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Summer of ‘76

  ‘Summer of ‘76’     Nineteen seventysix is g enerally regarded as the  greatest summer  in living memory.  A fact supported by  the year  having the record for the lon gest heatwave on record for Ireland   - fourteen consecutive days where  temperatures reached 30+ degrees.  I don ’ t remember that summer  just  for its warmth though........ I was seventeen and enjoying my final school holiday before the ‘ Leaving Cert’  year. I was working in the ‘Cast le hotel’ as a barman / waiter .  I t’s mid-J uly  and  I was rostered to be off work on Tues and Wednesday-no weddings and certainly no evening  extensions -so no  ‘Chicken in the Rough , live music dances to entertain the masses -literally  on those nights  two particular  nights.  Over tea break on the Monday, John K earney-a barman an d close friend -shared that  ‘ co-incidence of co-incidences ’ , he too was off ...
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Dundalk FC, more than just football

  Most people remember their first car s  regi stration number.  For me,  I remember my  brothers   number ,   RZI37 8 .  Martin’s first  ever  car-a silver Ford   Mini  in   196 8 . For me, its place in history  relates to the fact that it carried my brother, my mum  (Anne)  and myself to Oriel Park .  Some context here-we lived in Cast l ebellingham - home to  the  O’Connells GAA team  who provided sporting  entertainment for most of the  local population .  There was one  honourable  exception , one Vincie Cranny,  his body contorted by polio yet he was an ever present on the Orie l  Park sidelines  for many years  cheering on his beloved Dundalk  FC .  M y dad was  more inclined towards the GAA-my mam, in contrast  was steeped in Soccer tradition as her dad  Edward Kiernan  was a founder member of Longford Town...
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