Catch Buckley on Off The Ball

[High School Musical]

Did anyone listen to the ‘Catch Buckley’ interview on Off The Ball last night?
It was a very interesting listen I must say.

It was about the infamous ‘Battle of Aughrim’ between Wicklow and a highly-fancied Laois team in the Leinster Championship in 1986. Laois went into this one as recently crowned National League Champions and Wicklow were given very little chance beforehand that day. Carthage Buckley was the man in the middle that day and he took centre-stage, sending off three Laois men and one Wicklow man. Also interviewed on the show were Willie Brennan (one of the Laois men sent off that day) and Kevin O’Brien, the Wicklow legend, who as a 19-year old scored 2-3 that day.

Buckley read out a letter that was sent to him some time after the game by 3 Laois men apparently:
“You rotten expletive! You robbed us out of the Leinster final. If you put off the three lads for using the fist, what broke Gerry Browne's nose? And your expletive linesman! Don't forget we are watching you. It may not be now but don't travel too far on your own from home. You are going to get what they are getting in the North...the bullet! And we mean every bit of it. You may never get the chance of taking the whistle in your hand again. I think you were treated with a bit of alright in Laois. We are not letting you away with it. No way. We don't mind what happens to us so long as we get you. Besides it will never be known who did it. It may go a while but we will get you and your car."

Some letter, by all accounts. Shocking stuff altogether. Its 28 years ago now, so I’d imagine it was just an idle threat, but nevertheless, I can only imagine what went through Buckleys head or even the thoughts of his family upon reading such a letter.

I thought Buckley’s description of events and the atmosphere of the day in general to be a little contradictory to the version of events that I have heard before. The Laois version of events seems to suggest that Aughrim was set up as a trap for them that day, and that they felt intimidated from the moment they arrived. Buckley gives the version that it was a tough, hard-hitting typical championship game, not unlike many other championship games at the time. The Wicklow side of the story reveals practically nothing.

The thing that struck me most during the interview was the obvious bitterness that Willie Brennan still has about the whole affair. Despite Buckley’s letter, he still refuses to empathise with him in any way. Brennan maintains that he did not strike his Wicklow opponent that day and questioned Buckley's decisions, adding that any claim that Laois players struck their opponents that day were a "lie". While Brennan may have a case of his own, I think it was wrong for him to defend the other Laois players and the claim that none of them struck a Wicklow opponent at all. I’d find it hard to believe that Buckley got every one of the sending off decisions wrong. Buckley described all the sending-offs as clear-cut incidents, yet refused to be drawn on the claim that the game was an out and out battle that day.

Kevin O’Brien, meanwhile, played the role of Arsene Wenger, suggesting that he didn’t see any of the incidents as he was on the far side of the field. His ignorance to the apparent events lead me to believe that he suspected that perhaps Laois did indeed get the short end of the stick that day, but its something he still wouldn’t come out and say on National Radio.

Then of course, Off The Ball turn to the ‘honest’ opinion of their very own resident half-wit. The complete lack of informed opinion and total unbalance that Colm ‘Wooly’ Parkinson brings to any debate is grossly unfair on any listener, I feel. He gave a character reference for Tom Prendergast (a Portlaoise man who was also sent off that day), which wasn’t necessarily relevant to the greater scheme of things overall, considering Parkinson was nowhere near that game himself on the day. The comments of the Laois men seem to bring into question the character of Carthage Buckley. There was nobody there to give a character reference for him on the show and overall I felt that the presence and sentiments of the two Laois men gave the whole episode the feel of Laois being cheated on the day. This may, or may not have been the case, but the fact that a threatening letter had been sent to the home of Buckley got completely brushed under the carpet by the Laois men. This wasn’t intended as an anti-Laois rant, although I do acknowledge that it may have started to turn into one.

Anyway, If you haven’t heard the interview, do try and check it out, its only about 15 or 20 mins long.

Maybe some of you have some informed opinion of what went on that day.
What is the truth?
Was Wicklow away in Aughrim the equivalent of many teams visits to Galatasaray (in the 90s especially)?
Or was the whole thing blown completely out of proportion?

