Dunderry V Drumree Junior Camogie Final 28/9/2013

Dunderry v Drumree.Junior Camogie C.Final.28/9/2013

 

On an Autumn evening stolen from Summer Dunderry Gaels gathered in the well appointed Longwood Grounds hoping that their young team would continue the tradition  of bringing home a junior championship cup in each decade since the foundation of the Club.The elder sisters ,mothers and aunts of the present crew had brought home the Laurels in the 1990’s the 2,000’s and we were hoping that this talented team would repeat the dose again today.

The  dearth of silverware quarried this few years back by their hurling and football brothers and husbands hurts and we are all there  willing them to come up trumps.

There is history between Dunderry and Drumree.Both are rural clubs flying the Gaelic flag in the face of adversity.Both are deeply embedded in the communities they serve and some families have been trumpeting the Games of the Gaels for over a century in their Parishes.Both know that families are the backbone of rural clubs and that in no circumstances should staunch and loyal members be treated without due respect.Ted Dowd coached Drumree for a few years recently at Adult hurling.In revenge Drumree  have sent G.T.Troy to us to coach this Camogie team.He has done so assiduously as Ted did when the roles were reversed.

Kit Doyle whose family  is synonymous with Drumree Gaels played here for a year when living in the Parish.When he ceased  to reside here he transferred  back home quam celerrime.

Maureen Doyle (nee Maguire) is a leading light in Drumree Camogie.Her sister is married to my brother Martin,She captained KIlmessan to a Senior Camogie Championship at seventeen years of age c.1968.The next Senior Championship Kilmessan won was captained by my daughter Margarita many years later.Margarita was a driving force in initiating many of the younger members of today’s panel into the  game.Families and tradition.Ya can’t bate it.

The appointed referee Pat Gannon is a referee of probity.From a family of traditional Gaels.He played hurling.He coached club and County Teams.He knows  his onions.The nuances and the beauty of the games are second nature to him.Was delighted to see him nominated to take charge in full confidence that fair play would prevail.And it did.

The teams lined out as follows.

DUNDERRY.

1,Rebecca Scannell

2.Laura O Malley.

3.Grainne Dowd.

4.Michelle Daly.

5.Aisling Mc Donagh.

6.Emily Bray.

7.Danielle Clarke,

8.Jane Martin.

9.Labaoise Martyn.

10.Aoife Mc Cormack (Cap)

11.Julianne Griffin,

12.Sinead Broderick.

13.Aoife Minogue.

14.Emer Daly.

15.Jade Fitzsimons.

16.Leah Fitzsimons.

17.Freda O Leary.

18.Michelle Smith.

19.Aoife Gillick.

20.Niamh Quinn.

21.Muichelle Clarke.

22.Megan Byrne.

23.Sile Mc Kenna.

24.Emily Fleming.

25.Emer O Shea.

26.Tracey Fitzsimons.

27.Eveline griffin.

 Manager .G.T.Troy.

Selectors.Eveline Griffin,Grainne Dowd and Tracey Fitzsimons.

Four and fourteen are twin sisters.Five and ten are second cousins.Twenty seven is the mother of eleven.Twenty six is Club Secretary and the mother of fifteen and sixteen.Twenty two is the daughter of Tom Byrne Club Chairman.

Emily Fleming injured her hand in the last match and wasn’t available for selection.Emer O Shea could not be present due to an unavoidable family commitment.Two huge losses.

Aisling Mc Donagh is the daughter of my daughter Jacinta and Jacinta was one of the first to play with the Club when it was founded in 1988.I’d say she is unique in this respect.Aisling and labaoise are the babies of the Team.

Aoife Minogue is daughter of GAA Club Chairman Mick.Niamh Quinn is sister in law to Jane Martyn.

Families.Danielle Clarke is sister to Swiss a fair footballer.

 

DRUMREE Team.

 

1.Anne Marie Rattigan.

2Jessica Wall.

22,Lisa Donnelly.

4.Emer O Reilly.

5.Muireann O Hora.

6.Alannah Chalkey.

7.Hannah O  Brien.

8.Loise Griffin

9.Aine Brennan

10.Gemma Flanigan.

11.Clionadh O Riordan.

12.Cliona Murphy.

28.Aldi Pritchard.

14,Cliona Delaney.

