Mixed bag with Jimmy Jests

Deniese is joined on the podcast this week by Jimmy Connell aka Jimmy Jests. Comedy, hurling, football are some of the things that they chat about.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Mixed Bag is kindly sponsored by Refined Barbershop Main Street Granard. You can find Refined Barbershop on Instagram and a big thank you to all of them. I must start off with, well, hello and how are you, Jimmy? Well, will I call you Jimmy Jess or will I call you by your real name, Jimmy Connell?

SPEAKER_01 0:38

You could call me whatever you like to call me. I forgot it off a lot of worse off.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Except early in the morning, as to say. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

There you go, exactly. Yeah. And there are plenty of them going through the door.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Okir, how is uh the bog going?

SPEAKER_01 1:01

The bog is going well. Now I I took a trip there on Saturday and I spent three hours in it and I feel like uh the hamstring is gone since I'm walking like John Wayne. But I've I'm a teenager now, or uh you know, and I just sent him as a representative of the bog now, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Child labour.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Child labour, but that's it, he has to earn his keep, and I'm trying to get my daughter to do it as well, but she's irresistible.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Yeah, but she's a lot older now.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Well, no, a lot, 1900.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Yeah, yeah. But you know, but she's left school now, you know, she's a proper student now. But I remember years ago, my ma'am, like the Olympicside bog at Mullah Horn, and Grandad used to get them to do it, and um I was a devil. Grandad had asked us to do it, and I'd say to him, Um, and what are we gonna get paid? Yeah, and he'd be like, Oh, look at the towney in you. And I was like, Well, look at you have to learn, you have to learn, and that was it. By the way, how is Mick?

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Mick, no, uh, he was over last week and I hadn't seen him in a long time, but he's keeping very well and keeping very quiet these days. I don't know whether Peggy has him under the thumb now or the bad weather, he just won't come out.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Or maybe it's the fact that the World Cup is on and he wouldn't be into that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

No, no, I tried to uh the television up to the turf shed there last week and he said he had no electricity after we settled the whole thing up and everything, then he told me no electricity in the shed.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Where did Mick come about? You know, you're doing your your videos and all this kind of thing, and then Mick came about.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

So how did you think of Mick or Well I I I remember if you know Ray Dolan up there in Mulling Garrett, he does uh chats in the bus every day, and he had me up in the bus a few years ago, chat, and he says you've only won you never think of bringing another character in, and I just saw the uh thought in my head to bring in another character, and that's where Mick came out of, you know. So it was Ray Dolan's fault.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

A Westmade man helps you. A Westmade man you know, but it but when Mick comes, you see it takes a bit longer to do the thing because you know you have to do two sets of yokes and edited and everything else, so it takes a bit of time around as often as it's a bit like Pat Short, you know, in Genes Gully when he's in his character and then there's other characters and that, yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

So it just takes a little bit longer to do.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

No, we won't call you the Pat Short of Longford.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Oh Jesus, no, no, no, no, far from it. Far from it.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

You wish it had money.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

I tell you, I sounded at him myself and Kathy went down to see him down in the Longford House Hotel in Newcastle West in Librick last year. And in other way, it comes down to people in the audience but they fick and nabbed me. Oh, and we ch we chat away about cold sauce sandwiches and his daughters wedding at the whole bit of banter.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

But that's what you want. Obviously, after you, as as someone who makes me laugh, I absolutely love John Bishop. And he would do yeah, he would do that as well. He would kind of have it and you know, during COVID when people were doing 5k runs and while I was watching them doing five K runs, you were the one making the videos to keep us going.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

Yeah, but it was keeping me going as well, yes. You know, and and I started doing a few bits in the shed, just Jimmy Jess Live, and I did a few live shows. And the first time I remember turning, and I didn't know there was anybody going to be coming on watching me. And I went and there was there's a number counter of your audience on the top of the screen. And when I went live the first night, there was 780 people who nearly fell off the blood.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

And that's not the population of Edwardstown.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

But you know what I mean? But that's because nobody had anything else to do only sit and hope that some bloody bit of entertainment. And I did that for a few weeks in a row, and it was you and he used to do requests, and you know, it was brilliant.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

But Fergal Flatherty done that, you know, Fergal over in the hole in the wall. He done that, and every night I used to love it, and then I see Ned's or Egan. Ned used to be a neighbour of mine, Ned's from Granard, himself and Mary used to do singing, and then he said, Is there any need for it to come back? And a few people have actually said yeah. Because to kind of miss that interaction with people.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

That's the thing you do, you miss it, you know, and it's it's it's gone just as ten second videos now, and you're flicking and you're gone. You're you know, it's just TikTok has changed the whole thing, I think, you know. Whereas people don't have time to sit down and even watch a two-minute video anymore. It's fifteen seconds and your interest is gone, you know.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Are you a content creator, a comedian, an influencer, or a jack of all trades, a master of money?

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Um I'm I'm none of those because uh I hate this influence. I mean, geez, isn't it terrible? Who are the influences?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

It's more like dee influencing us because half the time yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

But a lot of them take it so serious that they think they are actually influencing people. Maybe they are, I don't know. But I never set out to influence anybody. I set out to have a bit of crack and and and maybe somebody uh laugh somewhere along the line. That's all I'm interested in. But I I comedy was always I was always into that, fun, you know. Uh and then it morphed into a show and it morphed into life, sat up on that, you know. So I tried everything, you know, tried it all. Would you be the comedian? Sorry?

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Yeah, would you be the comedian now in your house? Because I can I know Bernie and he kind of has that kind of you know, mysterious way of going on, a bit you know, you're more like the the the bio. We well, we would call you the bio.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

There's six of us tonight, right? And we're all I'm the youngest and and Mary's the oldest. So I'm fifty-four and Mary is sixty. So there's six of us like every year, one after another. When we get together, well, I wouldn't be the funniest of us all.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

Really?

SPEAKER_01 6:24

Oh no, I'll tell you. There's a brother Donald and the stuff he comes up with is gas, you know, but even poor, yeah. We just have the best crack, you know, it's a good laugh, especially with your pine centers. You want to stay clear of us.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

That's like my brother Sean, and put up things on Facebook and he got fed up with people actually reporting him. And afterwards, the amount of people, and I had people in their 70s and 80s saying to me, How is he? I missed the crack and that. Because people like that, you know, you like to have a bit of a laugh. So he he's he kind of annoys people now, and Daddy was showing Rocky Tierney some of his jokes and videos. So Sean is now added to Rocky's list.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

Oh, but yeah, if he's if he passed the Rocky test, he's doing well.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

That definitely that that definitely gosh, no, you're the second Edward's town man I've had on the podcast. Mr. Tierney, Liam, the the real Mr. Tierney.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Liam, the legend, Liam is, yeah. We did a late, late show here in Edgerton a few years ago. During COVID, actually, we had Liam was one of the guests, you know, he's so many interesting stories to tell. Oh yeah. Yeah, he's brilliant.

unknown 7:29

Brilliant.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Could go on all day because da I was saying it to Daddy about him and because I wouldn't have remembered him really as a as a footballer because he was going on to the end when I kind of got a real interest. And Daddy was saying to me about, you know, that team that it's a pity they didn't win anything because himself and Jerry Clark, uh Soto. When you think of all the good players and good teams we've had down to the years, Jimmy.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

But I remember Liam like representing Ireland in the Aussies row. I think it was in Crocodile 84, maybe, or around that. And there was a big row. And I remember Liam, he had the mustache at the time, big dark well, he still has it, but a black mustache and the sleeveless jersey, and he was giving the Aussies plenty of it. He was standing up to them, like, you know, it was brilliant. But he he's such a legend of a footballer. We forget about how much he achieved, like play for Leslie, play for Ireland, Lamford, you know.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

So he's so unassuming as well. That's what I love about him.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Yeah, he he he's brilliant and and he's great, you know, his commentary as well. He's insightful, you know, when he's watching the match, you can listen to him and he he he can read the game as well, so he is brilliant.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

And he's a little list of people that he has to say. I was laughing at him, what game was it, the down game? And he was making a note, and I've seen Jodie Sheridan, and I said, Why do you have Jodie down? And he says, I was talking to him at the match the other day, Brannerope League, and um he wants to say hello. I said, Oh my gosh, this is it. But look at it, but that's what local radio is. I was listening back to a clip of Colum Corrigan from Loud the other day, and I said to Daddy, you can't beat local radio when someone is from that area, when you get a result like that, and then someone said to me that they were trying to get rid of him because of budget cuts. And I said, How could you do that?

