Séamus Ahearne: What is this life, if full of care, we have no time, to stand and stare? No time to stand beneath the boughs, and stare, as long as sheep and cows? William Henry Davies

The music of hurling:

It has been years since I watched a game on TV. That changed last Sunday. I was enthralled by the All-Ireland Hurling Final with Cork and Clare. The music of words speaks to me. The music of Lyric FM speaks to me. The music of the Box (at home) when the furniture was moved back and the dancing began, spoke to me. The music of the water, the birds, the trees, the twirling clouds, speaks to me. The music of laughter and humour, speaks to me. The music of kindness, affection and love, speaks to me. The music of hearing the story of a life (funerals), speaks to me. But the hurling of last Sunday was music and poetry and art. The skill. The physicality. The non-stop drama was beautiful. It hinted at wonder. I was twenty years out of the country and hurling seems to have changed completely. It is extraordinary. The Euros of recent time in Germany don’t compare. Who are the professionals? Who are the amateurs?   The tippy-tappy football with all the passing backwards was stifling. Nothing compares. We could do a twist on Sinéad O’Connor. ‘Nothing compares’ to the soaring beauty of this game. Limerick have taken the game to new heights. We can’t all play hurling to that standard but we can stretch our sinews to new heights in the poetry of our lives. That surely is the challenge of faith. He came. Why? ‘That we may have life and have it to the full.’ (Jn 10. 10). A severe pain in life happens when so many live superficially; or live wasted lives; or get lost in anti-social behaviour; or move into riots, or lose the beauty and miracle of the everyday and the wonder of humanity.

Joe and Kamala:

“A kid with a stutter from modest beginnings” is what Joe Biden said from the Oval Office as he spoke to the nation with dignity. He had made his decision, with much help from his friends in the Democratic Party. It was time to go. His language was consistent with respect and graciousness. The energy of Kamala Harris is obvious. Her youthfulness at 59 is striking. She may have been the worse Vice-President ever (according to the Donald) but she is tough. Trump won’t have it easy. As Kamala has said – she has dealt with people like Donald Trump before, in her role as a Courtroom  Prosecutor: “I took on perpetrators of all kinds: predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.” America and the world of democracy has some chance now.

Writers:

Matthew Parris has retired from his regular column on the London Times (Saturdays). His words were fluent. His experience as a former Tory MP gave him knowledge. His use of language was musical. He had the freedom of a columnist to ‘fly a kite’ just to stir things up. He had the ability to stand outside his tribe and be critical. He had that mischievous sense of humour. He will be missed. Alexander Waugh has died. He followed in the tradition of his family as a writer. His clan (especially Fathers and Sons) was complicated and strange. But they all had the writing gene. (Auberon and Evelyn). Grandfather Evelyn might not be too happy with Pope Francis or the Liturgy of these times! Alexander had unusual views on Billy Shakespeare. He wrote on Opera. He wrote on Wittgenstein and was expected to be an expert on wine by his father. He was colourful. The writers are the ‘hurlers’ of our age who lift our spirits and teach us the playfulness of words. They ‘in’spire us. The put spirit into us. We can smile at the beauty of it all. The dance of art continues. We celebrate it.

An expert on fashion:

There was a wedding on Tuesday. The bride and groom were very young. The mothers did all the arrangements. I had asked the bride if she had a big dress. She was startled at the question. I told her that I needed to know as a big dress wouldn’t be suitable for sitting on the usual chairs. The day arrived as did the couple. The dress was big. In fact, it was like a juggernaut. There wasn’t much room for turning. When we got the bride sitting she had to remain there even for the exchange of vows. The groom had a real long stretch, to get as far as her hand. I was sorry for her. She would have been better off with torn jeans! She was overdressed.

Most of the rest of the women were minimalist in their dressing. They had lots to get off their chests. The poor girl must have been most uncomfortable. I was glad that we managed to conclude the wedding before the lassie was short-taken!  Where does this fashion come from? It is so unreal and such a deterrent to a celebration of the awesomeness of two young people saying to each other before God and the people present: ‘I want to be with you for the rest of my life. So help me God.‘ Funerals are demanding. But some weddings are ever more challenging.

Buried Secrets:

Eamonn Casey hasn’t gone away. He was resurrected during the week. I didn’t watch it but read a little of it. I’m not sure what value there was in The Mail on Sunday and RTÉ investigating all of this again. The country was in an uproar when the original news broke. I think even Gay Byrne was very dismissive of the story in those faraway days. Many had been so impressed by Eamonn Casey for his work with Shelter in London. Many were thrilled when such a flamboyant character could be entrusted with a bishop’s hat. And we needed characters in faith rather than robots of administration. Some recall Eamonn during the Pope’s visit. Many of us knew him in London and Rome. He was great for a long night of singing. He was dangerous as a driver and had a few problems with cars in Rome and London and Ireland.

The faith of the Irish collapsed when Eamonn Casey was discovered to have fathered a child. He was the opportunity. He went off to Ecuador. He worked well there. He came back then to Arundel & Brighton. Some of us were saddened when he was withdrawn from ministry during that time. We felt he had enough. We didn’t know the full story. It is sad to hear so much more emerging but he was out of ministry from then on. His health deteriorated. And he died. I’m inclined to think that we should let him go. Let him be buried. And then we should address the current issues and not just in Church life. The whole chaos sexual abuse can be seen in any analysis of the number of people convicted in Ireland of sexual crimes. The population of the prisons are overflowing with such convictions. That needs the time and expertise of the Mail on Sunday and RTÉ to examine the reasons. That would be a serious societal  investigation. The church and its behaviour has been examined enoug and probably has the best safeguarding practice of any organisation. Let Eamonn Casey lie where he is. We need to move on. And learn.

Funding:

The pilots held out. Aer Lingus were backed into a corner. The pilots got most of what they wanted. The question of the principle of proportionality comes to mind. How can it ever be right that the muscle of the pilots should be allowed to destroy the travel plans of so many? It isn’t right. RTÉ have at last got their funding. It is about time for this saga to conclude. It is fascinating to look back over that year. Ryan Tubridy might have been the opportunity and occasion to examine RTÉ but he wasn’t the issue. It was governance. Ryan Tubridy wasn’t the problem. Of course he was overpaid. (As is Gary Lineker, £1.3 m). But that was his muscle through his agent, another description of powerplay. That was the going rate. Many others too are overpaid. He is gone now from the airwaves of RTÉ. He is a loss. Pat Kenny went. He was a loss. Seán O’Rourke went through the golf-gate fuss. We are so foolish in the way we do things.

Seamus Ahearne osa

26th July 2024