Galway Advertiser 2005/2005_04_28/GA_2804_E1_038.pdf 

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OLD GALWAY

Galway Advertiser

April 28 2005

Remembering the Rosebowl
Do you remember the Rosebowl? It was a magnificent trophy on a large and interesting plinth which was donated by New York Gaels to help promote hurling in Galway. It seems to have been played for by senior teams initially, but for many years, it was the ultimate prize in an under-16 tournament played between city schools St Mary's, the technical school on Father Griffin Road, The Jes, The Bish, and St Enda's. Competition was very keen, but it was mostly `Mary's' or `the tech' who won out, probably because they had more `country' players than the other schools. Our team photograph today was originally taken by Eddie Gibson, and shows the Mary's Rosebowl team of 1953/54. They are, back row, (l-r): Seamus Fallon, Turloughmore; Pat Conneely, Athenry; Vincent Costelloe; Austin Costelloe, Skehana ; P.J.Gillespie ;----------; ------------; Murt Heneghan. Front row (l-r): Paddy Fahy, Craughwell; Colm Muldoon, Kinvara; Vincent Costelloe, Kilcolgan ;Padraic Egan, Casla ; Leo Gardiner, Athenry; Senan O'Connor, Salthill; Malachy Hallinan (who is now a canon). Note the number of caps. This team played in a very tough physical encounter against the tech, which the referee decided to finish a little early in the interest of the health of the participants. As a result St Mary's withdrew from the competition, and St Enda's followed suit, and neither played in it for some time. Does anyone know where the Rosebowl is now? It seems that it has not been played for some time. It is a shame that a trophy like that should be idle, especially when underage hurling is so strong in the city, spearheaded by clubs like Liam Mellows, St Michael's and Salthill. St Mary's go into action on Monday next, this time in Thurles in the All-Ireland schools senior football final when they play Knockbeg from Carlow. The throw-in is at 1.30pm, and we wish Mary's the best of luck in adding to their list of All Irelands. Their game will be followed by the colleges hurling final between St Flannan's of Ennis and St Kieran's of Kilkenny, and later again by the league final between Clare and Kilkenny. It is a shame that such a programme is not played in Croke Park. We have a request from Professor Rionach Ui Ogain of the Folklore department of UCD, who is working on a book on the music collector, Seamus Ennis. She is looking for a photograph of a box-player named Pat Mullins who lived in St Monica's in Salthill in the 1940s. Can anybody help?

A letter from Marshal Zhukov
The image of a Russian soldier hoisting a Soviet flag over the Reichstag building while Berlin lies in ruins below is probably the best known picture of World War II. It was taken on May 2 1945 by Yevgeny Khaldei, one of the greatest war photographers of all time. While still in his 20s, a representative of Tass news agency, Khaldei followed the advance of the Red Army from Murmansk right into Europe, recording the liberation of Bucharest, Belgrade, Vienna, and the annihilation of Berlin with fresh and powerful pictures that dominated Soviet newspapers, but which only reached western newspapers infrequently. Western war correspondents, however, knew of Khaldei, and regarded his work with a reverence not generally known among this hard drinking, hard living, corps of largely cynical men and women who had seen the worst man can do to his fellow man. But the Battle for Berlin, April 16 to May 2, 60 years ago this week, was an awesome event even in a war that had seen horrors undreamed of in the history of man. It was the most terrifying example of fire and sword ever known. On top of its panicstricken population the city was jammed with refugees, streaming in from Prussia, Pomeraria and Silesia ahead of the advancing Red Army who simply crushed them under their

GALWAY DIARY
tracks if they blocked up the roads. Hitler refused to evacuate anyone from Berlin. He insisted his soldiers, mainly weary men from his scattered armies, boy troops, and old men, had to fight to the last. Hundreds and thousands of women and children desperately sought shelter as heavy Soviet artillery blasted buildings to shreds. Red Army tanks rolled through the ruins and into the squares. As well as Nazi fanatics running among the people, hanging those they perceived to be surrendering or hiding from the battle, the Soviet soldiers unleashed their revenge for Nazi cruelty in their homeland, by indulging in mass rape. Into this hell on earth Stalin urged his generals, under the overall command of the fearless Marshal Zhukov, to even further excesses. He wanted Berlin as a prize for May 1, an important date in the Communist calendar. Wave after wave of Soviet soldiers swarmed over the ruins (

