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SUNDAY MAY 10th 2009
Lá Na gClub
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On Sunday May 10th 2009, we held a charity football match between our ladies team and a team of auld fella’s in wellington boots who’s footballing days were long past them. This was our La Na Club Day and all proceeds raised went to Meath Palliative Care. The match result, well the ladies let the auld fella’s draw with them.
All Photos by and the copyright of Pascal Reilly
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SUNDAY OCTOBER 25th 2009
THE DAY “MICKO” CAME TO TOWN
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Our neighbours Wolfe Tones were fixed to play Seneschalstown in the county senior final on Sunday 25th October 2009, however it didn’t go ahead on that day as it was anticipated that Navan O’Mahonys whom they beat in the semi-final after a replay would lodge an appeal against a “Tones” players participation in that semi-final, however that appeal didn’t materialise and the final went ahead on Sunday November 1st.
Earlier Wolfe Tones had booked the St. Michaels pitch for Saturday 24th for a kick-about and team talk before the final and as happens someone in the “Tones” camp let it be known that the great man himself Mick O’Dwyer might be in attendance, will he or won’t he, that was the question, there was whispering all that Saturday afternoon, it was top secret, whatever you do don’t let it be known in Seneschalstown.
The only way to find out was to go to the pitch and see what happens. There was a certain person who resided close to our pitch in Carlanstown who was tasked with the job as a look-out and of texting the chosen few the minute he witnessed any activity around the pitch, this he did. Only a select few were informed as we were unsure whether he’d turn up at all and we could end up with egg on our faces and would look right eegits if he didn’t and the place full of prospective on-lookers.
We arrived at the pitch in the early afternoon of that October day to find the Wolfe Tones lads running hither and tither to the instructions of their team mentor Cathal O’Bric. Then this Merc rolled silently in through the entrance gate of the St. Michaels GFC grounds, the driver was unknown to us but sure enough the front seat passenger was the man himself Mick O’Dwyer.
Out he got in the brown leather jacket, put on his all weather gear and with whistle in hand headed out onto the pitch, he got introduced to the Wolfe Tones mentors and it was down to business with him, doing all sorts of drills and finishing off with a team talk with the panel of players.
Darkness was falling as he came off the pitch, he didn’t run to his car and off out the gate, no he hung around and spoke to those gathered there to watch the goings on, he stood in for photo’s and made himself available to everyone.
Did the Tones pull off a master stroke, well they did and they didn’t, the re-fixed final went ahead on Sunday November 1st 2009, it ended in a draw after normal time, it then went to extra time and again ended on level terms at 1-13 apiece.
The replay took place 4 days later in what was a first for the GAA in Meath, a midweek final under lights, however Micko’s blessings didn’t extend to the replay as the “Tones” lost on a scoreline of 2-8 to 1-8, it just goes to show, even the greatest manager in GAA history can’t work miracles, but having said that, this was a feather in the cap of St. Michaels GFC as we now have it to say that on Saturday October the 24th 2009 the legend that is Mick O’Dwyer set foot on the hallowed turf of St. Michaels pitch.
Compiled by Pascal Reilly
All Photos by and the copyright of Pascal Reilly