The Dublin Community Blog

In what was a definite return to normality after their hammering of Toulouse, Leinster managed to scrape a win away to the Border Reivers last friday night. In a scrappy, error-ridden game, Felipe Contepomi stepped up to clinch the vital 5th try to seal Leinster’s victory. It seems just that Sir Contepomi should score the decisive try as it was his lack of accurate conversion kicking that may have put Leinster in this position in the first place. One would assume that if Leinster score 4 tries in the FIRST HALF of any game then they should have walked away with a win securely nestled under their belts. The Borders on the other hand took their chances kicking at goal and scored tries when it mattered to stay in touch with Leinster. A lot will be learned from this game, namely … “If we play like this against Munster – We’re in for a hiding”

This Friday see’s the visit of the Llaneli Scarlets to Lansdowne Road in the Celtic League Yes, Leinster are supposed to play their home games in Donnybrook but as the Leinster Branch have played every rugby match imaginable (from Leinster Senior matches to schools mathes to allowing anyone have a run on it for a fee) on the newly relayed surface, the Donnybrook pitch has turned in to a dustbowl that resembles Dollymount Strand with not a blade of grass in sight.

As imagined, tickets for the Leinster Vs Munster Heineken Cup Final are like gold dust. This is going to be one match to remember with both sides desperately looking for a Final place. More on this match as the date draws closer …

For those following the National Football and Hurling Leagues, you will notice that while the footballers had a decent enough campaign (without qualifying for the Semi-Finals), the hurlers now face Westmeath this Sunday in Portlaoise in the Division 2 Semi-Final after gaining a 100% record in Division 2A

All is not lost on the footballers side, far from it in fact. Dublin fought out a well earned draw against Kerry in Killarney last Sunday to the score of 0-13 each. That being attained without the services of Mossie Quinn and Ciaran Whelan will raise a few eyebrows among fellow Leinster teams looking to knock Dublin off their perch as Leinster Champions.

Somehow, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Kerry for this year. My money is on a Dublin Vs Kerry meeting in Corker this Summer and this time it’ll be for Sam.

What is it with the weather in Dublin these days? I’ve gotten into a ritual of DEFROSTING my windscreen in the morning, driving in to work with my SUNGLASSES on as it’s so bright, walking around all day in a T-Shirt as it’s so hot and then playing football at night in FREEZING conditions!

What’s going on!!!!!!

After a fantastic day for both Leinster and Munster in the Heineken Cup Quarter-Finals, we are now assured of an Irish finalist. With Leinster doing the unthinkable and beating last years winners Toulouse in their own back yard, they have booked themselves a Semi-Final clash with Munster in Lansdowne Road on the weekend of 22nd/23rd April. Munster didn’t have it as easy as Perpignan scuppered penalty after penalty in a fairly scrappy affair in Lansdowne Road.

Yours truly has already purchased Heineken Cup final tickets so fingers crossed Leinster do the business against Munster. Otherwise, I’ll be supporting Munster. At the end of the day, Irish Rugby will be the winner!

Felipe Contepomi leading by example Vs Toulouse

To any of you who have yet to drive on the roads in Dublin then I’ll give you all a little sample of what to expect …

1. People in Dublin rarely use indicators. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that most cars don’t even come with them “as standard”. I mean, someone may actually use the indicator for the laugh but it’s rare to see them being used. I won’t even begin to go in to why it’s so dangerous NOT to use an indicator on a roundabout which leads me on to my next point …
2. Roundabouts in Dublin are like no others you have ever experienced. Take for example the Walkinstown Roundabout which has 6 .. YES … SIX roads all culminating into one big roundabout or as I like to call it … FREE FOR ALL. You really do have to have your wits about you taking on this roundabout. It’s not for the nervous driver! Also, only in Dublin will you EVER find traffic lights ON a roundabout. It’s a massive contradiction if you ask me. You either have Traffic Lights OR a Roundabout … Not both. Of course, I’m referring to the Mad Cow Roundabout and the Blanchardstown Roundabout.
3. Boy Racers, I hate them … I hate them from the bottom of their hooves to the top of their pitch forks. Why would anyone ever want to put more money into their car just to “do” or “supe” it up. Granted, it’s nice to have a nice stereo and maybe if the car came with alloy wheels then so be it. But what I can’t understand is why people spend THOUSANDS on paint jobs, body kits, TV screens, bucket seats, lexus lights etc etc. It’s certainly a very weird breed of people.
4. Drivers in Dublin either go way above the speed limit or way below it. There’s no happy medium. Just the other day, I was driving on the M50. Taking in to account it was 9:00 at night and it was quite windy and to compound it all it was raining. Yours truly is driving in the over-taking lane and I approach a white Opel Corsa doing 60KMph (Speed limit being 120Kmph). I thus had to perform the very llegal undertaking manouvre and as I glanced over to give the Corsa driver a “stare”, to my amazement I found him on his mobile phone and also clearing the condensation from his windscreen. You just have to laugh …. what else can you do!
5. Do you ever meet those type of people who find it very difficult to do two things at once … the technical phrase being MULTI-TASKING. I know two such people who still decide to talk on their mobile phone while driving whithout using any hands free devices. Don’t even get me started on people who do their make-up in the car … You all know who you are!

Other than that, you’ll find your own gripes about driving in Dublin.

One of the topics I said I’d start looking at covering is GAA games in Dublin. Seeing as the National League campaign is now winding down, I’ll sum up how both Hurling and Football teams have done so far.

Football
Having started out in a blaze of glory (literally) in Healy Park in Omagh against the All Ireland Champions, Tyrone on a very wet and cold day Sunday afternoon, Dublin’s league campaign looked like it was going to be the first succesful one since they last won it back in 1993. Alas, with a hammering dished out by the mighty Monaghan men that very next Sunday, it was starting to look like the REAL Dublin again with lack of imagination going forward and failure to take the easy chances when gifted to them. The following 3 games against Offaly, Cork and Fermanagh respectively were certainly not ones to write home about with Dublin just edging out Offaly after they went asleep and allowed a Hat-Trick of goals by the genius that is Ciaran McManus go in the back of the next. Losing away to Cork and Fermanagh by single point in both games was disappointing as Dublin again had the chances to finish off the opposition but fell short. But, there is hope (there always is!) … Last Saturday night, yours truly was treated to what I can only hope is what Dublin will have to offer in this years Championship. An anhialation of Mayo by 4-10 to 1-10 was certainly a welcome surprise. Granted, a certain Ciaran McDonald was nowhere to be seen but can one man actually change a match to the deficit of 3 goals? Anyways, a trip to Tralee is what awaits Dublin in their final national league game on Sunday next. It’s been an up and down league campaign with a few groundhog day type mutterings of “Why can’t we beat the teams we’re supposed to beat yet we beat the teams we’re not supposed to beat”. Ah well, sure if it wasn’t this exciting then why would you bother being interested in it at all!

Hurling
If only the footballers could take a leaf from the hurlers books! Dublin are sitting pretty on top of the Division 2A leage with 4 games played and 4 games won. Then again, I must point out that our opponents are not exactly challengers for the Liam McCarthy Cup … FAR FROM IT! Wicklow, Roscommon, Derry and Meath have all been shown the exit door so far this year with Carlow up next in their final game. Going on their current form, Carlow should not be any opposition for Dublin and some respect will have been earned for the hurlers of Dublin. If we could only turn this positive step into one that could see us win the Liam McCarthy Cup one day …. Hmmmmmm, I’d have more luck betting on a 3 legged donkey in Aintree next week.