Child of Prague:
At the end of September 2009 I visited two great and very different European cities, Prague and Berlin. Travelling to these cities is not a major challenge. I have done it a number of times, and I have never been disappointed. The company I have used, with great satisfaction, is called ‘The Travel Department’. Prague which is referred to locally as Praha, though changing, is one of Europe’s treasures. Prague straddles the banks of the Vltava River and is a UNESCO heritage city. It is located at the centre of Europe and while we like to talk and dwell on our history we are one dimensional and really on the fringe of European history. Prague had history and influence impinging from all points of the compass. It is a history of which we know little. It formed the border of the Medieval Turkish expansion in Europe. Perhaps you might indulge me retracing my investigation of this lovely city in the company of up to forty other Irish visitors and our local guide Sharka. We began our tour of the city at the imposing Prague Castle, with its ‘changing of the guard’ ceremony. Like many castles it overlooks the majestic city bathed in warm autumn sunshine. The complex includes the beautiful cathedral of St. Vitus which was closed in preparation for the Pope’s visit the following day. It was downhill over a quarter of a mile of steps to the Child of Prague church. I didn’t know that this icon was of Spanish origin and the church was also visited by Pope Benedict on his visit to Prague. We crossed the Vltava River over the crowded but famous pedestrian Charles Bridge. On the bridge the strains of quality classical music fills the air. Nearby, people hand out flyers advertising classical concerts with the music of the great composers. Many take place in former churches. This bridge with its 30 varied statues was a montage of artistic endeavour like those of Venice. Past it, after a maze of streets was the famous astronomical clock, the stunning St. Nicholas Church and large square. Apparently these act as a beacon for visitors and wedding parties. Not far away is the other great Wenceslas square fronted by its fine statue of the ‘Good King Wenceslas’. This boulevard square has been the location for many critical moments of Czech history. In the distance overlooking the city is a scaled replica of the Eiffel Tower. It needs initiative to access this and a failed attempt to scale the underlying hill on foot led me to resort to the curiously named ‘funicular’ tram. The following day a couple of us returned to Prague Castle only to accidentally encounter the visit of Pope Benedict to the Cathedral of St. Vitus. This was certainly a much lower key visit than it would be in many other places but it was a happy accident for us.
Prague and the Czech Republic have had the traumas of communist domination from World War Two until the ‘Velvet Revolution’ of 1989 and Vaclav Havel. There had been a slight glimmer of hope in 1968 with the Alexander Dubchek ‘Prague Spring’ but this was crushed by the communists with Russian aid. Today it is in transition being in the E.U. since ’04 but not yet in the Euro zone. This presents logistical difficulties for visitors in coping with the local Koruna or Crown. The debate about joining the euro continues. There are two views on the E.U. also. One fears the submergence of the recent democracy in another totalitarian super-state different to communism of course. The other view is the security which the membership and alliances of E.U. brings.
Prague is a fascinating city a bit like the heirloom china that one fears to use in case it gets damaged. Perhaps the overrun of tourists might diminish its charm. On Sunday, after just a few days, we were on our way again taking the train from Prague on a five hour journey, through Dresden, to a very different city, Berlin

Boyle’s All-Ireland Fleadhs:
“I was in Boyle once…..many years ago now. It was during one of the great Fleadhs…the best I was ever at….I remember it well….great days, great music.” I have had this reaction more than once whenever I mention that I’m from Boyle. The Fleadhs of Boyle live on in the memories of the thousands who visited the towns on those memorable weekends nearly thirty years ago. They act too as markers in the memories of those involved.
Origins: Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann had been founded at the turn of the fifties to nurture and promote Irish traditional music, song and dance. This promotion culminated in the great annual festival of Irish music, the Fleadh Cheoil. These had begun at Mullingar in 1951 and had been held, through the fifties, in towns such as Athlone, Ennis, Loughrea and Longford. Boyle’s turn came in 1960.
Surrounded by Music: While traditional music, native to the town, was scarce enough, Boyle was at the heart of a countryside immersed in music. Among those musicians were Joe and Paddy McDonagh of Ballinafad. They possessed a wealth of tunes which they passed on to the younger generation including Matt Molloy. Also from Ballinafad were Bertie and Michael Joe MacNiff. The sessions in Corrigeenroe revolved around Paddy Nicholson’s. Here was a fine fiddle player, Michael Lyons, who later emigrated to the U.S. while Jim McLoughlin played the whistle. Paddy Nicholson himself played the fiddle, while another great player was Phil McConnon. In nearby Doon were the McGlynns, Eugene, Joe, Pat and Owen and also Peter Gallagher. On the other side of Boyle, in Keash, were Peter and Joe Cullen, Michael Brennan and Mark Walshe. From Killaraght came Mrs. Meehan, Kevin Meehan and Oliver Knott. In Ballinameen there were Eugene Duffy, and Paddy Kenny with E. Lavin in Breedogue. Nearer the town was accordion player Paddy Cregg and flute player Eddie Cummins. From the town were the fiddle players John Dwyer and Paddy Morris and brothers Jimmy and Bernard Flaherty, originally from near Castlebaldwin, both accomplished accordion players. Then there was Kathleen Dwyer Morris who hailed from Ballindoon but became intrinsically linked with Boyle. These musicians flavoured the times as they played at Country House dances, American wakes, occasional concerts and rambling house sessions. They had their own local style dictated by restricted means of transport and local identity. In the fifties this changed and the Fleadhs accelerated the change.
Venue Selection: News of the great gathering of musicians at the All-Ireland Fleadhs, of the early fifties, began to filter back to Boyle. A branch of Comhaltas was formed, instigated by Micheal O Callaghan. He became the first Branch Chairman. Clareman, Garda Joe Leahy was Vice-Chairman; Des Kennedy was Secretary with Paddy Morris and Mrs. Margaret Nicholson acted as Co-Treasurers. Other core committee members included Mr. and Mrs. John O’Dowd; Jimmy and Tess Flaherty, Martin Candon and Kathleen-Dwyer Morris among others. Present, at that initial meeting, to lend encouragement, were Tommy Flynn and Pat Joe Dowd from Lough Arrow. This ambitious committee applied to host the 1960 All-Ireland Fleadh. Because of its youth, it had to overcome the national organisations doubts in its ability to do so at a special meeting in Birr.
Preparation and Anticipation: The town did not know what to expect from the event and could hardly have anticipated the immense size and impact of the occasion. It came as a shock to Boyle but the town rallied and won through on all fronts. The days immediately preceding the weekend were days of feverish activity. Temporary cafes, eating houses and accommodation venues, emerged, responding to the cajoling of the committee’s accommodation secretary, Jimmy Flaherty. Camping grounds sprang up as the town improvised to cater for the expected crowds. And they came, first as a trickle on Friday evening, to a steady stream early on Saturday to a flood on the evening and night and on Sunday morning, until the streets were filled with a happy, jostling throng.
Triumph: The 1960 All-Ireland Fleadh was a triumph for Boyle; a triumph of organisation, co-operation and atmosphere, which left a wealth of memories and established Boyle as a premier venue for the festival. Sunday morning opened to the crash of a thunder storm, which threatened the day. But, having given its salute, it passed on, as the parades and music returned to the streets, while the competitions proceeded in the many centres. Among the winners that weekend were many who were to become household names in the traditional music scene. Joe Burke, Matt Molloy and Josie McDermott were winners as were the Tulla Ceili Band. Locals too performed with distinction, including Frances Grehan, Sean Kenny, and Aidan Sheerin. The St. Attracta’s Ceili Band, Ballinameen; Buion Cheoil Mhuire, Drumboylan and Marian Band, Boyle were successful in the Roscommon County competitions.
A post-Fleadh account went thus “…the memory of it is still fresh in the minds of the thousands…..and what memories they are….to try and sort them out is almost impossible for they come crowding into the mind in a confusion of sounds, faces and incidents that prevents the pictures from coming sharply into focus. The skirl of the pipes, the lilt and lift of the dance tunes, the ballad singing and dancing on the pavements, the laughter and noise of the happy laughing crowd seemed to hang over the streets of Boyle.”
Epilogue: The return of the Fleadh of 1966, held in glorious Whit weekend weather, confirmed and enhanced Boyle’s reputation. The opposition encountered by the committee to the Fleadh’s proposed return in 1972, in the nervous atmosphere of the Northern Troubles, was a big disappointment to them. While there were very good County and Provincial Fleadhs in this period, and an active branch, the possible repeat of 1960 or 1966 faded as Listowel took over the mantle. Neither has the number of Boyle musicians grown beyond the traditional families of Flaherty, Morris, Meehan and Grehan. The strongholds are still outside in places such as Ballyfarnon and Castlebaldwin. The local Comhaltas branch is dormant, with little prospect of coming to meaningful life. The twenty fifth anniversary of the 1960 Fleadh inspired the Editor of the Roscommon Herald (and motivator of the first festival, Micheal O’Callaghan) to ask, above a picture of a crowded town; “Will we ever see the like again?” I doubt it very much, so let’s hold on to the memories of ’60 and ’66.
“Ah yes, I was in Boyle once…. “
First published in the important Moylurg Writers Book of essays, on Boyle, Vol. 2, published Nov. 1993.
(Acknowledgements to Mrs. Margaret Nicholson and Mrs. Kathleen Dwyer Morris for their help with this article).

Roscommon U-21 All-Ireland 1966:
‘The Eighth Wonder of the World’
(For the 40th Anniversary-2006- of a great Roscommon All-Ireland Under 21 Victory).

