Favourite gig: Damo Dempsey - Vicar Street, 13th December.
Gayest celebration: Monty Panesar bounding and skipping around uncontrollably when he bowled Justin Langer last night for his first Ashes wicket. Great scenes.
Favourite wrestlers: The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels (even though he about 45 now) and Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Game(s) of the year: Dublin/Mayo, Italy/Germany, Portumna V James Stephens
Worst game of the year: Ukraine V Switzerland - Good God it was fare sh1te
Sporting Highlight of the year: Portumnas Club Final win. A day, indeed a few weeks never to be forgotten. The buzz around home in the weeks leading up to the big game, the session in Rodys on the night before, the look of sheer excitement and anticipation on everybodys faces prior to throw in, the bitter cold of Croke Park, the 2 early goals, the tension, the final whistle, the pitch invasion, the emotional scenes, the lifting of the cup, the celebrations outside quinns, driving back over the Shannon, drinking fat frogs from the Tommy Moore Cup at half 6 in the morning, the parade through the town on the Sunday afternoon! March 17th 2006 will live with me for the rest of my life. The proudest day of my 26 years thus far!
Disappointment(s) of the year:
- Portumnas surrendering of their All Ireland, Connaught and Galway crowns in late October after appearing to be home and hosed with 11 minutes to go.
- The ineptitude of the Galway Hurling Board in the Joe Canning stamping case.
Goals of the Year: Damien Hayes Portumna V James Stephens. Henry Sheflin Kilkenny V Wexford.
Point of the Year: Joe Canning Portumna V Craughwell, Galway Hurling Semi Final.
Holiday Destination of the Year Crete
Tool of the year: Some fat arrogant Ball Ox sitting beside me at the Galway KK game in Thurles in July.
Insult of the year: Being told I was a minger by the bird in Cardiff. If she had looked in the mirror before she went out shed have realised the joke was well and truly on her!
Concert of the Year Damien Dempsey Vicar Street, December 2006.
Car of the Year Nissan Almera
Drink of the Year: Tea
Man of the Year: Padraig Nally
Woman of the Year: Who Cares?!!
Favourite high profile killing of a knacker by a farmer: Padraig Nally on Froggy Ward
Favourite comment on Bandage’s nocturnal activities: ‘trying to score some Breda from Tullamore’ (with thanks to Steamboat Sam, can’t remember the context, or if that was the exact wording; can remember laughing my hole off)
Favourite Sugababe: the new one, Amelie, mmmmmm, yes please
Favourite Corr sister: Sharon
Ah fook it, I’m on a different tangent altogether now…
Favourite Girls Aloud ‘girl’: Kimberley
Ok, the last three have fook all to do with a list for the year, so I’ll get back on track:
Biggest whingers: Portumna hurlers…take your beating you sad shower of babies.
Second biggest whinger: Sean Boylan…your teams were well able to dish it out, so don’t use what the Aussies did to camouflage the fact that you sent out a shit team to be slaughtered. I’ve two words for you…Kevin Reilly. Don’t ever, ever wear your Meath-tinted glasses to inflict players of that ilk on a national team again.
Biggest wanker: Stephen Staunton…the GAA won’t let me train in Croker when I want to…will you ever SHUT THE FOOK UP with your big serious, moany head on you.
Most annoying accent: Eddie Hobbs
Best weather girl: The black-haired one on TG4 with the nice eyes who usually wears low-cut tops
Biggest disappointment: Switching on TG4 at 6.55pm on more than one occasion in the hope of viewing ‘best weather girl’ to be confronted by some guy called Daithi with a silly ‘look at me, I’m a dude’ haircut…will you go away, just go away.
Sexiest newsreader/reporter type person: Orla O’Donnell, RTE…I dunno, there’s something about her.
Worst GAA venue: John Lockes Park, Callan…1943 re-visited.
Most annoying ad: the Lucozade Sport one where Dessie Dolan mutters some inane bullshit…if you say that’s the spot blah blah blah
Favourite chocolate bar in a red wrapping: Kit Kat
Favourite chocolate bar in a red wrapping: Moro (but it’s not the Moro of old - it is in fact the ‘Star’ bar in disguise, in a new wrapping).
Favourie Corr sister: Andrea
Favourite Corr brother: Jim
Favourite Corr overall: Andrea
Favourite Girl Aloud: Nadine
Favourite fight of the year: The TLC (Tables, Ladders, Chairs) match between John Cena and Edge for the WWE title in September. I’ve seen many great bouts in the past but this beat anything even going back to the vintage days of the Hulkster, Macho Man, Ultimate Warrior et al. It was in Edge’s backyard - in his home-town arena in Canada back in September. The context of the fight was that Edge had recently taken the title back from Cena. In response Cena demanded a rematch but Edge argued that he had beaten him fair and square and he would have to wait his turn. To tempt Edge into giving him an early chance to reclaim his title Cena said to Edge that he could pick the venue, pick the rules and that if he lost he would move from Raw over to Smackdown.
Edge said ‘fair enough’ and so obviously picked a home fight and then the TLC rules because he’s a master at dirty tactics and Cena had never wrestled in such a bout. There were no submissions or pinfalls - the winner was the wrestler who managed to get the belt, which was suspended above the ring, into his hands. With the pressure of what could have been his last ever Raw appearance Cena produced one of the all-time great performances in wrestling history. An absolutely awesomely violent bout it was too with inexplicable use of the steel chair, the 6 foot tall ladder and the steel table. As they finally stood toe-to-toe on top of the ladder exchanging blow after blow Cena’s brute stregth eventually won the day and he managed to lift Edge above his head and send him crashing to the floor through two wooden tables that were stacked on top of each other in the centre of the ring. When he grabbed the belt from above the ring and looked down at the carnage in the ring below him Cena knew he was now immortal. Fantastic memories.
That bout was indeed awesome. Saw a review of their rivalry throughout the year on WWE Bottom Line while babysitting the niece and nephew on the 28th December. Unbelievable stuff. The wrestling was better than that of Hulk v Rock at Wrestlemania a few years ago although I’m not sure the emotion was as high.
Another great fight was one that I half had my eye on in the Harbo one night. Can’t even remember who it was Ricky Hatton was fighting but he was absolutely beating the head off him and I was mightily impressed. Another mention goes to a fight I only saw this year while in my hotel room in NYC which was on ESPN Classics. Apologies for my lack of full information but it was Micky Ward vs some other lad and I think it was the pre-show to some huge fight (maybe Lewis v Hoylfield?). Best boxing match I ever saw with both lads hammering each other. Think there was animosity between the two but also huge respect. Having googled it it may well have been against a lad called Emanuel Burton Augustus.
Gayest celebration of 2007: Stephen Hunt yesterday versus West Ham.