Nov 01 2007
Possibly to be following by Damn this is good, but with the “they cancelled it? wail soon to begin.
Feb 24 2007
My only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey!
What a match. What a result. Role on Scotland and Italy.
Super Saturday or what? The fun started before I went to bed on Friday[1] when B#5 texted me to say he’d gotten his hands on a ticket for the big match. Bad news was that he couldn’t get me one, his was a schoolboy one that some fella didn’t want. Don’t know why, he asked no question just grabbed it. His train got into Dublin around 3 on Sat., so I was busy texting him the insane opening scores from the Italy Scotland match. 21-0 after 7 minutes, and Scotland’s nightmare start was all down to their own sloppiness. Part of me really wanted Scotland to make a come back, I was giving out to Mr. Paterson for not taking any of the points on offer. Constantly kicking for touch and never getting near scoring a try! But a little part of me wanted Italy to win[2] Historic, seeing as they’d never won a Six Nations away match before. And if they’d lost after those early tries it would have been heartbreaking. It’ll be really interesting to see them face Wales, I’m thinking that the Wooden Spoon might be headed Wales, despite the fact that they finally managed to score some tries in this year’s competition. But I’m getting ahead of myself. After the Scotland match came the Ireland match.
And the tension was such that I had to put away the beer, couldn’t be drinking as I had to concentrate on the match. But before that came the appearances by the teams, and the crowd gave the English team a great reception. Nothing compared to the reception they gave Ireland, but still nice to see. And after all that had been written and talked about regarding GSTQ, there wasn’t even the slightest hint of trouble[3] Instead it was sung and listened to with respect, before Amhrán na bhFiann and Ireland’s Call were belted out, with so much emotion[4] that tears were shed. And then, the match itself.
The opening was a bit dodgy. England took the lead, 3-0 and a slow start from Ireland looked likely. But not this time. Not a bit of it. O’Gara evened the score up with a penalty of his own, and from there on it was all Ireland. England were totally outplayed in one of the most intense first halfs I have ever seen. O’Driscoll was back and although quiet by his usual standards was still hugely influential. Stringer was back and as game as ever. Paulie too was back, I know he hadn’t missed a game, but he hasn’t been playing as well as he can recently. But in this match he was fantastic, back to his best, and Man of the Match, although maybe O’Gara could have claimed the award as he totally dominated the match. But then again, so too could Wallace, he was immense. And with Horgan back to his preferred position, and displaying some GAA high-fielding talents to score that try.
What a day, and what a result, 43-13! Forty-three points we scored. Gwan Ireland!
Then I had to leave the on-screen celebrations and head out and find de brudder in the seething mass of happy fans coming down Parnell St. And headed home to hope Wales would finish off a perfect day by beating France.
It was not to be however, Wales may have gotten off to a good start, but in the end France’s class showed out and they won, playing well-within themselves. Bloody French spoiling our party 
Oct 23 2006
I’d've started this post with a Dude-like exclamation, only I did that last time, and I can’t be repeating myself. Not for a short while anyway.
I guess Ronan O’Gara was proven totally and utterly correct when he said that Irish teams no longer have to fear English ones. After all, all three of our provinces involved in the Heinekin Cup won their matches, and England only 1 out 6. The French got 4 our of 7. While the Welsh got 3 our of 3. Scotland played 2 and won one[1]
Course on account of the ebilness of capitalism I didn’t get to watch any. I had intended to go down the pub on Sunday to watch Munster. But laziness defeated me. I listened to the Leinster match, and have the highlights recorded. And watched the highlights of the Munster match. Anyone know why RTE don’t just show the entire match?
All hail Ronan, that was a fantastic last penalty. After missing one from closer in earlier, and faced with that rain, and all that pressure. What can you say but “Dude”[2]
It is also Luna Nina time, and she says:
WHile I say
May 22 2006
Crap. I forgot that the server peeps were upgrading yesterday. That’s why yesterday’s post has been eradicated, and Peter is missing from the header. There is no hope of me remembering exactly what I said, so I’ll just ramble on again about how great Saturday was. And there is always the possibility that it’ll show up again, then again it may not. But first, Luna Nina says:
and mine will be after the rugby rambles and the cut.
If you read the post yesterday there will be similarities here, but you’ll just have to deal with that
Now where to begin? Oh yes, with the site of ultra-focused Ronan O’Gara being prodded with an umbrella as he and some of the other rugby lads fought over a red cowboy hat.
See, yesterday saw the Munster team arrive in Limerick for a homecoming celebration. They’d landed in Shannon around 1.00 that morning and after a stay in a hotel began the bus journey to O’Connell St, Limerick. That’d be the street that was flashed up on the big screen in the middle of the match on Sat. And that youtube video is the scenes from Limerick in the final minutes of the match.
