubs.
Not only this but such is the frequency of theft of the new breed of thief at large (and semingly immune from apprehension) that along for example with having to build concrete bunkers to surround diesel tanks,those people living in fear as prisoners in their own houses and with the financial wherewithal to so do are installing secure metal gates to keep the thieves out.
Hereabouts they are called "Fuck off "gates by some and one definite effect of their installation is to discourage neighbours from calling at all, thus contributing to the break down of rural society
Our club has suffered a signified decline in support because of these gates , the time it takes to get admission to the houses and because it is the situation that people do make a prisoner of a Euro and have to,such is the hateful effects of the asteroid the fir is mna Breaga have imposed on everybody to keep the German bondholder rich and happy.
Well now there is a new twist to the tale.They have started to rob the metal gates .Last weekend some person or persons cut through the metal hinges of a sizable metal gate where we played football years ago (Jack Conway's field ) made off with the gates.
Do I believe they will be recovered.I do not.Am I outraged .Yes I am.LIke many others I believe that this Government would be better deployed re assigning the Gardai to protect their citizens rather than have them hiding in foliage trapping decent citizens and criminalising and screwing as much money fron their pockets for such a range of motoring offences that nobody could be expected to keep abreast of them
Complimentss of Leo the Lip.
In the meantime I say "Bad Cess "to the politicians who betrayed us and specifically to the thieves who prey on us and leave us living in fear,
Only a small proportion of the monies generated are redistributed in the forms of grants to sporting and community organisations now and local political fir is mna breags line up to claim credit for these allocations to individual clubs.
I am not confining my disdain for this cunning con to Fine Gaelers only but also include all parties in Government since Garrett the God got his marching orders from a pissed electorate.
Anyhow the establishment of the National Lotto left numerous Clubs up the Swannee without a paddle when it came to fund raising and clubs like my own had to go house to house to collect monies from persons of goodwill to make up a prize fund for prizes much less attractive than those offered by the National Lotto for club lottos to keep the show on the road.
But more con jobs perpetrated by cowardly and gutless politicians in screwing every last cent from a docile populace to satisfy their European buddies has significantly reduced the amount of spare cash available to support voluntary Clubs.
Not only this but such is the frequency of theft of the new breed of thief at large (and semingly immune from apprehension) that along for example with having to build concrete bunkers to surround diesel tanks,those people living in fear as prisoners in their own houses and with the financial wherewithal to so do are installing secure metal gates to keep the thieves out.
Hereabouts they are called "Fuck off "gates by some and one definite effect of their installation is to discourage neighbours from calling at all, thus contributing to the break down of rural society
Our club has suffered a signified decline in support because of these gates , the time it takes to get admission to the houses and because it is the situation that people do make a prisoner of a Euro and have to,such is the hateful effects of the asteroid the fir is mna Breaga have imposed on everybody to keep the German bondholder rich and happy.
Well now there is a new twist to the tale.They have started to rob the metal gates .Last weekend some person or persons cut through the metal hinges of a sizable metal gate where we played football years ago (Jack Conway's field ) made off with the gates.
Do I believe they will be recovered.I do not.Am I outraged .Yes I am.LIke many others I believe that this Government would be better deployed re assigning the Gardai to protect their citizens rather than have them hiding in foliage trapping decent citizens and criminalising and screwing as much money fron their pockets for such a range of motoring offences that nobody could be expected to keep abreast of them
Complimentss of Leo the Lip.
In the meantime I say "Bad Cess "to the politicians who betrayed us and specifically to the thieves who prey on us and leave us living in fear,
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
What are they doing to our Kids
I couldn't believe my ears the other day.
James Reilly and the tobacco Taliban,overwhelmingly from the Gods of the medical universe, are proposing to fine parents who smoke in their cars with children present in the future and presumably impoverish them with progressively more severe fines and presumably jail them in default.
The immoral and fascist legislation which increases an E 800 default in non payment of non principal property tax to E7,500 and a toll fine from E3.00 to E144,00 in one month and brag about it is probably unequalled in the civilised world and is as repressive and extortionate a form of of law as was ever enacted in this country and would qualify as a template for apprentice criminals and mafiosa worldwide.
Even the Brits only levied a tithe of a persons income for the upkeep for the Church of Ireland .
The people who made legal the murder of the unborn in this country and regard the great unwashed with total disdain are capable of any thing and it is only a matter of time until these fanatics will dictate every aspect of your life and invade your homes for fun and to keep you down.
You think I am exaggerating.
This Government and its immediate predecessor has introduced so much repressive legislation that no aspect of your life is private.
They have introduced so many crininal offences relating to the motor car that no reasonable man nor woman has a clue what is legal and what is not.Fines to the left of me fines to the right of me and to hell with you if you cant feed your family nor house them.Tough tittie.Nothing to do with me,I can manage fine,.
They have stolen our water and want to know all about us before they will give us an "allowance ",They will reduce it to a r trickle if we don't or can't pay.They are out cromwelling Cromwell.
Reilly said that the reason he and his backers were introducing this legislation was that there would not be too much opposition to it.Not much different in this principle from the laws to persecute the Jews in Hitlers Germany.
Oh and regarding his responsibility for the children of the country I was appalled when he said that the Cacer people had exprerimented with children to see whether they would be revolted by picture of grossly diseased organs and sick peoples compared to nicely coloured and attractive pictures as used be on cigarettes packets.
Anyone who subjects children to this type of experiments,if it is true,is not fit to have any domain over children at all and this should be fully investigated.
And anyone who is so hungry for power that he threatens to jail parents who don't pay fines and thereby depriving the kids of their parents and maybe end up dead in the care of state services is not fit for public office of any kind.
Unless we take immediate corrective action we will end up as currently depicted in USA television land,where life imitates art in that prisoners are routinely tortured and a blind eye is turned and parents are routinely threatened that the State will take their kids into its care and naturally will be lost victims of the system,
IT is time for just men and women to call halt.
And finally the three card trickster politicians who are saying that water musrt be paid for are doing nothing more than enforcing payment on the double.For decades now everybody who bought a pack of fags for example paid for the supply of water through his taxes.All this shit you hear now is just a scam for an increase in what is already being paid and a further betrayal of the people by the fir is mna breaga,
James Reilly and the tobacco Taliban,overwhelmingly from the Gods of the medical universe, are proposing to fine parents who smoke in their cars with children present in the future and presumably impoverish them with progressively more severe fines and presumably jail them in default.
The immoral and fascist legislation which increases an E 800 default in non payment of non principal property tax to E7,500 and a toll fine from E3.00 to E144,00 in one month and brag about it is probably unequalled in the civilised world and is as repressive and extortionate a form of of law as was ever enacted in this country and would qualify as a template for apprentice criminals and mafiosa worldwide.
Even the Brits only levied a tithe of a persons income for the upkeep for the Church of Ireland .
The people who made legal the murder of the unborn in this country and regard the great unwashed with total disdain are capable of any thing and it is only a matter of time until these fanatics will dictate every aspect of your life and invade your homes for fun and to keep you down.
You think I am exaggerating.
This Government and its immediate predecessor has introduced so much repressive legislation that no aspect of your life is private.
They have introduced so many crininal offences relating to the motor car that no reasonable man nor woman has a clue what is legal and what is not.Fines to the left of me fines to the right of me and to hell with you if you cant feed your family nor house them.Tough tittie.Nothing to do with me,I can manage fine,.
They have stolen our water and want to know all about us before they will give us an "allowance ",They will reduce it to a r trickle if we don't or can't pay.They are out cromwelling Cromwell.
Reilly said that the reason he and his backers were introducing this legislation was that there would not be too much opposition to it.Not much different in this principle from the laws to persecute the Jews in Hitlers Germany.
Oh and regarding his responsibility for the children of the country I was appalled when he said that the Cacer people had exprerimented with children to see whether they would be revolted by picture of grossly diseased organs and sick peoples compared to nicely coloured and attractive pictures as used be on cigarettes packets.
