Joyce, Beckett, Kavanagh. Irish citizens have been responsible for some pretty outstanding additions to the canon of English literature. We're not suggesting that Darragh Ó Sé should be put into that bracket just yet but the way he's going, we're not going to rule it out entirely.
Last week, Ó Sé's column in the Irish Times took a delightful swing at the laughing stock that was the Cork County Board's statement about Brian Cuthbert's departure. We all had a hearty laugh about Ó Sé cheek and moved on to other things.
This week the hot button topic in the GAA is that dive/sending off/eight week ban, but Ó Sé has steered clear of that in his column this week and we are very glad he did. Instead the former Kerry midfielder casts his eye over Mayo's win over Donegal and it is an intriguing read in its entirety.
However, once again, it's Ó Sé's segue into his broader point that we are most enamoured with. Joe Brolly's status as the intelligent jester of the GAA is well solidified but, if it's possible, that picture of the Derry man has been increased ten fold by Ó Sé's description of him.
Following the Mayo vs Donegal clash, Ó Sé was chatting to Brolly who made the claim that Mayo's use of Aidan O'Shea was the first time anyone had legitimately tested the Donegal defence's aerial ability since 2012. Whether that's true or not is up for debate but the part that Ó Sé took umbrage was Brolly's previous belief that Neil and Eamon McGee were some kind of immovable fortress in the Donegal defence.
Ó Sé's point? Joe Brolly just goes around looking for arguments for the sake of it. He then goes on to deliver the kind of quote that Brolly should scrapbook in the anticipation that it could go on his tombstone in the distant future.
I’d say if he met the Dalai Lama, he’d goad him into an argument. Peace, love and tolerance only goes so far, after all.
Half an hour in a room with our Joe and I’d say the bould Dalai would have him in a headlock, lamping away for all he was worth. Joe would come out of it with his nose broken but laughing away to himself.
That sums it all up really.