SPEAKER_01 9:11

No, you need that. You need that passion on a radio, somebody who the blood is in the county and they just give you that passion. You know, you can't buy that. You know, I'm listening to the World Cup commentators now, and it's just so bloody fun.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

I cried on radio. I cried on air.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Well you you won though, but you get that passion, and you have that passion as well for it.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Like, I cried on air when Canoequera won the their first All Ireland in twenty thirteen.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Um to be linear and to commentate on that. For you know, it's such a pleasure and it's an honor really to to be able to do it, you know. But I remember when Edgeone in 21, like I was commentating on the the semi-finals, where the one the semi-final, and for Edgeone at the time to read uh and you're trying to be neutral, but it's very, very difficult, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Especially when it's your home place.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Absolutely, you can't really, but but I just listen back to it sometimes because somebody took a clip of the last couple of minutes. And you know, you you're in the moment, you're you're not thinking about what you're saying, but what you're saying is everything you ever thought of your club when you're you know, the people that are out there, you know. I love commentary, live commentary, you can't beat it.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

When I started off, I said, My gosh, I'll have a chance now of covering Granerdon County Finals and everything like that, and I'm still waiting for the Sean Connolly to come over this direction. Yeah. I I think yes, things are looking good for us anyway.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Great set of younger players in these over there. Yeah, but we have to work there. You'd have a good balance now as well, you know. Yeah, well we can just brilliant for us, but we're looking we have to try and get back up again, you know.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Look, that's what happened, Granage. We were relegated and got back up, and I think the best thing is if we can get up the next year or the year after, you need to get back up quick as soon as you can. And it just made us then remember they kind of regrouped it again a couple of years ago. We had a few tragedies and we ended up going down with them that said no, that so we have stayed up, but it is a big jump for lads. And for a team like your low yourselves, and uh no disrespect to intermediate teams, but like for the likes of Mostrom and Granard, who have always been a senior club, and then as you said yourself, getting to that county final five years ago, it is tough.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Oh, it's tough, and when you get there you you you need to perform, and unfortunately we didn't perform with Mulligan in the Long Grass, you know. That's it too.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

And and you know what? They're still there.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Still there, still have that key bunch of players there that are driving them forward and almost met the Leader Cup final, you know, just narrowly beaten there last weekend. Yeah, so look at it's it's it's look, it it's a very competitive land for the case.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

I have to say that, yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

It's competitive in the clubs and the level we're at, but unfortunately it doesn't reflect in in in the county results, maybe, you know.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Myself uh and Liam Taney were having that conversation and I was saying, you know, something has to be done. And well, I was down at um Leash and Down the other day, and dad came with me, and Daddy of course yapped with people, and they were just saying in Leash that an awful lot of good players aren't playing anymore, and we're talking about how awfully when Dykman came in and he just changed everything, a look at them now. And I was saying to Liam, like there has to be a reason why a lot of players have stepped away from the county setup. We need to have men like the Liam Tierneys and people like that involved to get it going again because there are players out there. But why are they not playing for the county? And when you see, and there is that bit of politics as well, which it is sad to see.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Yeah, but you look at the two county final this last year, Column Gill and Killow, like uh Column Gill, I know nobody up there. You know, they had a couple earlier on and they stepped away for whatever reason. But Killow have only one or two, maybe, you know. So out of the county final pairings, there's very few representatives on on the county side, which is a pity, you know. It's a and and I know guys don't see the merit in well, where is it going to be?

unknown 12:55

Where are we going to get to?

SPEAKER_01 12:56

You know, but then you have the wigglers who are who are doing well during the Talking Cup semi-final, and there are teams who who and awfully as you say coming back again, you know, for Mala there as well. Like, so you gotta try and compete with these teams. I know getting into division three was was positive this year, and it's good.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

We always had a thing over Loud, and Loud hated us. Like I remember down to the years, Dan Bannon would say to me that when Long were drawn with Loud, oh not again, because Longford always had it, and he'd always say to me about Darren Gallagher, always, you know, put in a performance. And I remember going up there to Gailey Grounds and Robbie Smith scoring one of the best points ever, and we were outstanding. And down to the years, but Loud have built in the last number of years. You look at their under 21, now with their senior, and I think that's what we nearly need to start doing now is going back to those teams, going back to having a plan in place from minor under 20, then on to senior.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

And look, I suppose with the minor a couple of years ago that we did with the Leinster there, like that was a great team, but then this year the minors disappointed, you know. The under 20s did very good, and Donald Ledwood had them fly, you know, uh and very impressive performances at under 20 level, but the under 17s for whatever reason just and there were good players in that team, like there are good some very good quality players coming through.

unknown 14:12

But look at it, it is it is tough for young lads to get there and look at it, you know, it's it's a battle all the time to keep these lads playing football.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

That's exactly it. Look at we'll go to the small ball. Myself and yourself, like Dear McCahlon as my guest, and I had said to him about how much I love the hurling, and I'm one of those people that was always kind of tr trying to promote Longford hurling. You this year, you had a nephew who won a lorry mare, and then you had a son who was part of the Longford team that won the Celtic Challenge.

SPEAKER_01 14:39

Yeah, Patrick was another 17 team, it's the second year in a row that won that. Burgunds young lad was on the on the on the county uh senior panel. So great, like great excitement at Crog Park there two weeks ago. I did that sound last week as well. So for for two national titles in Harlem to come back, we did the space of seven days. You know, did you like see it? And and when they came home to Edge Sound, didn't remember when the team like to go up to the church and parade up to town and and the reception part of the minute, the huge reception and the day and would have made it to Lamford as well. And it's great to see that reaction from the community in Lamford coming out and and and cheering them on and saying well done. You know, for years we would have been hitting under the Bowers. And even for the miners when they came, we did the same with the raiders have been interested in with the cop. But you know, just special days. You know, and we the panel at 30 there, them under 17s, all interesting locations, last year's players, all Lamford players, and John O'Brien, uh John Newman, all done and smart handling. But they've done so much work, and I see from Patrick being on that for the last two years, the amount of work them boys do, like they're three sessions a week from early on, you know, in the year, and they're bringing them here, there, and everywhere. Challenge matches down a six-mile bridge a couple of weeks ago, bringing them up to Dublin for challenge. It's huge work they're doing, and to credit them four guys that have done such work with them, you know. You know, and Jeremy Cannon as well. And I was at a point with Jeremy there just after in Jack's Corner, and he he was giving out about um me complaining about um guys who don't play at Club Orland in Longford playing for county or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

But if we if people didn't have opinions, the world would be absolutely so boring. Like even football teams, you like United. I with Liverpool, the only time I support United, as I tell the people, is when they play Rangers. It's the only you know, but you have to have but you have to have your opinion on that. And for a lot of people, I know that a few people have said it to me about them lads coming in. Some people think it's a great thing, for others they think and you yourself. But it was great that you were able to talk to Jimmy about and he accepted it and he listened to you.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

The rule is he can have three, okay, and and that's all he had. The others are all you know, Eamon Allen's father was from you know from Longford, Johnny Maher's mother was from Longford, Joe Rabbit's mother's mother's mother's from you know, so they're they're all the parent there, you know. So there was only the three anyway, so and I have no objection to any of those last players for Longford. But it was just gas out from the crack. The way he's saying you sound like the outsiders, it was a bit like the Bull McCabe, you know. The outsiders.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Yeah, I can imagine you now standing in the middle of Jack's corner.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Yeah, but look at the it is what it is, and I know we're living for players, and you know, I've no objection really to the player if we had if we had enough of our own, I suppose. You know, that's really where I'm coming from, you know. But that's our fault, not not any of those lads' fault.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

You look at Wolve Tones and they've been around and you have Clungish and you have Long Force Lashes, and it's sad that we've only got three teams, but yet there are great strides we made when you think of what is happening in this area, where a lot of your lads would be included in it with the two schools, Kenockwira and Art Skull Fodric. Perhaps schools would yeah, yeah. And look, we have Senin Elon, and I would have uh an absolutely brilliant time for young Senin and for his brother Tom, and I have to say Senin is absolutely brilliant, and he came up with that little thing as well about doing the hurleys and fixing hurleys and by the way, what would you call it? A hurler hurley.