15.Trish Monks.

3.Rosie Hand.

13.Emma Kenneddy.

17.Marissa Horan.

20.Sarah jayne Brady.

21.Bronagh Gavin.

22.Chloe Byrne.

23Cisara Jones.

25.Niamh Gallogy.

26.Emma Doyle.

29.Kim Slater.

30.Sarah Keane.

 A short time ago these teams met in the Junior League in Dunderry.Neither management showed their full hand ,putting out shadow outfits .Today is the business.

Drumree put two players on Aoife Minogue our scorer in chief.Both teams go out full blast.No quarter given nor asked.Hard and fair as it should be.Tit for tat for a while .Rebecca misjudges a probing ball and we concede a goal.The only mistake she makes in an impressive outing.Her puck outs are deadly.Grainne leads her full back line from the front,fearlessly.Her corners are rock steady.Emily is not easily brushed aside at centre back and Aisling and Danielle hold their ground well ,tidying up any loose ball that stray into their paths with aplomb. There is a battle royal in the middle and Jane and Labaoise shade it ,just.Julianne is causing problems and Aoife must have glue on her stick as she dances hither and thither helping herself to two goals.Sinead prospers at the fringes of the acr tion and feeds the ball to Aoife Minogue at every opportunity.Jade and Eimear get stuck in and take the pressure off Minogue.

Despite the close attention she registers 3-3 by half time at which we lead by 5-3 to 1-1.

The biggest Drumree cheer of the first half registers when Troy is put outside the wire by referee Gannon.I was too far away to witness what happened.G.T.is not flavour of the month in Drumree for sure.

The second half is a horse of a different colour.Drumree employ a sweeper.Aisling likewise lines up as our sweeper.The initiative passes to Drumree and cheered on by  their fanatical supporters they register 1-3 to nada for us in the first twenty minutes after the whistle.

Spurned on in particular by Lisa Donnelly.Muireann O Hara,Louise Griffin ,Gemma Flanigan  and Claire Delaney they bring the game to us and you would be anxious for our lassies.

But not for nothing did we labour in the training field all year.Aoife Mac quarries another minor,Julianne drives over and Eimear Daly rattles the onion sack.

We lose the second half on a scoreline of 1-4 to 1-3 but paddle safely through on the strength of the 5-3 banked in the first half.

Shelly Smith and Aoife Gillick were introduced after half time and did their bit to stem the Drumree mini revival.

All those nights in the training field have achieved their reward and the celebrations begin.Feed in the Lodge for starter.Disco in Geraghtys and Grainne and a few other can look forward to their second Junior medal with the Fort of the Oaks.

We have a young team tempered with the required experience and a stream of players coming to replenish the ranks.The mammies and daddies of the girls who do the coaching know their onions and are on the ball.We have a good thing going .

With proper nurturing the sky is the limit.

 

D.V.

 

Brutal seven days for Dunderry Gaels

In the last week we lost successively,the quarter finals of the Intermediate Football and Hurling Championships and the quarter final of the Junior B Football championship .Not a great week .Reports in due course.

Pressure on Muskateers continues.

Deirdre has gone to Lourdes.We pray she gets healing.Liam's Ma is still under pressure.My own family need for prayer has not abated .On the plus side Liam was in England for a week visiting the new grand daughter born to his daughter.,we had another most welcoming Christening last Sunday (Kate duughter of Claire and Owen ) and Leo and Carmel are dancing jigs to celebrate the much hoped for and now imminent  marriage of Fiacra.
The Stag party returned from Berlin last evening in the very finest of fettle.I met some of them and have the hangover to prove it.

Modern day Cromwellians destroy rural Ireland

The spend on the shopping  baskets of ordinary rural residents for basic foodstuffs has ,in my opinion,declined by 8.73% in the first quarter of 2013 as compared to the first quarter of 2012.This is exclusive of the cost of petrol/diesel,luxury  and tobacco products.The unjust and inequitable property tax imposed by Cromwell's successors has worsened the situation of ordinary people and the eviction of rural people from their homes ,whether by agreement.(holding a gun to people's head ) or by the employment of the assorted grippers who fit so easily into the shoes of Cromwell's enforcers has driven the flight of the Irish from the country to record ever heights of 90,000 per annum plus.
Combined with the massive increase in suicides caused by the loss of hope of the inhabitants and the unquantified number of people embracing death by illness brought on by loss of hope  by their persecution by uncaring State and State endorsed activities ,we live in the most hateful of times.
It is worth noting that the people who oversee these deprivations are all female.from the head of the I.M.F.,to Angela Merkel to the Irish Attorney General,to the D.P.P.,to the Minister of Social Welfare ,to the Chair of the Revenue Commissioners to the Chief Justice.
Never in modern times has there been so much law ,so little real justice ,such an absence of compassion and such hopelessness  and in a society dominated by so many females.

