Incredible scenes. Paul O’Donovan and his double-sculls partner Fintan McCarthy have won the Olympic Gold medal. An absolutely outstanding achievement, and one that has caused a wonderful reaction from rowing and Irish fans everywhere. However, who else could appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that goes into winning such an enormous feat, better than those […]

4 years ago

“Those four or five players have phenomenal, phenomenal, fitness levels.” Mayo are in yet another All-Ireland semi-final, a truly astonishing achievement given the turnover of players in recent years. In fact, only three players from the 2017 All-Ireland final, were starting for the Mayo side that lined out against Galway. To keep this level of […]

4 years ago

“You end up giving a lot of it away.” Let’s face it, for those on the outside looking in, the free gear is probably embarrassingly high up in our list of priorities when it comes to wanting to represent our county.  We see them on TV, hopping off the bus in the latest quarter zips […]

4 years ago

All young boxers grow up wanting to be Mike Tyson, but this is taking it a bit far. Inevitably this is gong to draw the obvious comparisons to Mike Tyson, who famously bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during their world title bout. However, unlike Tyson, Youness Baalla does not have the skill, […]

4 years ago

“He is playing like a man with a chip on his shoulder.” It must be difficult to be the brother of a superstar like David Clifford, not least when you’re actually the older brother, but are only coming into the starting team now, two years later than your younger sibling. From the beginning of the […]

4 years ago

“The better man won.” Since representing Ireland at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the amateur boxing world was at Brendan Irvine’s feet. It seemed that it was just a matter of making a decision between going pro or entering the cycle for another Olympics. Ultimately, he chose the latter, but suffered a brutal two years of […]

4 years ago

“He’s out of hospital and has started his recovery already” Kerry player, Sean O’Leary, was seriously injured in a car crash a fortnight ago, close to Abbeyfeale in Limerick. The Kilcummin player is on the mend however, and with the assistance of a wheelchair, he was able to join in on the celebrations, as The Kingdom […]

4 years ago

Tempers boiled over in the tunnel Galway were the much happier side going in at half-time 2-06 to 0-6 in the Connacht final, with Shane Walsh running the show from the forward line. When the whistle went at the end of the first half however, tempers began to flair and a ruckus broke out between […]

4 years ago

“The heart has gone out of Gaelic football.” Jim McGuinness is a very calculated, measured and determined man. He believes in diligent planning, relentless hard work, and is a huge advocate in the psychology of sports. His Donegal side from 2011 to 2014, revolutionised the game. He took the Donegal “party boys” as they were […]

4 years ago

“He’s been an absolute legend of a player.” It will be a bittersweet accolade for Galway’s Joe Canning as his side crash out of the championship following a tight game to Waterford that saw them lose by a four points. Waterford were 16 points up at one stage, but Galway rallied together and although the […]

4 years ago

They were “disgusted by the offensive comments.” The British & Irish Lions reacted angrily to a comment that former Ireland international Neil Francis has made, regarding the colour of Marcus Smith’s skin. The former forward is a columnist for the Irish Independent, and when speaking on the Left Wing Podcast, he said Smith had a: “David Beckham haircut […]

4 years ago

They were the only country to do it. Irish fans didn’t have to wait too long to see their athletes on display as Ireland were one of the first countries to walk out during the opening ceremony. Boxers Kellie Harrington and Brendan Irvine lead Team Ireland out, proudly waving the national flag, a moment which […]

4 years ago

“You need to save the energy because there will be plenty of running to come.” Right sock on before left, spray a full tin of Deep Heat, do 10 toe-taps with each foot – every player has a different ritual before a big game. It’s no different when you get to Croke Park, whether you […]

4 years ago

“It’s more than just this team, it’s teams that have gone by that maybe didn’t get over the line – this is for them.” Offaly win their first title at this grade since 1995, beating Dublin 0-15 to 3-3, in a thrilling game to claim the Leinster title. After an even first half, Offaly kept […]

4 years ago

“If they don’t get to an Ulster final, you might be thinking it’s time to give someone else a turn.” Kieran McGeeney has accomplished so much with Armagh as a player, leading them to their only All-Ireland title in 2002 and multiple Ulster titles. As a manager he has had success as well, taking them […]

4 years ago

Give the man ‘Manager of the Year’ already! Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, has had an unbelievable season. He turned the Blue’s fortunes around by securing their top four finish, and adding only their second ever Champions League to the trophy cabinet. He’s charismatic, he’s cool, he’s passionate, and now… he’s a hurler. The Chelsea team […]

4 years ago

What’s on the tube this week? After the thrilling intensity of GAA last weekend, you could nearly do with a break just regroup, catch your breath and take it all in. The GAA waits for no one however, so brush yourselves off and get ready for another action-packed weekend, including some mouthwatering match-ups in hurling […]