Noted GAA correspondent John D. Hickey suggested that if Roscommon were to beat Kildare and win the All-Ireland Under- 21 Final of 1966 it would be ‘an eight wonder of the world’. In a glorious hour’s football, after a game of swaying fortunes, Roscommon did just that and the critics were confounded. Roscommon became the first holders of the Clarke Cup, ironically donated by Kildare County Board in honour of a long-serving Kildare official in the third year of the competition. This made up for the disappointment of ’65 when a fine Minor side were beaten in the Semi-Final by Derry.
In retrospect this was a star-studded side but three of the starting side Earley, Cox, Kelly were still only minors such plus O’Gara who came on and substitutes Feely and O’Sullivan. Through the campaign they played with dash and style and the final against reigning champions Kildare was an exhibition of football.
Convincing in Connacht:
They gave first notice of their possibilities with a top class display against Galway in the first round where Pat Nicholson was outstanding. Roscommon 1.9 Galway 1.5. However they just shaded the Semi-Final v Leitrim with the first of series of fine performances from Martin Joe Keane. Roscommon 2.6 Leitrim 1.8.
In the Connacht Final Mayo raced into a six point lead. Ropscommon made some telling switches and Mayo were reeled in by half-time. Roscommon dominated the second half and ended convincing winners. Roscommon 1.15 Mayo 0.9. Dermot Earley accounted for 0.8 of Roscommon’s total.

Close call in Semi-Final:
Roscommon 2.2 Donegal 0.5.
The odd scoreline gives some indication of the game. Roscommon should have won more convincingly but shot an unhealthy number of wides. Tom Heheghan had the side’s only first half score, a great goal, which left them ahead by a point at half time. Heneghan was also involved in the second goal being brought down for a penalty which Jim Keane converted. Heneghan and Martin Joe Keane starred while Roscommon had a great half-back line of Gerry Mannion, Paul Mockler and Colm Shine.
Grand Final Victory:
This game included all that was best in Gaelic football and will rank among the best performances by a Roscommon side in Croke Park. Roscommon started with three quick points from Jimmy Finnegan and John Kelly (2). Kildare responded with five points without reply and led at half-time 0.7 to 0.5. Kildare dominated the third quarter and raced to a six point lead and seemed to be on the way to retaining their title and being the first holders of their own cup. Roscommon restructured their side bringing Earley to midfield and Martin Joe Keane to the edge of the square and Jim (Jumbo) Keane to centre-forward. This had the desired effect and Roscommon came back with a cracking goal from Jumbo followed by another from Jimmy Finnegan after good work from Martin Joe. These goals decided the outcome as the ‘lily whites’ wilted.
In the latter stages it was a total team performance of great passion, character and efficiency. The back line personified a ‘thou shall not pass’ tenaciousness as represented by Clarke and Shine. Up front the speed and accuracy of John Kelly showed him up as one of the outstanding forwards on view among a star-studded cast from both sides. It should be remembered that Kildare were defending champions and were favourites for very valid reasons. Eleven starting players and one substitute had been on the victorious team versus Cork in ’65. The side included quite a number of players who were to become household names not only in their own county but in the broader Gaelic spectrum. These included Ollie Crinnegan (goalkeeper), Pat Mangan, Tommy Carew and Pat Dunny.
Roscommon team Captain, Colm Shine, accepted the Clarke Cup (ironically just presented by Kildare in memory of a long-serving official) from the GAA President Hugh Byrne. By co-incidence it was just twelve months to the day that Mr Byrne had presented Mick Hoare with the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Cup in St. Coman’s Park.
The team made a triumphal tour of the county on their return, breaking with tradition by crossing the Shannon at Tarmonbarry. From there they visited Strokestown and Elphin to an explosive reception in Boyle where Johnny Keaveny’s coal lorry, acting as rostrum,left its mark. The team then visited Castlerea and Ballintubber on their way to a County Board reception in Roscommon town.
The team:
Pat Reynolds (Elphin), Pat Clarke (Boyle), Pat Nicholson (Boyle), Colm Shine (Capt./ Clann na Gael), Gerry Mannion (St. Brigids), Paul Mockler (St Croan’s), Tommy Heneghan (Castlerea), Martin Joe Keane (Creggs), John O’Connor (Roscommon Gaels), Jimmy Finnegan (Castlerea), Dermot Earley (Michael Glaveys U 18), Jim Cox ( St. Barry’s U 18), Marty Cummins (Shannon Gaels), Jim Keane (St. Brigids), John Kelly (Elphin U 18). Substitute used Mark O’Gara, (St Croan’s U 18).
Also on the match programme are Willie Feeley (Rahara U 17!), John Nicholson (Boyle), Ray Sheerin (St. Michaels), Noel Daly (Castlerea, who was ill for the final).
In the team picture are, Frank Fallon (St. Faithleach’s), Oliver Naughton (Padraig Pearse’s), James Beirne (Elphin), Jerome Dufficey (Tulsk).
Also associated with the team K. McGuinness (Tarmonbarry), Adrian O’Sullivan (Castlerea U 18), T. Gacquin (St. Aidan’s), Sean O Donnell (St. Faithleach’s), a total of 28 in all.

The reason I note those U 18 is to give an indication of how young three of their most influential players were. Indeed star player John Kelly says that it was the Minor Championship, not the under 21, that they really hoped to win that year. Being 1966, the 50th Anniversary of 1916, the All-Ireland medals were of special quality as were all All-Ireland medals of that year. The team trainer was Dr. Keenan.
The team were feted at the County Senior Final and as guests of the Roscommon Supporters Club in Dublin in October.
It is fair to say that nearly all of the above went on to give great service to Roscommon as senior players and in other GAA roles within the county subsequently. It was one of the most talented sides Roscommon ever fielded and in ways this year’s minor team has shades of its composition.

Scor in Boyle: Boyle was an active Club in Scor in the initial decade from ’69 to ’79This was a period when Boyle had a National reputation as a centre for traditional music and song. This was highlighted by the great All-Ireland Fleadhs of 1960 and 1966. There were also a number of successful Connacht and Roscommon Fleadhs. Boyle was also an active participant in the Comhaltas, Scoraiocht, competition.
As a result of this there was a crossover of participants to Scor and such was the dual participation that both competitions have become somewhat confused in the memories of the participants of thirty years ago. This was exemplified by the confusion over an outing in Ballyleague Hall in the early to mid seventies when a Boyle Set Dance Group, including Christy Slein and Paddy McGarry, while losing out on technicalities won on the clapometer!
Regular Club representatives were the Morris family who were well known in traditional music circles in Comhaltas. Mrs. Morris, a noted traditional fiddle player, participated in the All-Ireland at the R.D.S. in 1972. She participated again in 1978 in the music group with members of her family, Anthony and Anne.
In 1976 Boyle represented Roscommon in the All-Ireland Finals in Leisureland in ‘The Novelty Act’ and ‘Ballad Group’. Sean Young, a fine singer, participated in both. The ‘Ballad Group’ had stiff competition in this period from Roscommon Gaels group, while Sean remembers a P.J. Shine orchestrated Clann na Gael, as always being to the fore in ‘The Novelty Act’. The Ballad Group featured in an RTE highlights programme.
Sean remembers an incident, with an adjudicator, in Ballinameen Hall, when the adjudicator, though commending his solo singing of the song ‘Sliabh Gallion Brae’, referred to it as a Scottish song. Sean was quick to clarify the issue by informing the adjudicator that he grew up in the shadow of the said Sliabh, in South Derry.
The internal Club competition, was, for a number of years, of a high standard. This competition was held in The Tennis Pavilion where a spirit of friendly rivalry prevailed.
The Bolger family from Corrigeenroe were the backbone of any dancing entry. Among the other Scor regulars were Barry Feely, P.J. and Maureen Keane, Rosaleen Moran , Una Beirne and Paddy McDermott. Scor, with many other social outings centred around music and song, give to the decade of the seventies a kaleidoscope of memories, colouring a very different world, for the small group of participants from Boyle. (For a County Scor publication Sept. 2005).


Handball The Golden Age in Boyle: Perhaps there are other parallels in sport but I don’t know of them,so it can be confidently proposed that for the decade of the 1930s’ Boyle was the heartbeat of handball in Ireland. This was due to the efforts of one John Casey who ran his ball-alley, Casey’s Alley in Patrick Street Boyle. From it came one of the great champions of any sport and I contend Roscommon’s greatest ever sportsman. His name was Paddy Perry. With Perry in the lead there was a supporting cast of other fine handballers such as Paddy Reid, the Gaughrans, Clarkes, Kennedy, Devine, Dooley and Gibbons. Perry won his first All Ireland, a Junior softball singles and accompanied by Tommy Gaughran they also won the doubles, at the Horse and Jockey alley in Tipperary in 1929. In 1930 Paddy won the first of 8 All Ireland Senior softball titles in a row, 1930 to 1937 incl. For a long time it was felt that this would never be equalled but it has been by Kilkenny handballer, Duxie Walshe. Perry with Austin Mullaney, son of a schoolteacher from outside Boyle and later a teacher himself in Glinsk, Co. Glaway, won the Senior All Ireland Softball Doubles in ’32 and ’33. In ’36, Paddy, with his friend Paddy Reid of Tawnanaden, Boyle, they took the All Ireland Senior hardball doubles title. In nine years he won 13 All Ireland medals along with a host of Provincial and Garda honours as well as the prestiguous Tailteann Games Singles and Doubles (with A. Mullaney) in 1932. He was awarded the G.A.A. Golden Jubilee Year Trophy for 1934.
There is a reference to him being selected for an Irish handball team to participate at the !932 Olympics at Los Angeles and of the team being unable to travel due to lack of funds. While a case is being put to have handball (as we know it) included today I was not aware that it was part of an Olympic programme previously.
Perry was to be succeeded by another great champion whose father came from Boyle but was domiciled in Kilkenny, John Joe Gilmartin. They met in October 1937 at Clogh, Co. Kilkenny. Noted handball authority and referee, Tom McElligott, wrote evocatively, in his 1984 book on handball, on this game:
“ Like the meeting of two great players in any sport, while the match did not answer all the questions, it was still a memorable occasion. It showed Perry at his masterly best. It showed Gilmartin who still had a bit to go to attain similar mastery. Perry was then a commanding figure, fast-moving with a deceptively easy way of hitting a decisive ‘kill’. His beautiful service that ran only inches below the board at the top of the side-walls meant that Gilmartin rarely put him out in his return of service. Gilmartin, only coming on the scene, showed breath-taking speed and rapier drives down the side- walls. Perry came out the winner by the odd game in five. On the homeward journey none of us had any doubt but that we had seen a match that would not be surpassed in our time’.
Paddy went down to John Joe in 1938 with the most disappointing feature being that the game was in Boyle. “ I didn’t mind losing as much to John Joe, because he was one of the greatest I ever played but to lose in my home town was naturally disappointing” Perry later recalled. They remained friends and long afterwards discussed with admiration and envy the quality of the new glass courts of Croke Park.
That Paddy Perry remained in Ireland at all was a close run thing. He was due to go to an uncle in the States but was persuaded by General Eoin O’Duffy to join the Guards in line with his policy of getting prominent sports people into the force.
Membership of the force led to a unique and probably never to be equalled accolade for Paddy Perry in that he was to win three Dublin senior championships on the one day representing the Garda. It was in 1934. In the football final they defeated St. Joseph’s. He was persuaded to play in the hurling Final against Faughs, which they also won. Paddy sustained a badly injured ankle and rib and was strongly advised not to play for some time. However on that evening he defeated Peter Berry (a prominent Civil Servant in the early 70s’) in the handball final. This made his injuries worse but he later felt the uniqueness of his achievement made it worthwhile.
Paddy played Gaelic football for Boyle and Roscommon. He played with the Garda and won Dublin Senior Championships in ’33, ’34, ’35. He won a Leinster Senior medal with Dublin County in ’34 and was on the Dublin panel which disposed of Kerry convincingly in the Semi-final at Tralee but were defeated by Galway (Connacht’s first Senior Football win) in the All-Ireland Final.
He also played soccer for Sligo Rovers under the name ‘Mickey Rooney’.
In recalling his most memorable moments he nominated his return to Boyle after his victories in the All Ireland Junior singles and Doubles with Tommy Gaughran in 1929.
“They laid rockets on the railway track which announced our homecoming. There were bonfires blazing and we were carried shoulder high down the town accompanied by the town’s ‘Brass and Reed’ band. We were young and really enjoyed it all.’