Can you picture this, a bus load of semi-drunk fella on an open top bus, in the rain, drinking cans of Bulmers and bottles of Heineken. What a sight Being cheered on by around 40,000 supporters according to some newspapers
It didn’t have any hint of professionalism about it, but that is what made it so great. It was just so honest. And plenty of it was obviously very unplanned. Like Marty Morrissey being summoned on to the stage. Marty, you see, is a GAA commentator, not a rugby man. but he was on duty for RTE covering this event, but well away from the stage. Obviously though he got spotted, and as we’ve all heard this Munster rugby team are not so serious when off the pitch[1] And it ended up with Marty after trying to make his escape being hoisted onto the rugby team’s shoulders. That’s something you don’t see everyday.
I think Marty Morrissey is the nearest thing to O Muirceartaigh that TV has. Though Marty should carry a health warning as he is not good for those of us with even the slightest of cardiac problems! Sometimes you are left thinking that Marty is either going to swallow the microphone whole or jump out of the telly and land beside you.
Who will ever forget ‘There won’t be a cow milked in Clare for a week’ (Munster SFC Final 1992) or ‘By God these Wexford boys mean business’ (Marty, complete with lump in throat, Leinster SHC Final, 1996).
It was a great day, and I’m sure all those who waited frrom 10 in the morning[2] felt it was worth it when they were there to cheer on the team at around 5 that afternoon. It was a long wait in the rain, but after losing 2 previous finals, not to mention a few semi’s, it was one way of showing their appreciation.
Although to the few fans who are now expecting three in a row! Come on, I know that you have to be hungry in order to win at sport, but wanting something and expecting it are two very different things.
Still, they showed up in that rain yesterday, they spent fortunes following the team around Europe. Maybe the fans deserve to have some expectations.
In other sporting news in Ireland most matches were called off because of the rain, including the Sligo v galway one, which means that Galway’s Padraig Joyce will probably be fit for next weekend. The boring golf was also hit, meaning it’ll go into a fifth day today. Although I did like that Darren Clarke[3] excused his bad play on Sat by saying he was too busy watching the rugby to think about his golf game.
And surprise of surprises New york actually won a GAA match. They beat Derry in the opening round of the hurling, although visa issues mean they might not play in the next round. Well, thems the breaks for illegal immigrants. or at least I assume that is the problem they’ll have trying to re-enter the States afterwards if they leave.
Now, is there anything else I mentioned yesterday? Oh yes, the Eurovision. Which, fantastically, was won by Finland, in the form of Monster Rock band Lordi. And I’m proud to report that Irish viewers, clearly taking the competition very seriously, awarded Lordi 10 points. With our 12 going to the weird Lithuanian “We Are the Winners” song[4]
May 20 2006
There are moments in sport that will live forever. As a small country we don’t get too many of them, so they are so much more important. Ronnie Delany’s gold medal in the 1956 Olympics. The 1978 defeat of the All Blacks. Sonia O’Sullivan. Ray Houghton, whether against England or Italy. Paul McGrath’s almost one-man defence in that Italy match. Course there also some that live forever for all the wrong reasons. Sonia O’Sullivan. Roy Keane.
But today can go down for all the right reasons. Because Munster won. 23-19
The match started out with disaster as Biarritz scored a try within the first three minutes. And yes, replays showed that Bobo had a foot in touch, not once but twice. And maybe if we lost I’d be complaining. But we won, so I can say that, sure these things happen in rugby matches.
Munster have been on the hunt for this cup for many years now. Captain Anthony Foley has played in 76 of Munster’s 77 European Cup matches for Munster[1] and others in this team have been waiting 10 years to lift this trophy. So they weren’t about to drop the heads. Three minutes gone means you still have 77[2] left in which to make your comeback.
And they did. Fantastic placekicking from Ronan O’Gara, and two great tries. One from South Africa Trevor Halstead and the other a great piece of work from Stringer. Who’s saying he shouldn’t be on the team now?
Overall it was a fantastic match. Full of tension, and with estimates of up to 70,000 Munster fans in the Millenium Stadium there was plenty of atmosphere. The big screen in the stadium also flashed up an image of the supporters back home in Limerick watching on Europe’s largest YV screen, a fact which at least some of the players mentioned in their post-match interviews.
This game had it all. Skill, passion, tries, points, tension, atmosphere. Man getting hit in groin by head, poor Jerry Flannery. Everything. A great day. And an even better result.
Check out The Limerisk Blogger for more images and youtube video. And of couse the BBC photo gallery, and I’m sure there are plenty more bloggers out there covering it.
Dec 10 2005
After seriousness comes great news:
Your order for Serenity (Widescreen/2005) has been posted.
Please note PLAY MAIL ORDER will show on your statement.
Please allow 3-5 days delivery.
(the source won’t go anywhere)
Course because officially it wasn’t supposed to be released until the 20th I sent it to Sligo. Damnations! Its going to be the 23rd before I get to watch it. Must remember to bring home my region-free disc for the PS2
Also, rumour has it that Serenity may have won the BBC film 2005 film of the year award, but of course, that rumour may be false. Dashing hopes onto sharp pointy rocks.
Tags: Joss-verse, Serenity, w00t!Aug 24 2005
EDITED to add that that is a crappy photo taken on the phone at the Serenity screening in Dublin.
picture064.jpg,
originally uploaded by Fence.
