Heartache in Paris
I'm not the greatest fan of the oval ball game, but
admit to being enthralled by the Irish Rugby team's
performance against the French in Paris. A cracking
performance by the usually disastrous Irish side had
them singing in Dublin 4 and the unionist middle-class
areas of the Six Counties (and Limerick).
They even scored their first try in Paris for 18 years,
then nearly clinching victory against all the odds.
What was responsible for the turnaround in fortunes? A
new manager and sense of sure-we've-nothing-to-lose may
have something to do with it.
Call me slow, but where did they get their new
pre-match song? I'm informed it was written by Phil
Coulter. What was wrong with the Soldier's Song? Now
there's inspiration. The new one is dire, vague and
soppy. Another sop to unionism maybe. Anyway, for all
my sniping and sneering, at least they're a 32-County
team.
National Hurling League resumes
The 1998 National Hurling League pucked off last
Sunday. Dublin provd they are more than capable of
taking on the best in Division 1A - they scored a
four-point victory over Galway at Parnell Park.
All-Ireland champions Clare trounced a poor Antrim side
at Ennis, with Jamsie O'Connor contributing 10 points
of Clare's 3-21. In Section B Kilkenny went down to
Cork in Pairc uí Chaoimh. Their less than effective
attack missed DJ Carey; five points the winning margin
here. Surprise at Thurles where Tipperary were beaten
by Waterford, their Munster semi-final opponents in the
championship. Wins too for Wexford and Limerick over
Offaly.
McCann - four years in charge
Last 4 March saw the fourth anniversary of the
departure of the old board at Celtic Park and the
arrival of one Fergus McCann. While a lot of Celtic
fans have problems with some of what McCann has done
(the so-called Bhoys Against Bigotry, ground ejections,
his Tory leanings, his dictatorial style of running
things etc) we'll concentrate on the positive side of
things. Let's face it, without his financial support
and assistance at that crucial time there was a
possibilty there would not have been a Celtic Football
Club.
From a turnover of £8m four years ago to over £22m in
the last financial year and an average crowd of 48,000
a game. No one can accuse us of not giving credit where
credit is due; he has turned Celtic into one of the
biggest clubs in Europe again, with more season ticket
holders than Merchandise Utd, a near completed 60,000
seater stadium and a team on the verge of their first
domestic treble since 1969.
A week of soccer violence on and off the pitch in the
occupied counties and Free State. Trouble flared at the
Cliftonville-Crusaders game and the Belfast derby
between Linfield and Glentoran. Loyalist-tattooed Kirk
Hunter was the main instigator of the trouble on the
pitch at Solitude. This is not the first time Kirk has
attracted attention; his reputation goes before him. It
is reported he is to ponder his future in the game
after his antics on Saturday. Maybe he should take up
kick boxing.
The overpaid £10-20,000 a week footballers of Newcastle
FC were in Dublin last week. It's reported that
punch-ups and the throwing of traffic cones through car
windows, visits to casualty etc occupied their time.
And they wonder why we don't want Wimbledon.
Quote of the week is from the Title and goes to the
Englishman who tried to be Irish and settled for being
Welsh instead, Vinny Jones, in regards to the Wimbledon
move: ``Selhurst Park is at the wrong end of London for
us so it would have been great to come to Dublin.''
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY
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