SPEAKER_02 18:12

I call it a hurley.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

That's it. That is it. I'm gonna die and go to heaven now because Jimmy Jets has said, I oh yeah, I call it a hurley, and Frank would just go mad about it all. And I'll catch your Frank, yeah. Yeah, Frank, I would always go mad about it. But you know, Sennen does that. But it's great to see him, and I think Elderstone have always taken in our waves and strays down to the years with the hurling, but it's brilliant.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

But Senan, like and I saw him there in the county challenge final, like he when he gets on that ball, like he just heads for goal, like and he's still he's still under 17 years. Uh yeah, so he really is an intelligent hurler and a strong hurler, you know. Um and and I cautioned him when he came to Wolf Towns first, he was over the under eights of that, you know. You could see you could see Senan had it from from early on, and and like Niall and Donald bring them everywhere and you know, encourage them and he didn't always take it up. I think he's in with the under tens now. He was he was slow to take it up, but I think he's at it now, and so hopefully we'll have a third deal coming through for Wolf Towns in years to come.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

It's hard to say to people now, obviously GA is my first club, and and club is where it it all is for me. But you mentioned about the under eights, and it is wonderful when you watch those lads. I was Piero when I was secretary of the minor club for a number of years. Ben Blessington's Owen O'Hara, those lads now, Liam O'Hara, when the one that all Ireland clook were, I nearly felt like a proud mother because I saw those lads coming up to the ranks. And isn't it something special for someone even like you? I know you're a dad, but other people's children that you have worked with down to the years making those steps up.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

But I remember Denise when I was their age, you know, and it was Kevin McCormick, Billy Lynn, John Cullen, Kevin, you know, they were the guys who were doing it for us. Uh and you see when you're when when you become a father and be or a parent or even an adult, then well, it's time to give back, you know, because the thing doesn't happen on its own, you know. Uh then to see them make the strides they're making, and and next year those lads will be going into the senior ranks, you know, even jugging beyond that, you know, and to see imagine that a lad is going to be playing senior hurling for your club, you know, uh a few years ago he was he was just picking up early for the first time, you know. So it's it i but we need more people like that in the clubs. And I know there's lads in Dramar trying it out in London Ellen is trying it there in in in Ratfine as well. So but it's very difficult. Hurling is a very difficult sport to establish within a club. Football i it's it's not easy, but it's easier, we say.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

And you've got the people who are football only that kind of feel that hurling is going to take some of the players away. Do you find that?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Well well, it is a fact, I suppose. It is a fact because I know in in Edwardstown, when you have hurling and you have football and you have soccer, they've been pulled and dragged on all angles, and you're trying to get fixtures going one way or the other, and the other hurdlers are saying, Well, we've a match and footballers say you know, uh y the crossover is there, and sometimes lads are just pulled too much one way or another. And sometimes they just say to themselves, I've had enough of it all, or they'll say, Well, hurling is is my first love, that's what I'm gonna do, or I have a better chance of progressing at football, and they might drop the you know, so it's a decision a lot of football clubs don't have to make. They're wanting the football to concentrate on. You know, slashers plongation ourselves we've we've we've the two or maybe three, so it it can go against you at times. But so at the first championship we won back in '92, and we won the football that year as well. We won under 21 Ireland under you know, and that year everybody worked together, and but I think it was easier. There wasn't as many demands on on players that time for training and for threat accommodation and then for everything, you know. It was possible that time, but very difficult now for for Joel Blair.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

I'd say back then if someone mentioned S and C you'd probably think it was a tablet or a burial or something.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

I don't know what to think it was.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

Oh, mother of God. See, that's that's what I love about doing this podcast. I had Own Harry and David Mir on, and I made the confession that I watched Love Island. It's a wonder now you haven't come on with a blonde wig. I'm waiting for you now to put on a blonde wig and a Galway accent.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

You see, I'd have to watch it together.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Oh right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

And I I I at the start I was doing going to do something with Sean Fates because Barnico Hora had had had played Mount Everest, I think, the same week as Sean Fitzgerald went into Love Island. And I was going to say the difference between the Mill and the Gallwell.

unknown 22:39

But then the time passed and I didn't get to do it, and then it's it's it's out out of date then. So no way can go back.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Well, look at I made the admission that it was actually my dad that came in and wants to know how your man was doing. As I said, you know, it's a real country thing, you're a man. And kind of going and when you look at some of the crappy games in the World Cup, I'm kind of thinking, and my friend Sarah did say to me, uh Sarah Edgley, you know, um Sarah did say to me it's it's a kind of a breakaway from reality. So I was thinking, yeah, definitely it's a breakaway from reality. But um have you watched the World Cup? I'm dipping in and out with the dipping in and out, and look at some of the games are all over the border or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

I was watching a bit of Senegal and France there this evening. Look at I'm not sitting down, I've never I haven't sat down to watch a full game yet.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Yeah, I watched the opening ceremony and then I watched Scotland, but as someone said to me, it's very hard then on Sunday after watching the two games and then having the Gaelic matches and then having to watch soccer and no respect, and I love the soccer. I go over to see Celtic play, Longford Town and all that, and I have to say the football and the rules have been brilliant though, Jimmy, because the football has been absolutely brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

When your man lost the ball up at the up at the 21 Yeah, I thought that was it.

unknown 23:58

I said, That's it.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

And then Sam Mulray was coming up with the ball, and I was looking at the clock and I was saying, Well, you make it kick it, kick it, you have to kick it.

SPEAKER_00 24:04

I think everyone was shouting kick the back and thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

No, I thought we're gonna run out of time, and just at the second he did it, and oh the poor goal eaten Raffordy like in fairness. He'll be replaying that in his head, only it's all punch other way. But the excitement abroad, you know, that's the excitement of the whole thing now, and uh, you know, Jim Gav had fairness.

SPEAKER_00 24:30

People were giving out about Dublin dominating everything, but the one thing that they everyone agrees on is what Jim has done with these rules and the rest of the committee. When you do think of it about poor Longford, like we were stuck in the middle because myself and yourself would have the neighbours now the Lake County, and then the poor ones down in Lanesborough had the other bios there. I got a text message from a friend of mine the other day, and I must send you some joke messages I got about poor old Ross Common. I'm planning to have this out next week, so we'll know then if Westmead are still in the championship. But I was kind of hoping to see them do well, but I have two little man and men.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

I'm married to a Westmead woman, so uh yeah, and and my father would be Westmead, and and so there's a lot of Westmead in me, I suppose.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

So I like to see I like to see them doing well. Yank Haven.

unknown 25:19

Yeah, oh Yan Cavan.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Oh, I got the bit of Cavan doing well. I'd a bit I have the bit of Mullah horn in me, you know. I'm a real one I am. I was the Mulhorn and the Granard, you know. There should have been great football in this house, but there wasn't. As I say to someone, I became a journalist because I couldn't play football. Oh well, you're good at that, so you know. Thank you very much. I'll give you the few Bob. You know what? I'm just thinking back to COVID and I remember the songs you used to do, and I remember the one about Cav and and I was trying to I'm gonna have to do uh go back to the Instagram again about the numbers and that. I remember sending it all to my cousins and to my aunties, and I don't think I've ever laughed as much as I did. And I'm and I'm saying this to you, and I'm being honest with you about it. It was you got everything spot on.

