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Mixed Bag with Paddy Joe Burke
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Deniese chats to Roscommon GAA supporter Paddy Joe Burke about this weekend's All-Ireland Football Final, his love for the GAA, being a Bolton supporter and that famous bandana....
Mixbag is kindly sponsored by Refined Barbershop Mainstream Squaders. You can find Refined Barbershop on Instagram and a big thank you to Olix. I don't know if you've said yourself you're probably one of Common's most famous son at this moment in time, though poor Willie Hecarty might have something to say about that. But I'm delighted to have Paddy Joe Burke on the podcast this week. Paddy Joe Sunday. For us GEA supporters, last Sunday we had the hurling, and then this Sunday it's the All Ireland final. And there's just something magical about the All Ireland final.
SPEAKER_00Well, I suppose it's uh the pinnacle of the GEA calendar, it's the pinnacle of uh every young intercounty player that's darted off uh playing his career has uh has a secret wish deep deep buried inside him to be part of All Ireland Final Day. And uh All Ireland Final Day is special, All Ireland Final Day is magic, All Ireland Final Day is it's it's in our DNA. Uh as even even people, Denise, that isn't interested in the All Ireland or isn't interested in GA, they too will know that the All Ireland is on. And I was fortunate enough to grow up in a house. We had the local radio going back, I'm going back 65 years, nearly more, in fact, and all the neighbors who gather in our house to hear the radio and Mihalom and that iconic introduction of the Baliera Galera cord and Falcharod, and even the sound of his vice today and Mihalomaraherty. And all and and you know, we owe a great debt of gratitude to all the great commentators we have in the country at the moment. And in fact, on local radio, we have our own Willie Hagerty, and Willie and every local radio commentary commentator in East brings an amazing amount of happiness to people who's living alone and people, you know, that's all over the world. Um next next Sunday, 3:30, Dublin, Crow Park, Ireland. The world will be listening as their satellite and CNN, 82,000 in Crow Park. And for the two teams that's participating, my God, what a magic moment it is for them. What a magic moment it is for all of us, GA people, to uh be uh waiting in anticipation of what the All Ireland can do. And Denise, the three great moments for me on All Ireland final day, I have still childlike excitement. I never lost that childlike excitement. Oh, gee, I love now, I love if I'm in the stadium. And particularly, I suppose we're all we'll all come back to our own county. But um just um for when I go to a football match, when I go to see Russ Common playing, my favorite, I love to be in the stadium before the team runs out. And it's lovely to be uh in the in the stadium all around the country, a Ford stadium in a different county, and to see your own team emerging from the tunnel, bursting out onto the field. I love that moment. And then take that forward then to all Ireland final day. Oh my god, to see your team bursting from the tunnel, to see the the splash, 82,000 erupts when both teams emerge from the tunnel, the excitement, the anticipation, the childlike, the joy, the sheer magic of uh being present to see the game that we absolutely love, which is the GA. And then one of the that's one, that's number one moment. You're the teams bursting from the dressing room, the splash of colour to greet them. And then, oh my god, what a moment, the Ortain Boys band. And the RT and the Ortain Boys band is still the Ortain Boys band. They haven't changed a bit, they haven't changed, which is lovely. I love their uniform.
SPEAKER_01They've got girls now in it.
unknownOh yes.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, girls is right. I will start playing them. And the girls and the boys. But the but their symbol hasn't changed. Like, and what they stand for as a tradition, and leading the two teams oh, when they start walking. Yes. And when the two teams start walking behind. And uh, oh God, I hate to see anyone breaking the parade. Oh, I said, lads, will you stay behind the parade? If you're fortunate enough on All Ireland Final Day to be wearing your county jersey and to be there, and to walk behind the orteen band and uh don't make the parade or please will you stay and um you know and um be conscious of what it represents. And then, oh my god, the third greatest moment on All Ireland Final Day when every female in Craw Park will stand and every male will stand for a ron. And every Irish person and every Irish person at home and all around the world will be captured, will be trapped, will stand still, and there'll be oh the magic of here around the and uh people people will be swallowed and heard, people will remember their childhood, they'll remember daddy, they'll remember granny, they'll remember granddad, they'll remember our neighbors. This brings a flow of emotions back to us. All our childhood, all the people who love the GA, all the people that was fortunate enough that we met on our journey that gives us the button to carry uh the tradition, to carry the love, to carry that, it carry that iconic moment. All Ireland final day and the national anthem. Oh my god, nothing could put goose pimples on the sole of your show.
unknownNothing in the world beats it. Nothing in the world. This is it. This it doesn't get and if you're fortunate enough as the two teams as the playing on there to be present to see your team in an all-Ireland final.
