Last of the summer Vine

THE MELVINE

IT was my intention to sign off on the Melvine column as soon as I retired but between one thing and another I just didn’t get the right opportunity to pen a final farewell from a column which goes back further than I can remember.

Since I hung up the quill (well, there is still a bit of ink left in the bottom of the well as I will still be doing some work on a freelance basis), the most frequently asked question is: How is the retirement going?

I’m glad to say it is going well. In fact, I should have done it a long time ago but it can be very hard to detach yourself from a job which gave me a lot of self-fulfilment, a job which brought me to places where I might never have visited, but, more importantly, brought me into contact with so many different people in a career which spanned five decades.

Journalism has changed utterly in recent years and print journalism in particular is going through some very challenging and uncertain times, particularly against the backdrop of the current pandemic which has impacted on so many parts of our lives.

I have no doubt sport will come through bigger and better and we may begin to appreciate the important role it plays in so many people’s lives.

The importance of sport cannot be underestimated in the physical and emotional development of our young people, particularly in these tough times.

The success of the GAA club championships is testament to the vital role sports plays in the lives of people and the huge role it has in promoting and developing community spirit.

Mayo is fortunate to have so many outstanding athletes in so many different sports but they are also blessed to have so many people willing to give of their time in a voluntary capacity for the betterment of others.

Privileged

I was privileged to work with so many of those people over the years, volunteers such as Marion Mattimoe and Tom Hunt (athletics), Michael Brophy (Community Games), Darina Molloy (swimming), Billy Rice (boxing), Andy Walsh and Lorraine Munnelly (motorsport), Martin O’Malley (martial arts) and of course, two of the finest GAA PR men who kept the columns of this paper well supplied over the decades, P.J. Hughes (Crossmolina) and the inimitable Joe Reapy from Davitts.

For me these were the people who did the real work and made the lives of the sports editors on our local papers a hell of a lot easier, and I want to thank them sincerely for all their help and support over the years.

GAA was, of course, the sport I spent most of my life covering, although originally soccer was the sport which started me off when I began in Westport all those years ago.

I had many happy memories of Westport, where colleagues like Martin Curry and Sean Staunton, both sadly no longer with us, taught me the ropes, while Sean Rice, a man I have maintained a storng bond of friendship with over 30 years, was a huge source of encouragement to me in developing and shaping my career.

Seán and I soldiered together through many a storm and thankfully we both came out the other side unscathed and still have the capacity and the constitution to reflect and share so many stories from the good old days.

It was covering GAA which gave me the most satisfaction, those trips to Tuam, Sligo, Hyde Park in Roscommon, Carrick-on-Shannon, Salthill and so many venues around the country with the Byrnes Babes in the company of the legend himself, Mick Byrne, on point guard and pilot Seán Gallagher ensuring we would be home in time for a late pint.

At club level there were so many fond memories of covering some of the great teams over the years, including the All-Ireland wins by Crossmolina and Ballina, the great Garrymore team on the '70s, the arrival of Hollymount on the scene, and, of course, Castlebar Mitchels winning that three-in-a-row and those great journeys in search of the All-Ireland club title.

More recently, the emergence Ballintubber, Breaffy, Westport and current champions Knockmore has breathed new life into the club championship, whose importance has finally been recognised by the GAA, and we still have the inter-county championship to look forward to in both hurling and football.

I suppose my biggest regret is not meeting the one person I have always yearned to shake hands with – Sam Maguire.

Will it happen in my lifetime? Only time will tell, but even if I don’t get to meet and greet the great Sam I have so many happy memories of wonderful days in the company of some of the finest people you could meet.

Fortunate

I was fortunate to have so many good colleagues who helped in along the way. I was fortunate also to arrive on the scene when the pace of life was a lot less pressure than it is in today.

In the last 10 years journalism has completely changed, the advent of social media adding a new dimension to the provision of news and sports, and thankfully The Connaught Telegraph, a paper I served since joining it some 47 years ago, has adapted to those changes.

Basketball was always very close to my heart and I still do some refereeing, but one of the best periods in my life was when the Castlebar Town Leagues were up and running and my own children were playing basketball (and still are).

There were also the great days with Castlebar Bulls, Pearse Conway, Kieran and Deirdre Conway, John Hynes, Catherine Kilkenny and Theresa McDonnell amongst the many people who devoted so much of their lives to the sport and to coaching, which is still maintained today by people like Kathleen Redmond, Ruth McMenamon, Catherine McEllin and Stephanie Flannery, who were there back in the good old days and continue to be involved.

The great era of Ballina basketball brought so much excitement to the sport when Terry Kennedy led the club to two national cup titles, a time when they were literally hanging from the rafters in Killala. Those were memorable days for sure.

Finally, I want to thanks all those who posted good wishes on my retirement and many who sent so many emails. It is much appreciated.

For me it was a privilege to work in the area of sport, where I made so many lasting friendships.

I had good colleagues who were always willing to help and support, and I hope that whatever contribution I made to the sporting life in Mayo it was mostly positive.

Finally, I’m not so sure I always appreciated the sacrifices that my own family made due to my work commitments, particularly at weekends.

My wife Ann was a huge support over the years, and we were blessed with three children, our lives now further enriched by four grandchildren – Dylan and Ella Brett along with Lilly and Grace Melvin – who, no doubt, will ensure grandad and nanny will never retire from life.