Archive News
Monivea fail to build on good start
Date Published: 21-Jan-2010
CITY of Derry put an end to this AIB Junior Cup saga on Saturday in fairly comprehensive fashion with two tries in the final quarter of the contest to crush Monivea’s dream of a place in a national final for the first time.
When these sides met before kick off at the Castle Grounds way back on December 19, few could have envisaged that it would have taken four weeks for the contest to take place.
Having twice been frozen off in Galway, under competition rules the tie reverted to the Ulster club, yet that didn’t stop a huge load of Monivea faithful making the eight hour round trip on Saturday to cheer on their local heroes.
Alas, Monivea failed to deliver their best in this contest. The home side deserved their win but the Connacht men will look back on this contest with much regret. Had they capitlised on first half superiority they could have won this contest.
They led 11-7 at the break and probably should have led by more. In the second half, they had chances also but were not nearly as clinical as their illustrious opponents who were lethal in the last half hour when scoring 19 unanswered points.
Monivea started Saturday’s tussle by the River Foyle in good style. They notched up three points in the third minute through the boot of Ger O’Connor after Shane McHugh had stolen in the lineout and Fergus Farrell had charged forward forcing the penalty.
Their lead was doubled on 22 minutes with influential loose head prop Cathal Divilly the catalyst. His take from a Garryowen in midfield would make any full back proud but it was his break and deft off load in the tackle that set his side on their way. A subsequent half break from Ger O’Connor led to penalty number two and he obliged once more.
A change in momentum followed that score as City of Derry gradually edged their way into the contest. Referee Eamonn Kenny had some influence on the home side’s opening try with a questionable penalty on half way but he was spot on in penalising the visitors for back chat and that was key to the score.
The conversion left City of Derry 7-6 in front but with the first half seemingly done and dusted, Monivea conjured up a huge score. Full back Rory O’Connor made the first break, he found Ger O’Connor who kicked to the corner. Derry winger Rudi Moore really should have just cleared the bouncing balll to touch, but he hesitated and the advancing Pat Fitzmaurice scooped up possession and scampered home to put his side 11-7 ahead.
After half time, Monivea had a golden opportunity to go further ahead after Rory O’Connor collected possession deep in his own half and made a mesmerizing break in midfield sprinting all of 60 metres and being hauled down inches from the line. However, the chance was wasted when patience was needed.
That proved to be a key turning point. City of Derry regained the lead three minutes later. They shunned three points and opted to go to the corner on a penalty and while Monivea seemed to have repelled them brilliantly at first quick attack out wide led to the try for Rudi Moore who made amends for his first half mistake.
Derry controlled the contest from there as poor tackling in the backline and an attack characterized by far too many handling errors proved Monivea’s undoing. Both sides were rusty after the long lay off, but City of Derry had a powerful maul and a more consistent lineout for a platform and they turned out to be crucial in the end.
People’s living conditions less than 100 years ago were frightening. We have come a long way. We talk about water charges today, but back then the local District Councils were erecting pumps for local communities and the lovely town of Mountbellew, according to Council minutes, had open sewers,” says Galway County Council archivist Patria McWalter.
Patria believes we “need to take pride in our history, and we should take the same pride in our historical records as we do in our built heritage”. When you see the wealth of material in her care, this belief makes sense.
She is in charge of caring for the rich collection of administrative records owned by Galway County Council and says “these records are as much part of our history as the Rock of Cashel is. They document our lives and our ancestors’ lives. And nobody can plan for the future unless you learn from the past, what worked and what didn’t”.
Archivists and librarians are often unfairly regarded as being dry, academic types, but that’s certainly not true of Patria. Her enthusiasm is infectious as she turns the pages of several minute books from Galway’s Rural District Councils, all of them at least 100 years old.
Part of her role involved cataloguing all the records of the Councils – Ballinasloe, Clifden, Galway, Gort, Loughrea, Mountbellew, Portumna and Tuam. These records mostly consisted of minutes of various meetings.
When she was cataloguing them she realised their worth to local historians and researchers, so she decided to compile a guide to their content. The result is For the Record: The Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils, which will be a valuable asset to anybody with an interest in history.
Many representatives on these Councils were local personalities and several were arrested during the political upheaval of the era, she explains.
And, ushering in a new era in history, women were allowed to sit on these Rural District Councils – at the time they were not allowed to sit on County Councils.
All of this information is included in Patria’s introductory essay to the attractively produced A4 size guide, which gives a glimpse into how these Rural Councils operated and the way political thinking changed in Ireland during a short 26-year period. In the early 1900s, these Councils supported Home Rule, but by 1920, they were calling for full independence and refusing to recognise the British administration.
“I love the tone,” says Patria of the minutes from meetings. “The language was very emotive.”
That was certainly true of the Gort Rural District Council. At a meeting in 1907, following riots in Dublin at the premiere of JM Synge’s play, The Playboy of the Western World the councillors’ response was vehement. They recorded their decision to “protest most emphatically against the libellous comedy, The Playboy of the Western World, that was belched forth during the past week in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, under the fostering care of Lady Gregory and Mr Yeats. We congratulate the good people of Dublin in howling down the gross buffoonery and immoral suggestions that are scattered throughout this scandalous performance.
For more from the archives see this week’s Tribunes here
Date Published: 23-Jan-2013
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Date Published: 29-Jan-2013
Athenry FC 1
Kilbarrack United 2
(After extra time)
For the second year in succession Athenry were done in extra time in the FAI Junior Cup as last season’s beaten finalist’s came from behind to snatch an excellent game in Moanbawn on Sunday afternoon.
On a heavy pitch that was only playable following extensive groundwork by club officials all morning, the home side were by far the better side in the opening half, but failed to take advantage of a number of opportunities that came their way.
An Alan O’Donovan penalty gave them a merited advantage just after the restart, but thereafter were on the back foot as Kilbarrack took over, but for all their pressing, the home rearguard were dealing comfortably with their forays.
However they were struck a body blow just six minutes from time, as big striker Keith Kirwan was left all alone at the far post to head the equaliser and from that point on the Dubliners were the better side.
They started off the extra time in the ascendancy and enjoying all the momentum before striking for a good winning goal on 104 minutes. A strong bench allowed them to make some necessary changes and it was not a facility that was available to Athenry manager Gabriel Glavin.
With Gary Forde and Gary Delaney out through suspension following their sending off against OLBC in the previous round, and Seamie Crowe injured, it left their bench rather threadbare with just a number of young squad players available.
Playing with the aid of the slight incline and any wind advantage going, the home side had a Connor Cannon effort on target in the opening minute, while John Meleady was just over with a flick at the other end.
Meleady then tested Andrew Walsh who saved comfortably, before the goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant double save on 14 minutes.
Firstly he went full length to push away a Meleady shot and was then back on his feet to parry David Jackson’s close-range rebound.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.
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