SPEAKER_00Now I was lucky enough, I can uh barely remember 1962, but 1980 we were there, and I still have frozen that moment. I have frozen that moment, I've frozen them three great moments, and in the stadium, there's a there's a beautiful atmosphere. Auron V finishes and the roar that goes up lifts the s lifts the roof. And um everyone, oh my god, that that moment of anticipation, that childlike excitement, the fear, is um every emotion, the full mixed grill of emotions of all that's good about being um an Irish woman or an Irish man comes to the fore. This is it, all Ireland final day. It doesn't get any better. I absolutely love it. And I don't want the referee to throw in the ball. I'm saying don't throw it in, but please don't. Because the minute he throws it in, the fella beside you from the opposing team, he'll stop giving you silver mints. He'll get excited, he'll get engrossed in the game, he starts roaring at the ref, roaring at your corner back, roaring at oh the the mood changes, and uh and then the game takes its natural course and then the game goes on. But the build-up, I love these days. I love the train journey up. Uh and every the closer we get to Crow Park on Sunday, the bigger the crowd on the platform, the bigger the splash of color, the bigger the occasion, and you know that this is all Ireland, this really is all Ireland final day. This is what it's all about. This is what Mammy talked about, this is what Daddy talked about, this is what granddad and grandm told us stories from the past. In Roscommon, the great men in the forties, the great supporters, and there's only from one county, but it was in every other county it happened, the cycle to Craw Park uh back in the forties and back in the twenties and back in the thirties. And in fact, in 1960, I think that the biggest crowd ever in Craw Park, that 91,000 people for down an offline. And uh, what a crowd of people, and they didn't have the metro and they didn't have the trains and they didn't have the electric cares and they didn't have the modern transport. They came on every form of transport from walking to cycling to the messy Ferguson tractor.
SPEAKER_01Probably by donkey and by you mentioned the crowd though, Polly Joe. And when you think about it, is there any other sporting occasion in the world? I know we get it at inter-county games and a club games, but a sporting occasion, 82 over 82,000 people, no segregation. There's everyone can sit wherever they want. It's just that's what makes it so special.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that is that's absolutely magic, so it is. And um I uh I I would uh I and and I hope that never changes. And you know, I I think there's a little bit of responsibility now. I I suppose social media and all this as there's a little tendency to come in. Uh I you know, of um I hope we never lose that interaction with other uh fans from other county. Because I'm always conscious when I put it on me, when I put on me Roscommon jersey and my Roscaman bandana, and when I go to see the Rossi's player, as an individual and as a supporter, Denise, I'm very, very, very conscious that the man I'll be standing beside from the opposing county, he's going to judge 70,261 people in County Roscaman on Paddy Joe's beh on Patty Joe's behavior at a football match. So I have to have manners. I have to um I have to show respect for the opponents that's out on the field, I have to show respect to the referee, I have to show respect to the opposing supporters because there's a nonusis on me. When you walk into a stadium all over the country and all over the world with your famous county jersey on, you are now an ambassador from that county. You're now a supporter, but there's a greater onus as on you. And I don't want to let down the Rascommon team on the field, I don't want to let down the county, I don't want to let down our supporters. And I I I I I love having manners at football matches. And I'd love if the GEA, when they sell us a ticket, even going to a county final, you are now an ambassador for your club, you're now an ambassador for yourself, you're now an ambassador from your county. And I I'd love if those more emphasis. The fact that I have a county jersey on me and my famous bandana doesn't give me the right to be mouthing off at an opposing fan beside me or to the referee. I I have to have respect for the county. I have to have respect for the GEA. And I don't want anyone to be critical of 70,261 people because of Patty Joe's behavior at a football match. And I'd love if we were if the GE, if we were just a little bit conscious of that going to matches and, you know, to be respectful. And I know this phone and I know this banter, and I know this this but I don't want it to cross the line though, Denise. I don't want it to cross the line. I really don't, you know, so oh gee, I love the GA and I love being from Ruscom and oh my god, I love being in from Ruscom.
SPEAKER_01Isn't it something special about you know, and I so many people that I've spoken to on the podcast who are into the GEA, you know, just speak about the uniqueness of it all and about being so proud of where you are from and when people put on that jersey. Like for me, I love putting on a Granard top. I love saying I'm from Granard. And even from Longford, because we won one Leinster title, but the man that captained Longford to a Leinster title was from Granard, Vincent Daly, Lord of Mercy. So for me, that makes me so proud. But that little crest on the jersey means so much, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_00Oh, it it stirs whatever it stores in us. It's uh it's uh it's uh the say that's uh blood is thicker than water. But I think when we I think the needs when we put on the jersey, whatever colour the jersey on, the blood in our bodies turns to that colour. I think it runs that deep, and I think it's uh it's uh it's an unbelievable organization, the GEA. And to think of all the happiness and of all the enjoyment and all the fun that it has given us. And you know, for every county player that ever wore a jersey, I am eternally grateful for him or her. And uh, we were at an under-16 county all Ireland final in Kinegadwell the other evening.
