Writings of Michael McDermott

Last week my neighbour Billy Collins, who lives on the western side of Knocknagorna townland, presented me with copies of some lovely writings by his nephew Michael McDermott who lives in Carlow. Michael is a native of Cappawhite in Tipperary where he grew up. His late mother was the former Joan Collins of Knocknagorna and his father, who was a native of Clare, was a Garda who was at one stage stationed in Athea but who is long since deceased.

Michael has written various interesting non-verse type of poems on different subjects and his interpretations and recollection of people and events that he has come across during his life he describes in rich, colourful and poetic rhyme that is truly remarkable.

Michael has written with great admiration and sensitivity about some of his fellow workers in Roundale where he works. He writes about Paddy Buckley, a popular local resident, a baker and a neighbour of Michael’s family when he lived in Cappawhite.

His writings are so varied and paint such a lifelike pen-picture of the people and places that he writes about that the reader feels as if he has somewhat personally known them. Those people that Michael has portrayed with such a depth of feeling are real figures and the kind of folk to be usually found in most workplaces around the country, but in Michael’s rhymes they are somewhat exalted to a higher and more special level without ever losing their everyday human qualities. He writes about the Poor Clare’s religious order and the great work that the Sisters are performing “going quietly and serenely about their daily tasks”. There is indeed a spiritual dimension to all, or at least much, of Michael’s writing that has to be read to become obvious.

Michael writes a story about John, an Abbeyfeale man, who fell on hard times in London, quote; “John huddled on his bench. His breath shallow in the chill wind. He coughed a few times as only smokers can. The lights of Piccadilly shone brightly in the distance”.

Michael goes on to recount how after getting some good advice and help from the Samaritans John managed to turn his life around and “John was looking forward to working again in the future. To going home to his people in Limerick. John had dreams of a future again. The crucifix around his neck dangled in appreciation as if understanding his thoughts. Too many of his friends and countrymen had left their lives, families and careers. In the Red Lions and Ladbrokes of English cities”.

Happily, according to Michael’s account John from Abbeyfeale was no longer going to be among them.

Michael’s description in writing about the time when he spent his school holidays with his near relatives in Knocknagorna with his uncles including Jack Collins and his wife Ita, his numerous cousins in Knocknagorna and around the parish and other local people whom he got to know all make for some fascinating reading, for those who in that time grew up in the locality.

Michael describes his trips from Knocknagorna to Athea creamery with his cousin late Mickey Liston in the horse’s car with its three milk tanks and Michael guiding the horse with the reins after taking over the job with Mickey’s consent and approval.

There are so many great stories/poems written by Michael McDermott that would require much more space even to outline their contents. What is surprising  however is that any of this great writing has never apparently been submitted for publication to the two local annuals, Athea Parish Journal or Ballyguiltenane Rural Journal. Much of Michael McDermott’s writing would certainly enrich and enhance the contents of both those annual publications. Hopefully some of this new and wonderful writing will appear in the next edition of both Journals.

The McDermott family has for many years been prominent with GAA, Camogie and Ladies football in Tipperary. Michael’s niece Angela (Angie) McDermott has won many All-Ireland titles with Tipperary in both Camogie and Ladies football. Their near relatives in Athea and West Limerick have every reason to feel proud of the McDermott family.

80th Birthday

Dan Barrett of Upper Turraree, recently celebrated his 80th birthday with his family. Dan, who is one of the nicest people in that part of our locality, is always well dressed when he goes out with a spring in his step that makes him look like a young sixty rather than eighty year old.

Congratulations to Dan on this happy occasion and best wishes for the future.

Weeshie’s Comments

In his column in “The Kerryman” of January 16th Weeshie Fogarty, great sports journalist that he is, paid a glowing tribute to the high standard of football in the recent North Kerry final between Duagh and Beale. Weeshie tells the story well of the magic of the two games since Christmas, first the drawn game and then the replay, and Duagh’s magnificent victory, their first since 1962 after being fifty years of disappointment in the North Kerry football wilderness. The scenes after the replay when the Duagh captain Kieran Quirke went up to receive the Eamon O’Donoghue Cup, his rousing acceptance speech which Weeshie describes as the best he ever heard after a Kerry District championship final the he ever had the privilege of attending. Weeshie states that it was heart warming stuff and how the huge crowd looking up at him in total admiration loved every minute of it.

Weeshie ponders the question as to what is the magic of the North Kerry championship, what is it that brought out thousands of supporters from far and wide for those two games of football deep in the heart of the winter. He maintains that a club’s position in the County League means nothing in a North Kerry championship clash. This was proved in the two unforgettable games this year between Beale and Duagh. Weeshie goes on to state in his unique style that for him however our own local heroes, people who can inspire us in our daily lives, are sports people, figures we can believe in and for him those footballers he has written about in this column should be recognised and acknowledged as the real heroes, not those so-called celebrities with whom we are bombarded without a murmur of protest in this day and age about the cult of those celebrity nobody’s whom thousands look up to and adore and who have graduated from one of those wretched reality shows. Long live the North Kerry Championship.

We wonder had Weeshie also in mind some of the celebrities that are being constantly portrayed in the colour magazines that come with the Irish Sunday newspapers. Many of us can find empathy to at least some extent on this particular subject with Weeshie’s views on the matter, while at the same time being aware of the fact that all the nobody’s of this world are somebody’s to some other somebody’s. In the meantime congratulations to our Duagh neighbours on their great win. Some of us who played for Duagh (our native parish) in less successful years are very happy about their latest achievement. Well done indeed.