Bluebeat: Ballyboden look to spoil the Kilmacud Crokes party in Division 1 final
Kilmacud Crokes players celebrate after winning the Leinster club SFC final at Croke Park on Saturday. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
Two juggernauts will cross the Toll Bridge on Wednesday night.
It’s Ballyboden St Enda’s against Kilmacud Crokes in the Go-Ahead Dublin Adult Football League Division 1 final at Parnell Park (7.30).
Crokes, fresh from the historic Leinster three-in-a-row. It’s a remarkable achievement by Robbie Brennan and company. As everyone knows, escaping the city walls can, sometimes, be the hardest task of all.
Kilmacud are the All-Ireland champions. When the final whistle blows in Donnycarney, they’ll carry the best wishes of Boden.
Boden have been down that road themselves. On the way to their 2016 success, they had the most dramatic semi-final extra-time victory over Clonmel Commercials in O’Moore Park.
The great Fintan Walsh said it was one of the best occasions of all. Darragh Nelson’s late equalising point is still bouncing down the Firhouse Road.
Boden v Crokes. No more enticing duel to end the year. It will be well worth the bus fare.
Liam Griffin got the best out of his players
There’s only one Liam Griffin. He led Wexford to the MacCarthy. They’ll write a play about it someday. Maybe they have already.
Dublin gave them a game of it in the Leinster Championship that year.
Liam’s gift was getting the best out of his players. He built his hotel business with the same bricks.
The hotels bring much employment. Liam set the example. It was no bother to him to do the work of three people.
One day he was approached by a staff member. “Liam, myself and my other two mentors have an Under-16 final, but the hotel manager has the three of us rostered for duty.”
Liam replied: “Say nothing to the manager, slip out the side door and I’ll cover!”
Confessions of sports commentator
Philip Greene was one of Ireland’s legendary commentators. As a kid, he’d spend Saturdays in Dalymount Park and Sundays in Croke Park.
He remembered the McDonnells and the Synnotts playing for the Dubs.
Years later, he was commentating in Tolka Park. An FAI Cup replay between Rovers and Dundalk.
Before kick-off, a priest rushed up to him. “I couldn’t attend the first game. I was hearing confessions,” he explained
“But I brought my transistor, and the little earpiece, into the Confession Box. I didn’t miss anything!”
As Philip quipped: “The penance must have been light that day!”
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