My Father, Alan Ruddock

By Daniel Ruddock

Ten years after his dad’s sudden and untimely death on a cricket pitch, Daniel Ruddock remembers a wonderful parent and an exceptional Sunday Independent journalist.

For him, it was probably a pretty decent way to go. He’d just hacked a four with a trademark swipe into the legside, the sun was shining, and he was playing cricket on the same team as all three of his boys. A moment later, he toppled to the ground and was gone.

I was umpiring down the other end, and what started as a stifled laugh at my dad falling over quickly turned into a panicked run to his side. We were in the hills at Rathdrum in Wicklow, and despite the best efforts of some of the other players, when the ambulance eventually turned up, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Myself, Matthew and Cameron were there, which we are all thankful for in some way – mum wasn’t. The most heartbreaking thing about that day, looking back, is thinking about the call she got from a family friend. Or the news being broken to my grandad, who did not deserve to have to bury his son.

My dad, Alan Ruddock, was 49 when he died. It’s 10 years since that day and it’s still seared into the brain, more like a collection of photographs than a feature-length film. Ready and waiting whenever you want to go over it again. The trip into the shop before the game, the fall, the wait for the paramedics, the surreal feeling of following him down the M11 and seeing mum for the first time – it’s all there.

The funeral and the general time after that is a bit more of a blur. It was a mad time; despite being sad, there was that energy and perverse excitement that comes with heightened emotions.

Because of his age and the journalist he was, the funeral was packed. There were people coming from everywhere to tell you how great your dad was. There was the strange moment of walking in a seemingly infinite loop around the small graveyard in Kinneagh, mum shaking hands with all our friends lined up in their school uniforms.

People came back to our house in Carlow afterwards and, not joking, they talked about it for years as one of the great parties. We are a strange nation.

Matt was 20 at the time, I was 18 and Cam 15. The two of us had the Leaving and Junior Cert starting a week after the funeral – he could have timed it better.

My mum was and is the most capable woman I know. Anything you throw at myself or my brothers, she will stand in front of us and smash it back at you. Death was no different.

She took it all on herself; maybe once she broke down in front of me. We were nearly grown-ups, but not quite – we still needed her to be our mum. She’d lost the love of her life, but not even for a second did she falter in front of her kids. We are eternally grateful for that.

There was no bigger flirt in the world than dad with a deadline. In his later years he mostly wrote for this paper, and without fail the alarm went off too early on a Saturday morning, and he wouldn’t be finished until he really had to be.

He always got it done though, and it was always brilliant. Whether it was using a dodgy dongle in France after a couple of pints post a Heineken Cup final, or just in his office at home in Carlow, he wrote better than anyone.

Reading his articles back, he also wrote with such conviction and confidence, and that’s how he was in person as well. Whether he was calling out former taoisigh (which ended up in the High Court in England), inept leadership or the Catholic Church, he didn’t take a backward step, and always held power to account.

He was intensely proud to be Irish and felt it his duty to point out its failings. I can imagine him backing Roy Keane when the former Ireland captain lambasted friends for having fun at Euro 2012, despite the heavy defeats. He didn’t like the plucky underdog, have-a-go Irish spirit; he believed we were better than that.

When we were younger, he smoked Marlboro Reds like they were going out of fashion and, to be fair to him, they were. He gave them up, though, which left any car he drove with a cement-like block of nicotine gum in the ashtray, along with a host of empty Red Bull cans for company in the passenger seat.

He had a short fuse, but only for the small things, like noises; whether it was slamming a door at the wrong time or an empty water bottle rattling around the back seat of the car, it was never long before a world record-equalling sigh and shout.

At 28, my age now, he suffered and recovered from Hodgkin’s disease. The radiotherapy that helped him beat the disease, we found out later, wasn’t helpful for the cardiac arrest that killed him. It was a vaguely experimental treatment in the 1980s, and not as pinpoint as it is now.

That brush with death in his 20s is likely the reason we went on so many frankly ridiculous holidays. It was on one of those trips, when I was about 11, that I sat dad down and told him after a year of supporting Ipswich Town, it wasn’t working out and I was going to go back to Manchester United.

He wasn’t having any of it. He didn’t appreciate any of his kids giving up on anything – once you committed to something, it was only right you followed through. Thanks to him I got to spend lots of my teenage years in tears as Ipswich yet again crashed out in the Championship playoff semi-finals.

