SpTHE IRISH TIMESoririshtimes.comts Weekend No Group of Death Early riser McSharry in World Cup draw catching the gold Emmet Malone: page 3 Keith Duggan: page 5 Saturday,December2,2017 EditorMalachyLogan Phone01-6758366 [email protected]

Gaelic Games Remembering Niall Donohue

■ Niall Donohue celebrates with after Galway’s All-Ireland semi-final victory in 2012 and (inset) , and Tex Casting Callaghan unfurl aflag in Niall’s memory after the All-Irelandfinal victory over Waterford in September. PHOTOGRAPHS: COLMO’NEILL AND JAMES CROMBIE/INPHO

that’s the way it goes.” NiallDonohue was from Kilbeacanty, a along bend-in-the-road parish about five miles outfrom Gort, skirting aroundthe top of Lough Cutra. There is apub, aschool, a church and ahurlingpitch,alongwith houses for apopulation of 381 people, by the last census figures. They’reusually a junior club, occasionally intermediate when the numbers hold up for acouple of shadow years. But they have the same problem keeping players around the place that eve- ry rural club does. Ladsget up and get out in their 20s and if theclub is lucky, they only go to Galway or Dublin, from where the elastic might be strong enough to get them back for cham- pionship.But theygo to London,to Sydney and beyond as well, an unfair share of their talent scattered in places that wouldn’t know what to do with it. And so Kilbeacan- ty run in quicksand most of the time, fight- ing for momentum but sinking all the Malachy while. In that world, coming acrossaNiall Donohue is like striking oil in abog. He was playing U-11 when he was sev- Clerkin en,himself and nine-year-old Shane shor- ing up the backline for BallyturinNational School. He hurled for Galway at every age Four years after taking his own life, Galway hurler Niall group from U-14 to senior and was the first KilbeacantyplayeronaGalwaysenior pan- Donohue’s father, brother and friends talk about the el since in the 1980s. devastating impact of his death Highestlevel “Wherewe’re from, being ahurler is the mostprideyou cancarry,”says Shane.“It’s the highest level you can get to in life near- ly. We’d have more pride in ahurler than a solicitor or ajudge. We’rejust ordinary -“One other person that Ican’t let today alive. Standingonthe pitch in Croke Park hurling people and hurling is everything pass without mentioning. He was soldier- with his whitehelmet raised in one hand when you are growing up.” ing with us for years. Agood friend of mine, and his hurley aloftinthe other. He took it Niall had aroving eye for all sports but afirst cousin of Conor Whelan. He passed with him on the lap of honour, holding it hurling was the only one he ever consid- awayin2013.NiallDonohue –we’ll never up, posing for pictures with it. With Niall. ered for asteadyline. Arugby man from forgethim and we’llremember him today. Francie Donohue was in the Cusack Gort askedFrancie one time would he be We’llgive asmall shout out to The Charity Stand waitingonthe partytoreachhim. A up for trying out for the Connacht acade- Chariot and Pieta House who are doing day like this was never going to be easy but my but they could never find adate that great workfor peoplewho are in depres- he didn’twant it to be an ordealeither. wouldn’t clash with ahurling match. He sion.And hopefully theywillhelp many He’d seenmore than enough tragedy in his qualified for Mosney one yearinathletics more.” life to know the worthofagood, joyous but again,the calendar said one thing and –David Burke, All-Ireland final speech, day. the hurler said another. September 3rd 2017 He’d had to bury his young wife when “He never left ahurl out of his hands,” Shane, Niall and their sister Orla were still says Francie. “He’d have ahurl in his Shane Donohuewas in the LowerHogan only kids. Niall’s 23rdbirthday had come hands every day of the week. He’d get a when he heard his brother’s name, sur- and gone in the bleak weekend between new hurl or anew sliotar and he’d be out at rounded but alone. In the truffle dig for him taking his own life and being shoul- thegable wall with it. It could be 11 o’clock All-Ireland tickets, he had ended up get- dered to his grave by someofthe players atnight.Iwassitting inside watchingtelevi- tingseparatedfrom the pack. His father who were jigging around CrokePark now, sion one night, nice and quiet, alovely Francie was over in the Cusack Stand, his four years later. Liam MacCarthy didn’t calmnight. Iheardabang off the gable end mates and clubmates dotted all around. wipe any of that away, didn’t even smudge of the house. Ithought it was thunder hit- You know the way it is for afinal –you take it.But you have to take the good where you tingthe house or something. I’m not jok- ing you! “He’d be belting it and controllingit, belting it and controlling. Full wallop! I saidtohim whenhewas small, ‘One touch into thehand, becausethe second touch is gone’. Itold him if you’re not able to do thathewon’t play forthe county.Next thing he wouldn’t catch it at all and he’d be doing it as fast as he could, left and right.” Hewas wing-back on the Galway minor teamthat somehowleft the 2008 All-Ire- land finalbehind them to alate Kilkenny goal.By 2011,he was full-backon that team as they made amendsatunder-21, collect- ingGalway’s first All-Ireland at the grade since2005.When set about freshening up the Galway sen- iorsin2012, Donohue’s was one of the fac- es he threw into the mix. Between league and championship that year, Galway played 12 matches and he started them all “You could see he was getting better all the time,”says DavidBurke, whoplayed on Galway teamswith him all the way up I remember Conor having the flag, he was from Tony Forristal at under-14. “I often say that the performance he gave in 2011 in right in front of me. I got aphotograph of the U-21semi-final againstLimerick,that it. I was delighted. You wanted to really was him at his best. “He was unbelievable that day against enjoy the day but you felt like something Limerick,playing at full-back andunder was kind of holding you back the coshfor the whole game. It wenttoex- tra-timeand I’dsay hewastheonly ladwho what’s going and the stranger at your el- find it. could stay going. They were bombarded bow is afriend for life for the afternoon. “It was great that he mentioned Niall,” with ball in the full-back line that day but So when the Galwaycaptain paid trib- says Francie. “He was involved straight hejust kept coming outwith it. We went on ute to Niall, Shane stood there with thou- away. Iremember Conor having the flag, to win it afterwards but it was that day that ‘‘sandsof Galway fans around himfeeling as he was rightinfront of me. Igot aphoto- got us over the line. if he was in an empty room. In the days that graph of it. Iwas