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Article November Week 4 2004
Kilmurry Ibrickane, Co. Clare the Heart and Soul of the GAA

The town of Quilty stands on the West coast of Clare about a half mile from the broad Atlantic, Mutton Island lies a few miles off the shore line and on a bad November day the crashing sounds of the ocean pounding against the wind swept rugged coast can be heard loud and clear howling in the distance, nevertheless while it's barren, bleak, and desolate at this time of year there is the something special and enchanting about the place, it's different, it has an atmosphere all of it's own, especially for a person reared in the comfortable urban settings of Killarney. And it was here last Sunday week, Nov. 21st that I found myself as Radio Kerry undertook the live broadcast of the Munster Club championship between the home side ,Kilmurry Ibricane and the Kerry club champions Milltown /Castlemaine.


Since it's inception in 1971 this club championship has been the best thing that ever happened to the GAA, we are forever been told that the club is the bed rock of the the association, which of course it is and the club championships has, year after year brought to the fore all that is good and great in this thirty two county competition. The smallest of clubs coming from the humblest of back grounds are give the opportunity to perform on the big stage, but to me most importantly of all they display their towns, villages and club grounds to the visiting fans from all around the country, indeed it can be said without fear of contradiction that club supporters have visited places far and wide in the most remote towns and parishes and only for this completion such would never have been the case.


The one big down side to all of this is that this club championship has been shunted to tail end of the year and the situation gets worse as the national competions get more extensive and drawn out, so the ordinary club player is forced play Sunday after Sunday, attempting to show his skills in the depths of winter and in conditions which are completely against good football. However this is a story for another day, imagine what it would be like to have a Munster club final between a Kerry side and another from the providence sometime in August or September when this sun is at its highest and the grounds are free from pools of water, with just a whisper of a wind and muddy goal mouths are non existence, pity the poor ordinary club player this is a luxury he will never experience, and indeed I have yet to hear any GAA official near or far even suggest having a serious look at these fixtures. Of course there are problems finishing competions in each county, nevertheless things could be improved, where there is a will there is a way. The club player in my opinion is a poor second in to days GAA world.
Ever since my own playing days with East Kerry in this club championship and later as a referee visiting for me previously unknown venues I have always loved the special do or die endeavour, never give up effort, the howling for blood from supporters on the line as nine times out of ten terrible conditions combine to cut the better side down to the local level, a combination which makes for compulsive viewing. And last Sunday week in Quilty had for me all these wonderful ingredients and more, so lets recall a day and a visit to the heart and soul of the Association where the small man rules and the club players experience the tension, apprehension, joys and disappointments of the big day, for many probably the one and only time of their footballing lives.


Mass at 8.30pm in the Killarney friary began my day, father Chris gave a big plug to their folk group CD, Night Divine, a collection of Christmas music, I had been given the honour of launching it the previous Thursday in the Plaza Hotel, Killarney, a lovely occasion, the O Leary twins Connor and Derek had invited me, their mother is battling that depilating disease MS and I had been a close friend of their late father Ian, and all proceeds from the sale of the CD go to MS Ireland. Thirteen beautiful Christmas songs and music, a collectors item, there should be one playing in every home, and you are supporting a most worthy cause.


The Tarbert ferry beckoned, the 11 30.am crossing was the objective, Radio Kerry's expert sound man Danny Carroll was awaiting collection in Tralee with his gear, next stop Tarbert, but when we arrived at the mouth of the Shannon we had our first set back of the day, stretching out in front of us was a line of waiting cars seemingly a mile long, would we make the cut to drive on board". Danny had to be in place in good time, lot of gear to set up for the broadcast, the ferry docked, loading began, we moved slowly up the line until there was just one car remaining before us, about sixty had boarded, the gates swung shut, we had literally missed the boat, some quick thinking required, any port in a storm as the fellow said, we grabbed the cases of sound gear, Danny jumped on board, he would get a lift from a obliging Kerryman and I would wait another hour but the day was saved, the Shannon Willow in a swirl of foaming water set off on her short journey to Kilimer, and the match broadcast for our thousands of listeners was assured.


My wait on the pier was the shortest hour I ever spent, along came a great old friend walking his three dogs, Patsy "Skin" o Connell, the former great Feal Rangers, Tarbert, and Kerry footballer and he introduced me to his future son in law, who had played rugby with Conaught, always a pleasure to meet "Skin", he is a fanatic on all sports and knows his football upside down, we planned a future Terrace Talk on what will prove to be a fascinating subject, I hope it comes off. The players bus arrived, Mike Carroll, one of the most dedicated and loyal of all Milltown/Castlemain men assured me all was well with the squad, they were a little bit nervous, and as Mike pointed were on a voyage into into the unknown.


There was no way former garda John Murrihy was going to miss the match, now retired and living in Tralee, we chatted and remised as we relaxed awaiting the return of the Shannon Willow, born in Quilty John had played with the locals for close to thirty years and it was very evident he cherished every minute of it, he had won everything with his beloved Kilmurry Ibroican including two senior county championships, That club he explained "is the heart of my life", He had played minor, under 21, junior and senior with Clare and regaled me with a host of memories of club and county, including the day in 1967 when the famous Tralee club John Mitchell?s came to Lahinch to play them in the club championship.


