The Donegal of Old
A snapshot from times past
Greetings, my fellow vagabonds.
Today I thought I’d share an old newspaper clipping from The Donegal Tribune (based in my home county of Donegal in Ireland) I happened upon recently. It was printed in 1963 and tells the tragic tale of Cranfodonagh FC’s mascot, Brass Neck. See below*.
*I have also transcribed the article due to not all text being shown in the image, and for anyone who cannot read the image easily.
Transcription:
The Donegal Tribune
95th Year, No 355 ——————-— Monday, September 16, 1963
Storm Hits Donegal i[… rest of headline cropped out]
Giraffe Struck by Lightning
Local giraffe and Cranfodonagh FC mascot, Brass Neck, was tragically struck by lightning during the Sunday league tie between Cranfodonagh FC and Milbridge Celtic. According to witnesses, the local, and oft controversial, mascot was standing on the sideline tethered to the Cranfodonagh dugout, after just eating some of the overgrown grass at the pitch edge, when there was a blinding flash and deafening clap of thunder.
When players and fans recovered from the fright a wave of rumbles and shouts moved through those assembled.
"Ah, Jaysus, it was terrible," said local man Kevin McElwee. "The poor aul b*stard was just standin' there like a statue, with smoke coming off him like a chimney. Never stood a chance. We were just lucky there was no one in the dugout."
"It would have been a massacre," added local Garda, Sgt Mickey Beag.
According to Sgt Beag, the rope used to tie Brass Neck to the dugout acted as conduit for the lightning and would have electrocuted anyone present.
Fortuitously, on the day in question, there had been a few no shows for Cranfodonagh resulting in no substitutes being present.
"I was never as glad to be dying from the drink as I was that morning," said Noel "Scrote" Kelly, one of the absent Cranfodonagh players.
Brass Neck had first joined Cranfondonagh as their mascot after wandering onto the sideline where he stuck his neck over the line to nibble at the netting by the right side of the crossbar. A wild Cranfodonagh shot from range struck the head of the unexpecting giraffe and ricocheted into the back of the opponent's net. The referee controversially allowed the goal to stand which resulted in a brawl on the pitch and the game being abandoned. All three points went to Cranfondonagh.
"It was the best header ever scored at the park," said Father Callaghan, a self-described Cranfondonagh superfan.
Brass Neck went on to accompany Cranfodonagh to every game thereafter, heralding a run of unprecedented success.
"It didn't hurt the big lad usually aggravated the opposition," said a fan who wished to remain anonymous. "He had a habit of spittin' at people he didn't know. It was very funny, altogether. We'll miss the wee divil."
According to Sunday league officials, there had been an ongoing investigation into the conduct of Brass Neck after a joint complaint by 12 clubs was lodged. Officials said that there were no official rules against giraffes being used as mascots in the Sunday league guidelines and therefore an investigation had to be concluded before any possible decision about removal could be made. Sunday league officials said, in the light of the tragic incident on Sunday, the investigation would proceed no further.
"The probability of a giraffe being struck by lightning is thirty times greater than a human," said the James Murray, the local primary school headmaster. "Sadly, that probability, at least in Donegal, has now dropped to zero."
Cranfodonagh FC plan to hold a memorial match for the deceased mascot in the coming weeks.
Brilliant!