Thought you fellas would get a kick out of this. PJ Cunningham one of your own I believe.
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ ... e_id=12994
Pat Fleury Story in this Morning's Independent
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An Bearcán Bearaigh
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Article
Not saying that I've little to do, but....
All credit to boss Allen for allowing Cork to blossom
THERE was a huge reaction on the airwaves this week when journalist and RTE commentator Jim Carney declared his opposition to having a 'welcome home' night for losers after All-Ireland finals.
I'm sure there are plenty who would agree with Jim's realism on the issue, but a large number took the opposite view if Dessie Cahill's Sportscall was anything to go by.
I am slightly biased on this issue as I remember Pat Fleury coming home to Tullamore after Offaly were whipped in the Centenary Hurling Final against Cork in Thurles. "We let you down," the captain told the huge following who had turned up to welcome home their heroes, regardless of the result. "No, you didn't," they answered.
Fleury and his beaten squad made their mind up that they would repay such loyalty by winning the title next year - which they duly did against Galway in Croke Park.
Maybe they would have won it anyway, but I know several players would tell you that it was the memory of that Monday night which spurred them on through the following year.
Cork's memory of this year is something much more sublime; they have built up a panel of fine players who can play the game short, or with speed and movement and long delivery.
John Allen has taken over Donal O'Grady's mantle with quiet confidence and allowed a very good team to bloom. Less secure managers would tinker to put their own stamp on the team, but Allen allowed the team he inherited to grow, with Pat Mulcahy the major plus as he took Wayne Sherlock's place and put himself in the frame for 'defender of the year'.
Well done to Galway - they got the neutral interested after two years of Kilkenny-Cork. They came up short, not because they lack the talent, but rather the experience of the big time. Cork had to lose one to win two and prove they are an exceptional side.
Galway have proved nothing more than their potential - they must come back next year and win it if they are to fulfil that potential and end the western drought.
Conor Hayes' team has worked wonders and they still have something to learn. You could argue that the minor management worked better on the line than their senior counterparts on the day. Hindsight is a great help but Ben O'Connor should have been assigned a man marker - what were you doing in your finest new suit, Sylvie when your county needed you. Derek Hardiman was an auxiliary midfielder but maybe David Collins would have watched the highway in defence better and cut out some of the acres O'Connor grazed in. Easy to criticise at this remove, but I've no doubt Galway will be a tougher nut to crack next campaign.
MAYBE Michael Owen was lucky after all to reach Newcastle, away from the sinking ship that is Real Madrid. The Galacticos may get big money, but they are not bailing the water.
David Beckham, once the darling boy of Old Trafford and England football, now seems to bring doom and gloom to any team he lines out for.
The golden glitter on the pitch has faded as his celebrity status off it has grown. England couldn't even beat Northern Ireland, while once-proud Real were turnedover so badly in Lyon that it led to a day-long post mortem in the Spanish press.
Owen had to leave Spain with his tail between his legs. But if this week is anything to go by, he has a decent chance of getting through the season less scathed than Becks and co.
THE exploits of Bornacoola in Leitrim got us thinking about how small villages or half-parishes can sometimes completely confound the demographics.
Bornacoola is contesting the county final for the first time in 48 years - and I wonder is it the smallest village or townland population ever to win a senior county final?
Join with me in this attempt to find the winners of a senior hurling or football county title from the smallest population base.
Kiltubrid, the opponents in Leitrim on Sunday, are seeking their first title with a pick of only a few houses. Will the title will go to Leitrim or will other counties trump their call?
WALLY OF THE WEEK: The season is only in its infancy but already the club which has dominated the Premiership is being forced to play catch-up. Alex Ferguson has gambled and won many times in his careers, but lately his gambles seem to backfire.
David Beckham's golden glitter on the pitch has faded as his celebrity status off it has grown.
Leaving Roy Keane in dry dock while Manchester City dictated play and only sending him on when they equalised showed the lack of clarity in Ferguson's thinking which defined much of last year's failure. Now without his talisman out for up to three weeks and a failed centre-forward taking his place, the future doesn't look bright. I bet Liverpool can't wait to get Sunday's game on.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "The tickets were inadvertently packaged as football final tickets . . . we deeply regret that a mistake such as this should have occurred." - GAA statement following the finding of 1,000 hurling tickets which left empty spaces at the Cork v Galway All-Ireland Final last Sunday. The GAA say they specifically allocate every single ticket to clubs or counties, etc. So who was left without their allocation and would those 1000 or so souls not have raised the alarm a few days before the final because their tickets had not arrived? As I read the situation it doesn't add up.
GOAL OF THE WEEK: Florent Sinama-Pongolle may have benefited from a fortunate bounce between pushing backs and forwards but once his delicate lob left his right boot, there was only one place it was heading for - the back of the Real Betis net. Liverpool don't know how to win in the Premiership, but they don't know how to lose in the Champions League.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: He was pretty good out on the pitch, but Seán Óg turned in the best performance on the Hogan (or whatever the new version is called) since Joe Connolly enthralled us a mere quarter of a century ago.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Cork are now girding their loins for the biggest challenge in modern hurling - the three-in-a-row. And they have every chance given that the only elder statesman Brian Corcoran is ready to commit for another 12 months. Well done to the awesome Galway minors and I would like to particularly commend the Limerick minors, who produced the best stickwork of all four teams in Croke Park on Sunday.
