Football Saturday

It’s a long weekend in Dingle because Monday is a bank holiday (national holiday). And Dingle is hopping because of two events. There is the Páidí Ó Sé Irish Football Festival going on with amateur teams from all over Ireland competing in the one-and-you’re-out tournament. Irish football is a great sport, sort of a combination of rugby, soccer, and American football. Páidí Ó Sé is County Kerry’s football legend. And then on Sunday there is the charity Dingle Way Challenge where people walk across from Ballyferriter to Dingle to Anascual and across Conor Pass to earn money for charity.

On Friday we did separate walks into town in the morning. We met up half way and then both continued singly on our preferred routes. I stopped at My Boy Blue for a sinful breakfast.

After we both got home we set out in drizzly weather to Gallaras just outside town to watch some Irish football. Despite the rain, it was great fun. We watched the second half of one game at the first field and then the second half of another game at the second field.

Elaine’s Video of the Game

After lunch at home and an nap we drove into town to try a new pub once again. This time it was O’Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub, famous for its nightly music sessions.. We parked and passed some rowdy and drunk football players in the street. The Courthouse Pub was quiet as a church when we arrived and ordered our pints. One guy came in and we struck up a conversation. It turns out he was a player in one of the games we watched earlier in the day. Small world. We had a great time with him and also met some of his teammates as they started coming in. They weren’t drunk . . . . . yet.

For dinner we returned to Land to Sea where we had eaten back in our first week. We had the tasting menu with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir, and it was grand.

After dinner we stopped into the Dingle Pub for one. With the football tournament going on, there was security on both doors. The bar was filled with rowdies and for the first time ever I saw a young girl, drunk as a skunk, ejected by security. Numerous warnings were issued to people. Our least favorite band was playing and we left after one to walk back to the car in heavy rain.

Tomorrow (Sunday), depending on the weather, we will probably drive to Listowel for the horse races.

3 thoughts on “Football Saturday

  1. In my early days here in Chicago I played wing position for the Lincoln Park Rugby Club must be all those clips to the head and beer in the after game sings that developed me wacky persona, This Irish football look like some Love are there after game sings with a glass of Guinness?

  2. Hot chocolate and carrot cake truly is a sinful breakfast! And that six course tasting menu is beyond sinful. I could almost taste that lobster ravioli.

    Irish football looks like fun. Great video, Elaine.

    Speaking of sports, Allez Bruins!!

  3. You guys are finding a fun activity to do every day. What a great vacation this has been for you. Nice little video clip, and love to hear that lilting Irish accent even if it’s only used in two words “Come on, come on! “ And yes, Sue is right we here in New England are enjoying watching the Bruins inch towards the Stanley Cup. They won last night 7-2. It’s great to be a Boston fan.

Leave a Reply to Sue Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *