“Goalscorers like Griffin are few and far between” Evening Echo, Thursday, May 9, 2013 by Barry O’Donovan

Nowhere is it quite such an end of an era as in Clonakilty, who're without Padraigh Griffin for the first time in over 20 championship campaigns (they did begin the season without him in 2010 but he was back in the team by summer).

Nobody terrorised defences around so often or so completely or for so long in a pretty remarkable career of scoregetting in senior championship. Just as say, Ballincollig had Podsie O'Mahony and Nemo Rangers had Martin Cronin for such long spells that you couldn't imagine either club without that player, it seems an age now since anybody played Clon in championship without having to face Griffin in at number 15.

You'll remember him by the trail of goals of course (and importantly, not just the goals scored, but the goals created by sensing an opening and having the skills and the gumption to go for it). The goal in a county final defeat by Castlehaven in 2003. The goal assist in the final win over the Barrs in 2009. A last-minute winner over Naomh Aban in 2004. A couple of famous goals in Bandon stand out though.

(1) In 2004, Clon were losing fairly comfortably to Nemo and the game was petering out when a long ball found Griffin - being double marked as was normal for the time · going away from the right of the goal about 25 yards out. He smacked a shot back across the goal into the far bottom corner before the goalkeeper must have even thought about setting his position to make a save. Clon steamed on to win.

(2) 1996 county semi-final against the Barrs and Clon were a point and a man down near the end of injury- time. An Eoin O'Mahony 45 dropped short and fell to Griffin running across the goalmouth. Now, there's a school of thought that the ball ought to have been popped over the bar to level the game but I think most forwards would have gone for goal right there.

When the first shot was blocked though, the ball rebounded back to Griffin and here's where plenty may have just taken the handy point. Griffin leathered it into the roof of the net and Clon went on to the final and a first county title since the early fifties.

And you know, away from the easily remembered moments there were just so many long-forgotten first or second round games that were lit up by goals and scores and little sparks of genius. Times where he'd get the ball near the opposition goal and the Clon crowd could just sense that there was something about to happen and more often than not, it did.

My own favourite Griffin moment came in a sevens tournament game in Clon back round 1997/98 where he scored a George Best kind of goal by basically dummying about four defenders and the keeper with the same trick before tapping to an empty net. It might sound corny but players from the opposition actually clapped the goal."

Clonakilty Friday Market is held every Friday from 9am-2pm in Clonakilty, County Cork. An amazing range of locally grown organic produce, hot food, baking, plants and crafts are available. Contact Person: Gerard Kelleher,  Phone Number: 0876775600