PJ Cunningham
Thursday Talk
pcunningham@unison.independent.ie
All credit to boss Allen for allowing Cork to blossom
THERE was a huge reaction on the airwaves this week when journalist and RTE commentator Jim Carney declared his opposition to having a 'welcome home' night for losers after All-Ireland finals.
I'm sure there are plenty who would agree with Jim's realism on the issue, but a large number took the opposite view if Dessie Cahill's Sportscall was anything to go by.
I am slightly biased on this issue as I remember Pat Fleury coming home to Tullamore after Offaly were whipped in the Centenary Hurling Final against Cork in Thurles. "We let you down," the captain told the huge following who had turned up to welcome home their heroes, regardless of the result. "No, you didn't," they answered.
Fleury and his beaten squad made their mind up that they would repay such loyalty by winning the title next year - which they duly did against Galway in Croke Park.
Maybe they would have won it anyway, but I know several players would tell you that it was the memory of that Monday night which spurred them on through the following year.
Cork's memory of this year is something much more sublime; they have built up a panel of fine players who can play the game short, or with speed and movement and long delivery.
John Allen has taken over Donal O'Grady's mantle with quiet confidence and allowed a very good team to bloom. Less secure managers would tinker to put their own stamp on the team, but Allen allowed the team he inherited to grow, with Pat Mulcahy the major plus as he took Wayne Sherlock's place and put himself in the frame for 'defender of the year'.
Well done to Galway - they got the neutral interested after two years of Kilkenny-Cork. They came up short, not because they lack the talent, but rather the experience of the big time. Cork had to lose one to win two and prove they are an exceptional side.
Galway have proved nothing more than their potential - they must come back next year and win it if they are to fulfil that potential and end the western drought.
Conor Hayes' team has worked wonders and they still have something to learn. You could argue that the minor management worked better on the line than their senior counterparts on the day. Hindsight is a great help but Ben O'Connor should have been assigned a man marker - what were you doing in your finest new suit, Sylvie when your county needed you. Derek Hardiman was an auxiliary midfielder but maybe David Collins would have watched the highway in defence better and cut out some of the acres O'Connor grazed in. Easy to criticise at this remove, but I've no doubt Galway will be a tougher nut to crack next campaign.
MAYBE Michael Owen was lucky after all to reach Newcastle, away from the sinking ship that is Real Madrid. The Galacticos may get big money, but they are not bailing the water.
David Beckham, once the darling boy of Old Trafford and England football, now seems to bring doom and gloom to any team he lines out for.
The golden glitter on the pitch has faded as his celebrity status off it has grown. England couldn't even beat Northern Ireland, while once-proud Real were turnedover so badly in Lyon that it led to a day-long post mortem in the Spanish press.
Owen had to leave Spain with his tail between his legs. But if this week is anything to go by, he has a decent chance of getting through the season less scathed than Becks and co.
THE exploits of Bornacoola in Leitrim got us thinking about how small villages or half-parishes can sometimes completely confound the demographics.
Bornacoola is contesting the county final for the first time in 48 years - and I wonder is it the smallest village or townland population ever to win a senior county final?
Join with me in this attempt to find the winners of a senior hurling or football county title from the smallest population base.
Kiltubrid, the opponents in Leitrim on Sunday, are seeking their first title with a pick of only a few houses. Will the title will go to Leitrim or will other counties trump their call?
WALLY OF THE WEEK: The season is only in its infancy but already the club which has dominated the Premiership is being forced to play catch-up. Alex Ferguson has gambled and won many times in his careers, but lately his gambles seem to backfire.
David Beckham's golden glitter on the pitch has faded as his celebrity status off it has grown.
Leaving Roy Keane in dry dock while Manchester City dictated play and only sending him on when they equalised showed the lack of clarity in Ferguson's thinking which defined much of last year's failure. Now without his talisman out for up to three weeks and a failed centre-forward taking his place, the future doesn't look bright. I bet Liverpool can't wait to get Sunday's game on.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "The tickets were inadvertently packaged as football final tickets . . . we deeply regret that a mistake such as this should have occurred." - GAA statement following the finding of 1,000 hurling tickets which left empty spaces at the Cork v Galway All-Ireland Final last Sunday. The GAA say they specifically allocate every single ticket to clubs or counties, etc. So who was left without their allocation and would those 1000 or so souls not have raised the alarm a few days before the final because their tickets had not arrived? As I read the situation it doesn't add up.
