Olympics – Slugger O'Toole

South Korean TV images used to represent each nation in the Olympics…

Brian O'Neill on July 26, 2021, 11:18 am

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South Korean TV thought it would be helpful to viewers to have images to represent each nation in the Olympics opening ceremony. Italy was pizza, which to be fair kinda makes sense. But then it got weirder with Ukraine represented by Chernobyl, Haiti was a riot, Marshall Islands, it said “was once a nuclear test site for the US, and is composed of more than 1,200 islands.” El Salvador was introduced with a picture representing Bitcoin. South Korean broadcaster MBC …

The cautionary tale of Pat Hickey: How the Olympics Got Seduced by Money, and Lost its Way

Pádraig Belton on August 24, 2016, 6:07 pm

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Ireland and Europe’s most senior Olympic official sits arrested in Rio, on charges of ticket scalping. Meanwhile, pizza restaurants and small clothing shops receive threatening letters from the Olympics, telling them not to tweet the Games That Must Not Be Named. (Lawyers say ‘I don’t think that’s what the law says’.) It’s all a sign of an Olympic movement which has lost its way, its officials seduced by big money. See Forbes for more (it’s by me) . Pádraig Belton30 year old journalist …

Funny Olympic Facts

Pádraig Belton on August 22, 2016, 6:28 pm

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Whatever your views on the monarchy and Ireland, I think we can all be united by a brief pause of mathematical surprise that HM Queen Elizabeth’s 2016 personal medal tally is precisely 50 golds, 50 silvers, and 50 bronzes. Pádraig Belton30 year old journalist thing. Buys loo roll on eBay. scribd.com/padraigbelton

Barbers, Car Dealers, Printers: The “Olympic” Small Businesses Around Ireland and the World, and How They’re Watching Rio

Pádraig Belton on August 20, 2016, 11:47 am

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DUBLIN. When Farrell O’Boy launched his Olympic Cars in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, he thought he’d chosen ‘a strong name, and people would remember it’, says Danny McCabe, today its sales manager. Across the Irish Sea, Antonio Leto had emigrated from Sicily and worked as a barber when he set up his own shop, Olympic Barbers, in 1982. ‘He just wanted it to be an international barbershop—multinational, a barber for everyone‘, says his son, Ross, who now runs the shop, cutting …

“Honorary gold post boxes for Jason, Michael and Bethany…”

Pete Baker on September 13, 2012, 2:56 pm

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The BBC are reporting that the Royal Mail have decided that Eglinton deserves an honorary gold post box. As does Glengormley and Seaforde, County Down. From the BBC report The honour was a response to overwhelming public support for the tributes, said Royal Mail. “Honorary gold post boxes for Jason, Michael and Bethany are an appropriate tribute for our local Paralympic heroes given their tremendous achievements and the very clear community support for this,” said Barbara Roulston, Head of External Relations …

“The UK is believed to be the first country to paint post boxes gold to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic gold medal wins…”

Pete Baker on September 9, 2012, 4:49 pm

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Apparently, double gold medal winning, and double world record breaking, Team Ireland Paralympian sprinter, Jason Smyth, would quite like a gold-painted post box in his home town of Eglinton. What does anything think, do we deserve a #GoldPostBox in Eglinton because I live and am from Northern Ireland @postoffice @royalmailnews RT — Jason Smyth (@smyth_jason) September 8, 2012 According to an earlier Belfast Telegraph report, he would have the support of Dame Mary Peters and the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, Sinn Féin’s …

#London2012: What did it mean to you, then?

John Ó Néill on August 15, 2012, 9:01 am

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With barely enough time to catch breath after all those golds, there has been a glut of reflections on how the London Olympics have either redefined or exhibited a new Britishness. Over at the Daily Mail, Dominic Sandbrook is unequivocal, calling it a rebirth of Britishness: Coming so soon after the triumph of the Diamond Jubilee, which reaffirmed the deep bond between the British people and our Royal Family, the Games have been a valuable reminder of everything that most of …

Olympics fever shows that a soft sell is best for the Union cause

Brian Walker on August 13, 2012, 3:25 pm

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Now here’s a great campaigner for the Union, no? With his keen nose for an impending win as sharp as ever Gorgeous George brazens out an embarrassing prediction of Olympic failure and turns to his advantage. You can almost hear that stingingly precise articulation cutting through the print. I underestimated just how much we would all enjoy the London Olympics and how, from Land’s End to John O’Groats, we would all feel together again. As I say, a good time for a …

“or just the re-announcement of the £3.27 million of lottery funding”

