HAPPY NEW YEAR

30/12/2015 by borderroamer

Gabriel D’Arcy, Chief Executive of newly formed LacPatrick Co-op and Aidan McCabe, Dairy Adviser, with the new LacPatrick logo Photo: © Michael Fisher

34,000 views for fisherbelfast news in 2015

The announcement of the new LacPatrick Co-Op in July was my most viewed story with 537 hits. It was written for the Northern Standard in Monaghan. I am delighted to know that 2015 was a record year for my blog with 34,000 views in different parts of the world, especially the UK, Ireland and the US. This is significant because I blogged only for seven months, publishing 212 posts until the end of July. I will now have to re-assess whether to resume blogging in 2016. The great thing is that many of the articles I posted since 2013 are being read. So a big THANK YOU to anyone who has taken the time to click on any of my stories and I wish all readers a Happy New Year. The full statistics can be seen here thanks to WordPress.

TYDAVNET JAMBOREE AUGUST 7th-9th

13/07/2015 by borderroamer

Launch of Tydavnet Jamboree at Community Centre Photo: © Michael Fisher

It will be a busy couple of weeks in Tydavnet, County Monaghan at the start of August. A village jamboree has been organised for the weekend of August 7th-9th. The following weekend the Tydavnet Show takes place at Drumshevra, Scotstown, on Saturday 15th August.

Monaghan Rose Michelle Caulfield from Scotstown launches the Tydavnet Jamboree programme Photo: © Michael Fisher

The jamboree programme was launched tonight at the Community Centre by the Monaghan Rose, Michelle Caulfield from Iterera, Scotstown. Michelle won the Monaghan selection in April and was then one of seven Irish roses chosen to represent different counties at a selection night in Portlaoise at the end of May. She is the oldest of four children and is a junior infants teacher at a national school in Palmerstown, County Dublin.

Michelle told me she would be at the jamboree on Saturday 8th August. But the next day she will travel down to County Kerry as the roses have to be in Tralee a week before the festival starts on August 14th.

Monaghan Rose Michelle Caulfield from Scotstown launches the Tydavnet Jamboree programme Photo: © Michael Fisher

One the Rose of Tralee website Michelle tells us that she moved home to Monaghan this year so she commutes to Dublin each day, but living with her family again and of course Mammy’s home cooking makes the drive worth every minute! She says she knew from a very young age that she really enjoyed working with children and youth work is a huge part of my life. Her involvement with Rainbows Ireland and Focus Ireland has allowed her to meet the most inspirational children.

The 27 year-old says she absolutely loves to travel and has spent summers in California, Miami and Thailand. She has a great interest in fashion and admits she loves to shop a little too much. Her pride and joy is her small poodle-like dog, Holly, and she loves their walks together in the beautiful local parks in Monaghan.

Michelle says she is honoured and proud to be representing the ‘Farney County’ this year and knows this is going to be an unforgettable year of new experiences, new friendships and making a difference.

Logo for Tydavnet Jamboree by Frances and Maeve Treanor, Drumdart Photo: © Michael Fisher

The jamboree logo was designed by Texaco Children’s Art overall winner Frances Treanor from Drumdart and her sister Maeve, both of them art students in Dublin. It features on the roadside posters for the event and will be used in all publicity.

Pat Deery at the launch of Tydavnet Jamboree Photo: © Michael Fisher

The launch was compered by actor and local resident Pat Deery. It was also attended by Sean McCaffrey of Northern Sound and Peadar McMahon of emyvale.net. Further details will also be found on the tydavnet.com website.

Seamus McCarville outlines the programme for Tydavnet Jamboree Photo: © Michael Fisher

Secretary of the Tydavnet Jamboree committee Seamus McCarville said they had organised a number of activities to appeal to all ages. He hoped there would be an influx of visitors to Tydavnet for the event, including local people who had emigrated to Australia, the USA and Canada.