4 years ago

Joshua v Usyk Now this is a fight! Oleksandr Usyk has already cleaned up at Cruiserweight, unifying the entire division, collecting every belt, before moving up to Heavyweight. Now he has the chance to unify the ‘big boys’ weight category as he takes on Anthony Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday […]

4 years ago

What a weekend of football! The sun was out in full force, but it was the stars of the championship who ended up shining the brightest. Jack McCarron, had a freakish first half for Monaghan against Armagh, playing a direct part in three of their goals and scoring the other, he seemed unplayable at times. […]

4 years ago

“James indicated that he wanted to take some time out from the Kerry set-up.” James O’Donoghue made the decision last weekend to step away from the Kerry senior panel, before their Munster final with Cork. The 2014 Footballer of the Year, has yet to make Peter Keane’s 26-man squad this season and hasn’t featured for […]

4 years ago

No player has made more appearances for Donegal than the forever present, Neil McGee. The Gaoth Dobhair man has competed for his county for 16 years, making his debut way back in 2005, and cementing his reputation as one of hardest, toughest and powerful full-backs in the game. He was vital to their All-Ireland success […]

4 years ago

“They’re maybe scratching their head going ‘where do we play this lad?’ Last season Tyrone were gifted the surprise return of Conor McKenna as he left his professional career in Australia to represent his home county in Ulster. To say he hit the ground running would be an understatement as he tore Mayo apart, and […]

4 years ago

“Dublin obviously fell way off their standards.” It looked like business as usual when Dublin mounted an 11-point lead going into half time against Meath at Croke Park. Everyone just expected them to kick on and completely kill the game off in another bore-fest, that only further highlights the gulf in class between the Dubs […]

4 years ago

“It was definitely the proudest moment of my life to date.” Picture this – you’re 18, it’s summer, you’ve just finished your A-levels, you’re captain of your county minor team, and you just led them to their first All-Ireland title in nearly 20 years – cloud nine isn’t high enough. Well, this is currently the […]

4 years ago

He knew what he’d done straight away. Tyrone finally got over the line against their old rivals Donegal, in a thrilling tie that finished Tyrone 0-23 Donegal 1-14. Michael Murphy missed a penalty and then got sent off after receiving a yellow and a black card in succession. Darren McCurry kept his fantastic form flowing, […]

4 years ago

Armagh 2-21  4-17 Monaghan In a game that resembled the scoreline more commonly found in hurling, Monaghan just nicked it ahead of Armagh to secure their spot in the Ulster Championship final. It’s been an extremely trying to for The Farney county as they suffered two devastating losses in their community in the past week. […]

4 years ago

The Monaghan Harps player tragically lost his life in a car accident. The Farney face Armagh in the Ulster Championship semi-final, but took the time beforehand to give a moments round of applause, in memory of the the 19-year-old. Brendán Óg Duffy was on his way back from captaining the Monaghan u20 side in their […]

4 years ago

Monaghan GAA is grieving after the tragic passing of their Under-20s captain Brendán Óg Duffy. Óg Duffy, 19, was killed in a car crash on his way home from his team’s Ulster FC semi-final against Donegal. Two cars collided on the N2 near Tullybuck, Clontibret, at around 11.30pm. His club Monaghan Harps tweeted: “Our club […]

4 years ago

This will be a special night. You can just picture it, 51,700 spectators crammed into Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, the flood lights on and two of the finest teams in Europe playing on Irish soil. The Irish capital will be hosting the 2024 Europa League final after the four Euro 2020 games that were set to […]

4 years ago

“Yes he’s starting, he’s fit, he’s healthy and been training well all week, etc etc.” It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, put out to the media that your injured talisman is starting to try and throw your opponent off when it comes to their preparation. Last week Michael Murphy was down to […]

4 years ago

“I am inevitable.” Although no official statement has been released, undefeated Irish prospect Ian Garry has been added to the official UFC rankings pool in the 170lbs division. Garry has been knocking on the door for a while now, and couldn’t be ignored any longer when he became Cage Warriors welterweight champion last month. The […]

4 years ago

“It will be something that I will never forget.” The 2020 Derry Minors team have been one of the hardest-hit groups in GAA by COVID-19. Not least because it’s currently 2021 and they’re still finishing last year’s campaign, but it has made this group even stronger as they head into an All-Ireland final against Kerry […]

4 years ago

“Even Pat Spillane was bouncing about, I thought someone had put a shot into him.” Derry and Donegal no doubt ignited the spark of the championship last weekend with a tight thriller that you couldn’t keep your eyes off. All the talk among pundits is how football has changed – it’s more attacking, they kick […]

4 years ago

“It was like a fashion parade of who had the nicest jersey from another county.” Before there was fifty different types of training tops, jumpers, quarter-zips, jackets and rain coats, the mark of a county player was actually showing up to training wearing another county’s jersey. After a game it was custom to swap tops […]

