Setanta signs off

Setanta signs off


James O’Connell is one of thousands of Mayo natives now exiled in London. The demise of Setanta has got him thinking..

James O’Connell

WHEN you can’t make the match the next best thing is to make a beeline for your local. Nod at Fran for the pint. Drop the shoulder, a quick side-step, and with surgical precision implant yourself in between Paddy and the bar for 70 minutes plus. Tooting, for the uninitiated, is essentially the South London equivalent of Kilburn. The Ramble Inn is a bit of an institution, an Irish institution. Standing room only, sardines don’t know how good they have it. It’s the kind of place where (God forbid if it ain’t cool) folk are upstanding for Amhrán na bhFiann.
The demise of Irish broadcaster Setanta has probably struck more of a chord with those who don’t have the option of hopping in a car and striking off to a game. There’s few things like the buzz of flying home starved of 'ga' with the prospect of being there in the flesh but when you can’t, you turn to the heavens and thank Setanta. Alas, no more. The wheel has come full circle and Setanta has itself been slain.
When you leave Croke Park downcast cos, on the day, Tyrone should have been put to the sword. Your next fix is on a wet and miserable night in February when Mayo kick off their league campaign. I know, you think I’m grasping at straws, but when it’s piped into your sitting room and the familiar jersey tears across the screen..... Setanta was the brush of change sweeping through the streets of London.
A mangled old Bush radio that had Medium Wave tuned into RTE was de rigeur Sunday afternoon fodder.
Sitting out the back in the sun, subjecting the neighbours to hours of Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and an occasional roar from myself still resonates. (There’s nothing quite like startling a sedentary neighbour with a good old Mayo bellow!).
London, for the Irish, is a far different prospect from 30 or 40 years ago but some habits die hard.
Medium Wave had its day, Setanta was the way forward. Sunday afternoon GAA served up with roast beef and a few cold ones drew an Irish motley crew. Nicky, the retired dentist, would go toe-to-toe with lads and lassies fresh off the plane.
You see, this story was never about ‘Setanta’, it was about what they brought to the table. A slice of home. Culture and community wrapped up with banter at the bar.
Setanta ceased broadcasting in the UK on June 23. This weekend punters must go in search of a pub with a Sky box whose lawful abode is Éire.
It’ll be a throwback to the days of prohibition. Anonymous phone calls in hushed tones: ‘Are ye showing the match?’
The alternative is Nern on Justin.tv The feed can be dodgy but when there’s nothing else and you’re badly stuck…. Of course, if you want a dose of madness, there’s always Mid West!

James O’Connell, a native of Ballinrobe, is a former Mayo News journalist now living and working in London.