Our columnist Frank Brandon discusses a proud day for Creggs Rugby Club, voices concern over recent assaults on politicians, highlights upcoming local events, and more
As I write this on a beautiful Monday afternoon (I am a bit late today), there can be little doubt that there isn’t a lot of good news out there. What with the cost of living going through the roof, most of the world being involved in some war or other (none of which ever look like ending), climate change and its consequences, and the antics of Donald Trump (no explanation needed), things really are as bad as they could be.
And so you will be glad to hear that for a change, I have not only one, but two good news stories to bring you this week!
The first concerns Jemima Adams Verling, who as a young girl first picked up a rugby ball when in Creggs National School, and who became our first full international of the professional era when she lined out for Ireland against the USA on Sunday.
From the very start it was obvious that there was something special about Jemima, and for the last year or so she has been in the Irish international panel. But until Sunday, she had never been capped.
The game was shown on TG4 Player, and I don’t ever remember being as frustrated watching anything. The play was constantly interrupted by ads, and usually in the middle of important action. But from the limited coverage that I saw, I thought Jemima played very well and looked more than comfortable on the international stage.
Sadly I had to go just before half-time to head for Enfield, Ballintubber, to support our footballers in their IFC quarter-final against Tulsk, a game that proved a step too far for our lads. Anyway, when I left, the Irish women were leading by 17 points to 0, but the US rallied and won by 40 to 36. It seems Ireland took Jemima and three others off in the 50th minute when their lead was 19 points, and subsequently the wheels fell off the wagon and we fell into total disarray. Maybe I’m a bit biased, but I believe she was playing so well that those changes contributed a lot to our downfall!
However, it doesn’t really matter. On Sunday, a young girl who came all the way through the Creggs underage structure represented her family, her coaches, and her club at international level – and did us all proud! Now that she has paved the way, there are a number of other Creggs girls who are knocking on the door at higher level rugby, and there is no doubt that Jemima will be the first of many Irish international players from this area!
Anyway, well done Jemima! Congrats on your first cap – there are surely many more to come!
Now to my second good news story, which, while not exactly on our doorstep, concerns a pub (O’Boyle’s of Laught) that I told you last year I had revisited after a lapse of half a century.
I have returned a few times since my reincarnation, and I have always felt there is something special about the place. The welcome, the craic, the atmosphere, and indeed the Guinness, are all second to none. Well the good news is that the Vintners governing bodies have agreed with me (though they didn’t actually ask me) and given O’Boyle’s the award as Best Local Pub in Connacht!
Sean, the proprietor, told me he had to ring the Vintners’ Association to find out if it was really true, but he needn’t have worried as it most certainly was – and well deserved!
I am sure there will be a big ‘do’ over there in the near future to celebrate this wonderful achievement. If at all possible, I’ll call over and raise a glass (a pint glass) to toast their success. In the meantime, heartiest congratulations to Sean and the crew. Well done to ye all!
A worrying trend
Michael Healy-Rae might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is widely accepted that he is a tremendously hard-working politician, who, like his father before him, gets as much as he can for his local Kerry constituency.
The Healy-Rae political dynasty in Kerry is founded on local, rather than national, politics, and there is little doubt that their popularity is a reflection on their ability to deliver for their own people. And so you would think that up in Dublin, Michael should be safe enough.
But obviously, judging by the manner in which he was assaulted last week – an incident in which he suffered cracked teeth and after which he required seven stitches – that is not the case.
More than a year ago I wrote here about the dangers that politicians are facing all around the country, with county councillors, senators like Galway’s Anne Rabbitte, and now a high-profile TD all being attacked. I posed the question as to why anyone would want to go into politics.
Back in 2016, UK Labour Party MP Jo Cox was killed in the village of Birstall, where she was due to hold a constituency meeting. The guilty person was Thomas Mair, described as a far-right terrorist. As a result of that murder, there were all kinds of security measures brought in to protect MPs, but they didn’t stop Conservative MP David Amess from being stabbed to death at his constituency office in 2021. This time, the murderer was a British Islamic State terrorist, Ali Harbi Ali, who was arrested at the scene and sentenced to whole-life imprisonment.
And so, while it may (and only may) be unlikely that anything like those terrible incidents will happen here, the fact is that politicians, especially while canvassing or being on constituency duty, are easy targets. Sadly, they always need to watch their backs.
What the answer is, I don’t know. But without getting into the specifics of the assault on Healy-Rae, I do think that long sentences should be issued as a deterrent.
Catwalk for a cause
Back to local matters: the countdown is on to the big fashion event that is taking place in the national school hall on Friday, October 2nd.
I’ve told you before, so no excuses! Be there at 7.15 pm for a drinks reception, and the show will start at 8 pm sharp. Celia Holman Lee and her agency will be there, and Fusion Moycullen, Marian’s Boyle, Canella Lane online boutique, Josephine’s Castlerea, Satara Roscommon, Next Athlone, and Aine’s Longford will all be exhibiting. Our own award-winning milliner Majella Lennon will be there, as will Faizie Maizie, with jewellery and accessories.
It’s all in aid of the local development group and the new Sunflower Children’s Hospice in Castlebar, so don’t forget! It promises to be an exceptional night in Creggs.
A cuppa in aid of Hospice
As I write these words on Monday morning, for the first time in more than a year I have fished out my baking utensils and produced a dozen ‘choc chip’ buns!
It’s all a practise for this Saturday morning’s coffee morning in the school in Creggs (from 10 am to 1pm) when my family and I invite you along to have a bit of a chat, enjoy a bun or two, and raise a few bob for the Mayo/Roscommon Hospice.
Sometimes, something comes into your life that has a huge effect on you, and the Hospice certainly had such an impact on our lives. And so we look forward to meeting as many of you as can come along on Saturday morning.
PS: Last week I wrote ‘Myself and my family’ invite you along, and a sharp-eyed reader pulled me up on my bad grammar, so this week it’s ‘My family and I’!
And finally…
I have just heard the news that we have a new published novelist in our midst, with Tom O’Brien’s novel ‘The Curlew’s Cry’ on sale now!
It’s hard enough to write a couple of hundred words, but to write more than 300 pages takes some work, so well done Tom, and every success with your book!
I hope we see it in the bestsellers list for Christmas!
‘Til next week,
bye for now
