Joseph MacNamara

 

Joe Mac

Sunday 17th of September marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of Joseph MacNamara, father of Irish carrom and the man who single-handedly brought craic to the boards. 

Born in Belfast to humble shoemakers, Joe spent his formative years putting segs on brogues before leaving his native land for two years in Mumbai and then going back up the road. 

It was in Mumbai that Joe discovered carrom and became known among the players there as The Irishman. 

Oft seen at the side of a board there, observing and learning, occasionally weilding a bodhran, Joe became a fixture in the Mumbai carrom sub-culture. And proved himself a player. His finger skills on the penny-whistle lent him a deftness and confidence at the board which led some Indian players to give up the game and try golf.

On his return to Ireland in 1978, he was arrested by the RUC and charged with sedition, treason, Papism and murals. Joe spent a year in Long Kesh before being freed by the tireless work of Emma Thompson. On release, he devoted himself to carrom and segs. Throughout the 80's and 90's, Joe MacNamara travelled to the four corners of Eire, bringing the word of the board to the hopeless and demented. 

Irish travellers began building boards out of plywood, tin, jam and dogs. Soon, though, in a twisted turn, there would be a culture of carrom "call-out" videos online where mental people challenged other mentalists to a board whilst wearing balaclavas and being barely intelligible..

Still, in 2012, Joe was invited to the Vatican. For a set. 

He humped the Pope 25-4 after four boards.

And on this anniversary of his passing, tributes have poured in:

Bono "That man could rebound"

Dara O'Brian "I was there at that game against the Pope. Yer man was unflappable" 

Liam Neeson "Legend, Sorely missed."

Paul McCole "If it wisny for Joe, I'd probably never got intae carrom. Aye, naw, definitely."