Well now, it really has been a while, hasn’t it. I promise, one day I’ll stop starting all my posts in this manner. But that day it not today. Not today… I’ve made an August resolution that I’ll post more regularly. I’m hoping for at least twice a week. My fingers are crossed but god only knows what reality will bring.
It’s a bank holiday weekend over here, so no work till Tues. I was home in Sligo, but came down today for the match. Sligo V Louth in the All-Ireland hurling final[1] And we won. W00t! After all we aren’t much of a hurling county, and after the disappointment of the football this year. Reduced to the Tommy Murphy cup and losing to… I think it was London. London! That’s not even a county.
But not only did we win today, but it was a good entertaining game as well, so yay!
We’re moving at work this coming week, so I’ve big plans this weekend. Mainly involving sleep and relaxation Up early to let the movers in from Tues. Early to start and probably not too early to finish as it is exam time. Yes, yes, I know. It is ridiculous to be moving a college library during exam time. Speak not to me, I agree totally.
Linknotes:
okay, so really it was the Nicky Rackard cup, which is like the 3rd division of summat, but shush, the furriners wont know that ↩
As you can see I’ve changed the header because the 2007 RWC kicks off today. I’ve also finally gotten around to adding a link to The Fear of God that’ll stay over there on the right for the duration of the competition.
I was talking to one of the students about Ireland’s chances, and over the course of our conversation we got on to the subject of Croke Park and the IRFU and FAI using the GAA ground. And do you know what he said? That he would never go near Croke Park, that the GAA “shower” would never get any money off him, weren’t they all bigots. That he had no time at all for the GAA. Can you tell where he was from?
What an attitude to have. Of course his may be slightly mitigated in that he is a “mature” student and so can remember the days when GAA players weren’t allowed to play other sports. But that is in the past, and holding a grudge against the past is merely what the GAA were doing in the first place. After all it was set up, not primarily as a sporting organisation, but as a cultural one. To restore Irish culture through sport, and other activities. That is why you couldn’t play “foreign games”, because the foreigners had stopped the playing of Irish games.
So, the GAA has gotten rid of its outdated idiot rules lets hold it against them. Can you say “whataboutery”.
Linknotes:
- yes yes, there are normal southsiders too, but this is such a cliche ↩
The big match for all Sligonians was yesterday. De mudder and de sister came up Friday, and stayed in my place. The fadder and 2 of de brudders came up on Sat and we headed to Croke Park. And it was dreadful.
I don’t think many of us expected Sligo to win, but still, the match was not a good example of gaelic football. Instead it was messy, neither team took real control, it was dull, and I’m sure any neutrals would have been bored. Sligo started out a little brighter, but there were too many wides and they didn’t play their best. Still, hopefully they’ll have learned from this and will improve next year. The match might even work in Cork’s favour too, cause no one will be too impressed after that display, so maybe they’ll be underestimated
The third match of the day[1] was between Tyrone and Meath and it was a great game. Especially in comparison to the one that had gone before it. Meath won, and probably deserved it too.
I’m hoarse today. So hoarse I can’t actually speak at all. Well, the odd croak and a bit of a wheeze. Totally the fault of the cough I have. And the playing football in the rain. Nothing whatsoever to do with the drunken singing in the pub. No siree bob!
So I spent the day watching telly. Showjumping at 11 or so. Quick hop out to the shops to pick up the essentials; Strepsils, cough medicine, sausages and wedges. Pour essentials. Then home to watch the GAA. Two hurling quarters were on. Tip v Wexford was on first. I switched it on thinking, ah sure, I’ll support Tip, you know, what with the family connection to that county. But then I found myself urging Wexford on. That old underdog sympathy thing got me. And they won. Which was great. And a drama filled ending.
The other quarter-final was between Kilkenny and Galway. Kilkenny being the favourites, and me having been to college in Galway I was going to cheer them on. But then I was reminded of Vanessa McGarry’s death by seeing her son and her husband (Kilkenny goalkeeper) in the players’ section of the stand and it seemed somehow wrong to be wishing the team till. Course, as some hurling fella said, life is real and can be tragic, but that is exactly why we have things like sport.
The other two quarters are on tomorrow; Luimneach v An Clár and Port Láirge v Corcaigh. I’ll be cheering on Limerick and Waterford. I think. Well, Limerick for sure. I’m not to definite about the other match. Waterford deserve their shot at glory. But then again, as I’ve mentioned before I do like to cheer Cork on. We’ll see how the teams play.
Anyway, back to my exciting adventures on the couch. I then watched bits of Coast as they were doing the West coast of Ireland today. I did miss most of it, but caught the end. Did you know that seaweed is used in the making of beer and ice-cream? Well, now you do.
After that it was time for Jekyll. The final episode. And it was good, but I’m not too sure about the final scene. Was a bit “we want a twist” rather than an ending. Still, I’ll be keeping my eye out for anything else that Steven Moffat writes.
I was thinking of going to bed then. But instead I pulled out a dvd; A Little Princess which I bought in a 3 for €22 thingie during the week. I’d watched it years and years ago when the kids I was babysitting had rented it. And it really is a beautifully shot and directed film. And the music is great too. And I discovered that Alfonso Cuarón directed it. I may do a proper review at some stage.