delighted. You wanted to followed,Burkewas praised the length really enjoy theday but you felt like some- and breadth of the country for his speech, thing was kind of holding you back. Pivotalplayer for the first ever mention of depression “I did enjoy it to acertain extent.Abso- “Progressing onto seniorthen straight fromthestepsoftheHogan Standespecial- lutely delighted they won. Iwent out to the away the following year. He was the type of ly. Standing there, adot in the thousands, banquetin Citywestthatnight, camehome lad who would stay back from the lime- Shane Donohue was an audience of one. the next day and went straight to Salthill light. He’d be working away in the gym or “Croke Park was full but you’d nearly for the celebrations. I’ve seen alot of loss- getting fit or getting fast on his own. He feel alone in it,” he says now. “Especially es.” just wanted to prove to himself that he was when Davy Burke was talking. Icould hear Everybodymoves on, though. From good enough to play at that level. And he people talking around me, not knowing good days,from bad days.They go about was. It’s just unfortunate that he didn’t get who Iwas obviously. It’safunny feeling. I their lives and leave you to yours. Niall acouple more years at it because he was was crying with joy that they won, but Donohue ended his on Wednesday,Octo- definitely going to be apivotal player.” there was something in my stomach, in the ber 23rd2013 and leftbehind afamily, a Asmall-parish hero is something to be. back of my throat. When Davy mentioned community, ahurling club and acounty In Kilbeacanty, they revelled in him. Club Niall,you could hear peoplearound say- team, each of them bewildered in their chairmanJustinFaheyremembersthumb- ing, ‘Oh Jeez, he was agreat hurler, pity he own way at the loss. ing through the programme in Croke Park wasn’t here.’” “There is no easy day,” says Francie. before the 2012 All-Ireland final against Out on the pitch soon after, his cousin “But you have to continue on. It’s always at Kilkennyand smiling when he saw their Conor Whelan dug out the flag. Maroon you. There’s always something in here club under Niall’sname. , Bally- and white, naturally,with the Galway crest [points to his head] that never leaves you hale, Kilbeacanty. He was their place to one side and the GAA logo to the other. alone, but you havetoget on withit. Nor- among the nations of the earth. In the middle, apicture of Niall, back when mally parents are not meant to burytheir he was young and vital and never more kids. They are supposed to outlive you. But (Continued on page 10) THE IRISH TIMES 10 Sports Saturday,December 2,2017

know they will probably never recapture once-unstoppable march to catching the It spun around the globe within minutes SidelineCut that moment, that feeling, of lining up a Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus’s haul of 18 and was instantly repackaged and reissued ball up on the 18th with, say, a12-foot Majors (a figure that is beginning to look as irrefutable proof that his fall from grace three-putt needed to secure an Open or a untouchable) abruptly halted, Woods and greatness was complete and irrecover- Masters. looked, for the first time, lost. able. The inconvenient truth –that he Keith It’s almost forgotten now that, for a Golf’s most feared figure suddenly hadn’t even been drinking that night – short period in the late 1990s, Duval looked pitiful and the game turned to its generated less online excitement. managed to displace the then ascendant younger cast– the Jordans, Rorys and In the decade since Woods Insofar as the world at large even cares Woods as the number one ranked golfer Jasons –tocreate anewer more likeable stopped winning Majors and about Tiger Woods anymore, people have Duggan on planet earth. He was aspiky personality and more millennial set of on-course probably made their minds up as to what with awhipcord swing and huge wrapa- excellence and clubhouse story lines. slid out of relevance, so too they think of the person. The strange thing round shades who gobbled up tourna- It will be 21 years this Christmas since did the game’s appeal recede is that after everything, after 20 years, all ments during ablistering three-year Gary Smith’s famous piece about Woods, ‘‘ that’s left to talk about is what Tiger period which culminated in the British The Chosen One, was published in Sports in the eyes of casual fans Woods can or can’t do on the golf course. Golf holds its breath at Open win of 2001. Illustrated.Even now it is Stephen Curry, acontemporary sports Then he began to develop vertebrae un-put-down-able because of its pure superstar, aconscientious objector to the trouble and that autumn, it just stopped. strangeness: when your old man has his decision to play golf with Donald Trump administration, amodel citizen, signs of aTiger stirring Whatever that combination of talent, announced to the world that as well as Trump was interpreted as agrave insult to was among those who trumpeted, via self-belief, magic, karma, physical wellbe- being the best golfer the world has seen African-Americans and remains baffling. Twitter, his excitement at the return of ing is called, it began to leave him. In 2005, you might also just be the Second Coming, He must have predicted that there Woods: The wait is over. The wait is over. Duval entered 20 tournaments and picked then chances are you are under afair bit of would be abacklash and yet, there he was. It drives golf’s aficionados up the wall up agrand total of $7,000 in prize money. pressure. Exerting absolute control on his Earl Woods and, of course, Nike, present- but the truth is that in the decade since olf is anumbers game and of all his body could muster. image and perfecting that cold, superior ed Tiger as achampion of racial equality in Woods stopped winning Majors and slid the numbers associated with But it’s still hard to get your head Decline exterior was Woods’s way of presenting the beginning. It took years and years for out of relevance, so too did the game’s Tiger Woods –the staggering around the fact that the golfer who His decline as asportsman would be a himself to the world. It worked until it everyone, including Woods, to figure out appeal recede in the eyes of casual fans. G prize money, the Majors, the changed the game could have fallen so far. haunting story except for the fact that didn’t. that he was more Rabbit Angstrom than So here is Tiger Woods, about to hit his tournament streaks, the unbroken years The ranking system has always been one of Duval has emerged from the game as a Two years ago, Wright Thompson of Muhammad Ali. And he was never forgiv- 42nd year (with financial security that will as da man –nothing speaks