One Day in Clones

A few photos and thoughts from a remarkable, wet day in Clones. Click on each photo to enlarge.

The Diamond

We had excellent accommodations directly on the Diamond to watch everything from above while also having easy access in and out of the apartment. A big part of these experience was the pre-match scene on the Diamond and it didn't disappoint. 

5 Star Review for Diamond Apartments. 

DJ Provai in Clones

                    

The Walk

Of course the walk down Fermanagh Street to St. Tiernach's is the scene most captured and shared when talking about Final day in Clones. Got to the bottom of the street and the rain appeared for the first time.

The Park

St. Tiernach's Park is fantastic. No one is going to compare it to a modern venue and that's just fine.  From an outsiders perspective, the history of the GAA means the importance of venues like this. Side note, great Irish and GAA History can be found in Tim Par Coogan's The GAA and the War for Independence

Also in a time of World Cup tickets for a family of four costing thousands of dollars, our total cost was $105 including $11 juvenile tickets.

The energy on the hill was fantastic, blue and orange flares popping up throughout the game and the crowd was there at the right time. Between the colors and the noise it was defintely more of an Armagh crowd despite it being at Monaghan's home field. Monaghan once again showed great courage in fighting all day but just didn't have it in extra time and Armagh pulled away.

The teams marching behind the band is one of the great, unique traditions in the GAA. The singing of the national anthem in Irish by the thousands in attendance was also a special moment, connecting Gaelic games, the language and the history of the country.

But my god did it rain. The misery caught on the faces of Francis and Kate really nails that hour plus experience. It didn't rain the entire time but when it came, it poured. No matter how prepared you were, it was going to be a soaker. Also, we weren't prepared as Francis wondered aloud: why didn't we all get ponchos?? 

Boys struggled back to the apartment but hot showers and a few bags of chips made things better. Francis enjoying his first bag of Irish chips with salt and vinegar was an added bonus

It was a great day and just about 24 hours later I'm recounting it from our living room. Just one more piece to write about this experience  and that's about the town of Clones.

Pints, a Cemetery and a Man from Castleblayney

Quick thoughts from a busy 24 hours in Dublin.

As the boys have gotten into the GAA more, the desire for jerseys has increased exponentially. We visited the O'Neill's shop in Enniskillen last summer and made sure we hit the Dublin store this time. A good few finds with the discount racks being a a big hit. Definitely a cab ride out of the City Centre but recommended.

I think high expectations are generally a bad thing because they never seem to be met but our lunch in Dublin feature an exception. 

I'll leave it to Cassie Stokes and the good people of Dublin to expand more on John Kavanaugh's (aka The Grave Diggers) but it just might be the best Guinness I've ever had. Solid lunch and location adjacent to the gates of the historic Glasnevin Cemetery (hence the nickname) allows a chance to walk off the pints and visit the graves of the most important figures of the 1916 Rising and the independence movement. 

Pints and a cemetery might just be the most Irish thing ever.

Pints

                        Cemetery

                    

After dinner, as we dragged our tired bodies back to the hotel, a booming voice grabbed our attention.

"COME ON MONAGHAN!"

The voice came from a man walking home from work at a construction site. He saw the boys in their Monaghan gear and gave us a shout. We learned he was from Castleblayney originally but was now working in Dublin. He has been a the Athletic Grounds for the Derry match and shared the general sentiment circling the match: sure Armagh were favored but so were Derry. He'll be on a bus back home after work on Saturday and will be at the match on Sunday.

We're on that bus now (earlie than our Castleblayney friend), churning up the M1 on the way to Monaghan town and then Clones where in addition to catching up with family there will be...pints and a cemetery.

As I was saying....

So You're Telling Me There's a Chance

After briefly digesting the news that his chances of landing the girl were “…one in a million,” Lloyd Christmas paused and excitedly proclaimed, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance!” This is the type of optimism often needed in life: a hope that no matter the odds, things are still there to be had.

Before Ulster GAA finalized the venues and dates for this year’s championship, there wasn’t much reason for high hopes for Monaghan to be at St. Tiernach’s Park on 17 May.  Although they had played a tight match they very well could have won, a third consecutive League One loss to Dublin had Monaghan on the skids. Yes, there were injuries. Yes, the Scotstown players were missing after their run to the All-Ireland Club Semifinal, but with the 2024 All-Ireland Champions in Armagh and the 2025 All-Ireland finalists, Donegal, both in the province the road looked rough.

