EIRCOM LEAGUE  
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MARK O'SHAUGHNESSY-CUMMINGS-BONO

EIRCOM PREVIEW

1/3
Here at RTÉ we are always on the look 

out to bring the cream of Irish talent 

to your TV screens. We’ve been fortunate 

enough to succeed at this for a very 

long time. 

So what does this have to do with the 

Eircom League? Well, you might have 

seen the RTÉ programme “Anonymous” in 

which famous people are completely 

disguised and they then walk the streets 

being the complete opposite of their 

normal selves.

For the second series of this top show 

I was chosen to take part! It was more 

like "McIntyre Undercover" though as I 

was dressed up like a Bohs Casual 

(for those of you who don’t know this 

is a trendy hooligan, not to be confused 

with the fan orientated Rovers Ultras) 

and sent to Dalymount Park to watch the 

Bohs game V Longford. Being paid to go 

see a league game? Who wouldn’t want that!

2/3
I was understandably nervous at going 

into the "Lion’s Den" but I kept my cool 

by remembering that my TV hero John 

Noakes had been in stickier situations 

than this before. My other TV hero, Pee 

Wee Hermann, has also been seen by the 

public in sticky situations too. My new 

Bohs-Celtic tattoo helped me to fit in. 

There were lots of little Bohs munchkins 

running around the place. Apparently this 

is where Dublin-based Irvine Welsh got the 

idea for his new play. (I also do the 

book reviews you see - Aertel Page 343). 

The game itself was a thrilling affair, 

end to end stuff. The crowd had barely 

time to draw breath such was the 

entertainment on offer.

If only more Irish people had come to see 

it. Not only Dr. Quirkey can offer you a 

good-time emporium - the Eircom League 

grounds can too! In fact, the Eircom League 

has succeeded where Peter Stringfellow 

failed! In providing top-class 

entertainment to the Irish public.

Longford managed to grab a one-nil win 

and the travelling support of 2,500 went 

crazy. I think Bohs fans will want to do 

more than wear Armani if they want their 

lives to get better!

3/3
Congratulations to Derry City who walloped 

Gretna in the UEFA Cup. And no, Gretna is 

not a woman as one wag in the RTÉ canteen 

suggested to me. 

It was great to see an Irish team beat a 

team from the UK. The Irish media is 

obsessed by teams from the UK so it was 

good to see them being embarrassed by a 

team from outside the UK beating one 

from the UK.

I’m looking forward to the day when the 

Irish media expects Irish teams to win 

in Europe. And who, who cares about our l

eague, wouldn’t want that? 


Contact me: AertelMOSCB@yahoo.com