Most of us are not completely at ease with this glorious weather. We’re just not used to it; Give us time and we will adjust, but it takes a while.
Yesterday when I pulled back the blinds just after 7.30 am to try to get the kids, who were absolutely zonked from the heat, up for school it was the same glorious sunshine that we have had for the past few days and for a minute I thought we were in France or Portugal or Spain.
If we had weather like this for the months of July and August, none of us would bother with foreign trips at all.
Likewise last weekend, between Green Dragons, Red Arrows, packed streets, and Gaelic football being played in the mid-twenties it was all a bit dreamlike.
Add in seeing the county champions Corofin being pulverised by a rampant Micheal Breathnachs and it was obvious that we had taken too much sun.
To be fair to the Connemara men – who were 9/2 outsiders - they were fully deserving of their 1-13 to 1-10 victory. If anything they could have won by more and were pulling up at the final whistle.
An early goal by Einne O’Conghaile put them on the road and they never looked back from there. They are a very fit team and when they build up a head of steam they never looked like being reined in by the county champions. Players like Donal O’Curraoin and Peadar O’Cainnagh were absolutely flying and gave a real run-around to the Corofin defence who looked out on their feet.
Indeed Corofin manager Gerry Keane will have a very tough job in trying to revitalise his charges for the back door for first round losers. With teams like Killererin, St Michaels, Cortoon Shamrocks and Annaghdown in the hat for that draw anyone can go out. He will be very hopeful that last year’s captain Kieran Fitzgerald will be recovered from injury to help to steady the ship.
The individual performance of the weekend has to go to Seamie Crowe who was magnificent in Salthill’s one point (1-11 to 2.07 ) victory over Killererin. Any time a player scores 1-09 (1f ) he is worthy of special mention and the Killererin full-back line could do nothing with him.
It was surprising that the Killererin management team did not drop a player or two back to try to stop the supply getting into Crowe. Perhaps when they went two goals up at the start of the second they thought they were safe and took their eye off the ball.
However Salthill rallied and with Finian Hanley, Marty O’Connell and the two Begleys driving on from the back they came back to win a storming game.
Killererin are still a good side and no-one would fancy meeting them in the back door. However, they have an over dependence on Padraig Joyce for inspiration and if he is held they find it difficult to find other players to fill that void.
Some people’s fancy for the county championship, Caherlistrane got their season off to a good start with a solid win over St Michael’s who were hamstrung by the absence of Eddie Hoare through injury. No club can afford to be without one of their top players and without Hoare’s drive and ball winning ability St Michael’s always faced an uphill battle.
Cormac Bane shot five points – two frees – from centre-forward and along with county minor star Eric Monahan always looked dangerous. This victory will bring Caherlistrane on and no doubt Pete Warren will be trying to convince them that on their day they are capable of beating any club side in the county.
Corofin’s defeat proves conclusively that the 2009 championship is wide open and there is a county title there for any set of players who really knuckle down to some hard training over the next few months and set themselves the objective of collecting the Frank Fox cup next October.
And with the weather like this, a few hard sessions – of training – in the humidity and heat would mean the club will not have to bother going to La Manga in August for the training week. So forget about the boats now and focus on becoming the pride of the parish!