so powerfully golf’s delicious cruelties. Every so often, a more contented figure than he had been ESPN wrote the companion piece to The en for that. last beyond his lifetime and his legacy in about his present state of grace as his star –aDavid Duval or aJohn Daly – when he lit up fairways and now works as Chosen One except that now Earl Woods is the game secure if locked in the past) ready world ranking at the start of this week. streaks across the cloudless skies where an analyst for the Golf Channel. dead and Tiger is lost and what’s presented Scrutinised to start from scratch in the hope that his Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer the prestige tournaments are played and But it was the temporality of golfers like is desperately sad and lonely. Of course, It could be that after everything Woods children might, however fleetingly, get to the world has seen, was officially estimat- they manage to synchronise both the Duval and Lee Westwood that made these are just pieces of journalism. How has learned to simply not care about what see him do what he could once do better ed as the 1,199th in the world as he em- granite mental toughness and technical Woods appear so bullet-proof in compari- close those words come to touching the the world thinks of him. His faults and than anyone else alive. Already, as he plays barked upon his comeback. flawlessness long enough to win aMajor or son. When it all fell apart and Woods had real person is simply guesswork. But it’s misdemeanours have been held up, in his first comeback tournament, his odds It’s adistortion, of course, brought two and to briefly be the talk of the town. to endure the humiliation of having his clear that, after two decades, neither golf scrutinised and vilified countless times. to win next year’s Masters have been about by his 10-month absence and the Then something goes wrong; they personal life transformed into agaudy nor society is fully certain what Tiger His imperiousness on the golf course has halved. The golf feeds are buzzy with surgery which, he believes, has ended tinker with their putter or decide to source of global gossip and scandal; when Woods is supposed to represent. been reimagined with atint of tragedy. It breathless talk that the Big Cat, after the years of physical and mental torture of change their grip or lose their nerve on the the sponsors duly fled and he was forced to For sure, he is always going to be a was only last May that the Florida police fall and the humbling, may be back: that it back pain caused by alifetime of hitting putting greens and they slip and then make that weird televised apology to, it contrary figure. As Dave Hannigan released amug-shot taken of Woods under may be the second coming nobody ever golf balls with all the power and accuracy plummet down the rankings. And they seemed, the entire world and when the outlined in this publication on Thursday, arrest for suspected DUI. reckoned on.

Gaelic Games Remembering Niall Donohue Casting along shadow

(Continued from page 1) begodfather. Nobother to him. Ingen- eral, all seemed well. Francie says that “We have maybe about 100 members, he was meeting friends, that he had that’s about it,” says Fahey. “We knew girlfriends, that he was being social. there was something unique about He didn’tseem closedoff or isolated. him and we expected him to get there He was quiet at times but not unusual- but it all camesoquick after theywon ly so. the U-21 All-Ireland. It was unheard of “He wasn’tnervous,” saysFrancie. that acounty team after winning acup “He was nearlytoo easygoinginone would come back to Kilbeacanty, such way. But he took hurling very serious- asmall parish. That was such aspecial ly, probablymoreserious than he night for the club. should. He was hard on himself I “And then he just took it from there thought. He didn’t want mistakes. He and he was performing in the two all the time wanted to be at the top. He All-Ireland finals the year after.Itjust wanted to be winning. And Ithink it brought awhole new meaning tothe kind of got on top of him at the finish. club. We had aleader now. He was the He was hard on himself. That’s what I futureof our clubreally. It wasspecial. thought at the finish.” For such asmall club to have someone His second year on the Galway pan- like that. When he scored that point in el didn’t go as well as the first. He had the 2012 final, that was as good as plenty of starts in the league that comes for aclub like ours.” springbut few enoughfinishes. Twice ‘That point’ was Niall’s first and last he gotcalledashore beforehalf-time. in championship hurling.Itcame af- By thetime the championship opener ter28minutesofthe opening half of against Laois came around, he’d been thedrawn game, with Galwayinfull shuntedback to corner-back. He was shock-and-awe mode over Kilkenny. injured for the Leinster final defeat to won apuckout, Cyril Don- Dublinand didn’tmakeit backinafter- someone sat down in frontofthem back together was sport.” ■ Galway senior fore the 2015 decider, Francie was youwin them, you move on and the nellan dished off apass, Donohue wards. Clare sent Galway packing and and said, ‘Your son is suffering from The winter was exactly as bleak and hurling team captain talking to Conor’s mother outside yearisnot over yet.You thank whoev- jinked away from TJ Reid,burst for- Donohue’s year was over before July depression –this is how you deal with empty as you’d imagine. Francie is a David Burke; Justin Croke Park. Conor was 18 years old, er at that stage but you move on. I ward to theKilkenny 45 on an angle was out. it, theseare the signstolook out for, self-employed plumber but he Fahy, chairman of the starting an All-Ireland final amonth wanted to do it in an All-Ireland underthe Hogan Stand andsplitthe Was that enough, though? Could he this is how to cope,’ that would be an couldn’t bringhimself toopen thetool- Kilbeacantyclub; short of Niall’s second anniversary. speech. It was something that Ifelt I posts. Galway 1-7 Kilkenny 0-3. really have taken it that badly? Can the awfulhelp.ButIdon’tthinkanyonere- box for the restofthe year. Theywere Shane Donohue, They couldn’t but dream of what had to do, for Kilbeacanty, for his club “This guy has had abrilliant year, relative failure of his second year in in- ally knows what to do.” barely able to move out of the house. Niall’s brother; might have been. for his family, for everyone who would for me” said Michael Duignan on com- ter-county hurling really have Shane was in Australia when he got “Youlose interestin life,”says Fran- Galway senior hurler “Imagine Niall driving aball into have known him. mentary. “He’s beenoutstanding in weighed so heavily on him as to skew the