Beat the Monday blues
WORKPLACES around Waterford are expected to be all but empty next Monday as hurling supporters celebrate or drown their sorrows after Sunday’s eagerly awaited clash with Kilkenny.
Several major employers, such as Waterford Crystal, Hasbro, GlaxoSmithKline and Bausch & Lomb, are reporting that the majority of employees have already worked enough hours in advance to enable them to take Monday off, while shift workers due to work over the weekend are taking advantage of their holiday entitlements.
Today is “blue and white day” around the county — as promoted by local radio station WLRFM — and many businesses are encouraging their staff to turn up for work wearing the Waterford county colours.
Or, in some cases, the black and amber — in Bausch & Lomb on Waterford’s Cork Road about 200 of the 1,400 employees hail from cat country.
“The atmosphere is terrific here this week,” says global vice-president with the eyecare company (and Corkman) Frank O’Regan. “We’re one of Kilkenny’s largest employers, as well as being the biggest single manufacturing site in the south-east of Ireland.”
The car park is festooned with county colours from both banks of the river Suir and many supporters will be availing of time off on Sunday and Monday. “Bausch & Lomb is very integrated into Waterford but there’s lots of banter and fun between the sides.” Among those who used to work at the plant are two of the county’s key stars of the 2008 season, Eoin Kelly and Eoin McGrath.
Meanwhile, GAA supporters at Waterford Institute of Technology will also be torn between a rock and a hard place this weekend with 18 current and former students lining out with the Waterford and Kilkenny sides.
The Waterford panel includes Ken McGrath, Shane O’Sullivan and Michael Walsh as well as Kevin Moran, the captain of the Fitzgibbon winning team earlier this year. Also lining up for the Déise from WIT are Dave Bennett, Jack Kennedy, John Mullane, Adrian Power and Eoin McGrath
Former and present WIT players on the Kilkenny panel include JJ Delaney, PJ Delaney, John Dalton, Willie O’Dwyer, Michael Kavanagh, Derek Lyng, Henry Shefflin, TJ Reid and Eoin Reid.
Institute director Professor Kieran R Byrne has paid tribute to all involved in promoting GAA within the college for their voluntary effort with such a naturally talented group of players.
“Waterford Institute of Technology has always been a hurling hotbed,” he said. “GAA is very much part of what we are. But this year we are delighted that a record 18 men who also played with WIT Fitzgibbon sides feature on the Waterford and Kilkenny panels.”
According to the WIT director, the inter-county rivalry that is natural in bordering counties has added “great colour, passion and excitement” to the build-up to Sunday’s final.
“We are proud to have played a role in helping these fantastic ambassadors for the sport to reach such an exceptionally high standard and we thank them for their great efforts during their time here. Several were instrumental in helping us win the Fitzgibbon Cup on eight occasions, three in the past six years,” Prof Byrne said.
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