The Flanery family at the Ring of Kerry/Skellig Islands.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
Once again, it is football season, where fans pack the stadium to cheer on their favorite team. But fans seldom travel as far as the Flanery family did when they flew to Dublin, Ireland, to watch the Iowa State Cyclones play the Kansas State Wildcats on Aug. 23. Both teams entered the game ranked among the top 25 in the country, so a great battle was expected.
And that is exactly what Ireland and the Flanery family saw, as the Cyclones battled rain and a slippery field to outlast the Wildcats for a 24-21 victory.
Dennis Flanery of Guthrie Center explained the reasoning behind the trip.
“My wife and I, our daughter and her husband had previously been to Ireland,” Flanery said. “It was the first time for my two sons. The ISU game was the initial reason for the visit. We had no travel issues; it was a smooth trip.”
In scheduling a trip of that distance, the family wisely chose to take in more than just a football game.
“The six of us traveled around Ireland the week before the game. It was Diane and I; our daughter, Erin, and her husband, Nate; my two sons, Ryan and Sean,” Flanery said. “My sister, Maria, and her husband, Jeff, met us in Dublin and attended the game with us.”
Flanery said the people and beauty of Ireland were memorable.
“The beautiful countryside and coastlines. The traditional Irish pubs and music. The great weather and friendly people,” Flanery said. “We hired a driver one day around the Ring of Kerry. She provided us a lot of information about the area and day-to-day life in Ireland.”
Several other items came to mind when Flanery thought back to highlights of the trip.
“All the Cyclone fans, great fresh fish, the Guiness, and the Cyclone victory,” he said.