A Brief History of Donegal
As we head towards next Sunday’s All-Ireland football final it struck me that very little is known in this part of the country about Donegal, and Donegal football. Cork people have strong opinions about other counties. In most conversations concerning the inter-county affairs of the GAA it is quite normal to hear phrases like “That’s […]
Mayo’s All-Ireland semi-final win was due to Dublin’s loss of Mickey Whelan
I got a text message not long before half time of last Sunday’s All-Ireland football semi-final between Dublin and Mayo. “Mayo bossing it big time” the message read. The Mayo team were bossing it – at that stage of the game. I thought about my answer for a few seconds before replying, “Dublin are really […]
John Gildea A Tribute
John Gildea RIP I was deeply upset to hear of the death of John Gildea of St Finbarrs Hurling and Football Club last week. I first met John in 1995 when I was coach to the Cork City under-16 football team. John was one of several players on the panel from the St Finbarrs Club. […]
Lance Armstrong (Part 1) Written in August 2012
It came as no surprise to me that cyclist Lance Armstrong has decided not to contest the charges of using performance-enhancing drugs that were made against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Like many other sports fans, I watched in awe as he accumulated his seven Tour de France victories. “This is the stuff of […]
Tipperary made it difficult for the referee and even more difficult for themselves
I learned a long time ago that as a coach or a selector, you must have a Plan B, and even a Plan C, to help cope with the unexpected things that happen during the course of a game. In 1989, when I was coaching Glen Rovers against Midleton in an under-21 county hurling semi-final, […]
Will Glasgow Rangers be out of their depth in the lower leagues?
I only know on genuine Glasgow Celtic fan. Having made that statement I think I better explain that I am using the word “genuine” as defined by former Cork City FC manager Pat Dolan. It used to irk him when he heard somebody claim to be a fan of Liverpool or Manchester United. “Are you […]
What I learned from Ciarán Ó Lionaird run last night and what I hope it means for Rob Heffernan
This is why I am very hopeful for Robert Heffernan tonight. If confidence and experience count for anything, his obvious class should see him take an Olympic medal.
Fulfilling my Olympic promise
Nothing – not Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium with the roof closed, not Croke Park not even the new Yankee Stadium – can compare with the enormous complex that is Olympic Park. It is huge.
Referees should take charge of games
The story goes that one day when Christy Ring was playing for Glen Rovers he challenged for a ball with a defender. The ball passed cleanly between the two players and continued in towards the Glen Rovers full forward line. Con Murphy was refereeing the game and he immediately blew for foul against Ring.
Ever wonder what it is like to be a coach with a GAA Development Squad?
That growing phase is remarkable. We said farewell to the faces we had become familiar with in November. When we met again in mid-February they looked completely different. In November the average height was about 5ft-4in and I’d say the average shoe size was about size five. In mid February the average height was about 5ft-8in and the shoe size was nearer size 8…