Sport – Page 7 – Slugger O'Toole

Photo of the day – Mourne Skyline Mountain Race

Brian O'Neill on October 20, 2014, 1:42 pm

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Photo by Billy Mol, Taken on October 18, 2014 Last Saturday over 120 runners took part in the gruelling Mourne Skyline Mountain-Trail Race. The Mourne Skyline Mountain-Trail Race route comprises mainly of forest paths, fire roads and single track grass and granite trail, with approximately one mile on the road. The course measures 35k and there is approximately 11,056ft of ascent and 11,024ft of descent. The highest point was at 2,801ft and the lowest point was at Sea level. Basically you have to run up and …

There Is No Alternative! (to Casement Park development plan)

Pete Baker on September 29, 2014, 11:13 pm

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A fairly desperate argument from lawyers for the Northern Ireland Planning Service in Belfast High Court today, during the judicial review of the planned £70million redevelopment of Casement Park in west Belfast. As the BBC reports The judge heard that DCAL have contributed £62.5m of the £77m cost of rebuilding the stadium as part of a project involving the development of Windsor Park football stadium and Ravenhill rugby ground. A Planning Service lawyer said that if the funds are not spent in time, …

Ireland v Scotland – 3rd ODI Live

Pete Baker on September 12, 2014, 3:02 pm

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With Ireland’s cricketers having already won the first two games in the three match ODI series against Scotland, the Scots are only playing for pride today at Malahide. They’re chasing a total of 242 to win after John Mooney made 96 runs from 77 balls to put Ireland on 241-9 from their 50 overs in the first innings. Live coverage via CricketIrelandTV on YouTube. Pete Baker

Ireland v Scotland – 2nd ODI Live

Pete Baker on September 10, 2014, 3:56 pm

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After a convincing victory in the first game of the three match ODI series against Scotland, Ireland’s cricketers are chasing a total of 222 in the second game for a series win at Malahide. Scotland were put in to bat and made 221 all out from 49.5 overs. Live coverage via CricketIrelandTV on YouTube. Update Ireland win by 3 wickets. 225 for 7 from 44.2 overs. Pete Baker

Some thoughts on my first trip to Croker.

David McCann on September 1, 2014, 4:42 pm

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“Fancy coming to Croke Park with me this Sunday?” This was the question my Dad posed to me last week. After looking around to see if he was talking to someone else it dawned on me that he was actually asking me. Me! The youngest of his children who has shown no interest in sports, I mean, no interest at all. When I was holidaying in the United States in September 2012, the only event I took my brother to …

What Northern Ireland might learn from Rory McIlroy… (ie, sidestepping vanity, becoming the thing you want to be…)

Mick Fealty on July 22, 2014, 12:53 pm

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There’s an odd typo in one of the few press releases to make it through Sinn Fein’s unofficial (and largely unreported embargo on letting any substantial work past through its hands at OFMdFM). In only its second effort of the First and deputy First Minster talk about McIlroy’s “rich vain of form.” Maybe it’s because Stormont Castle’s legion of press officers have so little to do that they made such a trifling if telling mistake… In any case, vanity is …

#GarthBrooks: GAA needs to get better at being good neighbours.

Mick Fealty on July 9, 2014, 7:11 pm

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So what have we learned from the Garth Brooks debacle? The most screamingly obvious thing is that with 400,000 people buying tickets, country and western is the thing for a significant proportion of the Irish people. And the other is that this cancellation is going to hurt a lot of people and a lot of ‘indigenous business’. Of course even within that most popular of genres no one else is likely to fill Croke Park for five nights in a …

#WorldCup and the positive power of the children of immigrants..

Mick Fealty on June 18, 2014, 3:00 pm

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I sat up to watch the English match on Saturday, and it struck me (again) just how the EPL has probably terminally gutted any home nations (plus the Republic) team from developing enough home grown talent to compete for a place in the World Cup finals. Even amongst English people there’s recognition that their own team is just one of many others in the competent but not great category: a function of the greater competition for first team places in their domestic …

FIFA and the World Cup: John Oliver’s dilemma..

Mick Fealty on June 12, 2014, 9:43 pm

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No further comment necessary, I think… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

First a pink horse, then pink sheep … and now, cycling embraced by East Belfast bandsmen and comics

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 7, 2014, 8:02 am

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There’s a cycle race in town and everyone a lot of people want a piece of it. In some ways it’s surprising Gerry Adams didn’t cycle out the back gate of Antrim Police Station on Sunday evening! Perhaps his zeitgeist radar was dulled by the poor cuisine (though the Irish News this morning reveals that “arrangements were made for Mr Adams to get food from the staff canteen”). Over in East Belfast, bandsmen, politicians, and comedians [Ed – those groups …

“Lesson One. Never, ever, agree to take over from a legend. Someone is bound to end up disappointed.”

