Charlie Chaplin once said “A day without laughter is a
day wasted”. I found that very profound and, well, true. We laugh when we’re
happy and things go our way, and even when we’re in the depths of despair, your
flat broke, the girlfriends left you for the milkman (not a bad thing as the
milk was crap and now you’ll have peace) somewhere in head you’ll say “Sure all
I can do is laugh!”
I laughed in Dundalk.
A lot.
I laughed as the pressure of the first book launch in the
Nationwide Tour eased with a healthy receptive crowd, not shy about buying my
little publication, and a handful of club legends who spoke with pride about
the book but above all – their club.
Martin Lawlor is a one. A stalwart of Jim McLaughlin’s uncompromising
back line that helped the Lilywhites dominate Irish football in the late seventies,
told of the need for pride in the shirt after seeing Dundalk outclassed by a
Derry City side still harbouring Championship ambitions. The Lilywhites season is over and the
performances of some highlighted that. A lack of passion in parts, a combined
confidence knocked by a poor run of form – a ninety minute lesson of going
through the motions.
Somehow you just couldn’t have seen McConville, Keely,
Muckian and Lawlor or a proud Derry man in charge accepting it.
After everyone had popped into
the Lilywhite Lounge, Nicky McCourt took centre stage to kick off proceedings
of which Martin stepped up first. The presence of Airtricity representative
Jason Cooke may have added an “official” air to things but in fairness to the
man he couldn’t have been more carefree.
“There are seven people going for the Presidency of this country, yet
why Brian isn’t in it I’ll never know as he covered more ground then all seven!” (“and probably talked more sense”) came a
reassuring voice of a Lilywhite fan behind me (who then earned himself a
whiskey!)
I eventually got up but wanted
to highlight anyone but myself and told the story of Dundalk FM’s and former
Lilywhite favourite John Murphy, who now commentates with a fantastic bias
slant on every Dundalk home and away game.
“My trip to Dundalk was for the Glentoran game and was alongside John
when Glentoran got a penalty. He’d been looking away from the match, thus
missed the decision, to which he belted out live on air
“It’s a penalty to Glentoran. It’s a penalty to Glentoran. I haven’t
seen it but it’s a f****** disgraceful decision”
That hit the spot.
What made my night was
listening to 83 year old Joe Martin. Part of a Dundalk side that won the 1952
FAI Cup, Joe recounted word for word the Irish Independent piece on him when he
managed to score in an amazing 6-4 win over Waterford in the semi-final and his
late equalizer in the final before finally beating Cork Athletic.
To look at the man you’d have
taken then years off of him.
Maybe the laughter does that.
I left the Lilywhite Lounge
mad for a drink but had to drive Mr Lawlor back home before popping over to
Dalymount for the Bohemians launch.
Martin was philosophical about
the performance but reiterated the need for pride.
“I remember playing with a League of Ireland select against Brazil in
1978. The game was taking place at around 8 at night but the stadium had been
full since 3!
We knew we’d been on a hammering to nothing...Zico, Socrates, Falcao,
Eder... but we wanted to at very least come off the field with our jerseys
absolutely stuck to our chests and be able to hold our heads high. We were well
beaten but couldn’t do anymore. We caught a flight the same night and just 24 hours
later I was back playing an FAI Cup game with Dundalk against a non-league
side. I was absolutely shattered, so much so when the ball came down for a
throw by my line, I was afraid to take it because I knew I’d never have the
strength to throw it forward!
I remember bending down to take the throw and looking up to see three
cows mooing at me just over a ditch alongside the line. 24 hours earlier I’d
been playing in front of 80,000 people against Brazil. Now I was standing in
cow shit looking at three cows mooing at me in a field in the middle of nowhere”
All you could do was laugh
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