Wouldn’t you know that with the first rustle of the exam papers that the weather was going to improve and that at long last we can head into a sort of summer.
We do this bolstered by a week in which Galway has seen more success on a sporting front — successes here and overseas that give us all a smile; that lift us up and feel buoyed by the smiles, the medals, the sunshine, the sheer joy of it all.
By the time we go to bed on Saturday night (if indeed we do ), Galway could be the champions of two provinces as our hurlers head into the Pale with great ambitions. Last Sunday, the footballers claimed the scalp of Roscommon, while Galway WFC and the Galway senior camogie team had victories to help them power along in their seasons.
However, the story of the week has to be the success of Gabriel Dossen in securing the European Middleweight title in Yerevan, Armenia. The Dossens are a remarkable family, representing Galway and Ireland and their community with pride and excellence.
We are honoured that they wear the shirts of the place we call our community, our home.
Gabriel’s success comes just a week after his club, the Olympic Boxing Club here in Galway celebrated the world championship success of Lisa O’Rourke, and she and her sister Aoife were honoured at an event here in the city in the last few days.
Sport has a contagious effect. For the athletes themselves, it drives them on to be the best verison they can be of themselves. But they do this too so that they can make others proud. It also unfurls a flag behind which we can all march. Life has a way of putting us behind flags — the vast majority of these bring us enjoyment and satisfaction, although the following of sport would be nothing if it didn’t have its frustrations and disappointments. Sport is a repository of hope, that can lift us or deflate us, and therein lies its key facet. This Spring, we have known sadness on sporting front too, and we rememebr those who still mourn.
However, every day teams and athletes go out in our name; they win, they draw, they lose, but in all cases, they carry with them a pride. And marching behind are those of us who have the same pride.
Honour those who serve us well and let us use their success and their experience to keep producing more and more athletes and sportspeople and artists and cultural icons so that life will forever be interesting; so that there will always be a flag that we can get behind. Always, someone to be proud of.
PS. Best wishes to all who are starting exams next week. Give it stick...and chill.
