R2 THE IRISH TIMES 2 Soccer Fifa World Cup 2018 Saturday,July 7,2018 Quarter-finals

my friend remember the moment was that land-hating neighbours. Or maybe it impression of an era on the skids. The SidelineCut he happened to be sitting close to an caused him to become chair of his local book is extremely funny and extremely English family who had the misfortune to Brexit committee. sad. As Brown says towards the end of it, ‘It be watching the game in the same pub. This summer the same sentiment is is Cinderella in reverse. It is hope dashed, Their little boy, no more than ten, was beginning to bubble to the surface. happiness mislaid, life mishandled. Keith visibly shocked by the unsparing venom on Whenever an England football team Nothing is as thrilling as they said it would display towards his team, his country. threatens to win atournament, be, no one is as amusing, as clever, as When Germany’s Andreas Moller buckled panics. Ireland spent 800 years trying to The little lad was beyond attractive or as interesting’. England with that unforgettably arrogant get rid of the English and, once achieved, confusion and in tears. Duggan penalty of his, the pub, my friend says, spent the next few decades obsessing Gentledisappointment “erupted in joy”. The little lad was beyond about how to feel about England. “Why do they hate us, All of ‘England’ seems packed into those confusion and in tears. “Why do they hate It’s understandable because the vast Dad?” he asked. few lines; the scope, the class system, the us, Dad?” he asked. majority of Irish people from the age 70 ‘‘ sense of an era in decline; dear old Desert Well, son.... down have been blitzed with English pop Well, son.... Island Discs,the gentle disappointment Fate of England Irang my friend on Friday morning to and cultural references and heroes and with it all. see how he was fixed at the thought of voices for all of their lives. And what has summed up English ‘hope England winning the World Cup on Tens of thousands went to work in about England that the imperial impulse is dashed’ –again and again and again –over team continues to be Sunday week. He actually lives fairly close English cities, made families and settled; just taking anap. England football teams the past 40-plus years more than the to England nowadays, in Liverpool. many thousands have been educated in act as akind of pulse checker. The further England football team? In Ireland, in a He was in full agreement that there is English universities. Kate Bush, Hillary they advance, the more loudly Ireland heatwave now, comes the latest test of how something different about this England Mantel, Grange Hill, Blackadder,the believes it can hear the tone of Cecil ‘we’ feel about it all: are we ready to forgive Ireland’s dark obsession side, that the old bovver boy element Beatles, the Busby Babes, Richmal Comp- Rhodes and the brassy triumphalism of and forget and just allow apretty de- seems absent and that Gareth Southgate, ton, Robert Smith, Julie Christie, Withnail Rule Britannia. cent-seeming bunch of footballers to end their bespoke coach, seems incapable of and I,Brighton Rock, Goldilocks, Top of During the frenzy of Royal Family the years of hurt? uttering agraceless remark or behaving the Pops,Ted Hughes, Panorama,the interest generated by the Harry-Meghan Are we grown up enough now to with anything other than class. Talk Ford Cortina. ..England’s touchstones romance and the success of The Crown, acknowledge that many of us live in friend of mine spent afew weeks in their homecoming tournament. turned to that little English boy in the pub. have crowded the Irish imagination for Craig Brown’s Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimps- England, have found England’s cities to be the summer of 1996 tumbling Things began to get serious when they generations and will continue to do so. es of Princess Margaret was published. brilliant places and spend so many of our through Galway pubs watching the beat adoughty Swiss team, causing one Irelandpanics Countless Irish boys and girls grew up “It is acollage, montage or bricolage of idle hours lost in English words and A European football championships. aggrieved punter watching the fare in My friend had, in the back of his mind, felt adoring Bowie or Damon or Amy; count- glittery bits culled from two hundred English music? Naturally, he didn’t miss an England Myles Lee’s pub to stand up and channel kind of bad about that night. But, the place less others spending their Saturdays biographies, authorised and unauthor- “I know, Iknow,” my friend and several game and every time El Tel’s boys played, Ciarán Fitzgerald as he bellowed at the was heaving and the night was great fun. agonising over the fortunes of the Leeds or ised, written by cashiered gossip column- others agreed. “I don’t mind if they beat anti-imperial sentiment ran high across television: “Where’s yer f**ken pride, England had gone out on penalties. They the Arsenal or Man United or whoever. ists and treacherous butlers and chauf- Sweden. But what if they..... win it?” the counter-tops; this was, remember, a Switzerland?” were disconsolate. It was summertime. And nothing much has changed. The feurs, plus odds and ends such as the The England football team remains little over ayear since the Lansdowne By the time England played Germany in What could be better? He knew that deep Premier League rules the waves. Count- complete transcript of the princess’s Ireland’s dark obsession. riots. the semi-final, every place in town was down there was something abit disturbed less Irish are hooked on Love Island this Desert Island Discs and the catalogue of The strange thing is that the English, It was the usual Irish pastime of follow- packed and my friend ended up in apub in about the emotional investment involved summer; how many Irish have her jewellery, sold after her death for £9 almost unanimously well-disposed ing England’s progression through a which the atmosphere was one of loathing in seeing England crushed. But he also binge-watched The Crown on Netflix? million,” summarised Ferdinand Mount in towards the Irish (at least since the bombs major football tournament in akind of at the thought of an England success. knew it was real. All very well, but what about Cromwell, areview which adds this brilliant passage: stopped exploding in their cities) have no appalled fascination with the thought that When the game went to penalties, every The little English lad would be in his comes the argument. “The effect is like one of those sweeping idea that the Irish feel like this. That’s they might somehow win the thing –and German score was greeted as if the future early30s now. Maybe he has long forgot- And it’s true. The bogey man in all his Klimt portraits, in which the comet trail of because they never stop to think twice England were pretty good that summer, of mankind depended on it. What made ten about his evening spent with Eng- guises lurks deep. There is always afear colourful fragments leaves alasting about the Irish. They think it’s all over.

