Near the end of his life, Nostradamus penned an enigmatic quatrain that had throughout the centuries baffled scholars:

Keen of Mind

A number of interpretations had been put forward - a maurading army of ruthless conquerors sweeping over the plains, an armada of large, highly intelligent extra terrestrial life forms; some even saw it as a metaphor for sentient life itself.  However, there was no consensus.

A number of interpretations had been put forward - a marauding army of ruthless conquerors sweeping over the plains, an armada of large, highly intelligent extra terrestrial life forms; some even saw it as a metaphor for sentient life itself. However, there was no consensus.

Until Dr. Johannes Concanheimer published his seminal paper in the Journal of Nostradamus Studies. Describing a visit to a park in the southside of Dublin, Ireland he wrote the following:

‘I chanced upon a group of men and women playing a strange game – ‘the softball’ they called it. Fleet of foot, strong in body and keen of mind, they moved with effortless ease along the grass, wearing large gloves. And when not in the field they struck the large orbs fast and far and seemed to be always running in a strange diamond shape – sometimes for hours at a time. I frequented the park on several occasions and noticed the terror in the eyes of visiting players, how they walked in a defeated fashion before a large orb was even thrown.

And afterwards, in that most Irish of institutions – the pub – I listened in on their conversations: philosophy, politics, culture; there was nothing their quick intellects did not comprehend, the most profound thoughts they consumed like so many pints.

I realised I was in the company of the ‘warriors’, the ‘M and M’ described by the great Nostradamus. And I wept for joy.

Dr. Concanheimer’s paper was widely hailed and spawned many follow up studies. Most notable:

‘The World as Diamond: Perspectives on the “Giants of the Field”’, ‘The Eschatology of an Irish Softball Club: Beginnings and End’, ‘A Long, Excruciating Survey of Defeat: Teams in Opposition to the Marlay Martyrs.’

Afterwards – ashes and dust

While there was some opposition to Dr. Concanheimer’s thesis, all residual doubt was put to rest when the authoritative history of Irish softball was published which stated categorically:

‘Before the Marlay Martyrs, Irish softball didn’t really exist. After they left, having won everything there was to win – sometimes three and four times over – Irish softball fell into entropy. This calls to mind the quatrain written by Nostradamus – darkness before the Marlay Martyrs afterwards – ashes and dust. Truly the history of Irish softball is the history of Marlay Martyrs.’

Giants of the Field

So as the men and women of the Marlay Martyrs Softball Club come together, we celebrate the Giants of the Field, who claimed the diamond as no other club could.

We celebrate a team and a sport, which in years to come will be inextricably intertwined in the minds of scholars and fans alike.

When Nostradamus was on his deathbed, he uttered his famous, and probably the most cryptic, last words:

‘And they will party. Boy, will they party.’

Yup, he was referring to the Marlay Martys.

- Michael Taft