Sheer love of the games shines through

One of the things that I love about our association is people's sheer passion for the games and their commitment to getting out a team out.
My club have played every game away from home since 1971 but it has always been one of our proud boasts that no matter how good or bad we were during that period of time that we never failed to field, even in the darkest days of the conflict, and for Northern gaels living in North Belfast there were plenty of those.
I can't help therefore but admire the optimism of Wicklow minor hurling manager Martin Barnes who has taken over the team after the resignation of the previous manager and his team three weeks ago.
Barnes could only round up 13 players for last weekend's minor hurling championship game with Westmeath and had to hoist a white flag when they were 9-22 to no score down at half time.
Despite this Barnes said he will field this week when his team travel to take on Meath.
Where would you get it?
Hammered into the ground, two players short, and without a full side training but determined to get a side together to represent his county at a sport where there is more chance of hell freezing over than winning a game never mind an All Ireland.
You can talk about paying people all the money in the planet, but it's only a sheer love for the game, which could drive anyone like Martin Barnes to scrape a team together to play for their county.
Fair play to him and all the young lads involved, they are a credit to themselves and the association.