Uruguay vFrance Sweden vEngland England fans dash to Russia for Swedish game

been off the drink all week and Martha trying to get eight hours’ sleep anight because Iwon’t be Kelner and sleeping at all.” Waters, th echief financial Shaun Walker officerofasmall consultancy firm, saidithad costhim inSamara £1,700intotal, “soit’sbeenex- pensive but it’s achance to see Englandin the quarter-final of Unexpected aWorld Cup and that doesn’t release of tickets come about very often.” Some fans had paid up to prompts some double the face valuefor tick- to go to extreme ets from touts,believing there werenone still available lengths to see tie through official channels but then Fifa unexpectedly re- leased 2,000 moreonThurs- England fans have been mak- day night. While ticketsare ingalast-minute dash to Rus- easier to come by than expect- sia for the World Cup quar- ed,there isalmost noavailabil- ter-finalagainst Sweden after ity on Russian internal flights. it emerged their side’s biggest Russian Railways announced game for 12 years could be it wouldput on an extra ser- played in front of thousands of vice for fans travelling from empty seats. Moscowtothe country’s sixth There were plenty of tickets largestcity,althoughbyyester- availablefor the match in Sa- day there was no availability maraonthe Fifawebsite yes- on trains either. terday,butashortageofavaila- ble flights and accommoda- Last-minuteplans tionwas causing aheadache Tom Blackwell, aMos- for supporters. cow-based fan, said he had Some have gone to extreme madelast-minuteplans totrav- lengths to ensure they will be el from the Russian capital to in the crowd for England’s at- Samara, spending £600 on tempt to reach the semi-finals the 80-minute flight. for the firsttime since1990. Even if England go as far as Chris Waters is one of about thefinalonJuly 15th, Samara 100Englandfanswhowaspre- will be the last trip outside the paring to catch achartered capital for supporters as both flight fromStansted airportat the potential semi-final and France fail to dazzle but 6am this morning, travel thefinalwillbeplayed atLuzh- 1,250 miles to Samara for the niki stadium. match and get straightback On Thursday night, strains on the planetoreturn by 1am of Three Lions could be heard on Sunday. comingfrom abar on the Vol- gaembankment,apleasantpe- easily see off Uruguay Five-hourflight destrianised area in Samara “It’s afive-hour flight so we with asandy beach on the land four hoursbeforethe banks of the river. gameand gostraighttothesta- The head of tourism for the dium,”Waters said. “It’s region, MikhailMaltsev,said takes extraordinary luck for a Nizhny Novgorod Stadium How they lined out When Suarez cleared acorner, ■ Uruguay’s goalkeeper worked out quite well because the city expected about 3,500 smaller countrynot to simply he pointed tohis left-back Lax- Fernando Muslera concedes there’s nowhere to stayover Englandfans, compared with runoutof players,likeameteor- alt to close downMbappe, then the second goal during the there. We tried commercial 5,500 Sweden supporters at ite burninguptonothing on as URUGUAY 4-4-2 URUGUAY ran left to prevent France pass- quarter-final defeat to France flightsand going via Istanbul Saturday’s game. itpassesthroughearth’s atmos- Subs:RodriguezforBentancur(59mins); ing it back out in Mbappe’sdi- at the Nizhny Novgorod but didn’t have any luck. I’ve –Guardian F. MUSLERA GomezforStuani(59mins);UrretaforNandez phere. (73mins). rection. Stadium. PHOTOGRAPH: FRANCK Acalf injury deprived Uru- The pivotal moment arrived World Cup J.M. GIMENEZ D. GODÍN Subsnotused:Campana,Varela,Sanchez,De FIFE/AFP/GETTY guay of Edinson Cavani, scorer M. CACERES D. LAXALT Arrascaeta,GastonSilva,MaxiPereira,Coates, in the 39thminute. AFrench of the two goals thatgot them MartinSilva. move down the right culminat- mann’s shot from 25 yards was Booked:Bentancur,Rodriguez. 2018 past Portugal in the last round. L. TORREIRA M. VECINO ed in Corentin Tolisso being going straight at Fernando Mu- N. NANDEZ R. BENTANCUR Connemara is Unlike France,who were with- FRANCE hackeddown by Rodrigo Bent- slera, but the Uruguayan goal- out Blaise Matuidi due to sus- L. SUÁREZ C. STUANI Subs:NzonziforTolisso(79mins);Dembelefor ancur, the only Uruguayan who keeper misjudged the flight of pension, they did not have the Mbappe-Lottin(87mins);FekirforGriezmann could miss the semi-final if he the ball and spooned it into the Ken (90mins). rooting for Kane reserves to cope. GIROUD Subsnotused:Mandanda,Kimpembe,Lemar, wasbooked here. He was duly net àlaLiverpool’s Karius. TOLISSO MBAPPE Rami,Sidibe,Thauvin,Mendy,Areola. booked and it became plain Given the pride Uruguay Early Lightblue GRIEZMANN Booked:Lucas,Mbappe-Lottin. that if Uruguay were going to take in their ferocious defen- KANTE POGBA Theygaveittheirbestshot;foot- Attendance:43,319 reach the semi-finals, they siveethic,therewas something JOHN FALLON Lyons is sticking to his prom- inNizhny ballmeans moreinUruguay HERNANDEZ UMTITI VARANE PAVARD Referee:NestorPitana(Argentina). would be well short of full sad and farcical in their hopes ise to put up afree round of than it does in France. That was strength. To compound their being extinguished by sucha World Cup fever is set to grip a drinksfor customers every Novgorod reflected in the stands in Nizh- LLORIS misery, Antoine Griezmann goal.Everyone in the stadium small Connemara outpost on time Kane scores . 4-2-3-1 FRANCE nyNovgorod, whichwerepopu- then slunginasuperb knew the game was up at that Saturdayaslocalscheer on It’s proving acostly exer- Deschamps’ side latedbyfar morelightbluethan free-kick, which Godin was point, and all that remained one of their own,withEng- cise as Kane has so far netted dark. an’s exaggerated gesticulations Next he tried to crush about to clear until Varane was to finish out the remaining landcaptain Harry Kanebid- six goalsand will be hoping to played very much to There were also plenty of of complaint, Pitana bawled France’s willowy right-back stole across him and flickedit 29 minutes,with Uruguay aim- ding to guide his side into the find the target again today. empty seats, appropriately blue something obviously to the ef- Benjamin Pavard, checkingthe superbly into the corner. ing to keep what was left of semi-finals. Kanehasmany relationsliv- the manager’s style and white in the colours of Ar- fectthatSuarezwas notreferee- 22-year-old’s run withhis sub- their dignity and France play- Theexploits of the England ing in the area but they were in getting job done gentine owners who hadn’t ing this match, so he needed to stantial backside. Surprisingly Quickequaliser ing cautiously to avoid injuries. captainhavebeen cheered on keeping alow profile yester- turnedup.UruguayfansinMos- shutupand let the realreferee Pitana did not show him acard. Uruguay almostscored aquick No side at this tournament is in the Letterfrack and Tully- dayasthey geared up for the cow wearing their colours get on with his job. Four of the last five matches equaliser with another header quicker, or stronger, or more cross areas of north Conne- showdown with Sweden. could hardlymove for Argen- Suarezstarted thematchstill between these teams had fin- fromaset-piece, butCaceres’ef- skilled thanFrance,yet we still mara, as they celebrate the But cousin Liz Kane said tines fans offering their tickets unbeaten in meaningful World ished 0-0 and from an early fort was stopped by Lloris be- await atruly dazzling perfor- achievements of the grandson previously they were so proud Uruguay 0 for sale. Cup play –aremarkable record stage another scoreless draw fore Godinsomehow blasted mance from them at this World of alocal. of Harry’s achievements. The only Argentine involved foraveteranin histhird tourna- looked likely. While Uruguay the rebound over. Cup; tearing up ashambolic Ar- Michael John Kane left Let- “Harry’s father Pat and his out on the field was referee ment. The only WorldCup were busy but limited, France Maybe thistime France gentina side does not quite con- terfrackand emigrated toEng- brothers, who are based in France 2 Nestor Pitana, who was clearly match Uruguay had lost with wereponderous, moving the would try to put the game be- vince. land, but the Kane family have London, are realsociablelads Varane (40), Griezmann (61) aware that this match had the Suarez on the field was the ballslowly and withoutrealpur- yond their opponents’ reach. But the fact that they