Two months ago, a few Celts, namely Lea, Malte, Vangelis, Fabian, Laura, Gareth, Jan, Lasse, Conor, Frank and I, made our way to the Green Island, specifically Monagea in West Limerick. Home of one of our coaches and the most passionate person when it comes to hurling that I know (personally, at least), Frank. After he brought his home club over to Cologne for the first edition of our now-annual Francie O’Connor Cup, the time had come to pay the return visit.
I tried to merge various perspectives, to sum up that short trip so everyone could have an insight or relive it while reading. Conor is one of our new members who joined this year and jumped right into the planning stage of this trip. Malte and I are „alte Hasen,“ and it was our second club trip. Sarah did her Erasmus year in Cologne last year. Joe is the secretary of Monagea GAA, who put a lot of work into our visit (Thanks again!), and Malachy, Franks’s brother, was happy to face the challenge against him.
Hopefully, this article will speak loud enough and show just what a great experience it was for all involved. It is about more than „just „Hurling (I know, that alone is great). Sadly, we had a few last-minute dropouts due to sickness. But I hope they will be able to join us next time, wherever it might take us (rumours have it it could be Annaghdown). Enjoy the read – Kat (my contributions are in italics).
„I can’t quite figure out why, but it all felt so familiar, just like meeting old friends you haven’t met in a long time. “ – Conor –
Conor: Being one of the newer members of the Cologne Celtics, I was a little nervous before spending a whole weekend together. I was aware of my limited hurling skills, but I didn’t join the trip just for the match experience. I tagged along because of the great atmosphere among us. Being able to chat with anyone on the team made the trip so much easier.
West Limerick, here we come…
Malte: The Celts invade Dublin from three airports (Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Frankfurt), get into their getaway cars, and go off to Limerick. On the way, we had a short pitstop at Leas’s old hunting grounds in Portlaoise.
After a very relaxed drive down the Irish countryside, we finally got to our destination and said hello to animals looking out over our holiday homes (alpacas for one, a donkey and a shetland pony for the other house). It went so smoothly and fast, and it felt like a dream, wandering the green fields of Limerick after getting up super early in the morning, getting to the airport, and so on. To help with our acclimatisation, we checked out the closest pub, the lovely Villager Pub in Castlemahon. The spirits were high, and there was great excitement for the days ahead.
Yes, It had Sprinkles
We headed home early enough. But of course, we stayed up until it was someone’s birthday, and that got to be continued the next morning. Even though I ordered the cake from a local bakery a few days in advance, it was a surprise not only for the birthday girl but also for me, how it actually turned out. The lovely lady on the phone ran me through a big list of options, and I simply said yes to everything that sounded good; after we hung up, I only remembered the sprinkles. Anyway… Conor, Laura and Gareth picked up the cake and came by while we were having breakfast and we started that day together – Happy Birthday Lea!
Malte: We started the day exploring Newcastle West and waiting for the rain to stop, which it did in the afternoon, just in time for our training session. We got to know the pitch for the big game ahead and tried out the facilities. The pitch was in excellent condition for the time of year, so it was all set for Saturday.
We spent the evening diving into Frank’s past by invading his local—the name caused a bit of confusion, but we definitely enjoyed ourselves.
Malte: We finished the day off in the „Strand Bar,“ which, for some reason, did not have any sand. This was confusing at first because it clearly translates to „beach bar „in German. It was a great small pub for a few pints, with lots of locals, some of Frank’s Family, and old friends as well.
Conor: That evening, we went to a Strand Bar, which was funny as there was no beach in sight (I guess because the village was called Strand). Anyway, we got to know Frank’s close friends and family, who are all quite competitive, as I experienced during a game of pool. Back at the Airbnb, my roommates and I teamed up for a quick snack of toast and butter. To be honest, we somehow finished a lot of both while staying there.
Who can resist toast and butter? Not me. Maybe the pool games were the outlook for the next day. I also tried my best, but I was not really a helpful addition to the game I played with Frank’s brother and friends.
Match Day
On Saturday, not only did the day of the matches finally come, but I was also really excited to see old friends and play alongside them again. The men’s match was really entertaining and fun to watch! Seeing Liam line out with the club again after x years was really enjoyable. The same goes for watching our next generation, Lasse, competing with the lads. And I can only imagine what it was like for Frank to play AT HOME against his home club, old friends and his brother, who’s picked up a hurl for the first time in 16 years for this occasion!
Malachy O’Connor (Monagea): It was a great honour and privilege to play against the Cologne Celtics in October. I was delighted to see so many people turn out at our home ground, brilliant to see my uncles, cousins, family, and friends supporting this event. It was a fantastic day of hurling for all involved and it was a pleasure to watch the camogie before our own match. It was truly great to see everyone so motivated and enjoying the occasion. I have played hurling with my brother Frank for years. It was a great honour for me as a retired hurler to get the opportunity to have one last tog-out in my parish colours and play in the fantastic facilities which the club have worked so hard to develop. There were some good players on both sides and the great team spirt was clear to see. Looking to the future, let’s hope this is a stepping stone for many great hurling displays between the Cologne Celtics and Monagea.
Conor: In the first half, we did a good job keeping up with Monagea’s All-Stars. However, that started to fade in the second half, as they started to take off. Having watched a bit of Hurling myself, I can only say that although it was competitive, it was a great experience playing against the magicians of Monagea. After the match, the score was irrelevant. There were a few pictures taken, and awards were handed out.
Malte: The men’s game against Monagea GAA was all about our old coach, Liam, making his comeback for the club and Frank facing his brother Malachy. The game moved both ways, and we were happy to be competitive but had to concede victory to Monagea in the end. We can always blame not being used to the big pitches and 15-a-side matches.
The Camogie match was so much fun! It was exciting to play with our former Erasmus students who drove west for the day and, in general, play on Irish ground. We lost, and I don’t even know the score, but to be honest, I don’t care. It was so great seeing the two Sarahs (you just can’t separate them), Alanna and Alex.
It was only after the match that I realised I was the only non-Irish player on that pitch. Where’s my trophy for surviving that?
Despite deciding to make the trip from Dublin to Monagea and back all in one day, the opportunity to reunite with the Celts made it all worth it. Playing with the Celts during my time in Germany gave me a sense of a home away from home, so having the opportunity to reconnect with the team brought back so many happy memories. Although the result that day didn’t go our way, spending more time with the team was fantastic.
Sarah Prendergast (Cologne Celtics)
The Afters
Malte: After the game and a quick shower, we headed straight into town for a BBQ and celebrations at Whelans in Newcastle West. The conversation was one of many things that flowed well.
The party probably went very well, as the next morning, all the floor space in one of our houses was filled with some more or less spontaneous guests for the night. Everybody made it home safe and sound, thanks to Zag, our designated local driver for the weekend, who in a former life was a rally driver (probably).
The After-Match-BBQ at Whelans in Newcastle West was really lovely and got washed down with 1-2 (or maybe 12) drinks; we definitely had a blast, chatted with old and new friends, and I got introduced to a very delicious shot, Tequila Rosa! It was great spending time with everyone. I hope Liam made it home safe and sound and still has money in his account after giving god knows how many rounds after rounds. Malte and I did at least sneak a few pints back his way. Sadly, that day had to come to an end. Big thanks to Tournafulla Camogie for playing us and to Monagea GAA for organising everything!
Joe (Monagea): It was great to have Frank O’Connor and his Cologne teammates both men and women in Monagea. Frank is carrying on in his father Francies footsteps in nurturing the game of hurling. When Francie was over underage teams in Monagea help and lifts to matches were scarce. Francie made sure we all got there though. He would open the side door of the van and we would all pile in for
a bumpy ride to our opponents field. Once there Francie would spread us out into our positions. He usually had help from Jim and Mary Moore and Gerry and Peg Philips who were great volunteers for Monagea GAA down through the years also. Francie always had a smile and an encouraging word. Francie liked hurling played in the traditional way. Hard and fair. He liked to see lads pulling hard and if things got rough there was only one rule with Francie. One in all in!!
It might be one of Franks’s rules, too!
It’s fair to say Frank and Malachy stayed true to their father’s philosophy when hurling. You would have a mark or two after them. Frank has also stayed true to his father’s legacy of giving back to hurling by promoting the game with young and old in Cologne. The club has a great camaraderie, and it was Monagea GAA’s great pleasure to host them. We had a mighty weekend in Cologne in March 2023 and hopefully will make a trip again in the future. We might even go environmentally friendly and all load into the van!
The Day After the Afters…
Originally, we planned to go swimming on the Sunday (at least Malte and I; the rest just wanted to go to the beach), but Storm Ashley had other plans with Ireland’s coastline that day. Nonetheless, we made our way to Ballybunion and went for a really windy and sandy walk. We all got a facial sand peeling for free. We had some lovely scones and tea in a nearby Pub to warm up and dry again before heading back. One of my highlights was definitely having dinner at Frank’s house (almost) all together. I loved our Airbnb houses, but we didn’t really hang out together if it wasn’t at the pitch or in a pub (which was nice too, don’t get me wrong ), so to meet there for dinner and tea was a great way to spend out last evening.
Malte: It’s over. We had to return; we had just gotten used to the lifestyle. On the way back to Dublin airport, we had a short meet and greet with the O’Bamas and stocked up on O’Neill’s gear, and then it was already over. A short but intensive weekend to be remembered fondly for a long time. We will be back!
„I was extremely proud to bring my teammates back to my home club, and playing on my own pitch against my old teammates was amazing. I really appreciate all the efforts and expense you all invested to make it possible; sincere thanks! „
Frank O’Connor
No, big thanks to you, Frank, for inviting us over not only for dinner but also for the trip in general. We had a great time!
Cologne Celtics 