Sport was huge between him and his kids. A constant presence at all of our games, whether it was cricket, football, GAA or rugby, he’d be there dressed in a Crocodile Dundee style wide-brimmed hat and full-length trench coat. Always silent on the sidelines, he didn’t try to coach us; well, tried his best not to anyway. He wasn’t a huge fan of Cam’s “tippy-tappy” football, whatever that was.

If you played well, he’d tell you; if you played badly, he’d tell you. You could always depend on his honesty.

We didn’t want for anything; whatever we needed, we got. Usually in mass quantities after he saw some great sale online.

All my best memories of him revolve around sport, whether it was leaving school early to go to a World Cup qualifier at Lansdowne Road, a Heineken Cup final at the Millennium Stadium, or a trip to Manchester for the 2005 Ashes. He backed us to do anything, but equally got out of our way and made us do it ourselves.

I think when your dad dies relatively young, what you really miss is the opportunity to know him as an adult, to become more of a friend as you try to take on the real world. I’m not sure I would have spent seven years being afraid of trying to be a journalist if he was still here.

It’s difficult to process grief ten years on. The default is to remark how quickly time goes, but it’s a long chunk of time. You are, for all intents and purposes, “over it” – but he’s still there somewhere every day.

It can be the moment you realise your daughter will never know one of her grandads, or during the speeches at your brother’s wedding, or when your mum realises she’s lost her wedding ring in the process of trying to move out of your family home.

Grief is always there – and I want it there. Only the odd time, but it’s comforting in some ways to know you still care, that it still hurts.

Daniel Ruddock is news editor of Upday

** This article was first produced in the Sunday Independent and was reproduced here with the permission of the author. **

The 2010s Decade in Review

As the decade comes to an end, it’s interesting to look back at the journey Halverstown Cricket Club has taken over those ten years.

The decade began with Cricket Leinster (or the LCU as it was then) restructuring the league from the traditional Senior, Middle, Intermediate and Junior format into a new system of 13 Divisions with 8-team leagues. At the start of the decade, Halverstown fielded three teams — two league teams (in Division 9 and Division 13) and a Social team.

However, the club soon mirrored the Irish economy of the time. As the decade wore on, two league teams became one, with the club sliding down the divisions. Even the social team felt the bite, with finding 11 players for a fixture becoming increasingly difficult.

That said, the 2010s still brought notable success. In 2011, the 2nd Team won the Division 14 League Title. Then in 2017, after a six-year wait, the club’s only remaining league team captured the Division 13 Title.

As with the league restructure, a new stats system was introduced by Cricket Leinster at the start of the 2011 season. The statistics below are based on this new system:

Halverstown Stats (2011–2019)

• Most Runs: Barry Ashmore – 1,370 Runs
• Highest Individual Score: Mamoon Rashid – 141* vs North Kildare (2016)
• Most Runs in a Season: Sean Dempsey – 574 Runs (2012)
• Top Wicket Taker: Neville Case – 204 Wickets
• Most Wickets in a Season: Stuart Gallagher – 52 Wickets (2012)
• Most Catches: Hubert Beaumont – 58 Catches
• Most Catches in a Season: Hubert Beaumont – 12 Catches (2018 & 2019)
• Most Matches Played: Neville Case – 124 Matches
• Youngest Player: Terrence Case – Age 13
• Oldest Player: Des Drumm – Age 70
• Highest Team Innings: 320/5 vs Wicklow County (2017)

In Memoriam

In 2010, the club said goodbye to a dear friend and teammate, Alan Ruddock, who passed away. Alan was a fantastic captain and is still fondly remembered in the club. Every year we continue to play White City for the Alan Ruddock Trophy in his honour.

Looking Ahead

So what does the 2020s hold for Halverstown?

We’ve seen a resurgence in club membership numbers, reaching levels not seen since the start of the last decade. There is a new vitality about the club, both on and off the pitch. 2020 marks the 135th anniversary of Halverstown Cricket Club — and we plan to celebrate that milestone in style.

It’s been a memorable, sometimes challenging, but ultimately rewarding decade. And with that, we raise our bats to the 2010s and welcome the new era — the Roaring Twenties.