4 years ago

Is it the weekend yet? The championship finally sparked into life last weekend with Derry and Donegal’s nail-biting match, and it’s all set up to be even juicier this weekend. Armagh take on Monaghan in a game so close to call you couldn’t bet on it, and if it’s even possible, Tyrone and Donegal’s Ulster […]

4 years ago

“I put on about a stone and a half” Derry minors played Tyrone minors in the recent Ulster semi-final, with the Oak Leafers coming out on top, nearly a year on since the game was originally postponed due to COVID. However, the main talking point on social media after the match was a photo of […]

4 years ago

“I’m Marcus Rashford, 23 years old, black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester.” After Marcus Rashford missed his penalty against Italy in the Euros final he was subjected to horrid racial abuse online. The fake football fans took things further when they defaced and vandalised a mural of Rashford in Withington, Manchester. However, the good […]

4 years ago

“He probably had a frustrating few years, in terms of playing as a full forward in a team like Tyrone.” Darren McCurry finished the game against Cavan with an impressive 10 points, and has been in scintillating form under Tyrone’s new management team of Brian Dooher and Ferghal Logan. The Edendork forward has always had […]

4 years ago

“He gave an exhibition of man-marking” Slaughtneil and Derry defender, Chrissy McKaigue, kept one of the most dangerous forwards in the modern game quiet yesterday. If you go on social media, you will see Paddy McBrearty’s incredible last-gasp point to win Donegal the game against Derry, but the 73 minutes and 58 seconds beforehand, told […]

4 years ago

“He’s just setting Tyrone up for next week” Mickey Harte was in fantastic and fiery form yesterday, working as a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of the Derry v Donegal championship game. Many didn’t expect him to be as confrontational as he is, perhaps viewing him only as the calm and calculated character, we were […]

4 years ago

“McBrearty comes up with this… WHAT A SHOT!” At long last, the Ulster Championship was sparked into life as Donegal just nicked past Derry in a very close and competitive contest, to win by a single point. Shane McGuigan looked to be the hero just moments earlier, equalising for the oak leaf county, making it […]

4 years ago

He could potentially be the least popular person in England right now Leonardo Bonucci equalised for Italy in the second half, to bring the game to 1-1. As if that alone wouldn’t be enough to anger the English, he went straight up to the TV cameras and screamed something that he clearly had planned already. […]

4 years ago

He had his priorities in order. Luke Shaw scores the quickest goal ever in a Euros final to send England into an absolute frenzy, as the nation celebrates in unison. The ITV studio was the same as Ian Wright was jumping with a producer, and Gary Neville nearly popped a blood vessel as he screams […]

4 years ago

“It is a disgrace” Like GAA fans everywhere, Joe Brolly was subjected to watching the one-sided demolition of Leitrim at the hands of Mayo. To say it was a “game” of football would be a huge understatement, as both teams need to be at leasing competing to qualify it as a game. The RTE pundits […]

4 years ago

The message was simple Not exactly a man of few words, the Irishman is known more for his monologues, and everyone was particularly keen to see what he had to say after losing yet again, to Dustin Poirier. McGregor originally was very respectful in the build-up to their last fight and in the aftermath, but […]

4 years ago

Mayo 5-20  0-11 Leitrim Mayo had already racked up 3-11 in the first half of their Connacht semi-final against leitrim who only managed four point. The RTE pundits, didn’t even need to analyse the technical side of the game, such was the obvious gulf in class, and Pat Spillane made his feelings known about why this […]

4 years ago

“What persona does he go to now?” American UFC star Dominick Cruz believes that Conor McGregor is having something of an identity crisis at the moment. McGregor broke his leg during the first round of his rematch against Dustin Poirier, resulting in the fight being stopped, but the irishman was widely regarded to have been losing […]

4 years ago

“It’s as though when you arrive at Heathrow, you must sign a contract to support England in all of their endeavours.” An Irishman and an Italian man walk into an English bar… sounds like the start of a good joke, but for half-Irish and half-Italian comedian, Vittorio Angelone, who currently lives in England, it’s pretty […]

4 years ago

“In my experience playing for Laois, I believed that I could win a game, even though everything is telling you that you can’t.” Last year both Cavan and Tipperary defied the odds and defied logic, winning their provincial titles despite being recognised as weaker teams in their respective regions. However, neither seem to have brought […]

4 years ago

Warren Gatland has named his British and Irish Lions side today for the rematch with the Sharks on Saturday after fresh Covid tests. England’s Jamie George captains the team as Conor Murray is named on the bench, but there are still three Irish players in the starting line up. Tadhg Furlong and Tadhg Beirne will start […]

4 years ago