Anyone who subjects children to this type of experiments,if it is true,is not fit to have any domain over children at all and this should be fully investigated.
And anyone who is so hungry for power that he threatens to jail parents who don't pay fines and thereby depriving the kids of their parents and maybe end up dead in the care of state services is not fit for public office of any kind.
Unless we take immediate corrective action we will end up as currently depicted in USA television land,where life imitates art in that prisoners are routinely tortured and a blind eye is turned and parents are routinely threatened that the State will take their kids into its care and naturally will be lost victims of the system,
IT is time for just men and women to call halt.
And finally the three card trickster politicians who are saying that water musrt be paid for are doing nothing more than enforcing payment on the double.For decades now everybody who bought a pack of fags for example paid for the supply of water through his taxes.All this shit you hear now is just a scam for an increase in what is already being paid and a further betrayal of the people by the fir is mna breaga,
Dunderry Fair Bull wises up Zebra.
Did you ever see the huge black bull that is the mascot of the Dunderry Fair ? Well this happened to an ancestor of his long long time ago ,about the turn of the 20th century.
A plane load of African animals was being flown to Dublin zoo ,when it ran out of fuel over the bog in Tullaghanstown and crashed in Churchtown near Knockdrin where I farm ,just behind Jim Healy's house.
All aboard,pilots and animals perished in the carnage save one zebra ,who miraculously survived.
She shook herself down and went walkabouts ,
The first animal she met was a donkey called Tilly."I am a zebra ,what are you " she said."I am a donkey owned by Daithi Stephens,the best looking,kindest and most intelligent man in Dunderry " said Tilly.
She then met a pony called Dolly."I am a zebra ,what are you ?""I am a pony owned by Daithi Stephens " said Dolly ",I would add to what Tilly said that Daithi is also a great neighbour ".
The zebra crossed the river and met the black bull.
"I am a zebra ,what are you " said the zebra,
The bull eyed her up and said "take off them striped pyjamas and I won't be long showing you ".
NO bullshit.
A plane load of African animals was being flown to Dublin zoo ,when it ran out of fuel over the bog in Tullaghanstown and crashed in Churchtown near Knockdrin where I farm ,just behind Jim Healy's house.
All aboard,pilots and animals perished in the carnage save one zebra ,who miraculously survived.
She shook herself down and went walkabouts ,
The first animal she met was a donkey called Tilly."I am a zebra ,what are you " she said."I am a donkey owned by Daithi Stephens,the best looking,kindest and most intelligent man in Dunderry " said Tilly.
She then met a pony called Dolly."I am a zebra ,what are you ?""I am a pony owned by Daithi Stephens " said Dolly ",I would add to what Tilly said that Daithi is also a great neighbour ".
The zebra crossed the river and met the black bull.
"I am a zebra ,what are you " said the zebra,
The bull eyed her up and said "take off them striped pyjamas and I won't be long showing you ".
NO bullshit.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Congrats to Davy Nelson
Davy Nelson is a Navan man living this long time in Dunderry and is married to one of the Cosgroves of Tullaghanstown ,where he lives.
His daughter plays camogie with us.
Davy is like the little jockey with the big whip.Despite his low stature he was a collosus as a player with O Mahoneys and as a manager has no equal in Club football in Meath.
The Drumbeat congratulates this most modest of men on his recent success and looks forward to meeting him again after Mass next Sunday,
Incidentally Sean Kelly of this Parish has managed both finalists,Donaghmore /Ashbourne and O Mahoneys in the past.
Is he unique in this ?
His daughter plays camogie with us.
Davy is like the little jockey with the big whip.Despite his low stature he was a collosus as a player with O Mahoneys and as a manager has no equal in Club football in Meath.
The Drumbeat congratulates this most modest of men on his recent success and looks forward to meeting him again after Mass next Sunday,
Incidentally Sean Kelly of this Parish has managed both finalists,Donaghmore /Ashbourne and O Mahoneys in the past.
Is he unique in this ?
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Flippant disregard of MaArion for Catholocism apparent again.
I listened to Marion Finucanes Radio show for a while yesterday and today before I switched it off again because of the flippant disregard it always displays towards my Catholic religion.
Yesterday she gave fawning approval to a cleric who changed horses midstream and jumped ship midstream from being a Catholic Priest to being a Protestant Vicar in Christchurch, in his fundraising efforts to repair the Church.
She gave him carte blanche to deride the Catholic Church in any area he chose to pronounce on.And this sneering and dulcet toned traitor took full advantage.
No attempt at balance ,he was never asked the hard questions about returning the Church that his Patron "our Enery " had stolen from the Catholics,nor on the assertion that Anglican theology was the same length of "Enery's " budeen ,which was the root cause of going UDI.in the first place.
Not even a tentative query about returning the untold millions of tithes stolen from Catholic families for decades.
And again today the anti Catholic ethos was very apparent when anti Catholic sneering and anti Catholic sentiment was flippantly displayed by self proclaimed tax expert Suzanne Kelley and a Pol.Corr,from one of the newspapers whose name I forget but who regularly guests for RTE.
My grandfather's adage that it is a great man that can mind his own business without minding anyone elses springs to mind.
Suzanne ought maybe confine herself to tax matters and yer man to politically matters and take heed of the Gospels and give onto Casar what is Caesars and give onto God what is God's.
And Maroon ought show some attempt at balance and disregard her personal situation.
I am beginning to understand how extremism is inculcated by perpetual belittling in the State media and am thinking of organising a boycott of the TV licence fee until some semblance of balance is restored to RTE.
Any takers ?
Yesterday she gave fawning approval to a cleric who changed horses midstream and jumped ship midstream from being a Catholic Priest to being a Protestant Vicar in Christchurch, in his fundraising efforts to repair the Church.
She gave him carte blanche to deride the Catholic Church in any area he chose to pronounce on.And this sneering and dulcet toned traitor took full advantage.
No attempt at balance ,he was never asked the hard questions about returning the Church that his Patron "our Enery " had stolen from the Catholics,nor on the assertion that Anglican theology was the same length of "Enery's " budeen ,which was the root cause of going UDI.in the first place.
Not even a tentative query about returning the untold millions of tithes stolen from Catholic families for decades.
And again today the anti Catholic ethos was very apparent when anti Catholic sneering and anti Catholic sentiment was flippantly displayed by self proclaimed tax expert Suzanne Kelley and a Pol.Corr,from one of the newspapers whose name I forget but who regularly guests for RTE.
My grandfather's adage that it is a great man that can mind his own business without minding anyone elses springs to mind.
Suzanne ought maybe confine herself to tax matters and yer man to politically matters and take heed of the Gospels and give onto Casar what is Caesars and give onto God what is God's.
And Maroon ought show some attempt at balance and disregard her personal situation.
I am beginning to understand how extremism is inculcated by perpetual belittling in the State media and am thinking of organising a boycott of the TV licence fee until some semblance of balance is restored to RTE.
Any takers ?
Appropriate that Leonard Cup comes to Dunderry
Mick Leonard,that fabulous Trim Gael,to whose honour the perpetual Intermediate Hurling Championship Cup is dedicated is the grandfather of Eoin Kelly,who is Married to Claire Stephens ,my daughter,who is the sister of Evan ,who is the Captain of the winning Dunderry team.this year.
We could hardly have left it go elsewhere.
No doubt the Trim attendance at the final,who cheered us on to victory,especially ladies like Caroline Daly and Niamh Quinn,who had the good sense to marry into Dunderry families .had this in mind when lending us their support.
We could hardly have left it go elsewhere.
No doubt the Trim attendance at the final,who cheered us on to victory,especially ladies like Caroline Daly and Niamh Quinn,who had the good sense to marry into Dunderry families .had this in mind when lending us their support.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Dunderry V KIlskyre IHC Final 12/10/2014
Having defied the odds and clawed our way past Rathoat in the semi final, news filtered through that we would face Kilskyre in the final on the Sunday after their sister Club Ballinlough had played the Intermediate Football championship final.