SPEAKER_01 26:03

It was it was it was a time and a strange time, you know, for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

But when you have time to sit down and think, you you come up with great stuff.

unknown 26:11

But life gets in the way you know, uh of of doing stuff like that too often, and that's the problem.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

We're always in a rush here, there, and everywhere, you know, and there's always something else in your mind that you have to do or should have done. But that time we just had a few months that we didn't have to do anything or be anywhere. And I used to sit outside and the weather was lovely, and I used to just jot down, you know, different lyrics, songs, and you know, it was it was a great time for me for for for content creation as we were talking about earlier on.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

That's exactly it. What does Pappy think of it all? I suppose it's a way of getting rid of you for a few hours, is it?

SPEAKER_01 26:46

Yeah, like the they pass no remarks on my things anymore. They just I I could come out with a wig on me and they don't even they don't even look at me, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

Well, now in all fairs, if you come out with a dress and you then that's divorce.

SPEAKER_01 26:59

No, but they wouldn't, because they're just they're so used to it now, and the kids have grown up with me doing it.

unknown 27:03

I'm probably eight or nine years doing it. Like Queen was the eldest, she's 19, like Ian is only 12, and Patrick's 17.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

So they've always seen me being an idiot and not even asking what I'm doing and to say where daddy, oh, he's out doing a video. You know, that's what he is. Kathy wouldn't even look at a lot of them though, to be honest with you, and I'd be laughing at them. Did you see the last one I put up and said to her? She says, No, no, I'll look back there.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

I said, Oh lucky, lucky mommy's not in the video.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

Well, Kathy wouldn't go on a video if I was to pay her a million pounds.

SPEAKER_00 27:32

I know that the kids have been, and I remember poor old cleave a few times now, and I was thinking, God, I wonder if he's paying her for that.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

No, but uh and I tend to stay away from having them on it because look at that's their life and I don't have to influence what they do, you know. You know, so I wouldn't really put them into it too often. Sometimes I'd get Keen to talk from uh off camera, you know, or ask a question, but not put them in there because you know, don't want to roll up at their wedding.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

But the thing about it is now there's going to be pressure on you for the father of the bride speech because everyone's thinking, what is he going to say or do?

SPEAKER_01 28:08

Well, if you're looking, I'm 54 now, so I might be in a nursing home.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Well, my father is still waiting. He's still waiting. Poor old daddy, he's still waiting for a wedding, so you know.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

Yeah, but if you're looking, it doesn't matter, but you know, uh if you never got married, or none of them ever got married. That's that's you know, that's their life to live, and whatever comes for them is for them, you know. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

You're very easy to go in and out of character anyway, and as you said yourself about been a chancer, and and I think if I called you a chancer, it's not a it's not a derogatory remark, it's just you're you're one of those people that would chant anything. My brother reminds me so much of you, and that's what you want in life where people like you that can say anything, just come up with anything and make us laugh.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

But I I I just say to me, kids, and and to be worrying about something that might be coming up or whatever it is, and I says, if that'll be will be. Worrying about it is not going to change the outcome of it. It doesn't matter. And whether I make a fool of myself online, tomorrow there's going to be somebody else making a fool of themselves online, and I they'll have forgotten about Jimmy Connell or Jimmy Jess, you know. So I just And a A lot of the videos I do are spur of the moment. What comes into my head No script. Yeah, no script for the only time I have a script is when Mick is around. Any other time I don't have a script, because if you're trying to read a script and do a video, then it's it it's not natural.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

So now what popped up today was you getting ready for Longford Park Run, and I actually meant to give Kevin Kane a shout out because that was a remarkable achievement, like to celebrate ten years. And I remember one time he was having lots of people from around the county to come in, um, I don't know what year it was, and he asked me to represent Grannard, and I was like, eh, me, like you know, Pat the Baker did other things, but it was wonderful to do it, but I had to laugh at you getting ready to go in there.

SPEAKER_01 29:56

Yeah, but they you'd get several people who'd ask you to do uh a video or a promotion video, and a lot of them it's pointless because the the audience I'd have wouldn't be look, you know, it would benefit them, but I've always done that for Kevin, you know. And I did a few park runs a few years ago, but Saturday morning's never suited because I was training young lads or whatever, and now I've taken up golf and I do golf on Saturday mornings.

SPEAKER_02 30:17

Sorry?

SPEAKER_01 30:18

So so so I don't get into the park run. But for ten years, every Saturday, come here and rain or saying like it's unbelievable. And and I saw the setup first hand down there, you know, the way they run it, and it's so well run, so professional. They're they're they're brilliant a whole lot of them.

SPEAKER_00 30:33

And my old pal, and you know him well, Raymond Grehan was one of those guys that was always poor out Raymond.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

He is hundreds of he is hundreds of um park runs.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Oh, he's absolutely brilliant. He is uh he is absolutely do you know he's a Rangers fan?

SPEAKER_01 30:48

I know that, and I remember years ago when everybody used to go to the pub and have pints or whatever else, and I had a a conversation with Raymond, and uh we've been listening, Raymond is deaf and done with it. Um but we were writing post it pads at the bar. We had a few drinks, I'd say he probably wouldn't remember this, but anyway, and I'll be asking him the question so I'd write it on the bar that he'd answer. And that was one of the questions like why did he support Rangers? And I think it was the school he was going to in Dublin or something.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

That's what, yes.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

Yeah, there was something there I can't exactly remember, but he supports Rangers and I have a Ranger supporter.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

Yeah, because I said to him one time, I like you for every other team you support, you know, Longford Town, apart from maybe the bit of Crackwood Mostrom or Woolton's Liverpool, Leinster, everything, and then there was this Ranger thing. But I remember myself and Mam years ago, we decided to do sign language, and one of the girls showed us how to say F off. And we had a match in Drahada a few days afterwards, and I tipped him and I showed him how to do it, and he was he swear I was after telling me the loss. He was delighted I was able to say F off do it in sign language. But he was absolutely brilliant. Oh, he he was so good. Well you see his family and then how they're just been seeing Raymond with people at matches and signing with them, and I just there, he's just but then he's always around, like he he stewards it along for town matches.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

Uh and um Bob and his nephew James would be very good at the rugby there restaurant, Bob's son, you know, very good rugby player. You know, he used to play a bit harder when I was too, James, you know, but Bob would be the same and be around and he'd always have a wave for you know so oh the grands were also friendly, you know, lived up the road from us there just out of Alabama.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

You mentioned golf, so it's just a happy Gilmore thing.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

Oh Gianni, I don't know. The Longford Golf Club this uh the they had a get into golf thing for men, and it it it's actually starting again tomorrow for next year for getting for men who want to get into golf.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

Well, sorry, I hope you're not telling it saying it because you want me to get into it, like a man's knowing women get into golf as well.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Yeah, but you should. I'm addicted to it now. It's unbelievable.

unknown 32:59

I'm no good at it.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

I'm uh and I don't think I'm even improving at it after a year of it. But me, seven Richie Jewers and Peter Mulare go out almost every Saturday now, and we play around the golf, and it's brilliant. It takes me 130 shots to go around the bloody place, but I don't care. I'm out, I'm getting exercises, we're having the crack, we're having a chat, and it's just I can't wait for the next time to go out and play.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Liam Jeremy plays golf.