look been regular visitors to Coun- when they come home.,” said potential to degenerate into ac- third-placeplay-offagainstGer- pose. They only came alive But this is the France of Didi- “hardto beat” rather than “sen- ty Galway over the decades. Liz. rimony, like England vColom- many in 2010. when the ball arrived at the feet er Deschamps and they prefer sational” still leaves opponents Harry’s father Patreturned Kane, who was born in Uruguay are thesmallest coun- bia, when the American referee He began as though deter- of Kylian Mbappe, whoseemed to keep things cagey. The sec- with the problem of beating to Connemararecently and Walthamstow in north-east try to win the WorldCup but Mark Geiger had lost control. minedtocompensateforthe ab- able to run past opponentsat ond half was more of the same, them, and inwardly Deschamps presented Angler’s Rest pub London,was aregular visitor theirdefeattoFranceshowed Pitana took just afew min- sence of his strike partner with will. with France happy to contain must now believe that he is owner Patrick Sammon with a toConnemara growing up and why little countries find it hard- utes to show he was no Geiger, sheer ruthlessness.Early in the The panicMbappe caused in the tiring Uruguayans. Just af- abouttoemulate FranzBecken- signed Spurs shirt. was back five years ago for the er to lift the trophy these days. when Suarez protested furious- matchheplantedhis studsinto Uruguay’s defence was obvious ter the hour mark, they sealed bauer’sachievementofcaptain- And World Cup fever has funeral of his grandfather Mi- Over the seven matches it lyagainst achallenge by Rapha- the ribs of Hugo Lloris under and their defensiveefforts fo- victorywithagoalthatwaspain- ing and then coaching his coun- gripped Molly’sbar in Letter- chaelJohn, whoisburied local- takes to win the tournament, it elVarane,mimingtheUruguay- coverof agoalmouth scramble. cused on denying him the ball. ful to watch. Antoine Griez- try to World Cup victory. frack, where pub owner Gerry ly at Baunogues cemetery. THE IRISH TIMES Saturday,November 3,2018 Basketball 5

Interview

basketball scholarship in New York. Mick ■ Above and bottom: Aidan Harris White found himself calling Nibo, Aidan’s Lgiehon in Dublin in August 2017. mother, to tell her to come over: that things were starting to happen fast. It was Left: in his formative basketball days good luck that his aunt, Zenobia, and his with friends playing for the Dublin Lions uncle, Solomon, were living in Brooklyn Straight and had the space to welcome their PHOTOGRAPHS:TOM HONAN nephew into their home. But it was serendipitous that Zenobia, Aidan’s aunt through marriage, knew the realpolitik of basketball; that her brothers one such visit that he first encountered had played at aserious level in the city and Steph Curry. Last year, Curry became the then pro basketball abroad. She had an highest-paid player in the NBA, when he instinct for just how ferocious the competi- signed afive-year contract with the tion among teenage basketball prodigies Golden State Warriors worth $201 mil- outta in New York can be, let alone across the lion. When Grace played pick-up games whole of America. with him, though, he was aslender, “She has been just so supportive of me. unheralded guard with an unorthodox She motivated me and she pushed me. shooting stroke and apreternatural And she made sure Iworked my butt off.” disposition for hard work. In one way, it has been ademanding Nobody knew it then but Curry was at and solemn adolescence. There were the beginning of adazzling ascent to the occasional tears on the phone home to apex of basketball, atransformative figure Clondalkin Nibo; to Rob White. The arrival of his in sport. Each year, Curry hosts acamp for brother Brandon on asoccer scholarship 24 high-school players he chooses. This made home feel closer. But his hours were summer Aidan Igiehon was among that mapped out. Free time is aluxury he class. Curry flies the players and their seldom grants himself. 4.30 am wake-ups. families out to Northern California for a of the game: rubber sole against hard Shooting for 90 minutes daily before week that is part try-out, part motivational wood and the booming echo of aball. school. Post-off drills after school, then retreat. “And Ipicked up the orange ball and I full training. It can be solitary, exhausting. “There were 76 NBA scouts there,” started dribbling it. And Ikind of fell in “For sure,” he laughs. “I’m only human. Igiehon says. “You see those faces sitting love with it from that day. But ...atthat Pushing your body to its limits ...it’s very, on the sideline and you think: ‘wow, ok, time Iwas 5’6” and really short and very tiring. Itake rest pretty seriously now the heat is on’. You have to perform at couldn’t play at all. Iwas horrible.” too.” 110 per cent every time. And Ithink Ihad a That same afternoon, Rob White Over the last year, weights training fills good camp ...Idominated and left agood Keith received acall from his Dad. Mick White in two hours at lunchtime. His school, would be fifth year in Ireland, all the top entering avery exact and calculating taste there. It was all ...itwas pretty was ecstatic. He didn’t see the horrible- Lawrence Woodmere Academy, is in schools [as in American universities] in business. About 1per cent of high-school amazing. Steph Curry: he is avery humble Duggan ness. He told his son about these two kids Long Island and so his day involves the the country started calling me. So sudden- players get offers to play college basket- guy. Imean, he is one of the names in the who wandered in to the gym. “Mick said energising hustle of the subway; the ly Ihad these scholarship offers all over ball: three in every 10,000 make it to the game of basketball right now. Dublin-born and reared that one of the boys was going to be perishing-cold winter commutes, and the the country. How that works is that you NBA. Almost all of those go through the “But it was so easy to talk with him. It phenomenal. That he didn’t know which broiling summer afternoons when it is talk with each coach and get to know them elite collegiate basketball system. The was as if he looked at us as little brothers. Aidan Harris Igiehon is end of him was up but the potential was basketball, basketball, always basketball. abit. And their job is basically to get you most coveted players declare for the NBA He was hanging around with us and huge. That was the first Iheard of Aidan. “I don’t think any of us, even me, fully familiar with their programme and show draft after their first year, part of the shooting with us. He hosted an All-Star on the cusp of joining Then, when Isaw him, he was extremely understand, how much he has given this,” you why they are the best fit for you. “one-and-done phenomenon”. American game and he was my coach. He was giving basketball’s NBA elite long, even before he started to grow.” says Rob White. “And that’s where it gets really compli- college basketball is abeautiful illusion. me little pointers and advice. And Iplayed Was the day providential? Aidan thinks Lawrence Woodmere Academy is not cated because you are not comparing the extremely well. The type of passion he has so. Almost as soon as he touched abasket- one of the powerhouses of the New York pros and cons of different colleges. You is acontagious passion. And to have him ball, his body began to change. For the high-school basketball scene. When are kind of looking at the pros and pros saying: if you work hard you can be nFriday October 19th last, next 12 months, he kept on growing and Aidan begantoexert his prowess –still because they all have so many good things Sportingpurity whatever you want: that felt pretty lost in the usual bulletins and growing at arate that made his coaches growing until he achieved what he to offer. And that’s where Ibegan to amazing.” white noise concerning and team-mates slack jawed –5’8” and jokingly refers to as “athletic freak” status: struggle. Ihad to trim those, this summer, As atelevision spectacle, set against the That’s where Aidan Igiehon has moved Premier League turbulence, stretching. a17-year-old, 6’10”, 240 lbs leaper –the down to 10 schools. And that was extreme- backdrop of euphoric students fans and to in the five short years since Mick White rugby updates and obscure Touching 6’ by Christmas. Still no let bigger, flashier high schools came calling ly hard. After that you do what is called