Compare and contrast

AS someone into sport, one of my great recent reads has been ‘Cody, the Autobiography’, by Brian Cody who is the Kilkenny hurling manager. He is more than that, of course, for he just happens to be the most successful Gaelic games manager of the last decade. He had broken all records since taking over as team manager in late 1998. In eleven seasons he has presided over seven All-Ireland championship wins, ten Leinster titles and five National League titles. This year he is going for his fifth All-Ireland title in a row!

 Many readers may know little about hurling: it is an ancient Irish field game, played with a ball about the size of a tennis ball, but this one, called a liatroid, is a parcel of hard, rounded leather with a seam and it is sent hurtling through the air by skilful use of a hurley stick, made of ash, at speeds of well over 100 miles per hour and capable of travelling over 100 years with a single hit. It is reckoned to be the fastest field game in the world, played by 15 players on each side, and when played well is sheer class. In his book, physicality, artistry, speed and accuracy are cornerstones of the game. And how!

Walk down an Irish Lane

By Terry Reilly

When us kids were never bored!

With Christmas just behind us, and hopefully also the days of the elongated cold snap that had the country in its icy grip over the New Year period when temperatures fell to minus 10 degrees Celsius, our thoughts turn to Spring, lengthening sun-lit days and a good old rummage in the garden as we prepare for another season of good intentions. But just not yet!

 Older people have been getting great mileage from recounting their experiences in the Great Snow of 1947: the country, or large swathes of it, were buried feet deep under white powdery stuff for weeks on end, and volunteer groups had to go out and clear roads so that supplies could be delivered to isolated villages. In some areas, only the tops of the telegraph poles were visible.

December 6^th, 2009

Welcome to my first Ballina blog………

Bridge over troubled waters…….

BALLINA’S new bridge, opened in 2009, is a wonderful pedestrian structure crossing the River Moy just above the salmon weirs and the world-famous Ridge Pool. Ballina, is, of course, the official Salmon Capital of Ireland.

Fishing is an important component of Ballina’s commerce, salmon angling estimated to bring upwards of 10 million euro a year into the local economy.  Its real value is much, much greater, of course.

The bridge links the town of Ballina and ancient Ardnaree, and is the third bridge (but first pedestrian crossing). It is the only bridge built under our own jurisdiction: the other two, the Ham (1836) and the Arran Bridge (1835) were built when England ruled this country.

The pedestrian bridge, appropriately designed to resemble a fishing rod, has its detractors…. and its supporters. The positioning of the structure, the role is fulfils, the money it cost (less than 2 million euro), were amongst the points at debate. Even the local Town Council was divided on the issue.