A day out in Galway – and memories of playing against ‘Frankenstein’…!

What a day we had in Galway on Sunday!

Yeah, great!

I’m so glad we went early!

And I’m so grateful your wife offered to drive us!

And well done to Richard Hughes and all the lads…

Yes…super result!

BEFORE THE GAME

We walked the beach!

We popped into that casino in Salthill, just for old time’s sake!

We had a beer in Lonergan’s!

We met the Roscommon fans…and our fans! I even posed for selfies!

Yeah, with yourself!

AFTER THE GAME

I couldn’t wait to get to that hotel for a pint!

Then you met the editor?

I had three pints by the time I bumped into him in the lobby…

I hope you didn’t waffle on about our contract talks. Leave that stuff to me!

Didn’t even mention them! I just, er, told him how popular our column is!

Did he pass much heed?

He seemed interested, even if his gaze appeared to be elsewhere!

And you LOST him in the lobby?

Not as such! He said he had to pop into the

Endangered Species

Thebarstoolboyos

dining room for two minutes, that he’d “see us later”…

And you’re certain that when you passed the dining room window an hour later, you saw the editor eating a steak with Joe Brolly?

Yes! Two steaks! I’m sure it was them!

I’m telling you, they’re up to something!

LATER…

So, while I was chatting to people in the lobby, you met some former players at the bar?

Yeah…a few guys from a Galway club I played against in the ‘90s. You said that ended up awkward…surely meeting guys you played against is part of the magic of the GAA?

Oh they couldn’t be sounder…until I started talking about Frankenstein.

Huh?

I recognised one of them at the bar. Lovely guy. We shook hands, then he pointed to his three friends. ALL ex-players! Of course I couldn’t put names on them, but I knew we’d clashed on the field in the ‘90s!

You mentioned Frankenstein?

Oh yeah. So after a pint or two, I got carried away and admitted we had put the nickname Frankenstein on their full-back – ‘cos he was big, clumsy, slow…and a bit robotic. You realise the doctor was ‘Frankenstein’ and his monster didn’t have a name? As in Dr Frankenstein?

We took license…

Did they find your story amusing?

Eh…mostly. Go on…

I met one of them in the gents later. We reminisced a bit more. I introduced myself, asked him his name.

Yeah?

He wobbled over, towered over me, his face broke into an eerie grin, then he said: “YOU can call me…FRANK!”

It’s been a GOOD week for… ☺

The Ireland rugby team, this after Andy Farrell’s in-form side comfortably accounted for Wales to begin their Six Nations campaign impressively, in the process setting up a mouth-watering encounter with France in Dublin this weekend

Roscommon footballers, who are top of the Allianz National Football League Division One, this after a dramatic late win over Galway in Salthill

Wild Youth, who were chosen to represent Ireland in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, with their song ‘We Are One’

It’s been a BAD week for… ☹

Manchester City FC, this after the Premier League announced it is charging the club with breaking multiple financial rules (charges which the current title holders deny)

Media personality Laura Whitmore, who was forced to remove social media posts for a gin and vodka brand after the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority determined they could encourage irresponsible drinking