Paddy Perry was the second person to be honoured with a Hall of Fame award in Roscommon in 1969. (The previous year Tom Shevlin was similarly honoured).
He served in the Garda from 1931 until retirement, on his birthday March 17, 1972, with all his service being in Dublin. He was born on Patrick’s day 1909 and died in April 1983 aged 74 years.
His life-long friend, fellow Boyle man and handball champion Paddy Reid paid him this tribute;
‘during his time as Champion he met many very great players throughout Ireland but none of them could compete with the brilliance of the great Champion Paddy Perry was. I have witnessed many great games during and since that time and I can truly say that his superiority and brilliance have never been and are never likely to be equalled. He was a credit to his county and country and to the Garda Siochana in which he served with distinction for 41 years”

PADDY REID:
Paddy was born in Townanadden, Boyle. As an older child he was sent to live with his mother’s relatives, the hunts of Moygara near Gurteen, Co. Sligo. His cousin Jim Hunt an R.I.C. man was a handballer and had won Munster titles while stationed there and Connacht Softball Singles subsequently. Jim Hunt left the R.I.C. and was involved in the Independence with which Paddy Reid also became involved on leaving school. Paddy applied to join the new Civic Guards and was inducted in Dublin in February 1923 and was posted to Newtownforbes in July. In 1924 Paddy with Jim Hunt won the All Ireland Senior Softball Doubles title for Sligo, beating the Meath representatives at Kells. (For a County GAA Publication)

County Colours: The Story of the use and origin of Roscommon’s GAA colours Blue and Gold (sometimes referred to as ‘Primrose and Blue’).
In the early years counties were represented by clubs and wore club jerseys. Roscommon seem to have used black jerseys probably because the dominant club, Elphin, had those colours, The first county team picture, with players from different clubs, 1915, (Ros. Hist p. 34) has a mix of ‘black with an unusual crest (3) ’, ‘black with a shamrock’ (goalie), ‘black with a diagonal band’ (1), and vertical bands of black and maybe green (10).
The 1916 team (p. 36) has a couple of black with crest, one with shamrock and the remainder black.
The 1925 team (p 45) has the vertical black and maybe green band in toto.
The 1932 team (p. 50) has the black jersey, with green horizontal hoops.
The ‘black with green hoops white collars and cuffs’ is given in ‘The Irish Independent GAA Golden Jubilee Number, Easter, 1934, as the official Roscommon county colours. (Nemo Rangers wear this kind of combination today).
This obtained until 1939 and the beginning of the ‘new’ colours.
In 1937 Tarmon (just outside Castlerea) and Castlerea Clubs combined. The agreement was that, the name Tarmon would be the name of the amalgamated Club but the Club colours would be that of Castlerea, blue and gold/primrose/yellow.
Castlerea got their colours, and by connection Roscommon County, as follows.
In the 20s’ the fortunes of the Castlerea Club were low and a group of young fellows were ‘doing the town’ collecting money to buy a set of jerseys and a football. They came to a Mr. Callaghan who owned a bakery (no relation of J.P (Doc) Callaghan). He told them to continue to collect for the football but that he would ‘sponsor’ a set of jerseys for them so long as the colours were those of the painting of a nearby shop, ‘primrose and blue’. This was no problem to the collectors and so the subsequent Castlerea colours were thus.
Returning to the county scene in 1939. Roscommon had no Senior team and were graded Junior and reached the All Ireland final. They wore the County colours of ‘black and green’ against Mayo, Limerick (Co. Hist. p. 74) but were beaten by Dublin in the Final.
The Minors also were also featuring in a run that won the county its first All Ireland title. The county had only one set of jerseys, it is assumed. Dan O’ Rourke County Chairman since ’35 was the N.T. in Tarmon and a Tarmon official. The Minors, we assume, wore the Tarmon jerseys, blue with yellow hoops (Ros. Hist. P. 70 and 72 ).
Because of the success of this team and their colour of ‘blue and gold’ being ‘lucky’ for them and perhaps with a better look input ‘the blue and gold’ colours were adopted by the county Board in 1940.
We see these jerseys on pages 76 (All Ireland winning Juniors), 78 (Minors All Ireland winners again) up to and including the 1943 All Ireland Semi-final winning team V Louth 1943.
Roscommon now faced Cavan also with blue, in the All Ireland final. At Central Council it was said to Dan O’Rourke, Roscommon’s delegate that Roscommon being the ‘new’ team. Mr. O’ Rourke said that they would change the jerseys but retain the colours. Yellow/primrose dominated the jersey for the Final. Yellow with blue cuffs and collars. These are still the county colours with style adoptions. The old yellow with blue band is regarded as the alternative Roscommon jersey and has been used on a number of high profile occasions eg. All Ireland Semi-final 1977 and ’80 V Armagh. That is the story and I’m going to stick to it. This will now become the ‘authorised’ version on the topic. If it is a legend, print it anyway there are few to possibly contradict it! (May ’03).

Abbey Park; A new dawn:
The Abbey Park, Boyle, has long been associated with the playing of Gaelic games. Boyle had traditionally been a location for inter-county games for decades up to the late forties. From 1913 to 1919 there were 6 Connacht Senior football Championship games in the town; in the 20s’ there were 6 also; in the 30s’ there were 3 and in the 40s’ 5. The games in the 40s’ included the memorable draw and replay with Sligo in ’44 when Roscommon were reigning All-Ireland Champions and saw the introduction to senior ranks of Boyle’s best known player, John Joe Nerney. He won an All-Ireland medal that year and went on to win 5 Connacht Championship medals. Two other Railway Cup players played with Boyle in the early 50s’, Timmy Lynch and Dr. Bill McQuillan.
From ‘Castle Gardens’ to GAA ground:
I’ve heard of the Abbey Park being referred to as ‘the castle gardens’ as the Abbey itself was used as ‘a castle’ in post-clerical times with the adjacent area being designated as the ‘castle garden’.
In 1905 the ground passed from the land Commission to Major J.F. Murphy. Presumably before that it was part of the Rockingham lands. In 1916 it passed interestingly to a group called the ‘Boyle Improvement Co. Ltd.’. From 1929 to 1940 it was owned by James and later John Feely, who were in business in Green Street. It was available for games of note in that period but not for practise. A regular duty of some of ‘the committee’ was to seek the permission of the owners for upcoming games. This seemed to be generally and generously forthcoming. The next duty of the committee was ‘the preparation of the grounds for the upcoming match’. One of the problems, which many people will remember, is that the wall at the Abbey end was so low and above the level of the pitch that it afforded a ‘grandstand view’ without a grandstand fee. This necessitated crude improvisation to obscure this view with sheets of canvass being put in place. The Show Committee also dealt similarly with the ‘problem’.
In 1940, the property was bought by an avid GAA enthusiast, Martin Regan, from Corrigeenroe, who had a bicycle shop in Patrick Street. With the end of World War 2 and improved transport and big crowds saw the Provincial games moving towards central vested GAA venues, with greater accommodation, such as Tuam, Castlebar, Carrick-on Shannon, Ballymote and Roscommon.
Club Purchase of Abbey Park:
In 1968, the then Father Dodd purchased the grounds on behalf of the Diocese of Elphin and St. Mary’s College, Boyle. Shortly afterwards Father Dodd ‘swopped’ the Abbey Park, with, ‘The Termon and Warren Trustees’, for lands closer to the college. That the local GAA should attempt to purchase ‘the park’ was a regular issue but the it was not until the 70s’ that the necessary initiative emerged. With the goodwill of ‘The Termon and Warren Trustees’ and a dedicated and most competent committee the Abbey Park eventually became GAA property in January 1977. A considerable effort was then made to bring the grounds up to standard with levelling, draining, fencing and the provision of improved rooms. Eventually the ground was opened with an inter-county game between regular opponents of the time Roscommon and Armagh.
Contribution of club Members down the years:
Today the club caters for teams at under 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, Junior and Intermediate levels. There are currently around 120 under-age players and around 40 adult players. Some of the most prominent recent players include David Casey of the current Roscommon team. Also there was Tom Ryan, Gary Wynne, Niall, Owen, Rory and Mark O’ Donohoe, Gerry Cregg, Mark McGovern, John Healy, Ml. Smith, Gerry O’ Dowd, Kit O’Connor, Sean Daly, Pat Clarke, Pat and John Nicholson, Rory Ahern, Paddy Conlon and Paddy McDermott, plus numerous minor and under-sixteens with selectors and refereeing representatives. The great Mayo star of the fifties, Ned Moriarty, is also from Boyle. On the administrative level Boyle has had its share of contributors including the current County secretary, Tom Mullaney and a most able past County Chairman, Micheal O’Callaghan. Sean Young has contributed as a County trainer.These contributions go back through Henry Feely and Jim Clarke to the first President of Roscommon GAA Jasper Tully. While this is meant as a reference and not a historical record of the Club, the role of Boyle as a great handball centre in the 30s’ with Paddy Perry, the Gaughrans, Reids and Paddy Kennedy might be mentioned.
Future Plans:
The Armagh game was 26 years ago and though a stand and additional rooms have been added the standards of today have moved on. It is now more than time that the Abbey Park be upgraded. A town the size of Boyle is expected to have grounds and facilities of a high standard. Such facilities have been developed by adjoining clubs, Ballinameen, St. Michaels and Shannon Gaels. For Boyle to reassert itself as a prime regional location for Gaelic games requires proper modern facilities. These games have been a considerable asset to the town in terms of identity, regional focus and commercial input. So in a town that is lacking in high standard recreational facilities it is of the utmost importance that this historic sports ground be returned to its previous proud position.
To this end the current committee have embarked on a vigorous and ambitious redevelopment programme. This is planed to proceed on a phased basis over a number of years and has already begun.
Phase one involves, the re configuration, levelling, draining and fencing of the existing pitch. Also there will be the provision of training lights, dug-outs, and netting. In addition to all this will be the provision of an, ‘all-weather’ training area/ juvenile pitch.
Phase Two, will provide new dressing rooms and parking. (For pitch re-opening progamme April '05).