They duly won the football and their quest for the Intermediate double was on.On the day of the final I saw some supporters from Kilskyre sporting the logo "The drive for five ".I am not sure what this was about but suspect that their earlier last minute defeat of us by their amalgam with Moylough in the under 21 hurling final may have had something to do with it.
We had two weeks to get ready and if ever I wanted anything I wanted this Championship to come here.Badly.
There were historic and deeply embedded threads of continuity and tradition demandingr victory.
The earliest final we won in hurling was in 1934.The "Gael Fitzsimons " from Tullaghanstown had written a poem to celebrate that victory.I have it somewhere.Would that I could repeat the dose now.
In Ted Dowd and Simon Carty we had direct descendants of the Sharkey Dowd and Nick Carty who starred in that win.
Hurling melted into the ether after that win around Dundery and it was not until the mid 1980's that it was again resurrected here at adult level..
Mickey Daly,Phil Cahill and Ned Howley in the main had powered a hape of talented garsuns into a all conquering force in Meath and they had won all before them in Meath Hurling up to and including the Minor Hurling Championship in 1985.
There was no adult hurling team in Dunderry then and Kilmessan and Trim were licking their lips at the prospect of recruiting our young stars into their hurling set ups.
I joined up with Dunderry GAA Club on arrival to live here on January 1st.1986.A number of hurling men had approached me before the Annual General Meeting that year asking me if I would propose the formation of an adult hurling team .I did and after fierce opposition being expressed from many that it would destroy football the proposal was narrowly carried.
And then the hurling ship was relaunched.
We won the Junie B and Junior A championships in short order and in 1991 won the Intermediate .
I was 35 years old when I moved here and played at full back for both the Junior campaigns.Father time and bad knees had caught up with me by the time the Intermediate came around and my future son in law Terry Mac Donagh had very properly taken my place.I was delighted to be a sub.
My son Evan is full back and Captain today .Daithi Og is corner beside him.Tradition.
Dermot Dempsey was on that adventure.His sons Liam and Connor are on the present team.John Henry on their mother's side played with us then too,Likewise Gerry Doherty's sons Thomas and Bob figure presently .Thomas mac Cormack was on the 1980.s crew when he wasn't working in England ,.His nephew David is on the present crew.Noel ,Thomas's brother is David's father and my first cousin.
In the early 1990's Ned Howley .after a lifetime of service,threw in the towel on his stewardship of the Juveniles and landed a manure bag of hurleys and a few sliotars at my doorstep.
I took up the challenge and started the long slog on the road to hurling Valhalla.Along the journey we had willing help from several true and doughty servants,Unheralded men like Noel Mac Cormack,Michael Mac Cormack,Dessie Fagan ,Jerry Doherty,Tommy Garry,Eileen Bruton,Davy Marree, Bomber Farrell and the late and very respected Father Malachy Lynham .
And George Herterich and Oliver Travers who shyly bought helmets when money was as scarce as hens teeth.(bit like today )
And thanks to the Japanese who invented the Hi and Lo Ace vans ,which lined with square bales of straw, transported numerous players around the County.
We actually had not the numbers to fill legal minor teams when Ted was a minor and conceded walkovers that year but played each match with our Mags,my daughter , .Lettie Rowan and Jaffa Mulligan ,as far as I remember making up the numbers.
I was Sec.of the Juveniles for yonks ,Noel was Treasurer likewise.As devoted a club man as Dessie Fagin you would travel far to find.
All these men and women kept the show on the road for decades winning little except a minor C championship about 13 years ago ,despite appearing in numerous finals through out the decades.
Evan,Davy Mac,Daithi Og,Thomas and Bob Doherty ,Joey Martin, and Kevin and Damian Bruton are the die hard legatees of this era and I take off my hat to them all.
And I regret that emigration,injury ,austerity and factors stemming from these causes and sheer exhaustion have left us short of men such as Keith Callaghan,Ivan Mac Cormack,Darren Callaghan,Razor and Kenny Fagan,Cyril Halton Darren Murtagh.Lee Mulligan,Tosh ,T;J and Alan Garry,Ciaran Mulvenna,Paddy Gorey,Paudge Carroll and a host of others. I know these people and I know they are made of the right stuff.
And the guys on the pitch will not be found deficient in the liathroidi department.
All these thoughts went through my head in the weeks running up to the final.
And I was not alone in my desire for victory .The support for the team and the lads permeated all arteries of the Parrish.The GAA Club as poor as a Church mouse,but with a pavilion to die for and a training pitch bought and paid for ,found the wherewithal to fly the flags,And individual families defied the austerity gloom to sport homemade flags and paint their support on bales of silage and whatever you are having yourself.
And Dot Rattigan went into overdrive baking homemade bread and boiling beef to fill the real butter sandwiches.And Johnnie got arthritis of the left arm screwing the tabletops from the Orange squash bottles to make drinks for the boys after training.
Vinny R,adores hurling.He holds a championship with O Mahony's
And working men and women put it all in for the Team.
And we prayed for the proper result at the Friday rosary.
The day was upon us.I was there bright and early and determined not to talk to strange women.
Dunderry had the biggest support of the four finalists,Easily.And the Trim support cheered us to a man,woman and child.And the tension was unbearable.
And many had tears in their eyes as a result of the guard of honour formed by members of the Dundrry High Nellie Club all the way from the village to the Showgrounds.Francie mac dilis Nailer was on his game.Afterwards he would perpetuate his Father's memoryr with the Scania song and mention of the Nailer's shoe to the pedal as it climbred mont Blanc,
We lined out as follows.
Thomas Doherty
Davy Stephens Evan Stephens Davy Mac Cormack
C,Minogue Conor O Shea Conor Dempsey
Bomber Farrell Liam Dempsey
Davy Gilkinson Jordan Martyn Alex Walsh
John Moran Luke Martin Ted Dowd.
Subs.
Mickey Dowdall.
Garrett Dooley
Stephen Coogan
Brendan Wright
Stefan Clarke
Aaron Feeney
Chris Harrington
Catha Ryan
Joey Martin
Alan Casey,
Kevin Bruron,
Dylan Keenan
Cillian Leonard
Damian Bruton.
Simon Carty
Manager .Ted Dowd,Selectors.Dara Flanagan,Gerry Mac Loughlin and ,Mick Minogue.
Dermot Dempsey started our the year as a selector but the burdens of State service weighed so heavily on his shoulders and his time that he had to relinquish his position.
Damian Bruron was out of action with a recent operation and Brendan Wright was merging from a period of suspension,
The management must have burned the midnight oil often in selecting the team as any combination from at least 20 players would have met approval.
Dara Flanagan ,a Dub.and that is a good thing. was added to the mix at the start of the year and took on the job seeking redemption for plotting our downfall against a combined Drumree /Blackhall selection in the under 21 final two years ago.Boy are we glad he came our way.
His fresh eyes proffered a new insight into our strategies and with Ted on the field he has the final call on switches and replacements.
Referee is Killian Jones from Kilcock.Hardly the home of hurling but he plays in goals for their Intermediate hurlers,so he should have some empathy for the ancient game.In any event as my late uncle Tommy Mac Cormack used say "You don't have to be a bullock to judge one".I judge that on balance he was fair to both sides at the end of the day.
The ball is in the game is on.For the first ten minutes we are the better team marginally.We get two long distance frees and Gilky is put in the frame.He misses and I privately pray that he is not going to shite on the traces,And pray that he holds his nerve.We presumably have alternatives if this happens ?
For all our attacking Kilskyre draw first blood with a point.I am worried.
Then Ted wins a ball he should not in front of where I am sitting in the stand.He shrugs off his man ,takes aim and fires.From his shooting position and angle target there is about a foot of space between the posts to get a minor.Sweet Jesus he gets it bang on.Never did he score a more important point.Hope rises.Omens good.
