by John P Kelly
•
19 Aug, 2019
Dear Keith,
Greetings from Canada from a 70 year old Dub! You should be so, so proud of yourself. If I was in Ireland, I think I might be joining you in Ballybrack.
You see, I have had a gammy leg since I was 5 years old. I could never play on a real team...so I played 'between the jumpers'. In my mind, I was the greatest goalkeeper of all time (my hero was Lev Yashin!).
Our street was Oriel Street and our park was Fairview. I'd be a millionaire now if I got a tanner for all the shots I stopped. I developed a skill of making guys shoot to my left, the only way I could dive. They never seemed to cop on. I was on the ground before they even shot - feint right, dive left! I thought I was unbeatable! -
Sadly, I soon discovered I couldn't stop a snail on a real pitch. And so, 'between the jumpers', or coats, or schoolbags, or even shoes is all I have to remember. But my memories bring me as much joy as those of my friend Paddy Cullen for all his glory! Coming home from Fairview, we would pass the flats on the North Strand.
As long as it was light there would be men and boys playing ferocious games of ball on the concrete square between the buildings and then some eegit in the Corpo got the idea of putting swings on the square and that was that!
Later, at about 40 I moved to a house in Corbawn Wood in Shankill and within weeks, I had a weekly 'between the jumpers' game on the green space for middle-aged men. I wonder if these now old men remember.
I wasn't moving as fast then and the technique was fading. But again it was joy. I was an old Lev Yashin! But it died out and I moved on.
But I have my memories. As I sit here looking out at the setting sun in Ottawa, your story brings tears of joy to my eyes. People like you make being Irish really special - no, 'being human really special'. I've a good mind to take the walking stick and a ball to the grass behind my house.
May you live long and live happily Keith!
John P Kelly (proud Irish man) Photo of Ottawa sunset from www.wildhere.ca