FOOTBALL

is such a serious business now that sometimes you forget it is supposed to be fun.

Páidí’s tournament celebrated its 28th anniversary last weekend, with 13 overseas teams taking part – including one from Dubai – and it’s still as much fun as it was when we lived it up in our youth.

In fairness, it was Páidí that put the fun into it, but we reckon he had one eye on the cash register as well.

In one of the early years of the festival, he was shocked when his Ventry pub emptied in a flash as the players high-tailed it into Dingle on a scouting mission for non-football talent.

‘By God, that won’t happen again,’ muttered Páidí.

And it didn’t. The following year 12 female teams were invited to compete for the first time and, funnily enough, there have been no mass disappearing acts since then from his house of fun.