Then our Alex ,a 17 year old Dunderry Dub ,again draws from his bottomless reservoir of bravery and doggedly and legitimately harasses a much bigger opponent and wins a ball he should not get near and makes a direct line for the onion bag.He falls.he gets up ,he pulls the trigger ,The stand erupts .Goal.
But KIlskyre are made of doughty stuff ,as we well know and pull one back,Gilky gets a decent free and points.This settles him as it subsequently transpires.We are back on track.Johnny Moran is getting the better of his man and crosses a few balls to the edge of the square.He is creating a degree of panic .He follows up on a ball broken by Lukie and finishes to the net.Jubilation.We are buzzing,Sprog has the measure of Shine,Finn is the master of the square,Spongee is fearless the all half backs are at least holding their own and the midfield are as game as could be.But Kilskyre are no daws either,Peadar Byrne,a powerful man ,makes a forceful foray goal wards and offloads at the last minute .It is smacked to the back of the net. Jordan scores a class point and KIlskyre tack on two more to keep in the hunt and the whistle blows to close the first half on the scoreline of 2-3 to their 1-4.
Ted has taken a vow of Trappists silence for the day.I know.I administered the oath.It has been reputed that he sometimes protests too much.There is a view that he is a handy target for line by certain referees who wish to put down markers.
His passion is unquestioned.He is more sinned against than sinning.He is as open as the Bible.Nothing sly about our Ted.Today he is grounded surreptitiously off the ball.In the head and through the helmet.I know because like Saint Thomas I felt the lumps afterwards.
I didn't see it.I was following the play.Neither did the referee nor any of the other officials.
No Dowd ever lay down unless he was hurt.And Ted is a Dowd .His mothers people the Campbeklls from Carnaross don#t do theatricals either.
Anyhow he recovered.
I feel the game is in the lap of the Gods.If we can hold our lead we have a chance ,I pray but feel we should be more ahead.
Kilskyre move Byrne to the forty for the second half.O Shea is a battler and has full confidence in his own ability.We shall see,,They score first.We score second.Then the incident which I believe saved our day.Byrne got possession ,brushed aside all before him and bore down on the goal with only one thing on his mind.Finn went out to meet him and I believe Byrne blinked and pulled the trigger too hastily.The sliotar flied harmlessly wide.Relief all round.Byrne ,by the way was probably Kilskyres most dangerous player and the new Meath management could do worse than incljde him in their plans.Encouraged by this near miss KIlskyre kicked on and a series of frees and scores flowed their way.The force was with them.With ten to go they went a point up.
Our backs .especially Finn and Sprog held their nerve and kept the juices flowing.WE readied the ship and Wright replaced Moran who had clocked upon a good day;s work;
He steadied the ship more and the tide Begin to ebb our way.Gilky scored a vital point from a difficult angle near the sideline at the Pavilion end to level .Lukie came more into it at this vital stage and a frustrated Kilskyre were blown for over exhibitions a further three times before the end of the added three minutes.Gilky put them over with aplomb.
Thea place went maniac.Grown men cried.Women hugged each other with delight.Kids screamed at their heroes as our Finn took the cup thanking everybody he could think of and commiserating with a forlorn and gallant Klskyre.
Toochaid a la .Ach Buiochas le DIa ta ar La tagaithe.
The Parish wept.Winners by 2-9 to 1-9.
Scorers were :Gilky 0-5 .All frees.Lukie 0-1.Bomber 0-1,Moran 1-0.
Jordan 0-1.Alex 1-0Ted 0-1.
The High Nellies led the team into the village on auld Raleighs with The Dunderry Flag and Hurleys taped to the bikes.The lead outriders were the Gonk and the Hatchet,The Lord Mayor met them first and gave the freedom of the Parish.
Very appropriately Dunderry fanatic and wild boy of yester year Frankie the Volks drove the flat backed lorry carrying in the team to a rapturous homecoming.
And the Bondie was lit at the crossroads.A bale of straw and a hape of cardboard.
And the celebrations began.
Then to Lodge at 6.30 for a feed. And some light refreshment.The Club forked up for a main course and a desert and a cup of coffee.
It was appropriate for me at any rate that the auld Bomber was there ,by coincidence.He had done his thing over the years and the young Bomber is a fitting testimony to his stewardship.
And Josie and Denise and Yong Garry spoiled us with kindness and we all got emotional all over again.
And the speeches began.And the Flan man and Mick Minogue ,who took up the juvenile hurling mantle from me about 7 years ago and who has laboured hard and successfully at the hurling coalface and whose efforts resulted in all under twenty two on the team making the grade was cheered to the rafters.And Ted and Finn made their places in Dunderry folklore.And all involved with the team were cg cheered to the rafters.
Then back to hard celebrating in Horans and Geraghtys,
The less said the better.
Except to say that it is no wonder these guys won out.They are genuinely brothers in arms and know how to celebrate,A testerone cluster bomb.
And the ladies surely stand by their men.
Owen Brislane brought a few of his friend from Toom to the Pubs to help us celerity. He played with Meath in 2007 in the Christy Ring and did his bit and more to help prepare us for the victory.Aimee Treacy's father, Offaly's first All Star goalie Damian Martin ,not for the first time .honoured us with his presence and Shane Dooley of the famous clan of that name joined in the celebrations,
Whaco Mc Gourty,a man of his word who led the team to Div,2 League victory two years ago joined in the celebtationd as did Tommy Dowd and wife Geraldine and lovely daughters Mandy and Emma.
They are Dowds by the way and they sang Amhran na Fiann in Horans midweek before being ushered to safety in Gibbstown.
Tommy Shine and Peadar Byrne made their appesarance much to their credit and had a few jocuroms with us.
And there were photographs all over the shop,selfies and families ,including the three living generations of my family who wear or wore the Dunderr jersey,myself the two lads and Pauric ,Finns and Aoife's son.And Jacinta;s daughter Aisling and son Cormac have also wore the jersey.Their dad Terry was no mean hurler and footballer in his day and was overwhelmed with delight.
I cannot stick the pace as good as in days of yore.I loved a pint of Guinness in my days of full health but the stroke that nearly whipped me has left several hateful side effects,one of which is that I can't stand the taste of Guinness.Sadly A Bacardi and Coke is all I am up to now,and there is only so much of these you can stomach.Thea younger guys leave me at the starting line in the arts of celebrating.
A hoarse Finn and his players did the rouds of the primary schools on Monday to their eternal credit and succeeded in getting the kids off homework ,a feat which further endeared them to the the adoring youngsters.
I discussed this incapacity to celebrate hard with old friend and great club man,Mickey Daly ,with whom I was fierce great (And still am ) during the late eighties and indeed afterwards.
He is in the same boat for different reasons.His philosophical view of our changed circumstances is to thank God we filled ourselves when drink was cheap,.Now that's what you call an optimist.
I am fierce happy with the team and its management and all the players.I am as proud as a man could be of my sons and cousin who are plying their trades.
All four daughters and three sons wore the clubs jerseys with distinction,My brothers Martin and Cecil were at the match and joined the celebrations.Poor Robert would have been here if he lived.
If only my mother and father and all my Mc Cormack uncles and aunts had lived to see this day I would be overjoyed.
WE play the KIlkenny champs in Meath on 16/11/2014.
We need have no fear.
Dundoire Abu,
They duly won the football and their quest for the Intermediate double was on.On the day of the final I saw some supporters from Kilskyre sporting the logo "The drive for five ".I am not sure what this was about but suspect that their earlier last minute defeat of us by their amalgam with Moylough in the under 21 hurling final may have had something to do with it.
We had two weeks to get ready and if ever I wanted anything I wanted this Championship to come here.Badly.
There were historic and deeply embedded threads of continuity and tradition demandingr victory.
The earliest final we won in hurling was in 1934.The "Gael Fitzsimons " from Tullaghanstown had written a poem to celebrate that victory.I have it somewhere.Would that I could repeat the dose now.