Whaco and Harrow.,

Had a few bevvies with the man known as the Whacko and his  (much ) better half the Empress of the man also known as the Emperor of Eskaroon the weekend gone.Royal company indeed,I must say.This man ,who won a minor football championship with Saint Barnabus in the Bronx in 1987 played with,managed and adored the Dunderry Hurling team ,a feat achieved by his brother Donie also.He handed over a ship in good condition.
The Royal duo are heading Stateside soon to my good friend,gentleman  and former fine footballer from Bohermeen Paul the Prosecutor.His brother Jim adorned the Dunderry football team in his day before he too emigrated .Another duo for the next exile team I publish.
America won't know what hit it and we wish the Royal couple bon voyage.
We met at the twenty first of Christopher Harrington ,one of the gosons who saved my life on July 1st,2009.A good night was had by one and all with Nance in Horans.
Just to throw a spanner into the works my night was tinged with sadness when I learned that a further two of the finest young ladies in the Parish are emigrating to France to join their parents next month.
Louise and Kate will be joining up with Larry and the missus.(can;t remember her name,mea culpa.)
Is there no end to this and will the last person out turn off the light.
That the light may shine on those who (mis) govern us.Bad cess to them.

25 th August 2013.Seminal Week for Dunderry GAA and Camogie.

On Sunday 25th a heap of Dunderry women won All Ireland Camogie Medals with Meath at under 16 and Junior B level thus adding considerably to the sole All Ireland held by our Mags.
This Tuesday our Junior Camogie Team play Trim in DunderryA win would qualify us for the Final.
On Sunday our Intermediate Hurlers hammered an out of sorts KIlmessan ,scoring 8-17 in the process,a resurrecting a thus far disappointing campaign.I understand we face old adversaries Wolfe Tones in the playoffs.
On Friday we play Clanna Gael in Cortown in the Intermediate Football Championship.We need to win this to assure our place in the playoffs as far as I can see.
Certainly if we score only 6 points ,as we did against Michaels last  Sunday week we will be pissing against the wind.
For the likes of Swiss ,Finn ,Ted ,Spongee,Jennings,Lar .Peadar   and a host of others who have burst a gut countless times I hope we rise to the occassion.We owe it to ourselves to so do.
Come on the boys and the girls.
Si gra mo croi,si Dunderry.
I had a fair article just completed on the above ,which took me over two hours to complete but I lost it due to a malfunction.You have no idea how frustrating this is.

Devil's Spawn polishing hooves

Following on from Bishop Smith's very proper directive to keep Funeral Masses Christian and Catholic in nature,the serried ranks of womb raiders,anti Catholic bigots,aggressive atheists, anti Catholic gonad idolaters and and their many media collaborators  are furiously planning their next Satanic attack on Catholicism in Meath and Countrywide.
I know this because my blog has been extensively researched by persons targeting all articles in which I mentioned Masses.
Be warned.

Egyptian Secularists primarily responsible for their countrymen's deaths.

Those armchair Egyptian secularists ,mostly preaching from  the safety of exiled academia ,who stoked the fires of unrest in their homeland and kickstarted the military coup turning democracy on its head,are personally responsible for each and every death in that Country.
America,the West,the European Union and the United Nations,all cheerleaders for secularism ,by their tacit support for the military there are like tits on a bull,totally useless .
What sort of a world have we got when every decent person knows that military dictatorship is an abhorrence and that the building by Zionists of houses in Palestinian lands is the Jewish equivalent of the plantation of Ireland by the British Empire and not one political leader is prepared to stand up and unequivocally condemn them..
That such wimps occupy positions of  power would drive you to despair.

Pulling pints.

