The following homage to the great Dollar Daly appeared in the Souvenir Scrapbook, put together by Martin Carey for the All-Ireland Club Football final in March 2012. It immortalizes an audacious score in the second round of the county championship against near neighbours Athlone, in Tang, on May 15th, 2011. A "Wonder Strike" as the headline in the Westmeath Independent at the time called it. For the record, the game ended in a win for Garrycastle, on a scoreline of Garrycastle 1-14, Athlone 2-6. Words by Martin Carey, Picture courtesy of Ashley Cahill, [ AC Sports Images, www.acsportsimages.com ]. Enjoy ! Dollar Daly Now the Castle had a player that everyone admired Temporarily lazy and permanently tired Legs like tree trunks holding up his head And a belly like a poisoned pup so well had he been fed Cunny slyly said “We've underrated him, why not train him” Then they took a rag They rubbed him, scrubbed him, They oiled and embrocated him Got him on the field When the linesman dropped his flag There was Quinny pushin' him, shovin' him, shushin' him Fallon, Murray and everyone in town Lined up, attackin' him and shovin' him and smackin' him They might as well have tried to push the Town Hall down The Dollar was eyein' them, Openly defyin' them Winkin', blinkin' and twistin’ on a pole Quinny reversin' him, everybody cursin' him The day Dollar Daly scored that wonder goal. The muscles of the mighty never known to flinch They couldn't mark the Dollar or give him half an inch Quinny lay exhausted, hangin' round his throat With a grip just like a Scotchman on a five pound note Darter, Harter, placed it on a pin for him When Daly saw it, he was willin' then He raced up, braced up, ready for the pass from him They started off to mark him, but he codded them again!! And there was Dollar grabbin' it, tappin' it, shootin' it Dolan, Duignan and Mary Ann McGrath Goalie darted pokin’ it, parryed’ it and pushed’ it Daly kicked it in the goals and he laughed hee-hah The Fáilers and Fingaelers, The radical Sinn Féiners, Farmers and bankers, They hurried to extol Stood there in unity, Cheering the community The day Dollar Daly scored that wonder goal. The crowd began to cheer him, then Sheridan, the judge He came up to check on him, but the umpire wouldn't budge And the manager who was coachin' them, big John Gateley Was so thoroughly disgusted that he went and had his tea Branigan, Fagan were students of biology Swore they'd lift’ him with some dynamite They cheered him, praised him, when without apology The Dollar scissorkicked, and blew the whole lot out of sight There was Quinny pushin' him, shovin' him, shushin' him Fallon, Murray and all the Athlone crew Subs, and auxiliary, The Castle artillery The Junior Intermediates and the water boys too They praised him, acclaimed him, They picked him up and carried him Cheered him, steered him to the winnin' hall They all acclaimed his sheer class Nothing surely will surpass The day Dollar Daly scored that wonder goal. |
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