LATTON AND BLAYNEY STUMBLE INTO ROUND 2

JACK MADDEN

They really do mean more, these club championships. On Saturday afternoon in Emyvale, the trad music played over an hour before throw in. The crowd slowly filtered in, a substantial away support as well as a home one. It really is the glue of a community, especially in this modern age with the Catholic Church on the wane. Many travelled from the second most northerly club in the county to the other IFC clash between Magheracloone and Corduff, where the latter were beaten for the first time in 2022.

The former look good to return to the coveted senior ranks at the first time of asking, particularly after Saturday evening’s 3 point victory. Over in Clontibret, like Emyvale the day before, the crowd were entertained with a rendition of the Clancy Brother’s “Wild Mountain Thyme”. This time it was some of the members of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers that filled the ears, performing live at half time of the SFC clash.

The sun shone down opposite the bristling stand side where a smaller but still reasonable crowd stood. A fantastic game and a fantastic occasion, with the little things making all the difference. Even in defeat, that sense of community was there in Clontibret. You live by the sword and you die by the sword. And unfortunately for Johnny Murtagh, Saturday evening’s defeat to Inniskeen proved to…