SPEAKER_01 33:23

Liam play well, Rockey definitely plays. Um I haven't come across Liam down there, haven't I?

SPEAKER_00 33:28

Yeah, no, we met Liam. Myself and Dad were coming back from the ladies' finals, division three and four, and of course, every GA fan has to stop off in a supermax. So we stopped off in Kenny Gallad, and Liam was there, and um he was coming back from uh he was after playing golf. I was actually the day Celtic had won the league, so he came over and he said to me Daddy, he goes, I hear hearts were robbed today. I was like, go on start me. Do you want to start me? Do you want to start me? You didn't care about hearts? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. United. But you have a bit of banter with with Liverpool fans and and everyone else. You're not one of those annoying United fans.

SPEAKER_01 34:04

Me? No, I'm not no no no. It's very difficult for a United fan to be annoying these days. In fairness now. It's a while since we were in had uh had anything to be annoying about. You know, we're hoping maybe maybe next year we might improve with Carrick. I don't know, but it's been a tough few years to be a United fan, though, in fairness to these. You know, we finished ahead of Liverpool last year, dude this year.

SPEAKER_00 34:26

That's it. That's it. You're going to win that we finished ahead of it's a bit like um that's it, like small, small little progress, you know.

SPEAKER_02 34:34

We take them.

SPEAKER_00 34:34

So I was saying to the lads that poor old Aris and no disrespect to them, but nobody was getting over excited apart from their fans that they won a lead.

SPEAKER_01 34:43

It was a bit of a yeah, it was a bit of a damn squib, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_00 34:45

You know, yeah, it wasn't it wasn't it really.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

The two lads though, uh they're united supporters as well, you know. Sometimes I feel sorry for them. Because the young lad Key and he's just mad United.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Really?

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Mad mad football soccer. He just he knows every player that ever was, and he'd tell you who everyone was. He loves it. But uh we brought over to Old Trafford a couple of times that you know Jackie Floyd used to be over there.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

Yes, you've got a few yeah, a few people from yeah, I'd just say I went over. But it is it is lovely now. Um my nephews Liam is six and Shamie is four. So I said to Sean, You can bring them to Manfield, I will bring them to Celtic Park. But um Liam is just, and Sarah would say to me, like she reckons he will be a journalist, but he's into facts and everything, like he would basically tell you what Neymar had for breakfast or all like that. But he came up, he came up to me the other day and he said to me, Auntie Denise, I know three footballers who are dead. I was like, What? So he was like, Pele, Diego Maradona, and Joga Jot. So I was like, Right, yeah, but but he was able to tell me about about Jot and John and Dydnik, and he was driving a Lamborghini, Auntie Denise, and they're very fast cars. So in his own little way, he was learning things, and then he came up with um about Trump. He owns America. Well, he thinks he owns America. This was his way of saying president, and he goes, uh he's a bit of a ginger nut, and I just thought Yeah, perfect. But it's lovely watching them. The other boy is more interested in playing the sport. But as you said about, you know, Key and being interested, and it is lovely watching them. And I just love watching the two boys. One minute that could be dressed in an Argentina kiss, Liverpool, Celtic, Larmon, Monen Harps, Granar Tops, you know, these the Liban jerseys, which and you know, when any child plays any sport, apart from supporting Rangers or United, I would advise them to do well that.

SPEAKER_01 36:33

But I don't know if you uh you've been to SLU, like over at Hollis in Salu, but the the jersey shops over there. We went to SLU last last summer for a family holiday and the jersey shops with all the GEA jerseys, every county, absolutely. And we went in and they're 20 euro, 25 euro for these jerseys, you know. Not bad quality, you know, they'll they'll last as long as they need them to last. But I think we came home with every county under the sun.

SPEAKER_00 37:00

Go away, because myself and my friend Nicole Rowley has said when Liam was born, the first day Liam was born, we had planned everything and it was locked down in Ireland. But I had planned to get him all the jerseys of the counties. And it's so funny, a couple of years ago in his preschool, a group of them were supporting Galway, he was picked to support Galway, others were supporting Armagh. And this is what Liam is six now, he's in senior infants. Since that defeat to Armagh, he has described Armagh, so I don't think I'll ever be able to buy him an Armagh jersey. But yeah, myself when Nicole said we'll start buying boys, yeah, football jersey. What is it? Whatever about GA, you will always see someone wearing and it wouldn't be their county's jersey.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

Patrick is every jersey, and he might have a Calair one on them today, or a Laura one, or a Galway one, or whatever. Claire, every jersey under the sun they have, and even in New York G uh jersey now is either wearing as well, you know. They're just it's just a fan, I suppose, with it now that it's brilliant to see.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

But to see it at a training, obviously the ones Kerry, Meo, and Dublin, I'd say, would be the the top ones. But yeah, it's lovely to see that I was in we were in uh Bellamadina and I seen a guy with a court jersey, an antrum jersey, and Offaly. So it was lovely, and of course probably the shops over there as well. I never thought of I never thought of looking at it.

SPEAKER_01 38:17

The shorts, uh the hats, every feckin' thing. You thought you were walking down Main Street and Longford with all these bloody shops, you know.

SPEAKER_00 38:23

So did you get out killed out? Were you uh one of those because when I was over there, it was the all-air hurl final was on.

SPEAKER_01 38:30

Tip and and and and cork last year. And I I wanted to do a video on it. So I went down shop and I bought a temporary in a cork jersey and I did the skit on them.

SPEAKER_00 38:41

I hope you will claim that back now on tax. This is what the influencers do. They go over on holiday and they sell a few products and then they claim it back on tax. So I think that's what we should do, is when we go somewhere again, I might write a few articles and I'll claim it back. I went over to Spain, you know, for the sun to help me rise and I I claim it back. Yeah, no, I can't see you now going around wearing a Liverpool. Oh, would you wear a Liverpool jersey?

SPEAKER_01 39:02

No, I wouldn't. Unfortunately, I wouldn't. Not even for a skin.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

I was thinking that.

SPEAKER_01 39:07

There you go. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 39:08

That's bad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:10

I don't think I've ever worn any soccer jersey on a United jersey, and I very seldom wear a United jersey. I'm not a jersey wearer, a United supporter. But now that time I might put it on for a skin.

SPEAKER_00 39:19

I'm the same with Liverpool jerseys. I have loads of Ranner tops, which is great now because years ago you could never buy anything GEA. Whereas since Connor Matton has started up his clothing company and the ladies' team as well, I have tops Granard, Celtic, and Lees Rhinos. That's it really that I would I would wear.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

It's mad how And even the Lamford jersey, I uh well, I wore it to Crow Park and I wore it up to the Celtic Challenge final, but I wouldn't have no wears of a normal day going round. Like I wouldn't, you know, save it for the good days, you know.

unknown 39:51

Don't have too many of them.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

Do you remember years ago that we had because we'd either play Dublin or were in a division three or four final, there were years, a good few years in a row that we actually end up in Crow Park. But look at the hurlers. I just brilliant they've given us some fantastic days. And I was just saying it to Jared that I was just back from holidays and I had matches in Monin, and I never got a chance to go to the Lorimar final because I knew that I would just be wrecked for too early on Sunday morning. And I because I was at the two previous ones when we well, was that the ones we lost as well, but the two previous wins the one against Study Gaul and then obviously the one with Frank when uh we beat Fromana.

SPEAKER_01 40:29

Yeah, yeah, and ten and what ten and fourteen, was it? Yeah, ten and fourteen as we both of them as well. Yeah, yeah, a couple of years ago.

unknown 40:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:39

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:39

But that was like we wasn't looking good at half time. Let's were dominant now over us uh the first half and their goal chances as well. Yeah, but they we just turned we just and we've been a second half team all year, really, you know.