On the Friday night 7th August the jamboree will begin with the showing of films of local scenes made in the 1950s by the late Parish Priest of Tydavnet, Canon Terence Kirke, from 9pm until midnight in the community centre, with a dance. Saturday afternoon and evening will include a BBQ with mystery entertainment and dancing. Seamus McElwain could not be persuaded to divulge further information! There will be a treasure hunt at 5pm. The day will also feature celebrations in honour of Killylough Tug o’ War, who enjoyed world and European successes in 1986 and 1987, as well as 1996 and also later on in 2007. After forty years of success it was decided that their achievements should be recognised through this community event.

Killylough Tug-o’-War committee Photo: © Michael Fisher

Killylough Cycling Club will organise a 50km and 100km cycle run on Sunday 9th August, beginning at 10am. There will be a tractor run at 2pm and a family fun day in the field opposite the community centre organised by young people from 2pm to 6pm, including the search for Tydavnet’s toughest tribe. This will see McCruddens testing their skills against McCarras, Meehans and Murphys, and possibly several other families. A very promising and lively programme for the jamboree weekend.

GAA SAYS SAFETY RECORD IS EXEMPLARY

10/07/2015 by borderroamer

Casement Park GAA ground in West Belfast

GAA SAYS SAFETY ISSUES ARE PARAMOUNT IN NEW CASEMENT PARK PLAN

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 2nd July

GAA Ard Stiúrthóir Páraic Ó Dufaigh

GAA Ard Stiúrthóir Páraic Ó Dufaigh has told a Stormont committee that the Association has an exemplary safety record and it regards safety issues are paramount. He was giving evidence last Thursday to the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly about safety fears which had been raised about the stalled plan for the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast.

A safety expert had claimed he faced “undue pressure” to approve the proposals and had accused Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) officials of bullying. Paul Scott claimed a proposed 38,000-seat stadium could not be evacuated safely and warned of a potential tragedy similar to the Hillsborough disaster in England.

Mr Ó Dufaigh said the GAA would categorically reject any assertion that its supporters would ever be put at risk at any of its games, or within any of its stadia. He said the Association’s partners would engage continuously with the stadiums project Safety Technical Group throughout all steps of the planning process to deliver a state of the art provincial stadium at Casement Park in Belfast for use by Antrim and Ulster. The Ard Stiúrthóir was joined at Parliament Buildings by Danny Murphy, Chief Executive and Secretary, Ulster Council GAA, Tom Daly, Chair of the Casement Park Provincial Project, Oran McCloskey, Project Director, HBJV and project designer Mike Trice, Senior Principal Architect at Populous, a globally renowned company that specialises in developing sporting stadiums.

A GAA statement said that during the session the Association had expanded upon its impeccable health and safety record citing its management of a large number of major provincial and county stadiums built to the highest specifications and conforming to all of the relevant health and safety legislation across Ireland and Britain. The Committee was briefed on the GAA hosting over one million people at its stadiums throughout the 2014 championship season, with fixtures drawing crowds of up to 82,300 for major games.

Ulster GAA chief executive Danny Murphy said the comparison with Hillsborough made at an earlier hearing of the Stormont committee was “wildly inaccurate, unfounded and hysterical”. During last Thursday’s hearing, Mr Murphy produced an email he claimed showed that the stadium safety expert Paul Scott had been largely supportive of the design for the new Casement Park.

Mr Murphy read out an email that he said Mr Scott sent to a Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure official in August 2013. In the correspondence Mr Scott wrote: “There appears to be a consensus that the latest proposals address the exiting concerns.” Mr Murphy said the GAA believed “that this confirms that everything we were doing was moving towards an acceptance that our plans were proper and correct”. It is unclear if Mr Scott was referring to emergency exiting or general exiting arrangements for the West Belfast stadium plans.

