Sport and More Sport
The
drama of sport continues like a roller coaster. After all the drama of the Euro
Soccer Championships, which was compelling, comes the Olympics.
But
first to more localised thrills in familiar arenas. This involves inter-county
championships. After the disappointment of the Roscommon senior defeat to
Galway in a drab and uninspiring Connacht championship game, some of us thought
that Roscommon’s future looked bleak. But then came a number of major
performances from the minors and U 20s’. Their victories have led to the U 20s’
being in the All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday next v Down in Cavan and the U
17s’ being in the Connacht final v Sligo in the Hyde on Friday.
All
this in a way started with a defeat in an All-Ireland Semi-Final to Kerry -which
was a residue of last year’s incomplete minor competition- on July 11th
on the score of Kerry 3.21 Roscommon 2.13.
While that team lost to a very
good Kerry team the attacking and competitive style of play was uplifting.
Little did those of us on the margins realise that this was to be the pattern
with the winning of the games since then.
Certainly
it has endorsed my leaving the Roscommon flag flying high in front of the
house.
While
all of these four games have been great for Roscommon supporters to watch last week-end’s
U 17 win over Galway was the real thriller. Behind by 11 points at one stage
Roscommon through the second half stormed back to snatch the game near the
death amid high drama in a nail-biting finale. Roscommon 1.16 Galway 2. 12. It
is a rare day that a Roscommon team could achieve that against Galway.
Since
I write these notes for a basically Boyle constituency I will mention Boyle’s significant
part in these games. Oisin Cregg had been a pivotal player in ‘last year’s’ U
17 team. His brother Daire is a key player in this year’s U 20 team which faces
Down. Boyle had two players featuring on the team v Galway at U 17 who were
Eden Kerins and Daniel Casey (nephew of David) with Niall O’Donnell coming on
towards the end. Apart from those 3 there are other Boyle players, David
Flanagan and Luke McGrath who are unlucky to be missing out due to injury and
then there are Gavin O’Connor and Joseph Coyle on the panel also.
Versus
Galway Eden Kerins gave a ‘Man of the Match’ performance as he drove forward,
distributed the ball with deft accurate passing and using his soccer skills to
effect a number of times. This is a pretty rare practise which I do not
understand.
I
have seen these players a good few times at the various under-age stages and
they are a treat to watch especially when they take on an equally good
Roscommon Gaels team.
So
well done to all those young players. They have raised the spirits of Roscommon
supporters again and thanks to their club coaches down the years and their
management teams of now.
Boyle Ladies convincing win v St. Brigid’s
in League Final
On
Sunday last I was present in the Abbey Park for a senior ladies league final. I
was hugely impressed by the quality of the performance of these ladies. Scores
were pretty close at half time but in the second half Boyle gave an exhibition
of point-scoring that I have rarely seen in the Abbey grounds. There was a
sequence of around five points, with no wide, by Boyle. They have many fine
players in this Ladies team. Since I am not in any way qualified to nominate
star players I’ll add the Boyle ladies team as posted by the Club P.R.O. here;
R.
Johnson; S. Keenahan, I. King, S. Kerins; C. Cregg, S. Moran, S. King; R. Cox,
M. McKeon; G. Flanagan, S. Cull, M. Ward; H. Kerins, K. Harrington, N. Regan.
(Some familiar names there!)
Add
to this were the two Wynne ladies who came on and turned in a great shift.
In
this week’s ‘The Roscommon Herald’ I came across a reference to Róisin Wynne by
the Herald reporter Kevin Egan which is worthy of inserting here. At the end of
his report on Roscommon’s defeat by Laois of the Roscommon team in the
Intermediate Championship (Sport page 16) he nominated 9 Laois players who
could have been nominated as ‘Player of the Day’. He continues;
“However
it would be unfair to put any one of them ahead of Roisin Wynne, who was
nothing short of out-standing once she was handed the task of a marking- job on
Mo Nerney (Laois’s constant star). Between her (Roisin’s)goal-line clearance,
any number of superb tackles and factoring in how this was a task thrust upon
her early in the game as opposed to something she could prepare for, it was an
incredible showing from the Boyle player”.
