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| Unveiling of plaque in honour of Dan Murphy, Mary O'Connor and Gerard O'Brien in the Town Park during Abbeyfeale National Heritage Day on Sunday 27th August 2017 |
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FLYING THE FLAG!
Flags flew
at half mast around the town on Saturday evening and an air of great
despondency seemed to hang over the area. A lad in a green-and-gold
gansey sat forlornly on a bench in The Square and gazed miserably up
at the statue of Fr Casey as if blaming the great man for his present state of despair.
A car pulled
up and the lad was approached by an American tourist.
“Say, am I
on the right road for Tralee?” the tourist wanted to know
“Straight
ahead. You can't miss it.” was the melancholy reply.
The visitor
hesitated a moment and then sat down next to the lad in the gansey
and gazed around at the drooping flags and the discarded betting
slips.
“Tell me.”
he said “Is this town in mourning or what?”
“Our team
was beaten in the football today” the lad revealed, tears in his
eyes.
“I didn't
know that Limerick was famous for football.” said the American.
“It
isn't.” the lad replied, “Sure they're useless! I'm talking about
Kerry. We lost to Mayo.
“Ah, I
see.” said the American. “Sorry. My mistake. I thought we were
still in Limerick.”
“We are,”
the lad admitted “but we do follow Kerry here.”
“Let me
get this straight.” said the American. “You live in Limerick but
support Kerry?”
“Only in
the football.” the lad in the gansai was becoming defensive. “We still support
Limerick in the hurling.”
“And why
don't you support the Kerry hurlers?”
“Yerra,
aren't they worse then the Limerick footballers!”
“So, you
support Kerry in football and Limerick in hurling,” the American
said. “but what happens when they play each other?”
“Ah well,
that depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether
'tis hurling or football, of course!”
"So, what do you do?"
"I cheer for one and pray for the other."
"And does the praying help?"
"No. I usually end up cursing both sides"
"So, what do you do?"
"I cheer for one and pray for the other."
"And does the praying help?"
"No. I usually end up cursing both sides"
The American
stood up and shook hands with lad in the green and gold gansai.
“My
condolences to you, sir,” he said, “and I hope you have better
luck next year with whatever team you chose to support”
“Up the Kingdom!” the lad called out as the American departed, but his heart wasn't really in it any more.
“Maybe I should start supporting Limerick again?" he mused. He then looked around quickly for fear anyone
might have heard him.
It wouldn't
do to be displaying your true colours in public.
