A Friday night in Parnell Park

It’s a Friday evening.

I didn’t have much planned so I thought I may as well pop down to Parnell Park to watch some club football. My sister lives right at the back of the stadium so it’s a good excuse to pop in for a cup of tea and a chat. The summer of 2017 was an enthralling one, I’d never been so invested in championship football as much as I had been this year and didn’t know what to do with myself when the season ended. For an entire summer, it was like being on a natural high that culminated in a breathless final and then it was gone just like that, the comedown was real. It was the same feeling as finishing an addictive TV series, you’re lost for a couple of days. So this was the next best thing, it was a doubleheader with Diarmuid Connolly’s St. Vincent’s playing St Sylvesters in the curtain raiser and Kilmacud Crokes playing last year’s finalists Castleknock afterwards. Unknown to me, my sister had never been inside Parnell despite the fact we grew up just down the road, she’s not a massive GAA fan but decided to come along anyway. It was €10 in, kids get to enter for free and I wasn’t complaining, the two games were televised and I’ve parted with my money for a lot stupider things but what was a nice touch was the fact that you could purchase team sheets at whatever price you please with all donations going to charity. It’s unsurprisingly busy and despite being local rivals to my club Whitehall Colmcille I am willing to concede that the St. Vincent’s support is nothing short of brilliant, they travel in numbers wherever they go around the country but seats certainly aren’t hard to come by either. We find a couple of seats and plonk ourselves down and as the match begins I can’t help but overhear the two middle-aged men talking behind me, they’re two proper Dubs and clearly love their football:

“I’d go as far as to say he’s the greatest player Dublin has ever had,” said the staunch ‘Vinnies’ man to his friend, there’s no prize for guessing who he was talking about. “I’d agree, I remember seeing him as a young lad and he was just brilliant. Left foot, right foot, you name it he could do it and he’s a great hurler too, think he got sent off last week though,” replied the other.

The greatest player ever for Dublin? I’m not sure if I’d personally go that far but Diarmuid Connolly gave an exhibition that night as to why he was put in that bracket. With the exception of the odd shot selection, Connolly didn’t put a foot wrong all night. He was superb. The two-time All-Star was picking out teammates for fun with long distance passes on both his left and right foot, breaking tackles with ease and just looked faster and stronger than everyone. https://twitter.com/eirSport/status/913842298382950400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fgaa%2Fwatch-diarmuid-connollys-eye-needle-pass-vincents-orgasmic-138244 But there was one moment that caught my attention, after doing his shift out in the field Connolly got a breather and dropped into the full forward line. His man marked him goal side and on him as tight as could be. Doing everything a defender should do but when an aimless high ball was throw in on top of them the Dublin star effortlessly found himself under it and catching it one handed. The stadium fell silent as if they realised they had just witnessed something a little bit special. Vincent’s ran out comfortable winners in the end, Robbie Keane was there supporting Sylvesters on the day. As soon as the full time whistle blew chaos erupted as kids sprinted to get photos with Connolly, but a lot more just wanted to go onto the pitch to kick a ball around and hit some sliotars. It took stewards a good 10 minutes to clear the pitch as Ciaran Kilkenny’s Castleknock warmed up with kids hitting balls over his team’s heads. And you wouldn’t change it for the world. The match was epic, Kilmacud Crokes won by a point, Cian O’Sullivan was excellent and so too was Paul Mannion and his goal. Two guaranteed All-Stars in waiting and they proved why. https://twitter.com/eirSport/status/913857683790450689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fgaa%2Fwatch-paul-mannion-carries-ball-beyond-45-drills-off-underside-crossbar-138251

“Sure what else would you spend a tenner on,” my sister said to me as we walked to the back of the stand to try spot which house was hers and if we could hop over the fence.

And as somebody walked by me holding the Sam Maguire in their hands and hopped into a car I was in full agreement with her, where would €10 be better spent. Dublin, Mayo and the likes may be finished for the year but the GAA season is still alive and well.