call. Eachofthe 10 Kilbeacanty cie. “I had no interest in anything for Conor Whelan, a Conor and Conor sticking it in the “I always had this thing written every game.” his world so completely? lads who wereout there withhim three months. Iwouldn’t even go to cousin of Niall’s, and net,” Francie said. “If Mícheál ÓMuir- down as well that if we ever won Liam Thatwas the day “That’s the thing, you don’t know,” dropped everything and came home the pub for apint.Iused to go two Francie Donohue, cheartaigh could get ahold of it he’d MacCarthy, in the weeks after Iwould hauled Kilkenny back from the brink, says David Burke. “You look back on it on theplane there and then, leaving nightsaweek, down for the chat as Niall’s father. do agreat job of it.” bring it up to the house. Thatwas a carrying them to adraw before they now and you question things.Having jobs and wives and lives behind them much as the drink. PHOTOGRAPH: JOE WhenDavidBurke was madeGal- driving factor for me. Theydeserve outstayed Galway in the replay. Dono- won the under-21 All-Irelandin2011 foraspell. Shane wentbackthefollow- “Ittakes time, you recover bitby bit. O’SHAUGHNESSY way captain at the start of 2016, he that, that it be brought into the house. hue went off injured just before and thencome intothe senior set-up ing year to collect his stuff but he was Ifound it was importanttokeep in- made himself two promises, one gen- Whenwe lost games in 2015 or 2016, it half-time the second day but when the in 2012, he was probably still on ahigh in adaze for most of it. volved with the public, try to get out as eral, one specific. In general, he want- would be eating away at you asmall All Star nominations came out the fol- from it all. His performances were go- “I was two years in disbelief,”he much as you can even though it’s not ed to make surethat the Galway dress- bit. You’d have it in your head that, ing so well, he was fit,hewas training says, “Endless what-ifs and buts and easy. ing-room he led wasgoingtobea away. maybes.Itstarts to drive you mad in “People would be avoiding you. Ire- place where players talked more to “Then in 2013, he probably strug- the end and there just came astage memberbeing in the pub one night, each other. Actual conversations, not gled abit. So there was pressure there where it had to finish. It was his sec- there was somethingon, and people the same old ding-dong on socialme- that nobody would have known about. ond year anniversary mass and the were afraid to talktome. They were dia. He’dstill be coming withthis sortof priest just said it aloud at the altar – afraid to approach me, whattosay. “I definitely wanted to look at this poker face and still saying he’s alright. ‘Niall Donohue’ssecond anniversary You wouldn’t blame them.” thing of WhatsApp groupsand, you But probably, looking back on it now, mass’ –and it took untilthenfor my know, are we just communicating for He wanted to be winning. probablyhewasn’t. That’s the biggest trailofthoughttochange, to accept it the sakeofit? Thisyear,definitely the His whole legacy rubbed regret you would have. You’re think- happened andstart movingthe other Role-model older lads in the team were sitting And I think it kind of got ing, ‘ShouldIhave sat down with him way abit. It took afull two years. When Conor Whelan had his turn at down with lads and just talkingto off on the team. I know on top of him at the more?’ You’d eat yourself inside about “You just haveall these questions. theTony Forristal under-14 tourna- them. No matter what it was about – David Burke was up there finish. He was hard on it now.” Why? Why me? Why my father? Why ment, he rang his mother one of the work, home, family, anything. Just the night before the ‘‘ “It’s probably moreabubble of be- my sister?Why us again. Why did my days in bad form. He was brilliant for talkingtothem about something. ‘‘ himself. That’s what I ing in the final, then losing and getting mother die?The scenarios just go on his club Kinvara butwas stuck on the Doesn’t have to be about amatch. All-Ireland and left two thought at the finish back to earth,”says Conor Whelan. and on, beyondnormality. You think bench for Galway. “Don’t worry,” Car- “They might be feeling down about sliotars by the graveside “Youputso muchintoit.Niall wasthat when your mother dies with three oline Whelan said. “SureNiall was a theirform, whatever. Because that’s type of lad that he wouldbewatching young kids, you don’t think it is going sub when he played in it.” the biggest thing for aGAA player –if lowing Thursday, his name was back thematches and wondering if he to get any worse for you. All his hurling life, Whelan saw the they’renot performing well,they’ll eat ‘Well, I’ll call up toFrancie sometime.’ amongthem. Byany reasonable meas- did this or that.Ifyour mind is under “I wasyoung, abit naïve to life. You path to the top laid out for him by the themselves. So it was just for the older But you don’t want to call up without urement,his debut seasonhad gone that much stress all the time, it’s going think you have had your fair share and footsteps of his cousin. There were six lads to have achat, whether it was eat- the cup.” promisingly well. to impact somewhere.” then something like this happens and years between them. His mother and ing dinner after trainingoreven just Afew weeks ago, around the time of you are left sitting there. Life comes to Niall’s mother were sisters. Anything in the shower. That’s the sort of thing Niall’sfourth anniversary,onwhat astandstill and you are left to deal Niall had,Conor wanted.Everything thathas beendeveloping nowbutlook- would have been his 27th birthday in Biggerpicture Concreteanswers withit. Nothing elsematters–money, Niall was, Conor wanted to be. ing back now it would eat you that we fact, Conor Whelan took the Liam Depression isn’t reasonable. It is im- Nobody has any concrete answers. work, nothing. We get so caught up in “I would bring up ajersey to their didn’t do it before. MacCarthy cupand wentuptothe pervious to logic.Oblivious to the big- Their best guesses all wend apath the other things, that mean nothing.” house and swap it for his one. I’d be graveinRakerin cemetery.Onamild ger picture. throughhurling –although nobody Afew weeksafter he died,Kilbea- wearing the number five jersey October day, he stoodathis cousin’s Everyone’s illnessistheir own, imagines thatwas enough on itsown, canty had ajunior final to play, agame around as if it was my own. I’d be tak- Drivingfactor side and thought about life and death unique to each individual’s context they allagree thathelet it crowd him. that had been postponed due to his ing ahurl off him past its sell-bydate “If you take any playeratthat top lev- and the ruinedpossibilities