Poems
and Short Stories
The Golden Chain of Friendship
Friendship is a golden chain.
The links are friends so dear.
And like a rare and precious jewel
Its’ treasured more each year,
Its’ clasped together firmly
With a love that’s’ deep and true,
And its’ rich with happy memories
And fond recollections too…
Time cant’ destroy it’s beauty,
For, as long as memory lives,
Years can’t erase the pleasure,
That the joy of friendship gives,
For friendship is a priceless gift
That can’t be bought or sold,
But to have an understanding friend
Is worth far more than gold…
And the golden chain of friendship
Is a strong and blessed tie,
Binding kindred hearts together
As the years go passing by.
St. Patrick -Goalkeeper – Referee—Marathon Man
In 1971 Tony Murphy joined St. Dympna’s Gaelic Football Club, having previously played with St. Vincents Luton. He played in goal for them until 1981 when he retired from active football. However he was not lost to the game , and in 1983 he took up refereeing . Whatever you learned about the rules as a player was the basis of your refereeing knowledge . They gave you a rule-book but who wants to read a boring old rule book. Any wonder there was hassle –nothing but hassle – every game. But there was humour too and the crack could be great.
“Pat Hynes was an old friend of mine for many years “says Tony “ I think he still is ?!
Pat played for St. Vincents another Luton team.
One Sunday Pat gave referee Tony a lift to Cambridge where a match had been arranged between Cambridge Harps, and St. Vincent’s Luton.
Murphy was the man in the middle. The game was only twenty minutes old when Pat Hynes ‘lamped’ one of the Cambridge players with a right uppercut. Murphy blew the whistle straight away. Immediately he ordered Hynes to the sideline, while his victim lay stretched out on the grass.
When the heat of the moment had died down, the thought crossed Murphy’s mind that he may have to walk home from Cambridge . Hynes was scowling on the sideline . But to hell with it thought Murphy – a man must do his duty – maybe he could catch a bus home from Cambridge.!!
But Hynes bore no grudge- just as well St. Vincents won the match anyway.
After three years as referee Murphy had had enough.. To hell with all this hassle. A referees life is not an easy one. You would have to be a maschosist to get any satisfaction out of it. So Murphy blew his final whistle and started a new phase in his sporting life. He joined the Stopsley Striders in 1981.
He had already been doing some jogging, and ran his first Luton Fun-Run in 1981.
He has been a loyal member of Stopsley Striders ever since and has taken part (and finished) in no less than 25 full marathons in places like Dublin,Birmingham, London , Bolton, Wolverhampton, Glasgow, Brussels. On top of this he has he has lost count of the number of mini-marathons he has run at a mere 10 miles a run.
He always likes to put a bit of humour into everything he does. He uses various forms of disguise for all his 26mile marathons . Among those was , a grass skirt and a red wig, Mr Blobby, The Beefeater man, a man in a skeleton suit, and Santa Claus. On one London Marathon – he made the centre pages of the Daily Mail.
Down the years Tony has collected thousands of pounds on those marathons , through sponsorship of various worthy causes. He had a great adventure once – when trying to get to Brussels for his first foreign Marathon . Will tell the story another day.
Tony is now a valued member of the Luton Irish Forum. He was canonised in 2003 and is now known as St. Patrick of Luton. He greets the crowds on the annual parade and on St. Patrick’s Day.He is known for his humour and his kindness ,and is always there to lend a helping hand to those in need. A great character.
