Inside Track: Marie Claire to be remembered at walk along the Louth coast

It’s always good to meet up with players you competed with or against. The craic’s always good, even though it’s sometimes – no, most times – peppered with exaggerations and, yes, a few porkies. Most important, however, is that there’s always a good few laughs.

I was in one such gathering the weekend before last, which, not unusual, was at a wake, well away from the grieving family. But even if the guffaws had been heard, Dessie Murray would be sure to tell us, “It’s alright, chaps.” Dessie passed away after a long illness.

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Seamus O’Hanlon, Aidan Wiseman, Eugene Judge, myself, and a chap who used to play for Drogheda’s Naomh Mhuire, Kevin Woods, were hard at it, one trying to outdo the others with yarns of games and days gone by.

A chap who I used to play with on the county team, Séamus Mohan, another from the Mhuires – sadly no longer on the fixture list – came along, and I was delighted to meet him.

When I, the holder of only a county minor championship medal, was feeling out of place among big club winners, I met Johnny McDonnell, Andy’s father, on the way out.

Johnny was looking for information on Cannonstown Emmets, a team from his Termonfeckin area with whom his father, or grandfather – I’m not sure which – played.

Research since has shown that the Emmets met Dowdallshill in of the 1934 Second Division final. Well, they met them, but the game didn’t last the statutory hour. With the ‘Hill leading by 1-4 to 0-2, Cannonstown had a player sent off. They didn’t agree with the decision, and, in protest, walked off.

It cost them. At a subsequent Co Board meeting, the Emmets were suspended for six months, and Dowdallshill awarded the title.

Aidan Wiseman was in good form at our little get-together. One of Clan na Gael’s best has had health problems over the past few months, but having faced up to them with the resolution he showed when wearing the No 6 jersey for club and county, he’s now in a good place.

Johnny McDonnell might bring the short story of Cannonstown – they were in the game for a few years – if he’s on the walk taking place in his area on Saturday week, April 25.

The fourth renewal of the charity outing, which Séamus O’Hanlon and his colleagues in the Louth Past Players have been running over the past few years, is taking place. Last year, it was held in memory of Pádraig O’Neill and was over the Cooley Mountains.

This time the route is along the coast from Clogherhead to Baltray and covers 10k. Finishing point is the 19th pub, and from there it will be back to Declan Levins’ place in Clogherhead for refreshments.

Previous walks remembered former county players, Stephen Melia, Brendan Reilly, Colin Quinn, along with Pádraig O’Neill. This one is the name of 24-year-old Marie Claire Rogers, the Naomh Finbarra and Louth player who died suddenly while on holiday in Australia a year ago.

Monies raised will go to the excellent Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, which provided exceptional support to the Rogers family at the time of Marie Claire’s passing. Friends and relations of Marie Claire’s will be taking part in the walk.

Séamus O’Hanlon is calling on all former Louth players to come along. He’s certain there’ll be laughs and lots of tall stories to be told along the way, and again at the gathering afterwards in Declan Levins’.