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| David Fitzgerald and John Conlon embrace after the final whistle |
It frequently crosses my mind in April and May that the English Premiership is heading for the off season and that I'll be missing my regular dose of live sport for about three months. It s not something I'm proud of but for all the other sporting pursuits I enjoy the premiership still tends to be my stable diet when it comes to watching live sport.
Around this time in the year mainly due to the quality of the national league and a selective amnesia of the great days in 95 and 97 I have an unhealthy skepticism about the quality of entertainment the All Ireland championships can provide. I'll generally keep this to myself knowing that my own enthusiasm will find me wrong later in the summer. This weekend was my now annual reminder of how almost nothing beats live championship hurling for intensity, excitement and experience.
The venue was Cusack Park in my hometown of Ennis. 'The Park' as its affectionately known hasn't held too many championship games in recent years due to a reduced capacity and a series of away draws in the qualifier series. The contest itself a winner takes all tussle between Clare and Dublin with more subplots than a soap opera lived up to its billing with stunning point-scoring ,a sending off, brave defending and a thrilling comeback. My highlights on the pitch were Brendan Buglers phenomenal display of abrasiveness and bravery in defence, John Conlons' ability to pick off points from play when they were needed most and Tony Kelly's nerves of steel goal followed by a little slip. Clare definitely has a few keepers on this team, and I don't just mean the goalkeeper.
Along with the skill level on the pitch the atmosphere and nostalgia bubbling away off the pitch also contributed to the occasion for me. I'm talking about the national anthem being played without words on what sounded like a tape player naturally broken up by cheers a minute early, the roars from the packed terrace at every referee decision or percieved lack of commitment from a player, the flurry of texts to let us know we'd been spotted on the telly and the announcer letting us know about kids waiting for their parents at the sweet shop in his own imitable style. These things aren't idealistic but they are a huge part of what seperates the GAA from the show put on by other sports. This concoction of the skill and passion on show, the craic in the stand and a first championship win in four years is an incredible combination.
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