Long ago in the GAA, there were just three grades for club teams - Senior, Junior and Minor - and none of these were age groups.

For example, the Minor Grade was not just for players under the age of 18 (or 17 as it now is) - no, it was simply the Third Grade for clubs here in Cork.

Then things changed in the 1920s when Minor meant the grade for players who were not over 18.

I heard several old-timers say that it took a few years before this idea came to be fully accepted - only playing lads under 18 on Minor teams.

I knew of many players who played on Minor hurling and football teams when they were 19 and even 20! Ah yes, back then it was a case of ‘What’s another year?’ - long before the great Johnny Logan sang those words.

Well, that song title is running around inside my head this past week - one year after we stopped milk production here on the farm. A year exactly since the cows went away for the last time.

So many people have asked me, ‘Well, are you sorry you made the decision?’ and ‘Do you miss the cows?’

In truth, it varies from day to day, season to season. On balance, I have no nagging or upsetting regrets.

That beautiful Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes about time and seasons includes the line: “There is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” It’s a compact message about life, death, taking, giving, war and peace, and every aspect of the human existence, and it gives me great solace.

You know when I miss the cows most? Well, I’ll tell ye. You know a beautiful summer’s evening in June or July when there’s light in the sky ’til nearly eleven o’clock at night? After coming back from a match or a meeting somewhere, I’d........

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