Sport – Page 9 – Slugger O'Toole

GAA worries about Australian player poaching…

Mick Fealty on March 4, 2009, 10:48 pm

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Hard not to have some sympathy with the Ulster Council of the GAA when they voted for the ending of the International Rules tests between Ireland and Australia… The reason: the exposure is encouraging professional Aussie Rules clubs to run off with the best young GAA talent… I suspect though that it will fall of deaf ears… Australian money and the amateur status of GAA are the real problem… Simply cutting the international tournaments are not likely to see that …

Six Nations – Round 3b

Pete Baker on February 28, 2009, 5:08 pm

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The post-mortem of last night’s Welsh defeat is underway. [France’s victory, surely? – Ed] Don’t call me Shirley. Today, Ireland will be hoping that England’s form, and their discipline, doesn’t suddenly improve at Croke Park and that Ireland’s unchanged side become the team they’ve threatened to be – Kick-off 5.30pm – G’s live-blogging it. First up though, Scotland will try to send Italy home with the wooden spoon – despite Brendan Cole’s prediction. Kick-off 3pm. Half-Time at Murrayfield. Scotland 16 …

Six Nations – Round 3

Pete Baker on February 28, 2009, 12:04 am

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Tomorrow will see Ireland welcome England back to Croke Park whilst Scotland battle Italy in the likely wooden spoon contest. Tonight though, under the floodlights at Stade de France, Wales will try to keep their Grand Slam hopes on track against a French side that may be unsettled by their coach’s tinkering. Interestingly, as he did against Ireland, Chabal will start the game rather than play his more effective role [against weaker opposition] as a second half impact substitution. Assessments …

Six Nations – Round 2b

Pete Baker on February 15, 2009, 6:33 pm

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An unchanged Ireland are in Rome today to take on an Azurri with Bergamasco returned to his familiar flanker’s role. They’ll need to avoid the indiscipline of the English in what was a great game in Cardiff yesterday [see also Eddie Butler’s report] while still winning the forward battle and, as RTÉ’s Brendan Cole suggests, continuing to play their attacking rugby with the freedom of last week. Kick-off 2.30pm. 1st Half 4mins in Italy down to 14 men for 10mins …

Six Nations – Round 2

Pete Baker on February 14, 2009, 7:22 pm

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After last week’s confident performance an unchanged Ireland travel to Rome and should, if their form holds, secure a win tomorrow away from home against Italy – although it’s worth noting that Bergamasco will not be scrum-off this time [or ever again? – Ed]. Today sees Scotland take on last week’s impressive French side at Stade de France [kick-off 3pm] and Wales welcome England to Cardiff [kick-off 5.30pm]. RTÉ’s Brendan Cole predicts a very likely French win and he thinks …

Six Nations kicks off

Pete Baker on February 7, 2009, 10:51 pm

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Earlier today England were less than impressive at home to Italy but were still comfortable winners by 36-11. For Ireland’s opening game in the 6 Nations against France RTÉ’s Brendan Cole had predicted a perhaps optimistic 20-10 final scoreline. At the end of the first half France had already racked up all of those predicted 10 points. But thanks to a great try by Heaslip on 34 minutes Ireland were just ahead by 13-10. France are far from out of …

“it appeared that Sinn Féin and the DUP could not agree..”

Pete Baker on January 29, 2009, 4:26 pm

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According to a BBC report, those “dishonourable persons” who leaked confidential Northern Ireland Executive papers on post-primary transfer arrangements and on the axing of the Maze stadium proposal may have been premature.. in that those issues may not appear on the agenda of today’s Executive meeting. From the BBC report On Wednesday night, it appeared that Sinn Féin and the DUP could not agree on whether to put the matter to a vote. There also appears to be no agreement …

It’s an ex-stadium-plan for Maze

Pete Baker on January 28, 2009, 7:01 pm

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Some “dishonourable person” has leaked another Northern Ireland Executive document.. This time it’s a paper by Culture Minister, the DUP’s Gregory Campbell, detailing the end of any plans for a multi-sports stadium at the Maze site. From the BBC report In his paper to executive colleagues, Sports Minister Gregory Campbell said the plan did not enjoy sufficient political consensus, and he said a net loss to the economy of between £156m and £193m did not compensate for the non-monetary benefits …

Safety first?

Pete Baker on December 12, 2008, 3:52 am

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The BBC report on the leaked letter from Northern Ireland Sports Minister Gregory Campbell to the Assembly Committee should probably be viewed in light of the option of spending public funds somewhere other than the Maze stadium project. But where’s the argument about spending public funds on safety issues in what are essentially private, rather than public, business interests? And shouldn’t “implemented fully” actually read “enforced fully”? From the BBC report In the letter Mr Campbell lists venues which he …

Three in a row for Ireland’s cricketers?

Dave Hartin on October 30, 2008, 9:00 am

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Ireland’s quest for an unprecedented hat-trick of ICC Intercontinental Cup victories comes to a conclusion over the next 5 days with the final in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The opposition Namibia enter the game as underdogs but will have been buoyed by their performance in Windhoek a few weeks ago when they came within 8 runs of knocking the Irish out of the tournament altogether. The match is scheduled to begin at 0830GMT with ball by ball text commentary here. …

Ireland hopes rest on sunny weather..

