The Garden Corner Subscribe to The Garden Corner

So while there was 10,000 marching on the streets last week, no doubt there were another 10,000 at home. Frustrated and angry that it is still ongoing. It’s sad that it has come to this and has reached this level, but hey, what are you going to do? They can polish their All-Ireland Medals while they are waiting to play again. Life will move on.

Now that the Six Nations is back, our nation has been gripped by a familiar fever. Sales in Rugby Jerseys go up. Carlsberg Shandy receipts got through the roof in Croker and an enormous amount of Rugby fans appear out of nowhere in an annual ritual only comparable to Dublin’s first game in the Championship.

I’m a little worried about the train. You know, that delicate, 50 tonne beast of a machine, that can’t go left or right, and runs along train tracks that have been rumoured to be made from the same material as the popular 80’s toy Buckaroo.

TWO years ago, Mick O’Dwyer arrived in Wicklow to a reception almost religious in its fervour. It was reported that 121 players flocked to the first trial and that footballers were tripping over themselves to be immersed in the new faith — converts who had once rejected invitations to play for the county, sullenly posing the question: what’s in it for me?