In Ted Dowd and Simon Carty we had direct descendants of the Sharkey Dowd and Nick Carty who starred in that win.
Hurling melted into the ether after that win around Dundery and it was not until the mid 1980's that it was again resurrected here at adult level..
Mickey Daly,Phil Cahill and Ned Howley in the main had powered a hape of talented garsuns into a all conquering force in Meath and they had won all before them in Meath Hurling up to and including the Minor Hurling Championship in 1985.
There was no adult hurling team in Dunderry then and Kilmessan and Trim were licking their lips at the prospect of recruiting our young stars into their hurling set ups.
I joined up with Dunderry GAA Club on arrival to live here on January 1st.1986.A number of hurling men had approached me before the Annual General Meeting that year asking me if I would propose the formation of an adult hurling team .I did and after fierce opposition being expressed from many that it would destroy football the proposal was narrowly carried.
And then the hurling ship was relaunched.
We won the Junie B and Junior A championships in short order and in 1991 won the Intermediate .
I was 35 years old when I moved here and played at full back for both the Junior campaigns.Father time and bad knees had caught up with me by the time the Intermediate came around and my future son in law Terry Mac Donagh had very properly taken my place.I was delighted to be a sub.
My son Evan is full back and Captain today .Daithi Og is corner beside him.Tradition.
Dermot Dempsey was on that adventure.His sons Liam and Connor are on the present team.John Henry on their mother's side played with us then too,Likewise Gerry Doherty's sons Thomas and Bob figure presently .Thomas mac Cormack was on the 1980.s crew when he wasn't working in England ,.His nephew David is on the present crew.Noel ,Thomas's brother is David's father and my first cousin.
In the early 1990's Ned Howley .after a lifetime of service,threw in the towel on his stewardship of the Juveniles and landed a manure bag of hurleys and a few sliotars at my doorstep.
I took up the challenge and started the long slog on the road to hurling Valhalla.Along the journey we had willing help from several true and doughty servants,Unheralded men like Noel Mac Cormack,Michael Mac Cormack,Dessie Fagan ,Jerry Doherty,Tommy Garry,Eileen Bruton,Davy Marree, Bomber Farrell and the late and very respected Father Malachy Lynham .
And George Herterich and Oliver Travers who shyly bought helmets when money was as scarce as hens teeth.(bit like today )
And thanks to the Japanese who invented the Hi and Lo Ace vans ,which lined with square bales of straw, transported numerous players around the County.
We actually had not the numbers to fill legal minor teams when Ted was a minor and conceded walkovers that year but played each match with our Mags,my daughter , .Lettie Rowan and Jaffa Mulligan ,as far as I remember making up the numbers.
I was Sec.of the Juveniles for yonks ,Noel was Treasurer likewise.As devoted a club man as Dessie Fagin you would travel far to find.
All these men and women kept the show on the road for decades winning little except a minor C championship about 13 years ago ,despite appearing in numerous finals through out the decades.
Evan,Davy Mac,Daithi Og,Thomas and Bob Doherty ,Joey Martin, and Kevin and Damian Bruton are the die hard legatees of this era and I take off my hat to them all.
And I regret that emigration,injury ,austerity and factors stemming from these causes and sheer exhaustion have left us short of men such as Keith Callaghan,Ivan Mac Cormack,Darren Callaghan,Razor and Kenny Fagan,Cyril Halton Darren Murtagh.Lee Mulligan,Tosh ,T;J and Alan Garry,Ciaran Mulvenna,Paddy Gorey,Paudge Carroll and a host of others. I know these people and I know they are made of the right stuff.
And the guys on the pitch will not be found deficient in the liathroidi department.
All these thoughts went through my head in the weeks running up to the final.
And I was not alone in my desire for victory .The support for the team and the lads permeated all arteries of the Parrish.The GAA Club as poor as a Church mouse,but with a pavilion to die for and a training pitch bought and paid for ,found the wherewithal to fly the flags,And individual families defied the austerity gloom to sport homemade flags and paint their support on bales of silage and whatever you are having yourself.
And Dot Rattigan went into overdrive baking homemade bread and boiling beef to fill the real butter sandwiches.And Johnnie got arthritis of the left arm screwing the tabletops from the Orange squash bottles to make drinks for the boys after training.
Vinny R,adores hurling.He holds a championship with O Mahony's
And working men and women put it all in for the Team.
And we prayed for the proper result at the Friday rosary.
The day was upon us.I was there bright and early and determined not to talk to strange women.
Dunderry had the biggest support of the four finalists,Easily.And the Trim support cheered us to a man,woman and child.And the tension was unbearable.
And many had tears in their eyes as a result of the guard of honour formed by members of the Dundrry High Nellie Club all the way from the village to the Showgrounds.Francie mac dilis Nailer was on his game.Afterwards he would perpetuate his Father's memoryr with the Scania song and mention of the Nailer's shoe to the pedal as it climbred mont Blanc,
We lined out as follows.
Thomas Doherty
Davy Stephens Evan Stephens Davy Mac Cormack
C,Minogue Conor O Shea Conor Dempsey
Bomber Farrell Liam Dempsey
Davy Gilkinson Jordan Martyn Alex Walsh
John Moran Luke Martin Ted Dowd.
Subs.
Mickey Dowdall.
Garrett Dooley
Stephen Coogan
Brendan Wright
Stefan Clarke
Aaron Feeney
Chris Harrington
Catha Ryan
Joey Martin
Alan Casey,
Kevin Bruron,
Dylan Keenan
Cillian Leonard
Damian Bruton.
Simon Carty
Manager .Ted Dowd,Selectors.Dara Flanagan,Gerry Mac Loughlin and ,Mick Minogue.
Dermot Dempsey started our the year as a selector but the burdens of State service weighed so heavily on his shoulders and his time that he had to relinquish his position.
Damian Bruron was out of action with a recent operation and Brendan Wright was merging from a period of suspension,
The management must have burned the midnight oil often in selecting the team as any combination from at least 20 players would have met approval.
Dara Flanagan ,a Dub.and that is a good thing. was added to the mix at the start of the year and took on the job seeking redemption for plotting our downfall against a combined Drumree /Blackhall selection in the under 21 final two years ago.Boy are we glad he came our way.
His fresh eyes proffered a new insight into our strategies and with Ted on the field he has the final call on switches and replacements.
Referee is Killian Jones from Kilcock.Hardly the home of hurling but he plays in goals for their Intermediate hurlers,so he should have some empathy for the ancient game.In any event as my late uncle Tommy Mac Cormack used say "You don't have to be a bullock to judge one".I judge that on balance he was fair to both sides at the end of the day.
The ball is in the game is on.For the first ten minutes we are the better team marginally.We get two long distance frees and Gilky is put in the frame.He misses and I privately pray that he is not going to shite on the traces,And pray that he holds his nerve.We presumably have alternatives if this happens ?
For all our attacking Kilskyre draw first blood with a point.I am worried.
Then Ted wins a ball he should not in front of where I am sitting in the stand.He shrugs off his man ,takes aim and fires.From his shooting position and angle target there is about a foot of space between the posts to get a minor.Sweet Jesus he gets it bang on.Never did he score a more important point.Hope rises.Omens good.
Then our Alex ,a 17 year old Dunderry Dub ,again draws from his bottomless reservoir of bravery and doggedly and legitimately harasses a much bigger opponent and wins a ball he should not get near and makes a direct line for the onion bag.He falls.he gets up ,he pulls the trigger ,The stand erupts .Goal.
