Cork 0 – 17 Tipperary 0 – 18. A few thoughts on last nights Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship game between Cork and Tipperary.

For most of the game Cork looked as if they could hold Tipperary at arms length. The longer the game went on however, the stronger Tipperary became. I think that the individual hurling skill of the Tipperary players was a major contributor to this.

The Dublin Football Team and the Art of Physical Preparation

I watched Dublin and Laois playing in the Leinster Senior Football Championship last Sunday. It was a non-event. As they say in West Cork, “Louth could hardly keep the ball kicked out to Dublin.” In fact, the only real point of interest in the game was enormous gap between the physical condition of Dublin and […]

Will the crowds ever come back to the Cork County Hurling Championships

Last Sunday’s attendance was paltry. A little more than 2,500 I would suggest. This made for a surreal atmosphere. There was never going to be the sight of a Glen and a Barrs supporter rolling on the ground like they used to during the Eucharistic Cup games at the Mardyke. But then the crowd last Sunday did not spend the interregnum between the end of the Eucharistic Procession and the beginning of the game at the Mardyke in various hostelries between the Grand Parade and the Western Road.

Green is the Colour – An RTE Documentary on the History of Soccer in Ireland

I was fearful that the storyline might get the Sky Sports treatment; everything is brilliant, it always has been and it is only going to get much better. What I saw was a very insightful account, warts and all, of the formative years of Irish soccer.

Minor upsets don’t always lead to major misfortunes

There is a looming crisis for the GAA in all urban areas, and Cork city is no exception this. The lack of city based players is most likely accounted for by the falling standards urban GAA competition, and the failures of urban schools in the Harty Cup schools competition, rather than any perceived bias on behalf of the Cork selectors.

Why Cork Senior Hurling Clubs struggle to win the All-Ireland Club title

I decided to ignore the feast of Rugby on RTE2 last Saturday and watch the All-Ireland Senior Club hurling and footballs finals on TG4 instead. Boy! Did I make the right choice. The All-Ireland club finals were probably the best games on television over the weekend. Oftentimes it is hard to watch a football game […]

Tennis: My Game of Gladiators and Daydreams

I very much doubt that I was the only boy who ever dreamed of scoring the winning goals in All-Ireland finals, F.A. Cup finals and for good measure, the winning try in a triple crown decider. Of course I never imagined I would do all this Gaisce on the one weekend. No, my dreams followed […]

The Finish of the NFL (American) and the Beginning of the NFL (Irish)

Last weekend one NFL (The American version) season ended, and another NFL season (the GAA version) begun. This is a nice symmetry if you are a fan of both codes, like I am. When the GAA’s NFL finishes next April, the championship will begin and the All-Ireland final will be played on week three of the next NFL (American) season. Just as in nature, the seasons of football roll gently into each other.

There are far more important thing in life and sport than a handshake between Suarez and Evra. Ask Tommy Smith or the family of Robert Enke

There is something very strange when two individuals, whose main claim to fame is that they can hurl insults at each other, receive more attention than important historical moments.

The Downside of the Hurling Helmet

You have two options when it comes to getting back to Cork from Limerick after a Heineken Cup tie. You can make a mad dash for the car and hope to beat the traffic, or you can take your time, have a sandwich and drink, let the traffic clear and then mosey on home. Option […]