SPEAKER_00 40:51

That's what German was saying, yes, that's what German was on about. And I think Longford's fitness, it's a bit like I um the down game the other day, like down's fitness. I know we saw them the previous week against Longford and they were good, but it was almost like they stepped up a gear against Leash, like their fitness was just unreal.

SPEAKER_01 41:10

And and and when games are coming taking heavy week in, week out, that that stands to them, you know, and it uh it helps.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

I just think though, when you think of Down, the knock Dunegal out of the championship, they were so unlucky against our Mah that they were on the tough side of the draw that they are they're too good nearly for the top and and they should be because their division two next year.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

Yeah, you know, and God knows how far they could have gone in that if they had the same run run the best meat got, you know.

SPEAKER_00 41:40

Yeah, because I think margins there, you know. Yeah. But look at us, I was looking back at um a tweet the other day. I don't know what I put up uh I was looking for the Sunday game or the Saturday game or something, and and an old tweet came back about the time we lost up in Armagh. Um every decision that could go against us did go against us. And that caught us, cost us promotion. And I'm just thinking, what would have been for that team back then? Because I think they were so good to play division two football.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

Yeah, imagine to get up and you know, and and and build on that, and then that helps as well the underage, it helps everybody, gives the whole county a boost and brings it on and gives lads well, lads that might be on the on the verge of committing or not committing, well, they may commit if they you know, if they see that progress. And I think that's the way with a lot of lads who not committing is that they don't see the end goal being good enough for the commitment they have to put into it, you know.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

Uh it's kind of like doing a plan. Like Owen here you said to me about Japan. Japan had this hundred-year plan. I know it sounds mad, hundred year about them going on to win a World Cup, but these are the things that you have. I'm sure Cross McGlenn all those years ago decided to decide, oh, we're gonna win an All Ireland. They set a plan in place that they're underage, we're gonna move on and move on. And I think that's probably why I thought Graner were gonna win senior championships, because we had that thing with underage, but then we'd a problem with that gap. And I think that's something that we need to do, even with long for the senior level, is that gap between 17s, 20s, and senior.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

Yeah, that the work has to be in there. And I know they are doing great work on the Tanta are in there with them in the gym work with the 15s and under 17 squads and that.

unknown 43:19

But it's it's you don't have the numbers, didn't he?

SPEAKER_01 43:22

So don't think you have the numbers of players. You know, uh a lot of counties would have three and four development squads, and I heard Kenny given out there, I think it was Andy Cummerford, the one that was complaining that these development squads give guys egos, and he he was against development squads, and he said that Kenny Horland should get rid of development squads, that they're not benefit. Now I don't know what his alternative is, but I uh in my opinion, well what else do you do?

SPEAKER_00 43:47

Like Well mean in developing counties like ourselves and Leitram, you look at us like the two smallest population counties, Longford and Leitram. You can see where it's with the small amount of like people think, oh now it's such a small but People forget with the population of loud. Like we are we are you no longer in a litrum, even with football clubs and everything like that. It it's very hard and it's a very small pool of players to pick from.

SPEAKER_01 44:10

But you wonder is is right, if you're not on develop if you're a fifteen or sixteen year old gus trying to get break into that development squad and you never you never make it into that development squad. Is it sending a message to you well that you're never going to make it uh as a county player when you're 19 or 20 or 21? Like are you outside of that loop?

SPEAKER_00 44:30

I don't think so because I will always use, and I said it to Liam Tierney, and I will always use Darren Gallagher. Darren Gallagher Gallagher Darren couldn't get into the team in Kenoughwera. Darren then went to the tech. Darren never won uh an A championship um underage. Um and he got into that minor team, and I will always say about Kieran Fox, when you think of it, Kira Fox was a fantastic manager. Kira Fox and Podgy Davis, when you do think of them as underage managers, what they've done with the minor and the under 21s back then, it was Kieran Fox minor. Yeah, oh sure, look at some of the the great days.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Well my point is that Darren being an exception because he had that determination and and that gritty was to work hard to get there. But are we losing lads who who don't have that determination? And maybe when they're young and vulnerable and told, well, you're not making the development squad, so that means you're not good enough. Yeah, I I don't know. I don't know whether we need three or four development squads.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

We probably do, because you know yourself, Jimmy, we all can't be great at everything. But if we work hard, and I remember being involved in under tens down in Granard for Eddie Kelly, the credit union tournament, we used to call it the Eddie Kelly Tournament, and there was youngsters there that couldn't kick a football, but you work and you work when you work with them, and eventually there was guys there that I'm even thinking now of young lads who would only be brought on near the end of a granar match of years ago, you know, if granar were winning well, them lads now are starting for are starting for our minors are good. So it's lads that we need to work uh, you know, we do need to work on, and I agree there with you about one development squad. It's very hard as well, and I always say that about young lads, and probably because my mum would say it, for a young lad, young girls will always talk. We will always talk and we don't bottle things up and we say things the majority of us tell our mums things or whatever. Whereas young lads, you never know what they're thinking. So we have to wonder well, this young lad is something going on in their life that they're not putting the the effort in, or are they just not interested full stop?

SPEAKER_01 46:42

Yeah, well I I know from both sides because I'm involved with the Masterm Ladies and the selector Jose and James Heinz this year in the Master of Ladies senior team. And you go to a training station with Masterm Ladies and they're all yapping. It's hard to get to get them to stop yapping, you know, they're yapping in the dressing or they're yapping, and sometimes you'd have to get ticked with them because you listen to what we're trying to tell you. But they're all enjoying it, communicating with each other, and then I'm involved with the extra minor lads, and you never know whether they're gonna come to training or not, you don't know where they are or the and then they're at training, and there's there's no communication with them with each other. You swear to our strangers along the time. And I don't know if it's only micro but not, I presume.

SPEAKER_00 47:29

That that's it. So I think maybe in some ways, and I know that they have a liaison officer with the ladies. I don't know what it's like now with underage with with lads, if there's a liaison officer as well there. You know, maybe we should have something like that for young lads that, as you said, development and see the thing about it is yes, it's developing their skills as a footballer, but a lot of time it's developing them as a person as well.

SPEAKER_01 47:51

Absolutely, and that's the age where you're where where you are developing, you know, and you are exploring new things from outside of sport and and and pressures coming in from all angles, from exams, from college points, from from less in alcohol, drugs, girls, you know, all of that. It's is is uh coming in on top of them at the one time. And and it's you know, they're maturing in every way. And and and sometimes these things can pull them away, and and sport can be a relief for them, but uh a lot of the time they're dragging the other is too much of a pull that the sport sort of takes second best, you know, and and and that they discontinue it, you know. So as you were saying, maybe a liaison, somebody that they can talk to, open up to, you know, but those those people are not there.

SPEAKER_00 48:37

It's hard enough to get coaches without you know I don't have children, but when I was with the minor club, I used to say to the lads, Look at if you ever have any problems, come down to me and two young lads came up to me and told me that they were being bullied.

SPEAKER_01 48:48

There you go, yeah. Yeah, and to have that open line of communication, and you opened that line of communication with them.

SPEAKER_00 48:55

Because they knew they could have a crack with Denise because I was always the one that would bring the sweets and I would wear a salty jersey, or I would have, you know, I'd be slagging them about something, or Liverpool United and all that, but and they could see that, yeah, this Denise you'd have a bit of crack with her, but that it could also be serious as well, and if they wanted, yeah, and I it was one player it was actually a player on the team that was beat bullying them, and it was a player that if you said to me, I would not have picked this player as the bully.

