If anybody has become bored or annoyed by my re-posting match text commentary in recent weeks I apologise. It’s my way of dealing with Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and/or separation anxiety, whichever you want to call it. From not being able to attend matches it is desired to be at.
Without wanting to play the woe-is-me card, an insight into the routine pitfalls of a life wheelchair bound: in bad weather, there’s a reluctance to go out for fear of getting cold or wet or ending up with a dose.
Throw a heatwave into the mix and in some ways it’s worse. Bringing with it unbearable discomfort sitting all day and often difficulty in drawing breadth. The weekend just past brought the perfect storm of the whole lot all in the space of 72 hours.
Even before that, in this space in recent days mention has been afforded to great warriors of the Royal County, Tadhg Brosnan and Bryan Menton, once again wielding their magic to the betterment of their respective clubs.
***
My late uncle, Jimmy Boylan, was Treasurer of St Peter’s, Dunboyne for 33 years as well as being one of the late Brian Smyth’s umpires during what was an illustrious refereeing career. Unfortunately, I never met Jimmy as he had departed for the committee room above before I was airlifted into the world.
However, on numerous occasions over the years the point was made that he always felt the best quality of football at club level was to be found at Intermediate level. From the evidence of what transpired over the weekend, he was right.
For whatever reason, I had an awful inkling throughout the season that the Mattie McDonnell Cup would end up in Walterstown. Yes, that view was primarily founded upon the form of Barry O’Connell. And, even though a highly impressive Rathkenny side eventually lowered the black flags for another year, I really hope Colm and the lads give the bustling forward a run in 2024.
Keith Curtis was, of course, part of the Tailteann Cup winning panel this season but it would be expected that he will move slightly up the pecking order for the forthcoming campaign. His cousin David is surely in line for a recall as their team mate James O’Hare will hopefully also receive.
***
The second half of the Saturday two course fine dining at Pairc Tailteann – which I simply couldn’t have safely or comfortably sat through – was, on paper at least, an attractive looking local derby in the second of the SFC quarter finals, involving Wolfe Tones and Simonstown Gaels.
Matches aren’t decided on paper though. Brian Conlon blazing over what looked a guilt edged goal opportunity felt like a huge turning point and turned out to be as such as goals from Fiachra Ward and Conor Sheppard and an inspired Thomas O’Reilly left the 2021 winners two hurdles away from doing so again.
***
Up next on my keyboard tapping tour of a feast of football was a short spin down the road to Batterstown. To keep pace with the Relegation Play Off involving Seneschalstown and Na Fianna.
The Kildare border outfit settled the quicker with Jamie Queeney and brother Dan proving efficient up front. Eventually though, the Yellow Furze side settled as Cathal Hickey, Donal Commons and Ryan and Eoin Finnegan gradually worked them back into the contest.
But undoubtedly, it was the contribution of another member of the aforementioned clan – Cathal – which really enabled the blue and gold circumvent the yellow and black. No apologies will be made for admitting that his performance got this neutral observer a little dewy eyed. Even following via a computer screen.
Sentimental memories. He’s not long back from the States where he was instrumental in his team attaining silverware. If, as should happen, he gets the opportunity to don green and gold next term, how poignantly fitting it would be.
Way back in 1994, his dad Paul and late grandfather Eddie played a huge part in what still stands as the most and special winter on the football circuit yet. Seneschalstown had won the Keegan Cup, having halted a Skryne side striving for three in a row.
It was, with one notable exception, the best winter’s football I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Following the Kentstown parish outfit’s odyssey in the Leinster Club SFC. Wherein they defeated a fancied Sarsfields outfit from Kildare – who had the great Niall Buckley in tow – before two cracking encounters against St Joseph’s from Laois and their eventual undoing by Kilmacud Crokes who were then only emerging as the behemoths they have since become. More important than the football, though, were the friendships accrued along the way with people like Eddie, Lord rest him, and ‘Pop’ Collins and Joe Clarke and Tommy Mulvany and Sean Monaghan.
Who or whatever it is that pulls the levers on high for away works in mysterious ways. Most people will know that, outside of sport, my absolute greatest passion in life is farming. So being able to marry the two is probably as near to eutopia as one will get in this lifetime. Cue discovery of the Finnegan’s Farm channel on YouTube. Now, as if discovering the old connection wasn’t special enough, seeing that Paul and the lads have all the sheds in their yard painted green and gold has the wheelchair pointed for Beauparc and itching to go. Hope and expectation, mind you, would be that Cathal will adorn the green and gold before that comes to pass.
***
All of the above pertained only to Saturday. Dunboyne hadn’t even played at that stage. Before attentions were turned to parochial matters, mind you, the JFC B encounter involving Cortown and Drumconrath was the first caught via the online lens for the day. Though it must be admitted, expected entertainment value diminished significantly when it emerged that the modern version of Joe Brolly, Davy Rispin – flamboyant corner forward, commentator, journalist and donning white boots instead of blowing kisses – wasn’t even listed on the panel for those who are invariably hard bet.
Fears of a dramatic move before the transfer deadline had passed were allayed, thankfully, when it emerged that a protective boot had in fact been called into play, so it was in fact a farrier that was required and not a transfer negotiater!
Anyway, after that it was onto the main business of the day from a personal perspective. And it all began so well as our lads opened up a seven point buffer for themselves. Until, somehow, the penchant for self destruction which has plagued us all year burst in uninvited yet again.
Five up with six to go, surely we’re safe this time? Ehhh… Between a lack of discipline and maddening dithering with the ball, we somehow managed to cough the leather up on two occasions and Gaeil Colmcille netminder Barry Farrelly (penalty) and midfielder Liam Ferguson nailed the necessary scores to send the tie to extra time.
That was the very least the Kells side deserved after the ballsy performance they had produced to work themselves back into the contest. Then, as is so often the case, those who felt the whirr of the bacon slicer blades behind them seized the momentum of their reprieve when Seamus Mattimoe edged the home of Ireland’s most famous book a point up.
From there came an avalanche of scores all wrapped in white with a red hoop. At this stage, the occupant of this seat was searching for levels of restraint never before required to prevent the rocketing of missiles towards the computer screen.
To be fair, our lads did show commendable gumption to, slowly but surely, reel Eoin Carroll’s charges in to the minimum margain before the clock won the race to the finish line. For the third out on the spin, we can have nobody to blame but ourselves.
However, we haven’t suddenly become washed up or without hope. Yesterday was a tough day at the office. Very tough. But we’re blessed with a group of character and decency. Something underlined by the praise lavished on them by Ruth Chambers and the Walterstown GFC committee after they did the unremarkable but decent thing of cleaning the dressing room before they left. Small things mean a lot. We go again.
***
You’d think after all that, I’d have had enough of being engrossed in football for one weekend. Not a bit of it. Next up on the fantastic football feast’s menu was the penultimate of the SFC quarter finals between Summerhill and Trim.
Any local derby hardly takes much promotion but there were two particular personal reasons the game was of especial interest. One, because my nephew Ian Byrne was a late addition to the Trim panel and secondly because before there was a ball kicked in the race for the Keegan Cup this year, it would’ve been my view that the most likely conclusion thereto would be a repeat of last year’s Final pairing.
So far, it hasn’t been disproved. Only time will tell.
Leave a Reply