Commenting after the Committee session, Danny Murphy said:

“The GAA has reiterated that at all stages of the Casement Park Provincial Project the development had been scrutinised throughout the design process by the STG who signed off in principle, prior to the submission of the planning application. The ongoing work to date on the safety issues and exiting made progress and this is evident in a correspondence from the Chair of the STG dated 23rd August 2013 which states that as part of the developmental process, “there appears to be a consensus that the latest proposals address the exiting concerns”. At all stage boundaries, from outline business case to the appointment of the contractor the safety of the design was paramount and whilst some contingency planning were discussed, no red flag issues were ever raised with the GAA.

“The GAA examines all industry-recognised threats and develops contingency plans to allow safe evacuation of the spectators in 18 designated grounds within Ulster. The SGSA Safety Management guidance is a vital tool which recognises partial and phased evacuation dependant on the threat. We look forward to re-engaging with the STG to develop these plans with their full input as we move forward.”

Casement Park Redevelopment Group including Ulster GAA Secretary Danny Murphy (back middle) with NI Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín and (right) Tom Daly, Chair of Stadium Project Board

Tom Daly Chairman of the Casement Park Project board commented:

“In the near future the GAA will announce its programme for a fresh planning application for Antrim and Ulster’s new stadium at Casement Park. At that time we will also outline our plans for local engagement and it is our intention again to work constructively and pro-actively with all relevant stakeholders.”

He said the emergency evacuation did not appear in the risk section of the independent business case. “The Ulster GAA believe that emergency exiting was not a showstopper and never was,” he said.

Earlier Noel Molloy, former director of the DCAL stadiums programme, said there was a feeling that the STG’s Casement work was “inconsistent” with previous stadium projects at Ravenhill for Ulster Rugby and Windsor Park for the IFA. He said claims that the Casement design could have led to a Hillsborough-type scenario were “disrespectful and disingenuous” to the victims of the 1989 tragedy. “There is not a potential to have a Hillsborough scenario unless the (safety certificate) licence is given incorrectly,” he said. In December 2014, a High Court judge in Belfast ruled that the North’s Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan had acted unlawfully in approving plans for a new Casement Park stadium. The GAA is to submit another planning application.

ANTI-DOPING VIOLATION BY GAA PLAYER

18/06/2015 by borderroamer

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

FOOTBALLER FROM LATTON SUSPENDED FOR DOPING

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 18th June p.1

A GAA footballer from County Monaghan, Thomas Connolly from Latton, has received a two-year ban following an anti-doping violation. His case was reviewed by the GAA’s Anti-Doping Hearings Committee. It took the view that the violation that occurred earlier this year was not intentional and therefore not subject to the standard four-year suspension. As a result, the player is to be suspended from club and county Gaelic football for two years. He has leave to appeal the decision within 21 days.

WADA Code

Connolly was a trialist with the Monaghan county squad at the time he underwent out-of-competition testing in February. He provided a sample which tested positive for the presence of a prohibited substance, stanozolol, an anabolic steroid prohibited under the WADA code. An argument advanced on his behalf at the hearing was that his status as a trial player brought him outside the Irish Sports Council’s jurisdiction to test. The tribunal, however, determined that all players at all levels and all age groups within the GAA are subject to the ISC jurisdiction to test. The committee was chaired by Belfast lawyer Adrian Colton QC, who was joined by former Dublin manager Dr Pat O’Neill and the former GAA President Nickey Brennan.

The anti-doping hearing committee stated: “We simply do not accept that lack of knowledge by an inter-county player would justify him/her being excluded from anti-doping rules which are so well established.”

Connolly was given tablets by a “work colleague” after complaining of “pain and stiffness” as a result of the training he was exposed to as a new member of Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan football panel.

The 23-year-old was a non-playing member of the Monaghan Minor football panel for one year. He was involved with the county Under-21 team for two years, playing one championship match before the county was knocked out of the competition. He was invited to attend training and to become part of the Monaghan Senior county football panel from November 2014 until March 2015, when he played three practice matches. He also played one full half of a McKenna Cup match and made two brief appearances as a substitute in the remaining Monaghan games in that competition. He was named on the senior panel for one National League game and continued to train with the team. On February 13th at the Cloghran training grounds he was subjected to an out of competition test by the Irish Sports Council.