featuring rivalries that date back to the handed him aball. There’s avideo on You Ogolf tournament results was up. By the time he was approaching his but he stayed loyal: he liked his team- ‘official visits’ and that meant cutting the sepia age, the competition is presented as Tube that Igiehon did for Overtime, a one of the most remarkable Irish sporting 14th birthday, he was 6’5” tall. In the mates, his routine, his coach. He trusted it. list again to four of five. the pinnacle of amateur sporting purity. sports network, in which he goes along to achievements in many, many years. densely populated world of Dublin He was still just 15 when he began to “And that was harder again. Because by And it is in the sense that the athletes are the 2018 NBA draft and interviews the Aidan Harris Igiehon, aDublin teenag- underage basketball, he was half-curiosi- receive aformal college scholarship offer then you are quite close to the head coach strictly and rigorously unpaid. Their new recruits. He’s alikeable combination er who is on ahigh-school basketball ty, half-phenomenon, racking up 30-plus from St John’s, one of the prestige basket- of each of the 10 schools and you are in coaches, however, earn vast salaries, with of hyper-excited and confident and scholarship in New York, formally accept- points agame, exuberantly finishing ball sides in New York. And that’s when tune with the system they have in place. So the top 10 commanding between $3 unaffected. But what’s striking, though, is ed the offer of afull basketball scholarship breakaway dunks and generally destroy- the things began to change at speed of around August, after Icame back from million and $10 million per year. that all of the brand new NBA stars know to the University of Louisville. Right now, ing the other “big men”’ in his age group. sound rate. Letters of interest. Phone Ireland, Itrimmed it down to four; Basketball teams generate huge sums exactly who he is. When you enter the Igiehon is ranked as number 36 on ESPN’s calls. Invitations. Then firm offers. University of Kentucky, St John’s, Louis- for their colleges: in arecent Wall Street 1per cent of basketball potential, it’s a list of the top high-school players in ville and Oregon.” Journal report, Louisville’s basketball small community. America (out of apool of around If you are 6’10” and are knee-deep in set-up was valued at the equivalent of “You know, Idon’t want to say that that 545,000). Dilemma collegiate offers, then your name is in the $320 million on the open market. Michael surprised me, because it didn’t. But it was If anything, that placing is falsely low: in Thebestfit notebooks of all NBA scouts, probably Bree, from Sligo town, was the first akind of re-assurance to me and made me several authoritative NBA draft projec- The Whites and other Dublin Lions surrounded by bullet points and question Irish-born player to play NCAA division feel: ‘yeah, Iamdoing the right thing’. Iam tions, the Clondalkin teenager is forecast coaches were left with adilemma. They “By the summer of me going into what marks. At that rarefied tier, you are one basketball when he went to Davidson working hard. Iamonthe right path. I to be selected around 12th overall in the had watched the profile of ball players in in North Carolina. don’t let stuff like that blow my head up 2021 draft lottery. Igiehon’s progression West Dublin change dramatically over the Since then, ahandful of Irish players because Iamnot where Iwant to be yet.” to the elite tier of the best young basket- past two decades. Aidan Igiehon was born have made that grade. Conor Grace, a Where he wants to be, ultimately, is a ball players in America has been astory of in the Coombe hospital. His parents are 6’10” forward from Dublin, followed Bree big name in the NBA. What he has done exceptional perseverance and un- from Lagos, but Clondalkin was his world to Davidson: he graduated in 2005, two will only really hit home when Marv der-the-radar ambition. And what makes and he was one of anumber of Irish kids years before Steph Curry arrived in the Albert or some other famous voice croons it implausible is that it has all happened with African or Eastern European college as arelatively unheralded point over the word “Irishman” and it suddenly within six years –and almost by accident. backgrounds radically changing the guard. becomes clear that aDublin basketball kid Picture it. As ayoungster, Igiehon was height and athleticism standard of the city Grace has been working in Kingston, has made it to aplace that had seemed obsessed with soccer. He was with afriend game. “Aidan made people sit up,” Rob Jamaica since 2016. Ahand injury has impossible. He doesn’t permit himself kicking aball around, outside Moyle Park, White says. “He has always been avery Iamworking interrupted his basketball but he keeps a those daydreams or to presume that he one non-descript afternoon, killing time, strong personality. He was getting to a hard. Iamon close eye on the Irish game and has has cleared the obstacles. maybe daydreaming of the Premier unique stage where we were at afine line followed Aidan Igiehon’s rise with incredu- He still has awinter of high school League. In the gym, Mick White was between keeping him and not seeing him the right path... lity. before he moves to Kentucky. He still has holding trials for the under-13 age group. progress, or sending him away and he ‘‘But Iamnot “It’s just very, very exciting,” he says. thousands of hours to fill. He has prom- Anyone in Irish basketball knows of would flourish out there. And that is where Iwant “Irish basketball has had people who have ised Nibo to push himself academically. White: one of those guys who has for years exactly what happened.” gone over to the States. Some stayed and And he has listened to what he has been worked quietly and brilliantly and anony- They decided to organise atrip to to be yet.” some didn’t like it. But to go over there as told. “You can get blinded. You can lose mously, teaching kids the skills and values camps in New York and Philadelphia in young as Aidan was and have that sin- focus. It’s flattering that people think Ican of his sport. the summer of 2014. Twenty-two kids gle-mindedness and outlook is pretty cool. be there. But Ihave to do it now.” He saw two lads kicking ball, Aidan and signed up. It was self-financed: ¤2,500 per And then, Louisville is such an historic Aidan Igiehon was born in the summer Joe, and encouraged them to come in, player. The Lions’ coaches had no con- basketball school. They have this monster of 2000. He was one year old when Denny coaxing them to give the game ago. tacts or promises: the idea was to allow tradition in the game. Idon’t know Aidan Crum retired as head coach at Louisville “They didn’t have enough players and youngsters like Aidan showcase their at all but Iimagine the reason he chose after 30 years that crystallised the obses- the coach came out and asked me if I game at camps populated by high-school there is that he will be expected to come in sion with basketball. Crum had this saying would come in to fill up spots,” Igiehon coaches. and contribute in abig way immediately.” that became celebrated. Funny, it could recalls now, speaking on abreak from Within aweek, he had offers which Grace played professionally in Europe serve as amotto for Aidan Igiehon. Sunday afternoon practice in New York. required asudden and radical change in for several years. In summertime, he’d Crum said: “Most of our future lies Through his mobile comes the clear sound life: swapping the familiarity of home for a return to Davidson to work out. It was on ahead.” THE IRISH TIMES 2 GaelicGames Saturday,January19,2019