The story goes that in a rural pub in Meath and definitely not Horans or Geraghtys about forty years ago,a newly married wife of the Publican made her debut behind the counter.There was a big crowd in ,she had no experience whatsoever of the bar trade and her husband was called awy on urgent business.Her ageing mother in law was called into action but she was as slow as wet week.It being thirsty weather and Guinness being the favourite tipple the customers were gasping with the thirst and the murmurs of discontent grew with the dearth of service.
A man,shall we call him the CAT,breezed in with Join Mac."Pull two pints "said he "horrid quick ."We are parched with the thirst cocking hay all evening"Under pressure she said",Paidin ,Seamin and Mickey are before ye"Take your time".
After an age still no pints."For Jasus sake where are them pints"said the Cat."Look" she said"I'm pulling Mickey's and when I'm finished pulling his  I'll start pulling yer's ."
At which stage the Customers went into convulsions of laughter.

Female Guile.

Maybe 100 years ago a single lady lived in this Parish.She was cracked about one man and one man only,the local Postman.He was aware ,polite but had no interest whatsoever.If anything this intensified her unrequitted love which in turn made him more disatant.
She did get her weekly fix of his presence by writing and posting a letter to herself every week.He had to deliver ,grin and bear it.
She did not snare him.

Whatever you do don't set land in Churchtown,Dunderry

In 1870 the following incidents happened in Churchtown,Dunderry.It happened in the house that preceeded the house of Colin Boles in Churchtown ,as you pass Churchtown going for Retaine graveyard.A man called FAGAN lived there then.
 "Five or six men ,armed with pistols and having their faces covered with hankerchiefs with holes cut for their eyes,visited the house of a farmer named  Thomas Fagan  residing at Churchtown,put him on his knees and swore him on a book which they produced ,to give up possession of grazing he took some time ago adjoining his own land ,after which they demanded money ,and received 1 shilling after which they decamped.
The polis on hearing of the occurrence,at once proceeded to the place,under the command of Thomas RossEsq.S.I. and the Headconstable Bourke and have been most indefatigable in their exertions.They brought in several prisoners ,who were examined before George Mc Carthy,esq.,R.M.It is alleged that one of the party fired a shot in Fagin's house and another carried a  brass blunderbuss."
This was brought to my attention by a direct desendant of the Fagins trying to trace his ancestors.The Fagins he comes from are not necessarily this branch but definitely came from either Retaine or Robinstown
Anyone who may be of assistance might contact me.
Seemingle letting land in Churchyown was a hazardous pastime in those times.More than likely the descendants of those involved with the hold up are still living locally.Any further information may be sent to me in confidence.The Statute of Limitations has well run out.
Today someone mentioned the vendetta that some  Gardai had against Dunderry people about twenty years ago and more.What appears to have been a crime free zone was apparently under siege at times,a scene I witnessed myself.
Maybe its true that the Police have a long memory but stretching it as far back as 1870 may be pushing it.

Muskateers under pressure

Had a full quorum last Friday.Carmel is going well.Proud as punch of Monaghan.Liam is under pressure .His 96 year old ma is not the best.A close family member of my own needs urgent prayer.And Deirdre motors on.Leo is in good nick.
Oremus.

"Guarantee you won't lose your home" said Enda Kenny.

And "head off the bailiffs "said Eamonn Gilmore on the live debate on Pat Kenny show before the last election,when questioned on evictions and repossessions.
I actually believed them.Did you ?
They will surley keep their word as honorable men do.