SPEAKER_01I was at Cudet and Calvin, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And Mike God needs the standard of football from the girls. Ladies' football has been taken to a new level, and the support that's coming out, and for the effort that's put in. And um going back to the All Ireland final, everyone that starts, and uh we were talking there about the introduction and the game, and then we'll move forward. Then I love uh oh I love I love I love uh I loved Keane Lynch's speech last Sunday. Oh, it was natural, it was real, it was from the heart. And Deklin Hannon, uh, oh he gave great speeches. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01When you do think of the speeches, like obviously Joe Connolly's one will always be remembered, but Anthony Daly, I'll always remember Anthony Daly's one when Claire finally broke that hoodoo and got the All Ireland. So please God, I can remember someone in years to come, someone from Longford. When we finally break that hoodoo and uh and do it. But yeah, the captain's speech, there is something special about that because they're up speaking for not just the team, but for the county, for the people of that county.
SPEAKER_00Oh the air, and like the like it's uh well you see all Ireland final day, of course it's about the two counties, but it's elevated nearly Denise to another level. This is a this is a national event. The All Ireland final in a in a strange and peculiar way is sometimes bigger than the two counties that's participating because it's it's it's our national identity. This is this is one of the greatest moments in our national um in our national identity. It's on a pair with Christmas Day. Every immigrant all over the world wants to be at home on Christmas Day, every immigrant all over the world wants to be at home in their own little church on Christmas Eve to hear silent nod being sang in their church brings back childhood memories. And every immigrant in Ireland final day would love to be in Crow Park. Every immigrant from all the counties, from all over Ireland, would love to be at home and at home and to relive back with Mammy and Daddy, and maybe Mammy and Daddy has gone to their eternal rest, and the lovely neighbors and the lovely people we grew up with who were kids that's no longer with us. And they love the GE and they loved All Ireland Final Day, and All Ireland Final Day captivates all these magical moments, and of course, there's a romantic tone too. We all speak maybe Denise that the past was always better than maybe it was. But we have this uh love uh love of the past and love of family and love of the neighborhood and love of the county, and that's what all Ireland final day is about.
SPEAKER_01And uh look at that famous post, Patty Joe. You're being removed. You're obviously famous, but John Milan loves me county, and that's it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. And uh we all over being from I wouldn't put on any other jersey going.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you said that to me, yeah. We got chatting on the way back from yeah, double.
SPEAKER_00No, I'm going to Pro Park on Sunday, but I'll have my Roscaman jersey and bandana on and I'll be you know I'll Will you be supporting your neighbours? I will be supporting me all, you know now. I really will now because uh like I'd love to see Kobe. I remember seeing Kobe playing Kobe McDonnell. I remember seeing him playing in um in a minor match. And I went to see him playing the next day he was out, he was playing against LIGO, and he uh and he was absolutely uh he's a he's a he's a class apart like that.
SPEAKER_01He's a chip off the all block, as they would say, isn't he? Very much so.
SPEAKER_00He is. But just going back to Captain Speech, even at the Conock final this year, uh Germot Murto, oh what a lovely what what a lovely lad and what a lovely young man.
SPEAKER_01To think if Germid, if he was born just the other side of the bridge, he wouldn't be wearing the primrose and blue, he would be wearing the blue and gold of Longford. It's I have to think. And he actually actually won an All Ireland with Longford vocational schools.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but uh but Denise, no matter where Jerm Murth or Kieran or Brian was uh born, they'd still they'd still be lovely lads. They're lovely lads because they fled for Ruskama. But Germans' speech in Hyde Park on Connect Final Day was was iconic and rare and beautiful. He talked about the lads that were there in 201, the one Conneg finals, and that's now gone to their eternal reward. He talked about Michael Lester. Oh, what a beautiful, beautiful human touch that was. And he oh, he's just and they and that's what uh the speeches. And I remember doing uh uh Deklan Hanna. I thought he gave one of the greatest speeches now. Now he had four years making them, but he talked about family, he talked about uh the club, he talked about Limerick, he talked about he brought it home, he made it personal, he mentioned all his uh he mentioned Mummy and Daddy, and he mentioned oh I thought it's just lovely to hear him. And he just uh and the club and you know he he went back to the to the childhood memories he had of All Ireland Final Day and these these these are magical moments and it's lovely to see a young man or a young woman on All Ireland on All Ireland Final Day standing up and incorporating all that's good about being Irish and all that's good about the community and that parochial spirit, yes, Denise, that's the one.