slight. Hall smiled, pleased. Antrim ran was impossible. He left the car on the Falls ■ Above (from left): Seamus Killough, riot that day. “It was,” Hall would say, “the Road and told afew young lads to watch it Liam Boyle, Gerry McCann, and Andy spark that set the whole thing going.” until the morning. McCallin of the Antrim team who won On paper, Antrim’s 1969 football It would be foolish to suggest that their the 1969 All-Irelandunder-21 Football odyssey was alitany of close run things: win was celebrated across the city –the Championship, pictured at Casement It was the one-point wins over Derry, Down, Cork saffron flags flying –but in the GAA Park in Belfast. and Roscommon. Dermot Earley, the enclaves, the fact that an Antrim team was PHOTOGRAPHS:LIAM MCBURNEY legend in full Technicolor even then, had doing well was something to celebrate. On an outstanding game in the final but their team bus journeys or dressingrooms, Millar made alife in Canada. Aidan Hamill Mickey Freyne screwed alate, long-range there were never any conversations about became head of the Northern Ireland free narrowly wide as the men the firing of houses, the killings on the Education Board. Jimmy Mullan disap- lost out by the narrowest margin. It was streets or how any of them felt about it all. peared entirely. Michael Culbert became Antrim’s summer. They belonged to the generation of Belfast asocial worker and, ultimately aRepubli- At the whistle, afair section of the citizens whose childhood in the 1950s had can activist who served 16 years in prison. summer Antrim crowd jumped the wire on Croke been peaceful and offered no hint of the “We all had our own backgrounds,” Park and chaired Liam Boyle, the captain, next 30 years. Culbert says now. “Take my family ...my off the field. They carried him towards the There was the odd incident –Gerry family was very pro-British. Iamnamed Hogan Stand singing We Shall Overcome, McCann remembers one day himself and after my grandfather who never came the civil rights anthem. Liam was too Andy were climbing trees down near home from the first war. And my uncle caught up in the moment to even hear Musgrave. Agroup of lads happened on Jack lived in Bombay Street and was burnt them. “Someone told me afterwards. But them and instructed them to get down and out of it. He had one arm –helost the other it was one of those games that was so tight say the Our Father.The pair started their in the first World War. So it is not as if I of 1969 and at the end, when the whistle went, I recitation, read each other’s eyes and was raised in aRepublican cauldron. But wasn’t sure of the score. Gerry Neillis instinctively knew what to do. “We ran,” my politics evolved and probably climaxed came over to me and just said: ‘We’ve won Gerry laughs. “That was the one thing we in Bloody Sunday. it’. We were hugging each other and the knew how to do well.” “There is never aone thing. Accumula- next thing Iknow Iwas being carried to For Andy McCallin, the most difficult tively, people come to their own conclu- the stand. But yeah, the Antrim crowd years came later, when the army took over sions about stuff. And Icame to mine. I thing Andy had done wrong in the final. enjoyed it and didn’t worry about the rules Casement. For Andy, the ground was wasn’t akid. Iwas asocial worker, my wife The two words both speaker and and regulations too much that day.” “theirs’”: alocal theatre of glamour since aschool teacher when Iwent to jail. Iwas listener were waiting on –Well Done – What the moment in Croke Park he was akid, helping the groundsman. To nobody’s mug. Iwas no victim of circum- never came. Even now, McCallin can’t represented was the illusion of normalcy, him, the Troubles became what they were stance. But the only thing we had in explain why that under-21 side came the wilful pretence that their daily lives for the vast majority of people in Northern common on that team is that we were together and kept winning. Nobody was were the same as those of the boys whose Ireland: adaily low-grade source of playing . What was happen- expecting it. Antrim were anon-entity. counties they faced throughout that tension and fear and inconvenience. ing was never part of our conversation. Keith Duggan “That team,” Andy says “. ..itwas afreak.” summer. Being flown to Cork for the Once, on ablack, dark night near We just played.” It may be the only word for it. Antrim semi-final was ajape; afirst plane ride for Blacklion after aleague game, he felt truly Out of their skins. And when the whistle The men who won the footballers had won 10 senior titles most of the team and agood laugh. But the frightened when acar full of the team was blew in Croke Park, on September 14th, but nothing since 1951. They’d appeared reality was that the flight was reportedly stopped and asked for identification. They Antrim were champions of Ireland; agood All-Ireland U-21 football and were defeated in the All-Ireland finals organised on the edict of taoiseach Jack were wearing Sunday suits: their driver’s news story at the end of adisturbing of 1910 and 1911. Other places were Lynch to make it easier for the team to get licences were at home. “In the jeans in the summer, ayoung team with it all ahead of title for Antrim as the defining the winning of GAA competi- to and from Belfast. bedroom after the Saturday night.” They them until, magically, inevitably, 50 years Troubles took hold have tions. Their city had been transformed were told to go outside. “And they stood slipped by. Then, out of the blue, Tommy Hall got a physically and in atmosphere within the there pointing guns. And Inever saw some tales to tell squad together intent on making sure space of 12 months and the emergence of darkness like it in my life.” In that mo- that, if nothing else, when the boys walked 130 odd barricades and aCitizens Defence ment, he didn’t know if he’d make it to the through the gates of Casement Park, the Committee was dominating the August next. But he did. They drove home, Childlikedelight street noise would remain outside. For a news. Everyone was guarded. The buses shaken. ost evenings that summer, couple of hours, they’d just play ball on a didn’t run after six o’clock. All of the The next day came. “I have never been Andy McCallin is already sitting in the you’d see them outside the summer’s evening. streets around Andersonstown were involved or interested in my life. All Iwas social club in Casement Park when the Florida after training; faces “It was an unwritten law,” Hall would barricaded and manned each night. interested in was football and . Me others arrive. Raymond, who runs the bar, flushed, gear bags dumped at tell the GAA’s oral history project in 2012, and Gerry didn’t know anything about it. has served up coffee, aplate of kitkats, their feet, enjoying the dusk afew years before he died. “I got them all You wouldn’t have known if your own bakewell tarts. Normally, he doesn’t open Mand the gossip. The cafe was to mix. And Iused to say if Iwanted a brother was involved. You just wouldn’t until the evening but he has made an just afew minutes walk from Casement packet of sweets, 10 would go. It became a Exotictrip have known. That’s the way it was.” exception. Just after 11am, Liam Boyle, Park and from their homes. They were good family situation.” So that summer, the training, the Gerry McCann and Séamus Killough local boys in acity that was about to turn It was almost that anyhow. One third of Andy McCallin had started going with championship, offered abit of light relief. dander in. “We’re out standin’ in the cold molten and complex with violence even if, the entire team had been knocking about Josephine in 1968. She lived amile and a It wasn’t at all solemn. Their recollection and youse in having coffee,” someone in 1969, nobody could have guessed at the as soon as they were old enough to leave half down from his house and to see her of the matches is hazy; the fun stayed with shouts. black enormity the coming decades would the house. Gerry McCann, one of Andy’s that summer, he had to climb over the them. Michael Culbert elected to skip the McCann and McCallin see each other hold. best friends, lived on aterrace on Trostan barricade and walk down the Falls Road. Ulster final so he could go on ahostel tour The only thing we had in frequently but Andy hasn’t seen Liam in Their world was still largely confined to Way. Daniel ‘Din Joe’ McGrogan was “With the army and everything else. And I of Ireland with his girlfriend. “As you do,” many, many years. He hasn’t seen Kil- the latticework of streets and cul-de-sacs North Green. Liam Boyle lived parallel on will tell you! There’d be evenings when he says drily. “Young love.” common on that team is lough for along time either. If you were to encircled by the main thoroughfares of Corby Way. Martin McGranaghan, whose there would be nobody about. It was He was dropped for the semi-final and that we were playing Gaelic describe Séamus Killough’s face in repose, the Glen Road, Kennedy Way, Andersons- family ran achain of bookies, lived in a empty. There were people being shot on came on as asubstitute. “Not sure who I