Irish Sports Council

A month later Connolly was informed of an adverse analytical finding and told he was being charged with an anti-doping rule violation. The player admitted he had taken tablets and at the hearing produced the actual container they were in. In written submissions and in oral evidence to the committee, “he indicated that he was given a container with tablets by a work colleague, whom he named…He took 4 tablets per day – 2 in the morning and 2 with his dinner for 4 or 5 days and stopped using the tablets a day or two before he was tested because they were of no benefit to him and he continued to feel pain…and stiffness as a result of the training he had undertaken.”

Monaghan GAA

Despite Monaghan manager Malachy O’Rourke and county board chairman Padraig Sherry testifying that Connolly had not been informed of anti-doping rules, it was established that each player is responsible for educating himself about banned substances.

The committee’s report continued: “As Mr O’Rourke said in his evidence – ‘I do understand that players are subject to anti-doping rules, yes,’

“Question: Okay, and do you think that they have a responsibility to make sure that they don’t take steroids, for example?’

“Answer (O’Rourke): ‘Yeah.’”

Connolly’s testimony and legal argument by his barrister, Aaron Shearer, convinced the committee that the player unknowingly took steroids and that his breach of the rule was not intentional. In cross-examination, the GAA’s barrister David Casserly “strongly challenged” this claim by Connolly.

“Whilst we accept that his conduct falls short of recklessness, we consider that there is a high degree of negligence in this case,” read the ruling, which the committee said was a very finely balanced decision. That allowed Connolly to receive a two rather than four year ban. As he is a member of the GAA, the committee stated that the Irish Sports Council had a right to test Connolly.

Gaelic Athletic Association

The finding states that the lawyer for the GAA had “urged the Committee to draw an adverse inference from the athlete’s failure not to call evidence from the colleague who supplied him with the tablets. However we were not willing to do so and did not want to speculate on the many potential reasons why he did not attend the hearing.”

The committee also expressed its concern about the apparent lack of understanding and application of the anti-doping rules and processes at county level in this case.

“Whilst we were impressed by the evidence of Messrs [Feargal] McGill and [Ruairi] Harvey [both of the GAA player welfare] in respect of anti-doping education at central level, we would urge the GAA to intensify its work to ensure that all players, county officers, coaches, managers, medical and allied sports science personnel and players representatives are fully cognisant of their obligations under the Association’s anti-doping rules”, the committee stated.

Gaelic Players Association

In a statement the Gaelic Players Association said throughout the investigation and hearing, it had provided the player with personal and professional support and would continue to do so, although he is not a member of the players’ body.

The Association said GPA members were regularly informed that they may be selected for testing and that the ISC Anti-doping Code is enshrined in the GAA rulebook. All stakeholders within the games had a responsibility to ensure that players, particularly new panellists, were aware of the Anti-Doping Code and that the Association continued to support a culture of drug-free sport within Gaelic games.

The statement added: “We would appeal to everyone to respect the privacy of this young player and his family at this difficult time. We would also appeal to the media, in relation to this issue, to respect the preparations of the Monaghan players and management in advance of their important championship game.”

WALK IN CARRICKMACROSS (2)

15/06/2015 by borderroamer

WALK AROUND CARRICKMACROSS

Northern Standard Carrickmacross News Thursday 11th June

The Toll House, Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

2. THE TOLL HOUSE

Just up from The Shirley Arms Hotel on the same side of Main Street and in the forecourt of the modern shopping centre is a small single-storey picturesque building known as ‘The Toll House’. It forms an integral part of the former marketplace, standing across the street from the market buildings. It was built by the Shirley estate, as evidenced by the armorial plaque and the date, 1861, some thirty years after the hotel.

Each gable is surmounted by the fleur-de-lys as a reminder of the fact that the landlords could trace their descent through the Devereux family from the Plantagenets, former Kings of England.