La na gClub May 10th 2009 (The game in the Abbey Park).

Experience of Veterans Key to Historic Victory:
The ‘Veterans’ team, captained with great skill and guile, by Jnr. Smith and coached by the evergreen Sean Young saw off a determined challenge from the ‘Apprentice Boys’ during the ‘Blue Riband’ event at La na gClub. The Veterans employed some novel and effective tactics in pursuit of glory. These included the ‘weighting’ of the left wing by playing two contrasting players in that key strategic position, Kit O’Connor and ‘Lightening’ Michael Gilmartin, a scratch player. The quiet disguising of their players as umpires and linesmen created considerable confusion in the ‘Apprentice’ ranks with Coach Young making a Kamikaze intervention at one stage. Tom Kearney was coolness personified in goals, at one stage taking time batting the ball onto the upright before clearing effectively, always finding a team mate and so initiating those sweeping downfield attacks which became a feature of their play. The cleverness of John McLoughlin, at midfield, in pretending to go for the ball but waving it on to a better placed colleague was most interesting and visually, in a sort of ballet way, disarming. The scoring threat for the 'Veterans' came from the twin tubs (towers) up front Jnr. Smith and Bernard Shannon. Bernard had an intriguing duel with ‘Apprentice’ Conor Tivnan. The score of the game was a cracking Kevin O’Connor goal which sealed victory and this afforded the luxury of a penalty miss for the ‘Veterans’ as the ball boggled on the uneven ground. In an analysis of performances suffice to say that all contributed in their own unique way and as per pre-match coaching etc. Billy Hanmore, greying hair streaming in the wind of his slipstream as he confronted opposition raids, did well, Fergal O’Donnell scored one majestic point, Vinnie Flanagan was a rock at centre back, Pat Goldrick showed he was willing to learn from the tough tackling rugby he has seen recently in Croke Park, Aidan Lavin laid aside the demands of high office when called upon, like Obama going to Burger Queen. This demonstrates that the generals can also be formidable in ‘no man’s land’. Charlie Candon was flawless, towards the end, as referee, and, after the initial resistance, showed willingness to adapt to the advice of the ‘Veteran’ spokesmen on the interpretation of rules, of which there were a few. His initial reliance on rules reminded me of what Dominick Connolly of Fuerty said to me once: "The trouble with some young referees nowadays is that they don't seem to care who wins the game!"
Returning to the game; Stephen Bohan was the subject of some very robust tackling and the tapes are being reviewed to see if any further action will be taken. Paul Beirne and Gerry Cregg basically came from nowhere to create confusion. Paul was suitably attired for the sunshine. Paul Dugnan, who cost so much on the transfer market earlier in the year, is adapting nicely and Brendan Tiernan really revels on these big occasions, though both of the latter missed the important team photograph. This may have to be reorganised at one of the functions. The Veterans led from start to finish by four points and their escape to victory was greeted with prolonged celebrations which demonstrated how much it all meant to these experienced players. (Indeed Martin Purcell was seen later proudly wearing the winner’s medal pinned to his lapel a la a GAA President). However the captain, Jnr. Smith and Vice-Captain Kit O’Connor, graciously, did visit the losing dressing room with words of encouragement and advice to the ‘Apprentices’ who were visibly shaken by the result.

A small group met afterwards in 'The Showboat Inn' and an ad hoc committee was formed to organise appropriate recognition for the achievement of the ‘Veterans’. The committee is conscious that some, though not all of the veterans, would not want an extravagent display in these straitened times. There is the possibility that members of the team will be visiting local schools and institutions, in the coming weeks, with the cup. Perhaps something like the 2006 All-Ireland winning minors. There may be a short trip through the town at some appropriate time to the sound of ‘Simply the Best’. Other possibilities include exhibition matches on other high profile days, acting as radio or T.V.analyists. Members will also be available for medal presentation ceremonies and such like (note: on a strict rota basis, as it a full panel effort, ‘one for all and all for one' kind of mantra) and of course they are now bound to be guests of honour at the Annual Dinner Dance. So we look forward to that. I know that people in New York, London and various Australian cities involved in GAA affairs read these notes religiously at mass times, so perhaps panel members might volunteer to do some promotional work, for the expansion of the games, in places like Dubai, Hong Kong, New York or Sydney. If this is a requirement all contacts are to be made through their accompanying liaison officer at: tconboy1@eircom.net.

Castlecoote (Written some years ago, maybe as a guide for some student’s school project).
The village of Caslecoote lies about five miles west of Roscommon town on the Suck River, which is a tributary of the Shannon. It is a growing village with a long history. While the name Castlecoote comes from the landlord family of Cootes there is reference to the previous name of the area. Over the post office is a sign, which says, in Irish, ‘Baile Mhic Oireachtaigh’. This title goes back to the fourteen hundreds. Translated it means the ‘town of the Mageraghty’. If the Cootes had not come to the area it might be known today as ‘Ballygeraghty’. There are still families of that name in the area.
The Cootes: The native Geraghtys had their lands taken away during the Plantations of the fifteen hundreds and eventually the Coote family came to the area in the early 1600s. The Cootes were soldiers in the ‘9 Years War’ against O’Neill and O’Donnell. For their efforts in defeating the Old Irish Chiefs they got as payment large areas of land in various parts of the country, which can still be seen in place-names such as Cootehill in Cavan, Cootehall in North Roscommon and Castlecoote. The Cootes took over a castle which had been built by a man called Malby and they held positions of power in Connacht for the English King James 1.
The Castle; The castle was built at a bend of the river Suck. There is plenty of evidence of the castle still to be seen, with the remains of three of the corner towers still there. In the Cromwellian Wars of the 1640s’ the Cootes supported Cromwell and the Castle was attacked a number of times. These attacks failed. When the castle was not needed any more a great ‘big house’ was built in the middle of the original castle, using material from ‘the castle’. This big house is still there today. This house was built in the middle 1700s.
The Gunning Sisters; After the Cootes the next family to live there were the Gunnings. The most famous of these were two beautiful sisters, Maria and Elizabeth. Because of their beauty and the efforts of their mother they were introduced to the highest of society, first in Dublin and then in London. The result was that Maria married The Earl of Coventry and Elizabeth married the Duke of Hamilton. They had two sons. The Duke died a few years after their marriage and Elizabeth married again, this time to another Duke the Duke of Argyle. They also had two sons. So Elizabeth Gunning, of Castlecoote, was the mother of four Dukes. She was also held in high regard by the English King of the time George.The Gunning family finished their connection with Castlecoote around the 1830s. The next owners were the Mitchell family. The owned the large mill which is still there. This was mentioned as being a ‘bleach mill’, which seems to say that there was some work being done in the area with flax or linen. The next owners of the ‘big house’ were Chutes and then Strevens. The last of this family died around 1930.
Destruction and Renewal; After the War of Independence the lands attached to Castlecoote House were divided and in 1937 Pat Conboy became the owner. The Conboy family lived there until they sold the house in 1989 to a French couple. These owners began a scheme of renovation. Unfortunately while this was going on there was a great fire, which gutted the building. This happened on June 15th 1989. It seemed as if this would be the end of the Castlecoote house. It was not however as a Galway man who worked in the construction business in Manchester bought it and restored the roof. He then sold it on to Mr. Kevin Finnerty about four years ago. Mr. Finnerty has put an awful lot of work, effort, ideas and money into restoring the house to its past glory and it will soon be open to the public to visit. It is great that this has been done for the house but also for Castlecoote and indeed for county Roscommon where many big houses were pulled down in the past.
Churches and Schools: In Fuerty graveyard is the Church of Saint Ciaran. On the front of this ruin are what are known as grave slabs though their location leaves them open to erosion. They are very old. Outside this graveyard is a lovely Grotto which was erected for Marian year 1954. Not far from Fuerty, in Castlestrange where there is a famous decorated stone from the Iron Age period, known as La Tene. Close by there is a very interesting old bridge. Also opposite Fuerty graveyard there is remains of Kelly’s forge with the remains of an old Megalithic tomb opposite Brendan Kellys down the road towards Roscommon. In the village of Castlecoote is the building which was the old church. This was built around the 1830s. Then in the 1950s the Parish priest, Canon Keane, began building a new church. This was dedicated in the late fifties with great fanfare. It took a great effort by the people with money and free labour to complete this church. The old Church is now a good community centre. Our present parish Priest is Father Leogue while other priests in the past sixty years or so have been Fathers Hannelly, Molloy, Lavin and Fleming.
There were two schools, one in Fuerty and one in Castlecoote. Among the teachers there in the 1940s and fifties were, Mrs. Golden, Miss Noone, Master Moriarty in Castlecoote with Master Frawley and Maeve Dwyer in Fuerty. These two schools came together and a new one was built beside the river bridge in Castlecoote. It opened in 1960. Unlike many country schools the numbers in Castlecoote are increasing and there are efforts now to get money for an extension. The headmaster there now is Master Fallon. For secondary schools most people go to Roscommon town schools.
Sport; Sport, especially Gaelic football and hurling, has always been important in the area. Fuerty won two County Senior football Championships in 1929 and 1934. Some their best players then were Govern, Conboy, Mannion, Warde, Foley, Reddington and Daly. A Fuerty man, Willie (Bill) Heavey, won an All-Ireland senior medal with Roscommon in 1943. They had another very good team in the early fifties with the Brennans, Duke, Gately, Kelly and Golden. A lot of players also played hurling with Athleague of which we are a half-parish. Their best players in the 60s were Devine, Fannon, Cunniffe, Conboy and Kehoe. The Club was revived in the seventies and have won some junior awards since. Only last year the club got land from Mr. Brian Mulhern who was from Buckfield but has been living in New York since the 1960s’. The Club is now starting to work on it and hope to have a good playing ground and facilities for the future. The present Chairman is a neighbour; Seamus Cuddy. This is only a short distance from where I live. Two people from the area are now county Board Officers, Dominick Connolly is Treasurer and Canon Liam Devine is P. R. O. He also writes weekly in The Roscommon Herald. Tony Conboy wrote ‘The History of the GAA in County Roscommon’, which came out in 1990. My area has also been very active in Community Games with people like Noel Farrell and Kevin Delaney as trainers.
Fishing and Tourism; The area has the river Suck running through it for miles. This is a very good fishing river with the small lakes beside it. Many people have been coming from England foe years to fish. They stay in local guest- houses such as Galvin’s and Golden’s. A few years ago, a long walk along the banks of the river Suck, was opened up. This is called The Suck Way. Also in Athleague there is an Angling Centre set up in a restored old Church.
Work; The main occupation of the area has been farming. The land generally is good. Cattle and sheep rearing have been the main incomes. Years ago there were fairs in Fuerty. In the late fifties a creamery collecting depot was set up at Athleague so a good few farmers sold milk to this. Later a meat factory was also set up there so many farmers were able to sell their stock to the factory and this was very handy. The factory also gave much needed employment. The other employers are ‘the Mill’ which is now mainly a farm supply store and Brendan Kelly’s, where such things as iron gates and so on are put together. Most of the people work in nearby towns such as Roscommon or go to Galway or Dublin. In the fifties the only chance of getting work was in leaving the country altogether and hundreds left my area for England, the U.S. and even Australia. Thankfully this is not necessary today. Indeed a good few people have come back from England especially in the recent ‘Celtic tiger’ years.
Social: There was an old Hibernian hall on ‘the New Road’ where concerts and plays were held years ago. There were also Carnivals in Fuerty in the sixties. There are three pubs in the area, Dalton’s in Fuerty, Reilley’s on ‘the new Road’ and Cattigan’s in the village. Cattigan’s was owned, until a few months ago, by Goldens and Ennis, before that by Carton and back further by Hughes. It was a thatched pub then across the road from where it is now. Hughes also had a shop but this changed place and was owned by Delaney and was taken over by Oscar Neilan. This is also where the Post Office is and where my account of the village of Castlecoote began and also ends. It is a good place with good people and I find it a nice place to live.

