This article is from page 99 of the 2008-06-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 99 JPG
IT WAS always going to be more of a match on the radio.
At least on the radio there was the prospect of a contest, or so we hoped beforehand.
In Kerry’s corner were those deni- zens of the “Voice of the Kingdom’. You know them well, they’re the Ra- dio Kerry crew who provided an in- valuable service on the Clare side of the estuary a couple of months back when doing a live commentary on the Clare v Kerry first round Mun- ster minor football championship in Cusack Park.
Going over water and road was no obstacle to the Radio Kerry crew — the few hundred yards down Francis
Street was too long a journey for the Clare FM’s crew.
But Clare FM showed up this time — Georgie Fitzpatrick and Ger Keane going into battle against Gary O’Sullivan and Weeshie Fogarty in the Kerry corner.
Both teams were under no illusions of what lay in store. Lambs and lions were the order of the day for Geor- reales
“Minnows from Clare,’ he said, “came across on the ferry to try and put it up to the lion kings of Kerry in their own den.”
There was more of where that came from: “Clare came down like lambs to the slaughter in the great Kerry den,’ added Georgie.
Weeshie Fogarty wasn’t getting too
excited. “It will be an easy win for Kerry,” he said in almost subdued tones, just as Clare FM’s roving re- porter Marie Crowe struck a defiant note. “It’s anyone’s game down here in Killarney, the fans think Clare are going to do it.”
Obviously, she didn’t have one ear tuned into Ambrose O’ Donovan over on Radio Kerry. “I expect Kerry to win by 2-20 to 1-6 or 1-7,” he said confidently, while Ger Keane rub- bished this prediction mid-way through the first half when revealing that “Clare are standing up manfully to the task”.
It all changed in the second half, maybe because Kerry heard Am- brose O’Donovan’s words at half- time. “It’s a wake up call for Kerry.
Kerry must start the second half with all guns blazing and blow this Clare team away.”
Ger Keane certainly believed it was going to happen after Conor Whelan was sent off.
‘“That’s an absolutely ridiculous de- cision,’ he roared. “It makes a farce of the game and ruins the game as a contest.”
Fellow Kilkee Blue Georgie Fitz- patrick said soon afterwards: “With a cascade of scores the full-time whistle can’t come quick enough”.
As it turned out, it didn’t come quick enough for Kerry captain Paul Galvin. Radio Kerry were in no mood to condemn the man, but the Kilkee Blues were straight into the action.
‘Paul Galvin and John Hayes are having a right old battle,” exclaimed Georgie. “They’re exchanging pleas- antries,’ — a term that could be termed a euphemism for Micheal O’Hehir’s fabled used of the term ‘schmozzel’.
Then Ger took up commentary. “Paul Galvin did throw a knee,’ he roared. “Galvin’s punching Tomas O Sé on the chest…Galvin’s knocked the book out of Paddy Russell’s hand. He may not see action for three months.”
Ger Keane was the first man to make the call.
It ensured that Clare FM didn’t lose the game like Clare — they left Kil- larney with a draw on points against their heavyweight opponents.