SPEAKER_01Ton aha sorum, that just I think every young person when they're growing up, and even for me now, that those words. I'm sure you maybe when you're kicking around the garden in Roscommon or even myself, you dream of those days either in the Hyde or for me, Pierce Park with your local probe, then Inkro Park with that Tonanahasorum on Corn Shaw.
SPEAKER_00It's the really Oh, that would give you that'll put uh goose pimples on the sole of your show. That's m they're they're magical. Now we are very, very fortunate, Denise, you and I, and uh hundreds and thousands and millions of supporters all around the world who absolutely love sport, who absolutely loves the GA, who absolutely loves where we come from, who la who loves um this is um this is magical. This doesn't get any better. It's now uh where are we today now? We're uh we're on tours, we're moving in now to uh 40, 48 hours. And I was listening to Paul Murphy the other day talking the great Kilkenny hurler, and he won four All Irelands, he said. And he was just saying that uh that it comes so quick and it goes so quick. And he was saying that the magic when they get to Crow Perk on All Ireland final day, there's only a half full stadium, and then the door opens, and someone says, someone is standing at the door and they're giving them a countdown to run out. And he said, the door opens and the noise that comes in from 82,000, and then someone said three minutes until we leave the dressing room, and then two minutes till we leave the dressing room. Imagine, Denise, if you and I was going out clear, one minute, and then the door opens, and then he said, you run out, and he said the roar, the noise, I never heard anything like it. I never heard anything like it in my life. I remember when um Alan Dylan scored a goal in in the All Ireland again again Kerry, and Darrow Kennedy said, I thought it was lovely what Darryl Kennedy said. He said, when Mayo got that goal again, I never heard a louder cheer ever in my life. He said, Crowperk literally shook, he said, with the with the with the noise to Greece Alan Dylan's goal. And I thought I captivated that moment. I remember I hear uh hearing him saying it on the radio, and I said, Paddy Joe, will you think of that? That's what it means to score a goal.
SPEAKER_01And someone was actually saying, you know, the way you were talking about the build-up, and someone had up the other day about the teams walking around, as you said, and when you come down to what they call is Mohammed Ali Corner, and just there the roar. And it is just for the ordinary person, it gives us goosebumps. So what does it do for those players? Surely they're going, how lucky are we? Like people say about you know Mayo and how long it is since the one in All Ireland, but I always say that that Mayo team really pushed on Dublin because Dublin had to be good to beat them, but they're privileged. I would love for my county to get to an All Ireland, you too. So uh to be a Mayo supporter is extremely lucky.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think I think to be a Mayo supporter and to be a Mayo player, and I know I know the luck hasn't been what the M at the end, but my God, the fantastic uh the unbelievable moments that Mayo footballers has given their county and has given all of us who loves GE and the great players that has played. God, I really think Aiden O'Shea is one of the greatest footballers that has ever played. And I and you know what I love about Hayden O'Shea? Aiden O'Shea was so clean. Uh you know, he never he never um he he didn't break anyone's teeth. And Sheen Walsh was another great footballer from from Goldwyn. And uh and we were talking there about uh Jair McMurdo and De Smith and the great players that we had, and Paul Byron from the Paul Byron. He was an unbelievable footballer, Paul Byron. He would have walked on to any other.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we always said that, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And there's a Paul Baron in every single county in Ireland. We have down in Leetham now, Barry McNulti now. Every county uh has uh has these great players. And I see I love I I I love I love uh the GA. And I love clean players, and I love I love players that goes out and gives it their all. And we have a great bit of gratitude to give to all these great footballers and all the enjoyment and uh and all the hair and I'd say maybe too, all the heartbreak and all the excitement. The full mixed grill of emotions is when you're a GA follower. We love it and we don't want it to change, and we we we don't want it any other way like oh my god, when we won that conic final.
SPEAKER_01You were mentioning about Mihal O'Hare and my mother always spoke about Mihal O'Hare and obviously I was saying to my ma'am the other day about I love sitting outside years ago listening to Mihalomer Hurtick. Um, you know, if it was a nice day on the radio and we mentioned Willie Hegerty and Column Corrigan when Loud won uh when Loud beat our man, then obviously the lads from Westmead as well when Westmead won Leinster. But for you know, for yourselves, the Loud supporters and Westmead supporters, who people, you know, don't we talk too much about it must have been a magnificent day that day in the height.
