Rugby in Munster – A Social and Cultural History by Liam O’Callaghan

There are no tickets available for next Saturday’s Heineken Cup game between Munster and Castres at Thomond Park. This is the norm for the Heineken Cup. It has been so since Munster’s first run to the final in the 1999/2000 season, but it was not always like that. The season before the May 2000 final, […]

Don’t train alone – if you can avoid it

If I had not made a commitment to be at Bric’s at 9.30am, I would have gone back to bed once I looked out the window at 8.30am. The great thing about making arrangements to cycle, or train with someone else is that once you make a commitment, you are no longer answerable to just yourself, so you have to keep your promise.

UCC Physical Education Department and Chengdu Sports University in China

For a small island, with a relatively small population, we make a terrible fuss about managing our affairs. We make an incredible ballyhoo over every issue; no matter how small that issue is in the greater scheme of things. In Ireland there are usually three parties involved in an argument or an issue of public […]

The GAA’s Congress 2011

The GAA’s National Congress was held in Mullingar last weekend. Judging from the reports that that were on the papers, it seems to have been a good congress. The only complaint I have is that it is difficult to find out what happened to all 49 motions on the agenda. Monday’s papers only gave information […]

Ireland are debarred from the 2015 Cricket World Cup

We should not be too surprised by the decision of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to deny Ireland and 94 other countries the opportunity to play in the 2015 World Cricket Cup One-day. After all it is now common practice for world governing bodies to make seemingly bizarre decisions. It is only a few month […]

Some Thoughts on the 2011 National Football and Hurling leagues

There are two the comments about the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues that get under my skin. When I hear “the leagues should begin in October like they always did” I automatically raise my eyes to heaven.  The second comment that makes me groan usually comes from inter-county coaches or players when they are pawning […]