Quiz and Awards Night 2019

On Thursday 24th October, we held our Annual Quiz and Awards Night in O’Connells Pub, Kilcullen. We had our largest ever attendance, with 12 teams taking part in the quiz. Stuart Conroy was Quiz Master again, and this year introduced a Sounds Round and the exciting “Mystery Box”.

It was another very competitive year with only 5 points separating the top 4 teams. However, it was the Threadgold Team that took home the prize.

Awards Presentation

On the awards front, Club President and League Team Captain Hubert Beaumont spoke about the many contenders for the club awards and reflected on an excellent season on the pitch.

The League Team Player of the Year was awarded to Neville Case, who had another fantastic season. Neville has now surpassed 200 wickets in league cricket—a remarkable achievement. This season alone, he took 25 wickets at an average of 13.64. Well done Nev!

Oaks skipper Des Drumm highlighted how the Oaks team has gone from strength to strength this season. With several new players added and an expanded fixture list, there’s great momentum going into 2020.

The Oaks Team Player of the Year went to Brian McAllister, who had a brilliant year—regularly among the wickets and top scoring in the match against Arthur’s Knights.

Thanks and Acknowledgements

A few words of thanks before we finish:

• Thanks to the two skippers, Hubert and Des, for their thoughtful presentations and kind words.
• Special thanks to Noella Beaumont for taking and sharing the photos.
• Thanks to O’Connells for the use of their upstairs room. They’ve been consistent supporters of the club’s events for many years.
• Thanks to Barry Ashmore for running the raffle.
• And a big thanks to Stuart Conroy for his role as Quiz Master and overall organiser of the night—it’s a big fundraiser and takes a lot of effort to run smoothly.

Finally, thank you to everyone who attended and took part in the evening. We look forward to seeing you again in 2020, which promises to be a huge year for the club, both on and off the pitch.

Halverstown 135 Not Out

In the 2020 season Halverstown Cricket Club will be celebrating the 135th season of its existence with a return to Division 12 of the Leinster Cricket League, following their promotion this season.

Founded in 1885, Halverstown is unusual for a rural cricket team in that it has been in continuous existence since its foundation, turning out to play every season. Although it has moved home a few times, it has always been based little more than a stone’s throw from Kilcullen in County Kildare. Its local roots go deep; indeed, earlier this year it was contacted by Lena Curran living in Australia who supplied a photograph of the team from 1919 which her grandfather captained. Responses since by descendants of these players have filled out a number of the names of those who are featured.

Halverstown plays on the grounds of the beautiful Harristown Estate in Brannockstown, now the home of current League team captain Hubert Beaumont and which once belonged to the famed La Touche family. Harristown previously had its own cricket team which played where the team does now and Club Chairman Tim Ronaldson, whose farmlands border those of Harristown, still has his father’s “HCC” cap from those days.

League Success

Today Halverstown has two teams. The League team comfortably won Division 13 in 2017 following an amazing season but was relegated from Division 12, rather unluckily it must be said, in 2018 after losing some of its top players.

Despite relegation, Halverstown had 3 players in the 2018 Division Team of the Season (Richard Greene, Umer Naru and Hubert Beaumont) and in John Threadgold had a bowler who set a new record for wickets taken.

2019 has been a particularly successful season for the team, comfortably taking the runners-up spot and being the only team to defeat the Division Champions, Leinster. There has been a real sense of purpose about them this season with a close-knit group of players who have worked really hard as a team to deservedly win promotion.

Halverstown Oaks – Social and Inclusive Cricket

Halverstown also has a social team, the Halverstown Oaks. The Oaks team has been steadily re-building its player base and expanding its fixture list after a few lean years. The numbers have grown significantly this season, giving captain Des Drumm the confidence to increase the fixture list to cater for the new members and provide games at all levels of ability.

Such is the tremendous enthusiasm of the new recruits that the fixture list will be expanded further in 2020.

Why Halverstown Endures

Halverstown has survived because of its strong local roots and the support of a small number of committed families, such as the Greenes and the Grays. Its long and rich history is part of the club’s identity and one of the reasons the players are so committed to preserving and continuing that legacy.

The club is blessed with an active committee, loyal team members, and a beautiful and historic cricket ground—one that binds generations and fuels a love for the game.

Annual Quiz and Awards Night

Do you know who the first President of Ireland was? Or which country hosted the 1992 Olympics?

