Dollar Daly

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.