Travel Diary for Ireland

The John Carroll University football team, coaches, support personal, along with a heavy dose of family and friends, had a terrific experience in Ireland over the last week.

            The team and coaches went over on four different flights, and things got off to a shaky start on Tuesday when all of United Airline computers went down on the east coast causing temporary chaos. Most of our entourage either got stuck on the ground in Cleveland or New York for several hours before the situation got resolved. Once my flight got to Newark Airport things almost got back on schedule and the trip over to Ireland was very pleasant. On their international flights United now has entertainment centers on the back of each seat that contain free movies, music, and television shows.  I listened to nothing but music on the way over, including the new Ray Charles tribute album featuring Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis, and Norah Jones (outstanding); a Bowie Anthology; and a John Coltrane disc that contained his take on 1950’s and 60’s movie and Broadway themes.  It made the trip fly, and we landed in Shannon Airport at daybreak.

            After going through customs and claiming our luggage we were off to the Cliff of Mohers on the west coast. It was cold, wet, and miserable there, but the sites were breathtaking. I would strongly suggest checking it out if you ever go Ireland.

            We finally checked into our hotel by the late afternoon and traveled to a local rugby field for practice. By then most of the kids had been up for 24 hours, so practice was a bit sluggish. We had a late dinner and then everyone had a good night’s sleep.

            Thursday was a great day. We practiced and had lunch at the University of Dublin’s main campus, which was quite impressive. We then went and checked out the stadium we were going to play in the following night, the Donnybrook Rugby Stadium. What a great venue, old and historic it will prove to be a great place for the game. But on Thursday afternoon it was empty, and we checked out the turf and took some pictures. We then went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity College. Old and historic, we took some great pictures of our players in the garden next to the cathedral. We then participated with all the other high school and college teams playing in Dublin over the weekend in a parade through downtown Dublin that ended on the main plaza of Trinity College were there was speeches and welcomes from dignitaries, including the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland.

            Friday was game day. We had breakfast and mass in the morning then some short meetings. Everyone had a couple of hours of down time, then a pregame meal and the drive over to the stadium.  There was a high school game before us, a thriller won by Jesuit Prep of Dallas over Loyola of Chicago 30-29. Both teams had a good amount of parents and fans at the game, as were a lot of Irish fans.

            A big thrill for our players, especially those from the Pittsburgh area, was meeting U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney before the game. He spoke a few words to both teams, as well as shaking dozens of hands and posing for many pictures. An affable guy considering he’s a Steeler.

            Our game against St. Norbert’s of Wisconsin got off to a shaky start as they took an early 3-0 lead after we gave them great field position on an interception. That would proof to be one of our few mistakes, as we would roll to a 40-3 victory over what was a pretty good football team. Our new quarterback Mark Myers threw for 457 yards and five touchdowns; one of our new running backs Randy Greenwood took a swing pass 73 yards for a TD; and Lane Robilotto and Alex Kline both had 2 touchdown catches. I coach the running backs with Ron Dolciato and they had a good game, D’quan Grobsmith had several exciting plays, as usual, and scored a rushing touchdown; and all nine RBs saw action both in the backfield and on special teams.

            Even with all of those offensive exploits, the story of the game for the Blue Streaks was the defense. They were outstanding, giving up a total of 90 yards and only 7 first downs.

             The Irish fans were absolutely nuts during and after the game. Aided by the fact that there was a bar in both end zones, a few of them had had a pint or two. They stormed the field afterward asking our players to pose for pictures and to sign autographs. Between the history and ambience of the stadium and the enthusiasm of the crowd it was one of the best game day experiences I have had in my football career.

            The mood back at our hotel afterwards was quite festive. The team, parents, and fans took over the lobby and pub area, while the coaches and support staff retired to Coach Scafe’s suite to celebrate the big victory.

            Saturday found us in total tourist mode, as we went to the Notre Dame/Navy Game, which was fun but turned out to be not much of game as ND rolled 50-10. Navy could have kept it close, but blew some first half scoring opportunities and threw an interception for a touch down right before half. The game should have ended 43-10, but ND drove for a final score instead of taking a knee at the very end of the game, a classless way to end the game. This is from the same coach who left his University of Cincinnati team two weeks before they played in the Orange Bowl to go to Notre Dame. Oh, the high moral standards of DI athletics!

            The Midshipmen marched on the field before the game; ND’s band did a great halftime show of ‘Irish songs,’ most of which made the real Irish in the stands cringe a bit.

            On Sunday we had a day full of highlights, starting with a team mass attended by not only the team but also friends, family, and a host of JCU dignitaries. It was held in the chapel of the Catholic University of Ireland, a beautiful church located across the street from Stephen’s Green. We then had a brunch in the lobby of the National Concert Hall. Afterward we had an hour or so to do a little sight seeing, I went of to St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin’s version of Central Park. It’s a beautiful urban park, 22 acres of lawns, ponds, walking paths, and landscaped gardens.

            We then went off to what was the surprise moment of the trip, to see County Mayo play County Dublin in the semi-finals of the National Gaelic Football Championships. We were amongst the eighty thousand crazy fans who watched the Irish National Sport, which is a combination of soccer, rugby, basketball, and keep away. The game came down to the end, as Dublin came back from a 17-7 deficit to pull within 2 points, only to see Mayo hold on for the victory. The game was played by amateurs from their home counties, and we were on our feet screaming for both teams until time ran out. It would be like if the Browns were made up completely of players from Northern Ohio, and the Steelers were made up completely of players from Western Pennsylvania, and everyone had to go back to their day job the day after.

            Monday was our travel day, with the players due back in class on Tuesday. Special thanks to Coach Regis Scafe and the fulltime coaches, Jane Evans and Laurie Massa in the Athletic Department, Mrs. Debick and Father Niehoff from the administration, Father Bernie, and everyone else involved in putting the trip together. It was a terrific week filled with priceless moments.

Some Misc Comments:

1. I traveled the week on the offensive bus, and our driver Tony was a real treasure. A great representative of Ireland and its people.

2. Except for the first day at the Cliffs of Moher, we had terrific weather. It rained a bit, but it was perfect for the game and for our practices.

3. The Irish really love their green spaces, especially lawns. Whether it was in St. Stephen’s Green, Trinity College, or our hotel, there were beautiful rich green lawns everywhere.  Can you see in America someone saying ‘no you can’t build a shopping center there because a lawn is already there’? Look what’s going to happen to Acacia Country Club.

4. The entertainment units on the back of the seats on the United oversea flights really make the trips a lot more bearable. Our flight back was over seven hours long, but I watched three films and the time flew by.

5. It was enjoyable watching the British take on American politics on their news shows.

 6.  Dublin is a city without a skyline. Most buildings are only four stories tall, including those in its downtown. That gives the city a great charm, and it is also filled with wide walking paths and sidewalks, and is very bicycle friendly. And, as I mentioned already, contains a lot of urban green space.

7. Our hotel City West Hotel and Golf Club was ideal. It was a large charming place, with winding staircases, pubs filled with comfortable leather furniture, and classy old dining rooms. It also had a championship golf course, a health club with a lap pool, and a convention center that was huge. It was far enough out in the country to keep us out of trouble, but a short bus ride to everywhere we needed to go.

Monday was a travel day for the Blue Streaks

Monday was nothing but bus rides, layovers, and airplane flights as we made our way back home.