So, that was my thrilling Saturday. I know you couldn’t possibly have gotten upto anything more exciting than that!
It has been a long day. Doubly long, for a Sunday. Was up at 6.30[1] Yes, Six Thirty in the am. On account of peoples falling out windows and impaling themselves on railings. And while I am prone to exaggeration, that is the truth, and let me tell you, finding firemen washing blood off the footpath outside your home is not something you really want to wake up to. And inviting a garda up to your place in order to give details of the faller, and then having to head up to the hospital and hang around, being told nothing, for hours. Until yet more gardaà arrived and took our witness statements.
Don’t worry, damaged foot, broken arm, fractured skull, but the patient is stable and currently snoring in the hospital. But still, not a great start to the day.
The demon drink eh.
In much better and happier news Sligo are Connacht Champions 2007. First time since 1975 that we’ve won. So the favourites didn’t win their 45th title. Cue the celebration in Sligo.
And now there is the Munster Hurling[2] to be watched[3] Busy busy busy, that’s what I am. Haven’t even had the time to open up the newspaper.
How could I not quote from Christy Moore’s Johnny Jump Up
Linknotes:
this may not be early for the likes of Kelly, but for the likes of me it is ↩
Also a bit of a telly round up: Prison Break is back[1] on RTE 2. Course I’ve been watching Heroes on SciFiUk at that particular time so haven’t been watching it. But thanks to the joys of d’internet I got to watch it last night. I wasn’t overly impressed[2]
Hopefully I’ll be more entertained when Rome makes its come back on Wednesday. And Sunday[3] Which might be awkward as I’m heading up to Sligo this weekend. Don’t wanna be on the train when Lamb and Chicken are back on the screen.
Over the weekend there was a feast of GAA action but there was too much going on. I watched the Limerick v Tipp hurling match on Sat. evening. I was cheering for Limerick, on account of that is where de mudder is from, but I didn’t think they win. And they didn’t. They did however draw. Again. So it’ll be a third replay.
On the face of it Limerick have simply trailed Tipp like a particularly enthusiastic puppy: every time Tipp have tried to shoo them away, Limerick have scampered happily back to their heel. Will Tipp finally rid themselves of the troublesome mutt, or will Limerick eventually bite them on the bum?
On Sunday we had a dilemma to face. Watch the Dublin V Meath replay in the football or switch over and enjoy the Cork V Waterford hurling? A peak audience of 792,000 watched both matches, with 342,000 watching the hurling and 285,000 watching the football, according to the Irish Times[4] but I’d guess that most people did what I ended up doing. Flicking between the two and missing out on most of the action. Luckily we had The Sunday Game later on for all the bits we missed. And the Sligo match. Which we won, by two points, which means that for the first time since 2002 Sligo will be in a Connacht final.
Today is a bank holiday. Yay! Day off. Four day week, and all that malarky. And what have I decided to do today? I know what you are thinking, oooh something exciting, possibly involving finally launching my plans to take over the world, but alas, no. I’m tidying[1] my room. Isn’t that thrilling? So far I have found approximately three hundred plastic bottles. Some empty, some with a few drops of water, some half full. I think I’m responsible for that hole in the ozone layer[2] but what can you do? I’m also thinking of building a new leaning tower, the leaning tower of books that I really should donate somewhere out of my room. They are threatening to topple over, I’ll have to require all visitors to my room to sign a disclosure of some description.
In other, less important news, the Leaving Cert begins this week[3] on Wednesday to be precise. The last of de brudders will be sitting it. I really should have some sort of sympathy for him, should I? But no, instead I’ll sit here and laugh[4] at him. Course he is pretty sorted. He got accepted to the rugby academy thingy[5] in Limerick, so all he has to do now is get enough points to do a proper course there and he’ll be happy. The problem is that he has spent so much time playing the rugby this past year that he didn’t actually do much studying.
I spent yesterday watching the GAA. The Waterford Kerry match was as boring as… well, I can’t quite think what else might have been that boring, Kerry won. Easily. Waterford got all of 4 points. But then I watched the Dublin Meath encounter. And that was much better fun. As first I was a bit worried cause Meath didn’t score at all in the first 20 minutes, but then they got stuck in, or maybe Dublin did their usual “omg! we’re in front, what do we do now”. It is weird, when I first moved to Sligo I totally didn’t get the whole anti-Dublin thing. And would always support Dublin. I was born here after all. But I think I’ve really turned into a culchie, cause I was half hoping that Meath would win. Especially after that goal that wasn’t. But at the same time I wasn’t too bothered either way. And so when Geraghty started throwing the odd punch I decided to support Dublin again. But then again, I didn’t. In the end it was a draw, and they get to “have at each other” all over again in two weeks time. Should be fun. I’d say that Meath might do it, but you never know.
I’m thinking I should support Dublin. I live here. I was born here. Rationally speaking I should support them, right? But I don’t. This summer I think I’m going to change that and tell myself to support them. Just like I tell myself I should support Leinster rugby ahead of Munster rugby.
Up early to let the movers in from Tues. Early to start and probably not too early to finish as it is exam time. Yes, yes, I know. It is ridiculous to be moving a college library during exam time. Speak not to me, I agree totally.
