Thereâs a certain seething humour in them that I enjoy
I dont got time to be articulate buddy,what with typing shit like this,doing a bit of work here and there and keeping an eye out for the boss i dont have an extra second:confused:
Well done Hugh
Galweyâs clouded view belongs in amateur era
No one can blame Mick Galwey for sticking up for his friend and former colleague Alan Quinlan but one can question the nature of that defence
SOMETIMES friendship and loyalty can cloud your judgment. That appears to be the case with Mick Galwey, following his reaction to Alan Quinlanâs 12-week suspension.
Quinlan misses the Lions tour having been found guilty of foul play or, more specifically, âmaking contact with the eye areaâ of Leinsterâs Leo Cullen. The footage showed clear contact and, given rugbyâs correct determination to clamp down on offences of this nature, when it came to the issue of Quinlan getting banned, it was never a case of âifâ but rather of âhow longâ.
Galwey is rightly regarded in the highest esteem in Irish rugby circles. An excellent player and inspirational captain, the Currow man was a central figure in the genesis of Munsterâs progression to the rank of Europeâs No 1 club as well helping to spark the revival in Irelandâs international fortunes this decade.
He played hundreds of games alongside Quinlan, for Shannon and Munster and is understandably distraught at the 34-year-old missing what should have been a career-crowning experience.
âItâs very hard to believe that someone could be suspended for something like that,â said Galwey on Newstalkâs âLunchtimeâ radio programme yesterday.
âThe TV made it look very bad. Itâs a physical game, these things happen. You see fellahs coming off the field with knocks and bruises the whole time in rugby and thatâs exactly what happened. It was the biggest game that Munster and Leinster ever played and of course there was going to be confrontation.â
However well-intentioned, Galweyâs comments were misguided and almost naive â harking back to the (pre-citing commissioner) amateur era when on-pitch punishments were carried out while referees looked away.
Intentionally
âI know Alan Quinlan a long time and I know for a fact that he would never intentionally stick his fingers anywhere near anyoneâs eyes,â added Galwey.
Yet, however much one might agree with those sentiments, intent is not the issue. The ERC effectively cleared Quinlan of intent on Wednesday, but it was only ever relevant to the length of the ban.
Equally, Cullenâs testimony and the words of support from Leinster coach Michael Cheika and Munster captain Paul OâConnell were never going to prevent a suspension being imposed.
Galwey also brought up the intriguing case of Ismaila Lassissi yesterday â the Castres flanker banned for a year and then cleared a week later for the âallegedâ offence of biting Munster prop Peter Clohessy. The fact Lassissi got off was a disgrace but should not be used as an argument in favour of Quinlan being cleared as that case is one of the reasons rugby has made such an effort to clean up its act.
Once Quinlanâs hand went anywhere near Cullenâs eye, and was seen to do so, he was always going down, regardless of lack of intent. Complete exoneration would have sent out a terrible message.
This suspension is not the result of a witch-hunt, put-up job, stitch-up or part of a dastardly English-driven plot to get Tom Croft on the plane â itâs a reality of the professional game.
With so much money involved, rugby has to be held to a higher standard. Munster are an expertly-run, clued-in outfit and their players know the score. They know the crimes and the punishments.
Quinlan is one of the most personable and committed players on the circuit and, after a career frequently stalled by the vagaries of injury, impetuosity and unjustified omission, there was widespread joy at his inclusion on the Lions tour.
No-one can blame Galwey for sticking up for his friend and former colleague â it is the natural emotive response to an unfortunate situation â but one can question the nature of that defence. Fourteen years have elapsed since the amateur era and the old argument of âsure, these things happen in a manâs gameâ is no longer valid â those days are gone.
However, on one point, Galwey was entirely correct. âIrrespective of whether he was going on the Lions tour or not, itâs just a shame,â he said.
No arguments there.
- Hugh Farrelly
Kate Walsh on Halvey verdict: Justice depends on âwho you knowâ
THE family of Bruff teenager Kevin Walsh, who was killed in a collision caused by the careless driving of former rugby star Eddie Halvey, have this week condemned his international team-mate Mick Galwey for speaking out his behalf from the witness box.
They have also strongly criticised the Irish justice system for not giving them the opportunity to put their account of the fatal crash that took the life of their beloved Kevin across in court.
âThe injustice is unreal and I reckon from the bottom to the top - itâs corruption,â Kevinâs mother Kate Walsh told the Limerick Leader this week at the family home in Sycamore Drive, Bruff.
"To be honest with you, we never set out to put him (Eddie Halvey] behind bars. We set out to get justice for the child. Itâs not about sport - Kevin loved sport. It was always about the man.
âIt was who he is, without a shadow of a doubt, that saved him. Itâs who you are and who you know. Itâs like we are the villains in all this. You would think we were the guilty ones. What Iâm very cross about is that our side was never put across in the court, never,â she added.
According to Kate and her brother Declan Tierney, Mick Galweyâs address to the court had a âmassive impactâ on the outcome of last weekâs sitting in Nenagh Circuit Court which resulted in Mr Halvey walking away with a seven month suspended jail sentence and a seven-year disqualification from driving after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and careless driving at the time of the fatal crash in 2006. He was found to have been over two-times the legal alcohol limit.
