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.

Family and Baseball: Days 7&8

Days 7&8

Charlotte, NC --> Williamsburg, VA (335 miles)

Game: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM AA) vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF AA)

We've come to Virginia many times. Kate's sister lives in Richmond, my cousin Eileen in DC and my Aunt Eileen lives in Williamsburg.

My mom was one of two daughters born to my grandparents. Coming from the same parish but living on opposite sides of the Shannon River, they did not know one another until they came to America. They had two daughters, Eileen and Maureen, who they raised in Queens. I  never got to know my grandfather but Nana Rynagh was a big part of my life growing up, as was my Aunt Eileen and her family; my Uncle Henry and cousins Michael, Thomas and Hank (who we visited in Durham last week) Aunt Eileen moved down to Williamsburg about 15 years ago and on each trek south we try our best to visit. These visits have become increasingly more important, not only as my aunt advances in age (87 years and going strong!) but also since my mom passed back in 2012. My boys never got to know their Grandma Maureen and it is one of the holes in my life that will never be filled. With only one sister, Aunt Eileen is the closest thing that my boys can get to meeting their grandma. We arrived in Williamsburg on Thursday, had drinks at her house and then went out to dinner with her and my cousin Thomas. Kate pointed out the mannerisms, voice and looks that my mom and her sister share. It made me feel good to have that hole close over, even for just a few hours. We got back to the hotel and enjoyed a quiet night with no baseball; only the second one of those over the previous seven days.

The Family

Then of course the a new day dawned this morning and after some historical tourism around Yorktown, we went to a baseball game.

An hour drive back east on 64 lies The Diamond, home to the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Having come to visit Kate's sister many times, I have seen this stadium from I-95. To be honest I have never been too impressed by the sight of the stadium as it looks like someone took a slice out of a 1980's multipurpose stadium (think The Vet in Philadelphia or Three Rivers in Pittsburgh) and not a traditional minor league stadium. I'm happy to report...

The Good

-The stadium was pretty darn cool. Not many minor league stadiums have a second deck (Syracuse is the only one I can think of) but The Diamond's offered nice views of the field.

Great sky

Richmond is the Giants AA affiliate. Love this logo citing the connection between the two cities

Behind the plate

From the second deck

-Francis and I had an amazing night (it was just the two of us after a long day with Eoin that would be better suited for a parenting blog). On our way in a security guard called us over and gave Francis a ball then as we scanned our tickets a staff member asked Francis if he wanted to participate in a between inning race. He agreed and after the top of the first we were brought under the stadium, through the Binghamton bullpen and onto the third base foul line. The race was sponsored by a super market and pitted Francis (dressed as a banana) vs. three other boys. Two were smaller and offered little competition but an 11 year old in a pea costume looked to be a legit athlete. The race started and Francis took off, "running as fast as I ever have" and he won the race. As I sit here typing this, we've watched the video five times, each time garnering a response from Francis ranging from "That was the best minute of my life" to "I still can't believe that happened." Must watch video is up on my FB and IG. Permanent memory generated. 

Security Guard bringing FK in for a ball

Said ball with kid and dad

Top Banana

Those vegetables had no idea what was coming

-$2 beers....enough said

The Bad

Still think Richmond deserves a better, modern minor league stadium. 

The Ugly

Ugly play from Binghamton. Back to back inning ending double plays on fly balls where the runner lost track of the out and got picked off. This included the best prospect on Binghamton Ronny Mauricio who is super talented but very raw and in need of more minor league polishing.

Tomorrow: Surprise addition of Aberdeen, MD where our love of minor league baseball was born

Family and Baseball: Days 4 & 5

Days 4&5

Asheville NC --> Atlanta, GA (208 miles

Game: New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves

There is a practice in teaching known as "backwards planning".

The basic idea is that you start with the end in mind and build backwards 

from there. For example if I want students to create podcast on World War II, 

I know that when I plan my unit I need to teach not only the content of the

event but also the skills needed to create the podcast. Once I have the big 

picture then all of my day to day lessons can fall in line after.

For this trip, Atlanta was the final product.

The Mets would be in town to play the Braves and Kate has family down there. Our trip was born.

I know that Kate could write a loving tome on the McDonnell side of her family.and as an outsider it's clear why. They are a kind and generous bunch that feature great golfers, a naval officer, a bevy of engineering brilliance forged at Georgia Tech and just plain good people.. I never had the pleasure of meeting Kate's dad, but in spending time with his nieces and nephew it's clear that he, and they, are a special group.

Kate's cousin Eileen graciously hosted us and not only provided us with a beautiful home but also a dog (Penny helped to fill the Nellie sized hole that has been missing in our lives) and a pinball machine (that filled a carbon steel ball sized hole that was created when we visited the Asheville Pinball Museum on Sunday.)

Now to as why we found ourselves in Georgia's capital in the first place...

Some folks are also born as fans of good baseball teams. For the large majority of my life I have not been one of them but so far 2022 has been different. Also for the majority of my life, Atlanta has been an absolute place of horror and defeat for my New York Mets but so far 2022 has been different. I was cautiously optimistic as we approached Truist Park on Monday.

Scratch that...I was sick to my stomach. I knew what was coming. So let's feel nice and start with...

The Good

-We took Eoin to a game around his birthday and he asked if he could get a James McCann shirsey. Eoin has a fondness for goalies in hockey and catchers in baseball (I think it's the blunt force trauma they endure each game that our sweet brute is attracted to) so when he asked for the shirt I wasn't surprised but was annoyed. James McCann? To put it nicely, he hasn't been good. To put it more accurately he has been terrible. I asked if he wanted Alonso instead. No. Lindor? Nope. Scherzer? No chance. I begrudgingly bought it for him and he wore it to the game. A game in which it finally paid to get that poorly chosen shirt. Our seats were near the bullpen and as McCann arrived there to warm up I gave him a shout. "HEY MCCANN MY KID IS WEARING YOUR JERSEY!" He looked up, Eoin turned around to show him and next thing you know we had a ball. He was probably relieved to hear someone yell his name without a profanity preceding it. 

Eoin with his treasure

-Lots of good family time in Atlanta. In addition to staying with Eileen, we met cousin Bobby for dinner and mini golf (look out for a PuttShack near you) and got to see Kate's sister, brother in law and nephews for a day at the lake. 

Cousins on the Lake

Cousins at the game

Cousins at the Putt-Putt

-Truist Park is another modern, beautiful baseball stadium. Even better is the area around it, known as The Battery. Between bars, restaurants and hotels it's essentially a neighborhood built around the stadium. Would love to see something similar over the next decade in the area that has been cleared out around Citi Field. My favorite part of the stadium was the Monument Garden located behind home plate. It's beautifully designed, quiet space that highlights the greats that have played for the Braves organization from Boston through Milwaukee and now Atlanta.

The Bad

Truist Park is also completely unnecessary. Mets fans sat in Shea Stadium from 1964 - 2008. Despite the romanticized memories of Shea that I hear fans wax poetic about, Shea was a borderline dump after 40+ years and it was time to go. While I never went to Turner Field, it was a mere 21 years old when the Braves left it, along with the city that is stitched across their chest.

The Ugly

Good lord this game. Home runs, missed pop ups, that mustachioed cry baby shutting down the offense (to be fair the dude can pitch) this was a typical Atlanta nightmare for the Mets. Silver lining was that we left before it got to 13-1 due to an hour long rain delay. Small victories I guess.

Next up: Charlotte