But KIlskyre are made of doughty stuff ,as we well know and pull one back,Gilky gets a decent free and points.This settles him as it subsequently transpires.We are back on track.Johnny Moran is getting the better of his man and crosses a few balls to the edge of the square.He is creating a degree of panic .He follows up on a ball broken by Lukie and finishes to the net.Jubilation.We are buzzing,Sprog has the measure of Shine,Finn is the master of the square,Spongee is fearless the all half backs are at least holding their own and the midfield are as game as could be.But Kilskyre are no daws either,Peadar Byrne,a powerful man ,makes a forceful foray goal wards and offloads at the last minute .It is smacked to the back of the net. Jordan scores a class point and KIlskyre tack on two more to keep in the hunt and the whistle blows to close the first half on the scoreline of 2-3 to their 1-4.
Ted has taken a vow of Trappists silence for the day.I know.I administered the oath.It has been reputed that he sometimes protests too much.There is a view that he is a handy target for line by certain referees who wish to put down markers.
His passion is unquestioned.He is more sinned against than sinning.He is as open as the Bible.Nothing sly about our Ted.Today he is grounded surreptitiously off the ball.In the head and through the helmet.I know because like Saint Thomas I felt the lumps afterwards.
I didn't see it.I was following the play.Neither did the referee nor any of the other officials.
No Dowd ever lay down unless he was hurt.And Ted is a Dowd .His mothers people the Campbeklls from Carnaross don#t do theatricals either.
Anyhow he recovered.
I feel the game is in the lap of the Gods.If we can hold our lead we have a chance ,I pray but feel we should be more ahead.
Kilskyre move Byrne to the forty for the second half.O Shea is a battler and has full confidence in his own ability.We shall see,,They score first.We score second.Then the incident which I believe saved our day.Byrne got possession ,brushed aside all before him and bore down on the goal with only one thing on his mind.Finn went out to meet him and I believe Byrne blinked and pulled the trigger too hastily.The sliotar flied harmlessly wide.Relief all round.Byrne ,by the way was probably Kilskyres most dangerous player and the new Meath management could do worse than incljde him in their plans.Encouraged by this near miss KIlskyre kicked on and a series of frees and scores flowed their way.The force was with them.With ten to go they went a point up.
Our backs .especially Finn and Sprog held their nerve and kept the juices flowing.WE readied the ship and Wright replaced Moran who had clocked upon a good day;s work;
He steadied the ship more and the tide Begin to ebb our way.Gilky scored a vital point from a difficult angle near the sideline at the Pavilion end to level .Lukie came more into it at this vital stage and a frustrated Kilskyre were blown for over exhibitions a further three times before the end of the added three minutes.Gilky put them over with aplomb.
Thea place went maniac.Grown men cried.Women hugged each other with delight.Kids screamed at their heroes as our Finn took the cup thanking everybody he could think of and commiserating with a forlorn and gallant Klskyre.
Toochaid a la .Ach Buiochas le DIa ta ar La tagaithe.
The Parish wept.Winners by 2-9 to 1-9.
Scorers were :Gilky 0-5 .All frees.Lukie 0-1.Bomber 0-1,Moran 1-0.
Jordan 0-1.Alex 1-0Ted 0-1.
The High Nellies led the team into the village on auld Raleighs with The Dunderry Flag and Hurleys taped to the bikes.The lead outriders were the Gonk and the Hatchet,The Lord Mayor met them first and gave the freedom of the Parish.
Very appropriately Dunderry fanatic and wild boy of yester year Frankie the Volks drove the flat backed lorry carrying in the team to a rapturous homecoming.
And the Bondie was lit at the crossroads.A bale of straw and a hape of cardboard.
And the celebrations began.
Then to Lodge at 6.30 for a feed. And some light refreshment.The Club forked up for a main course and a desert and a cup of coffee.
It was appropriate for me at any rate that the auld Bomber was there ,by coincidence.He had done his thing over the years and the young Bomber is a fitting testimony to his stewardship.
And Josie and Denise and Yong Garry spoiled us with kindness and we all got emotional all over again.
And the speeches began.And the Flan man and Mick Minogue ,who took up the juvenile hurling mantle from me about 7 years ago and who has laboured hard and successfully at the hurling coalface and whose efforts resulted in all under twenty two on the team making the grade was cheered to the rafters.And Ted and Finn made their places in Dunderry folklore.And all involved with the team were cg cheered to the rafters.
Then back to hard celebrating in Horans and Geraghtys,
The less said the better.
Except to say that it is no wonder these guys won out.They are genuinely brothers in arms and know how to celebrate,A testerone cluster bomb.
And the ladies surely stand by their men.
Owen Brislane brought a few of his friend from Toom to the Pubs to help us celerity. He played with Meath in 2007 in the Christy Ring and did his bit and more to help prepare us for the victory.Aimee Treacy's father, Offaly's first All Star goalie Damian Martin ,not for the first time .honoured us with his presence and Shane Dooley of the famous clan of that name joined in the celebrations,
Whaco Mc Gourty,a man of his word who led the team to Div,2 League victory two years ago joined in the celebtationd as did Tommy Dowd and wife Geraldine and lovely daughters Mandy and Emma.
They are Dowds by the way and they sang Amhran na Fiann in Horans midweek before being ushered to safety in Gibbstown.
Tommy Shine and Peadar Byrne made their appesarance much to their credit and had a few jocuroms with us.
And there were photographs all over the shop,selfies and families ,including the three living generations of my family who wear or wore the Dunderr jersey,myself the two lads and Pauric ,Finns and Aoife's son.And Jacinta;s daughter Aisling and son Cormac have also wore the jersey.Their dad Terry was no mean hurler and footballer in his day and was overwhelmed with delight.
I cannot stick the pace as good as in days of yore.I loved a pint of Guinness in my days of full health but the stroke that nearly whipped me has left several hateful side effects,one of which is that I can't stand the taste of Guinness.Sadly A Bacardi and Coke is all I am up to now,and there is only so much of these you can stomach.Thea younger guys leave me at the starting line in the arts of celebrating.
A hoarse Finn and his players did the rouds of the primary schools on Monday to their eternal credit and succeeded in getting the kids off homework ,a feat which further endeared them to the the adoring youngsters.
I discussed this incapacity to celebrate hard with old friend and great club man,Mickey Daly ,with whom I was fierce great (And still am ) during the late eighties and indeed afterwards.
He is in the same boat for different reasons.His philosophical view of our changed circumstances is to thank God we filled ourselves when drink was cheap,.Now that's what you call an optimist.
I am fierce happy with the team and its management and all the players.I am as proud as a man could be of my sons and cousin who are plying their trades.
All four daughters and three sons wore the clubs jerseys with distinction,My brothers Martin and Cecil were at the match and joined the celebrations.Poor Robert would have been here if he lived.
If only my mother and father and all my Mc Cormack uncles and aunts had lived to see this day I would be overjoyed.
WE play the KIlkenny champs in Meath on 16/11/2014.
We need have no fear.
Dundoire Abu,
Sunday, October 12, 2014
No substitute for men
The bonfire is lit,prayers anwered and we bate Kilskyre by 3 points.
Report much,much later.
Report much,much later.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Not a word from the Pussy Rioters now.
Where are the darlings of the Secular headbangers in western Europe when you need them.These fearless femmes are not to be found now that the bullets are flying in Russian Ukraine nor in Syria /Iraq nor anywhere within an asses gallop of real danger.
I.m sure that flashing their tits and desecrating Churches would go down a bomb in these places and turn the tide in favour of their secular and liberal cronies.
Never a Rioter when you need one.
I.m sure that flashing their tits and desecrating Churches would go down a bomb in these places and turn the tide in favour of their secular and liberal cronies.
Never a Rioter when you need one.
Local Poet hits the nail on the head.
Local Poet Mariah Sims launched her first book of poetry at the Public Library in Kells last evening.I was honoured to be an invited guest.
The title of her book is "The colours of my world".It is a good read.
She is one of many people who feel betrayed by the austerity of the current Government and has penned the following poem as a result.
As we Don't like it.
Get them out,get them out,get rid of them
said the mother struggling every day to feed her kids.
Get them put,get them out.get rid of them
said the father about to lose the family home.
Get them out,get therm out,get rid of them
said the baby in the womb who wants the right to life.
