Now at top level
Dear Editor, Heartiest congratulations to Finola (Neville), Aoife (Hurley) and Laura (Hayes) on being selected to play with Cork camogie teams this season. All in St Catherine’s are so proud of you - true Rebelettes - a cut above the rest - truly a great honour both for yourselves and for your club. In the intermediate game against Tipperary in mid-May, Finola got that all-important goal with club-mate Aoife setting up the second one and you know what they say - ‘goals win matches’, so well, done girls and keep up the good work.
Laura acquitted herself well on Sunday in the senior team’s win over Tipperary and can now look forward to the Munster final. A valued member on the panel - I have every faith in her and with any help she can get from Orla (Cotter-Scanlon), she is well on her way to becoming one of Cork’s big stars.
Finola is my favourite player - her athleticism and endeavour makes her really special, but I have been following Aoife’s trajectory with admiration, always believing she would make the Cork
team. A great dual player, she plays her football with Bride Rovers. I am wondering though about Rachel O’Callaghan who played on good Cork inter- county camogie teams around 2018 and what her plans are as I haven’t seen her mentioned recently. This could be a great year for St Catherine’s camogie - fingers crossed!
Within earshot in town the other day I heard a man remark (perhaps it may have been for my benefit): “It would be be very wrong if it must take the best of Bride Rovers, Castlelyons and St Catherine’s to win a County title - it shouldn’t be allowed.” The remark didn’t faze me in the least - I see it simply as hostile jealousy. Win that title girls!
I have been around in my time. I have met some smart men and men who thought they were smart. I met men who were classed as being gas men but were nearer to being buffoons. There are three with high IQs however whom I would like to mention here. There was Dungourney native, Fr Chris Twohig who was President of St Colman’s College for many years. Boy, but could he teach Latin and Greek? He was a pilot and a solicitor, was proficient in Law and Medicine and had a great grasp of every worthwhile topic. A truly amazing man.
Another highly intelligent man was an old pal of mine at UCC in 1964/’65. That was none other than Bun Harty of Clancy Street. We both studied Commerce, he was a very confident young man back then and was my protector on the campus. He could express himself so adeptly and used words and phrases that left me baffled. His favourite song was the Gene Pitney hit of the time, ‘Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa’ which he sang practically every day. Bun went on to be an accountant, emigrated to England, ending up in
Manchester which I am sure suited him quite well as he was/is a keen Man United supporter. I have no doubt but that he excelled in his profession and is now hopefully, enjoying well earned retirement.
Finally there is Tommy ‘Swift’ O’Sullivan (O.P. Hill and Cluain Dara) - a big-time academic and a really nice and gentle person. He also spent a spell in UCC. The possessor of a brilliant mind, Tommy could spend an hour quoting Milton and his recall of subjects and passages from the great writers is amazing. He is great company, converses very well with people and there is no better man to debate or argue a point. All the elderly folk that Tommy knew are in Kilcrumper or such and he, like myself, miss them hugely and as a result, we get lonely at times. “Ah, look at all the lonely people / Where do they all come from / Where do they all belong?”
Ah yes, time marches on.
May God be with the old folk!
Yours sincerely, Tom McAuliffe, Cluain Dara, Fermoy.