CABRA NAMECALLING
Feb 6th, 2008 by Sean Baite
A few years ago, a little earlier in my ‘crank’ phase ( I assume I’m still in it - why else would I be posting this up ? ), I sent an e-mail to somebody in Dublin Corporation suggesting they should name something after Liam Whelan. Their reply was something along the lines that if I could think of some feature of Dublin City as of yet nameless, and bring it to their attention, they would consider my suggestion. ‘Fair cop’ I supposed to myself. At the time, I could think of no nook or cranny of Dublin lacking a name and was too many miles away from the place to start trudging around in order to find one.
Rather by chance, I was fairly pleased to see on RTÉ’s website that the Corpo had finally found a bridge somewhere in Cabra that was deemed fit to carry Whelan’s name. Whelan thus joins Luke Kelly with the distinction of helping us get us over various of the Liffey’s Northside tributaries. A ceremony was recently held at the bridge commemorating the 50th anniversary of Whelan’s death in the Munich air disaster [ RTÉ - Munich Memorial Service ]
What’s more, An Post have even put Ronnie’s uncle on a 55 cent stamp :
One sole bumnote - our peerless yet anorakked taxpayer-in-chief was on hand at the bridge ceremony to hog some of the limelight.
Is this small glimpse of dacency enough to generate a little more respect in me for the city where they actually let a steet be named for a US soap opera ? Or whose leading politician used to fly once a week to Old Trafford with a begging bowl in his hand luggage seeming never to have regretted it ?
I’ll have to sleep on it.
Nice post, Sean. Liam Whelan was my grand-uncle. My grandad - who gets very shy on the radio, etc. - tells some really very funny anecdotes about Liam. United did a tour of Ireland a few years before the crash. The rest of the team stayed in a hotel, but Liam stayed with the family in Cabra. When he was home, he used to play outside with the kids who lived on the road, who were naturally very excited about that. One day on that trip home he was out playing - jumpers for goalposts, etc. - when his mother came out panicked, because she’d realised that he was late for the game Liam was to play in against Bohs. He sprinted up to Dalymount, got there just in time, played a blinder and got home in time for dinners. He sat down next to his mother and said he’d scored two hat-tricks. She says, My God, you scored 6 goals against Bohs. He says, No! I scored 3 against Bohs and 3 on the road.
I think it’s charming. There’s a lot of nonsense written about him - he never said anything about going into the priesthood, for instance - and I think it’s strange, given the abundance of anecdotes my grandad tells once he gets going.
Nice that the derby was drawn for this Sunday, isn’t it? And guess what: I’m a City fan. I wrote this about the Munich Air Disaster for Trinity News, if you’re interested.
http://disillusionedlefty.blogspot.com/2008/01/munich-air-disaster-50-years-on.html
Ta for the comment, Kevin. A small bloody world - so you’d be related to Ronnie too, I suppose ?
I may be victim of the nonsense written about your grand-uncle too as the source of my respect for the man would be mentions probably by Dunphy himself and Con Houlihan, for ex. Another source is the contrast between the Man U of the time and the Man U of our day with all their obscene millions and the ‘prawn sandwich’ eejits…
I suppose it’s then logical that a grand-nephew of a Busby Babe should be a City fan. You’re in good company (Mark E Smith / Joy Division / just about any proper Mancunian).
I just hope the City fans show more respect than the Leeds ones did when Busby died a few years back.
And that City come out on top :->
nice post, Sean. It´s enough to make me want to come back to Dublin and start taping all of these people before it´s too late - an oral history of Irish soccer. It has to be done.
Conor,
I half-thought of doing that myself a few years ago, when I had that Leaving Cert history project to do. I figured it wouldn’t have gone down well, but really, I think I was a little scared about not being able to piece everything together. My grandad’s got health in him yet - touch wood, etc. - I might talk to him about doing something like you’ve suggested.
And Sean, as far as I know, Ronnie is no relation. Nothing immediate, in any case.
OK I give up - what street in Dublin is named after a US soap opera? Is there a Dallas Street? A Dynasty Street? Days Of Our Lives Boulevard? I know my sister used to live on Melrose Avenue, but surely that’s a coincidence?
Nice article, by the way.
Jim.
Kevin,
I really think you should go for it. The thing about Irish soccer is that there isn´t an archive for historians to draw from. a couple of years back I called into the FAI´s offices to enquire about their archive and, guess what, they usually just throw everything out. with that in mind, the history of Irish soccer is carried in the hearts and minds of the people who were involved. It needs to be recorded before it is gone forever. Any tapes you make, Dublin city archive will be willing to store for future generations. Last year I made informal inquires about whether they would do such a thing and they told me “oh God yes!”. I think you have a great opportunity there, Kevin, to add to our knowledge of Irish soccer, and to record it for future generations. God knows, if we don´t do it, nobody else will.
Tuscancy downs in Raheny. The fictional address of Falcon Crest in Tuscany Valley.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_Crest
Irish example of fucking prats naming estates.
http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=413764&search=1
Jim - I was thinking of a street (well more road) in our own native Raheny that some bloody developer decided to baptise ‘Tuscany Downs’ in the 80s. It’s not far from the old St. Vincent’s GAA ground that was also developed as an estate.
Little known road / little known soap, I know. At the time, I think it illustrated beautifully the naffness of names developers would go for if given the freedom.
Kevin and Conor - that oral history is definitely indispensable - but Conor, aren’t you supposed to be doing the sea-swimmers first. See ya later tonight, as long as the Pyrenean passes aren’t blocked…
I know I know. so many voices, so little time.
Anyway give me or my friend Miiriam a call when you get in. I finish work at 10pm but Miriam´s free to meet you before that as well. Sure talk to you tonoght.
Very good posts….just a small comment; the idea that ‘real Mancunians’ support city is a myth, a widely believed myth, but a myth none the less. It depends on what part of Manchester you come from, some areas are Red, some blue, and lots of city fans come from Oldham, Stockport and the like, so technically arn’t mancs themselves. Tony Wilson, Stone Roses, Shaun Ryder etc United fans. But thats all petty stuff…the big comparison is about how Liam Whelan and the Babes were not that different from their fans, unlike today sadly.
I’m trying to do a bit of research into this but can’t find much, so just out of interest which areas of Manchester do you consider Blue and which areas are Red??
Cheers
Hello Riley - sorry - not too well up on the geography of support in Manchester myself (being a Dubliner). Tried to contact Red Menace on your behalf - but the e-mail left with the comment doesn’t seem to work.
Have you not come across any Man U / City forums blogs through Google - or even blogs, I’m sure they’re out there somewhere.
I’ve had a look at a few city blogs etc but can’t really find anything geography related. I’ll keep on looking though, thanks for trying - RC