Disorganised Organisers
For a Saturday that had sports fans salivating at the prospect of starting their day watching one of the greatest rivalries in sport, then followed by an Irish expedition in Paris in the evening, it really could not have gone much worse. Unless you are a United fan, simply nothing positive to come out of [...]
Six Nations, but only one winner
After a rewarding few months in which they preoccupied themselves with the clubs sides in the Heineken Cup, rugby fans across Europe can look forward to their annual two-month international bonanza beginning this Saturday in Saint Denis. The World Cup just past has only served to whet our appetite for the six-week bonanza as several [...]
Depression and Sport: A Chance for Change
Last Sunday afternoon will be remembered by football fans as one of those very seldom days where the sport we watch is properly put into perspective. The news of the death of Gary Speed at the age of 42 was shocking; the news that it was suicide made it utterly incomprehensible. A lot of fans [...]
From Tallinn to Dublin: The Baltic Adventure
Before I begin telling you these tales from a distant land, I have a confession to make. Before last Friday, I was an away match virgin. I wasn’t under the Eiffel Tower sitting down and standing up for the boys in green, I didn’t get free cans of Carlsberg from John Delaney on a train [...]
From Tallinn to Dublin: Preview
Liverpool, Brussels, Bursa, Paris. In a few days time, we’ll know whether we can add Tallinn to the list of cities where our football side have thrown away an opportunity to join the big boys at a major tournament. The general consensus is that the Estonians also provide us with the easiest opponents we’ve had [...]
The Final Chapter and the New Revolution
A lot has happened in the last six weeks. R.E.M. decided to split up, a NASA satellite fell from space and didn’t hit anyone and Steve Jobs and Muammar Gaddafi died, allbeit in slightly different circumstances. And a Rugby World Cup took place in New Zealand, which briefly reduced this country to the madness of [...]
All Aboard the New Bandwagon!
I shan’t spend too long talking about the rugby, it’s still a bit soon. The emotional scars are still a bit too fresh and the sadness that followed that ridiculously early rugby match in Wellington’s “Cake Tin” still lingers on. At 8.00am last Saturday morning, I sat in The Woolshed on Parnell St. as shocked [...]
Time to Achieve
€1,279.22 is the least it’ll cost you to have the time of your life right now. As long as you don’t mind spending thirty hours on an airplane, seeing all the delights that the airports of Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur have to offer and splashing out on somewhere to actually stay during your time there, [...]
A Weekend to Savour
Forgive me Declan, for I have sinned. It has been six months since my last confession and these are my sins. I did not believe you when you insisted that this Irish rugby team was not far off from a big performance. I shouted some not so nice things at your players as they were [...]
My Resignation as a Culchie
That’s it folks. Tayto crisps, hang sangiches, flashks of tae, football special and cheaper pints. These were a few of my favourite things about being from the countryside or being a culchie. But no more. Instead, I’m going to have to train myself into liking coddle, Mr. Brennan’s bread, wurly burgers and singing about how [...]