football. What was then “childlike delight” is the only phrase. town Road and Shaw’s Road. “It’s like an standalone house further up the Glen the Falls for no reason. Five nights a impressed because Ihardly saw the ball. ‘‘ He’s ahuge, genial, cheerful man, relish- island,” Andy McCallin says. Road. It was, in spirit and in fact, acity week.” But Iwas back in for the final.” It was happening was never part ing sending himself up as the country He grew up in afamily of eight on the team. Thirteen of the 15 players who Through all that, they trained, they different then. They knew of other players of our conversation. We bumpkin among slick Belfast kids. He’s last house on Commedagh Drive. Andy started the All-Ireland final were from wandered up to the Florida and they kept by reputation or by what they read in the plainly thrilled to see them all. was awisp; slight, genius feet, prodigious- Belfast. on winning. They received amayoral newspaper. The coverage was smaller so just played. “I hadn’t seen this man for 40 years,” he ly gifted at hurling and football and Even now, they’re not fully sure how reception when they landed in Cork on imagination took over. The players never says nodding towards Liam Boyle, “until I singularly devoted to practicing his craft. they came to be selected. No official trials that exotic plane trip: unusual treatment thought too much about what was happen- met him in achemist in Ballycastle afew The elders reckoned he was better at were held. They were just told to show up. for an U-21 team; further evidence that ing –what they were doing –until the days ago. Now, I’m seeing him twice in a hurling. The little drain holes in the low So they did. The events of their first they were, somehow, special. Their Cork night they found themselves in the hall in week. What’s going on?” And he fills the wall across from the McCallin house match, apreliminary round against hosts probably imagined that Antrim’s St Teresa’s with the Clarke Cup and this room –all of Casement, in fact –with this served as markers as he’d fire sliotars and Monaghan in Castleblaney are so ob- journey would end there. When they were new fact that distinguished them: the first gargantuan laugh. The former footballs at them for hours, for days, for scured in their minds that none of them about to go out on the field, Din Joe Antrim team to win an All-Ireland football team-mates are meeting up to try and years. have the faintest memory of it. “Mona- McGrogan must have noticed Tommy championship. make sense of what they achieved that “I had no choice,” Andy says sitting in ghan?” aperplexed Michael Colbert Hall looking pensive because he ap- That evening, they were entitled to summer. McCann and Boyle are still his car and looking through the window at repeats down the phone when told that’s proached him to offer some of his uncon- predict aheady few years. But it never greyhound-slender, McCallin retains the those same drain holes. It’s acrisp school where the campaign had started. The tainable zest and energy. ‘ worked out that way. Some stayed im- efficient, elusive movement and Killough day in early January: Commedagh is quiet others forgot about it too. “Don’t be worryin’,” he said breezily. mersed in the game –Andy McCallin looks fresh-faced even if they are all in and and the sloping green nearby is empty. “Sure I’ll score two goals today.” Antrim would go on to become Antrim’s first and – around alandmark 70th year. “My father was chairman of St John’s and, won by 3-7 to 1-12. Grogan scored two so far –only football player to win an It’s clear none of them see age in each for me, he was the be all and end all.” goals. It was after two o’clock in the All-Star award in 1971. Both he and Gerry other, though. Once the coffee is poured, Andy would score 1-5 of Antrim’s total Outrage morning when they got home. When McCann are still deeply involved in their they tear into it and one another, rifling of 1-8 against Roscommon in the All-Ire- Tommy Hall arrived at the street where he club, St John’s. Others faded out of sight. through oldnewspaper clippings, momen- land under-21 final that September. His Tommy Hall, though, would always see lived after the Cork semi-final, he rolled Liam Boyle spent two decades in Seattle tarily stunned by the few photos from that mother would tell him that his father left John Burns sprinting towards him afew down the car window and was told: “Well and has only recently returned home. Din summer they’ve managed to preserve and Croke Park with tears running freely minutes before the throw-in, his face lit done Tommy. Great win today. But you’re Joe Grogan was killed when abomb went fuzzily trying to summon the bare bones of down his face. The man was overcome; with indignation. He’d overheard the not getting in this way.” He was told to go off in apub on the Andersonstown Road those games. In the empty lounge, the overjoyed. He communicated this with his Monaghan manager chatting with the around to Cavendish Square where he on asummer’s afternoon. Séamus Kil- voices merge. son the only way he knew how: by sitting Derry manager about where they’d play encountered the same thing. The simple lough, the full back, graduated from “Wasn’t it Fermanagh in the first him down at home to go through every- the next round. He was outraged at the act of driving home after afootball match Queen’s in dentistry and left the city. Billy round?” THE IRISH TIMES Saturday,January19,2019 GaelicGames 3

O’Byrne Cup Final Egan shows the way as Westmeath beat lacklustre Dublin

Westmeath, in contrast, looked far Dublin 0-10 more assured and measured in terms of their interplay, and after Kieran Westmeath 1-12 Martin had restored parity in the 23rd minute they edged back in front afteranexcellentteamscoreconvert- Westmeath produced an impressive ed by Ronan O’Toole. defensive displayinaccountingfor a Apoint from substitute Tommy lacklustre Dublin by five points in McDanieldoubled Westmeath’s lead their Bord na Móna O’ByrneCup fi- as the half evolved, and they could nal at Parnell Park last night. well have landed asignificant blow in In doing so the Lake County the 34th minute but Andy Bunyan re- claimedtheirfirst O’Byrne Cup since actedwell to repel Noel Mulligan’s 1988, and they were full value for powerful low shot. theirvictory, withwing-forward Ger Itwasleft toByrne toofferDublin a Eganleading the way witha degree of optimismtowards the end match-winning tally of 1-5. of the half with his wonderful solo Following their facilewin over score trimminghis team’sdeficittoa Longfordsix days previously, West- solitarypoint(0-5to 0-4)bythe inter- meath made the brighter start, but val. failed to take advantage of some Dublin’s lack of cutting thrust up promising attacking positions as they front was addressed at the break with registered two early wides. the introduction of Colm Basquel and The visitors were indebted to goal- Conor McHugh,but it mattered little keeper Eoin Carberry, who displayed as their opponents raced out of the sound reflexesinthe 3rd minute to blocks upon the restart through a thwartStephen Smith after the Sker- brace of Egan points and O’Toole’s ries Harpsplayer had managed to second score of the night. pierce the heavily-manned West- Eganand McDaniel continued on meath defence. their merry way, extending their Dublin were similarly profligate in team’s lead as Dublin’s frustrations attack initially as the normally relia- grewwithevery passingminute, fail- ble RyanBasquel spurnedtwo pre- ing to make any impression against sentable chances, with Westmeath fi- the defensive excellence of Boldu nally taking the leadthrough afine Sayeh and Ronan Wallace. Egan score in the 8th minute. Egan’s goal, scored at the second attempt in the 58th minute, put paid Intensity to any notions of aDublin comeback, IrrespectiveoftheSigersonCupcom- with apoint from substituteGer mitments of anumber of the players Leech puttingthe finishing touches involved,theopeningquarter stillleft to aconfident display from the win- an awfullot to be desired in termsof ners. paceandintensity, beforethehostsfi- nally awoke from their collective WESTMEATH:ECarberry;KDaly,RWallace,BSayeh; JDolan,NMulligan,NO’Reilly;SFlanagan,SDuncan; slumbertolevel matters through a DLynch,CMcCormack,GEgan(1-5,onefree);R Seán Bugler point in the 18th minute. O’Toole(0-2),KMartin(0-1),JHalligan.Subs:T From the resultant kick-out, Aar- McDaniel(0-3)forMcCormack(10),GLeech(0-1)for