The M 50 Challenge (July ’09):
Recently I came from North County Dublin along the M 50. Now I am about reasonable in my capacity in dealing with the challenges of motorways but the M 50, of the moment, is not for wimps. The initial challenge is to get on the M 50 in the first place. This isn’t a new challenge to me. Anytime I come from Dublin airport it presents itself. On that large round-about which accesses the M 50 the only really helpful sign is that denoting Malahide. This tells me ‘don’t take that one’. Then usually, but not always, by a process of elimination, I have found myself on the M 50 sometimes going in the right direction! In any event last week I arrived close to where the old M50 toll bridge was and there was a plethora of signs. One would need to have a pull over area to stop and assess the situation but with an obviously regular user on my backside and in a hurry; I had to make my decisions on the hoof. (Naively I still thought there might be a physical toll allowing for ‘culchies’ like myself, not so). I whizzed through and knew that the N 4 turn-off was close at hand. However the first N4 Sligo/Galway sign seemed to be contradicted by another some fifty or so metres further on. I used to be indecisive but now I’m not so sure and by the time I had processed the situation I was past all N4 options and heading for Tallaght and the sea. I feared I might find myself on the Red Cow rollercoaster so I got off at the first opportunity, with the help of legerdemain gymnastics. One of these decisions meant advancing on a V of bollards and holding my flight path in such a way that it afforded a left or right option until the last moment. (Do not try to copy this procedure). Eventually I got off the M 50, and like a donkey after a day on the bog, I cruised back west of the Shannon as the blood pressure receded.
Part two of the little saga came when I investigated methods of payment, not trusting that I might get a first offender’s pardon. If you are a regular user you can ‘set up an account’. I feel that, at the moment, I have enough of those, so ‘tinternet’ was the next option. With the help of a consultant this was achieved and so the trip was assigned to history or folklore. But no! A few days later I received a letter to say I still owed three euro. Apparently I had not paid within the twenty four hours given. Why this was not relayed to me when paying the first moiety remains unclear. I pursued the issue over the phone and having played Sudoku on the numerals eventually got a human, if pretty unsympathetic, voice and the huge transaction for three Euros was finalised.
I am not an expert on the workings of the M 50 and I don’t intend trying a Panorama investigation but I got the feeling that the over time payment was one of the bonuses of the whole set up. Apparently you can pre-pay, pay at garages when you come off the toll road or pay locally. The nearest local agent has been Gerry Mullaney’s of Croghan who had the payzone system used by the M 50 toll operators in his premises for years. Only last week Carty’s garage of Boyle came on stream as a pay option. The other ones listed on the internet for County Roscommon are as follows: O’Connor’s of Ballinlough, Coyle Bros. Ballyleague, Super Valu, Ballaghaderreen, Ashview Service Station and Lyons ‘Mace’, Castlerea; Corrib Oil, Racecourse Road and Eason’s, The Square, Roscommon; Londis Tarmonbarry. Certainly the traffic flows much better now on that M 50 but if you are a little nervy it might be advisable to do a pre-journey recce, in the quiet of the night, to get the lie of the land. But it is still a different and challenging channel at high tide.

“We should have stood in bed” (Used in Boyle GAA Blog Feb. '10)
Three or Four
The above was the response of a New York boxing manager one time when his fighter was ‘robbed’ of a decision in Italy. Once more, a little like the Mary Celeste, I guided Tida through the intermittent fog, of a late January evening, on my way to a County G.A.A. meeting. It was in Roscommon town, always Roscommon town. My earliest such meetings were in the early sixties in Fahey’s Bar in Goff Street. They obviously have an allure, which is hard to shake off, with me! This was a Fixtures analysis meeting in the offices of the board and how the Championships might be run in 2010. The Fixtures Committee had produced a working paper with various ideas and choices. It was a long agenda, much too long as it turned out. There were three options as to the structures for the coming year's Championships for Intermediate and Senior. The options were really down to the number of teams per group; three, four or six. You’d imagine that this debate wouldn’t become almost as intractable as Northern Ireland talks. The Chairman had set down a time parameter of two hours for the discussion. From his professional experience he was well acquainted with the attention span of his audience. I thought, from my own previous life’s experience, that it was a somewhat generous time span, even for serial GAA meeting attendees. Anyway, of course, it was ignored. The existing three-group-option was more or less ignored, for the most part, in the debate. Despite the eloquent and passionate promotion of the six-team option by the Strokestown delegate, Sean, it seemed a few bridges too far for the delegates. “We’ll take our beating, as we always do” Sean concluded magnanimously as the six-group option failed to gather momentum. Something like an hour and a half was spent on the four-team option and it looked, for much of the time, ‘a no brainer’ as they say in investment circles! It seemed to have certain reasonable logical arguments in its favour such as teams fielding on the same day, the avoidance of long time lapses between games and the earlier beginning of the Junior Championship. The Chairman also tipped the hat in its direction. The storm clouds began to appear when another important official extolled the virtue of our championships and the way we run them. In this we were apparently ‘light years ahead of Meath’. We didn’t puff out our chests as we might, being sceptical. At next winter’s solstice I’ll be on the look out. Boyle had experienced the three team option last year and it was not a totally happy experience. As the debate entered the final furlong, and a vote was about to be called, a hurling official was asked what he thought and responded, somewhat along the lines of; ‘If you go for this option then it will destroy the hurling championship’. This was a pretty weighty contribution at such a late point of the debate and must have shaken the hurling vote out of its slumbers. In one sentence, the vote, regarded as being in the area of three-appropriately- for the three team option, slid, like the gold in ‘The Italian Job’ bus to the other end of the spectrum. Anyway, a dishevelled vote was taken with 27 for groups of three and 26 for the groups of four, as far as I remember. The ‘Status Quo’ survived. I thought, but of course didn’t say, that in such a close scenario a written vote might be better. Anyway I was conscious of the number of my interjections already and that it would be inappropriate to over contribute. I was now, 'not waving but drowning'.
A further complicated, if shorter and sharper, debate took place on the make-up of the last two quarter finalists. Apparently ‘scoring difference’ is a rule from on high and if you do not have a degree in GAA legal science regarding rules etc. you are at a distinct disadvantage here. While rule books floated hither and thither along the front bench I hadn’t brought mine but scribbled a note to myself that I would have to get an updated version and have it very visible at the next meeting a la Mr. Bean. I was really just a substitute delegate on this occasion. We actually await a ‘ruling’ from on high- Croke Park- regarding the status of the ‘scoring difference’.
Then there were questions of trying to reduce postponements especially using minor excuses to gain them. This too got holed below the waterline, will need serious redrafting and is now in the aspirational tray.
Status Quo:
A discussion on the O’Rourke and O’Gara Cups was next on the agenda. I suggested that the top team be declared the winner. This was on the basis that Boyle has been top of the league proper around three times in the last decade or so but due to the requirement of having to play a semi-final, and, if won, a final, have not actually won the O’Gara Cup on those occasions. It was late now and the Chairman’s 7.30 fears of concentration becoming shredded were coming to pass. Promotion and relegation was another issue. The Status Quo was coming into its own. Top two winners up, bottom two ‘loosing’ (as per ovehead projection) teams down, with the third from bottom in Division One meeting the third from top in Division Two, stayed in place.
The Chairman’s initial fears about issues of this importance not getting their due had come to pass.
Cut and Thrust:
A Clann na Gael delegate got a grenade response from an otherwise benign Fuerty delegate, Dominick, when the Clann man complained about the comfort zone of Fuerty pitch especially for the elderly supporter at double headers. ‘A Clann official begged us in Fuerty to take the match’ Dominick responded. There was the undercurrent of, 'if you come with the begging bowl again, in the foreseeable future, it may be passed along'. In fairness though a week is long time in GAA politics also.
Even the distinguished fraternal delegate, to the ruling Central Council, also met with a volley when he took a look across 'no man's land' finding it stoutly occupied. He was supporting ideas on restricting the County Junior team. Indeed he was having difficulty with the politburo of the Central Council, in the distant capital, in having a very worthy policy idea advanced, regarding improving the lot of the proletariat club player.
Hanging On:
The meeting ended at around 10.30 and for some reason I had a headache. I tried to reduce the testing drive home to the hills by latching on-at a safe distance of course-to a car in front to enable an easier driving challenge in the fog. However they always seemed to be driving a few miles too fast for me and one productive spell ended with the lead car, disappointingly, turning towards Elphin at Shankhill. The idea came into my head that the fog was just a metaphor for the whole evening. The New York boxing manager's claim had a good deal of merit.

