Scríobhann an Ciarraíoch, Aodh Ó Coileáin faoi na cuimhní cinn atá aige den chaid ag dul siar agus muid ag teannadh le chuiche ceannais na hÉireann idir foireann na Ríochta agus muintir na gCnoc, Dún na nGall.
Those were days of milky tapioca pudding with a good spoon of strawberry jam; it would await us steaming when we came in from school. My Dad, originally from Cork, never missed the opportunity to remind us of the colours in the bowl! In Dingle of the 1970s and 80s, the pier was the centre of town, all action happened there and that's where we wanted to be; the homework had to wait.
The sea was our internet, linking us to faraway places we’d never been – Donegal. Dingle fishing families spent periods working from Killybegs, married people from that town, moved over the sea between Kerry and Donegal. These were hardy, resourceful lads, just like those that will face each other in Croke Park on Sunday. In the 1930s, Dingle fishermen played a significant role in developing the Killybegs fishery. Joe Guiheen whose roots were in the Great Blasket sailed 'The Pride of Dingle’ all the way north to Donegal. Martin Moore who wore a trilby and had a black and white dog with a ginger streak called Brandy, worked at the herring in Killybegs. His boat ‘The Vigilant’ was the only steel-hulled trawler in Dingle of my youth; two of his grandsons moved from Killybegs and attended our primary school. The Donegal accent was as natural to us as the cry of a seagull around a fishing boat returning from sea. While we may know each other well, even drank in pubs along the Quay, Kerry will need nerves of steel and seventy minutes of vigilance if Sam Maguire is to winter in the Kingdom once again.
Dhá chontae Gaeltachta iad Ciarraí agus Dún na nGall, castar ar a chéile sinn ag Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta ag Féilte Dramaíochta ag Oireachtas na Samhna. Ó 1972 i leith, tharraing RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta na canúintí Gaeilge le chéile. Tá ‘tuigbheáil’ níos fearr ag bean Dhún Chaoin ar bhriathra bhean na Rosann.
Bhuaigh Dún na nGall Corn Sam Mhic Uidhir den chéad uair in 1992, téann stair na caide i gCiarraí siar i bhfad roimh bhunú an Stáit. Tá an chaid i smior na gcnámh againn, is geall le creideamh í a deireann daoine eile. Is dócha go bhfuil greim daingean aici orainn ó aimsir Chogadh na gCarad. Sí an chaid a thug le chéile sinn tar éis na danarthachta is an doirteadh fola go léir. Sna deich mbliana tar éis an Chogaidh Chathartha, bhuaigh Ciarraí Craobh na hÉireann faoi shé. Aon amháin ab ea an fhoireann ar pháirc na himeartha ach níorbh ea ar pháirc an áir. Cuimhnítear ar Con Brosnan ó Mhaigh Mheáin i gCiarraí Thuaidh a thacaigh leis an gConradh Angla- Éireannach agus John Joe Sheehy ó Thrá Lí a throid go fíochmhar ina choinne. Bhí sé fós ar a theitheadh tar éis an chogaidh ach chruthaítí spás dó ar pháirc na peile. Aon treibh amháin iad na Ciarraígh chomh fada is a bhaineann sé le cúrsaí caide.
My own first trip to Croke Park in 1978 saw Kerry defeat the Dubs. The Christian Brother who taught us asked my Dad for a spin to the train; we were mortified! He accompanied us all the way to Heuston with sandwiches that looked much tastier than ours. My mother had packed a full loaf in a Larkin’s sliced pan wrapper, convincing us that anything bought on the train was ‘slow poison’ and what you made at home was ‘far nicer’. D’fhógair ár múinteoir ainm gach baile i nGaelainn agus an traein ag gluaiseacht faoi lánluas i dtreo na hardchathrach: Bántír, Ráth Luirc, Durlas Éile, Cúil an tSúdaire, Mainistir Eimhín…
My brother and I got a green and gold hat made of crepe paper on O’Connell Bridge sular thugamar fé Pháirc an Chrócaigh. My abiding memory of our county’s colours was from the Wren’s Day, the very heart of winter, when Dingle comes alive. We always march with the Green and Gold. As the late Steve McDonagh observed: "It’s very healthy to go mad occasionally." Following the match one of these great teams will go wild in celebration. Which county joined by the sea at the hip will it be? Kerry or Donegal?
The referee will throw the ball in, men will leap to gain possession and the ghosts up in the stand will raise a cheer in silent echo: Paddy Bawn and Timineen Deas, Owen Roe O’Neill of Ballyshannon, fear Dhún Síon, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, ó Ghort an Choirce, Séamus Mac Géidigh, Páidí Ó Sé taking a cut at Micko, Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí agus é ag caitheamh hata, Hughie Coyle ó Dhoirí Beaga, Billamite with Gega Connor along with all the Boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wren.
Go raibh an lá leis an dream is fearr agus go mbeirimid beo ar an am seo arís.
Ar an Domhnach 27 Iúil, beidh RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta i lár an aonaigh ag Craobh Pheile na hÉireann le fáisnéis tuairiscí, torthaí, anailís agus tráchtaireacht beo ó 2 i.n.
