Mostly Hurling:I'm not a Thomas but a doubting John For I believe, after Sunday, the four in a row is still on

Championship Poem Number 2

July was almost over and four teams they did sweat.

Dark clouds crept over the rooftops

Stealing the colour from the Dundalk street

As the DRA sat in conclave to avoid a relegation repeat.

“Let Carlow in, won’t ye?” they uniformly said

To the Liam MacCarthy for the hurling year ahead

Mike Mac and Dr John made a strong plea for a break

To the wider hurling public to stop this appalling mistake.

“Right we’ll call a special meeting

And we’ll change it all again

Shurr if it doesn’t work the next time

We’ll find some clever men

Who’ll find some auld loophole

And we’ll start it all again”.

So we headed back to Thurles on a showery cloudy day

And the Dubs with their satnavs also made the way

Their team wasted little time and playing with heart and soul

They dropped a ball into the net for an early settling goal

But Limerick said “Now, stop it

Ye can’t be doing that”,

And big man Paudie Mc he pulled the pretenders back

Then referee Mick Wadding blew and stopped the play

As on the ground young Paul Browne all forlorn lay.

He said “I’m awarding a free, in the goal only three may stand”,

So up stepped keeper Murray with a rocket launcher in his hand

He then pulled the trigger and near Joey Boland found a hole

And as the ball it hit the net he ran back to his goal.

Young O’Mahony, Gavin, was chomping at the bit.

He started scoring many points with every ball he hit.

So to conclude and finish, Limerick they won the game

And now meet Tipperary in the hope of further fame.

And on that Sunday evening the dream was still alive

Of a double All-Ireland victory for the boys from Shannonside.

But Dublin they can be proud, in defeat there was no shame

Yes they’ll be back again next year to seek out further fame.

Next on to the hallowed ground the Galway men did run

Waterford came then and their warm-up they begun,

But the Tribesmen started better and had the Déise in disarray

But Eoin Kelly said “Hold it, lads” and he put the frees away.

When referee Kirwan blew half-time and said “There’ll be no more”

John McIntyre’s men were in the front but just ahead by four.

In the second period the game became quite wan

With not too many highlights until Davy brought subs on

He sent in the Shanahan boys and said “Now do your stuff

A goal and a few points will probably be enough”

Right, thought Dan and Mossie

We’ll show that you were wrong

To leave us sitting on the bench for so bleddy long

Maurice with his first touch duly won a free

And then Dan said ‘Moss you leave the rest to me’

He grabbed a dropping sliotar and shot for the goal

But the radar was slightly off and wide the sliotar stole

The next ball he caught again and round McEntee he went

He threw a pass to Walsh who hit it on the drop and to the net it bent.

The portly obese lady was almost singing in the clover

When up stepped John Mullane and hit the sliotar over.

Davy was in raptures, he jumped on to the ground

And out of his gob there came a high pitched sound

“I never stopped believing that these boys would win the day

And shut the so-called experts up in such a savage way”

And as Kilkenny waited in the grass that was so very long

Waterford would head to Dublin their season to prolong.

From Nowlan Park the rumours they came both fast and thick

That Comerford he might play and pulverise the Brick

That Brian he throws the sliotar in and says “now chaps, let’s go

We’ll stop in September when we’ve won the four in a row.”

The papers said they’re going well and will hardly be beat

With Cha and Eddie Brennan flying there’s no chance of defeat.

Some others said be careful the blaas their form they might quadruple,

There could be a big game in them yet, proclaimed the Kilkenny People.

“If they lose to that crowd,” says Fan, “I’ll head to far Bombay

“Shurr Tommy and JJ are outstanding and will surely win the day

“And Henry will pull the strings and Eoin Larkin as well

“Richie Power will score a goal and send them back to De La Salle”

The experts on The Sunday Game they thought both hard and long

And then Cyril he did up and say, “Michael, Kilkenny are on song

“With the Shefflins of this world they won’t go too far wrong.”

“Now,” says Ger, “Will ye listen to me, for Waterford to win the day

“They’ll have to hope for a miracle like the one down Cana way”

But where there’s life and hope there’s always a chance

That the underdog might just arise and produce a Riverdance

If all their players are allowed perform and they get the rub of the green

Then they would have a chance to cause a big surprise

And on Monday’s press this team the media would sensationalise.

But me I’m not a Thomas but a doubting John

For I believe, after Sunday, the four in a row is still on.