SPEAKER_00Oh it was it was sheer magic. It was a because like I'd always be fearful of Galwig. Galway are a great Galway are one of the top football teams. Uh Galway's third on the roll of honor after Kerry and Dublin on the roll of honor with all the all Irelands that won. Galway has magnificent footballers. And you know the thing about Galway too that I always like as a Rascalman supporter, Galway always played the ball. There were the cleanish football teams in Ireland. Oh God, they always played the ball to the two. But um, and for we to beat Galway, like uh Galway has uh a huge population. Galway has uh what have they have 289,000 or 288,000 people in County Galway. Now I know that for Land and I know that football, but they're a huge county, they're a huge tradition. And for for the for the Raffi's to beat Galway uh is an unbelievable achievement. And the manner in which we beat them, we were six points down with eight minutes to go, and and to turn that around and to win by two pints was an unbelievable performance. And the outburden of joy and the day was fine and the sun was shining. Sam Og was home. We hit the field and we did not want to leave Hyde Park. We did not want, oh, I remember looking down at the ground and looking at Me Jersey and looking at the Christ, and I said, Patty Joe, these are the days that this this day has wiped away all the disappointments over the years. This day has wiped away everything that has gone before it. This is magic, this is rare, this is special.
SPEAKER_01Do you know what was rare this year was me being the biggest Wade and Ross Common supporter. Like I'm meant to be from Longford, you're meant to be our rivals, and I couldn't have been more happier for yourselves and West Mead winning provincial titles because there was something special about them. No one gave Westmead a chance, especially against Mead, and then they went on to win Leinster, and then obviously yourselves, as you said, six points down, but that game was just absolutely I was there kicking every ball with Roscommon.
SPEAKER_00Well, uh well, and you're right, uh Denise, that there's something magical for all of us GEFL. We love the underdog. We love we love when a team wins again the odds. We love when uh when you know when the predictability is pushed aside, when all the pundits and all the experts and all the people, all the knowledgeable people, and all of a sudden here comes the underdog, here comes the team that isn't expected to win, isn't expected to bring home the cup, isn't expected to put on the performance that did. And when that happens, that's extra magic, that's extra special. Well, if that's why we love the GE. Sport is beautiful, sport is like life in itself. There's nothing given in there's nothing a given in life. There's nothing a given, and there's nothing a given in sport. And like all the pundits are saying on Sunday, everyone has carry carry winning the All Ireland, and maybe maybe they will, but maybe they won't. Maybe they won't. Like it's a game of football. Mayo has absolutely nothing to do. Go out, lads, be free. Go for it, and who knows what's going to happen.
SPEAKER_01Look at the World Cup because uh I know you I yeah, like no one gave Cape Verde, and they can look back now and say Cape Verde held the two finalists, Argentina and Spain, to draws after nine like in the ninety minutes. You know, it was after extra time that Argentina beat them. And it's you know, you you have to go up with that attitude that you know we have a chance. The way I find this year probably compared to other years, the the pressure is off me. Oh there's not so much it's a case of they got to an Ireland final, which is a tremendous achievement considering the year that I had been knocked out of conduct by yourselves.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so they've and uh just going back to the World Cup, everyone had France winning the World Cup. Yeah, I tip Spain and uh anything, anything can happen. Like the sheer magic of sport. If we take the magic out of sport, it it's going to lose the uh it's it's going to lose that childlike excitement, you know, about it. So Mayo, I think, are in with a 50-50 chance on Sunday. It's it's all to play for, it's a wonderful occasion. We dropped through Mayo the other evening and it's lit up with flags.
SPEAKER_01We just said it to my dad the other day about county finals and then obviously provincial finals and then our island finals. Is there anywhere else in the world where places just go mad? The flags, you know, your club colours, then your county colours, the places decked, you'll have cows, you'll have sheep, you'll have cars, everything. Even when our local school Canuckwera were in an all-Ireland final, the lads decided to do up a car in the Canuckwara colours. Like, there's that uniqueness that you don't get anywhere else. Like, you know, you're proud to fly the flag.
SPEAKER_00It's magic. Uh the knees pushed on that. I was I went to my first match ever to see Roskammon was in 1963. Dublin was All Ireland champions. And there was an old man in St. Coleman's Park, and he gave me um um a weather beaten flag, and uh I sure now I was young, and I brought home that flag on uh the Roscaman flag, and he he um he he got me into buying flags now. I have I've done a lot of traveling, thanks be to God. I've been very fortunate to get to enough countries around the world, and I come home with a heap of flags. I have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of flags. I have five flagpoles outside my house. I change the flags every week. I have different flags. I have all 32 county GEA official GEA flags, and I have New York and London. Every county gets the flagpole put out in Paddy Jaws. Every county, I put out all 34 counties during the football season. I just absolutely love the flags. And I do a lot of driving around Ireland now. I'm on the roads a fair bit now, and I and every time I see a Roskamman flag in a different county, I blow the horn and I salute, and I nearly go back again to have another look, as I said. It don't mean that much to me. At least I love the Rassies, and I love being from Roskamman, and I love Artis. I love I love the GEA. And I love I love every intercounty footballer that has given Paddy Joe hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of enjoyment and happiness and skill and all that they have done for their family, their club, their county. And let's have a bit in a respect for every county. And let's be nice to one another, and let's be kinder to one another, and let's uh, you know, share the silver mints and you know, enjoy enjoy the spectacle out in front of us.