Pete Baker on October 22, 2008, 7:28 pm

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Our roving, occasional, cricket correspondent, esmereldavillalobos, has been keeping an eye on Ireland’s performance in the Triangular Series in Nairobi [So that you don’t have to? – Ed]. “Both Ireland’s games [this week] in the tri-series were abandoned without a ball being bowled due to nasty weather and a sodden outfield in Nairobi. Bottom line is now this: if there is no result in the match between Kenya and Zimbabwe tomorrow (abandoned/tie), Ireland are out due to an inferior net-run …

Ireland 8 wickets away from third ICC Intercontinental Cup final

Pete Baker on October 14, 2008, 12:29 am

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This just in from our roving, occasional, cricket correspondent, esmereldavillalobos. “Not sure if anyone’s interested anymore given their poor performances during a (very wet) summer and the current shenanigans at the IFA but Ireland’s cricketers have nearly pulled off the unlikely and made it to the final of the cup again. After a nailbiting win by 8 runs in Namibia 10 days ago Ireland needed to win the 1st innings against Kenya for bonus points and win the match to …

“very high emphasis on the social benefits associated with spectating and with national pride..”

Pete Baker on October 7, 2008, 3:25 pm

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With Northern Irish Olympic athletes being celebrated at Stormont Mick’s post on government funding of sport in the UK and Republic of Ireland is worth re-visiting. Particularly the reference to confusing “an ole-ole-ole tradition with a sporting culture” given the report, noted in the Irish Times, by ESRI economist Dr Pete Lunn which states, on the Republic of Ireland’s funding of sport – “It is not at all clear what rationale is responsible for this distribution of funds, which is …

Are there just some things the market cannot do?

Mick Fealty on September 8, 2008, 8:37 pm

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Over at Brassneck I’ve been sifting through some of the themes thrown up by the state buyout/seizure of the Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage corporations in the US. As the Lex Column has noted, the US government’s balance sheet is the last one left in town. The US, home of the free market and relentless purveyor of the values of Adam Smith, doesn’t always see the market mechanism as the last word in everything. Like sport for instance. Mick …

IFA: no egos and no prawn sandwiches…

Mick Fealty on September 3, 2008, 6:24 pm

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Nice innovation from the IFA, in the shape of a podcast interview with Caroline Menary the new marketing bod behind a vigorous billboard campaign to get people to come to Irish League matches for the first time… Good start, look forward to hearing more… 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 …

“Every four or eight years, Ireland is forced to rally round young men from this class…”

Mick Fealty on August 26, 2008, 3:22 pm

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I want to come back to the Olympic theme in more detail both here on Slugger and elsewhere. But this piece by Fintan O’Toole is worth flagging up for the pure politics of it, than anything to do with sport. The Ross O’Carroll-Kellys of elite Equestrianism failed to deliver, whilst the frequently maligned urban working classes once again provided the country with its only Olympic medal glory (boosted partly by the strange failure of the US and Cuba). As so …

“Light entertainment has always been his forte..”

Pete Baker on August 22, 2008, 3:14 pm

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In the Irish Times, Miriam Lord turns TV reviewer on the occasion of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern guest-presenting RTÉ’s The Road to Croker. The politician turned presenter stayed in his comfort zone throughout the show, with two stars of the great 1970s Dublin football team opening proceedings. You can’t go wrong with Paddy Cullen and Jimmy Keaveney – anecdotes at will. “We’ll be asking two Dublin legends where it all went wrong,” said Bertie to the camera. We’re all wondering …

London 2012.. and handovers..

Pete Baker on August 21, 2008, 4:14 pm

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Whilst Craigavon Borough Council has been criticised by Sinn Féin councillor, Johnny McGibbon, after they voted to join the UK-wide celebrations and raise the London 2012 Olympic handover flag this weekend, the Department of Culture, Arts, and Leisure tells us that on Sunday 24th August, At Belfast’s celebrations, the Lord Mayor of Belfast will be presented with a London 2012 handover Flag by children from our ethnic communities to mark the beginning of Northern Ireland being part of 2012. That …

Ireland’s two speed performance at the Olympics…

Mick Fealty on August 19, 2008, 12:27 pm

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What’s been astonishing at this Olympic games is just how well the British appear to have performed in comparison with past outings. Ireland’s performance in comparison begins to point not at lack of talent (of course it is a more limited pool) but structural weaknesses in the way sport is funded. Generally, Northern Irish competitors have with Team GB fared much better, hitting finals in several sports and in the case of Wendy Houvenaghel from Upperlands in Co Derry who …

Ireland secure ICC World Twenty20 place

Pete Baker on August 4, 2008, 6:28 pm

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Congratulations to Ireland’s cricket team after their narrow win over Kenya at Stormont today, in the semi-finals of the qualifying competition, secured them a place at next year’s Twenty20 World Cup. Pete Baker