Pete Baker on August 12, 2012, 4:58 pm

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As you might expect, the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, Sinn Féin’s Carál Ní Chuilín, has been maximising the PR potential of the Olympic success of athletes from here. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, is doing likewise. But eyebrows should have been raised by the NI Sports Minister’s “timely public announcement” of an over £3million investment programme for amateur boxing. As Newton Emerson noted in yesterday’s Irish News Sinn Féin culture minister Caral Ni Chuilin earned a full day of headlines by announcing …

Annalise Murphy in Weymouth for medal race (and so am I)…

Mick Fealty on August 6, 2012, 9:45 am

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Today, I am mostly going to be Weymouth… enjoying the Olympic Sailing competition and the beach, and the kids all in equal measure… I shall also be wearking my old green Irish rugby shirt (replica, not real) for the 1.30 Laser Redial race with the young Annalise Murphy, one of Ireland’s great medal hopes… I shall be posting some stuff to Twitter, or if you want to follow most of it (and even contribute some stuff yourself, this dedicated page …

Team GB: Britain’s careless inattention to its own edges?

Mick Fealty on July 28, 2012, 12:00 pm

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I hate to say it, because spectacle is no really my thing, but last night’s opening ceremony was impressive. At a quick reckoning, I think it is the first live one I’ve seen since Munich in 1972. I think what Danny Boyle got right, was the narrative thread (and a set that must have cost an absolute bomb… Best write up I’ve seen so far, is this from the NYT: …a wild jumble of the celebratory and the fanciful; the …

Olympics – the funding disgrace continues…

Dewi on December 24, 2011, 12:32 pm

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We (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) asked for £300m in Barnett consequentials of East End of London regeneration spend in the run up to the Olympics. The formal complaint was heard this week – the result – the case is just but we can’t afford to go back so here’s £30m to shut up. Astonishingly BBC Wales describe our share as a £9m windfall! Alan Trench knows a bit better. Writing for the Institute of Welsh Affairs, Alan says: ….. the Labour …

Christmas morning routines – run, church, sawing, lunch – in Portrush!

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 24, 2011, 9:00 am

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As you sleepily wander around the house in your pyjamas on Christmas morning, spare a thought for 28 year old Olympic single sculling hopeful (and world silver and bronze medallist) Alan Campbell who’ll be enjoying a rather more energetic Christmas. Friday’s Guardian explains his routine: I get up pretty early, usually about 6.30am. I’ll have a quick bowl of cereal then straight into the car. Then I head for Portrush East Strand, where I run along the beach to the …

“Olympic Torch Relay will take the 2012 Games to almost every corner of the UK”

Pete Baker on November 7, 2011, 2:02 pm

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As the BBC report, the over 1000 cities, towns and villages on the route of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay have been announced – there’s an interactive map here. But despite a previous BBC report confirming that “the Olympic torch will travel across the Irish border”, Dublin doesn’t appear to be included in the final route. Something to do with the “complex” politics mentioned previously? What we can spot is that Locog have made sure they cover a lot of the islands, …

“The Olympic Flame will shine a light right across every Nation and Region of the UK…”

Pete Baker on May 18, 2011, 2:27 pm

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The BBC reports the announcement of the first 74 locations on the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Route across the UK – starting at Land’s End, Cornwall, on the morning of 19 May 2012. They have an interactive map too. The torch will arrive in Northern Ireland on 3 June and will travel to Portrush, Londonderry, Newry and Belfast. As the short version of the LOCOG press release notes The cities and towns, in every nation and region of the UK, will …

DUP were first to lower Olympic expectations…

Belfast Gonzo on December 4, 2010, 10:05 am

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IF this contrite statement is anything to go by, DUP Sports Minster Nelson McCausland must have hauled Sport NI chief executive Eamonn McCartan over the coals for listing off on TV reasons why we weren’t attracting Olympic interest. McCartan told the BBC that no Olympic teams had committed to train here for the 2012 Games due to our violent image, the threat from dissidents, geographical location, travel costs and access to Olympics venues. His despondent forecast neatly echoes, er, fellow …

The Olympic Rip-Off continues…

Dewi on October 20, 2010, 1:45 pm

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Brian’s mucker Alan Trench reports on the latest Olympic Rip-off
1) Funds for the London Olympics were raised through diverting Lottery Funding

Welsh Nationalist. Rugby Fan. Know a bit about History and Railways…

Can’t keep water from leaking into the news – this time it’s a late pool

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on August 19, 2010, 12:00 pm

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Artist's impression of interior of Bangor's planned Olympic-sized swimming pool

At long last, construction is due to start on the beleaguered plan to build an Olympic sized swimming pool in Bangor, providing a training facility the right length for talented and ambitious local swimmers. News outlets this morning were awash with details that Farrans had won the £38m contract, which includes £15m from the water-themed Executive. The BBC report that “construction on the new facility is due to begin before the end of August. It is expected to open by …