Put your trivia knowledge to the test at our Annual Quiz and Awards Night!

📅 Event Details

• Date: Thursday, October 24th
• Time: 8:00 PM sharp
• Venue: O’Connell’s Bar, Kilcullen
• Entry: €40 per team of 4

There will be fantastic prizes on offer, plenty of laughs, and the crowning of this season’s cricketing champions. It’s a night of celebration, competition, and community.

Please do your best to support nights like this. Bring your friends, family, and your sharpest minds!

A Successful Season On and Off the Pitch

When we look back at the 2019 season, it will be with fond memories.

Off the pitch, the club launched a major marketing campaign aimed at attracting new members and raising awareness of Halverstown Cricket Club across South Kildare and West Wicklow. The results have been fantastic — membership is now at its highest since 2011, a year when the club fielded three teams. This growth is only the beginning, and the work will continue into 2020 and beyond.

On the Field

The contributions of League Captain Hubert Beaumont and Oaks Captain Des Drumm cannot be overstated.

Hubert, initially a reluctant leader, threw himself into the captaincy and guided his side to promotion with a game to spare, securing a return to Division 12 next season. In cup competitions, the team reached the Quarter Finals in both the T20 and Minor Cup.

The Oaks continue to play a crucial role at the heart of the club. They offer players a chance to discover or rediscover the joy of cricket, playing across formats including Taverners, Timed, and Innings games. Des has fostered a wonderful team spirit, and with many new players joining the club, the Oaks’ fixture list expanded significantly — and Des assures us there’s even more to come in 2020.

📊 2019 Highlights and Statistics

• Top Individual Score: Ghanim Dara – 116 Not Out vs Pembroke
• Most Runs: Umer Naru – 327 runs (avg. 46.71)
• Honourable Mention: Ghanim Dara – 292 runs (avg. 97.33)
• Most Wickets: Neville Case – 25 wickets (Best in Division 13), Economy 3.67
• Best Bowling Figures: Neville Case & Kevin Threadgold – 4/19 (vs Leinster and Merrion)

🎉 A Thank You to the Whole Club

No season review would be complete without a huge thank you to those who provided the teas each match — truly of the highest standard and a point of pride for the club. Special thanks to Karen, Jeanette, and Kelleyann for their continued support.

Thanks also go to the committee for everything they do behind the scenes: pitch prep, scorecards, social media, fundraising, marketing, and most importantly, organising the entire fixture calendar. The club wouldn’t run without them.

Looking Ahead

In the coming months, we’ll host the club’s second biggest fundraiser and the end-of-season Awards Night, followed by the club AGM.

To borrow from Churchill: “This isn’t the beginning of the end, it’s the end of the beginning.”

See you all in 2020.

The 2019 Halverstown BBQ Tournament!

Sunday, July 14th — the day the cricket world has been waiting for! Yes, it’s the return of the legendary Halverstown BBQ Day!

The event will be played as a Triangular Tournament with three thrilling matches:

• Game 1: 11:00 AM
• Game 2: 1:30 PM
• Final Game: 4:00 PM

BBQ Feast

An all-day BBQ featuring steaks, chicken, burgers, salads, and desserts.

Your ticket includes wine, beer, cider, soft drinks… and top-class cricket (ok, maybe that’s slightly exaggerated).

🎟 Entry Prices

• €20 – Players
• €15 – Students & Spectators
• €10 – Children
• €5 – Little ones

A great family day out in glorious sunshine!

This is our main fundraiser of the year as well as a lovely social occasion — we hope everyone will support it.

🏏 Teams for the Tournament

Green Giants

Neville Case (Capt), Terrence Case, Mark Case, Andy Barber, Vishnu Yannam, Hubert Beaumont, Brian McAllister, Barry Ashmore, Richard Greene, Terry Gayle, Dave Bursey.

White Knights

Kevin Threadgold (Capt), John Threadgold, Stephen Gray, Jennifer Gray, Tim Ronaldson, Danny Plewman, Gerard O’Shea, Alan Mahon, Kevin Abrook, Clive Wardrop, Niall O’Reilly.

