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Joe Flynn and his wife Breda with Chips Clifford at the game on Sunday. Photo by Dermot Crean
IT was going to take more than an Orange Wind and Rain weather alert to stop Kerry soccer stalwarts from turning up to honour Joe Flynn on Sunday in Cahermoneen.
The wind howled and the rain battered the players, but over 30 hardy souls togged out and took to the field to raise cash for Kerry Cancer Support Services and to support Rahoonane resident Joe, who is battling cancer.
Joe starred with Tralee Dynamos in the late 70s and 80s in the centre-forward position and his old buddies from all clubs around the county showed up on Sunday to take to the field in the event organised by Dynamos.
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“I’m absolutely over the moon, first of all that it went ahead in these conditions, and secondly that so many players of all ages turned up,” said Joe, speaking to us from the shelter of the dugout during the game.
“There are players here from the 70s and early 80s right up to the modern day. There’s great fun out there but it’s still competitive. There’s sliding tackles going in from about 40 yards because of the weather. I see ‘Fox’ Connor, ‘Chips’ Clifford, ‘Tiger’ Slattery, Tim ‘TC’ Counihan, ‘Bubbles’ Hegarty, Robert O’Brien. Joe Hanley ‘The Happy Snapper’ was thinking of going out with his new hip, but he spotted one of the insurance brokers and thought the better of it,” he said, much to the photographer’s amusement, standing nearby.
While we were talking, Tralee soccer stalwart, Michael ‘Fox’ Connor, went down with cramp.
“That’s not cramp at all Fox! That’s the arthritis!” yelled Joe.
The players braved it out for nearly an hour before calling time on the afternoon’s enjoyment. Joe thanked them all for turning up and joined them for refreshments in the clubhouse after the game.
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Michael ‘Fox’ Connor gets some treatment from ‘physio’ Breda Flynn during the match on Sunday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Joe Flynn with players who showed up on Sunday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Joe Flynn and John Hegarty at the game. Photo by Dermot Crean
Hardy souls at the game on Sunday.
Joe and granddaughter Caitlin at the game.
Chris Nugent, Joe and Breda Flynn, Francis Boyle, Joe Hanley and Jay Galvin at the game. Photo by Dermot Crean
Joe and friends at the game on Sunday. Photo by Dermot Crean
