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You are > Home > A night to remember in Limerick
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A night to remember in Limerick
By Ian Cooney
All of us have composed a list at some stage entitled “Ten things to do before I die”.
After watching Munster and the All Blacks last Tuesday evening, visiting Thomond Park has subsequently moved up a few places on my wish list.
The sense of occasion really came across on the television. From the moment Jeremy Manning, Rua Tipoki, Doug Howlett and Lifeimi Mafi got the crowd going with their Munster haka, one got the feeling that something special was simmering in the Limerick air. It was pure theatre in a sacred place that has staged more than its fair share of epics over the years.
This was the new Thomond Park, an amphitheatre reflecting Munster’s ability to move with the times. Yet, during its transformation both on and off the pitch, the core values of the province have remained intact. And the subsequent performance of the Munster side, minus a raft of first choice regulars, did the Munster jersey proud and more than did justice to the heroic efforts of their 1978 counterparts, the only Irish team to beat the All Backs, sitting in the crowd.
Battered by weeks of grim publicity, the respectful minute’s silence that mourned Garryowen player Shane Geoghegan’s death depicted a city that houses something very unique in Irish sport. No matter what part of Ireland you live in, as long as you have an interest in rugby, there will always be a place in your heart for Munster.
The only thing missing from a memorable night in Limerick was a Munster win. The All Blacks may have been 1/33 to win the match but they only scraped over the line through Joe Rocokoko’s late try. Despite the result, sport continued to be the real winner as both teams came back out on the pitch to thank the most knowledgeable and respectful crowd in rugby union.
For the 25,000 or so fans that crammed into Thomond Park, Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 will be talked about for some time to come. The only problem I had with the whole evening was George Hook’s tie I suppose Goerge had to give us something to talk about because, no matter what way he tried to analyse last Tuesday’s game, Munster’s performance was immune from criticism.
St. Brigid’s are still the team to beat
The managerial merry-go-round is in full swing with clubs finalising their structures for the new season. St. Brigid’s has thrown down the gauntlet immediately with the appointment of former Salthill/Knocknacarra boss Eoin O’Donnellan.
This is a shrewd appointment and the fact that O’Donnellan has committed himself to the Kiltoom-based club even though he’s based at least 90 minutes away indicates that Brigid’s are hell bent on making up for the disappointment of last year, not only at county level but at provincial level.
Despite Castlerea St. Kevin’s deserved championship success this season, the harsh reality from a Roscommon perspective is that St. Brigid’s are the only team from Roscommon that can harbour realistic ambitions of winning a Connacht club championship. A glorious opportunity was missed this year but I sincerely believe that the St. Brigid’s players will return a reenergised force in 2009.
That spells bad news for the rest of the teams in Roscommon. The current St. Brigid’s panel are still relatively young. With six U-21 crowns in the bag and the prospect of another to come in a few weeks’ time, it would take a wise man to bet against St. Brigid’s in 2009. Expect defending champions Castlerea St. Kevin’s, Western Gaels, Clann na nGael, Padraig Pearses and, perhaps, Elphin to mount a decent challenge but I know where I’ll be putting my money in the New Year.
Ageless Burton answers his club’s call
It seems that age is no longer a barrier when it comes to Gaelic games. Last week’s story about 67-year-old Des Burton from Aughrim may encourage those thinking of hanging up the boots to give it another year at the top level for their club.
Burton was a member of the Aughrim squad that won a junior B hurling championship medal in Wicklow recently. While he was a sub on the team that won the final, the ageless Burton played in attack in some of the earlier games and even scored a crucial goal against Avondale.
Burton won his first championship medal back in 1955. Now 53 years later, he has another medal to add to his collection.
The whole story must make Clann na * Gael’s Gerry ‘Rasher’ Duignan feel like a young fella in his prime!
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