Cappa Celtic

Sometimes when I try to remember my mind lets me down. Years fly by and memories falter. There are some memories that are so nice that you wish that there was some written or pictorial evidence to refer to. Seanie was my last link to one of the nicest memories of my youth growing up in Kilrush. Every now and again when I would meet him we would drag up the story of Cappa Celtic one more time.
We used to hang around a lot in our primary school days and we were both crazy about soccer. His obsession was Arsenal and mine was Manchester City (for my sins). This was back in the time when City were reaching FA Cup Finals (1981). I remember many games of soccer on the lawn at the back of Lyons' house or on our front lawn. Girls were yet to come, the world was soccer and soccer was our world.
We hatched a plan to start a soccer league in Kilrush and Cappa Celtic was born. The idea was that there would be different teams formed around the town and most of the players would come from the teams' catchment areas. We had no pitches to play on and so the games were played in fields or lawns. We had no particular colours or kit either. The teams knew who was playing for who.
I can't remember who exactly played for Cappa Celtic besides Seanie and me. I know that Alan Carey did play at least one gave for us (and he later went on to become a professional footballer with Reading!). We played games against a number of teams including Leadmore Rangers, the Pella Road Bombers and St. Patrick's Terrace. The league itself never took off, I'm not sure if any of the other teams ever played each other. I don't think there were any referees and I am sure that nobody ever played the off-side rule. No results of any the games are recorded and a league table was never published anywhere besides a Christian Brothers copybook.
The Cappa Celtic dream was short-lived but the memory is still sweet of our valiant effort to start something big.

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"We'll raise a glass again"

I couldn't help but think
That you'd walk in to the room
You were there; you were not gone.
With all of your friends gathered around
I was sure you'd come along.
How could you be gone?
When your life's ripples
Are still travelling on & on
In my cells & in my memories
And in all of the cells & all of the memories
Of all those who knew you
And all of those who never knew you
But know those who knew you.
Take care now Seanie
Until we meet again
Any you walk in to a room somewhere
And we raise a glass to friends.

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