RONNIE O'GORMAN
rogorman@galwayadvertiser.ie
304,887 Soviets were either killed or injured in this battle alone). In the thick of the advance was Khaldei, clicking away and running for cover, when the Reichstag, the symbol of Nazi power, loomed into view. Just before the assault on Berlin Khaldei had flown back to Moscow and asked his friend, a tailor, Israel Solomonovich, to make up a large Soviet flag. It was made out of a stolen red table cloth. On the morning of May 2, even when there was still firing coming from the Reichstag's basement, Khaldei ran with two soldiers up the great stairs and on to the roof. As one soldier held the feet of the other, the flag was raised in bitter triumph, but one that sent a powerful message to the world. Khaldei never enjoyed the fruits of his amazing talent. He was a Jew, whose entire family had been shot and dumped down a mine shaft when his native town, Stalino, had been overrun by the Nazis. Yet shortly after the war Stalin purged the Jews from all official posts, and Khaldei was fired from Tass. He never really worked again. Western correspondents tried to contact him from time to time, but he always waved them away. He was on constant surveillance from the Secret Police.

`Uncle Adolf'
The controversial film, Downfall (Der Untergang) was shown in Galway recently. It is the first attempt by a German director (Oliver Hirschbiegel) to portray Hitler as he really was. The film is based on the autobiography of Hitler's secretary
Berlin May 2 1945, Khaledi's iconic image of a defeated Germany.

Traudl Junge, published shortly before she died in 2002, and concentrates on Hitler's last days in his bunker under the Reichschancellery as the battle raged over head with all its horrors. Vast amounts of alcohol is consumed, and at times his aides break out to the surface for wild parties before Marshal Gregory Zhukov at his dacha admiring being driven Khaledi's famous picture of Berlin May 2 1945. It was underground again the last portrait of Zhukov. as the Soviet artillery comes closer. All this is done behind materialised, and Zhukov was exiled Hitler's back while he visibly to the provinces, and then allowed deteriorates into a pathetic and back to remain virtually under house grotesque old man, alternating arrest at his dacha. Apart from a brief between screaming fits of fury at period as defence minister under how his generals have let him down, Khrushchev (he was dismissed and how he is indifferent to the the having been accused of putting army suffering of the people, to amusing the interests before Communist party six Goebbels children who seemed to interests), he remained in domestic have enjoyed the novelty of life in the exile until May 9 1965, the 20th bunker. They charmingly sing for anniversary of the German surrender their ` Uncle Adolf'. He spoils them to him at Karlshorst. A great banquet with cakes and sandwiches. Hitler was held at the Kremlin. All the and his wife Eva commit suicide on guests, including ministers, marshals, April 30, but not before the children's generals, and ambassadors rose to mother, Magda Goebbels, bursts into their feet when Leonid Brezhnev their private apartments, and begs entered at the head of his retinue. At Hitler to leave Berlin. Magda turns the back Zhukov appeared. At the last out to be a real sweetheart. She moment Brezhnev invited him. He calmly poisons her own children must have regretted it. As soon as before her husband shoots her, and Zhukov appeared the palace erupted then blows his brains out. with applause and cheering. Chants of But perhaps people today are not Zhukov! Zhukov! Zhukov! were very interested in this period of accompanied by thumping on the European history. There was only table. Brezhnev was stony-faced. nine other people in the audience Out of the blue, in November 1972, when I saw the film. Khaldei received a letter from Zhukov inviting him to his dacha, and to bring his war time pictures. Khaldei didn't Sent into exile care if all the secret police in Moscow were following him; an invitation from Khaldei was not the only one to fall Zhukov was a royal command. They from Stalin's favour immediately after spent a warm and happy afternoon the war. Stalin turned his jealous eyes together, going through the on Marshal G K Zhukov, his brilliant photographs and reliving old times. chief of staff, who never lost a battle Khaldei took a last portrait of the old from Stalingrad to Berlin. He was a marshal. He died in 1974 aged 78 soldier's soldier, and adored by his years. army. Some trumped charge soon