John Joe Nerney

One of Roscommon’s Greats:
(Published in the 1998 Roscommon G.A.A. Annual. For the most part it is in his own words)
“Old soldiers never die they just fade away”, was most famously quoted by the U.S. General Douglas McArthur on his retirement.
John Joe Nerney, now at the venerable age of 77 and a former soldier of ‘The Emergency’ in the forties has little intention of fading away as the sprightly bouncy step belies his years. Even now John Joe has been going through his paces as he jogs the roads of Boyle or does his circuits of the Abbey Park. He completed half a dozen marathons including the early Dublin City ones his last being in 1988.
It is however as part of the great Roscommon team of the 40s’ that John Joe is constantly associated. He has no hesitation in confirming that widely held belief that it was one of the greatest sides ever in Gaelic football. We will let him tell his story.
“There were powerful men on that team, Jackson, Lynch, Callaghan, Carlos, Gilmartin, Hoare, Kinlough and Boland, a great man. There was not a weak link. They kinda carried me! Jamesie was a great player and a great captain. They were all great.
If you looked back down the field and saw the power of the half back line of Lynch, Carlos, Felim Murray or Owensie Hoare you would get great confidence and then Gilmartin and Boland were never beaten. I passed a lot, especially to Keenan, he was the scorer-in-chief. Up front you had McQuillan battling, in every sense of the word, with Keohane of Kerry. They were both army men then. Kinlough was a great player. He did not train much but he got the goals.
I came on in Boyle in the ’44 Connacht Championship replay and got a great reception from the locals. We should have won any number of All-Irelands with those teams. After the ’43 and ’44 double we were caught on the hop in ’45 by Mayo but I feel we were at our peak in ’46. The late goals gave Kerry a draw in the final were heartbreaking. They were great games though and Kerry were great sports, win or lose.
In ’47 we might have got to New York for the Polo Grounds final but Cavan just beat us in eh semi-final. They took off Tom Collins and Cavan’s Tony Tighe played hell after that.
Mayo came with a great team then but we shocked them in ’52 and should have beaten Meath in the semi-final. O’Malley, Eamon Donoghue and Frank Kelly were there and Boland was as strong as ever. We did not have any luck in ’53 either in the semi-final against Armagh. Boland and myself finished playing County in ’54. We had a good run. I got on for a while for Connacht against Leinster in the ’53 Railway Cup, when it meant something. I also played centre field a few times and once at wing back where I marked Frank Stockwell of Galway. I did alright!
At Club level I played with Boyle. We had some good battles especially with St. Michaels. Fuerty beat us in a county junior final. We had a tough couple of games with Eoghan Ruadhs, of Roscommon town, in Castlerea. It’s history now. I remember I was pleased with scoring a goal from a free against Strokestown in a game. Tom Shevlin was annoyed. The great Boyle clubmen then were Martin Regan, Mickey Morris, Joe Sheehan, Peter Phelan and Jimmy Sheeran among others.
We won county minor championships in ’38 and ’39 and I was a sub on the Roscommon All-Ireland minor winning team of ’39. Oddly my memory of that is hazy.
I played as long as I could for Boyle because I was fit and I enjoyed playing (John Joe played well into his fifties). I got great satisfaction training Eastern Harps when they won the ’75 Sligo, Championship.
We did not hear much back then of hamstrings and such. They might have been something to do with fiddles for all we knew. All we seemed to get were sore knees. We worked hard, walked or cycled most places so that helped. Wintergreen was our rub. The football was tough but fair. It’s faster now but we had our tactics too, the famous L.T.B.L. (keep the ball low) during one of our collective training periods in the old Infirmary (now the County Library). We had great comradeship. We are still friends and meet from time to time. I enjoyed ’91 when we were the team saluted in Croke Park. We have been well treated down the years”.
I ask how he feels talking to reporters about those times; “I don’t say much just send them to Jimmy Murray. He is still the Captain and spokesman, a great ambassador for the team. We all looked up to him and it hasn't changed. A couple of years ago I was invited down to Killarney’s Legion club where I met my marker from ’46 Dinny Lynne. We are both President’s of our clubs. Some other great times were had when Boyle went to Birmingham, London and Manchester. I remember playing with Roscommon, in Mitcham I think, London. Boland and I missed the return train for some reason! A lot of games were played for church building funds and we helped build a good few churches then! One of them was a great game, in late ‘45 for the Pro-Cathedral against the ’45 All-Ireland winners Cork. We won that one. Jack Lynch would have been playing for Cork. We had another big one against Kerry for the Liam Gilmartin fund in ’46. I think that was Gerry O’Malley’s first game for Roscommon. I don’t know why he wasn’t there in ’47. Maybe we’d have been in the Polo Grounds if he was! Did I mention Harry Connor and Paddy Kenny from Ballinameen and Doctor Gibbons?”
John Joe was born in Croghan on April 1st (a cause of amusement) 1922 and on the death of his father the family moved to Ballinameen and then to Boyle. He attended Boyle National School to masters Kennedy, Jordan and Mannion. After school he worked at a variety of jobs such as the County Council and ‘The Railway’. He joined the army in 1943 during The Emergency’ and won the ‘Army Chaplains Cup’ competition while in Athlone. After the army he joined the Post Office where he remained for over forty years clocking up the miles. He married Agnes Lane in 1958. They have a family of two girls Mary and Theresa and three boys, Gerry, Anthony and Raymond. Gerry and Raymond played county minor for Roscommon.
John Joe is a modest man who does not like to push his own contribution and from time to time says, ‘don’t print that they might think I’m bragging’. However he is not one to let the side down either and I often think, though I’ve talked to him quite a few times, that there is a tinge of devilment somewhere and that I have failed to get past his defences. The games are still being played as he steps jauntily away with a twinkle in his eyes.
In any event we of Boyle had our representative, our football hero, in that team of football heroes. John Joe would not want that accolade but he is a constant reminder that one of our own strode Croke Park with the very best.

In Memory Of My Father

(June 14th 2009)
Though he died over thirty six years ago it seems as if I am still getting to know him. I should have done it then of course but it wasn’t fashionable and I was a younger member of the family. Also I felt I knew a lot more then than I do now. In getting to grips with my father he seems to slip through my fingers. I could not but say that he was a solid, hard-working, farming man. When he arrived at the scene of a problem the rest of us stood back we were confident that he had the answers. Invariably he had. I know now that having the answers wasn’t quite so simple. He was never demanding or commanding. Indeed he was, for a man of his background, deferential. His solution might be pretty straight forward and we would wonder why we hadn’t thought it through. The answer was from his store of experience. He had his weaknesses of course and it surprises me, in a naïve way I suppose, that a genuinely solid and sensible kind of man drank too much. But I’m not here now to talk of weaknesses. I have many images of him and think of how the poet Patrick Kavanagh, so effectively remembered his parents in his poetry, particularly his Mother and more obliquely his father in his poem ‘In Memory of My Father’; ‘Every old man I see in October coloured weather seems to say to me I was once your father’. It doesn’t happen thus often to me but I can easily recall pictures of my father at his best. I can see him in the tillage field with the knapsack sprayer on ‘the barrel’s edge poised’ as he sprayed the potatoes. He was skilled in the bog with the slean slicing the turf sods or with the shears snipping at sheep-shearing. He is in the hay-field, in his latter days, winding the hay ropes or in that period also when he had graduated to the end of the threshing machine where he bagged the grain. His forte was in harvesting, from the smaller fairs of Creggs, Ballygar and such places, his kind of cattle which he brought together like a football team for the big fairs held in Roscommon town. In a sense I can only post a flavour of the growing number of pictures, as they drift back, for these paragraphs.
We shared a number of lesser things like the adventures of the Cisco Kid in The Irish Press, and occasional articles on World War Two, like Stalingrad, in the Sunday Press. I seem to remember, in his company, the radio programme ‘The Ballad Makers Saturday Night’ though I shouldn’t go back that far and listening to the Derry Boxer, Billy Kelly, being robbed by the referee’s decision against Ray Famechon. He sang regularly from his small stock of songs such as; ‘I Dream of Jennie’, ‘The Galway Shawl’, ‘Noreen Bawn’ and ‘Lovely Derry on the Banks of the Foyle’ and enjoyed Moore’s Melodies and John McCormack. He had been part of the Independence movement but spoke little of it. He was ‘a county footballer’ and followed the fortunes of Roscommon from a distance but rarely came to watch us play, which was a disappointment. I accompanied him to his last Roscommon match in Ballinasloe, around 1969, against Galway, when they did particularly badly. ‘Shadows on the wall’ he repeated as we headed back to the car in the Fair Green. There was a dividend in being the son of Pat Conboy. It’s a little ironic that I wrote about Roscommon football and the Independence conflict later and had so little information from him, who had been so involved, on those subjects. Before he went to Roscommon hospital for the first and last time, early in 1973, he had his last drink in Warde’s in Goff Street. He did not seem so ill that he was to pass away within a week. I could have stayed and been by his hospital bedside when he died and of course I regret that. Inexcusably I was to repeat that mistake later. I don’t know what he’d have made of the tricolour on his coffin and the volley of shots which were fired at his graveside. I didn’t rail against his death as Dylan Thomas did in ‘Do not go gently into the dark night’ but I missed him and would have particularly liked him to be around for some big occasions later in my life.
Next Sunday is Father’s Day so maybe some of you might meet up with your own dad in an ‘accidentally on purpose’ kind of way. Perhaps it will be in his local as opposed to yours and you could stay with him and not be impatient in rushing off to see your own friends. Make sure this time that you buy the extra drink in three. Perhaps you could ask him about some story, you’ve heard a number of times before, as if it were new. Maybe you could ask his opinion on something. He’d like that. Just make time, because it may surprise you that he’s probably your best buddy. In his mind he has wisdom to dispense from the well of life’s experience and your wellbeing is very important to him. Engage and be patient even if it is slightly challenging. Years hence you may remember the modest occasion and feel pleased by your awareness in making it happen.