The Toll House, Carrickmacross: Fleur-de-Lys decoration and Shirley crest dated 1861 Photo: © Michael Fisher

The architecture and detail of the Toll House link it with other Shirley estate buildings around the western side town. The other side was owned by the Bath estate. The Tudor-style detailing, with label-mouldings and typical doorway, enhances this modest building. It was used to collect market levies and tolls. Just outside it is a weighbridge platform. The rest of the weighing equipment was inside.

Thursday was traditionally market day in Carrick and a grain market was held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Fairs were held on the second Thursdays of January, February, March, April, June and October and on predetermined dates during the other months. In 1897 the market weighmaster was J.T.Gibbings. Michael McCabe was the collector of tolls and Henry Russell was the clerk.

The building was used for a number of years to house the Lace Gallery, which then moved across the road to the Market Square in 1991. In the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, the Toll House is described as having a pitched slate roof with tooled stone fleur-de-lys finials, cut-stone copings, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Exposed random squared sandstone walls with tooled sandstone skew-putts, armorial and date plaque to east elevation, and smooth raised quoins. Square-headed window openings having chamfered tooled sandstone surrounds and label-mouldings, stone sills and barred four-over-four pane timber sliding sash windows with ogee horns. Tudor-arch door opening having chamfered tooled sandstone surround, label-moulding and replacement timber door.

YOUNG SWIMMER’S MEDAL SUCCESS

14/06/2015 by borderroamer

Leinster and Ulster Schools record-breaking swimmer Cathal Kearney from Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan Photo: © Michael Fisher

YOUNG SWIMMER’S SUCCESS IN ULSTER AND LEINSTER

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Carrickmacross News Thursday June 11th

It takes dedication to be a record-breaking swimmer, especially when there are no training facilities on your doorstep. 13 year-old Cathal Kearney from Ballintra, Inniskeen, is just finishing his first year at Patrician High School in Carrickmacross, a town which has never had a swimming pool. He belongs to the Aer Lingus Swimming club at Dublin airport and his training schedule has brought him gold medal success in Leinster as well as at Ulster schools’ level.

A typical day for him would involve classes at school until 3:30pm and then a journey of over an hour to Dublin airport. Training at the Aer Lingus 25m pool under the guidance of coach Alan Turner takes up to two hours. This means it’s usually 8pm by the time Cathal returns home and is able to start his school homework. Sometimes his mother drives him and on other occasions he gets a lift with swimmers from Dundalk.

Cathal told the Northern Standard that everyone at the well-run club was very supportive, in particular two of their successful Leinster and Ireland swimmers, Andrew Meegan and Benjamin Doyle.

Two months the Inniskeen student was selected to swim on the Leinster team at the Ulster Age Group and Youth Championship in Bangor, County Down. This is the top swimming competition in Ulster. Cathal won five gold medals and broke five Ulster records in the boys under 13 100m and 200m freestyle, 100m and 200m  breaststroke, and the 200m individual medley. He also came second in the 400m freestyle.

Last month he was selected to swim on the Ulster Secondary Schools Interprovicial team, based on his performace at the Ulster Secondary Schools Competition last October, when he won the boys 13/14 years freestyle event. He came second in the 100m Breaststroke whilst representing Patrician High.

At the Interpro Championship Cathal won the 13/14 years 100m freestyle and finished 3rd in the 100m breaststroke, swimming a year out of his age in both events and thus helping his Ulster team to victory and claiming the Interprovincial cup.

A fortnight ago Cathal competed in Leinster for his club Aer Lingus in the Division 1 age group Open at the National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown. He was up against the best in Leinster as well as the best in Ulster, for whom he had already competed as a Monaghan schoolboy.

Cathal swam in six events over three days, with heats in the morning and finals in the afternoon. He came home to Inniskeen this time with six gold medals claiming the top award in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, 100m, 200m breaststroke and 200m IM.

