Maurice’s Poetic Reaction To Cordal’s Famous Victory over Scart

In case you think that Saturday’s game between Cordal and Scartaglen was a bit of a lark in the Castleisland Desmonds park – think again.

The event – for an event it was – left one Cordal man driven to poetry.

So intense was the feeling that it drove him ever onward from the moment he took pen in hand to the final, breast thumping line: ‘At least we’ve slain the beast.’

Maurice is carrying on a fine and old Cordal tradition in the style of Eugene O’Meara or Eugie Meara as he is more often called and Moss Tommy Reidy.

Mark my words, but there is someone out there who will put Maurice’s words to music.

For the record: Cordal defeated Scartaglen by 2-8 to 0-12 in round three of the County Junior Football Championship group three on which Dan Kearney compiled a fine report for Wednesday’s issue of The Kerryman.

The following is the work of Maurice O’Donoghue – he of RTÉ ‘The Borrowers’ fame and here it is:

Poetry in Motion
By Maurice O’Donoghue

The Young Bucks of Cordal.

One April eve in the year two zero one nine,
A spectacle was witnessed by those on the sideline.

Two local rivals battled to see who’d get the win,
The brave young bucks of Cordal and the mighty Scartaglen.

Round 3 of the Championship
And twas winner takes all,
A place in the Semi final
And the victors would stand tall.

A few nervy opening minutes saw the Scart boys stretch their lead,
5 points to zero
Twas more than prayers we’d need.

But our boys stuck to their task
And bravely battled on,
Brian Reidy got the goal
And from there we just powered on.

With Sean Og pinging points like a finely tuned machine,
And Philip stretching skywards
To win the ball so clean.

Our defence were undeterred
Stood tall and fought like terriers,
Paudi, Gary and Padraig Brosnan
A line of human barriers.

And Big John and Colm Clifford
Deftly cleaning  up loose ball,
While Johnny ‘The Power’ O Connor
Tore strips off one and all.

Sean Connell was a joy to watch
His hunger never waned,
While his Father Tom, could scarce look on ,
as he duly dished the pain.

Kieran Enright was immense, tackling hard and in the thick of it,
With Mossie on  the sideline
 t’wasnt off the ground he licked it.

Our forwards led the Scart boys a merry merry dance,
As Tj and Cathal created chance after chance.

And young  Eamon Nolan
Never shirked the  tussle,
As he danced and he weaved
Amid the toil and the bustle.

Not forgetting Tippy
The grand old duke of the team,
His pure determination
Allowed us all to dream.

Brian Reidy’s super touch can never be in doubt,
With that  rescinded red against Tarbert
We were always in with a shout.

And we can’t forget the super subs
Who came on and did great wonder,
For without them, our dreams,
 would surely have  been torn asunder.

And whilst the boys on the pitch
Worked hard and ran and ran,
Twas the men on the sideline who
Had to formulate the plan.

Tommy ,cool as ice and watching imperiously,
A bad call from the ref and you’re sure to hear ‘seriously’.

Domo with experience,nuance and devotion,
Just stay on his good side or there will be commotion.

And Mossie the shy one
Never one to grumble,
However, get that temper going and
Then you’ll hear the rumble.

So the odyssey continues
For one more game at least,
And whatever happens now
At least we’ve slain the beast.

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