Now
that is as good a salute to a great performance as I think I have ever read. So
well done Roisin and well done Kevin.
Now to some important Club Errata;
The
Boyle GAA and Boyle Celtic Major Draw takes place at the end of this month.
In
the mean-time to get you there you could participate in Boyle GAA’s Club Lotto
where the Jackpot prize has now reached the dizzy heights of 10,000 euro.
Congrats to Boyle Celtic
Congratulations
to Boyle Celtic who won a cup in the R.D.F. L. (Roscommon and District Football
League) on Sunday by 1 to 0 over Ballymoe. One of the stars of the team was
James Bolger from Corrigeenroe but alas James is returning to his college in
the U.S. shortly. He will be sorely missed by the sports clubs in Boyle. Bon
voyage James. Well done also to team manager Jake McCrann on this win. The cup
was in memory of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the
Roscommon League. So that would have been 1971 which means I must have played
in some very early games of that league. I remember playing in Glinsk, Galway,
near O’Dowd’s Bar! I remember John Mc Guinn, Sean Daly, James Candon, Freddie
Daly and John McPherson and maybe Hal Cawley. I could have been a contender!
The Lions Tamed
After
the delight of their win in the first test v the Springboks (South Africans)
the British and Irish Lions were brought down to earth in all its morphisms on
Saturday last. As a ‘sports’ game it should not be given that title as it was a
‘bear wrestle’ and they were banned close to two centuries ago. It is likely
that in fifty years’ time people will look at recordings of this kind of ‘game’
in amazement that it was supposed to be regarded as a sport. The game stuttered
on in a stop-start nature with score and dangerous play reviews by the new
time.
The
few real plays in the game came from the South Africans and that was why they
won. I do not imagine the parents of the Lions members are looking forward to
the third and last ‘test’ next Saturday afternoon. I’ll tune in to see if the
Lions can make any headway against the Goliaths.
The Death of Michael Fitzmaurice
One
of Roscommon’s greatest ambassadors in the capital, Dublin, Michael
Fitzmaurice, passed away in the past week. While he lived in Dublin his heart
was always with Roscommon. He supported numerous initiatives in supporting
things Roscommon. He was founder member of the active Roscommon Association in
the capital. One of his legacies is the collection of Roscommon Association
Year Books later Roscommon Life. That was for around 25 years. I met him first
in Arnott’s Shop where he was dedicated employee for decades.
He
was a major supporter of Roscommon GAA and many teams and players were the
recipients of his and the Roscommon Association’s hospitality down the years.
He was one of the senior stalwarts who are now a vanishing race. May his gentle
soul rest in peace.
The Olympics;
The
landscape of sport has been on show in Japan these weeks. I have tried to tune into
a certain amount of it especially the input of the Irish. The rowers came
through for the most part and were great with an attitude to match. Our own
Niamh O’Rourke of course did her very best in a close middleweight fight but
the veteran Chinese lady Li got the verdict. Still to get to the Olympics was
some achievement. Boxer Aidan Walshe though getting a bronze lost his chance of
going further after his Michael Carruth’s Barcelona ’92
gold-winning-celebration of jumping up and down resulted in an ankle injury
that put him out for the silver medal fight.
(As
an aside I think that coaches should coach their teams to celebrate safely. Often
after a goal, in soccer especially, the scorer is buried under a pile of bodies
and it surprising that there are not more injuries as a consequence).
One
of the most enjoyable celebrations of a gold medal and an iconic moment of this
Olympics was when the two leading high jumpers decided that they would not go
into a jump-off. So Qatar’s jumper, Bashim, and his Italian opposing competitor
but friend Tamberi agreed to share the medal. Bashim looked on in bemusement as
Tamberi rolled around the ground in joy.
I’ve
seen that shared impulse happen a couple of times. I doubt if it will catch on
Saturday in South Africa!
I
will return to the Olympics next time and refer to Rory and Shane.
I have a turf assignment to address right now
so I will adjourn this wander through current sport and return to Tonroe.
P.S.
if you got this far! As part of the Arts Festival programme I will be
giving an illustrated wander around Boyle with the aid of screened pictures if
you feel comfortable in attending that. It takes place on Friday afternoon and
booking is required!
Take Care.
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