SPEAKER_01 49:22

Yeah, I know, and it's often those days that are are are the holies and that we don't we don't think that they ever would be like that. And we but a lot of the time it's it's results driven and at that age and and a manager might be coming in trying to make a name for himself at minor level or under whatever, and all he cares about is the score at the end of a game and not the personalities who are actually out on the pitch. And you know, if we spent more time worrying about them rather than what happens on the scoreboard, you know, and have that communication with them and bring them along. You know, that's that's what's needed because the young lads are are ignored or the ignored, or you're roaring at them because they didn't go for that ball. But you don't know what's going on, you know, when they go home at that night or what they're left behind them.

SPEAKER_00 50:07

Well, I tell you, that's an idea for myself and yourself, isn't it? Yeah. Maybe we could start doing it. You went on tour. Any plans for another tour?

SPEAKER_01 50:15

I think I went on tour first 2022, and I did 14 shows around the around the country, uh, hubs and clubs and plowing matches and everything else, and it was hard going, and I said I'd never do it again. And then last year I got the itchy again and says I have to get back up and stage again, so I wrote another show and started emailing around the theaters and see who'd have me. And so I did eight shows in in September, October, November uh last last year, then put into last year. And stuff going, and I I guess every single I loved every minute of it, but when you're a one man operation, you're trying to get places that'll take you on, you're trying to promote it, you're trying to sell tickets, and then you're trying to set up do the show, come home, you know, it's it's it's too much for for one person.

SPEAKER_00 51:04

And so you know social media like a lot of people will have a social media person, and I know people with podcasts and that, and I'm like, what? They have social media people like you know, one or two people help, you know. People think, yeah, you've all these people. No, you don't have all these people. It's it's very much, yeah, a one person.

SPEAKER_01 51:24

You have your nine to five, and I run the business as well. Myself, I'm self-employed, so there's all that going on as well. You know, I feel sorry for myself for anything I I choose to do what I do, you know, but it's just hard work. And I remember somebody saying to me, I think a few weeks ago, I was talking to somebody says, but does your manager not do all that? I said, manager's like, oh Kathy, yeah, well Kathy leaves me to be on devices because uh it'd be hard to to deal with anyway, you know.

SPEAKER_00 51:53

In some ways, does Jimmy Jest give you that breakaway from work and your breakaway from from reality? You are you are Jimmy Jest is your love island.

SPEAKER_01 52:03

Yeah, it's it's my hobby, it's it's it's a passion. I I love doing it, and I fight with myself to give it up, and I yeah, I'm not no, but I and I just say to myself, what am I doing for? Why am I bothered? What's the point?

SPEAKER_00 52:17

You know, and I've often thought that with this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 52:20

Yeah, somebody put a silly comment up about you or your appearance, or you know, calling you all sorts of names, and you and you say, Oh, jeez, I just don't need it, you know. I don't need it. And then again, I do go out and start filming again and ball by the way.

SPEAKER_00 52:35

Oh no, I'd be like that with the pod, to be like, oh look at it, it's just um doing a on my own now. You know, Frank is obviously busy with Westmead, and do I? And then I mentioned to a few people and they were like, What? They're like, I love listening. And I'm like, Oh, people are actually listening, you know.

SPEAKER_01 52:49

Absolutely, keep it going. You know, we need it. We need people and chats like this. People love listening to chats like this, whether you know, we've covered everything in the last every time.

SPEAKER_00 53:00

That's what I like, that's what I love doing about this podcast is uh um and I've always done it, even when I worked in radio doing interviews or interviews after matches, I don't have these lists or questions, I just um do it all ad lib. And I don't have this running order. And like we went from Love Island to referees to Damian Duff and everything for the day. So I'm gonna go now to predictions. So um I'm gonna put uh get you to put um a towel over your head and get a crystal ball. Um right, the World Cup, would you have any interest in who's gonna win it or who do you think? Well we were just talking about that.

SPEAKER_01 53:36

I think Shannon said that the two Irish people want England to win the World Cup, but Quever Quever works in Shannon's side should be asking me the question once you give him off and work. And I says, I I I don't want them to win it, not because I don't like England, but I just don't want them to win it because I'd rather see somebody else winning. Win that as well, but I thought Spain, I said I'd like to see Spain win in the World Cup. Because I remember we were in Spain two years ago when they were doing well at the euros and won the euros. Remember being in the Pope and a mooning car down just in the south coast of and ever we went to watch the match out in a big square in the middle of the town, and every time I bought a pint, they give you a tapas, either a half-baked potato or or olives, I don't know what they were, but it was free whenever so ever since that I went to Spain to win.

SPEAKER_00 54:21

Because you got free food for Are you sure you don't have Kavan in you?

SPEAKER_01 54:26

I'm easily bought. So Spain is my prediction, but I think they'll win it as well.

SPEAKER_00 54:32

So I hired Spain. I I don't know, Germany. Daddy was in about Germany, someone said Brazil, then um Owen Harry was on about France. So there there's lots of pe which is great that there's so many people, there's no one saying, Oh my gosh, one team is going to but look, we'll forget about and it's not real football. I always call it it's soccer. By the time this is out next week, unfortunately, we will have a few less teams in the All Ireland. Who do you think will win the big ball and who do you think will win the small ball?

SPEAKER_01 55:03

Well, I'll start with the big ball, and I think it's going to be there's going to be Donegal probably have a kick in the if you if you if I was to put four and I'd say Carrie Gall or Dudie Gaulle Arma. And if I was to give you a winner, I'd say Carrie. You know, I just think of all their players getting them back. They had a few injuries, you know, Johnny Shea, Foggier all coming back into the fall. I think they've got the scare against Dunny Gall.

SPEAKER_00 55:27

I was gonna say that was the Donegal game the kick of the backside that they needed.

SPEAKER_01 55:32

I think so, but uh it's not gonna be straightforward for them and depends on the run they get because they're coming in from the wrong end of it now.

SPEAKER_00 55:39

Johnny had said to me yesterday about Galway, and I was talking to someone else about Galway, and no one is not no one is really talking about them. They've got players back. I know West Me came back into the game the other day, but you know, Galway deserved it.

SPEAKER_01 55:52

So Yeah, but then the course you know, I I just don't know.

SPEAKER_00 55:56

You don't know what w what Galway are going to turn up. It could be the Galway that turned up against Ross Common and look good. Yeah, true. Yeah, Leech from their chances, yes.

SPEAKER_01 56:06

Uh so I I I I'm going for Carrie on that and the football the big ball.

SPEAKER_00 56:09

Why did they give you free food down there?

SPEAKER_01 56:16

And I'm going for only one team that are going to win the small ball. And we saw them last Limerick, Limerick are going to win the small ball. Just uh passion them by sound. It's unbelievable. I was watching a few TikToks there of PR Kyle Hale singing to the smaller thing of the road and all the oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 56:36

But this flag Oh my god, just now come here, you better not come over to Granard now with a an Austrian flag and stick it down.

SPEAKER_01 56:44

I don't think it'll be making that too far in with it.

SPEAKER_00 56:50

Yeah, just I can imagine how Patsy Patsy Hines or Jody Shirton or some of the boys running.

SPEAKER_01 56:55

You mentioned Jody Short and earlier on, and I did uh I did uh uh an interview with Ratware and Dolman there uh few weeks ago. There've been open day next on the 27th, this Saturday when this goes out. Um and I did an interviews of of older people with their memories, you know, and Jody was one of them. And if you ever get a chance, well it'd probably go up on YouTube at some stage. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 57:17

I'm gonna try and get him. I'm trying to see Jeremy Pahell and myself spoke for nearly two hours, and then it was only about an hour podcast. And we're trying to think myself and Jody sitting down talking forever.

SPEAKER_02 57:28

Well, I had to keep it uh thirteen or fourteen minutes, you know. But he he sang, he sang the the blue and gold song.

SPEAKER_01 57:35

Uh brilliant like it then he sang Grace later on, and we had a great old chat, a great interest already. Just he he he his love for the GEA just came out so much, like all he wanted to talk about was football.

