Pub Talk: Fair Play to Arva
Just over a week on and the celebrations, the talk and the praise for my neighbouring town Arva continues. The three-point win over Kerry’s Listowel Emmets left the county revelling in success, singing the praises of the team. By all accounts they went to Croke Park the underdog, yet came out of the stadium howling in triumph, followed by a pack of proud supporters.
My football knowledge comes from behind the bar listening to the comings and goings of customers before and after matches. Indeed, that’s where I was on the historic day of Sunday, January 14. The commentary that evening, as you can imagine, was rife but one line echoing around the walls was “fair play to Arva”
We can only imagine what the final score would have been had they capitalised on all their scoring opportunities. Blaming stage fright, some had given up hope after the first half of the game. The team went into the changing rooms with the Kerry team leading 0-7 to 0-4. “Ah sure it’s great experience for them to be there,” they said. And so it was, but Arva wasn’t quite ready to give up yet.
The pubs of the town were apparently empty during the day. The town was deserted, its inhabitants had left for the capital. Those who did stay (one grandparent in particular) was up and down, up and down several times from her seat. She was playing the game with her grandson inside Gray’s of Arva, wracked with nerves.
Another father sat anxiously, his daughter had gone to the game and he was waiting for her text to make sure she was okay. When he got reassurance, his nerves settled on how the remainder of the game would play out. At home, in the stand or on the field, everybody was with Arva that day.
Boots came out pounding in the second half, and the momentum continued throughout the game. The Kerry team, who supposedly had their celebrations already booked, were seriously under pressure. “Somebody had a word with that ref” it was said too of the Nolan man from Wicklow.
Footballers from The Kingdom were not “dirty footballers” it was explained to me, but they will pull every trick out of the bag to win. Pull they did, but win they did not. The whistle blew at 0-13 0-10 to Arva. Despite all odds, they did it.
Well, the atmosphere was surreal in the pub after the game. Some in disbelief, others had a feeling they could do it; while most simply revelled in the delight. Listening to the chats of people after and in the days that followed was entertaining in itself. Everybody was trying to make some connection to the town, to the players. One person said his wife used to babysit one of them when he was younger. Another said a family relation from Listowel let the phone ring out after he rang to boast. Another lady, like myself admittedly, said that she wasn’t too interested in football but, despite this, she was delighted for Arva and Cavan football as a whole.
I myself can’t wait to get back to college in Limerick where there are many proud Kerry men, women and sports commentators in my class. Often on the receiving end of a slagging about Cavan football, I’m looking forward to saying: “Well, Arva did well, didn’t they? That town is right beside me.”
I waited for the return of a crowd for the game, but I should have known it wouldn’t come to Cornafean. The county headed for Arva that night.
“This is a once in a lifetime thing, we might never see the like of it happening ever again,” one man said, walking out the door for Arva.
He was absolutely right. The town did the county proud and that was something to celebrate. Over a week later, the chatter continues unabated. No matter where I go - be it the shop, the pub, the hairdressers, wherever - Arva’s win is still on everybody’s minds and will be for years to come.
To me, this is the beauty of football. It brings people together - something to train for, a team to root for, it gives people something to talk about, a shared purpose and a reason for hope. It’s great to win but win, lose or draw, supporters still would have said: “Fair play to Arva!”
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