‘I’ll be dancing again if Cuala triumph on St Patrick’s Day,’ vows Des
RTÉ’S Des Cahill has said he’ll be dancing again if his beloved side Cuala GAA do the business at Croke Park on Friday.
It is the first Dublin club to reach the an All-Ireland Club Hurling Final, and Cahill is a long-time supporter of the Dalkey team.
He said that win, lose or draw, he’ll be getting into the spirit of St Patrick’s Day as he drowns the shamrock after months spent working on ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
“I’m doing the parade for RTÉ with Bláthnaid ní Chofaigh; she’s a big Cuala supporter, too. So once we’re off the air at 1.30pm, we’ll be lashing straight over to Croke Park,” he said.
“I’ve been locked away for three months, so I’ll be making up for lost time.
“There’s fantastic excitement around Friday, and they’ve a great bunch of young lads, it’s going to be a great day. They’re starting off early with a breakfast in the club, and then they’re all getting the Dart over, so the craic will be unreal.”
Atmosphere But Cahill, who was in the Boar’s Head in Dublin yesterday with dance partner Karen Byrne as they enjoyed a flutter on Cheltenham, thinks it will be a challenging game for Cuala as Clare team Ballyhea are a strong side.
“I wouldn’t sound too confident about Friday, but either way it will be a spectacular day; it will be unbelievable fun and the atmosphere will be unreal,” he said.
He’ll be staying on in Croker to cheer on Kerry side Dr Crokes as they take on Derry side Slaughtneil in the All-Ireland Club SFC final. It’s been 25 years since the Killarney team won the biggest prize in club football, and Des said he would be hoping they do the business on Friday.
He joined the club in the early 1980s, when he moved down to work as a journalist, and has fond memories of his time in the Kingdom.
“They were so good to me when I worked with ‘The Kerryman’. Pat O’Shea, their manager, played alongside me as a young lad and his parents were at my wedding, so there’s a strong link with them.
“Eddie O’Sullivan, Pat’s father, was the selector on the team and his nickname was Tatler as they all used to drink in Tatler Jack’s pub in Killarney. It was like a home away from home for me,” he said.