[Lone Shark]

I didn't hear it last night, but I just listened to the Podcast there now - (http://www.newstalk.ie/player/podcasts/ ... of_aughrim) - and certainly Willie Browne comes across as very sore over the whole thing, time hasn't dulled his sense of grievance over the affair in any way. The Podcast didn't include the discussion afterwards with Parkinson, but I can imagine that he wouldn't want to dwell on the possibility that just maybe Laois people were out of order, on the field and off it. Perhaps this is where the discussion needed a stronger middle man than Joe Molloy, who wouldn't necessarily have the wit or the nerve to call Parkinson out on his waffling.

What struck me from the conversation was how intense the whole situation must have been and even though he just touched on the topic, Catch was clearly most concerned for his son who was at the game with him. When you hear about umpires dropping white coats on the final whistle so as not to be associated with the officiating, clearly the atmosphere was incendiary. It also goes a long way to showing you how mentally tough you have to be to be a referee - I'd have a world of time for Catch as a ref and for his work with other referees since his own retirement and genuinely, I don't know if I'd have had the mettle to keep going after getting a letter like that. It really does speak volumes for the man.

[SearingDrive]

Article by Colm Parkinson in today's Irish Independent. 'Banishing hurt of '86 to inspire Laois in Aughrim'.
I'm rooting for Wicklow next Sunday!.
There is also an article by Martin Breheny in same paper, featuring interviews with players from both teams.

[ryot]

RTE covered that (famous/infamous ) game and my recollection is that the sending-offs were clear cut. Now having only seen the "highlights" on the Sunday game ( & bits that were repeated--- the "lowlights !!) its possible that more red cards might have been earned.

The pictures could not show the atmosphere but most believe that Laois, as newly crowned and celebrating League Champs, were not properly prepared and also under-rated Wicklow who were a decent team at the time, as well as being hardy, as were Laois. When things started to go against Laois a fair few of them lost the plot. Catch might not have helped them ( like he didn't help my own club so I was never a fan !!) but he did not lose it for them. Laois did that all for themselves.

If Woolly is that interested he should get RTE to dig out the tape and comment after he has watched it. The Laois v Louth episode in Croker a few years later was fairly similar.

[Bord na Mona man]

Carthage Buckley also gave an account of this on RTE.
The first set of sendings off was a player from both sides for 'knocking lumps out of one another' in a fight - Nick O'Neill of Wicklow and Willie Brennan of Laois.
For the 2nd one, he said that the Wicklow corner back was spitting his teeth into his palm after being hit.
He reckoned the 3rd one (Tom Prendergast) was too near the end of the game to make much difference.

Obviously there was provocation and these skirmishes escalate, but when you have a Wicklow player losing teeth, it's hard to square this with the view that Laois were the innocent lambs in all of this.
Also, this game fed the wild Wicklow, Aughrim bearpit reputation, when ironically it was the away supporters who took to the field to have their go at the ref afterwards.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I had a quick look at a national newspaper archive of thiis game.

The first two (O'Neill and Brennan) had to go, and there was no excuse for what they done. One of the others (forget which) was for an off-he-ball incident that no-one saw.

But the real ructions took place after the match. Gardaí had to draw batons to control the hordes. I mean, how often in this State, do Gardaí have to draw batons?

That would back up Carthage Buckley's recollections of the match.

I doubt many take young Mr Parkinson too seriously (and I would fear for humanity's future if there did) and his condoning of the threatening letter was wrong. For those who didn't hear his comments on the letter he effectively said that because we 28 years on and that no harm had come to Carthage Buckley in the meantime that the letter was nothing to worry about.

Carthage Buckley also gave an account of this on RTE.
The first set of sendings off was a player from both sides for 'knocking lumps out of one another' in a fight - Nick O'Neill of Wicklow and Willie Brennan of Laois.
For the 2nd one, he said that the Wicklow corner back was spitting his teeth into his palm after being hit.
He reckoned the 3rd one (Tom Prendergast) was too near the end of the game to make much difference.

Obviously there was provocation and these skirmishes escalate, but when you have a Wicklow player losing teeth, it's hard to square this with the view that Laois were the innocent lambs in all of this.
Also, this game fed the wild Wicklow, Aughrim bearpit reputation, when ironically it was the away supporters who took to the field to have their go at the ref afterwards.

[SearingDrive]

I don't regard Parkinson as a serious journalist, despite what he puts in his weekly column.