Derry City, ‘Where Hope and History Rhyme’
(April 2007).
Just a few short miles over the Donegal border lies a very different Irish City, Derry the Maiden City. It is a unique City, a city in transition, recovering from great traumas where today the mood is one of hope. Anything else is too despairing to contemplate. History and its legacy seeps, perhaps weeps, from its walls. My visit was supposed to be just ‘a break’ not a polemic, but immediately I was enveloped by history and the underlying shadows of mood and resonance. They are unavoidable, they are in the air. One needs to get some idea of this City’s story to get some understanding of what is in train.

The High Walls of Derry:
In other cities like York and Chester their walls are now elaborate, impressive features of a bygone age but in Derry they are an enveloping, perhaps smothering, tapestry of history.
Derry is a Plantation City from the early 1600s’ when it was enclosed by its Walls. During the War between William of Orange and King James the city declared for William and when a force for King James arrived to occupy it, a group of ‘Apprentices’ closed the gates declaring ‘No Surrender’, a term which echoes down the centuries. There followed the Siege of Derry from December 1688 to August 1689 which was broken when a number of supply ships managed to get through.
Derry became one of the great ports of emigration from the North West region through the 1900s’. As a consequence of the Treaty settlement of 1921, Derry, a predominantly Nationalist City, came to be ruled by Stormont and by a Unionist dominated City Council, through gerrymandering and manipulation of the voting system. This also led to strident discrimination on many levels. Some former students will remember Seamus Deane’s bleak portrayal of those decades in ‘Reading in the Dark’. During the Second World War, Derry played a significant part in ‘The Battle of the Atlantic’, against the German U Boat threat. It also acted as a base for thousands of Americans. With post-war education and the example of the American Civil Rights Movement the mood for change and the fight for equality emerged with the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement. However those in power were not willing to make concessions. More radical young people revived the near dormant I.R.A. This led to what is referred to as ‘The Troubles’ but what the radicals readily describe as a ‘War’ with the dominant Unionist majority backed up by the British authorities. While there are many sad markers since the late sixties, ‘Bloody Sunday’, on January 30th, 1972 stands out. On that day, in the Bogside area of Derry, 13 people were killed by the British Army.

On a plaque on The Walls overlooking the site of Bloody Sunday are inscribed telling lines by Seamus Heaney:
“My heart besieged by anger, my mind a gap of danger
I walked among their old haunts, the home ground where they bled
And in the dirt lay justice like an acorn in the winter
‘Til its oak would sprout in Derry, where the thirteen men lay dead”

Derry Today:
The Bogside:
This is an area outside and overlooked by The Walls. It is a Catholic area which through discrimination has been economically deprived.
With the current peace process firmly in place, outsiders are calling to Derry. I did the City bus tour with Australians and ‘The Walls’ with Canadians. In The City Cemetery, on the slopes of The Creggan Hill, I visited the burial place of the victims of Bloody Sunday. I had been at their funerals over thirty five years ago.
I walked the area of the atrocity in the Bogside, now marked with memorials, hoping I was not just a voyeur. A number of the surrounding walls are covered with Murals, by the Bogside Artists Group, relating the story and struggle of the people from this area. Here also is the iconic remaining gable of a building inscribed with, ‘You Are Now Entering Free Derry.” Nearby ‘The Museum of Free Derry’ endorses the theme. It is a pity that this tragic site is traversed by a busy motorway.

A Fine Museum of Contemporary History:
The new Tower Museum, underneath The Walls (everything is beneath The Walls) tells the city’s story in a concise and understandable way. A large section illustrates a history which is of our time and which has impacted on our lives and consciousness. The two trenchant strands of the City’s story are delicately balanced. Indeed balance and middle ground is a present and future challenge. This is most evocatively represented by a sculpture of two figures with outstretched hands almost touching. The hope is that those hands will, in the not too distant future, touch as a symbol of final and lasting reconciliation.
The Tower Museum, which I recommend strongly, was being ‘Officially’ opened when I was there. While waiting to enter I met Bishop Edward Daly the handkerchief- waving priest of Bloody Sunday. Also present was Mark Durkin, leader of the SDLP, an honourable Party of the centre, the Party of Hume and Mallon, now marginalised by the ungrateful and forgetful. The centre didn’t hold.

Distinguished Citizens:
Derry has a number of notable alumni through the years and especially in recent times. St. Columb’s College can uniquely boast two Nobel Laureates in Seamus Heaney, from Bellaghy, and John Hume whose name is entwined with the history of modern Derry.
In literature it can nominate Brian Friel and Seamus Deane though I saw no obvious reference to them.
It also has a proud musical heritage with a Eurovision winner from 1970 in Dana (Rosemary Browne) and a notable composer of songs such as ‘Ireland’s Call’, in Phil Coulter. The original script of his iconic song, ‘The Town I loved So Well’ adorns a Museum display. Outside The City Hotel, where I stayed, was a copper sculpture remembering Joseph Locke (or his real name Joseph McLaughlin) and Hear My Song. Some people might even remember a group called The Undertones’.
It has its sporting heroes too especially in boxing with the Kelly family, Charlie Nash and currently John Duddy.
Derry City is a successful soccer Club while nearby is the GAA’s Celtic Park both in the Brandywell.
A number of fine sculptures are by Maurice Harron who is responsible for ‘The Chieftain’ sculpture, between Boyle and Sligo, on The Curlew Hills which I see from my window. Mister Harron taught in Roscommon town for a number of years in the seventies and early eighties. His most significant piece is to be seen in the centre of a Derry City round-about. It is of the two figures, with outstretched hands nearly touching, representing the coming closer of the communities. Continuing this theme the Dove of Peace is to be seen in a Bogside Mural and in a small Waterside Peace Park. The Waterside is a staunchly Unionist area east of the river Foyle. Interestingly west of the river there is a small Unionist enclave, visible from The Walls, called The Fountain. It is readily identifiable from its Murals, Union Flag and the red, white and blue kerb stones. Oddly there was little or no flag-waving of either hue.

Competing Spires;
Towering over the west side of the city is the spire of St. Eugene’s while dominating the skyline from within The Walls is St. Columb’s Cathedral with its defensive features. In its grounds is a monument to ‘The Siege Heroes.’ There are many churches of various denominations. The angle-grinding dismantler of the last British army bastion graciously gave space to the Guide as he suggested that, ‘there are not many old buildings in the City due to the bombing campaign down the years. At one time over sixty percent of the buildings in the city were affected through bombing” mentioning one as, ‘the most bombed building in Europe’ and referring to some rioting activity as, ‘recreational rioting’ or ‘the standard Derry riot’ of times hopefully past. Words like hope emerge regularly. Then we continued along The Walls with their impressive array of canons and the tales of Walker and Lundy, Apprentice Boys, the burning of effigies, humiliation and provocation. The army is no longer ‘installed by that old gas yard wall’. The Guildhall seems empty now that the Saville Enquiry, into Bloody Sunday, has ended.

Reaching Out:
Like Maurice Harron’s reconciliation sculpture perhaps it is time for us too to reach out and by visiting communicate our tangible support for this new era and direction.
It will take a considerable length of time for Derry to recover and arrive at the bustling note of say, a giddy Galway. Many big employers are gone and investors have heretofore been wary. Unemployment is high at a reported fifteen per cent with some social employment acting as a safety net. Oddly housing prices are very high where there has been a dramatic increase in more recent years than ours. McGee College has finally been given the status of a University as a constituent of The University of Ulster a status long and controversially denied. There are a number of fine hotels including The City Hotel, which was opened in 2002 by Sir Reg Empey of the then ‘Power-Sharing Executive’. It was developed, I was informed, by a group of city business-men with the opening plaque denoting grant aid from a variety of agencies National, E.U and U.S. While the street shops have yet to blossom there is the fine Foyleside Shopping Centre. There is an impressive entertainment venue in The Millennium Forum. Twin bars Peadar O’Donnell’s and The Gweedore Bar offer regular, if loud, music. I was told there are plenty of fine restaurants but some, like The Exchange, are shy and may be missed in a short visit. While the City has a number of generous open areas such as The Diamond, Guildhall Square and Waterloo Place there is no defined heart as such. Finding the Tourist Information Centre is a worthwhile challenge. The Bus Tour was not as fulfilling as The Walking Tour.
The people are welcoming and pleased to see visitors. I am certain that the tourist industry will be one of considerable growth. I left Derry, driving across the lower deck of Craigavon Bridge. If one stretched metaphors perhaps this acted as a contrast to the clear perspective from the new Foyle Bridge. In any event I was pleased I’d come back and I departed with a much to reflect on;

“History says, don’t hope
On this side of the grave,
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed for tidal wave
of justice can rise up,
and hope and history rhyme”
(Seamus Heaney, Doubletake from The Cure at Troy)

Kells...The Secret of:
(From February 2009)

The Saturday vision of cameras carried through with me to Sunday evening as I trod the red carpet at the premiere of Paul Young’s animated film ‘The Secret of Kells’ at the Savoy cinema in Dublin. Paul Young is the son of Sean and Anne Young of Boyle. With Tom Moore they run an animation studio in Kilkenny called Cartoon Saloon. They are responsible for a current series, which young people may be familiar with called Skunk Fu. However 'The Secret of Kells’ is a huge endeavour which has been in the making for a number of years. On Sunday evening we assembled in the Gresham Hotel, which, with the competition in hotel pricing, plebs such as I can now enter. There many of those involved in the film gathered. The Young family were out in force with Sean and Anne, their children, Joseph, Liam, Katherine, Aileen and the grandchildren and other family members. There also were two of the principal voices, of the films characters, Brendan Gleeson and Mick Lally. Then it was time to transfer to the nearby cinema. A battery of paparazzi was on hand to record the entrance of Messrs Gleeson, Lally and the other principals. I kept a discreet distance and then like a corner forward made the mistake of scurrying over the red carpet instead of doing a slow deliberate walk and milking the moment. Finally the film hit the screen. I was more than a little anxious that the film was good and well received. In describing the film subsequently I arrived at a one line response which I repeated a number of times in the post film discussions; “The Book of Kells is one of the great works of art, this film is also a work of art". The finale was met with sustained applause.

