A glimpse into what the GAA means

Listry 2-15

Castlegregory 0-14

That’s the result in the first round of the Kerry Junior Premier Football Championship Group 4 game played in Blennerville outside Tralee on Saturday, August 4.

I know next to nothing about Gaelic football and less about trying to report on a game.

Some wisecrack might quip that knowing nothing about a topic hasn’t stopped me writing about something in the past.

 

This is not at all a report by a sports journalist on a game. I was at the game because I’m friendly with the parents of one of the Castlegregory players and if truth be told I baptised the fella 18 years ago.

It’s a given that time flies when you are having fun. Any time I watch a game on the television it seems as if it goes on for an age. This game in Blennerville seemed to be all over far too quickly.

Approximately 13/14 years earlier I taught some of the team when they were in secondary school. Back then they were children and here they were now grown men at the peak of their fitness, well able to fend for themselves, even managing to get the odd yellow card.

Listry is in a higher division than Castlegregory so I think it’s fair to say that the lads from Castlegregory did themselves proud. And listening to the comments of those standing near me the general consensus was that ‘our team’ played well. Indeed, there was a view often expressed during the game that it was ours for the taking. But the final result told another story.

Blennerville is a tiny village approximately three kilometres west of Tralee. Anyone who ever travels from Tralee back west goes through Blennerville. And here in this tiny place the GAA has a fabulous facility, a great pitch and a fine clubhouse. 

But there is something odd or quirky that I spotted. They have a super-duper electronic scoreboard, unfortunately and annoyingly it is not possible if you are on the stand or western side of the pitch  to read the scoreboard if there is a car or van parked beside it. The problem is that it is too low. 

How could people, who built such a fabulous facility, put a scoreboard in a place it is not possible to see for a large number of the spectators? 

And certainly for the likes of me, who needed every aid possible to keep up to speed with what was happening, not being able to see the score was annoying, frustrating too. I had to keep asking those beside me about the score and all that did was annoy them. They were ensconced in the game, focused on what was happening and completely opposed to the referee anytime he fouled ‘our side’.

People who are usually quiet and demur were screaming their heads off and passionately shouting their lads on.

On a fine summer’s evening across the bridge in Blennerville I got a glimpse into what the GAA means and the great good it does.

 

How wholesome it all was, and so good for everyone, players and spectators alike. I’d have preferred to have seen Castlegregory win.

That’s life. It was fabulous entertainment.