Get them out,get them out get rid of them,
said the mother when she kissed her only son goodbye
as he set off for Australia.
Get them out,get them out,get rid of them,
said the widow who can't pay for her husband's funeral.
Get them out ,get them out,get rid of them
said the girl on a hospital trolley for three days
waiting for a bed.
We deserve the government we have ,we put them there said I.
Get them out,get them out,get rid of them.
The title of her book is "The colours of my world".It is a good read.
She is one of many people who feel betrayed by the austerity of the current Government and has penned the following poem as a result.
As we Don't like it.
Get them out,get them out,get rid of them
said the mother struggling every day to feed her kids.
Get them put,get them out.get rid of them
said the father about to lose the family home.
Get them out,get therm out,get rid of them
said the baby in the womb who wants the right to life.
Get them out,get them out get rid of them,
said the mother when she kissed her only son goodbye
as he set off for Australia.
Get them out,get them out,get rid of them,
said the widow who can't pay for her husband's funeral.
Get them out ,get them out,get rid of them
said the girl on a hospital trolley for three days
waiting for a bed.
We deserve the government we have ,we put them there said I.
Get them out,get them out,get rid of them.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
If you can't get it on the black market !!
I often pass by the shut down hardware store run for generations by the Leonard family on the road near Athboy Gate and adjacent to the Stone House public house.I knew the last two generations well and indeed Charlie the institution who worked there,Decent people all.
It is sad to see it closed down and its closure is a very real testimony to the treatment of people by the political Kapos and duine breaga who run this country for the E.U bullies who sold us down the Swanee and lumbered us with the sort of debt that we have no chance of ever paying.
Bad cess to them all.
When the business was up and running years ago they were the best men in Ireland to source any item needed no matter how rare ,
Even during the War years of 1939 to 1945,when everything was rationed and there was a thriving and much used black market.
I often heard my grandfather and uncles humming to the tune of"Shine up your buttons with Brasso ,its only three happens a tin,and adding the word "and if you can't get it on the black market you'll get it in Leonards of Trim."
Some compliment to their resourcefulness.
It is sad to see it closed down and its closure is a very real testimony to the treatment of people by the political Kapos and duine breaga who run this country for the E.U bullies who sold us down the Swanee and lumbered us with the sort of debt that we have no chance of ever paying.
Bad cess to them all.
When the business was up and running years ago they were the best men in Ireland to source any item needed no matter how rare ,
Even during the War years of 1939 to 1945,when everything was rationed and there was a thriving and much used black market.
I often heard my grandfather and uncles humming to the tune of"Shine up your buttons with Brasso ,its only three happens a tin,and adding the word "and if you can't get it on the black market you'll get it in Leonards of Trim."
Some compliment to their resourcefulness.
Anti Catholic RTE at it again/
I happened to hear snippets of the Marion Finnucane Show on RTE Radio today.
Again herself and her guests ,especially an ex Fine Gael Minister Gemma Hussy took every opportunity to dump on Catholicism and the Pope,
This lack of balance or any semblance of it is endemic in RTE Radio amongst these auld wans and their ilk.
Is this because the place is crawling with lapsed Catholics or men and women who are on their second living husband or wife as the case may be and aggressive atheists and militant homosexuals who never miss an to sneer and belittle.
This is an abuse of my licence fee as far as I am concerned.
Is it too much to ask that some attempt be made at gender ,sexual orientation and religious versus atheist balance in this so called National Station?
Again herself and her guests ,especially an ex Fine Gael Minister Gemma Hussy took every opportunity to dump on Catholicism and the Pope,
This lack of balance or any semblance of it is endemic in RTE Radio amongst these auld wans and their ilk.
Is this because the place is crawling with lapsed Catholics or men and women who are on their second living husband or wife as the case may be and aggressive atheists and militant homosexuals who never miss an to sneer and belittle.
This is an abuse of my licence fee as far as I am concerned.
Is it too much to ask that some attempt be made at gender ,sexual orientation and religious versus atheist balance in this so called National Station?
Bruron's hailing of Redmond way off the mark
I have listened attentively to the adulation by John Bruton of his hero John Redmond,Nationalist Party M.P,who urged untold thousands of Irish Nationalists to the horrors of trench warfare and near certain death in return for the undelivered promise of the pig in the poke of at best a diluted form of self rule and to the rantings of Kevin Myers against the violence of the heroes of 1916 who evicted the bully compatriots of Myers from the misrule of the Brits who murdered several million native Irish over the centuries and who stood idly by as over a million poor Irish starved during the famine when Myers beloved Empire was at its richest .
I don't buy into this nonsensical attempt at revisionism at all.
Young Dev.and Michael Mac Doug hall demolished entirely the nonsense being promulgated by these men on a RTE programme lately.
Not that it stopped these two gents continuing to peddle this nonsense.
However a documentary on TG 4 on the Mental Hospitals of Ireland recently threw up a whole new angle on the fall out from the Irish involvement in World Wat 1 and it was this.
The mental Hospitals were overwhelmed by the deluge of returning soldiers who were rotten with syphilis and who took up residence there overstretching the already poorly funded hospitals.
Not only this but work being scarce many many ex soldiers took up employment as nurses in these institutions thereby influencing the sort of military discipline into these homes which was so inappropriate for the non syphilitic inmates and made them the object of such fear amongst the general public.
Now Johnny and Kev put that in your pipe and smoke it.
I don't buy into this nonsensical attempt at revisionism at all.
Young Dev.and Michael Mac Doug hall demolished entirely the nonsense being promulgated by these men on a RTE programme lately.
Not that it stopped these two gents continuing to peddle this nonsense.
However a documentary on TG 4 on the Mental Hospitals of Ireland recently threw up a whole new angle on the fall out from the Irish involvement in World Wat 1 and it was this.
The mental Hospitals were overwhelmed by the deluge of returning soldiers who were rotten with syphilis and who took up residence there overstretching the already poorly funded hospitals.
Not only this but work being scarce many many ex soldiers took up employment as nurses in these institutions thereby influencing the sort of military discipline into these homes which was so inappropriate for the non syphilitic inmates and made them the object of such fear amongst the general public.
Now Johnny and Kev put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Dunderry V Rathoath I.H.C.semi final 28/9/2014
This vital match was played on a Sunday morning at 11.30 a.m. in a resplendent Trim,into which pitch I was assisted by a man of honour and kindness C.J.Murtagh,a true gent.
Lest anybody should think that disabled persons get in free to such matches,as was recently tasked to me,even where the person has dedicated a lifetime to promotion of the GAA,this is not the case.
I paid in to watch the match as a spectator just the same as everybody else.
I was there to support my sons,my neighbours and my Club.
I had heard that Ratoath were a good team and they were undoubtedly favourites to beat us and win out.
I have mixed feelings about Rathoat.A great hurling man and former Eoghan Ruaidh stalwart was Chairman and was and is a good friend of the family.On the other hand I was knocked out a number of years ago while refereeing a camogie match by a punch from behind by a Rathoat supporter and when our Club was involved with the contentious transfer of Jordan Martyn to Dunderry a number of years ago a Ratoath Gael wrote to the Chronicle condemning the Dunderry Executive and wishing the Club bad luck on the sporting fields.
I was hoping we would win.
I have said before that it is extremely difficult for a small village to promote both codes,especially when the players get older and bruised bodies and the demands of extending families are a daily reality.This combined with emigration is a drain on the resolve of all rural Clubs.We do not have the much greater population of the more populous clubs to draw on .
Team.
Thomas Doherty
Day Stephens Evan Stephens Davy Mac Cormack
Conor Dempsey Conor O Shea Cillian Minogue
Liam Dempsey Conor Farrell
Jordan Martyn Ted Dowd Davy Gikkinson
John Moran Luke Martyn Alex Walshe
Referee was Martin Bartley.
Both teams had great support and former Dunderry great Brian Newman was in attendance on a visit home from America.
