Moustaches

In 2007 I married Emma Kilbride. To understand why, you have to go back to 1996 and sunny Marlay Park. My sister Lorna dragged me across the park from playing for Marlay Hellfire, the flag football team and Joe Gulas said he had a glove. The shapes on the sideline were varying, although some had moustaches.

One particular young sporty thing didn’t have a moustache. She could do just about anything with a bat and a ball so from that moment I was infatuated. So I set about trying to impress her. I went up for my first BP – I probably hit better then, than I do now – and I hoped it made an impression on the lady!!! After a few swings, I suppose as with all rookies, I was told ‘go out there’, which meant far away from where the brains were. I strolled out and stood near Conor and Paul looking for hitting advice and asking, ‘does it get bigger after time?’ Being around so many hockey ladies, the lads immediately assumed I was being saucy; I like to think Conor said, ‘If you keep looking at Emma like that it will!’

I made my move

So the years rolled by and I enjoyed every game I played with Marlay, particularly the ones where Emma came to watch or play. I think it was 2000 when I first made my move. We were in Edinburgh playing in the Festiball. It was the night after I had tried to strip a sleeping Jim O’Shea (I’ll explain more if asked), walking to the next booze shop, myself and Fiona decided to have a cart wheeling tournament. I won and by that I mean I was the one upside down impaled on a railing. After the lads hoisted me off we went on. In the next bar I decided Emma would dance with me! However as we danced I realised my shoe was filled with blood and my ankle was agony to stand on. So the courtship was put on hold for a while.

10 cans of Budweiser

It resumed in a tent in Achill, when dressed as Y Front Man I wooed her away from the other Martyrs who had made the island trip. I had had a few drinks on the first night so my aim was a bit off, I snogged her friend!!! But there was nothing she could do on the second night, the draw of 10 cans of Budweiser and a damp tent meant Emma was mine. (On a side note Ciaran succumbed in much the same fashion the year before, except the tent was denim).

Some years later, the ankle has healed, Marlay won a lot more trophies and Emma and I followed Lorna on to Batpak. We have just won the Premier League 2008 and are enjoying the craic with a new team, although we will always be grateful for the solid grounding in winning which we got at Marlay.

A great team, with great players and even better friends. (Some cute girls too).

- Peter Mullen