20th June, 2002
Well folks, the World Cup party is over, but what
a party it was!. I don’t want to go into the Keane/McCarthy
saga, leave that to the matchmakers to sort out. Will we ever
forget Robbie Keane’s goal in the 92nd minutes against
Germany? Or the German referee who saw Niall Quinns shirt being
pulled almost over his head in the penalty box in the game
against Spain? The joy that our team brought into every home in
Ireland as they fought with spirit and courage to get those
equalisers. No team ever beat us in the World Cup of 2002 - we
lost, but we were not beaten. Like the toss of a coin, we called
it wrong, and Spain got through. As usual, the Irish supporters
were a credit to their country, making lots of friends in Japan
and South Korea. I’ll miss the excitement of locking the
Douglas Weekly office at 12.20pm and rushing home to watch our
lads in action, and going back to work two hours later, drained,
but happy. Ah, but we’ll have the memories. Incidently, good
luck to England against Brazil, and to the good ol’ USA,
with team members names such as O’Brien, Donovan, McBride.
It’s as close to an Irish team as we could hope for!
Emer O’Kelly wrote an interesting piece about the World Cup
in last Sunday’s ‘Independant’. She wrote, “That
it’s depressing that something as trivial as football can
reduce the country to such insanity”. She then mentioned
that the Credit Unions were not doing their members any favours
by “winking at a lie”. It seems that there were
thousands of loan applications a few weeks before the games
started. The vast majority of loan applications were for ‘home
improvements’. She continues, “At least the Credit
Unions will try to be sympathetic when their customers (the title
is members, Emer! - The banks have customers, the Credit Unions
have members, there is a difference!) default on their loans, as
many will”. That’s a bit presumptous, isn’t it?
She goes on, “Our parents were happy to spent a fortnight in
a caravan in Rush, Co. Dublin, or Tramore, Co. Waterford - as I’m
sure most of us in Cork were when we holidayed in Myrtleville,
Crosshaven, Red Barn, Garrettstown, etc... but those days are
gone. Blame Jack Charlton, he started it all a few years ago when
Ireland because a member of the World Cup club.”
Emer tells us as she passed pubs that there was a surge of noise,
and it did not sound genial. The fans were getting into a
belligerent mood (she must live in a dodgy neighbourhood!). Then
she asked, “How many of them got into their cars later, and
transferred their drunken belligerence to those lethal
weapons> She finally ends by stating that “children won’t
have shoes to put on their feet because of the huge debts piled
up by the world cup parents”.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Credit Union members (not
customers) take out loans to go on holidays, to all parts of the
world - America, Australia, Canada - and they usually have a
great time, and then they return home and the following week it’s
down to the Credit Union with their book and money to payback.
Then at the annual AGM the people with loans get a dividend,
which means that we all get money back. It’s our money that
we put in, it’s our money that is given out, and at the end
of the day, that’s the essence of community. So if you want
to go to a tiddlywinks world championship in Outer Mongolia, GO,
because at the end of the day, you only get one ride on the
roundabout!
Are there any other people out there, like me, who are sick to
death of Channel 4’s Graham Norton? Talk about ‘over-exposure’
- this camp character belongs next to Kenneth Williams in a 1960’s
‘carry-on’ movie. Not to mention ‘Big Brother’
- do people still watch it? Come on, think of it, television has
gone to the dogs lately. TV3’s Law and Order is being
repeated - tonight’s show was shown a few months ago. On the
Discovery channel, the FBI files, Medical Detectives - all
repeats. Last night (Sunday) there was nothing on any of the
channels worth watching. A documentary on Ronald Briggs, shown on
Discovery last night, was a repeat. One would need a box of
Rennies now watching TV, there are so many repeats on!
What about the weather? My daughters and their children spent a
week in a mobile home in Barleycove (last week in May, cost
€350). They’re improving now, with a steady supply of
Prozac, and they should be back to normal in the near future. My
son and his family went to Portugal for two weeks, and they’re
just back. Air fares and apartment - €450 each. Sunshine,
fresh Sardines sold on the beach, beautiful meals costing about
€10 each. I’m going away for a few days holidays this
week, the West of Ireland, with my umbrella, raincoat, wellie
boots, and my daughters left over supply of Prozac.
Finally, for some good news. Our Douglas Weekly Miss Cork beauty
contestant, Kathy O’Donnell, is through to the final in the
Silversprings hotel on July 6th. I went down to the hotel last
Friday night to see Kathy taking part in the heats. I want to
thank the Galley hair salon, in the East Village, for styling
Kathy’s hair for the night, and also thanks to Stephen Foote
of Laura’s Ladies Fashions, Douglas West, for the gown,
shoes, bag and jewellery. The people of Douglas are always great
to support local. Thanks again.
Thanks to Ger O’Regan, from Ballinlough, for his wonderful
articles on times past. Keep those memories coming in Ger. Good
luck to Douglas GAA Camogie club as they travel North to
hopefully bring back some silverware to the club. I’m sorry
about the missed photo session on Monday night, I fell asleep
watching the news and woke up at 7.00pm when Leonard Lynch phoned
me for a snooker game (I had to let Leonard win - he owns O’Brien’s
Irish Sandwich Bar in Douglas). It’s the only way I’ll
get a free cup of coffee from him.
So, I’m off on Wednesday, with my Prozac and supply of
Iodine tablets. If the weather doesn’t get me, Sellafield
will! See you next week.
Bye for now,
Michael O’Hanlon.