The score when I got settled was 1-4 to 0-2 against Dundrry.In short order we drew level and went three points up by half time in a good sporting game punctuated by a series of bizzare frees which left me,a student and practitioner of the game totally befuddled and totally enraged that the hopes and dreams of decent players should be so impugned.
There was not much skill wise or commitment wise between the teams and each and every ball was fiercely and fairly contested and we were denied what seemed to be a clear point by someone,I am not sure who.(umpire of referee)
We reached half time ahead by three points on the scorelines 1-10 to 1-7.I was fairly happy with the lead but fierce unhappy with the constant whistle blowing as evidenced by the high number of frees converted by the respective free takers and often you would not have a clue why the whistle was blown.
Backs,midfielders and forwards were giving their all and left to pure hurling we were marginally better.
We fielded for the second half as we started,no changes.
But the referee awarded a series of frees against us which were grotesque,unbelievable,bizzare and unprecedented and which totally stymied any progress we made.As far a I am concerned they were against us by a significant margin,Even when one of our lads was felled by the attention of two opponents and temporarily out of it,he was booked and a free awarded against him.
On another occasion when one of our lads was r tripped by the insertion of a Hurley between his legs a throw in rather than a free out was given
During my lifetime I have put thousands of players ,boys and girls ,through my hands and I adore the game of hurling.
Such was the level of despair at the handling of the game that I sincerely regretted ever getting youngsters involved and was on the cusp of leaving myself.
To tell the truth I don' know how our lads held their heads and how they didn/t walk off the pitch.
However they kept at it and inspired by a Dowd goal near full time to bring the deficit back to two points ,a point blank save by Doc and irony of ironies ,a goal by the guy (Martyn ) who was the subject of the transfer controversy all those years ago we held on to win by a single point on the scoreline 3-15 to 1-20.
To me everybody was a hero 1 to a 15 including the subs introduced Stephen Coogan and Garrett Dooley.
I don't know the referee nor anybody belonging to him and have never met h im in any capacity.And it is only exceptionally that I complain publicly about them.
I strongly feel that it would be a dereliction of fair comment not to draw attention to his performance in this game but this was not the first time he behaved as he did to us.
In a previous game in Athboy against Kilskyre he turned totally against us in the first half and only ameliorated after half time when some semblance of balance was restored.
Our scorers were :-Minogue 0-1,Jordan Martyn1-0,Moran0-2Ted 1-0,Lukie 1-1 1nd Gilkie 11 )7rees and 3 65,s)..
In other words 10 of our 15 points were from placed balls and at least another two were missed.
A broken hearted Rathoat also scored 10 points from placed balls and missed a few others also.
We have two weeks to get ourselves together..
Kilskyre have the hex on us,having bate us by a lat minute point in the under 21 hurling this year and also knocked us out of the football championship.
To many's surprise they beat Drumree last Sunday and will be overwhelming favourites to win.
Our boys have a mountain to climb but given a fair shake they have a chance.
IT was a historic day for my family and I was as proud as punch to have two sons playing on the Dunderry team and a grandson Padraic,Evan and Aoife's son ,fielding with the Dunderry under eights against their Ratoath counterparts as part of the half time entertainment.
But there is always something to sour the sweet ,about which more anon.
Lest anybody should think that disabled persons get in free to such matches,as was recently tasked to me,even where the person has dedicated a lifetime to promotion of the GAA,this is not the case.
I paid in to watch the match as a spectator just the same as everybody else.
I was there to support my sons,my neighbours and my Club.
I had heard that Ratoath were a good team and they were undoubtedly favourites to beat us and win out.
I have mixed feelings about Rathoat.A great hurling man and former Eoghan Ruaidh stalwart was Chairman and was and is a good friend of the family.On the other hand I was knocked out a number of years ago while refereeing a camogie match by a punch from behind by a Rathoat supporter and when our Club was involved with the contentious transfer of Jordan Martyn to Dunderry a number of years ago a Ratoath Gael wrote to the Chronicle condemning the Dunderry Executive and wishing the Club bad luck on the sporting fields.
I was hoping we would win.
I have said before that it is extremely difficult for a small village to promote both codes,especially when the players get older and bruised bodies and the demands of extending families are a daily reality.This combined with emigration is a drain on the resolve of all rural Clubs.We do not have the much greater population of the more populous clubs to draw on .
Team.
Thomas Doherty
Day Stephens Evan Stephens Davy Mac Cormack
Conor Dempsey Conor O Shea Cillian Minogue
Liam Dempsey Conor Farrell
Jordan Martyn Ted Dowd Davy Gikkinson
John Moran Luke Martyn Alex Walshe
Referee was Martin Bartley.
Both teams had great support and former Dunderry great Brian Newman was in attendance on a visit home from America.
The score when I got settled was 1-4 to 0-2 against Dundrry.In short order we drew level and went three points up by half time in a good sporting game punctuated by a series of bizzare frees which left me,a student and practitioner of the game totally befuddled and totally enraged that the hopes and dreams of decent players should be so impugned.
There was not much skill wise or commitment wise between the teams and each and every ball was fiercely and fairly contested and we were denied what seemed to be a clear point by someone,I am not sure who.(umpire of referee)
We reached half time ahead by three points on the scorelines 1-10 to 1-7.I was fairly happy with the lead but fierce unhappy with the constant whistle blowing as evidenced by the high number of frees converted by the respective free takers and often you would not have a clue why the whistle was blown.
Backs,midfielders and forwards were giving their all and left to pure hurling we were marginally better.
We fielded for the second half as we started,no changes.
But the referee awarded a series of frees against us which were grotesque,unbelievable,bizzare and unprecedented and which totally stymied any progress we made.As far a I am concerned they were against us by a significant margin,Even when one of our lads was felled by the attention of two opponents and temporarily out of it,he was booked and a free awarded against him.
On another occasion when one of our lads was r tripped by the insertion of a Hurley between his legs a throw in rather than a free out was given
During my lifetime I have put thousands of players ,boys and girls ,through my hands and I adore the game of hurling.
Such was the level of despair at the handling of the game that I sincerely regretted ever getting youngsters involved and was on the cusp of leaving myself.
To tell the truth I don' know how our lads held their heads and how they didn/t walk off the pitch.
However they kept at it and inspired by a Dowd goal near full time to bring the deficit back to two points ,a point blank save by Doc and irony of ironies ,a goal by the guy (Martyn ) who was the subject of the transfer controversy all those years ago we held on to win by a single point on the scoreline 3-15 to 1-20.
To me everybody was a hero 1 to a 15 including the subs introduced Stephen Coogan and Garrett Dooley.
I don't know the referee nor anybody belonging to him and have never met h im in any capacity.And it is only exceptionally that I complain publicly about them.
I strongly feel that it would be a dereliction of fair comment not to draw attention to his performance in this game but this was not the first time he behaved as he did to us.
In a previous game in Athboy against Kilskyre he turned totally against us in the first half and only ameliorated after half time when some semblance of balance was restored.
Our scorers were :-Minogue 0-1,Jordan Martyn1-0,Moran0-2Ted 1-0,Lukie 1-1 1nd Gilkie 11 )7rees and 3 65,s)..
In other words 10 of our 15 points were from placed balls and at least another two were missed.
A broken hearted Rathoat also scored 10 points from placed balls and missed a few others also.
We have two weeks to get ourselves together..
Kilskyre have the hex on us,having bate us by a lat minute point in the under 21 hurling this year and also knocked us out of the football championship.
To many's surprise they beat Drumree last Sunday and will be overwhelming favourites to win.
Our boys have a mountain to climb but given a fair shake they have a chance.
IT was a historic day for my family and I was as proud as punch to have two sons playing on the Dunderry team and a grandson Padraic,Evan and Aoife's son ,fielding with the Dunderry under eights against their Ratoath counterparts as part of the half time entertainment.
But there is always something to sour the sweet ,about which more anon.
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