Our columnist Frank on Katie Taylor’s latest thrilling fight; the legacy the late entertainer Jon Kenny leaves behind; the recent interprovincial rugby match held in Creggs… and some important local events
It’s Friday night as I write, and not being a fan of Brendan O’Carroll, I checked out early from the Late Late Show and headed off to bed.
I decided not to set my clock, agreeing with myself that if I did wake up in time, I would go downstairs and watch the Katie Taylor fight on Netflix. I know most people nowadays have TVs in their bedrooms, but that luxury has eluded me so far.
Anyway, at 3.20 am I woke up, headed to the sitting room, and sat back to watch the action. However – just as the fighters started to make their way to the ring – lo and behold, the electricity went!
My son Paul had the fight on his phone – which was just as well, because even after the ESB came back, Netflix wasn’t behaving itself anyway. The programme kept freezing and blurring over, and the truth is it was very unsatisfactory.
But we did get to see all ten unbelievable rounds of their fight, which must surely be in the running for fight of the year once again (their first battle won it in 2022), and I can honestly say the result could have gone either way. At home, Paul called it for Katie, while I felt Serrano had shaded it.
Anyway, in the end Katie got a unanimous verdict, and almost immediately was accused of deliberate head-butting and being a dirty fighter by a hugely ungracious and sore losing camp. I loved her retort when asked about the accusations: “I really don’t care! I am standing here as a victor again! I fought her twice, and I beat her twice!”
The other thing that stood out even more than the sour grapes of Serrano’s management (she herself had since rowed back on some of the comments) was the outrageous bias shown by the Netflix commentary team against Taylor; they were constantly berating her for all kinds of skullduggery and underhanded tactics.
I have always thought boxing was, and is, a tough physical sport – Katie herself said as much in her post-fight interview. As for me, I have long since declared the Bray woman to be one of the greatest Irish people of all time, and even if she interrupted my Friday night beauty sleep, it was more than worth it!
All I can say is whatever she does from here on in, Katie Taylor is a living legend and a true sporting hero. What a woman!
Rest in peace, Jon… an ‘unbelievable’ legend
Jon Kenny of D’Unbelievables was a legend. Jon and his long-time comedy partner Pat Shortt brought us a type of comedy that we had never seen before, using members of their audience as fall guys for some of the funniest routines that I have ever seen. To this day, any time I watch one of their videos I still fall around with laughter.
Sadly, Kenny passed away at the weekend, and the world will be a poorer place without him.
In recent times, I used to bump in to him around the hospital in Galway, where both himself and Carol were getting treatment. He was always pleasant and friendly to talk to.
He may not have been active as a member of D’Unbelievables for a good few years, but their legacy as possibly the funniest Irish comedy act of all time is secure; people will laugh at their antics for many a year to come. May he rest in peace.
Sporting stars descend on Creggs
It’s about midday on Saturday as I write, and I find myself heading back to Creggs after attending a little family get-together in Castlebar celebrating the first birthday of my granddaughter Hayley.
The reason I am going back is because I am due to be on stewarding duty at a rugby match – the likes of which we once would’ve never thought we’d see in Creggs.
The game is an interprovincial between the Leinster and Connacht A teams, and we were all hugely excited when we saw the Leinster line-up and discovered that four full Irish internationals were included: the two Byrnes, Ross and Harry, as well as Max Deegan and Will Connors! They have all played for Ireland in the recent past, and having played in stadiums like Stade de France and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, we wondered what they would have been thinking when their team bus turned up the Main Street of the little village and they saw Creggs in its entirety.
Anyway, the game took place and the physicality of the exchanges had to be seen to be believed. Both teams went at it hammer and tongs, and even though Connacht eventually lost, they played really well and gave the hugely talented Leinster team a proper test.
It’s funny how TV can give a distorted view of players, because I would have thought that the two Byrnes and Connors were slight enough. However, seeing them up close revealed a very different picture; all three were physically extremely imposing. In fact, every single player on view was an impressive specimen, and very different from the type of players that were out there in our time. I suppose these lads, being professionals, actually do a lot of training, and a lot of gym work definitely pays dividends.
By all accounts, the two teams were highly complimentary about the pitch and the facilities, and it was great to see Leo Cullen, Jacques Nienabar, and Pete Wilkins all in attendance in our little village.
250 not out for Denis
On the subject of professional rugby and Connacht: our own protege Denis Buckley recently reached an amazing personal milestone when he made his 250th appearance for the province. To mark the occasion, Creggs RFC made a presentation to him at a ‘do’ in the clubhouse on Saturday night.
For a prop forward who operates in the hardest part of the team, it’s an incredible achievement. Heartiest congratulations to him!
I’ve said it before, but it’s a mystery to me (and to a lot of others) how he never got an Irish cap – especially when certain inferior players did. I don’t suppose he’ll get one now, but he’s definitely been hard done by by several different Irish coaches.
Mark your calendars! Launch of ‘Ireland’s unsung heroes’
Creggs should surely be the cultural capital of the west, because after the hugely successful launch of the rugby club’s 50th anniversary book on Saturday night (my report on it will be in next week’s issue), Larry Kilcommons tells me that this Friday night, the Kilbegnet Historical Society are launching their 2025 calendar, ‘Ireland’s unsung heroes’, in the school hall in Creggs at 8 pm.
Dr Christy Cunniffe is doing the honours, and having got an advance copy of the calendar, I can tell you it’s a really fascinating read. There are two versions; the smaller one with an envelope is only €5, while the bigger one is €10. You can get them in the Heritage Centre in Creggs.
I freely admit that I am not the greatest history student, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about (as the title says) our unsung heroes. Larry Kilcommons and David Curran put the whole thing together, and all I can say is well done – it’s a smashing effort.
Throw in the recent launch of the book about Kilbegnet House, which was attended by more than 200 people, and you can see why we must be the cultural capital of the west!
Anyway, don’t forget: it’s on Friday night at 8 pm in the school hall! Hopefully I’ll see you there!
Remembering James Shevlin – in song
Finally for this week: Julie Healy has told me about a great night of music and dance she has put together in memory of James Shevlin, which will take place in Dowd’s in Glinsk this Friday night, November 22nd.
James was a well respected local teacher and a top class musician and songwriter, who passed away suddenly in June of 2023. To honour his memory, Julie has organised a great line-up of musicians, including the living legend that is Johnny Carroll, the Pat O’Driscoll band, rising country star Effie O’Neill, Pat Mulchrone, Mick Mulhern, and Andrew McMurdie – and all proceeds are going to charity.
Admission is only €20 and the show will start at 9 pm. Friday night promises to be a busy one locally, but hopefully I’ll see you there as well!