Mick Fealty on April 23, 2014, 10:58 am

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So Manchester United let go their decent man manager David Moyes after just ten months in the job. And with him goes the myth that somehow United where above the petty desperation that has infected other Premiership clubs (he’s the tenth to lose his job this season). Like the idea that the club was founded on a base of home grown players, the generous time of grace Alex Ferguson had was rooted in the past and a completely different league …

“Good heavens! You’re the culture minister..” Redux

Mick Fealty on April 3, 2014, 3:49 pm

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Here’s the Culture Minister on the GAA’s new deal… If Sky is worldwide, beaming games worldwide, that’s a good thing, but I don’t want that to be at the detriment of local broadcasting. I also don’t want it to be at the detriment of the people who don’t have Sky or who don’t have digital or satellite television to be prevented from seeing one of the best games ever so while it is a matter for the GAA, I do …

GAA concludes a lucrative deal with Sky Sports…

Mick Fealty on April 2, 2014, 4:36 pm

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This is an interesting move from the GAA… Sky Sports has obtained exclusive Island of Ireland rights to 14 Championship games. These consist of eight Saturday evening matches in the All-Ireland qualifiers, two All-Ireland football championship quarter-finals, and two Saturday evening and two Sunday Provincial championship games. Confirmed fixtures which will be broadcast on Sky include Kilkenny v Offaly and Dublin v Wexford in the Leinster SHC; Sligo v Galway/London in the Connacht SFC; and Armagh/Cavan v Down/Tyrone/Monaghan in the …

ICC T20 World Cup 2014: Ireland v UAE

Pete Baker on March 19, 2014, 1:35 pm

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Having secured a nervy win against Zimbabwe in their opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 2014 campaign in Bangladesh, Ireland’s cricketers face tournament newbies United Arab Emirates today. With Zimbabwe overcoming the Netherlands earlier this morning, with a six off the final ball, a win would put Ireland top of the group, two points clear with only one game left – against the Netherlands on 21st March. After the opening round of games, the top team in each of the two qualifier groups …

ICC T20 World Cup 2014: Ireland v Zimbabwe

Pete Baker on March 17, 2014, 2:32 pm

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Ireland’s cricketers have opened their ICC World Twenty20 2014 campaign in Bangladesh with a win over the nominal test-playing Zimbabwe. But it nearly didn’t happen. Batting first, Zimbabwe set a daunting total of 163 for 5 wickets from their 20 overs. As the ICC match report noted, Ireland had never scored more than 156 to win a T20 International. But it could have been worse. Needing 164 runs to win, Stirling and Porterfield set about the Zimbabwe bowlers to make an opening …

Sochi Olympic success

Pete Baker on February 23, 2014, 6:31 pm

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Heh. Some wonderfully humorous choreography in evidence at the Sochi 2014: Winter Olympics closing ceremony. It made me laugh out loud. They wouldn’t have had long to arrange it… [Photograph: Barbara Walton/EPA] As the Guardian live-blog adds, For anyone who slept through the opening ceremony, here’s a reminder of the failed snowflake-ring, and its tongue-in-cheek recreation this evening. Performers sing as the Olympic rings are presented during the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Photograph: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images Performers …

“Residents also protested outside the local Sinn Féin offices…”

Pete Baker on January 26, 2014, 5:03 pm

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As the BBC reports, local residents have continued their protest against the planned £70million redevelopment of Casement Park in west Belfast. From the UTV report Around 100 residents took part in a demonstration on Saturday afternoon. They say they are now considering taking legal action. One woman said: “The main thing is the height of it, it’s going to be about 129ft and right around the whole outskirts of the houses.” A man said: “It’s an absolute monstrosity. The residents …

Former Antrim star Anto Finnegan to bring GAA to the home of Ulster Rugby…

Mick Fealty on November 21, 2013, 10:54 am

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So, interesting developments in sport recently. Whilst the Executive has still to discuss Northern Ireland’s end of a bid to host the Rugby World Cup, Leo Veradkar has already had approval from the cabinet in Dublin for an all island bid to host the tournament in 2023. The two venues apparently slated to hold matches in Northern Ireland are redeveloped stadia at the current home of Ulster rugby Ravenhill and and a new showpiece GAA ground at Casement Park, if …

GAA: “We’ve tried now for the last 16 months to build a level of consensus around the stadium project…”

Pete Baker on November 19, 2013, 6:17 pm

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The GAA appears to be facing some more local opposition to the £70million plan to build a 38,000-seat stadium at its existing sports ground in Casement Park. [Pending planning permission… – Ed] From the BBC report About 200 people attended the residents meeting [on Monday 18 November], at which some said that the proposed new stadium must be stopped. One resident told the meeting: “We’re not opposed to a development of the GAA in this city but we need it to …

Giro d’Italia 2014: “It’s a lot more than a cycling race”

Pete Baker on October 8, 2013, 3:17 pm

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When the BBC leaked the proposed route of the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia 2014 last week it was greeted by ritual wailing and gnashing of teeth by various representatives of the ‘excluded’ west Belfast. And with the whingeing out of the way, the official announcement was able to be welcomed with more decorum by the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers, as well as the Tourism Minister and the Minister for Regional Development. [And the NI Minister with responsibility …