U 14 Summer League F.F.Dunderry V Blackhall

July 30 th. 2013 was a beautiful summer's evening in Trim and our lads took on Blackhall in the Final.I have a special interest in this team as I gave a hand last year with these lads,trying to supplement the considerable effort being then put in by Jim Mitchell and Darren Yourell.. Darren didn't play much and would  not deny it.Jim spent many years gracing the playing fields of Meath with Robinstown.I played a bit with Brigids of Blanchardstown and Dunderry,although my football career with Dunderry was brief after 1986 as Father Heaney who was in charge then had a massive clean out the pensioners of which I was one.
Notwithstanding this I spent the guts of twenty years with juvenile and adult football teams here and threw in my twohalpence worth with the two lads after a walkover was given in the championship.I was given a huge welcome by the two boys,much to their credit  and the team was not beaten afterwards last year.
The stronger lads from last year have graduated to the next grade up and the guys who were underage again this year formed the backbone of the this year's team.They are supplemented by much younger troops from down the age time line to make up the numbers.
In an effort to get the juvenile teams away from the depths of the lower divisions where they have laboured these few years back it seems that a bigger effort is being put in to improve coaching of the lads at this level.In general it is needed and it is great to see the likes of Con O Neill taking on the under 8's and vowing to take them through to minor level.That is the type of commitment needed.And Derek Hickey and Stan are having a go with the under 16's.There are many other good labourers in the vineyard.
Timber Leavy and his troops have in place a great system in hurling these years back which plonks us in the premier competitions mainly.This is now being replicated in football.Not before time.
Anyhow myself and last year's lads got the old heave ho and have been replaced by Sean Kelly ,John Brady and Stephen O Rourke.I don't mind really.Sean and John have sons playing.All three played for Meath ,Sean is a current Meath selector and ,if I am not mistaken all three have All Ireland medals .Certainly all three have played with Dunderry  as boys and men and in the case of Sean and John are the fourth or fifth generation to so do.Stephen is making his own legend.All have managed or selected the premier football teams in the Club.
The team is young but had'.t been going well I had heard.So with a timely reminder from Juvenile Sec.Orla I ventured forth to judge for myself what progress was made.
A good crowd from Dunderry was there.Oisin Martyn ,a son of Gerry was hurt and didn't play.He is a class player,the polychrome of the team last year.A dreadful loss.
The selected team was( for the benefit of our emigrants, of which there are legion,I have placed the names of their fathers where they used play with Dundery in brackets after their names):-
 1.Ronan Brady (son of John a.k.a. Bunny)
 2.Adam Kelly (son of Marty)
3.Colum Flynn-- a fine footballer.
4.Donagh O Loire (son of Eoin and camogie player Freda)
5.Simon Lynch.(grandson of Joe Rowntree,whose Cavan genes are showing through and who Joe adores)
6.Adam Keenan.(Tommy's son and  Breda Gough of camogie fame.)
7.Dermot Kelly (Sean's son )
8.Shane Heffernan -another fine footballer.
9'Jack Feeney (son of Tommy and grandson of Tom )
10.Diarmuid o Curraoin (son of Colum a great prospect)
11.James O Neill (son of Donal ,a nice guy)
12.Jamie Leavy (son of Tommy and grandson of Paddy Kavanagh the only Dunderry man to referee an All Ireland )
13.Cian Eginton whose grandfather Ned O Reilly played for Longford in his day.)
 Subs .Cormack Brady (son of John)
          Luke Hill--a grand young lad.
          Michael Garry (son of the Bear.)
           Eoin Wilson --a man on fire.
          Conor Leavy ( Timber's son)
          Ciaran Brady.

This was the Summer League Final.If memory serves me correctly I got into a frenzy last year at  such a match.There are rules for this competition that are not in accordance with the rule book.Last year frees were given because some moves were too "soccerrey".Whatever that means.It may be that such rules departures were in vogue again at this match.I don't know.Nor did the attendance in general, who on more than one a occasion howled protest at at some of the refereeing decisions.On both sides.If I am wrong and normal rules did apply then a rethink is in order.
Referring is a lonesome occupation.I kept sthum.He didn't influence the outcome actually .And was fair  by his own lights.
There was a noticeable maturity gap between the teams.Some of the Blackhall lads were on the cusp of shaving ,whereas the bulk of our lads were as far from it as could be.They were bulkier and bigger on balance.And outnumbered our big men about three to one.Good footballers too.
We had a few sweet footballers and little ball was wasted.By dint of effort,skill and pure determination we kept in touch until fifteen minutes from time,but they inevitably pulled away to win by 4-12 to 2-8.A fair result on the day.
Our lads did well.I can see a good future for these lads.They are a credit to us and themselves.
The gauntlet is down to the management to produce silverware.I assume that they are there for the long haul.The goods are there waiting to be harvested.Should be a good crop.
I hope the present crew stick with it.

I'm a believer

Last Thursday my niece Lauri Stephens united in Marriage for life with Eoin Donnelly before a class guest list of decent people in Kilmessan Church.