Black Aces

Des Drumm (Capt), Cecil Johnstone, Gunter Bayer, Mark Ronaldson, Stuart Hayes, Steve Rix, Jon Kirby, Kevin Hodson, Ryan Hodson, Frank O’Beirne, Deaglan O’Ceallaigh, Paddy Carroll.

📜 BBQ Triangular Tournament 2019 Rules

• Team that loses Game 1 must play Game 2.
• 12 overs per innings — 8 balls per over.
• 6 consecutive overs from each end, batsmen switch ends after each over (except after the 6th).
• Wicketkeeper may only be changed after 6 overs.
• Wides/No balls: 2-run penalty and not re-bowled — except in the final over (1 run + re-bowl).
• Batsmen retire at 15 runs. Retirees can return (once only) in order of retiring if the team is all out, to a max of 15 more runs.
• 4 bowlers may bowl 2 overs each; others a max of 1 over.
• LBW applies, but each batsman receives one warning.
• Batting order must be reversed for second game.
• Winner: Most wins. Tie = half a win.
• If wins are equal, team with best run difference (runs for – runs against) wins.
• If chasing team wins with overs remaining, 1 extra run per unbowled ball will be added to their total.

Umpires, please read and be familiar with the above rules!

Halverstown Trying to Avoid a Gorey Finish

Last weekend, Leinster—the league leaders—took a huge step towards lifting the league title, beating Gorey by 7 wickets. At the same time, Halverstown secured a thrilling 4-wicket win over Pembroke in a high-scoring encounter at Sydney Parade.

The defeat to Leinster put the final nail in the coffin for Gorey’s title hopes. For Halverstown, though, this weekend’s match is critical. A win with bonus points will close the gap on Leinster, with the two teams set to meet head-to-head in just two weeks.

Looking Back: Last Time We Met

Earlier in the season, when the sides met at Brannockstown, Halverstown emerged victorious by 25 runs in a closely contested match. A solid start from Ashmore, Wardrop, and a half-century from Greene helped post a competitive total of 185.

In reply, Gorey were held to 160/7—with bowlers Neville Case and Umer Naru each taking two wickets. Ross Norman top scored for Gorey with a fine 62 not out, but it wasn’t enough to chase the target.

This Week’s Clash

Venue: Courtown
Start Time: 12:30 PM, Sunday
Forecast: Around 16°C with some showers expected, but a full game is hoped for.

Meanwhile in Brannockstown: The Leprechauns Return

Also taking place on Sunday is a special fixture in Brannockstown as the Leprechauns return to play the Halverstown Oaks. It’s always a pleasure to welcome this storied side to our ground.

Last year’s game ended in a draw, and this year’s match will once again be a timed game, a refreshing twist compared to traditional Taverners matches.

Start Time: 1:00 PM, Brannockstown
All are welcome to come enjoy a great afternoon of cricket and camaraderie.

Halverstown Clean Sweep!

They always say you should never get too low when things don’t go well, so we shouldn’t get overly excited about the three wins from three games last weekend—but it’s hard not to celebrate a perfect sweep!

T20 Skipper Barry Ashmore did a fantastic job leading the side to back-to-back wins against Ashbourne and Merrion. This was then followed by a League victory away to North County.

When looking at individual performances across the weekend, several standouts emerge:

• Umer Naru’s 5-wicket haul against Merrion secured our progression to the next T20 round.
• John Threadgold’s 3 wickets against Ashbourne choked their attack before it could build momentum.
• Kevin Hodson’s 4 wickets on Sunday were key in clinching the League win against North County.

But more than anything, it was a complete team performance. Every player contributed to what was a memorable and successful weekend of cricket in Halverstown colours.

Next Up: Merrion Return to Brannockstown

This weekend sees Merrion return to Brannockstown, this time for a League clash. If last week is anything to go by, this should be another tight contest—these matchups are traditionally close-fought battles.

Don’t be fooled by the current league standings: it may look like a 6th vs 7th match-up on paper, but with games in hand and a couple of strong results, promotion—and even a title charge—is very much in reach.

Play at Brannockstown begins at 1:00 PM. The forecast calls for some showers, but we’re hopeful for a full day’s play.

Sunday Spotlight: The Halverstown Oaks

On Sunday, the Halverstown Oaks host Carlow CC at home. This promises to be another exciting fixture, with play scheduled for 1:00 PM.

Come along and support both teams as we build on last weekend’s momentum!