Swimming seems to run in the Kearney family as Cathal’s younger sister Aoife (aged 11), is also competing and achieving at the highest standard. A pupil at St Daigh’s National School, Inniskeen, she currently holds both the Ulster and Irish Minor Schools titles in the Girls’ 50m backstroke. His cousin Shauna McGahon from Killanny is also a swimmer and has represented Monaghan at the community games.

Leinster and Ulster Schools record-breaking swimmer Cathal Kearney from Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan Photo: © Michael Fisher

It was as a 7 year-old taking part in the community games that Cathal first swam competitively. His mother had taken him to Dundalk for swimming lessons as a 5 year-old. At the start, he didn’t like them at all but he gradually got used to the water and has never looked back since. Cathal is the eldest of four children. As well as Aoife, he has another sister Kaitlin, aged 7, who also attends St Daigh’s school. The youngest in the family is 4 year-old Sean. As Cathal left Patrician High School where I met him, the Principal Joe Duffy came across and congratulated him on his sporting achievements. Hopefully he will bring back more medals to County Monaghan in future.

CLONES ‘NOT BEING DOWNGRADED’

26/05/2015 by borderroamer

GAA President Aoghan Ó Fearghail at St Joseph's Boys NS Carrickmacross Photo: © Michael Fisher

GAA PRESIDENT SAYS CLONES IS NOT BEING DOWNGRADED

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 21st May p.2

Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Aogán Ó Fearghail says the Association is not downgrading St Tiarnach’s Park in Clones, while at the same time seeking to redevelop Casement Park in Belfast. During a visit to Carrickmacross on Monday (18th May), the GAA President told the Northern Standard Clones had nothing to fear from Casement. He said Clones (where the Ulster Final has traditionally been played) provided a very vital infrastructure for the GAA over the years. He said the GAA in Ulster was also committed to developing Casement. But the planned development of a 38,000 capacity arena was stalled in December following a court case in Belfast. Planning permission for the expansion of the stadium was denied by the High Court after an objection from a local residents’ group They raised concerns about what kind of impact the larger crowds would have on the area. The GAA President said the Association always respected rules and decisions and would await the outcome of any further planning enquiries. He pointed to the situation at Kingspan Breffni Park, where Cavan take on Monaghan on Sunday in the Ulster Championship. He said ten years ago some people thought the stadium had reached the end of its existence as a GAA venue, but now after redevelopment it was one of the finest such stadiums in the country.

CHRISTINA RELAXES AT HOME

14/05/2015 by borderroamer

Michael Fisher interviewing Christina McMahon at her home in Carrickmacross Photo: Pat Byrne

CHAMPION CHRISTINA RELAXES AT HOME

Michael Fisher Northern Standard Thursday 14th May: with photos by Pat Byrne

“You are absolutely inspirational”, the Saturday Night Show host Brendan O’Connor told Christina McMahon from Carrickmacross as she finished her live interview on RTE1 in front of a studio audience at Donnybrook that included her coach and husband Frick and her parents. Christina is now resting after her tough ten rounds fight in Zambia to win the interim WBC bantamweight world title. The belt, the only one of its kind in Ireland at the moment, was with her as she explained to her interviewer how she had taken up boxing on a professional basis when she turned 35, having won a world title for kick-boxing. Now aged 40, she had been up against a much younger opponent in Lusaka, 22 year-old Catherine Phiri, who was strongly fancied to win by the home crowd.

Even before the fight, however, Christina and had come successfully through the psychological battle that saw the promoter favour Phiri and try to make things awkward for the Irish boxer. Christina spent an hour being interviewed on local radio and by the time she had finished, she had won the hearts and minds of many of the locals. It was yet another sign of her great determination. “I never gave up on my dream”, she told Brendan O’Connor and now, after a good rest, she will be prepared to go after the full title. The current WBC bantamweight title holder is Yazmin Rivas from Mexico, who won it last June.