buried and make-up. What they share is a But it’s all guesswork. The only person death. Justin Fahey fielded calls the and it would just be an honourtohave el,the worst thing we do is scrutinise there in the ground. gradualwhittling downofthe suffer- who knows isn’t heretoenlighten week of thegametelling him he it. So he was really arole-model for me ourselves so heavily. We give our- “It was emotional enough,” he says. er’s world, aclosing-in of the frame them. He mightn’t even be able to if he should pull the team out, that they had and someone who Iaspired to be like. selves far worse scrutiny than anyone “I couldn’t help reflecting on what surroundingthe picture theysee of was. no business hurling when such a Itwasmassive forme tohave someone else does. Andthat’s the biggest prob- might havebeen. Ibrought the Bob theirlife. Whenthey can’t or won’t “Ithinkitwas moreanxiety thande- pitch-black cloud was sitting on the like that in my life.Iwas awfulyoung lem we have, guys are not building up O’Keeffe Cup up as well and the last share that picture with those around pression,”says Francie. “I think he parish. He couldn’t do it. They’d lost at the time. enough confidence in themselves. I time we won that he was on the team. them, they feel themselves running used to get panicattacks at times, he enough already. “I carry his legacy andtraits with would say that was athing with Niall. Thatkind of hammered it home, real- low on options. wasanxious abit. Theharderthe train- “That gamewas the one thing that me and I’d try to bring them with me He knew himself that he was good ly. His whole legacyrubbedoff on the Niall Donohue wasn’t asource of ing would be the better he liked it. For brought the community together,” every time I’m out there.Ihave no enough for the top level and that may- team. Iknow David Burke was up worry to his friends or family during it to happen to afella who could be so says Fahey. “Francie came to that doubt that in that first Sunday in Sep- be he wasn’t performing thatwelland there the night before the All-Ireland 2013. If there were signs of aproblem, strong that way, you know? That you match. Shane played in it. His cousin tember he was smiling down. It was it could have been eatinghim up in- and left two sliotars by the graveside. they’ve onlybeen able to pick them can be so strong and so weak. But any- played in it. It was only three weeks af- emotional. He could have been there, side.” Thenwentout the nextday and gave out in hindsight. And even then, way, that’s life. It’s happened to ter the funeral and it just brought eve- in the prime of his life. Something Ial- The second thing, Burke kept to an exhibition.” they’re reaching, trying to retrofit enough people. It’sjust an illness and rything back together. ways dreamed of growing up watch- himself. He promised that if they ever What they’d give to have Niall back, some sense of what was going on in his we don’t understand it. “We had to play that match. If we ing him play withGalway wastoget won an All-Ireland and he ever got to giving that exhibition himself. Or not head. “People shouldbetaught how to didn’tplay it, we might as well have the honourofplaying alongside him. make awinner’s speech,Niall Dono- givingit, whatever. Just here, aperson Shanewas living in Australia at the deal with it. Ithink that anyone who folded in altogether. We were beaten It’s an awful pity that never came to hue’s name would ring out. in the world. Ahurler if he wanted to time, himself and 10 other lads from hasason or daughter or brotheror sis- in thematch but that day did so much be.” “Whenwewon the league and the be, something else if he didn’t. Kilbeacanty.Hecame homethat Au- ter suffering from depression, they more for us. You look for ameaning in This year’sfinalwasn’t the first Leinsterthis year,Ididn’twant tomen- Here. Alive. Here. gust to christen his son and got Niall to should be taught how to deal with it. If life but the one thingthat broughtus time they’dbeen back, of course. Be- tion himinthose speechesbecause They’d give everything. SpTHE IRISH TIMESoririshtimes.comts Monday Neymar intent on New Irish are being the best-paid making their mark Ken Early: page 5 Sorcha Pollak: page 10 Monday,August7,2017 EditorMalachyLogan Phone01-6758366 [email protected]

Championship 2017 All-Ireland SHC semi-final Gaelic Games All-Ireland SFC Mayo can get it right this time

Malachy Clerkin Now they know it’s possible to play their more vaunted neighbours and not lose, they Young Roscommon can attack the replayunbur- denedofthe shadow of beat- side will relish ings past. If they can play with another crack at freedomatthe exact time that Mayoarelookingdecidedlyun- neighbours in free, they have access to an en- headquarters ergythat mustbedepleted in their opponents. The question is,dothey have the players? Quarter-final replay Fluke Roscommon Mayo shut down their best one vMayo withworrying easelast week- Croke Park, 2pm end. Thefirst Rossie goal was Live on RTÉ 2 afluke, the secondwas nearly saved.Everything went their way in the opening period and The psychology of this one will stilltheycouldn’tsuckthechal- be interesting to watch. lenge out of Mayo. Mayohaveno shortageof re- How can they do it better, cent replay experience but for now that Mayo have hadtheir all thatthey’ve goneout on warning? their shields against Dublin Enda Smith was challenged and Kerry overthe pastthree publicly by Kevin McStay after years, the fact remains that the game last week, which they lost all three. would lead you to imagine Roscommon lost their one they will persist with him at replay last year as well, going midfield and tell him he has no down meekly after the drawn Connacht final. As to the ques- tion, therefore, of who takes best to the peculiar test of are- match, there’s no body of work on either side to point to. Unless and until they prove otherwise, Mayo look like a Canning’s magic moment teamwhose rivets are pop- ping and whose creases have steam coming out the side. Lookaround the restofthe And finally, here he is. The ing spell he has been outra- each otherinwaveshere, Gal- about it, it wouldn’t mean as ■ Galway’s Joe Canning championship and contend- game is essentiallydone now, geous, landing acouple of way to the fore early on, Tipp much to any of us. scores the winning point ers are picking pretenders out as ’s clearance pointsfromplay, planting both leapfrogging them for abit “Our boys put their lives and despite the best efforts of of their teeth withhalf-inter- ■ Lee Keegan: sure to be a drops in midfield and the whis- a65and afree from 90 metres. oncetheygottheirbearings. Oc- souls into this. They really, real- Tipperary’sNoel McGrath ested ease. pivotal figure