 Growing up in Ballinteer, Marlay Park has been a stomping ground of mine since childhood. Whether it was running in the egg and spoon race on school sports day, trying out for the St. Johns GAA club or stealing a kiss from a girl in the Bamboo Forest there was always adventure and fond memories associated with the park. The memories and adventures began to multiply when in 1992 Brian Reid, Austin Purton and I discovered the Marlay Martyrs.
Unspoken RuleA couple of years previous we had picked up a couple of battered mitts, a ball or two and a bat that had found their way to my house. We frequently ventured out to a field nearby be it Palmerston RFC or the field next to my house or Marlay Park itself and played a minimalist version of the game. One batter, one pitcher and a fielder (or victim).  The unspoken rule was to make the fielder run as much as possible while the infield pairing barely controlled their fits of laughter. This would persist till our brave fielder collapsed, opting to bat or pitch on his recovery. It all ended though, one Sunday afternoon in June 1992 when we were playing our game opposite the big house in Marlay Park, we spotted other people with bats and gloves and actual bases! And they had people… Lots of people!! There were at least 10! We had heard rumour of this but had dismissed them for urban myth. Feeling we had finally out-grown our simple game and ready to move on to greater things, we plucked up the courage to ask could we join in (primarily as a way to meet girls). Charitable demeanorWe boldly approached the person we felt looked in most control or maybe it was his open and charitable demeanor, I don’t really remember, but on asking could we join in, Hojo replied with a shrug of his shoulders… ‘I don’t care.’ He looked in the direction of Frank Birney at the pitchers mound, I think inferring that we should ask him… So we did… Marlay adventure‘Sure guys, why not? Hey what you got there? A wooden bat?!!’ Giggles. The wooden bat and the soon to be christened ‘3 amigos’ went to work and impressed enough to warrant an invite to a TOURNAMENT! the following weekend, with other teams! And so another Marlay Park adventure began and many, many fond memories followed. - Ciaran Columb
 
|