âMick Galwey had a big impact, without a shadow of a doubt, on the outcome,â said Kate.
âMassive,â added Declan, who since the death of Kevin on April 1, 2006 has fought for justice for his nephew.
âI met him (Mick Galwey] one night in Limerick. I thought he was a gentleman. I thought he had respect, but he has nothing. How he can walk around and defend that man after what he done is beyond me,â continued Declan.
Mr Galwey gave evidence to the court as to how his former team-mate had been a different man since the accident and felt much remorse. Mr Galwey was joined in the court by former Ireland rugby manager, Brian OâBrien.
âSince the time of the accident, he is a different man and at times I worry about him,â Mr Galwey said in the witness box adding: âAny time I ever spoke to Eddie, he was always remorseful about it and his confidence is gone.â
Both Declan and Kate had turned up at Nenagh Circuit Court the previous Tuesday, May 5, expecting the case to go ahead. However, after taking their seat in the court room they were told that Mr Halveyâs barrister would not be able to attend.
âNone of them were there that day. Someone came across and said that the barrister could not make it down from Dublin. At half past eight, Nenagh Garda Station received a phone call to say that he wasnât turning up, and we were all there that day,â said Kate.
"Halvey was there but why werenât all these boys there that day? asked Declan.
âI reckon it was nothing to do with the barrister. It was that the rugby boys couldnât turn up,â said Kate.
The family were infuriated that they were not given the opportunity to give their account of the morning of April 1, 2006, in court.
âThe fact is they have taken the word of a man who was drunk over two witnesses who were sober. I canât understand it. Itâs terrible to sit in the back room of a court and not get your chance to tell what really happened. I always wanted it to go before judge and jury. Let the jury decide. I wrote to the DPP asking for that . We were kicked in the teeth. We were only a piece of dirt,â Declan said.
âAt no stage did the judge ask to know if the two boys (Vincent and Declan] were in the court,â said Kate. âThe only time we were recognised in court was when the judge forced him (Halvey] to apologise. He would never have done it otherwise - and it was rehearsed then. It was text book. Itâs a sad world we are living in.â
Today the Walsh home is a shrine to the late Kevin. Pictures of the happy-go-lucky 16- year-old enjoying family occasions adorn the hallway and sitting room walls. Every now and then Kate sits by the computer and logs onto a webpage dedicated to Kevinâs memory. She lights an online candle or leaves a short message.
Her life, she says, will never be the same again. âI was at a match about three weeks ago. I had to leave because the players are no longer 16 - they are 19. Young men now,â she said.
âThatâs what Kevin should be. On that pitch the other night - a young vibrant man and a good man.â
âThe priest in Bruff would tell you about him,â said Declan. âHe went to Mass every Saturday night. He said if he didnât go to Mass his week would go wrong.â
[quote=âThe Runtâ]Kate Walsh on Halvey verdict: Justice depends on âwho you knowâ
[/quote]
Thinly veiled âMick Galwey is an utter cunt and Eddie Halvey is a murdererâ
I see some destitute creatur who was working away in Dell on another manâs identity and chanced doing the same with the dole got a longer sentence than Eddie Halvey did for killing a kid. What a joke.
Asylum seeker claimed âŹ1,392 from dole illegally
Date: 22 May 2009
By Petula Martyn
AN asylum seeker who was illegally claiming the job seekerâs allowance after he was made redundant from Dell, has received a suspended sentence at Limerick Court.
The court was told that the 35-year-old African falsely claimed a total of âŹ1,392 in welfare payments from a post office after presenting a passport and PPS number at the Labour Exchange in another manâs name.
Garda Niamh Brosnan, Henry Street Garda station, said the man
replied: âIâm sorryâ, when charged. She said he was now back living on âŹ19 a week.
The court heard that the accused, who is originally from Ivory Coast, had been working in Dell until he was made redundant in January.
He had provided his former employers with a false name and address in order to gain employment with the computer manufacturer, the court heard.
Solicitor John Herbert said his client had been persecuted in Ivory Coast, and was âstuck in a mire of trying to exist in this countryâ.
âHe is contrite,â Mr Herbert said. âHe accepts that he was wrong. He is aware that he crossed the line.â
Judge Tom OâDonnell said it was an unusual case. He took into consideration the manâs guilty plea and his co-operation with the Gardai.
The judge imposed a 10-month suspended sentence on condition the man be of good behaviour for two years.
Oddly enough I was talking to a solitor involved in the halvey case a couple of weeks ago. Farcical situation.
Christ, the poor wife/mother. Fucking hell.
that is a disgusting comment you horrible little bastard, what the fuck is wrong with you??
Horrible thing for you to say
he is a really sick fuck
Bizarre and nasty comment. Why are you being such a horrible cunt today did you have a bad weekend or something.
Halvey the uucoam will be back behind the wheel this year, will he not?
canât be easy getting up on a Monday with fuckall to do for another week and no money to spend
ha!!!