Words can’t describe.
Mazy, nonchalant, elusive, effortless, ghostly, graceful, perfection, beauty. How’s that?
Diarmuid Connolly wasn’t at his best for St Vincent’s against St Jude’s in the Dublin senior football semi-final on Saturday night. He didn’t need to be.
The Vinnies’ coasted to a nine point victory to book a final spot against Ballymun. They scored 4-12. Their talisman only registered a point, but it was a point that was worth the admission fee multiplied by five.
It's @BallymunGAA v @StVincentsGAA1 in the Dublin Senior Football Championship Final! Set to be broadcast live on @eirSport #DSFC2017 pic.twitter.com/OuRdTCIUyv
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) October 14, 2017
Jude’s kept him quiet for most of it, with some roughhouse first half tactics, but in the end, the cream always rises, and you’ll rarely stomp out genius for a 70 full minutes, and as the 30-year Old began dictating proceedings in the second half, his opponents figured that out.
If there was ever a moment to capture the grace of Diarmuid Connolly, then it came in the 38th minute in Parnell Park, on a cold, rainy evening in the Donnycarney grounds.
Connolly lit it up.
Receiving the ball in midfield, most other players would have looked up for a long kick pass or a quick hand pass.
Not Connolly. He attacked the space with gusto, with that trademark grace, with his head in the air like he just didn’t care.
They surrounded him. They tried to stop him. In the end they couldn’t lay a finger on him.
He made it to the other side of the pitch, without breaking sweat, he looked up for the quick one-two.
What followed was scandalous stuff. It was Diarmuid Connolly stuff.
That dummy was so convincing it would have sold sand to the arabs.
The kick itself was so beautiful it could make a blind man see.
"Don't start!!!" – @jcoops is having none of the talk about @dermoc123 moving to the hurlers, despite @oisinlangan's persistence. #DSFC2017 pic.twitter.com/l3VOLWixsF
— eir Sport (@eirSport) October 14, 2017
He is the Lionel Messi of Gaelic football.
In the other semi-final, Paddy Small stood out like a beacon, and what a final we have in store with the two of those giants in top form, as well as Dean Rock, James McCarthy and many more in the mix.
