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Weekly Notes - 19th April 2006Shock does not adequately describe the feelings of the club on hearing of the tragic death of Colin Broughan. Colin would have many friends and contemporaries among our club members and the Broughan families have had an involvement with the club over the years. As a mark of respect and as a token of our heartfelt sympathy, all our games scheduled for the waking period were postponed. In this matter we are particularly appreciative of Kilcoole’s generous gesture in allowing the Intermediate match to be rescheduled for the Monday afternoon.Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam agus go laghdóidh Dia ualach bhróin a mhuintir agus a chairde. Éire Óg also offers its condolences to the Brolly family on the death of their father, Danny. His grandson, Seán, is a member of the Junior A panel. I leaba na naomh go bhfaighaidh sé suaimhneas. Have you ever wondered why the national (could it be that this is a misnomer?) dailies devote acres – scarcely an exaggeration – of newsprint to the promotion and reporting of particular schoolboy competitions while consigning all other competitions at this level to the status of an almost dismissive afterthought? Is it that Gaelic games afford an inferior spectacle? That they lack that largely manufactured and nebulous quality called glamour? That they are outside the interest of the Doheny and Nesbitt chattering classes? Maybe, on the other hand, we are at fault in not having Saatchi and Saatchi promoting our products. Whatever the cause, the efforts of these wonderful footballers are fated to largely "blush unseen and be wasted on the desert air". This morning (Monday) one searched in vain the sporting pages of the so-called "newspaper of record" for an account of the All-Ireland County Vocational Football Final. Not a sentence, not a line! Neither was there a mention of the hurling semi-final between Cork and Galway. Two games of great merit and of countrywide interest. From all accounts Wicklow’s match against Tyrone was a spell-binding contest played with a searing intensity. Its closeness had supporters on both sides in a state of almost unbearable excitement throughout. The game was tied at 1-6 all and 8 minutes to go. How Wicklow hearts thumped during those last few minutes! The more excitable averted their eyes as now Wicklow, now Tyrone gained the upper hand. What a sigh of relief from the Wicklow supporters at the sight of the winning point being delivered by the right boot of Ciarán Walsh! We in Éire Óg are particularly proud of the club’s three representatives on the team – otherwise known as "Kenny’s Angels" (after Mary Kenny who has done so much for Gaelic games and their profile in St. Davids). The three lads Darren Hayden, Craig Smullen and Paddy Taylor played a hugely significant part in the victory. One esoteric cameo sticks in the mind. This saw them bring the ball in a rapidly advancing triangular movement from deep within the enemy territory and which, leaving bamboozled opponents in its wake, culminated in an off-load to an advantageously placed player near the Tyrone goal. Darren was strong contender for man of the match - all the spectators were dumbfounded when his number was raised to indicate that he was to be replaced. One of the best players afield, that couldn’t be? It wasn’t. It was an error and Darren continued with his excellent performance to the end. Wing-backs, Craig Smullen and Paddy Taylor had the upperhand on their opponents throughout. Craig with his speed and persistence is a handful for any opponent and Paddy never conceded a free in frustrating his always dangerous marker – did his newly acquired refereeing knowledge have a part in this?! Well done all! You did the county proud. No.1 supporter, Glenn Hayden, outdid Patsy in his side-line comments – they drew laughter from the Tyrone supporters. He insinuated himself into the team photograph to a position beside the cup. Let’s hope he left his Liverpool jersey at home! |
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