SPEAKER_00 57:47

That's all when I was small, Jimmy, um going to matches now. Mam obviously would have had my brother, so some I got a lot of the great games Mom didn't go to. So I'd go off with Daddy and I loved you know, with Dad, we'll be with the likes of Jody and that. And even now as I've run older, Roggie Martin, I just absolutely and any time I go to a match over in Glasgow, I always have to get Roggie a programme. I got him one in the Scottish Cup semi-final. Roggie, people like that. I just and I said, I have to start talking. Roggie won't. I want Roger to come on a podcast. And I got an interview with him years ago when our book launched, when the book was launched in Granard. And Aggie and Nell were there going, Did she get him to talk? And I was like, Yeah, didn't we get anybody to talk? It was like Vincent Daly done his only interview with me um when I worked in the news, so I was delighted to pour out Vincent Lord of Mercy on him. We were talking about the GA and people here, you know, earlier on about volunteers and different things, and it's the Jody Sheridans, it's the Roggie Martins, Rogi's in his nineties that have kept it going and th and those stories that we have to keep. Like, you know, Jimmy's that happened. Jimmy, I'm getting emotional now. I've never seen I've never seen Sean Conley. I've seen him from a distance, I've touched him. Um I said it to Nicole Rowley, I hate her because she has seen him too many times in Killow, but um it would just be we don't even have you over, we'd have you over.

SPEAKER_01 59:19

It's been thirty-four years since we've seen it here, either, and and we've only seen it three times or something.

SPEAKER_00 59:23

Forty four. Think of ten years before that with Ronard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For either club, like, it's uh you know, and when you think of the teams of the sixties, and I remember we had a big um celebration a couple of years ago, and the lads from Twingish, you know, Seamus Plant and the loads of them come down to the Reffney Arms and Arab, but what a night there was, and talking about those great teams, and Dad would talk about the teams going to the carna fans and all that, and I'm like going, please, that's all I want. People say about oh, if you had a choice, you know, Ireland to win a World Cup or to win a Champions League or such a thing or such a thing, and I'm like runner to win a championship, that's all I want.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:00

Yeah, but it did it it'll happen, you know, it'll happen.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:04

Please God. Please God. Mist Mystic Meg, wait a second now. Are you gonna now have a Jimmy Does predictions? Are we going to have that? No.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:12

No, no, no, no. What do you want me to do with it for the for the club championship? Do you want me to give you a prediction?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:17

Yeah, who do you think? Not us, yes. We're we're we're simmering.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:21

Yeah, but suppose everybody's going to say, you know, there's gonna be three teams in it, what we call in kill confusion. You know, and that's what that's what they'll say, but who knows? Who knows?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:32

That's the great thing about Daddy even said it to me, we're just talking about the football yesterday. See, that's our conversation at our house. Myself and Mammy will sit down and watch Love Island, then we'll see what's on. Um, Mam was watching um Egypt last night because of Mo. Um my mother my mother's see, I supported Liverpool 'cause I think because of Mammy and poor old Daddy didn't get us because of Leeds. And um we talk football. Yeah, myself and Mammy would do that as well. But myself, that's our our conversations now, myself and dad. We we yapping about about different and we were just talking about the championship um yesterday evening and we're saying that's quite open in Longford.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:07

Oh, it is open, yeah. There's there's so many, like you you know, Avi Larry, Carrie Kevin, Grannard, you know, they're all you can't rule any of this.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:14

And the thing about it is, Jimmy, if we don't finish in the top four, there's a chance of being down at the bottom and on your day, as I said to uh someone from Arda, you know, on your anything can happen and you know and the two goes down, like we went down last year, you know, after not being down since nineteen sixty eight, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:34

In that length of time, so it can happen, and as you say, trying to get back on the eye.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:38

Nineteen sixty-eight. What happened in nineteen sixty-eight? I can't believe I know this. You know you won the the European Cup. Are the only reason why I know that is fantastic. Yeah, yeah, that's the only reason why I know that is it was the year after that.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:52

Yeah, so I had to go to Fort Praise Club doing it.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:54

Yeah, yeah. And of course, Denise had to go to L when she was in Lisbon. We were making a list of what we wanted to do, and Mom and my aunt were like Fatima, and I said, Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, Fatima. I was like, Yeah, but first I said I want to go to my place where I can pray. So I I went to uh well, isn't it mad though when you were there? No, I'd love to go to Salu sometime and I'd love to go that direction because I'd love to go to Barcelona. Because any time I'm in a a city or anything like that, like London, I've seen most the grounds in London. Um I kind of see the outside of good from a distance, old Trafford. I like I like doing things like that. I got a photograph with a long for ten scarf outside Ibrac. So um I likely on Mam had a Celti jersey on her and my friend had an Ireland jersey on her.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:36

You're risking it, you're risking it.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:38

A few of these Rangers fans drove by and they were just laughing. I was like, yep. Look at Jimmy, we could yap and yap and yap. I keep those videos going. I'm actually will put up well everyone knows you anyway, but I will put up a link to uh Jimmy Jess. I'm waiting now for uh this number one song to come out. We've Reb Giant are back, Ross is doing well with Ambles, so Jimmy Jess now has to get another song out so we can have a Nerney might do an old duet.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:02

Oh my god to the two Johnny's points at the field.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:06

Oh my. Well, there you go. Look at it. Someone said to me um a few weeks ago, two Johnny's, that's exactly it.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:12

Be my manager.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:14

No, no problem. We we'll start it now. We do it both when we get you. Actually, no petition to get you. We might start off with getting you at the Granard Agricultural Show and then moving on from there. Is that okay?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:24

That's where all great that's where all great stories start.

unknown 1:03:27

I remember the last time I was in Granite Plow and I was doing a celebrity plowing out the field.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:31

It was the Ciernan's Kiernan's uh out the the the the Cavan Road on the right.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:36

Yes, yeah, um John Cairn, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:38

Yeah, John Cairn's celebrity plow under uh I can't even drive a tractor, so you know Come here.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:44

Well I'm um I was gonna say are you even a celebrity, but that would be so bad. But that's the gun that then the by it means I think it's the name of it's well see we don't have the Harp Festival anymore, so you know we need to have we put in the the agricultural show now as as the big thing for But my well my young lad has gone out and I had to collect them in Granard last Saturday night because that's where they go socialise it now, to go to Granard, you know, young lads. Oh, we're we're we're we're the place now. But I tell you, John V's now it's the last Saturday I was back too late to go to the the fundraiser. It seemed to be absolute an Irish town woman won it. It seems to be absolute yeah, uh Mary's lovely person.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:24

Um the ladies, mastermadies.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:27

Yeah, she is, yeah. She's been involved a long time. And I my good friend Dan Moran was in it, and David Hines of absolutely no so many. But Dad, I said dad, go up to town and have a drive around after we come back from Port Leash, and the town was quiet enough, but John V's. Now there was a few in John V's, but normally John V's would be hopping. But yeah, yeah, but uh I know so now we're the we're the place to go. So uh that's it, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:51

Have to get acting now. No such thing as making it handy for me at half twelve at night having to drive to Granar. But anyway, easy knowing my social life is finished.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:59

I can't I can't even say anything about that because I used to go, what time? Um half two outside the Longford Arms. Okay, be there at half two. Yeah, yeah, Daddy, yeah, yeah, Daddy, three o'clock, Denise. Where are you? Um I'm getting the girls, and you're getting the girls. It was normally the Everton girls, the Kyles now had to gather them up. Um but yeah, that was it, yes. So I yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:18

That's that's our job now.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:20

That's all I have to do.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:21

So, Jimmy Jess chauffeur, are we doing like Jimmy Jess taxi service?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:26

Oh my god, we got the leader of your running out of the day.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:30

Oh, that's it. Oh, you're looking for money. Look at go off, take care of yourself and keep making those with you. Keep making me laugh, will you? Take care of yourself, take care of it.