for Mayo at tles bounce off the horseshoe Tipphave been hanging on – casionally you got the sense ly did their best. You can only and Niall O’Meara. Croke Park today roof over the 68,184 crowd. the lastthree equalisingpoints that one of them would break come up and do your best and it PHOTOGRAPH: JAMES CROMBIE/INPHO Sustained Galway and Tipp haveplayed have been theirs. They’ve had free but no sooner had we didn’tworko ut. We werebeat- The Mayo team who were able Malachy Clerkin out another afternoon of im- to be. thought it than we thought bet- en by areally, reallygoodGal- to put pedal to metal and burn option but to outplay Lee probablemelodrama in Croke terofit. way team and that shouldn’t be seemed to stir at all. He split the off alesser sidewithasus- Keegan. No small job, sure. atCrokePark Park and as Johnny Coencol- Swing “There was literally nothing any surprise to anybody. They postswith theresultantsideline tained 15-minute burst hasn’t But if they do anythingelse, lects the break out around mid- So when Coen makes ground in it,” said Tipp manager Mick are aquality side.” cut from all of 50 metres and been seen now for acouple of they’re essentially admitting Galway’s talisman field,the sides are level for the up the right sidelineand turns Ryanafterwards “What afan- That they are. fromthat point on, he was di- years. Though this would be a they don’tthink he’suptoit. 13th time. in hope of support,his eyes vine. fine time for them to reap- Not the message they wantto breaks Tipperary Galway have, it’sfair to say, must lightupwhen hesees Can- Dodgem So now. Galwayhead to an- pear, it’s difficult to see it. send, surely. been the better side. Tipp have ning’s whitehelmet hove into Galway dazzled in flashes here, otherfinal,looking toendafam- The talk over the past few In the end, Mayo have hearts with majestic hung on in there throughase- view.He dishesit back and Can- with Conor Whelan in ine that’s lasted29years.They days is of inevitableniggles earned the right to be favour- last-gasp winning ries of cameos –some wizardry ning, standing 48 metres out 13 pick-pocketform and Gearóid willhave Cork or they willhave heading into the fifth game in ites and to be backed as such. fromBubbles O’Dwyer here, and ahurley’s lengthinfrom McInerneyobdurate tothe end. Waterford and one way or an- six weeks. Tom Parsons is car- They’re not firing but they’re point some totemic clutching of the the Cusack Stand sideline, has Galway and Tipperary Though the Cooney cousins other, they will have abattle. rying ahamstring, Lee not losing either.Theymight nettle from Pádraic Maher time only to catch, plant his left were level 13 times during weren’t as all-singing as in the But as long as they have the lop- Keegan abad blister, Seamie not go too many more stops there. foot and swing. yesterday’s semi-final Leinster final, they still chipped ing man in the white helmet, O’Shea astrain. along the line this summer but Thatstarpower abilityto con- NiallO’Meara gets to within at Croke Park in their share. And Johnny nothing will seem impossible. Butbeyondthe generalbod- they can make it past this one. Here he comes, the loping man. juresomething out of nowhere afoot of blockinghim down, Glynn was athoroughly useful ily depreciation, it’s hard to ig- Trottinginto the sceneunno- is the boxer’s punch for Tipper- Noel McGrath jumps dodgem when he came on. nore the mental toll all of this ROSCOMMON:CLavin;SMcDermott,J ticed like arubber-necker at a ary, the last thing they’ll lose. Schmeichel-styleinfront of tastic scoreJoe Canning pulled But whenitmattered, it was Inside: page 3 must behaving on them. What McManus,DMurray;NMcInerney,SMullooly, bankjob, sniffing around the And hereitlooks likeithas him but neither makes an im- off at the end. It was fantastic. Canningthat mattered. After they wouldn’t give for one BStack;FCregg,ESmith;TO’Rourke,C Connolly,CDevaney;CMurtagh,DMurtagh,N Tipperaryclearancefrom hisin- bought them areplay, thanks in pression.The strike is pure as He is aheart-breaker. It is not not takingashot from play in ■ Canningstandstalltoget straight-forward afternoon’s Kilroy. jury-time free. parttoGalwaymissing ahand- hillside water and as the ball his first time. the Leinster final, he waited un- Galwayovertheline work, one thoroughly MAYO:DClarke;BHarrison,GCafferkey,K The day has been an odd one ful of second-half goal chances. drops over the bar, the clock “I suppose Ihave the benefit til just before the breakfor his –NickyEnglish non-epic day. Higgins;CBoyle,CBarrett,PDurcan;L for Joe Canning.Anonymous As Coen fastens onto the ticks 74:00. Galway 0-22 Tip- of being around along timelads first one here. Roscommon will fancy eve- Keegan,SO’Shea;KMcLoughlin,AO’Shea,D ■ Galwayend O’Connor;JDoherty,CO’Connor,AMoran. for the first half-hour, to the ball, Canningisinsinuating his perary 1-18. Bedlam. and I’ve been on the receiving In fact,hewas alistless pres- ry inch of this. The major hur- Referee:AnthonyNolan(Wicklow) point where there was loose way into the general area,mak- They’re Thelmaand Louise end of this quite abit. You come ence for most of that opening Tipperary’s dle they hadtojumpthe first Verdict:Mayo muttering over what his fate ingithisbusiness. NootherGal- at this stage, Galway and Tipp. and you do your best and that’s half and it was only when he doubledream day out was giving agametoa might be if he wasn’t who he is. way player has scored for 20 They took each other by the all you can do. Nobody knows threw atectonic shoulder that –SeánMoran teamtheynevergive agame to Championship 2017 Luminous from that point on minutes now.Canning has hand again hereand careered theresults of these games be- sentMichael Breen overthe –they’d lost seven games in a Quarter-final match though, whipping points from missed fourfrees and asideline off intothe unknown, unable to cause other than that we sideline in front of the Tipp ■ Post-match row to Mayo before last Satur- reports and reaction: all angles and distances. acrossthe day but in thisclos- let each other go. They came at wouldn’t be as passionate bench on 34 minutes that he reaction day. pages 2and 4

Athletics IAAF World Championships Bolt no-show allows Gatlin claim 100m victory if not kudos

