March.2014
WEISFJORD NEWS
FAN FICTION LOIS & CLARK
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
WITH THE O’ CONNOR SISTERS tarting another camogie season at 30 is not what I thought in my teens playing underage with Wexford I would see myself still playing! Going through pre season muck, pain barriers, trying to get fit and breaking through the pain barriers. I remember one year running around Coolree pitch in the snow! I have been blessed to know and play with a generation of brilliant camogie players. Probably the best this county has ever produced. Some of whom will be friends for life. The senior girls caused a sensation in 2007 breaking a barrier since 1975 bringing the o 'Duffy cup back to Wexford. In 2010 Wexford returned to Croke park in senior and intermediate grades. Winning senior and narrowly beaten in the intermediate by Offaly. In 2011 we returned and captured both. Under the management of JJ Doyle who is probably seen as a one of the most successful camogie managers in history. The big question at the homecoming was would he stay one more year for 3 in a row??? He did and the senior women once again were triumphant in what was a epic encounter against cork! Cyril Farrell pundit said Ursula Jacobs goal that day was one o the best ever seen in Croke park! I have been chosen as intermedi-
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ate captain this year. At 30 this is probably my last. I had played with the idea of coming back. What swayed me was the reinstating of trainer Gerry mc Quaid, probably the best physical trainer I have ever trained under joined by Martina Donnellan who is re building the intermediate panel which is very young and relatively inexperienced. Helena Jacob takes the senior team. I played with and against Helena. She has untold knowledge of camogie, a lady and I am excited to see how the senior panel develops this year with much anticipation. Looking back at my camogie career I have great wins and big losses but that's sport. I have an numerous club underage titles, county titles, an all Ireland. Numerous titles in my secondary school Coláiste bride. I am lucky to have played beside and with the best camogie players in the country. The Jacobs, the Leacy sisters, Kate Kelly, Catherine o Loughlin, Noleen lambert and of course the Rathnure girls. Our club team are like a group of sisters. We always trained hard together and partied hard in off season. My best memories of camogie and friendship is probably with them. I was always going to play camogie. It's a way of life in Rathnure. I was always in Rathnure hurling field. I remember
being so upset when Bernie Higgins didn't have me on the u10 panel. I was provably only 6/7, more than likely in the way. I am also lucky to have shared my camogie career with my sisters. Aoife and Claire who have retired from the county team in recent years. They were regulars on the senior team. I always looked up to them. Then I followed 3rd in the house. Followed closely by Ciara and Eimear who are at present with Helena and the senior girls. Our brother teddy June is involved with the Rathnure hurlers. My father teddy has the Rathnure senior girls this year. He hasn't trained us in years but didn't really have a choice after our AGM. There will be 5 of his daughters on the panel but daddy is not one for favoritism of his own. If anything he pushes us harder. He coached and guided us all up along. Even still he'd ring us before a game. Usually quotes like 'out in front", 'bring the ball on with ya" etc. Mammy Anne was always there too. Driving us around and I don't know how she kept up with the washing! Anyway looking forward to watching our senior girls grow and develop this year. I hope they'll be on the steps of the hogan stand this year. Captaining the intermediate girls, well, I hope we can be there too!
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CONTINUED t that moment he knew he had to get out of there, even though he was displaying all the symptoms of a panic attack, with the added pressures of out of control super powers. He had a flash of clarity, and he realised that people couldn’t see Superman like this. However, it may have already been too late for that, as unnoticed by Superman was a young boy in the park with a video camera. As he managed to stagger onto his feet, still the deafening sounds were repeating in his head, and his persistent x-ray vision made the whole park look like something from a bad horror movie. Clark stumbled toward the park gates; he needed to get someplace out of sight until this episode passed. He braced himself up against the railings for a moment, in a vain attempt to gain control over his super powers, before he ducked into the nearest alley way and slumped to the ground once more. ***** Meanwhile back at the Planet, LNN was on a TV in the background, and something caught Lois’ attention. “We have unconfirmed reports coming in of Superman falling from the sky in Metropolis Park. We’re going live to our on the scene reporter Murray Midland. Over to you Murray.” “Thanks Bob. I’m here with a young eye witness, who saw the whole thing.” “I saw it, yeah, Superman like, fell from the sky, he shook the whole park, he was holding his head, moaning and groaning. He didn’t say a word and then he took off down the street. I thought I had it recorded on my camera, but I was out of tape.” “So there you have it, Superman out of control and on the loose. This has been Murray Midland for LNN news, back to you Bob.” Lois gasped; for once she was at a loss for words, she knew something was up with Clark, but this! On the other hand she was familiar with LNN’s sensationalised reporting style. Maybe they were making a mountain out of a mole hill, she hoped anyway. Though deep in her gut she knew there was a grain of truth in the story, but she had to find out for herself. Wherever Clark was right now, he needed her and she needed to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. She leapt up from her desk, forgetting the fact that she was supposed to be a reporter on assignment, and leaving her notepad and tape recorder behind her. “LOIS!” Perry bellowed from behind his desk, as he got up and moved towards his office door. “Now just where in the Sam Hill do you think you’re going with a tail fire under you like that? I need one of you here, Clark’s already stormed out!” “Perry, I’ve got to go, Superman went berserk in Metropolis Park, and it’s all over the news. I have to get to the bottom of it.” “Well honey, don’t you think that job would go a little easier with your tape recorder, cell phone and notepad?” Lois picked up the items, at Perry’s suggestion, and ran towards the elevators. “Thanks Perry got to go.” “Hell of a way to run a railroad.” Perry exclaimed, as he approached Jimmy’s desk. “So now kid, what have you got for me?” “Well chief, there are a lot of excons pretty angry with Superman, but check this out, Jefferson Cole’s assistant, was released from prison three weeks ago. You think there’s a connection with the bomb? You
