Mick O Connor teams reigns supreme in epic Poc Fada contest
December 26, 2021
Mick O Connor led his son Jack and neighbour Patrick Angland in delivering a master class of cuteness and strategy and no little amount of skill in winning the annual Poc Fáda 2021, played out in gloriously mild almost balmy December weather earlier today.
The course had some puddles from the heavy overnight rain, but the 25 or so teams that took part all enjoyed the 4Km route, back from Sean & Michelle Sheedy’s strategically placed snowman and Christmas decorations. The juvenile starting point was the grand gates at Clifford house. Those grand gates were the first major obstacles to the adult teams, in trying to negotiate those switch back bends. The trick was to keep the ball low, and use the roadside dykes to steer the ball along the road. Liam Cronin’s team got a great kick in this area, but a wayward shot there after undid their good work, or luck. If you got past the new construction site of Colin O Gorman, without entering it, through the break in the wall, the next major obstacle was the bends at our chairman’s , Finny Magner farm. The brave try to loft the bends, the Foxes invariably tried to do it, but the bends are further apart than you think, and the ball had to land on the road. Daniel Hartnett was shy in his attempt, but his Dad, John made a splendid recovery.
Up front the juvenile completion was nip and tuck, with the older and stronger team of Darragh O Connor, Charlie Cremin and Colm O Mahony made to work incredibly hard by the Murphy brothers, using all of their local knowledge of the gradients and walls and fences, that they see every day as the journey from their house to the pitch. Back behind them, the Adult team of the Linehan’s, Darren, Edward and Mark got a great run down the hill past the Murphy house, past the Hanrahan's, past Paddy Looney's , nearly as far as the man from Westmeath that is Des Bartley. Niall and Denise Hanrahan gave a cup of coffee or tea or minerals to the participants, and the chocolates were out as well. The next obstacle was the right angle cross, at Top Shop, where few of the favourites, minding their positions decided against a loft shot. A good run and a favourable bounce, and all too soon, you were at the 3 Kilometre mark, at the Old Tin House pub, that is now home to Noel and Ann Burns. Most got around this bend well, with the aid of Julia Sheehan’s wall, but Pat O Donovan, buoyed up by his recent publicity as part of the successful County winning team of Avondhu in 1996 went for an audacious shot to cut out the bends, but failed. John Hannon was much more clever and kept the ball on the ground. Up ahead, you could hear a huge roar that echoed back through the valley of the Blackwater when Barry Murphy hit a brilliant puck to land on the bridge of Killavullen, skate off the wall of the bridge, and nearly cross the finishing line. Others tried as much afterwards, to try the same, but failed, but then, few would have the class of Murphy.
Colm Looney hit a great shot down the hill of Monanimy, and it ran and ran, to bring his team into contention. At the base of the hill, the road were much busier but well marshalled, and the excitement reached a crescendo as the finishing line, at the entrance to the gates of the pitch loomed up. A wayward shot here, and the next time the Sliotar would be seen, was when it would be washed up, in the Celtic Sea in Youghal.
At the end of the proceeding, the team of Mick O Connor was the winner on countback, with only one shot to spare over the team of his son, Mike the model.
The juvenile affair was a dead heat, and meant that the two teams had to go back to Nicky Roaches farm entrance again, and puck to the line. Here Colm O Mahony, hit a belter to put his team in the lead, a lead the held to the line, winning with 4 shots as against 6 for the Murphy’s.
It could be a long year, of Mick telling us, how to do it, after his great win, but the margin of victory was so tight, that Mike can’t be complacent either, or else, he will loose his crowd easily next year.
The winning teams were presented with vouchers afterwards to enable them to obtain Owen Magner Hurleys and we are very grateful to Owen for this huge and magnificent gift, and he only 15, and the maker of such fine Caman’s
Thanks to all who participated – it was great fun, and a chance for all to blow off the cobwebs of the slothful, lazy day, of the day before. Roll on next year, and more hilarity.