SPEAKER_01That um because we're lucky to be part we're lucky to be part of it. We also have you all you also have a big day Sunday week as well, as I said to you, we call them the Rossettes are in the All Ireland Intermediate Final. Now, the last time they won it, the game wasn't in Crow Park, it was actually in Wollingar. So this is the first time that Roscommon ladies are in Crow Park in an All-Ireland final, which is amazing.
SPEAKER_00And All Ireland uh ladies' day has got to be massive. There's huge crowds going to it. God, there's nearly the there was one All Ireland there a couple of years ago, and there was nearly 50,000 and it's great that the it's great now that the ladies are coming out, and it's great that Roscommon have three teams in All Ireland finals, and we're playing, we're going to Tolomore on Sunday now or Saturday, the Cork uh girls in the minor, and then we have the intermediate coming up. So it's absolutely amazing the interest and the joy that the ladies and men has given us all in the GA.
SPEAKER_01So if there was another sport, obviously you're like myself, GEA is the first love. Is there another sport that Patty Joe would sit down and because you obviously have great respect for sports people? So is there another sport that you would sit down and really take an interest in?
SPEAKER_00Oh God, I love soccer as well. I absolutely love soccer now, and I I followed the premiership and I love the the World Cup.
SPEAKER_01Have you any particular teams?
SPEAKER_00Well, I follow Bolton Wanderers. Me me my sister lives in Bolton and I get over to see Jason Mackateer. I get over to see Yeah, I get over to see Bolton now and she's only eighteen miles from Old Trafford and I used to go to Old Trafford very often when I go. And now I go to the other teams. I go to see Wigan and Blackburn.
SPEAKER_01That's it's nice. I slower I I I love when I go to when I used to go over to England, I'd love to know, especially in London, go around visiting grounds. So I've seen a lot of the grounds in uh London. So I'd be like that. Now I would obviously have um Longford Town and then Celtic Liverpool, but you were mentioning um Bolton and the um I remember one time when we were going to my grounds and we were going by Bolton, actually got all excited at the time when when it was the Reebok Arena, get to see uh the Reebok. Yeah. That that was that was so long ago, but I myself when my brother used to be so excited when you would pa pass by um a ground. Yeah. When you do yeah, when you did mention the World Cup, you know, there was some lovely stories out of it. I suppose for ourselves Pico Lopez was the big thing and um he's so grounded, like and he couldn't wait to get back. Yeah, I was absolutely brilliant. And then he couldn't wait to come back and play for Shaw McGrovers. Like that was the big thing for him was coming back and back into business and playing League of Ireland football, which was you know, it's something else, and people couldn't believe the story about him. Here he was playing playing in Ireland, which it just shows you you don't have to be this massive superstar playing in one of the bigger leagues to get a chance to play in the World Cup.
SPEAKER_00God, no, and just as you talk about uh famous grounds all around the world, I'm so so fortunate that Maure and my lovely wife is stone mad on football. She's an Arsenal fan. And what a year Arsenal had with this year. But whenever we whenever we travel, we we always get a match in in this in the uh in the city that we're in. We we have gone to we we go to all types of games in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, we'd uh we'd always get a game. We got engaged in the Baronaval, so we did watching my own.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god. Patty Joe, I am learning so much about you now because I just thought because people do think, oh yeah, you're a GEA man or you're a GEA woman, and then they're like, you really like because I love Snooker, I love rugby league, I love other things. Obviously, myself and yourself, GEA would be the first love. But um and more you'd probably have a soft spot though for Sligo as well, because that's where you're a good lady as well.
SPEAKER_00I think yeah, I I think the Sligo jersey and the Sligo flag is lovely, you know. The Sligo jersey. And you know, you know one of my favourite uh GEA flags that I have, which is I love the Carol flag. And I love the Carol jersey.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's a beautiful colour yellow, green, and red, yes.
SPEAKER_00Every time at Dublin Airport I'd see anyone with a Carol flag, I'd go and have my photograph taken with them. Him or her. Cool.
SPEAKER_01I just Are you interested in or yourself a more are you interested in been um going for the Sligo Rovers job, the two of you now as a management team, no?
