A WET IRISH DAY TO TRAVEL TO DUBLIN FOR TOMORROW'S ALL IRELAND HURLING FINAL 2010..........

Rain came overnight, as forecasted, to the Irish tundra, an ominouos sign for a wet and soggy, All Ireland Hurling Final between County Kilkenny and County Tipperary, tomorrow afternoon in Dublin's Croke Park.  The Irish Times newspaper sportwriters headlines this morning being for the County Kilkenny team, : The Drive For Five; and of the County Tipperary team : Going Nowhere.  Kilkenny is hoping to win its 5th All Ireland Hurling Championship in a row, which would be an all time record for any team in the history of Hurling and the GAA, Gaelic Games Association.  I will be in the JJ K avanagh corporate box, at tomorrow's match with UncleFather Eddie, JJ., Liz, and Family, my 3rd All Ireland attendance (the others being,1982 & 1983, years County Kilkenny were victors ober County Cork, as well).  In 1947, 22 year old Ned 'Bus' Kavanagh, a transitional Deacon at that time, was a sub on the County Kilkenny team.  He was brought into the game with crucial minutes remaining. and helped score the winning points that made County Kilkenny, the Champions of 1947.  Although he was the second sub, and there was only one medal for the sub, he was awarded the medal, not the first sub, he had replaced in the game.  A fierce hurler from childhood through his first decade in Sacramento,, all the youngest Kavanaghs continue to play both hurling and camogie, which is the girls/women's version of the sport.  Uncle Father Eddie is being cautious about predicting a 5 in a row victory for Kilkenny on Sunday, against what he calls the, Enemy, County Tipperary, due to late season injuries for the Kilkenny team and the rain.  Kilkenny is the much faster team, and will be slowed down by the rain and mud.....More Sunday night after the match..........Oliver and I drove from the Cathedral in Kilkenny at 11 am this morning for the City Centre of Dublin, and the Merrion Hotel, across from the Irish Government buildings and the Department of the Taoseach  (Prime Minister, currently Brian Cowen, of the Fianna Fail Party).  We have met up with Frs. Dr. Dermot Ryan, and Kieran O'Shea, and will be attending Mass with them this evening and then enjoying delicious dinner with them, along with Dermot's brother-in-law, Mike Brannigan, at Dublin's famed Bentley's Restaurant.  Then a small sess-soon, as the Irish refer to it, in one of the neighboring pubs, before reclining for a good night's sleep, at The Merrion..........Slanaite !!!!!  UP YOU KILKENNY CATS.....HERE'S TO 5 IN A ROW !!!!!  UP KILKENNY !!!!!.........
.Fr.  Troy  KILKENNY Powers