GOAL OF THE WEEK: Florent Sinama-Pongolle may have benefited from a fortunate bounce between pushing backs and forwards but once his delicate lob left his right boot, there was only one place it was heading for - the back of the Real Betis net. Liverpool don't know how to win in the Premiership, but they don't know how to lose in the Champions League.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: He was pretty good out on the pitch, but Seán Óg turned in the best performance on the Hogan (or whatever the new version is called) since Joe Connolly enthralled us a mere quarter of a century ago.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Cork are now girding their loins for the biggest challenge in modern hurling - the three-in-a-row. And they have every chance given that the only elder statesman Brian Corcoran is ready to commit for another 12 months. Well done to the awesome Galway minors and I would like to particularly commend the Limerick minors, who produced the best stickwork of all four teams in Croke Park on Sunday.
PJ Cunningham
Thursday Talk
pcunningham@unison.independent.ie
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Biff O'Mahon
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Treasurer, thank you for posting up the article.
I found it partularly uninspiring, unimaginative and forgettable. Nothing new, and little intelligent insight into the background of the various stories. PJ's hardly the only person on the planet to think GoldenBalls is an idiot.
I'm thankful I didn't pay 1.50 (or whatever) for the opportunity to read it.
I found it partularly uninspiring, unimaginative and forgettable. Nothing new, and little intelligent insight into the background of the various stories. PJ's hardly the only person on the planet to think GoldenBalls is an idiot.
I'm thankful I didn't pay 1.50 (or whatever) for the opportunity to read it.
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Bord na Mona man
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An Bearcán Bearaigh
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I'm with Mr O'Mahon on the notion that the rest of the article isn't too great, but if you as Offaly fans don't find that Fleury story tugging at the heart strings, I don't know what to say, I really don't.I remember Pat Fleury coming home to Tullamore after Offaly were whipped in the Centenary Hurling Final against Cork in Thurles. "We let you down," the captain told the huge following who had turned up to welcome home their heroes, regardless of the result. "No, you didn't," they answered.
Fleury and his beaten squad made their mind up that they would repay such loyalty by winning the title next year - which they duly did against Galway in Croke Park.
Losers
I'm sure every speech by the Losing Captain at the homecoming goes along the lines of ".... we feel we let ye down .... but we'll be back even stronger next year .... we're going to win it for the wonderful fans here tonight ...."
Anyone want to work out how many recent All-Irelands have been won by a team that lost the preceding year?
God be with the days when I'd rise to this challenge myself. I must be getting even lazier than before.
Anyone want to work out how many recent All-Irelands have been won by a team that lost the preceding year?
God be with the days when I'd rise to this challenge myself. I must be getting even lazier than before.
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Biff O'Mahon
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Plain of the Herbs
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Homecoming 1984
As the team wwere returning from Thurles in 1984, the homecoming was held in Birr. As far as I can remember, there wasn't a reception in Tullamore.
As regards Bornacoola, surely Cunningham doesn't have to look outside his own native county for the smallest parish/ population to win a copunty title. I'd have thought that honour fell to the 400 strong population of Clareen?
As regards Bornacoola, surely Cunningham doesn't have to look outside his own native county for the smallest parish/ population to win a copunty title. I'd have thought that honour fell to the 400 strong population of Clareen?
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Bord na Mona man
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Re: Homecoming 1984
There was a reception in O'Brien Park (behind the GAA Centre) in Tellamore.Plain of the Herbs wrote:As the team wwere returning from Thurles in 1984, the homecoming was held in Birr. As far as I can remember, there wasn't a reception in Tullamore.
I don't know exactly what Fleury said at the homecoming in '84 but he gave a mighty speech after receiving the cup in '85. I'm fairly sure he referred to the promise he made in '84 or at least the emotion he felt when so many people turned out to see the defeated team return, so it did have some effect. If someone has that victory speech from '85 on video maybe they would print some of it.
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Plain of the Herbs
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fleury speech
Don't have the transcript, but going from memory it began with "deirtear gurbh é an reu is annamh is iontach agus is annamh captaen Uíbh Fhailí a bheith anseo ar ardán Uí hOgáin mar seo, agus nach íontach é sin."
Spoke for a few minutes about the previous years final, how the memory had been buried "curtha sa chré inniu" and how they had been inspired by the previous years homecoming and the vow they had made to the supporters that night.
Went on to comment on te bad summer (the flood on the callows was up on the 15th of August thta year, it rained that much) and how he hoped the all Ireland win would lift some of the resultant gloom over the midlands.
Then he paid tribute to Pat Carroll, said they'd be in to see him soon, and how he was sure the sight of the McCarthy cup would be better than all the pills in the world.
Spoke for a few minutes about the previous years final, how the memory had been buried "curtha sa chré inniu" and how they had been inspired by the previous years homecoming and the vow they had made to the supporters that night.
Went on to comment on te bad summer (the flood on the callows was up on the 15th of August thta year, it rained that much) and how he hoped the all Ireland win would lift some of the resultant gloom over the midlands.
Then he paid tribute to Pat Carroll, said they'd be in to see him soon, and how he was sure the sight of the McCarthy cup would be better than all the pills in the world.