How two such laid back people found each other is hard to discern,but they did.They are soul mates as well as life partners and we are all delighted.

The Stephens clan as well as the Maguires are GAA fanatics and this will fit in well with the Donnelleys,and Eoin’s grandfather Tony is a GAA legend of yesteryear,having in his short life collected over 60 medals of significance including All Ireland's and Railway Cups.

When the sprogs start arriving,as I pray they will,there is little doubt that the GAA genes are  set for greatness.

The guest list was well sprinkled with great GAA people of both sexes and all codes.And in Cabra Castle we all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

On each table was a song title,the idea being that as that song was played by the band,the table guests were supposed to give it diddy on the dance floor.Great idea.

Our table song was” I’m a  believer,”by the Monkeys.You would of course remember that the lead singer was Davy Jones.

I am a rabid pro life supporter and regard the deliberate killing of the unborn,save where the life of the mother is in immediate danger, as murder,pure and simple.( I regard those  who had abortions against their principles and who did so under mental  duress as being incapable of forming the necessary intent to do what was perpetrated on them and therefor not guilty of murder.)

 I regard any political party who supported the recent Bill with contempt and barbaric and regard their supporters in a similar vein.

I find it appalling that such people insist on taking part in the Mass celebration in any public capacity knowing that it is contrary to Catholic teaching and principles.I think that they should have the cop on to stop flouting themselves thus and seek forgiveness and if not be excommunicated.

I find it extremely difficult to even look at them in a Catholic Church.

I have been looking for some time for Latin (Tridentine)Masses in Meath.At the wedding I sussed out that one is held each Sunday at 1.00 p.m. in Johnstown ,Navan.As the Priest alone  reads all the lessons etc at these Masses ,I would be spared the seething indignity of listening to unrepentant people whose Political parties  acted in direct to Catholic teaching disgracing the Mass as I see it.

So off with me to Johnstown last Sunday.

And I was not disappointed.A Priest in cowl and vestments,two Alter Boys in Surplice and Sutane, the Mass sung and answered in Latin.The alter boys know the Latin responses .There are leaflets which give the Latin and English translations.The Priest exudes Holiness.His sermon is not politically correct but solely of the Gospel.He is passionate and raises his voice.Powerful stuff.

The congregation is about three dozen ,families mostly ,male and female .No body is rushing away before Mass is over.

In fact nearly all stay to get Confession afterwards.Candles are lit and prayers are said.

The Priest is a hermit.He is Welsh.He spent time in the part of Wales my own father was born and reared.And his name is Davy Jones.

Yep I.m a Believer.

On Saturday evening I had attended Mass at 6.00 p.m. in Kilbride.Got hard to get a seat.Only 95% full.Small attendance because many had gone to Croker to support Meath.I hear that 6.30 Mass in Bohermeen each Saturday is standing room only too.

Father Hornick was on his game too.Dare I say it a Holy man too.

What’s all this about a crisis in the Catholic Church.This must be the place that time forgot .Else the devil’s spawn are talking shite.What you would expect from them anyhow ?

From now on I will attend two Masses each weekend.One Latin and one in the vernacular.

By the way there are a good few daily Mass goers in Dunderry.I don’t make the halpenny place by comparison.

Give Johnstown a whirl.Brought back pleasant memories to me.If you never experienced a Tridentine Mass now is your chance.

 

Drumbeat Dividend for 27/07/2013

After a lengthy sabbatical the tipster has resumed wit a tip for the 2.40 in Ascot.Try a fiver win on Cape Peron.

Contempt is permanent.