on Byrne,who impressed in Dublin’s Halligan(52),CSlevinforFlanagan(59),JMaxwellfor McDaniel(70),NCullyforO’Toole(73). semi-final against Meath last Satur- DUBLIN:ABunyan;NDoran,SMcMahon,CSmith;A day, edged the hosts ahead with a McGowan,CMulally,RMcDaid;JHazley,CHowley; smart score on the run. RBasquel,AByrne(0-3),SBugler(0-3);SSmith (0-1,free),CPearson,OLynch.Subs:CBasquelfor That proved an isolated period of Pearson(ht),CMcHugh(0-3,twofrees)forLynch(ht), pressure from Dublinastheir error TLahiffforHazley(ht),SBolandforRBasquel(50),D count increasedatanalarming rate, MonaghanforMcGowan(55),CDiamondforSmith(59), LGalvinforHowley(65),LFlatmanforDoran(66), betraying theirlack of group matches HazleyforByrne(71). “I remember Adrian McGuckin crying muck and shit.” Grogan was still kicking football for the it. Amanager can only do so much. There in the competition. Referee:DavidHickey(Carlow). after the Derry game. They were some “Jesus, Ialways wanted more running,” Johnnies that summer. His death reaf- was just some very good players there. team.” says Boyle. firmed at once how trivial and vital playing And I’m proud of having that medal. Now, “Meself and Gerry and my younger GAA was during those times. It was in talking about it ...Idon’t actually know brother went touring Ireland after the almost impossible for Antrim to field what where it is. My wife would know where it Fermanagh game.” could have been its best ever team during is.” “Down had won the senior All-Ireland Movingon the 1970s. When the group is asked how All of their medals have led aprecari- the year before. They had Colm McIlar- Antrim football would have been like ous existence through the five decades ney, Peter Rooney and afew more from In his GAA oral history, Tommy McDon- without the violence and civil strife, they since. Gerry McCann landed home one the senior team. And we beat them by a nell remembers two things about the are stumped. It’s like asking players from day to find the house raided. He feared point.” All-Ireland final: the tussle between Boyle the west coast of Donegal what it would the worst when he noticed that his wife’s “I was in Casement Park once ever and Earley at midfield and Killough’s hour have been like to train without rain and engagement and wedding rings gone before Iplayed my first county match. And at full back. wind. The violence became part of the from the dresser. “But my fucking Iremember being absolutely astounded “At that time you had everyone stuck to elements. “Things,” Gerry McCann says, All-Ireland medal was still there,” he by Jim McCorry from Glenade.” their positions,” he said. “We changed it a “just fractured.” laughs, “I just shouted: Yesssssss! Igot “Jungle Jim”. wee bit with Andy McCallin, who was very her another engagement ring. Mind you, “I never saw legs the size of them in me clever. But anyway, Killough was tremen- she’s still hunting me to buy the wedding life.” dous. There was one particular save in the one.” “Gerry Donnell’s the only man Iever last few minutes of the game where he Resultsman Andy McCallin gave his medal to his saw who’d go into ashower with aciga- caught aball in the square and next thing: mother. “She was very proud of it. She rette in his mouth and not get it wet.” bang. He was on the ground. Iran onto the Do All-Ireland medals truly matter? One kept it with her. My Dad didn’t bring her “This boy decided to stay on to do a field and he just looked up at me as if to thing the 1969 players learned quickly was to many matches but he brought her to Masters cos he didn’t want to leave say: Iamtaking arest. So the ball was that winning altered or changed nothing. Croke Park some time after that. She ■ Westmeath players celebrate with the O’Byrne Cup after last night’s Queen’s. So he came up with: Street cleared out and who gets it but Earley. They were feted for aweek in the areas of bumped into an old acquaintance ...abig final at Parnell Park. PHOTOGRAPH: OISÍNKENIRY/INPHO Lighting in Belfast. Sure by 1972 there They had afree very late on. The referee the city where Gaelic games held tradition hug and what have you.Next thing in wasn’t astreet light left.” said: this is the last kick. He emphasised it. and currency but it was asharp time. Wednesday’s Irish News:All-Ireland “The only thing different about the And it just went wide. People went ... Mickey Culbert says now that he was medal found in Croke Park. Can anyone All-Ireland final is that we trained on the mad. And that feeling never left me. It did “grossly underwhelmed” by it all in those claim this? They got it back to her. At this Saturday beforehand. Other than that, it Antrim good.” weeks. It’s only years later that he has stage, Ididn’t know anything about it.” This weekend’s GAA previews was like any game.” Could it have been more? The 1969 begun to think about what it meant. His 16 Liam Boyle’s medal was lost or taken “I don’t remember us having tactics, team was, Andy McCallin thinks now, years in prison in the Crumlin Road and, during araid. His mother wrote to Croke really. Like what were the tactics? unusual. “We weren’t the best team in the later, Long Kesh was for being charged, in Park in 1993 and they sent out areplica. SATURDAY keepingMayointheirslipstreameven “Get the ball to Andy.” world but it had thismismatch of personal- the Diplock judicial system, and found They turn to Séamus Killough. “I’ll break McKennaCupfinal atthistimeoftheyearwasgratifying, “It was like abit of craic. There was ities and abilities. The way things had guilty of the murder of aUDR officer in down,” the big man confesses. “I gave it to ArmaghvTyrone especiallyasJamesHoran’steam never any pressure or tension that you see gone, it looked as if we were going to win Lisburn. Sinéad early on and she wore it on agold AthleticGrounds,7.30;Live,TG4 wereanxioustohalttherecenttrend in teams now.” more.” “Well, Iwas never proven guilty of it. chain. And the number of people who Tyrone’sgriponthetrophy,rudely onthemanager’sreturn. “That was down to Din Joe. But in all The following summer, five of the side I’ve never denied being an activist and I’m stopped and admired it. Because it made disruptedbyDonegallastyear,issetto Roscommonhavebeenregularsin seriousness: what was ahead of me on the were on the Antrim senior team that made not crying poverty or anything else but the most wonderful piece of jewellery. bere-establishedfortheseventhtime thisfixture,winningtwofinals.Abig field. Ye were bloody good footballers. it to the Ulster final. Gerry McCann you have to bear in mind that Castlreagh, When people asked her about it, she ineightyears. yearforbothcounties,asAnthony That was obvious, One of the papers said remembers Eamon Grieve ripping into the Diplock courts, it was very easy to put always said it was for her Irish dancing. Armagharealreadylooking Cunningham’steam faceatorrid we were favourites for the final. Ican’t them for laughing and joking as they got people away. But yeah, Iamvery up front Everywhere she went. And it’s amajor strongerthisyear,especiallyinattack campaigninDivisionOnewhereas remember that.” off the bus in Clones. The lightness was all about my Republican activism.” concern now ...who is going to get it.” withJamieClarkebackfromhis Galwayneedtokickoninchampion- “I felt sorry for Dermot Early after that they knew. There was something stirring In prison, Culbert was the results man. In the 20 years Liam Boyle lived in travelsandsufficientlyenthusedtobe shipinthesummermonthstocome. game. He was one of the best players to in the city game in the early part of the He’d swallow acellophane note with all America, family and friends would often playingMcKennaCup.StefanCamp- CillianMcDaid’sreturnfrom ever take afield, Ithought.” decade. The county won further Ulster the Antrim GAA scores and became introduce him as “Liam ...hecaptained bellhasalsoendedhisexile. Australiaisaboost,asistheinvolve- “Aye, and Dunlop had the audacity to U-21 titles in 1974 and 1975. It was clear expert at reproducing it at haste –the Antrim to the All-Ireland U-21.” It used to TyronearehitbytheSigersonclash mentofsomeCorofinplayersinthe say to me afterwards, ‘Séamus, he never that there was latent talent scattered method dependent on the importance of irk him and amuse him. “I’d played for the butMickeyHartehasbeenableto weeksbeforetheirAll-Irelandclub got akick of the ball.’” around the city and