Clonoe O’Rahilly’s GFC held a charity bike ride from Dublin to Clonoe today. The group had their photo taken at the grave of “The O”Rahilly” who was killed in Sackville Lane (Now O’Rahilly Parade) close to the GPO in Easter week 1916. It was a great effort by all involved in the bike run and as The O’Rahilly once said himself in a comment to Countess Markievicz “It is madness, but it is glorious madness.” This is the group at O’Rahilly’s grave.

Click Here  to learn more about Mícheál Seosamh Ó Rathaille “The O’Rahilly”

Members of Clonoe O’Rahilly GFC laid a wreath this morning on the grave of Mícheál Seosamh Ó Rathaille (The O’Rahilly) in Glasnevin Cemetery before the start of a charity bike ride from Dublin back to Clonoe a distance of 100 miles.

My favourite place for a walk. Peatlands Park

This is my friend Plunkett “Oz” McCallan making his debut for Dungannon Rugby Club 1st team. Plunkett is a legend in Tyrone GAA having played in more senior club finals than any other player in the county, 12 in all including two replays, and has amassed a record equalling six O Neill Cup medals. Last year he was forced to take a break from gaelic footbal by a 32 week ban from the game for an alleged misdemeanour on the field.  He decided to try his hand at rugby as a means of keeping fit and active. Last night he made his debut for Dungannon 1XV team against Rainey Old Boys from Magherafelt in the Ulster League after only a few months playing the game. Fair play big man!!

An occasion when I wish I had a camera with a wide angle lens instead of just the phone. This was a beautiful full rainbow but I only caught the half of it.

This is my brother Frankie and Zephyr motorbike. Frankie has been a biker for years. He once give me a lift into my work in Dungannon sometime in the early 1990’s. It scared me that much that I haven’t been on a motorbike since.

The All Ireland Hurling Finals 2012 turned out to be an historic occasion as it was the first time ever that both minor and senior games were drawn. It was the first time since 1959 that the senior game will have to be replayed. Galway and Kilkenny severed up an incredible game which was a pleasure to watch even as a neutral from Tyrone. This is the statue  created by artist Paul Ferriter of one of the founders of the GAA Michael Cusack which is at the stand named after him at Croke Park.

Michael Cusack was born to Irish speaking parents, in the parish of Carron on the eastern fringe of the Burren, County Clare, in 1847. Cusack became a national school teacher, and after teaching in various parts of Ireland became a professor in 1874 in Blackrock College, then known as the French College. In 1877, Cuasck established his own Civil Service Academy, ‘Cusack’s Academy’ in Dublin which proved successful in preparing pupils for the civil service examinations.

A romantic nationalist, Cusack was also “reputed” to have been associated with the Fenian movement. He was also a member of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language which was founded in 1876, and later the Gaelic League who in 1879 broke away from the Society. Also in 1879, Cusack met Pat Nally, who was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and a leading nationalist and athlete. Cusack found that Nally’s views on the influence of British landlordism on Irish athletics were the same as his. Cusack would recall how both Nally and himself while walking through the Phoenix Park in Dublin seeing only a handful of people playing sports in the park so depressed them that they agreeded it was time to “make an effort to preserve the physical strength of our race.” Nally organised a National Athletics Sports meeting in County Mayo in September 1879 which was a success, with Cusack organising a similar event which was open to ‘artisans’ in Dublin the following April.

On 1 November 1884, Cusack together with Maurice Davin, of Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, called a meeting in Hayes’ Commercial Hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary, and founded the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Davin was elected president and Cusack became its first secretary. Later, Archbishop Thomas William Croke (May 28, 1824 – July 22, 1902), Archbishop of Cashel & Emly, Michael Davitt and Charles Stewart Parnell became patrons. Cusack also became involved in the Irish language movement, founding The Celtic Times, a weekly newspaper which focused on ‘native games’ and Irish culture.

Cusack died on 27 November 1906 at the age of 59.

Not sure why but we seemed to have been invaded by large spiders this summer. We caught this one under a pint glass before doing the humane thing a releasing it into the wild again. (This post is late because our internet has been down for the last three days)

One last picture from the Edinburgh Festival 2012. We’ve booked for 2013!

The Willowbank resource Centre in Dungannon in cooperation with the Craic Theatre Coalisland are involved with the production of a number of short training DVD’s aimed at social workers. This is the cast Peter Donnelly, John Ryan (Facilitator) Alice Campbell, Seamus McKenna, Michael Hughes and Catherine McCrory (Project Coordinator).

Willowbank is a local charity, based on the Carland Road, Dungannon, which is used by physically disabled adults from the local community. Founded in 1962 the organisation has its roots in the Civil Rights movement with many of the founding members already seasoned community activists at this time. This rights based ethos of social justice and socio- economic inclusion was and remains the corner stone of the organisations work.