Dundalk FM 100: An Appreciation

Having decided not to make the cross-country trek to County Louth to see this evening's Premier Division mid-table tussle between Dundalk and Galway United, I comforted myself with the knowledge that the game was being broadcast live on Dundalk FM 100 and, five minutes before kick-off, I settled down for what turned out be a very entertaining night's listening.

The station, a community-based, not-for-profit business, has been broadcasting full-time since September 2004 and has gained a loyal following to its' live coverage of Dundalk's games, anchored by Larry O'Rourke with colour - high definition colour at that - commentary provided by John Murphy and Gerry Cunningham.

Let's cut straight to the chase. If you are looking to get an unbiased account of your side's game with Dundalk, these are not the boys to be listening to. They are passionate about the game, passionate about Dundalk FC, and tell it as they see it. Whether this means lambasting Sean Connor's side or singing their praises from the rooftops, this is no holds barred stuff. Just don't expect much analysis of your own team's performance if you're not a Lilywhite.

If you can get your head around this, though, the banter between Larry and John (Gerry was marked absent tonight) is well worth a listen. They also showed their analytical acumen in their assessment of what needed to be done with the Dundalk side as Connor's troops marched to their seventh home win of the season.

Striker Ger Rowe was, however, the unlucky one tonight, getting under the lad's skin from early in the game, and they were far from happy with the striker's performance. The criticisms ranged in severity from:
"Rowe gets the ball and you'd think there was a hand grenade in it!!
"Ger Rowe is not awake. He's still in bed at home...
"He thinks he's down at the roundabout at the Carnival."
Rowe was eventually substituted near the end, a move which came "an hour or two too late" for Larry's liking. The relentless calls for Darren Mansaram's introduction paid off, though, as the sub capped the night with a well-taken third goal two minutes from time, to loud, jubilant cries of "yah boy ya" and "God bless him!" from former Dundalk captain Murphy.

Murphy starred for Dundalk in the 60's and his string of irreverent remarks had O'Rourke in stitches by the middle of the second half. Some of the gems that poured forth included:
"That wasn't pot luck - it was pot noodle.
"He could be in the dentist's chair in the morning.
"The way he's playing tonight he'd open a can of peas with his left foot (Michael McGowan).
"Williams would catch a train going away out the platform.
"He wouldn't run to warm himself.(Rowe)"

As the texts flowed in, one wondering had Murphy robbed the "pot noodle" comment from Sky Sports, the league winner strongly denied the inference and O'Rourke's claim that he had read a book of one-liners before the game, claiming that they all come naturally and that he was "sponsored by one of the Chinese places down the town."

Thoughts flow in a circuitous fashion during the broadcast, with topics ranging from relegation candidates to club finances along with everything in between - the important details of the ongoing match are relayed when needed. Text comments form an integral part of the broadcast and range from outlandish praise to slightly more mundane matters. "Plenty of soup" was called for when one listener's flu symptoms kept him from getting to Oriel, while the Whistling Barman was also offered hearty birthday congratulations.

Back to matters on the pitch and following a goalless first half, Tommy McConville was brought in to provide some half-time chat. Unfortunately, the blaring tannoy made him impossible to decipher and the only pearl of wisdom that registered came just as the teams trotted back out as Tommy declared that Dundalk "should push on and go for the three points".

They proved prophetic words as Dundalk upped the tempo from the off in the second half and Alex Williams scored early to put the lads in a decidedly better mood - bar the perceived inadequacies of Mr. Rowe. With Dundalk in a commanding position and Galway seemingly struggling to muster any attacks of note, thoughts turned to today's pampered players.

When the merit of retaining a current Dundalk squad member who has featured infrequently popped up via text, John referred to Winston Bogarde's time at Chelsea when he became a professional bench warmer and hardly played. "Nice money if you can get it", summed up Murphy's thoughts as he compared it to less prosperous times: "I used to get £4 when I was with Dundalk, and that was if we were having a good season."

Michael McGowan was on the end of praise for his good play throughout and after one rasping drive was repelled by Barry Ryan, Dundalk were encouraged by the lads to get the ball into the winger more often as "we know he can batter in that ball". McGowan proceeded to do just that when the chance arose with six minutes remaining.

So who does Murphy feel will go down? Well, he for one hoped it wasn't near neighbours Drogheda, although he felt tonight's clash with Bray would prove vital. While many Dundalk fans would happily see their rivals fall down through the trap door, Murphy realises that the derbies are a vital source of revenue for the club in these harsh economic times and would prefer them to remain on the fixture list.

The last six minutes, in which two good goals were netted, gave the lads hope of better things to come. Galway had been run ragged in the second 45: "They're all bolloxed out there," and this was a happy night indeed for Larry O'Rourke and John Murphy, two legends who keep Dundalk fans, wherever they are, entertained on match nights. Long may they continue to do so.