Taking part in the RTE Saturday Night Show made her feel like a celebrity, she said. She had to get her hair done and also required special attention from make-up to ensure that the black eye she received in the fight did not show.

Now relaxing at home in Magheross, Christina says she does not need a national media focus after being under the radar for so long. She was delighted to receive a civic reception on her return to Carrickmacross last week. It was a lovely surprise, she told me. She also thanked the organisers, the Carrickmacross Festival Committee, for ensuring it went so smoothly. She expressed her thanks for the three gifts that were presented to her on the night.

Monaghan County Council. Cathaoirleach Padraig McNally gave Christina a gift of an Irish Crystal bowl. The Cathaoirleach of Carrickmacross-Castlebleyney Municipal District Cllr Jackie Crowe presented her with a framed gift of Carrickmacross lace. The Festival Committee presented the boxer with a clock to mark the occasion.

Christina is a former pupil at St Louis Secondary School, where a welcome home banner had been displayed. She studied sport and leisure management at Inchicore College of Further Education in Dublin. She told me she was delighted that after her victory, some of her former college friends were able to renew contact with her. She also received a message from a family for whom she used to babysit.

On Sunday evening a crowd gathered at the Shirley Arms Hotel to watch a replay of the fight and to celebrate with Christina and her husband. Hopefully there will be one more big celebration still to come in the next twelve months or so.

CHRISTINA MCMAHON HOMECOMING

09/05/2015 by borderroamer

Big Crowd in Carrickmacross welcomes home Christina McMahon Photo: © Michael Fisher

GREAT WELCOME IN CARRICKMACROSS FOR CHRISTINA MCMAHON

Northern Standard p.1 and p.2

Michael Fisher

Carrick: this one’s for you! Boxer Christina McMahon proudly displayed her WBC title belt to the crowd of several hundred who welcomed her home to the Main Street in Carrickmacross on Tuesday evening. It might be only the interim female world bantamweight title, but to everyone in Monaghan, she is the county’s new international boxing champion, rivalling the achievements of the Clones Cyclone. The full title remains one fight away, but that could be some time down the road. “I have to be world champion before I turn fifty”, Christina joked as she was interviewed live on stage by Sean McCaffrey of Northern Sound. She hopes her success against Catherine Phiri in faraway Zambia on Saturday night will help to inspire other women to achieve their goals. Young or old, go out and do what you can, was her message. “I’m just a boxer, but I want to inspire people never to give up. I didn’t, and I want to thank the Phoenix Centre (in Carrickmacross, where she used to be manager) for living the story with me”.

Christina told the gathering she had moved on from the Phoenix Centre to set up her own sports venture with her husband Frick because she wanted to work for herself. Now with the two centres in operation, there was every opportunity there for others to make it to the top.

The lack of interest from the national media including RTE in covering her return to Dublin airport on Monday did not worry her. “One of the most important things is the friends I have. All my friends including some from national school days were there (in the arrivals area), along with members of Carrickmacross Boxing Club, so I didn’t need any television cameras to be there”, she said. In a comment that shows her personality, Christina told the interviewer on stage: “No-one likes a cockish champion”.

The civic reception was organised by Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District Council and the Carrickmacross Festival Committee. Christina was joined on stage by her husband and coach, Frick (Martin), and later on, by her parents, a brother and sister.

Her win over ten rounds at the International Conference Centre in Lusaka took the home crowd by surprise. Christina is 40 and her opponent 22. Christina told Michael O’Neill of WBAN: ” I am delighted with the win. It was a very tough fight which we all thought she (Phiri) was ahead (in) going into the last two rounds. In fact it was only after the bout that we discovered that she was one round down with two judges and two rounds down with the third. I had to dig deep, very deep, in the 9th and 10th to secure the victory. The referee had stopped the fight to adjust Catherine’s glove tape which gave her a chance to recover. Having gone through weeks and weeks of tough training at home and in Zambia, I was determined not to let the people down. I felt I had done more than enough to win but you can never be sure until your hand is raised”.

