Sticking with Shillelagh through tough times pays off for its people

A resurgence of community spirit is being translated into economic and social development in the community, writes Fergus Finlay

C’mon Ross! C’mon Ross! You can do it!” That wasn’t actually me shouting at the sidelines. At least, I hope I didn’t shout it out loud – that’s not an appropriate way to be behaving at an under-8s rugby match. But let me tell you it’s hard to carry on like a dignified elder statesman when your 7-year old grandson wrestles the ball from a lad bigger than himself and then sets off on an arcing, jinking run that ends in a try for Tullow.

The fact that my grandson plays for the same club as Sean O’Brien, and already looks like a combination of BOD and Conor Murray (have I mentioned what a brilliant player he is?) is not supposed to be the point of this column. It was hard to count, but I’m guessing 70 or 80 boys and girls, up to about the age of 13 or 14, had travelled from Tullow to Gorey for a minis rugby blitz.