confusion.History bestjudges who has ever run this earth sud- 21-year-old American Christian matters to me. athlete in the sport, although you’ve got to have ablack cat these momentsanywayand for denly found himselfrun into Coleman, who had won silver in “It’skind of sad that my boos has certainly found himself and awhite cat, but guys, come Justin Gatlinmaybe the jury third place. It was Bolt’s first 9.94. Bolt had, remember, only werealittle louder thanmost painted that way. Some 31 ath- on.” should still be out on this one. loss in amajor championship in won this title the last time by .01 peoples’ cheers. But Iwantto letesare alsocompeting in Lon- Bolt’s responsetothe ques- Because everything about nine years, his 9.95 seconds the ahead of Gatlin, in 2015, and his keepitclassy. At the end of the don having previously served tionofGatlin’swinningtimebe- Gatlin’s shock victory over Us- slowest of his championship reaction timehere (.183)was race, Ibent aknee for Usain, doping bans; not one other has ing the slowest since 2003, and ain Bolt inside the Olympic Sta- times, and even if afew weeks hisslowestever in aglobal final. paid homage to him. And this been subjected to booing. that 100m times across the Ian O’Riordan dium on Saturday night was shy of 31, marks asudden de- Although it never turned night is still amagical night for “I really don’t need to under- board thisseasonwereslower, readout like adeath sentence clineforthe onceunbeatableJa- into afinger-pointing exercise, track and field, for Usain Bolt.” stand,” said Gatlin. “I didn’t get was also telling. inLondon to the sport, and given Gatlin’s maican. perhaps for fearthey might booedin2010, Ididn’tget no “There’ssomethingcalledin- two doping bans in the past – soon be pointing at themselves. Dopingtest boosin’11.Ididn’t get no boos jury, and sometimes everything Cacophony of booing plus his age-defying 35-year leg Farwellparty “For me, over the years, I’ve Gatlin last won this title in Hel- in ’12 -’12 was here. Ididn’t get don’t go as smoothly as you speed –perhaps deservedly so. If anything Gatlin, who won in always said listen, ‘he’s done his sinki back in 2005,and kept it no boos in ’13, ’14 or ’15. want to, there’s negative wind. reminds American Yesterday evening’s 100m 9.92, didn’truin Bolt’s farewell time’”, Bolt said of Gatlin. “And ■ Usain Bolt embraces Justin toodespitefailingaseconddop- “But here’s my question to There’s so much different medal ceremonywas also party; Bolt was more like a if he’s here, that means it’s Gatlin after the 100m final in ing test ayear later, then you: what do Idothat makes me things. So to just directly say that public hadn’t moved to the start of the event no-show. And somewhere okay. I’ve always respected him London banned from2006-2010.His the bad boy? Do Italk bad about something or statesomething forgotten his programmetospare theAmeri- against the backdrop of the asacompetitor, over the years. first caseisstillconsidered mi- anybody? Do Igive bad ges- to all three of us like that Itake canasimilar cacophony of boo- hero-villain, the showdown be- He’sworked hard, I’vealways nor, when in 2001,aged 19, he tures? Idon’t. Ishake every ath- that disrespectfully, you know doping past ing, although it did nothing to tween the truth and the lies, all said that. He’s one of the best compliment to Bolt: “I can un- tested positive for ampheta- lete’s hand. Icongratulate what Imean?” quiet the air of scepticism. Why of that appeared to be lost on competitorsI’ve competed derstand the rivalry. But it’s not mine, attributed to aprescrip- them. Itell them good luck. And with that the hero and –and how –was Gatlin still run- the London crowd –and maybe with. Iknowthat if Idon’t show abitterrivalry. Irespect the tion medicationAdderallthat “That don’t sound like the the villainseemed one and the ning on this stage,for all the some other things too. up he’s always going to win, and man utmost, and every time we Gatlin had been taking sincehe traitofabad boy to me. It just same. Not since the Royal Albert Hall so-called cleansing withinthe These points were put before tonight he showed up, was the come across the finish line I’ve was nine, and he served aprovi- seems to me the media wantto booed Bob Dylan for going elec- sport? Gatlin and Bolt afterwards, better man, executed well, so shaken his hand,given him a sional suspensionofjust under sensationalise, and make me Athletics tric has the London crowd Only what wasn’t so quickly both men sitting calmly at the for me he deserved to be here.” hug, andtoldhim congratula- ayear. the bad boy,because Usain is a Barr relieved to get one sounded so mixed up in their judged was why the fastest man pressconferencealongwith the Gatlin then returned the tions. And that’s really all that So Gatlin may not be dirtiest hero. And that’s fine. Iknow more chance: page 7 THE IRISH TIMES Saturday,November 25,2017 GaelicGames 5

Memorabilia Insight into

Thefrontofthat halcyon postcardfrom GAA days PhilStuart

“I thank you again for your letter and wishyou many enjoyable hoursof football. “God bless, Kevin Heffernan.” Daly went on to teach in Ard Scoil Rís on GriffithAvenue for 40 years after leaving Leitrim and was asocial member of St Vin- cent’s in his time.Hecame into Heffer- nan’s orbit here and there along the way Malachy and once summoned up the gumption to tell Heffo that he’d written him aletter Clerkin when he was akid. “On one occasion, he was up at the bar Former stars responded and Iwent over to him and got talking to him. and Isaid, ‘When Iwas only agarsún to simple request from Kevin, you wrote me aletter’. And sure no- body ever reallygot to know Kevin and if 12-year-old Leitrim you got agrunt out of him in person you schoolboy throughout 1960s were doing well. So for him to do that, to writeme aletter andto goandget the auto- graphs of someofthe restofthe Dublin team for me was marvellous.” The autograph book on Tony Daly’s kitch- The autograph book is atreasure. The en tableissmall and thick and rectangular purestgold. Hurlers and footballers from and there’s the give of amedium-cooked all across the country, no age themselves steak in it when you press down on the but happy to make a12-year-old’s day. years contained within. It was bought in an Tom Cheasty of Waterford, Tony Wall of O’Brien’s of Sligo, some time in probably Tipperary, the great Seán Purcell.Charlie 1960. Wren from Offaly sent him ateam photo Scrawled along the top of the first inside from the 1960 All-Ireland semi-final page is the claim of ownership, an impor- against Down. AnotefromDanandJames tant declaration when you’re12: “Antho- That Down team were his idols, the sun, ny, Eamon +Judy.” Eamon is Tony’s twin moonand stars.When they won the 1968 McCartanofDown brother. Judy was the cat. All-Ireland, he was in UCD and made it his Turn the page and an unmistakable set business to go to every Down game from jaw and hooded eyeline stares back.The the first round of Ulster to the final in headshot is affixed to asmall 2x4-inch Croke Park. That love was born at the start piece of card and the sticky tape holdingit of the decade, fed by correspondence from to the page has beenyellowed and loosed