The BOD.

Last Friday, Brian O Driscoll, Irish rugby god, Ireland and Leinster captain, Triple Crown and Grand Slam winner, graced the small school of Scoil Naomh Iosaf Baltinglass with his electric presence. I arrived a few minutes early, camera charged, ready to do a paperazzi, expecting a swift in and out by one of the greatest men to ever wear " the13 ."
The kids were arranged wall-wise in the hall, holding tricolours aloft at angles, coached and coached again (Kidney would be proud) as to the proper sequence of banner raising as The Bod walked the gauntlet of this pint-sized welcome.
Just to recap- this man is no flash in the pan, Jedward-Ho and gone again publicity machine monster. This is a man who has dedicated his life to his chosen sport, who has suffered and suffered again in that pursuit, for the glory and honour of club, province and country. Who once led our national team out, in Croke Park, against a dismissive English team, a team that less than two hours later were left licking wounds that all Irish fans still remember and savour.
The reason for Brians visit to the West of Wicklow was simple. Earlier this year, the pupils of 5th and 6th classes in Scoil Naomh Iosaf, Baltinglass, entered the Guinness Book of Records for the Largest Bead Mosaic in the world, a massive piece of artwork that portrayed some of the great and good of contemperory Irish life- Shane Lowry, Kathryn Thomas, Keith Duffy...and Brian O Driscoll and Declan Kidney, in Aras an Uachtarain, With Mary MacAleese and her husband Nicky.
On the weekend of his sisters wedding in Wexford, Brian O Driscoll stopped off on his way to have a chat with the kids who gave him a part of the one award (as The Bod said himself) he would probably never gain for himself.
There was a small lake of Leinster jerseys in the crowd, an odd red top, Arsenal rather than Munster, and a giddy apprehension. The Q and A session was imminent. Yet again, Mr. Kidney would have been proud. The children were row-arranged and warned about messing....
To no avail. About three questions into the session, a chap in blue rucked in with "Brian, were ya gutted when Dublin were robbed at the weekend?"
Cue genuine laughter all round, followed by an equally genuine reply by O Driscoll, as were all his answers; a true conversation with these pre-adolescent admirers. Even to a hardened hack like myself, this was wonderful. The Bod exuded charm, embarrassment, humour and reticence (when asked about his worst injury ever)- (we all know what that was), and made what would have been an amazing experience just in itself an occasion to be fondly remembered.

After almost two hours, we didnt want him to go. I didnt want him to go. As the "official " photographer, I felt (wrongly, of course) that I should have a photo of just himself and my child. After all, had'nt she sat and shouted and roared with me on the couch at every match for the last five years? But every other parent there rightly felt the same way. But even Bod cannot be in all places at all times.

He left the building, followed by the crowd, like some guru on his way to the Ganges. He drove away, gracious to the end, waving and smiling......

Respect to the staff and helpers of Scoil Naomh Iosaf, for making this happen.

And by the way, is it true that the President will be the next to sign the mosaic?
Talk about fighting above your weight.....