SPEAKER_00Well, well, we go to the Sligo Rovers, we go to see Rovers, they're only in the road from it. We're only fifteen miles from the showgrounds, we live in Ballymoat, and I wear me with Scam and Jersey in to shout for Sligo Rovers and the quality of the matches is absolutely brilliant. You know, I I often think that the League of Ireland, if you were to take a the two League of Ireland teams to knees that were playing and put them in a bigger ground. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And have the same the line, I'll tell you the standard of football. Yes. And um w the show to put on for us, which I think I uh I think they're marvelous. I uh well well well we just love football. Football, football, and more football. But All Ireland final day, oh, that is the Pinny Cam.
SPEAKER_01Is it better than your wedding day though? Is that the no? The wedding day would be a yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, wedding day was special. Uh there's nothing to beat your wedding day.
SPEAKER_01One of marrying the did you actually have any primrose and blue in the wedding?
SPEAKER_00Well, well, I had even better. Do you know what? In fairness to Roscammon County Board, and I'll be forever indebted to them. They uh we had the Roscammon bus to bring Paddy Joe and the Beshman and the Groomsman that uh picked me up at the house, and we went we we went over the corridors and the Rossi bus. First we went in around the town and we drove round the greatest city in the world on one of the greatest days of Paddy Joe's life, and then we headed to Ballymote and the magic of the famous bus going up and Patty Joe waving out through the wide screen at Thousand Sphere.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh! Because I was wondering how did he incorporate Russ Cowan?
SPEAKER_00We had a massive wedding, so we had and it went off great. Ah, it was just a beautiful, beautiful day. And Mauray Stone met into motorbikes. She she has a big motorbike. And of course yeah, and the go off on motorbike rides around the country, you know, gangs in the moon raising money, different organizations. So there was a whole fleet of big motorbikes in front of us, in front of the wedding care that took us from the from the church to the hotel, and that was a magical moment.
SPEAKER_01All these, all these uh you definitely met your match though when you met Maura, because even just chatting to her on the train that time, coming down from the All Ireland quarterfinals, it was just if any woman could calm and well, kind of calm Patty Joe, it would be her because she's just as mad as yourself. That's what I loved about her.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but Denise, she is the she is one of the greatest pundits you could ever sit beside at a match. Her ability to read the play. I remember last year we we were at the All-Ireland Final, uh, Tony Gall and Kerry, and I think I totally like she was sitting beside me and I said, Maura, what do you think? Well she said, if Jim McGuinness doesn't pick up party different, they're in serious, serious bother.
unknownAnd he didn't. And Maura was dead right.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I have never met anyone that's able to read a game. I said, Maura, what change would you make? Who who would you switch? And she saw her her detail, her in-depth knowledge of the game that both was love is absolutely unbelievable. When I met Maura first, she asked me um a very delicate question. I'd say to be what, maybe the second year. You know that delicate stage when you're getting to know one another and you're afraid you might say the wrong thing to push her off here for life. She said, Patty, you know what, you into sport. And I didn't want to frighten her. I didn't want to, you know, I was Kim. I said, well, I I said to have a passing interest. And she said to me, Denise, she said, you know what? My two favorite programs on the TV is one is the Sunday game and two is Metro. Well when my two ears opened wider than ever, and I said, Wow I found my ideal woman.
SPEAKER_01That is Patty Joe, for years my ringtones used to change from match of the day or the Sunday game. Or I used to love the lightning seeds, and when they had the life of Riding for goal of the month, that was also my ringtone as well. So yes, I would be you know, you're on with the All Ireland finals, and another thing I love is though I wasn't that gone on it last week, but up for the match, and then going back on the night of the final is going to the team hotel and wondering who's gonna get your man of the match.
SPEAKER_00Oh oh yes. Oh magic it. Imagine getting men at the match in an All Ireland final. Imagine getting men at the match in any game. Imagine getting men at the match in a club match in the c in the county club final, in the Conock final. Oh what a gift that would be. What's a match?
SPEAKER_01You'd never have to buy a a drink in um that place again, would you? In your county or your I should look at, I was just looking at but there's something special. Um I follow a few of the Limerick hurlers on um Instagram and just the crack coming back. But great credit to um Galway. The Galway supporters was a great crowd in Banislaw. Because in all fairness, out of so many counties, no one gave Galway a chance. A bit like Mio. If someone said to you, Mio, we're going to be in the football final and Galway we're going to be in the hurling, people probably would have looked at you and said, Yeah, right, are you smoking something? Because uh what Galway have achieved this year, and it was wonderful to see the crowds out to greet them when they come back.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you're right, what what Galway has achieved, and I won't say they came from nowhere, but my God, they came at the as as you rightly said, nobody would have beaten Galway to get to the final. Galway are a great county, and they have always produced great hurlers and great footballers. But uh that Galway team and Michael Michael Dunho um what he has done, he has done great work. And they're very young, like this. An awful lot of them Galway lads, they're very young. And those four or five of them was All Ireland medals from from uh 2018. So they will be our uh 2017 or whenever they won it. But they will be back against Will. They will Galway Galway are never too far away. Galway has won five senior All Ireland uh hurling uh uh trophies. God, that's a lot of All Irelands. Five of them won like, you know. So Galway are never too far away, you know.