It was like an All Ireland final for the parish, despite poor shooting the home side lead at the short whistle 1-4 to 1-1, Mitchell's lost Seanie Burrows through injury, Brian and Niall Sheehy, Harry Burke, Mick Morris, Teddy Dowd, Ted Fitzgerald, Derry and ?Thorny? o Shea were the stars as the Kerry side won 2-6 to 1-5, Kilmurry had a goal disallowed while a lucky "Thorny" goal decided the issue. ?Martin McInerney was easily the best player I ever saw playing with Kilmurry", John assured me, it was time to board the ferry and the Clare man who later played with Na Gael, Tralee was on his way to witness history in the making for his parish.


Kilimer, Kilrush, Coolaclare, and the little village of Cree was bypassed on the way, Karen Gould from Cree would sing the national Anthem beautifully before the beginning of the match adding a special local touch to the occasion, the rains poured down, the sky was dark, grey and forbidden. Pairk Naomh Mhuire is a credit to the little local community, incorporating, meeting rooms, car park dressing rooms, and a covered stand to seat close to a thousand people, all built by voluntary labour, the parish of Kilmurry Ibricane which is situated mid way on the West coast of Clare has a population of approx. 1,800, two villages Mullagh and Quilty, three Catholic churches and five primary schools. The club is having it's best ever year having won an astonishing six titles, their under 17's are in the county semi final and of course their seniors now await the biggest test of all, the Munster Club final against Stradbally, of Waterford.


T.J. o Laughlin has been the chairman for five years, his family and life revolves around this wonderful Clare club, boy, was he the busy man, gates to be opened and locked, press to be accommodated, the crowed in the stand were calmed when a camera man obstructed their view, things had began to get a little ugly, T J to the rescue here, he grabbed a microphone and standing in the middle of the crowed stand appealed for calm, " don't let Quilty down lads", peace was restored, diplomacy at it's greatest, lessons learned no doubt in the great university of life, great stuff. He had been at the field since 7 a m that morning clearing pools of water off the pitch, it had rained for two whole days, the ladies committee were at full stretch in the tea room, brown bread, scones, apple tart and the old reliable, ham sandwiches, these with a mug of boiling hot tea were a god sent, then a crises.


The team physo needed some room to give the lads a final rub before battle commenced, sandwiches, buns, burko boilers, tea pots and tables were pushed to one side, the tea room was commandeered on the instructions of T J and those big strong strapping Clare men stretched out one by one on the make shift table and the fine strong smell of liniment wafted around the room mingling beautifully with the scent of fresh home baking. Nevertheless undaunted, the ladies continued to serve the gathering crowds, Brendan Larkin of the Irish Examiner and that renowned Sportsfile photographer Ray McManus who always appears as if he is going to collapse in a heap due to the weight of the cameras and bags hanging around his neck nipped in for a cuppa, as the next parish was America Ray quipped, "are dollars accepted here?.
A huge Clare roar, (this is not a cheer), rent the darking gloom as the home side raced on to the field, the Kerry side followed soon after to a similar reception and the game was in my opinion decided on one magical flick of the wrist from one of the most talented young men on the field that day. Wing forward Shane Hickey has won minor, under 21, and senior county championships this year with his club, a truly remarkable feat, and just before half time in this particular game as a 45 metre free dropped in the Milltown/Castlemaine square he reacted quickest of all, connecting beautifully to flick the ball to the net in the twinkle of an eye. Try as they might for the remaining of this enthralling encounter the Kerry side could not make up the deficit and Shanes goal was the killer blow, nonetheless I must add that if one of my favourite young footballers Ian Twiss had been fully fit to play from the start Mike Hickey and his men might have returned across the Shannon with victory under their belt.


The home followers were ecstatic following the final whistle, beating a Kerry side for the first time ever and reaching a Munster final was the stuff of dreams, T J joined me on Terrace Talk the following Tuesday evening and was he a proud chairman as they look forward to the biggest day in the history of this extordinary little club for whom R. T. E. Marty Morrissey played for, and he was there to see the historic break through.
This is only a fraction of my day at the heart and soul of the GAA, the memories, the fervour, the excitement, the passion, the unique atmosphere, the friendlessness and welcome of the people, the tremendous joy on the faces of young and old when exemplary referee Paddy Russell from Tipperary sounded the final whistle. You can have your Croke Park, your corporate boxes, glitzy all star awards, your hight tec media centres, centrally heated dressing rooms and all the other modern trappings , but for me anyway win lose or draw a bad November day in Quilty, ham sandwiches, friendly faces, side line tensions, meeting the quintessential grass root club chairman such as T J o Laughlin, local girl singing the national anthem in flogging rain beats the lot. Long live the small rural club, long live the real grass roots of the association, long live the unpaid worker of the GAA, truly the heart and soul of Irish life and culture.