Home Is The Hero As Youghal Celebrates Christy Cooney

Youghal hero Christy Cooney enjoyed a Herculean homecoming to celebrate his inauguration as GAA President on April 18th. A day later, the 57 year-old head of the country’s premier sporting organisation was ferried on a raucous, horn-blowing, hazards-flashing lap of honour round the town from his home in Copperalley. Having sanctified the main thoroughfares and all on them, the presidential cavalcade terminated at Youghal GAA’s Club Aras headquarters on Magners Hill, at 7pm. By Christy Parker Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

Amidst considerable Christy-chaos, the most awaited man in town was afforded a guard of honour from the joy-filled boys and girls of Youghal’s Juvenile sector as he entered the club. Within, the celebrations would unfold like a second half dream. An Uachtaran was joined by his wife Anne, daughter Edele, siblings Daithi, Pa, Brendan and Angela, extended family and just about everyone in Youghal who ever watched an umpire raise a flag, for a night of bia, deoch, sceal, ceol agus amhran.

The President’s son Patrick, currently resident in Australia, had watched the Congress proceedings via RTE’s website streaming, but doubtless he will some day review TV3’s footage of grassroots gra at its greatest in Club Aras. Comhaltas Craobh Eochaille performed to the international standard for which Ireland’s most-travelled Comhaltas branch is renowned, while every heart pulsed to the rhythm of pride.

The President graciously and gratefully accepted gifts from various organisations, including Youghal camogie club, Youghal GAA’s Juvenile sector and the Youghal GAA club itself, which presented him with a unique pencil-painting of the Copperally playing arena from the extremely talented hands of Youghal artist Paul Daly.

It was, perhaps, as much Youghal GAA club’s night as it was Christy Cooney’s as the reflected glory of its son’s achievement transformed to a national spotlight. The search for glory on the field had, for a while, given way to the celebration of success away from it.

On Monday, President Cooney awoke from what was surely a brief night’s sleep to undertake a tour of local schools, where further plaudits, tokens, presentations and handshakes were given and received. It was a pleasant and deserved interlude before he confronts the infinitely more daunting encounters with the GPA, sponsorship, rules changes, discipline, player welfare, provincial games, ticket allocations, the Aussies, fixture congestion, global recession and reduced income once Lansdowne Road is re-opened. Who knows where that Sunday cavalcade through Youghal was really bringing him?!

Click on image to see the homecoming celebrations