September Road

We have a theory - it is soccer that's keeping DJ Carey from playing hurling with Kilkenny. Okay, okay, bear with us and we'll prove it.

Early in 1998, Carey announced his retirement from intercounty hurling, and then reversed his decision later the same year.

The next time the Gowran genius bowed out - albeit also because of injury - was in 2002, and again he returned to action later in the season (his two championship games helping Kilkenny to an All-Ireland title and earning himself an All Star).

And now, early in 2006, Carey again quits.

Well, it's obvious isn't it? He's must be a World Cup fanatic. The final is fixed for July 9th in Berlin - so we reckon Brian Cody should wait until just before the All-Ireland quarter-finals before asking Carey to leave the couch and don the stripes again.

The nine-time All Star certainly won't be taking the field next weekend in Mullingar, when the all-singing all-dancing 61-times Leinster senior champions take on minnows Westmeath in the provincial semi-final.

It will be the biggest hurling day Westmeath has seen and, we trust, the 15,000-capacity stadium will be buzzing.

Still, despite beating Dublin at water polo a few weeks ago, Westmeath haven't exactly impressed the bookmakers - they can be had at up to 100 to 1 to remain unbeaten this summer in the Leinster championship.

Kilkenny are absolutely unbackable next Sunday, and are up to 1 to 10 to also win the provincial final - which Wexford and Offaly should take as a personal insult.

But, apart from being a huge test for Westmeath, the Mullingar game is also the biggest test so far for the new three-tier hurling championship. After winning the Christy Ring Cup last season, the home side have earned their crack at the top flight.

However, for the new promotion-relegation system to be considered a success, surely the team moving up must be more than cannon fodder. Westmeath have already given a big boost - not just to hurling within the county - but also to the proponents of the three layers to the championship.

We're not suggesting Westmeath will defeat the giants - but keeping the score respectable would be another major step for the county and the game in general.

The Westmeath hurlers carry a big load on their shoulders.

Quote of the Weekend: "We were getting players booked like flies, including our entire full-back line. We dug our own grave but the referee filled it very quickly." - Carlow manager Liam Hayes comments on referee John Geaney's industry after yesterday's game in Portlaoise

September Road

Compiled by Damian Cullen

dcullen@irish-times.ie

In 1976, IT Sligo provided the first team from the RTC sector of colleges to make it to the premier division of colleges football - sensationally defeating University College Dublin in the Division Two final.

Four years ago IT Sligo claimed the Sigerson Cup, but the foundations were laid 30 years earlier, and the veterans of that victory will be the guests of honour at the reunion of graduates next Friday at the Sligo Park Hotel.

IT Sligo team in the 1976 final

Frank Kielty (Sligo); Gerry Kelly (Donegal), Peter

Dolan (Roscommon), Michael Jacob (Sligo); John Munnelly (Mayo), Danny Meehan (Leitrim), Gerry Thompson (Roscommon); John Daly (Roscommon), John O'Connor (Roscommon); Tom Dixon (Mayo), Gerry Mannion (Mayo), John Gilmartin (Sligo); Seán Crossan (Leitrim), Stephen O'Connor (Roscommon), Stephen Joyce (Galway). Subs: Liam Callaghan (Roscommon), Anthony Mitchell (Sligo), Liam Conlon (Sligo), Michael Brennan (Sligo), Paddy Byrne (Leitrim), Greg McCrann (Roscommon), TP Feehan (Cavan), Seán T Murphy (Mayo), Willie Ward (Galway), Seán McBrearty (Donegal), Pat Conroy (Roscommon), Seán Deane (Leitrim).

Munster SFC

Semi-finals - Kerry v Tipperary

- Limerick v Cork

Leinster SHC

Semi-finals - Westmeath v Kilkenny

- Offaly v Wexford

Ulster SFC

Semi-final - Armagh v FermanaghNext Weekend

World Cup cannot end soon enough for Cody . . .

Since we first mentioned our search for films containing Gaelic Games-related scenes, we've received many suggestions for inclusion. The majority, though, were for one particular movie - Rooney.

Shot in 1958 in Dublin, it stars the Englishman John Gregson (famous for playing Commander Gideon on television's Gideon's Way) as James Ignatius Rooney, a dustbinman blessed with youthful good looks women find impossible to resist and (more importantly?) a hurling talent that has All Star written all over it.

The main story is one of love and robbery - Rooney gives the heroine a necklace he has found in a dustbin, which turns out to be stolen (the necklace not the dustbin). She is arrested and Rooney has to come to the rescue.

But, far more important, is the tale of how Rooney wins the Liam MacCarthy Cup for Kilkenny. Yes, I know, we're much more used to Kilkenny men playing for Dublin.

It all starts in a pub, naturally, with the solicitor Doolan (played by Limerick's Liam Redmond) asking to speak to Rooney. Doolan is also a county selector and Rooney ends up being picked for the All-Ireland hurling final. All in a day's work really.

So off Rooney goes and celebrates in an, ermm, pub - arriving home drunk in the small hours.

But? He still stars on the winning team - footage from the 1957 All-Ireland final between Kilkenny and Waterford is used in the film alongside staged passages, including one of Rooney being carried off the field by what look like Wexford supporters.

It's all so realistic we're surprised the makers of the film didn't include a disclaimer such as "any resemblance between the characters herein and current intercounty players is purely coincidental".

Rooney consigns Tipp win to dustbin of history . . .