Sunday June 22 – St. Brigid GAA Club, Athlone & More
Don’t Forget to check out the previous blogs on our Inaugural Tour:
St. Brigid’s GAA Club – This is the club my dad played for and has a long history of involvement and success with the GAA. Like so many, the codes of the GAA have influenced his life in minor and major ways for nine decades, so far. Those codes are the model for us at iIrish too.
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the Gaelic Athletic Association‘s (GAA) premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament for boys under the age of 18. Over time, Ladies Gaelic football and Camogie have been added to Hurling under the auspices of the GAA. On the 23rd of September 1951, at 17 years old, dad was the right half back for the 1951 All-Ireland Gaelic Football Minor Champion Roscommon, who won the final in a 2-7 to 1-5 (13 to 8) defeat of Armagh. This was their third All-Ireland title at the time (1939, 1941, 1951, 2006).
We were able to walk around the field and much of the St. Brigid’s clubhouse; surreal to be on the field where dad played and practiced 75 years ago.
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the Gaelic Athletic Association‘s (GAA) premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament for boys under the age of 18. Over time, Ladies Gaelic football and Camogie have been added to Hurling under the auspices of the GAA. On the 23rd of September 1951, at 17 years old, dad was the right half back for the 1951 All-Ireland Gaelic Football Minor Champion Roscommon, who won the final in a 2-7 to 1-5 (13 to 8) defeat of Armagh. This was their third All-Ireland title at the time (1939, 1941, 1951, 2006).
We were able to walk around the field and much of the St. Brigid’s clubhouse; surreal to be on the field where dad played and practiced 75 years ago.
Then, The Bus Broke Down!
Yes, The Beautiful Beast Bus Broke Down!
Seems a wiry switch went bad. I’d tell you more about it, but I haven’t a clue. Does this picture tell a thousand words?
Fortunately, The Nap had a friend nearby, who kindly shuttled us from St. Brigid’s to Athlone town, just a few minutes away. We soothed our fierce desperate parched lips at “The Oldest Pub in Ireland,” Sean’s Bar (continuously running since 900AD, as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, and owned for a brief few years in the early 1970s by my second cousin).
Wiki says that research is ongoing into the title of “Oldest Bar in the World.” So far, nothing older has been found. Sean’s is the reigning Pub of the Year Award winner too.
A great pint (yes, there is a significant difference in the taste of a pint of Guinness poured in Ireland, compared to one poured in the states), deserves great food, so we went down a few doors to Bailey’s (Bar & Lounge, Athlone) for lunch. Fresh food always tastes better, and Ireland has climbed the world ladder to the top as an accomplished and fresh foodie haven. Before we even finished lunch, the Master Bus Driver, James Griffen, met us – the bus was fixed and ready to roam.
