BRÓD

By The Hurler on the Ditch

Bród, or for non Irish speakers, PRIDE. That was the over-riding feeling after Sunday’s event. The football game was the centrepiece, but not the entirety of the event. Much, much more was on show. In fact, the entire Dr Crokes Club came into focus.

By the Hurler on the Ditch

A dirty, cold, wet evening welcomed our boys, as they landed home from the big game last Sunday.  Tired,their only interest was to grab their bags and get home or back to college.  There were very few there to greet our heroes home from the day’s battle. The scene contrasted with some lines from a Francis Scott Key poem that came to mind.

When the warrior returns, from the battle afar, 
To the home and the country he nobly defended, 
O! warm be the welcome to gladden his ear, 
And loud be the joy that his perils are ended: 
In the full tide of song let his fame roll along, 
To the feast-flowing board let us gratefully throng, 
Where, mixed with the olive, the laurel shall wave, 
And form a bright wreath for the brows of the brave.

By The Hurler on the Ditch

Three County Championships in a row.  What an achievement.  These players we watch week in and week out are extraordinary men - GIANTS.  As we speak of the 1912–1914 men, so shall we and future generations speak of the current players.  Their names will be recalled just as are those of Dick Fitzgerald, Paddy Healy, Con Murphy and the others from a hundred years ago.

PILGRIMS ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD, AGAIN

(By a Hurler on the Ditch)

The Camino Walk or The Way of St James is a famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in North Western Spain, where it is said that St James, the apostle, is buried.  There are many routes to Santiago de Compostela, depending on where you live.  The most popular starting point for pilgrims from this part of the world is a town, on the French side of the Pyrenees, called St-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

This is a journey, not to be completed in a single day, but over a lengthy period and in stages.  The pilgrim travels over mountains, through open grassland and forested areas.  There are some long stages, while others are shorter.  The route visits small villages and larger towns. Every stage has its own difficulties, its own challenges and its own rewards.  Some pilgrims complete the journey end to end in one visit.  Others get so far in one year and return to complete the journey on another visit the following year or in some cases over a number of years.

The single thing every pilgrim has in their sights, when they start, is the final destination, Santiago de Compostela.

Dr Crokes commenced our 2012 annual pilgrimage on Saturday – our destination, the Bishop Moynihan Cup.

Our lads have taken us along the entire journey - and beyond - on the last two pilgrimages.  This year’s pilgrimage will have its own difficulties, its own challenges, its own rewards and hopefully, the ultimate reward.  The first stage of this year’s pilgrimage went well.  We were treated to the delights of the “Colm Cooper Show”, with four fantastically worked goals.  (See other pages on this website for video footage and photos)  Brilliant as Colm’s play was – and it was brilliant – Colm would be the first to compliment the work and service of his team-mates.  Two young players, Gavin O’Shea and Kieran Ward, had their debuts in senior championship competition and put in tremendous performances.  Our new Management Team, Noel, Vince, Malachy, Enda, Brian and first sub Mike, must be very pleased with Saturday’s game – not just the performances of individuals and the team as a unit, but also the fact that, to a man, when it would have been easy to relax on a good lead, our lads kept their concentration and finished out the game as strong as they had started.

Well, fellow pilgrims, let’s look forward to our Camino Walk that, hopefully, takes us all the way to our Santiago de Compostela.  In winning against St Michaels Foilmore, we have crossed the Pyrenees.  Many stages, difficult and challenging, lie ahead.  How we look forward to the coming stages of our pilgrimage?

I came across the following quote, recently.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found, not in finishing an activity, but in doing it.”

I don’t know?  I agree that the journey over the past two years has been terrific, most enjoyable and joyful.  But, reaching our destination has been one hell of a party too.

Let the pilgrimage continue.