In today’s Hospital Pass, we do our bit to spur on the Dublin hype machine and pay tribute to our favourite profession in the land: the GAA manager.
The Dubs were outrageously good at the weekend, weren’t they?
On the evidence of Saturday night, Diarmuid Connolly is Footballer of the Year material. He gave us a glimpse of his promise with that 3-3 salvo against Mayo in the National League, and he’s been progressing well in the Championship.
Against Tyrone on Saturday night, every defender who happened to find himself in his sphere of existence looked to be scuttling around on fused knees. Give Connolly the time and space that he was given on Saturday and he will hit seven points from play every time.
The Brogans were exceptional, too. Alan looks completely rejuvenated and Bernard hit his almost theymandatory four points. They’re so quick and powerful that you can’t see any team living with them.
Except maybe a Donegal side which has gleefully robbed good players of time and space all year. Kerry would probably have their measure too, and we all remember what happened the last time the Dubs went into a big Championship game against Mayo as raging hot favourites.
So Dublin were hugely impressive, of that there’s no doubt. But no matter how much you’d like to see them win – and their style of football is wonderfully entertaining – you just can’t help thinking they’ll find some way of losing one of their next two games.
Farewell for 2011, Mickey Harte and Davy Fitz
For the average GAA supporter, the most disappointing thing about Mickey Harte’s ongoing row with RTE is that we’ve missed his always engaging and enlightening comments all summer.
Mickey Harte is a GAA philosopher. If anything untoward were to befall Sir Ian McKellen, there wouldn’t be a better man to play Gandalf in The Hobbit. He’s the best type of man: full of humility and full of magic. We’d hang on his every word, if only we could hear him speak.
Not many of us can imagine how difficult this year has been for the man, and the entire Tyrone GAA community has come together as one to grieve. A few days after Michaela’s funeral, he was back in the dug-out.
He deserves his time off now, out of the public eye, and he’s already stated that he’ll be back again in 2012. We look forward to seeing him – and hearing from him – again in the New Year.
Davy Fitz has also taken his bow at the end of another summer of fecking and blinding and coaxing and haranguing from the sideline.
He’s taken Waterford to an All-Ireland final and three semi-finals, not forgetting last year’s Munster title too, in four years at the helm. And this was a Waterford team that many felt was over the hill when he took the job.
Whatever you might say about Davy Fitz, and you could say a lot, and most of it would probably be right, he must be an incredible motivator. If, as the talk suggests, his time with Waterford is to come to an end, and he throws in his lot with his native Clare, then the Banner can expect. There will be ups and there will be downs but whichever way it goes they’ll get something memorable. Nothing surer.