But when looking at the draw, and I had one thought: you’re telling me there’s a chance.

With Armagh and Donegal on the other half of the bracket, there were two matches standing between the Farney men and the final: a local clash with Cavan and a more daunting potential semifinal with 2023 Ulster Champions, Derry. While no GAA pundit, I viewed these games as winnable even as the League ended winless, with 7 straight defeats.

They came out flying in the first half of the quarterfinal against Cavan and did enough to get over the line, helped by a Man of the Match performance from Dessie Ward and two massive saves from Rory Beggan, including a penalty, proving his worth is much more than his booming kicks. A semifinal awaited against Derry, who throttled Antrim in their own quarterfinal.

We had booked our plane tickets weeks before and were already talking with people to secure tickets but after Cavan, I spoke with the boys: we’re one game away from Monaghan in the Ulster Final. We were already excited for the trip, but if Monaghan were there, it would be that much bigger.

Then came the first 60 minutes against Derry.

A text from my cousin said it all: “Monaghan are a disgrace. So poor.”

He wasn’t wrong. As the minutes melted away, they were 10 points down. Even in the new GAA world of the two-pointer, where no lead is totally safe, it seemed like Derry had it. But bit by bit, point by point, they climbed back into it. More heroics from Beggan (this time of the airborne variety, intercepting a kickout and feeding Micheál Bannigan in for a crucial goal) would eventually get them to within one. But as the hooter sounded with Derry up two points, it appeared to be over.

Until it wasn’t.

That man Beggan again, using his leadership and knowledge of the rule book to insist that Monaghan get the line ball they deserved, led to one of the great kicks you will ever see from Jack McCarron. The angle. The pressure. The poise. Off to extra time.

It ended in the most fitting way, Beggan doing what he does best: booming a kick from beyond the 45 to send Monaghan to Clones.

The boys and I absolutely lost it in our living room over 3,000 miles away. We were going to the Ulster Final, and now Monaghan was as well. Shocked, celebratory texts from cousins in Clones followed, along with an excitement that had to wait two more weeks.

The boys and Beggan (in the back) after the win!

Now they have Armagh.

A team that roughed them up on the same pitch in Clones to kick off the winless League 1 season.

A team that set Ulster Championship scoring records in dominant wins against Fermanagh and Down to reach this point.

A team that must feel its time has come after losing three straight Ulster Finals.

While this is a different Monaghan team than in January, with more players returning from injury each week, in some instances it’s also the same Monaghan team that we have seen over the years: tough, resilient, and never out of a fight.

The bookies have Armagh as heavy favorites, sitting at 1/5, but Ulster provides drama and surprise each year (see Down over Donegal), and odds like that?

They’re telling me there’s a chance.

The Road to Clones

The planning is done. The bags are packed. We're ready to go.

Every trip back "home" is a special one but the weekend ahead is one we've been talking about for months.

After a night in Dublin, we will head to Clones. Home to my aunts, uncles and cousins. Home to the Round Tower and the beautiful Ulster Canal (again). 

And since 1906, home to the Ulster Final.

I attended the Ulster Final with my dad and brother-in-law in 1995, a story I was lucky enough to share with Joe Finnegan on Northern Sound radio yesterday morning (you check it out HERE, thanks Joe!) In the 31 years since, I have followed the GAA from this side of the Atlantic, always aware of the Ulster Final and just how important it is to Clones.

During a visit last year, my cousin Eamon and I were out for a pint and over the course of the night the conversation with some locals turned towards the future of the Ulster Final in Clones. With the never ending saga of Casement Park we wondered just how long the final would remain in the town that has helped define the match for over a century.

It was at that point that I knew that my family had to come back for the final while we still could. Conversations were started, plans were mapped out and the wheels were in motion.

Tonight we leave for Clones and the Ulster Final.

I will be chronicling this trip here on the blog with plans to share our experience following the Championship from New York over the last few weeks, the excitement of the day in Clones and most importantly a call to keep the match where it belongs.

Let's Ride '25

I have written before about Bike MS. My diagnosis led to a lifestyle change that featured more physical activity and exercise. One of the early practices was bike riding which made feel better both physically and mentally. It also brought me to Bike MS, the nationwide event in which riders fundraise for the National MS Society.

I have completed six different bike MS events and each time I have thought of them as a celebration of life; a celebration of the fact that I'm still able to be active and do great things despite my illness. This year's event in New York City is 2 months away and it's around this time that I traditionally  begin my fundraising. After missing last year due to recovery from a tear in my carotid artery, (yeah that happened too) it's time for another celebration of life.

