An Athenry resident speaks out.
I am very impressed by your interest in Athenry. I don't know too much about David Christopher cos he was a few
years behind me in school. As far as I know he's from the neighbouring parish of Craughwell but he went to secondary schol in
Athenry. As such, the Tom Cloonan ethos wouldn't have been taught to him. I can assure you that every single graduate of
Athenry Boys National School is sound on the national question and has more than a healthy regard for our native games and
language plus is less likely to subscribe to Sky Sports than the average punter. We have dancing at the crossroads every
thursday night and are so wary of malign foreign influence that on trips abroad we bring our own supplies of healthy bacon and
cabbage with us.
David Christopher obviously is not the ideal advertisement for the parish but in Eugene Cloonan I feel we have a true Gael, a
Cuchulainn, a man with whom Aodh Ruadh o Domhnaill could have done business.
I would add that we were never part of any King's County and the only planters around in the 1640's around our place were
the peanuts and the other displaced natives. Brendan Keogh's family came from Wexford around that time. While biffos were
helping to build Philipstown and Birr Castle the Galway boys were defending our culture and the language. It is an outrage that
our parish should be judged by the actions of a Craughwell man although I should add that we are very pluralistic and would
tolerate any dissenters in the parish, extending not only to Unionists but also Mayo football fans. However we draw the line at
Tipp hurlers.