After The Dust has Settled - looking back on magic.

I thought I'd give it a bit of time before committing my thoughts on Sligo Rovers FAI Cup win to the blog. Recently I've been cutting out articles about the win over Shamrock Rovers, saving them for when all the commotion had died down. We're getting their now... and recent economic developments have played their part in quenching the euphoria, but not too much.

Eamonn Sweeney's wonderfully written 'Hold the Back Page' is probably the last significant article we're have written on our most recent of cup triumphs. It was published 2 days ago in the Sunday Independent of Nov 21st, I'd planned saving it for a few days, then rationing it over the duration of a day or two. There's probably about 2000 words there so I could enjoy it over two sittings, morning and evening, maybe a paragraph or two during the afternoon, or strategically place it in the downstairs toilet for when nature calls. 

I even thought there was a slight chance I might have been referenced in Sweeney's column in question, having spoken to him in the D4 Hotel after the game. I use the word 'spoke' loosely... There were time's I was so overcome with the day's emotions words failed me. I have recollections of Mr. Sweeney looking at me puzzled, trying to make sense of my sentences - punctuated with yelps of joy and yahoos of happiness. 

All the articles and photos collected over the last week or so from local and national newspapers will be put into a folder and stored away for future reminiscing. I have a folder in my parents house, filled with articles, match programme and ticket stubs from the 1994 Cup win over Derry City in a very different Lansdown Road. The faded, slightly blurred, pre-digital age photographs that appeared in the Sligo Champion and Sligo Weekender export me back to that wet miserable day in '94 when Gerry Carr cemented my developing love of Sligo Rovers, with that all important headed goal. 

16 years later and it's Mayo man Ciaran Kelly who's the unlikely hero. The at times maligned 'keeper of Paul Cook's squad did what's as close as you can get to the impossible in a game of football, save every spot kick in a shoot-out. Mayo has traditionally looked North for a team to support in the League of Ireland and Kelly's heroics will act as the perfect tonic to stoke up the interest that may have faded in the Bit O'Red in the last 10 years from gaelic games strong-hold. 

Two friends of mine came some distances to attend the cup final. One from Edinburgh and the other from San Francisco. It's amazing that people felt this was an event that they had to attend, 36 thousand people showed up for a game involving our Sligo Rovers; a team that average about 2,000 fans for a home game in the Showgronds, as Eamonn Sweeney says in his article in the Sunday Independent "there is affection for the League out there, it's just a question of tapping it". 

Joseph Ndo after the final

The friend who traveled from Edinburgh is a Manchester United fan, a die hard. after the Cup final win, in the delirium of the night that followed, surrounded by Rovers fans and players alike, I said to him when United win the League, or the Champions League, you'll never have the satisfaction of going back to the hotel after the final to celebrate with the players and management. This is what makes supporting a League of Ireland team so special. The days of winning cup finals may be few, but when they occur you feel you're every much as part of the history making as the players and managers who create the magic.

I look forward to the years and decades to come when I happen upon the Sligo Rovers related articles from the double cup winning team of 2010 in some dusty folder. 

Halloween Spooks at Causey Farm with i105107

A spooked Simon Murdoch lifts his head in search of Mary.

"...there we were 13 of us, hand-in-hand, in a circle, in the pitch black of a ruined house when inanimate objects began to move..."

It's just after 6pm and my Halloween night was to consist of heading home after a shift at the radio station to watch the X Factor results, surely this is the week people realize that the Grimshaw lad is a fraud?


I never got to see Louis Walsh's spooky head or the X Factor that night. Instead, as I was about to head out the door of the radio station, the office activity increased with the arrival of Simon Murdoch, Ciara King and members of the iTeam (iRadio promotions gang). They were meeting up, to head out to the darkest, depths of Meath to the haunted pastures of Cauesy Farm where they were to partake in some real life ghost hunting, with an expert paranormal team and white which/medium, no less. Paul Gill broadcast his iLife show from the farm that night, tracking us as we sought out the paranormal. 

Paul Gill broadcast from Causey Farm on Halloween night

Despite having been on the go since 5am I was intrigued by the possibility of meeting a real ghost on this ghoulish of nights and made the decision I was going!


On arriving at Causey Farm the gear was set up for the outside broadcast, wellies were sought for our trip across the misty planes of the Causey Estate and we set off with Paranormal team and white witch in toe. 


We arrived at the 'haunted house' at 12.30am, where the spirit of Mary (a 20 something farm girl who'd walked this earth during the late 18th century) was reported to be found. Our white witch, Suzi asked us to form a circle as she proceeded to call upon the spirits to make themselves known. The paranormal investigators were recording activity with their K2 instrument, a small green box with flashing lights; it seemed we were in luck.  There we were, 13 of us, hand-in-hand, in a circle, in the black of a ruined house when inanimate objects began to move. Suzi asked Mary, our spirit  to make a noise or move something to let us know she was there. After a couple of seconds of eerie silence in the half-light a crushed Coke can slid across the floor to the amazement/shock of those present. What did this mean? Did Mary not like Coke cans littering her house, or was she in need of a sugar boost?

Mary ?

However, photographs (left) taken by the paranormal team seem to show Mary was very definitely, well maybe not definitely, in our presence. Within the circle is said to be the face of our thirsty Mary. 


That was the last we heard of Mary in the house, but later during a séance in a converted barn, our white witch was sure she's touched base with a former lover of Mary who fathered a child with her. I wont go into the horrific details (rape, hangings, beatings, love interests with soldiers of the British army of the 18th Century) of the life of Mary, but from the séance, we learned her experienced in this world merited a spooky existence on 'the other side'. 


All-in-all, I was skeptical going into the ghost hunt and I left with the same skepticism. There were a number of mitigating factors that could have moved the Coke can, but why ruin the illusion. 

Hats off to all at Causey Farm who put on a fantastic evening's entertainment. I'll be back next year.    


I'll leave you with this one.... thought it was suitable. 

Conrad's the Perfect Installation for The Model.

It's over 7 years since Michelin Star chef, Conrad Gallagher broke down outside court after he was found not guilty of the theft of 3 paintings from the Fitzwilliam Hotel on Dublin's St Stephen's Green.

The Letterkenny man was also cleared of obtaining money by false pretences and intent to defraud by selling the 3 works of art.

Those of a cynical frame of mind will raise their eyebrows at Gallagher's latest project, the opening of a restaurant slap bang in the middle of one of the north west's premier art facilities The Model

The newly reopened Model located on the Mall in Sligo, is a multi-media space for art, film, music catering for both visiting and local artists to develop and show their work.

One of the final blocks to fall into place for the Model is the opening of a restaurant on the premises. It's my understanding, finding a candidate to open an eatery that would match the standard of The Model as a whole was proving difficult.

However, in Conrad Gallagher it appears they've achieved their goal. I've never eating the offering of a Michelin Star chef, but Sligo and it's surroundings is lacking in options when it comes to dining out.

I like a Bianconi Pizza as much as the next man but, heading down to the Bistro doesn't set the imagination wild at the possibilities...(I'll have the Michaelangelo please).

Montmartre in Market Yard is a fine spot but if you aren't particularly flush then this little bit of Paris in the Yard maybe out of reach.

Sligo town is crying out for greater competition in the eating-out market and Sligo people need their pallets challenged more than when the 4 Lights added the steak, chip & gravy to it's menu (which you must try when you're in next).

In terms of food quality and taste Gallagher's name acts as an international standard that hasn't been present here before. To add to the attraction he's promising to offer his wares at a reasonable price with main courses from €14 when he opens his his doors in September.