Except I don't want to do it this year. 

Over the past few months I have been struggling in a place that I haven't prior. While fatigue, neuropathy and assorted physical issues have been with me every day since 2016, the past few months have been new and challenging mental and emotional struggles.  While maneuvering my way through these difficult few months, I have tried to pinpoint why it is that I've been having these struggles. There are many answers to this question but the most direct one is that I'm tired. But that would be too simple.

I'm tired a lot because of, you know, the Multiple Sclerosis but in this case it's more of a long-term fatigue of my life with a chronic disease.

Chronic disease doesn't go away; it’s always there. 

August 30th marks the beginning of the 10th year since my diagnosis. When trying to derive a clever or engaging way to share this idea, I think of the beach. I think of the waves. Sometimes the water comes in and sometimes the water pulls out. Sometimes the waves are gentle and sometimes they are violent. But that water and those waves are there day after day. And after 3,000 plus days of those waves, I’m tired.

I'm tired of waking up every day and not knowing whether it's going to be a good day or a bad day. I'm tired of being irritable or difficult with my wife and sons because I once again feel like shit. I'm tired of having to use the bathroom all the time because of issues with my bladder. I'm tired of being too embarrassed to say that out loud. I'm tired because of the invisible nature of this disease which leads to people not really recognizing just how sick I am. I'm tired because I want to live a long life but the one that I see in front of me presents more challenges that I know will already be there. I'm tired.

So I don't want to ride this year.

Except I have to.

I have to because I can't just quit. I have to because it's the right thing to do for me, my body and my brain. I have to because sometimes you just have to stop complaining and get on the damn bike. I have to because your generosity has helped me raise over $20,000 for over these past 6 years. I have to because if I don't, then the disease wins.

And I’m tired of that.

I will be riding in Bike MS NYC on Sunday October 19th. Any and all donations that can be made here are greatly appreciated as I fight the daily fight with the one million other Americans living with MS. Your support and the work of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society helps to make life better for us.

Thank you.

-Frank

What is Money Anyway?

As I passed the 20,000 step mark, pushing my exhausted legs towards the Epcot Monorail station, I sent a quick update on our trip to a friend of mine who had acted as my Mickey Mouse sherpa in helping me to plan our trip.

 

I’ve spent so much money on pins.

 

His response was simple and meaningful.

 

Haha. What is money anyway?

Had I purchased a borderline unreasonable amount of

Disney themed pins with marked up prices?

 

Of course I had.

 

Was my immediate acceptance of his message a defense

mechanism against the economic doom hanging

over me as more and more money was spent with each scan of my

Donald Duck themed wrist fob?

 

Perhaps.

 

Did it matter?

 

No.

 

Kate and I had avoided a Disney trip throughout our first 12 years

as parents. While a fair amount of that avoidance could stem from

either not wanting to travel with toddlers or even our oft times

contrarian attitudes, the biggest reason would be just how expensive

the whole thing can be.

 

But while I know that we might not have the money I also know that

we don’t have the time.

Where it be the last 12 years or 9 years or 6 months, life has taught me

that all things are fleeting (although credit card interest doesn’t always

feel that way) and that all we truly have is what is immediately in front

of us.

 

Our trip to Orlando confirmed this for me.

 

Visiting the parks, riding the rides, trading the pins and enjoying each

moment led to a wonderful and memorable week for our family. On

the second day of the trip, my 10 year old started to reach for my hand

more as we moved from throughout the day. Whether it was the size

of the crowds, the nerves of the upcoming thrill rides or just wanting

some security, I kept feeling his hand reach out for mine. While I

love my son, the full truth is that after the first few hours, it started

to become a little tiresome. Between the challenge of navigating through

crowded parks as one half of a three armed race or not wanting to clasp

a sweaty hand all day, it wasn’t always something I wanted to do.

However, doing things you don’t want to do is towards the top of the job

description for being a parent. After a while it just became part of day.

 

We carried on through the remainder of the trip and while eating Mickey

waffles at our final breakfast, the once Disney hesitant parents were

sharing lists of favorite rides and attractions and leading a discussion

about how and when we would be returning. In that moment, reliving the

trip brought me great joy and I genuinely cannot wait to go back.