We were reared in Blanchardstown in the fifties and sixties in a semi detached bungalow.Two bedrooms a kitchen a scullery and a bathroom.Cold taps alright but no hot water.Friday night was bath night.The scullery floor was covered with bath towels and a tin bath placed on top.Our mother boiled kettles and saucepans full of water to heat the bath and mixed cold water and hot to make the experience enjoyable.
One evening disaster struck Just after she had emptied a kettle full of boiling water into the bath a sister of ours stumbled and fell into it.She was badly scalded on both hands and up to her elbows.
Our mother often wondered what if and half blamed herself.My sister never did.
She was sent to hospital and over the years had a torrid time what with skin grafts on her hands for many many years until she stopped growing.The bones in her hands and fingers grew but the skin did not stretch to match and every few years the webbed skin between her fingers had to be cut through through surgery,
She did not let this impede her and grew up a confident and attractive woman even representing her country at schoolgirl level at volleyball.
Our father was a tradesman and when the opportunity arose got a mortgage and bought the house out.Despite having nine children and because of this we never qualified for a medical card.
For 15 years or thereabouts my mother had to take a red ten shilling note off the top of my fathers wage packet and send it to the hospital to pat y for my sister's treatment.This before any other expenditure.
We had little enough but that tore the arse out of it.
Fast forward sixty years.The Government have decided to withdraw and cease issuing medical cards to people with active cancer.This means that people will have to concurrently worry about raising money in the worst recession n in living memory while scared to death and  undergoing chemo ,radiotherapy and surgery and perhaps fight off debt collectors while seriously ill.
Anyone with a smidgin of compassion and even a shred of decency would not allow this to happen.
It is only when  the canker is terminal that these excuses for people will grant medical cards.
You have to die to get one.
This Government sees severe illness as an opportunity to bully the sick.
Yep,allow the deliberate death of the unborn .terrify the cancer sufferers and only relent when death is imminent.

Muskateeer Liam on pro life march.

Tempting though it is to form the first Irish branch of the Catholic Brotherhood (a mirror image of the Muslim Brotherhood ) to legislate for Catholic beliefs as opposed to atheist beliefs.this Musketeer for one is as proud as one could be of Musketeer Liam,who although not in the first flush of youth put his Christian money where his mouth is by participating  with 50,000 other devout Christians in the pro life march in Dublin last Saturday.
When I contrast the compassion of this man with the doctors for death(of the unborn but not their own ) ,the womb raiders ,most of whose wombs haven't seen any action as it were nor won't I'd say and the fanatics WHO OPENLY BOAST ABOUT THE NUMBER OF ABORTION ASSISTS THEY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN,I FEEL PRIVILEGED TO KNOW HIM.
The farce in the Dail this week which subverted democracy will ,I predict ,haunt those who bullied it through for ever.Fir and mna breaga all.
The prayers go on in Dunderry Church every Friday from 6.00 to 6.30.

Somebody is lying.

The Health Minister says that Fine Gael did not guarantee that it would not legislate for abortion before the last election.The European Minister said it did promise not to legislate for abortion before the last election.Who do you believe ?If Lucinda is right that means that the Health Minister is a liar.Is it right to have a Minister and a Cabinet who are all liars,no matter how carefully crafted the lies are?Can we believe anything out of their mouths.
Minister Reilly consistently spoke over the interviewer on the Mid day news programme on RTE last Sunday.Not only was this insulting to the interviewer but also extremely dismissive of the audience.
I have noticed that certain public servants are taking their cue from this type of dismissive behaviour and treating the public with contempt.
It's the example they get.

Super Sporting weekend for the real Irish

Those of us who ate our dinners in the middle of the day and stand to attention for Amhrain na Fiann (not that West Brit. abomination  Ireland's Call) had a bumper sporting weekend from our very own National games.
In hurling Tipperary and Kilkenny served up a classic and the de Dubs defied the critics and the bookies by beating Galway,who are far too reliant on Joe Canning who is undoubtedly a sporting genius. Clare hammered an improving Laoise and will face a dogged Wexford.
In football Kerry just about held out against an experimental Cork side who are probably a better team if they would only field the old reliables from the start .Don't write Cork off just yet.
Roscommon nearly caught Tyrone off guard and Waterford nearly did likewise against Galway.
Derry bested a game Down and Clare were hammered by a good Laoise team.
Four counties can still do the double,Dublin,Cork,Galway and Wcxford I think.Don't dismiss the chances of Dublin and Cork.
The Galway camogie women did well too.
Dunderry footballers hammered an understrength Moynalvey team on Saturday and our junior Camgie team beat a game Drumree tonight.
And the sun is splitting the stones and every farmer in the Parish is suffering from hay madness.
And the countrymen of my father had ten men on the lions team that beat Australia and proper order.Rugby in Cymru is the game of the common people as is GAA here, is not the sport of the snobs and the social climbers and the menopausal auld wans who infest RTE'
I'd say that Driscoll at his best wouldn't last five minutes in a inter county hurling match.
Hon the Gaels