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know the whole camera thing sounds like Cole’s M.O.” “Could be Jimmy, keep digging.” ***** Clark was still slumped on the ground in the alley. He didn’t know how long he’d been there, but he was thankful that it was unfrequented, the entire time he was there, no one had come by. He opened his eyes; at least his vision was back to normal for now. Clark breathed a sigh of relief. What were once deafening screams to his ears, were now no more than dull whispers. Still they persisted: “We must kill Superman.” What was happening to him? Was he really hearing this? If he was, then someone was out to get him, and he wasn’t going to let that happen. He had to get to the bottom of this, NOW! Clark still had enough of his senses about him to know that right now, it was too risky to fly. He had just been lucky the last time that he hadn’t fallen on anyone when he dropped from the sky. He didn’t want to hurt innocent people, and he knew that seeing their protector fall from the sky again, as though out of control, would cause a panic. So he took off, at super speed. ***** A yellow metro cab halted to a screech outside Metropolis Park. Lois stepped out in such a hurry that she forgot to reach for her purse. “Hey lady! This ain’t no charity service!” A short guy with a peak cap bellowed from behind the wheel. “Sorry, one of those days.” Lois huffed as she handed the guy a twenty. Good thing for Lois that she didn’t expect any change, because in the same manner as he pulled up, he took off at speed. One thing is for sure Metro cabbies sure can’t drive. Lois wished that she could just clap eyes on Clark, sitting there calmly in the park, however even though that was what her heart desired, her reporter’s instincts where telling her something was up. “Time to get to work,” she thought as she approached a young couple sitting on one of the park benches. “Hi, Lois Lane, Daily Planet.” She said as she produced her press pass. “Were you here earlier when the incident occurred with Superman?” A young fair haired man looked up from his newspaper “No, we just missed it I think. We only saw those TV guys leaving.” “Thanks anyway.” Lois said, disappointingly. Lois perused the park, and she noticed something. One area, just several feet from the swing sets where the ground was badly cracked, like something heavy had impacted there. “Oh no Clark,” she thought to herself. “So it is true.” As she knelt down to take a closer look, a stocky guy, in his early forties, approached her. “Hey ain’t you that broad from the Daily Planet?” “Well Investigative Reporter would be more accurate, but yeah.” “You looking for info on Superman, lady?” “What can you tell me?” “I saw him, when I was walking down the street to get here. He ducked into the alley, just around the corner, I figured something was wrong, ‘cause the guy could barely walk.” “The alley?” Lois exclaimed. “Yeah lady, go out those gates, turn right, first alley on your right.” The guy replied. “Thanks!” Lois called back to him as she took off. When she got there, there was no sign of Clark, not that she was surprised, as obviously he could cover more ground than she could. She
looked around for potential clues, but nothing stood out. “Oh, Clark what’s happening to you?” She said to herself. She had no idea how to find him, although one suggestion was entering her mind. “Superman, help!” She screamed, with the full force of her lungs. She waited, but nothing. Where was he and what was happening to him? Then she felt vibrations coming from her purse, her cell phone was ringing. “Hi Perry.” “Lois get yourself over to the corner of Madison and third now. There’s been another Superman incident. He trashed a derelict building there.” Perry explained. “What! Chief are you sure?” “Bobby Bigmouth called for you, Jimmy took the message, if your snitch’s report is accurate, then yeah I’d say there’s a good chance it happened. Get yourself over there now Lois; I want an eye witness account.” “One thing Perry, has Clark been back there yet?” “Lois, this is the fastest news day I’ve seen in a month, and Kent is nowhere to be seen, when you see that husband of yours tell him to come back here pronto!” Lois hung up the phone in shock. This was serious. What had happened to Clark, and how was she going to find him? CHAPTER 3 Lois was almost in a trance in the back of the cab as she headed downtown. This felt like a nightmare that she wanted to wake up from now. She couldn’t fathom exactly what the matter with Clark was, and why he was acting so strangely. She barely even noticed when the taxi came to a halt, and the driver asked for the fare. Mindlessly she got out of the cab and headed toward Madison and third. She could almost see the Planet headline now: “SUPERMAN TRASHES DOWNTOWN” As she turned the corner she saw that a crowd was still assembled, and that police had cordoned off the immediate area around the abandoned building. She wanted to just rush past the barricades and see for herself if it was true, but then she remembered “Oh yeah, eyewitness accounts.” If she failed to get those, she would have to listen to another one of Perry’s lectures, probably with an obscure Elvis story thrown in for good measure. She could barely think straight, now wasn’t the time to be interviewing people, but she did have a job to do, so she went through the motions and whipped out her tape recorder. She dejectedly approached a young woman in the crowd, even though all she wanted to do right now, was find Clark, be enveloped by his strong arms, cry on his shoulder and have this nightmare be over. She had to swallow a lump in her throat to get the words out: “Excuse me miss, Lois Lane Daily Planet. Can you tell me what you saw?” As she set the tape recorder in motion and gestured it toward the young woman. TO BE CONTINUED DISCLAIMER Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Characters as portrayed in this story are from the TV show "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman", and are the property of D.C. Comics, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and December 3rd Productions. "Lois & Clark" was developed for television by Deborah Joy LeVine. The element of Silver Kryptonite was taken from the TV show "Smallville", an episode entitled "Splinter" written by Steven S. DeKnight and Tim McCanlies. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a non profit work.