 

Later, as the plane began to taxi towards the runway, I was blindsided

by a launch coaster of emotion. I don’t know if it's this

Modern Family clipthat has invaded my middle aged dad social media

algorithm over the past year but as I reflected on the immediate past

of one trip and the daydreamed future of another, I was smacked with

jarring thought.When we go back, there won’t be a sweaty hand for

me to hold anymore. Tears welled up in my eyes while sitting next

to a stranger on a budget airlines flight from Orlando to New Haven.

What the hell just happened? Was it the Mouse that did this to

me? Why didn't I keep that Jersey Mikes napkin from our airport

lunch? All questions relevant or otherwise, were just confirmation

of what I already knew: that we don’t have nearly as much time

as we think.

So yeah, what is money anyway?

Family and Baseball: Day 9

Day 9

Williamburg VA --> Aberdeen, Maryland (223 miles)

Game: Asheville Tourists (Houston High A) vs. Aberdeen IronBirds (Baltimore High A)

Every story has a beginning.

The story of our family's journey through the minor league stadiums of the East coast starts in Aberdeen Maryland.

If you have even driven down I-95 South you might have noticed a baseball stadium on the west side of the road. I know I did. What you are passing on your way through Maryland is Ripken Stadium, home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Once I noticed the stadium I knew that one day we would see a game there. That came in 2016 on our way back from our last trip to Atlanta. In addition to the minor league stadium, the complex is home to the Ripken Experience which hosts Little League tournaments as well as two Marriott hotels situated between the two ball fields. We have visited another two times since our first trip, staying at one of the hotels and enjoying a game where all that separates you and your bed is a five minute walk...a bonus for a father thirsty from a long day of driving.

We weren't supposed to be here today.

Our original plan had us finishing our trip with a drive from Williamsburg. While this drive would have been lengthy on a summer Saturday, the lack of air conditioner in our car made it nearly impossible (oh yeah our AC has been busted since last Sunday morning and the $2,000 price tag wasn't going to help us out). With this in mind, we check availability at the hotel near that park on I-95 and when we found it, we booked it. Keep the party rolling which includes...

The Good

-Tonight's game offered one of the experiences that make these minor league game great. For half an hour before first pitch, me and the boys got to play catch on the field. We moved around the outfield, took grounders and fly balls. Another memory generated.

Playing catch

The Lads...

...with dad

-IronBirds players went out of their way to sign autographs and the boys got a bunch. After each one signed I pulled the team roster up on my phone to see who the player was. One was the #2 overall pick in 2020 while another went to Xavier University. As he walked by later, I shouted "Go Musketeers!" (the name of Xavier's sports team) and he came over to ask if we were from Cincinnati. We told him we were not but instead we also went to a Jesuit university and always supported a fellow Jesuit grad. He thanked us and walked away. Later when he was finishing his warm ups, I shouted "Ball for a Jesuit??" while pointing to Francis. He recognized us and threw us a ball. Cheers to you Chris Givin.

-Out of the seven games we attended we managed to go to three with promotional giveaways. At this game we got a shirsey of Adley Rustchman, former IronBird and current Oriole who played for Aberdeen the summer after he wast drafted #1 in 2019. Most t-shirt give aways feature a shirt that's oversized and featured a terrible sponsorship somewhere on the back. Not in Aberdeen! We had our choice of size (M-XL) and no sponsor. One of the best giveaways I have ever seen. Well done IronBirds.

Top notch giveaway

-A 2.5 hour game and the aforementioned five minute walk back to the hotel allowed us to watch the last Little League game of the day, under the lights. It was an 11u game that saw a team from Wantagh blow an 6th inning lead but come back to walk it off.

-We got to see the Asheville Tourists again, who we saw last Sunday at their home field in North Carolina. This time they won.

This is how you mascot. Wool E. Bull take notes

-We love it here.There's a Little League tournament happening here, turning the whole site into baseball paradise. 

After baseball, more baseball featuring an 11u Wantagh walk off

However, not all things were good with that...

The Bad

There's about 100+ Little League players in this hotel and their acting like clowns. I saw more parents boozing outside than I did checking on their kids as they bound up and down the hallways screaming. I have to watch other people's kids as a part of my job but that ain't now. Note: I stopped typing after this sentence to menacingly stand in front of my door after hearing kids screaming in the hallway. I showed those children who's boss.

-Bugs! The infestation of spotted lanternflies that we heard about before we left appeared all over the stadium. Based on permission from officials back home, we killed those suckers.

Serving the farmers of Long Island from 200 miles away

The Ugly

Last game of the trip. It's been a hell of a run.

Tomorrow: back to the Manor and one last blog.