SPEAKER_01So um that's his uh we could chat up we could chat all the time. By the way, the bandana, where or when did that come about? I meant to ask you this early.
SPEAKER_00Well, I have gone around the country. I was awful fortunate. I I love travel, you know, now I love travel and I have traveled an awful lot. And everywhere I went, I was always looking. I was bringing home bagfuls of flags and bagfuls of bandanas. And I was trying to get a bandana to I was trying to get the Rusty colors in in a bandana, but you get close enough, but not fully. But more fair play to Morla, we were uh both were searching bandanas all over the world. And she said, Patty Joe, why don't you buy a piece of material and get one made? I said, Ma, isn't that a brilliant idea? And that's exactly what I'd done. Now I have the bandana and I just absolutely love it. I feel insulated again the outside world with my bandana on. Nothing in the world is better than the Rascaman jersey for Patty Joe and the bandana. There's nothing can penetrate it.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's just I can't believe that Maur actually got you out of that jersey for a wedding day.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I did. But now I gee, I don't like dressing up. I believe. And I don't like suits and shirts and ties.
SPEAKER_01Because anytime I dress up you're under pressure, there's a state of I was gonna say that there's always something on, yes, whereas when you're able to just wear your yeah, your jersey.
SPEAKER_00I don't wear ties now. I I love grandfather shirts, and I have my new suit and I put on my grandfather shirt, and I'd close the top button, but oh I'm not I don't like ties. Oh no, oh God no, the tie the tie isn't for Paddy Joe. And even the suit isn't for Paddy Jaw, but oh I love me jersey and I love me bandana, and I have a whole haper's gum in jerseys, have all the jerseys going right back, and more I just wash them and put them all out on the line and I go out and I look at them and I salute them all, and I remember famous wins with every single one of them jerseys. Famous occasions, great wins, great trips, great joy, great, great excitement.
SPEAKER_01And the best is yet to come. I was gonna say, isn't it lovely that every jer every jersey there's there's a memory for you? So um where have you have you a next trip planned? Obviously, Quo Park for the next two weekends, but anything else?
SPEAKER_00Uh we love we love Ireland. We have Ireland left for last. I absolutely love going around our beautiful country. Uh we're we're down in Cork at the moment now for a few years I'm talking to you here.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I love Cork. I worked in Cork, I love it. So you have to come to Granite then for a day, and I I'll I'll I'll treat you. We'll I'll give you a tour of Granard. We banned them up, yeah. There's there's lots out there.
SPEAKER_00We danced in Drumlish, so we did, you know. And uh we'll be back again.
SPEAKER_01The Granada, was the Granada before your time, was it?
SPEAKER_00Uh don't remember that now.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's probably a bit before your time the Grenada in Granard. Yeah. You're only a young um young boy, aren't you?
SPEAKER_00Like Well, I'm a young boy with a lot of experience. Yeah, just don't ever get old. Don't ever start talking sensible. Uh keep keep the keep that childlike excitement going. And it'll keep away it, you know. Don't get sensible and start talking about normal things.
SPEAKER_01Oh, about mortgages and the price of diesel and no no no no. We'll just we'll just talk about how the matchups are gonna go Sunday and how the Premier League is gonna go. That's exactly it, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Anything negative is going to make you negative. Be joyous, happy, and free. Joy is happy and free. Think sing your favorite song when there's no one listening to you. Dance like there's no one looking at you when you're on your own. And let the child out. Let the child out. Oh, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to let the child out. And it's lovely to be happy. And thank God for our health and thank God for being happy. And it's um being joyous, happy, and free. And the best is yet to come for all of us and all your listeners. And I hope all your listeners listening to you and I, whenever this goes about the needs, will enjoy the All Ireland, we'll enjoy the teams running out, we'll enjoy the net uh the ortain boys band, and we'll stand and get emotional. And don't be afraid, don't be afraid to let the child out when you hear the greatest tune in the world and the greatest day in the world.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Ronavine.
SPEAKER_00The All Ireland final and the national anthem. Great to be from whatever county you're from, great to be Irish, and we love we love the GE and we're going to enjoy it, and the best you love to the two teams, and uh safe driving to everyone. And God bless you all, and the best is yet to come from uh Denise and Teddy Joe.
SPEAKER_01Look, that is the best way to end it. Listen, thank you so much. Enjoy the games, and I'm sure I will see you around, and you together yourself, and Laura too.