A delighted Frick paid special tribute to his team both at home and in Lusaka especially Sean & Paul McCullagh and another former Irish boxer, Anthony Doran whose knowledge of official procedures and his extensive contacts in Zambia opened many doors that might otherwise have taken much longer to open. Irish Ambassador Fintan O’Brien was another person whose help was invaluable.

Frick told the crowd in Carrickmacross he was confident about Christina before the fight. But when the bout was away from home, then you were going in four rounds down from the start, he reckoned. It was a while before they were able to establish from the scorers how Christina was doing. It was still very close after the 8th round. Then before the 9th, Frick said he put his hand in his pocket to get some Vaseline to attend to Christina’s face. He reached in and found a memorial card for his wife’s grandfather, Patrick Cunningham, who had been a big boxing fan. He showed it to his wife, telling her that “Packie is here as well” and that had given her a boost as she won the 9th round well. In the end, a majority decision by the judges gave victory to Christina, but Frick said it did not matter what way they had achieved that outcome.

The home crowd thought it was going to be easy for their own ‘Katie Taylor’, but we knew differently, he said.

Although the fight was not shown live in Ireland, some 10 million viewers watched it in Zambia and around 30 million in the whole of Africa. He hoped they had done a great job in winning the hearts of the people of Zambia both before and after the fight.

Asked about the next challenge, Frick said Christina would keep training but reminded people that she had waited some thirteen or fourteen months before this contest happened.

A series of presentations took place, the first on behalf of Monaghan County Council. Cathaoirleach Padraig McNally gave Christina a gift of an Irish Crystal bowl. He said he had known her since she was a baby. He praised her enthusiasm for sport and her fierceness in achieving what she wanted to. It was a great day for her family, for Carrickmacross and for the whole of Ireland, he said. Cllr McNally said he had spent Saturday night with Christina’s father, Jim Marks, who had been very nervous and very anxious as he was unable to watch the very tough fight live. He noticed that Christina’s title belt was green in colour, so the outcome must have been written in the stars! She was definitely determined and he hoped this was the start of even greater things for her. He passed on apologies from his colleague Cllr PJ O’Hanlon for being unable to attend the homecoming.

The other four members of the Municipal District Council were present, including the Cathaoirleach, Cllr Jackie Crowe. He gave Christina a gift of Carrickmacross lace.

Her success, he said, was absolutely unbelievable and it was a privilege to welcome her home. It was not that often they got world champions in the area. He quoted from the late Muhammad Ali: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” Well done Christina!

Carrickmacross Festival Committee presented the boxer with a clock to mark the occasion.

After the speeches and presentations, Christina’s parents Jim and Madge Marks were introduced to the crowd along with her brother Gerard and sister Caroline. Jim Marks explained how Christina had taken up kick-boxing when she was only eight years old. She went on to become world champion in 2007, before becoming a professional boxer three years later.

Madge said she had kept herself busy on Saturday by visiting her own mother. Gerard said his sister’s success had come as no surprise. He was very proud of her. Caroline Marks said she knew the dedication that had gone into Christina’s training and she was also immensely proud. It was later revealed that Christina would be a guest this weekend on the RTE1 television programme, The Saturday Night Show, presented by Brendan O’Connor.

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Tonight (Saturday) Christina appeared on the Saturday Night Show. “You’re absolutely inspirational”, Brendan O’Connor told her, after chatting to her for about five minutes about the fight and her career as a professional boxer.

WELCOME HOME CHRISTINA!

05/05/2015 by borderroamer

A large crowd of several hundreds turned up to welcome home to Carrickmacross the WBC interim bantamweight title holder Christina McMahon, who defeated Catherine Phiri in Zambia on Saturday night. It was her seventh undefeated fight in a row since she turned professional five years ago at the age of 35. Full story in Thursday’s Northern Standard.

Christina McMahon with her title belt Photo: © Michael Fisher

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