the gods. by the decades. The blue ink underneath is Goalkeeper Eamon McKaysent him a smudged alittlehere and there but the letter thanking him for enclosing astamp flourish andstyle of the signaturefairly but saying it hadn’t been necessary. sings from the page even now. “It is nice to know someone thinksIam Fifty-seven years aftera12-year-old boy the number one goalkeeper in Irelandbut from Leitrim senthim astamped ad- maybe others would not think so,” wrote dressedenvelope out of the blue, Christy McKay. James and Dan McCartan replied, Ring’s autograph is clear as the day he re- including acolour photo of the Down team plied. that won their first All-Ireland in 1960. Daly is aretired schoolteacher these days, living just in off the seafront on the Howth Road in Dublin. But he began his Directmethods daysinaGAA-mad household in Convent The immortalSean O’Neill wrote him a Avenue, Drumshambo, Co Leitrim. His fa- notesaying:“You areaman ofdirect meth- therbroughthimandEamon to gameseve- ods and Ilike that.” rywhere, within the county and without. For a12-year-old in Leitrim in 1962, it Bewitched by it all, they hit on the wheeze was likeacompliment landing from the of writing to some of the names they saw in dark side of the moon. the paper and heard on the radio to see Incredibly,some of them wrote more would they write back. than once. The great of Tip- “What we used to do was write aletter perary sent him two letters and followed to, say, Kevin Heffernan saying how great up with aChristmas card. One of the let- Theautographs wethought hewas. Atthetime, it wasallra- ters was three pages long and from the dio and photographs in the paper. We nev- openingline you get an ideaofwhat a ofCork’sChristy er actually saw most of these men playing. young man he was at the time–still in his “So whatwedid was get alittle plain early20s–but alsowhat aluminous starhe Ringand postcard, cut aphotograph out of anews- was already. paperand paste it onto the postcard.Write “Dear Anthony. First of all Imustask Kerry’sJohnny the little letter and put astamped ad- you to excusemywriting to you in pencil dressed envelope along with it and then but this is my fourth letter tonight and my Culloty send it off to the secretary of Dublin GAA pen has run out. Enclosed is your photo. I or whatever else. So, Kevin Heffernan, c/o hope you like it. That is Daddyinitwith The County Secretary, Dublin GAA.We me. wouldn’t know any addresses –there “Sorry it could not be soonerbut we wasn’t even phonebooks at the time. A were very busy for Xmas.Thank you for stamp at that time was four pence. the photograph of yourself–is that your twin with you? He is not very like you. I have one brother, Paddy, and he was in our Jimmy Excitement minor team afew years ago. Ihave three “We’d be givingthem aweek, say,and sisters and alovely sheepdog named ‘Pal’ Doyleof from that point on, we’d be waiting at the and Ihad abudgie...” bottom of the stairs before going to school, Onwards. More and more names from Tipperary hoping there’dbesomething in the post more and more places. Kevin Behan of for us. That was the excitement of it all for Louth. Dennis HeaslipofKilkenny. John andJim us. Then when we went to boarding school Dowling, Offaly.Jim McKeever, Derry. in Cavan, we kept it up at holiday time. So Liam Devaney, Tipp.Patsy Breenof Derry, McKeever I’d say we did it between the agesof12and from his hospital bed in the Mater. 14, maybe 15. Basically fromabout1960 to Offaly’s Har Donnelly –“Delighted to ofDerry 1963. It was agreat period for GAA get your letter,didn’t knowIwasthat teams.” good.” Martin Newell of Galway –“I’m Some of them, he never heard from sureyou overratemyability. The bestof again. Some, like the great Ring, signed Galway luck, we always had more than the card and posted the envelope back. Leitrim!” Some, like Kerry’s JohnnyCulloty scrib- Derry’sPhilStuartwrote threetimes,in- bledacoupleof linesonthe back.Andocca- cluding apostcard from Barcelona when sionally, they hit the mother lode and a he was on holidays. “Nothing to compare handwritten letter would come in the post to it other than an All-Ireland final!” alongwiththeirlittlepostcardsigned. Hef- Yarnuponyarn,life uponlife, alllaid out fernan was one of those. on Tony Daly’s kitchen table in alittle book “Dear Anthony,” Heffo wrote in pristine nearly six decades old. It won’t be there for handwriting on April 2nd 1961. long,though. In the coming weeks, he will “I write to thank you for your very nice hand it over to the GAA who are going to letter and to apologise for not writing long make it an exhibit in the Croke Park muse- ago. Unfortunately Imisplaced your letter um. among my papers shortlyafter Ireceived And his brother’s book? Wellthat’s an- and it and only discovered it recently. Iwas other story. unabletowrite in the meantime as Ihad “Eamon had one the very same as mine. not memorised your address. He wouldn’t have had as many sporting “Itisverygoodtoreadthatyou areinter- ones.Hewas big into music so he would “Pleasesayalittle ested in football and hurling and although have had alot of music autographs in his. you have not said so Iamsure you must be But he had agirlfriend at one time–this prayerformeon aplayer yourself. Nearly all the Leitrim wouldhave been in the late 60s in UCD. team are friends of mine and if you follow And the brotherof the girlfriend wanted to Sunday.Ihavetomark in the footstepsand example of players see the autograph book. He gave her the like Packie McGarty, Larry Hayden and autograph book to show thebrotherand MickO’Connell” Cathal Flynn,I’m sureIwillone day see he never got it back. you in your county colours in Croke Park. “To this day, he cries about it. He never -Theinsideofthatlet- “But you should remember that to be a got it back. It’slost, goneforever. Oh Ea- first-class playeryou shouldpractice hard mon, evenstill –Icouldn’t even mention it terfromPhilStuart and often, always do your best even when a to him. You can nearly see the tears com- gamegoesagainstyouandinparticular, al- ing to him. It’s not like him –you wouldn’t ways play the game sportingly. be asking Eamonfor the loan of an album, “I am returning your photograph to you even. When he never got his back, Itook and as you seem to be an autograph collec- even tighter care of mine. And as the years tor Iamenclosing the signatures of some passed, Iwondered what to do with it. So it of the Dublin players. In case you cannot will be brilliant to have it in the museum. read them,they are Johnny Joyce, Ollie Why would it be sitting here when it could Freaney, Paddy Farnon, PaddyO’Fla- be there?” herty, Mickey Whelanand Cathal Look after it, lads. The 12-year-old boy O’Leary. in all of us insists that you do.