In summary the film is based around the production of the final part of The Book of Kells by a young Brother Brendan under the guidance of Brother Aidan (voiced by Mick Lally). Brother Brendan needs an extra empowering dimension to enable him to be able to do this –the secret - and survives adventures in its acquisition while constantly drawing down the wrath of his superior brother abbot who is preoccupied with building a defensive wall for the community, in anticipation of a destructive Viking raid. The Abbot superior is initially afraid to embrace the beauty of the book. All this activity is enhanced with a strong theme music and magical graphics. I have to draw the veil over the film’s progress so you will have to pursue the secret yourself. It is said of the Book of Kells, that it was produced, not by man, but by angels. Its trauma of its birth is well represented by the artists of Cartoon Saloon.

Afterwards it was on to a post film reception in the Long Library of Trinity College, once the home of the Book of Kells for over four hundred years. A new custom adapted exhibition area is now its home adjacent to the library. If this film gains the broad distribution that it deserves then Trinity College should benefit in terms of visitor numbers as is the case where successful films have raised profiles. This is an Irish film produced by Irish artists of whom we can be proud. That pride is multiplied by the fact that we know these people. Another interested party, the Mayor of Kells, was also present with his chain of office drawing the welcoming curiosity.

Brendan Gleeson on Monday’s R.T.E. afternoon Seoige Show commended the film as follows: “It is stunning to look at and may be something of an antidote to the present times. It shows what we are creatively capable of and now what the movie-going public need to do is to support that effort, in their own way, by just going to see it”.

Perhaps we will have a local premiere in nearby Carrick-on-Shannon. In any event it was great to be part of the launch of The Secret of Kells and smile as one’s name rolled on the extended credits!

Brendan Gleeson

(October 2009)
In talking to the actor Brendan Gleeson the terms ‘generosity of spirit’, ‘integrity’ and ‘making the right choices’ crop up pretty often. Brendan has, like us all probably, had to make a number of life-changing choices in his road ‘less travelled’. He has now arrived at an elevated level in his chosen acting career. His generosity of spirit was exemplified in his giving me an interview which he might have given to more luminous commentators. I have been friendly with Brendan for many years and this was a token of that friendship. Brendan has been coming to the Boyle area for over thirty years. When I asked him how this happened he explained thus; “ I was into music and had been down the country a number of times and wanted to explore new horizons. At that time I was working for the Health Board in Dublin and asked a Roscommon lady working with me if she knew of an area where there was music and she nominated Boyle. I went down and discovered Grehans and the Ceili House Bar and I have been coming since. I found an openness, a generosity of spirit and a welcome that might not be present everywhere, especially for a Dub! I tapped into that and have made very good friends in Boyle”. Here he pursues one of his passions playing music with his local musical friends. So Boyle has continued to be a place to recharge the batteries between high profile projects.
I first asked Brendan about his most recent project, for which he won an Emmy award in Los Angeles in September. That was playing Winston Churchill in the Home Box Office (H.B.O.) film ‘Into the Storm’. This depicted Churchill’s time as British Prime Minister during World War Two. It posed an interesting challenge since Brendan had given an outstanding performance in playing, an earlier nemesis of Churchill, Michael Collins. This was in the Irish T.V. Series ‘The Treaty’ in the early nineties.
His reaction to the Emmy award was that; “It was a bit of a surprise but because of the number of nominations it got I felt we were in with a shout. You also have to consider the quality of the other actors who were nominated and who I admire greatly, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Kline, Sir Ian McKellan, Kenneth Brannagh and Kiefer Sutherland. To take one, Kevin Bacon is a great actor and one I admire greatly. He makes brilliant choices”. ‘Choice’ is a word that crops up from time to time in our conversation. In his Emmy acceptance speech he expressed his particular appreciation to the film’s producer Frank Doelger for allowing him to show an early print to his mother who was ill and has since passed away. She was a great influence in Brendan’s ‘choices’
I asked Brendan about the lesser known traits in the Churchill character that he became aware of. “Taking on the character of Churchill was challenging perhaps because of our history and his role in it. People have their own images of him. He was a bully of sorts, a completely different class, age and mindset. He was almost everything I wasn’t. He drank a lot, worked through the night….he was an extraordinary mixture. His wife Clementine was his confidante. He was an actor, journalist author. He had made big mistakes and hadn’t distinguished himself, in relation to Ireland for example, earlier in his career. But he had been warning about Hitler and this was his time. He gave the people a trust that defeat wasn’t in his equation of prospects. It is noteworthy also how he accepted the defeat in ’45 in saying that ‘This (democracy) is what we fought for’. He was such a contradictory man. He lived by his lights. Yet for me there was the challenge and that is what is involved in acting. It presented a new arena”. The film is due to be shown on BBC in the near future.
Of course the project close to Brendan’s heart is transferring the quality of the Flann O’Brien book ‘At Swim-Two-Birds’ to film. This is a project which Brendan is passionate about. This becomes evident in his demeanour as describes its initial influence on him when he first read it at seventeen and ‘rolled out of bed at its anarchic humour’. In talking to Brendan there are moments when his own great sense of humour is accompanied by his infectious laughter. He has enlisted the interest of the Irish actors guild in terms of Colin Farrell, Gabriel Byrne and Cillian Murphy. They’ve had a preliminary reading and gelled so next year holds out the hope of advancing the idea to completion.
Brendan likes to do at least one piece of artistic merit what might be referred to as challenging piece of work each year whereas he refers to his role as Mad Eyed Moody in the Harry Potter series in lighter fun terms. He is no snob in terms of work however and talks kindly of his early encounter with Hollywood scale in the film ‘Far and Away’ and the plastic cobble stones in Temple Bar before the real ones were installed.
Another work which he refers to in glowing terms is ‘The Secret of Kells’ the Cartoon Saloon (Kilkenny) animated feature which was released earlier in ’09.This too has Boyle connections with one of its producers Paul Young coming from the town. Brendan with Mick Lally provide the voiceovers for two of the main characters. He refers to it as; “Absolutely brilliant, a massive achievement and so rooted in what we can do well”.
In Bruges has been a great hit and apparently is now at the status of a cult movie. This has propelled Brendan more into the public limelight which he finds a little uncomfortable but is as he says; “The price for doing what I love to do”. In Boyle, however, his privacy is respected and he appreciates that and it is among the reasons why he continues to visit the area.
Brendan is firmly rooted in Dublin’s north side. He played Gaelic football for St. Finian’s and is a great supporter of ‘the Dubs’. He became a teacher and was heavily involved in semi-professional theatre for years. Indeed he has built up a really impressive catalogue of varied work. All this involvement meant that a serious career choice had to be made by Brendan who was then in his middle thirties and in a ‘secure’ teaching position. With the encouragement of his wife Mary he took the leap into full time acting and ensured that he “was going to make it happen and not wait for it to happen”. He has not looked back since.
Brendan Gleeson has that great presence, a fine sense of the ‘anarchic’ highlighted often by a fulsome laugh which demonstrates an obvious zest for life. He is an intelligent man with a great sense and love of his country, a country which frustrates him at times. He has articulated those frustrations very publically and effectively on occasion. Yet he reiterates the importance of the arts especially at this time and of returning or continuing to do what we do well and for which we as people are so regarded. However it is the work, the challenge, the quality of the work that drives him on to the next hurdle; “The more you do something the better you get” he says. While the body of work which Brendan has accumulated to date is impressive the future holds its possibilities. Perhaps ‘At Swim’ will see, with his Irish peers, the confluence of those generous talents

Tony Conboy Blog Introduction

My name is Tony Conboy. I come originally from Castlecoote, five miles west of Roscommon town in County Roscommon. I have been in Boyle since 1972. I was a teacher of St. Mary’s College Boyle. I am currently employed, on a seasonal basis, as a guide at Boyle Abbey. I feel that I have found my niche there. My most consistent social interest through the years has been the GAA. This is an inherited regard. In 1990 the History of the GAA in the County, of which I was Editor, was published. If I saw a copy of it for sale now I would buy it! Over the years I have written a number what I’ll call essays. I have wanted to collect them for some time and perhaps put them between covers. This is the reason why I am embarking on this blog. I make no claims for the quality or consistency of these pieces and would be interested in feedback. I have opened, somewhat unusually, with a piece by someone else i.e. Father Henry Tonra writing on his experience of a morning as headmaster at St. Mary’s. I have always held Father Tonra in the highest regard and his history of Ardcarne Parish is just great. A number of these pieces were up on realboyle a number of years ago but I am going to try and do better this time. How many times have I used the phrase, ‘could do better’? There will be glitches here as I navigate and get to grips witht the nuances of a few technicalities! Hopefully I'll be able to delete that sentence soon!