county. the championship games. It was probably bloody seniors too,” he laughs. bringinaraftoflastyear’schampion- semi-final. As they warm to it, Din Joe McGrogan’s Assembling them remained aproblem. daft but those scorelines were like a shipteam.Armaghhadgoodwinsover Verdict: Galway name keeps fizzing about the room. Jimmy Ward was managing the senior voltage back to alost normalcy. Culbert MonaghanandDonegalandwillgive “He was aspecial character,” Gerry team around then. “Jimmy was the best thisarattlebutTyronehavetobe All-Irelandclubsemi-finals McCann explains. “Din Joe was like asplit manager Iplayed under for Antrim,” says Differentcity favourites. Matchesat2.0unlessstated personality –three ways: he was Din Joe, Andy. “I hated his guts because he tried to Verdict:Tyrone Prideofplaceonabigweekendfor he was Denis Law and Elvis Presley. He kill me on the field but he had us moving in He didn’t really want this one summer, clubsaroundthecountrygoestojunior had red hair and the quiff. Loved Elvis. If the right direction.” this one team, defining him. Recently he WalshCupfinal hurlingsemi-finalistsCarrick,thefirst you went into Din Joe’s wardrobe and had Séamus Killough’s easy assuredness at found himself walking through Belfast GalwayvWexford LeitrimclubtowinaConnachttitleand alook at his ties, they were about one inch full back saw him fast-tracked to the and was struck by how much it has Bellefield,,2.0 withinonematchofbecomingarare long because he fucken’ cut them off after senior team but life was pulling him in changed –the skin colours, the atmos- Interestingsemi-finalsaweekago hurlingsidefromthecountytoplay the knot. He didn’t like the bits sticking other directions, He married Sinéad a We weren’t the best team in phere, the affluence, the sense of possibili- gaveWexfordanotherwinover competitivelyinCrokePark. out at the end. He’d be up and down the week after graduating from Queen’s and ty.Hehappened to be carrying abag with Kilkennyinthecompetitionanditwas IFC:–AnSpidéal(Galway)vNaomh bus singing. He was very quick. He was they were settling uneasily into profession- the world but it had this aGAA logo and was disguising it on thefamiliarstrengthofPaudieFoley’s Éanna(Antrim),PaircTáilteann(Live, very sharp. Din Joe didn’t ever just score a al life in Belfast. Akilling nearby –aladder mismatch of personalities instinct until he realised that nobody freetaking–whichnearlykeptthem TG4);TwoMileHouse(Kildare)v goal: it was asensational goal. He didn’t used to gain entry to an upstairs window – and abilities. The way things cared ahoot. afloatinthechampionshiplastyear– Kilcummin(Kerry),GaelicGrounds, like ahigh ball. He’d say: don’t be giving convinced them that it was time to move. ‘‘ Belfast is adifferent city now and thatsawthemhome. Limerick. me any suiciders.” “We were either going to New Zealand or had gone, it looked as if we Antrim is very far away from winning a Galwayeffectivelyhadtobeat JFC:Easkey(Sligo)vRedHughs “He more or less won that game for us Wexford,” he tells the others. were going to win more football All-Ireland. There are no formal Dublintwiceandalthoughtherewasa (Donegal),Ballinamore; against Cork,” says McCallin. “Bit of adifference,” Gerry McCann plans as yet to mark the 50th anniversary goodrunforsomeyoungerplayers, DundalkYoung (Louth)v The photograph of the ’69 team has says. of ashining achievement in the county’s JoeCanningwasstillonhandtocome Beaufort(Kerry),O’MoorePark; been removed from the wall in Casement. Then an opening came up for adental remains deeply involved in Antrim GAA, GAA history. But as they leave Casement, inandcutoverthewinninglineball. IHC:Oranmore-Maree(Galway)vSt Some of the frames were taken down position in Ballycastle and that was it. managing both football and hurling the team-mates make loose plans to see Verdict:Wexford Galls(Antrim),ParnellPark. when the stadium was closed and boarded Killough didn’t play for Antrim again. teams. His St Gall’s team play Oranmore each other soon again. Funny, they JHC–Carrick(Leitrim)vCastle- up for the £80 million redevelopment that Liam Boyle was interned for aperiod and in the intermediate club hurling semi-final finished up at Casement, too, on the night KehoeCupfinalLeinsterSH blayney(Monaghan),TEGCusack has since become mired in aplanning and when he returned to his first training this very weekend. When he is asked why they came home to Belfast as champions. AntrimvWestmeath, Park;Dunnamaggin(Kilkenny)v political stalemate. session, he nearly got sick. “I thought Iwas the 1969 victory didn’t lead to further Late on, after the speeches and the Abbotstown,2.0 Cloughduv(Cork),FraherField, “See that place out there,” Gerry in kind of good shape.” Liam was thinking triumphs for Antrim, he pauses down the celebrations had wound down at St Dungarvan. McCann says. “We don’t have abase and of heading to the US that summer when he phone. Teresa’s, Liam Boyle and afew of the All-IrelandclubIHCsemi-final that is atravesty. When you were akid the circumstances changed and he was “That was the assumption made. That others decided to wander down to the Graigue-Ballycallan(Kilkenny)v SigersonCuproundone big ambition was to play in Casement.” imprisoned for 11 years. His Antrim career we’d win more. Why it didn’t take place? stadium to see if the club was still open, Charleville(Cork) ITTraleevUlsterUniversity You can still see the floodlights as you ended there. Was it the conflict? It was difficult to move hoping to get alate drink. But it was a SempleStadium,2.0 JohnMitchels,1.0 approach the park but inside, it has Din Joe McGrogan was due to head to around for training and all that, yes. All Monday night in September: the city was BlastfromthepastwithBenO’Connor TheUlstergalacticos,bristlingwith become an eerie skeleton of afootball Newcastle in Co Down for his summer those wee things are factors as to why darkening in every sense. The party was managingCharlevilleandEddie TyroneandDonegaltalent,look stadium. It must be the loneliest place in holidays on the Friday that he was killed. Antrim didn’t come through. You’d over. “So we were leaving and avoice said BrennanstillassistingtheGraigue straightforwardprospectsagainsta Belfast. The posts and nets are gone, the He had popped home to visit his mum and probably need apsychologist to work that halt,” Liam Boyle says. cause.DarraghFitzgibbonhasbeen homeside,minusinjuredAllStarand yellow bucket seats gone and the field then went down to place aquick bet. He one out. And: maybe we weren’t good “There was agroup of people at the outstandingfortheCorkchampions YFOTYDavidClifford. turned to knee-high weeds and strictly stopped into the Whitefort Inn on Ander- enough. Maybe there wasn’t enough gates. And one of them had agun. And the andtheycouldspringamildsurprise. speaking, the field is out of bounds: sonstown Road for apint and was there investment. questions came. What are you doing Verdict:Charleville QueensUniversityBelfastvMay- boarded up and off limits. It’s aplace that when abomb exploded. He was one of “But see those fellas you were talking here? Who are youse? They were local noothUniversity means alot to the Andersonstown group. three people killed. It was July 29th, 1976. to? They were quality footballers. McCann vigilantes. It was normal then so you TheDub,2.0 “Without being too nostalgic, it was where By then, such deathsinthe city and across and McCallin –Iwas normally the fella didn’t think about it.” SUNDAY Despitethejourney,JohnnyDoyle’s we always wanted to play,” Liam Boyle Northern Ireland were everyday occur- delegated to chase them around the field. The street guardians moved away. The FBDConnachtSFLfinal Maynooth–impressiveintheleague says. “It was our Wembley.” rences. Liam Boyle and Séamus Killough ...those newly minted All-Ireland champions GalwayvRoscommon, andboastingsomeofKildare’s “It was abig auld place to run around, “It affected us all, yeah,” says Gerry boys were really fine footballers. I, in all stood there for afew minutes, alone TuamStadium,1.30 under-20talent–arefavouritestotake mind,” Séamus Killough counters. McCann. “But it killed his mother. She honesty, was ajourneyman. But those together on the Andersonstown Road. Thesemi-finalwinwasmoresatisfying this. “Lap after lap,” sighs McCallin. “In the didn’t last too long after it.” boys could really play. And Ithink that was Then they headed up home. thanimpressiveforGalwaybut SEÁN MORAN