DEADLINE day at Southern Star HQ has two parts: the pre-deadline slog that turns hair grey, and the deep breath when Sport lands. Then bask (that’s for the MD), and go again.
On this Wednesday’s drive in, perhaps it was the sun or maybe it was the need for an extra pep-in-the-step, but Avicii’s The Days popped up on Spotify – don’t judge me, I am the eternal teenager.
Window down, sunglasses on, music loud, sun shining – think of Steve McQueen in the legendary 1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt GT, but now think the exact opposite.
Still, the lyrics hit – a bit of serendipity, confirming thoughts that had been swirling for a while.
These are the days we won't regret
These are the days we won't forget
Perhaps, I’m getting older, but as life keeps moving forward, I’ve come to the realisation that this journey is all about the memories and moments. Every one of us is guilty of being wrapped up in our own worlds at times, but it’s the memories that will endure when we’ve moved on to the next chapter. It’s about having those days that we won’t forget, and that we’ll always refer to.
Supporting the Rebels in Australia were, from left, Dave Kiely (Barryroe), Jack Breen (Skibbereen), Sean Holland (Barryroe), Daniel O'Driscoll (Lisheen), Eoghain Deasy and Ewan Courtney (Clonakilty).
Earlier this year, we took one of our kids to his first Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge – he’ll never forget that day. Memories locked in that will stay with him forever – the short walk from Fulham Broadway station to the stadium, seeing the pitch for the first time, watching his heroes play. Priceless. (As a Manchester United fan, it was that rare opportunity to see a team score a goal and win…). Or when I was there to watch our oldest girl – seven years old, though rolling her eyes like she is almost 13 – wreak havoc at a football blitz; she always has a ball in her hand. When she asks to play a game out the back at home, I won’t say no, because there will come a time when she won’t play outside anymore, and the house will grow quieter. My better half created a list for the summer holidays: things to do and places to go with the kids. The mission is to complete that list. Memories and moments, not Xbox and TV.
Think of Cork hurling fans right now – Rebels young and old swept up on a red sea of euphoria, where the journey is as important as the destination because of the memories being made along the way. Look at Saturday in Croke Park when Cork fans took over GAA HQ and transformed it into Cork Park. An incredible sight, with thousands of individual stories within the stadium.
Jamie O'Driscoll and Louise O'Driscoll from Skibbereen with Megan and Jodi Pardy from Blackrock.
Catherine O’Sullivan, from Allihies, took her son Jack to his first game in Croke Park – he’ll never forget his view from the Cusack Stand, as the Rebels walloped seven goals past Dublin. Look at the photo on this page of cousins Eabha and Muireann O’Leary, from Clonakilty – the family stopped for a picnic in Kildare on the drive up and then cheered Cork on to victory. Young Maggie Davis made the trip to the capital from Castlehaven to cheer on her cousin Damien Cahalane, who is with the Cork hurlers. Or Podge Moloney, from Newcestown, back from Queensland to support the Rebels in Croke Park, with his brother Brian. On the front page of this week’s Sport, we have photos of John Harrington, from Bantry, with his son John supporting Cork. Likewise Donal O’Sullivan from Dunmanway with his son Oisín. These are all special memories being made.
‘Remember that day, dad…’
These are the days they’ll talk about. Days stitched into stories, shouted from stands, replayed at dinner tables. The kind you don’t forget – even when you grow up. Even now, when my group of friends catch up, the talk will quickly turn to memories from the past. The trip to Old Trafford when one of the lads fell asleep, suffering from the night before. Or the pints in a dodgy bar in Shoreditch, where the red- and-white-squared plastic table clothes looked like any evidence was just wiped away. It’s all nostalgia.
Cousins Eabha and Muireann O'Leary, Clonakilty, cheering Cork on!
One of the lads dropped a meme into our WhatsApp group a few months back, and the reality of it hit home: ‘One of us will see all the funerals, one of us will see none, and one of us will have none at theirs.’
The older we get, the more we realise what’s important, but also what will be remembered after us. Go make memories. And the Cork hurlers are doing their bit. The shared hope is the best is yet to come, but don’t underestimate the importance of the journey and all the stops along the way.
