JIM McGuinness. One man’s messiah, another man’s Satan. A tactical genius, and the man who damaged the game beyond repair. Marmite. Take your pick. The origins would slip your mind, the man with the laptop and a Powerpoint presentation in a room with no socket. Maybe it was quite Jim McGuinness of him to get up […]
HANNAH Tyrell has earned the privilege of becoming the final hero of the 2023 inter-county season. The former Ireland international will have the Rugby World Cup to keep herself amused during the off season. That and a seven-week-old child. The dust begins to settle, and those heroics will slowly fizzle out of relevance. The tumbleweed […]
By Jack Madden PATRICK McCarry of Sports Joe summated what has become an alternate dimension. “Manchester United take the money and run on distasteful visit to Dublin.” Too many shirts and ties. Elite level soccer is no longer a game of the people. The RTÉ Kevin Moran documentary a few months back was an insight […]
Kerry and Dublin, the much anticipated tussle. For a while it was anti climatic. With the game in the melting pot and the last blast of the whistling drawing ever and inevitably nearer, it was anything but. Kerry downed, the Dubs crowned. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done. 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, […]
By Jack Madden PROCRASTINATION. July 14th, County Monaghan. “Friday night, I’m going nowhere. All the lights are changing, green to red. Turning over TV stations Advertisement Situations running through my head.” Anticipation. July 15th, County Dublin. “Saturday, I’m running wild And all the lights are changing, red to green. Moving through the crowds I’m pushing […]
“Maybe you’re the same as me, We see things they’ll never see. You and I are gonna live forever.” ABOVE are words that expel power. A vocal diffusion of greatness, that has its origins between the ears. “Achieve” is only the second step on the manual. Noel Gallagher waited a full two years between writing […]
By Jack Madden THE early morning rush has been slightly different this past two Mondays, not so mundane. When it gets to the stage when the kids are making their own lunch, usually a window of chit-chat opens for any unoccupied hands and mouths, before everyone goes their separate ways. On Monday gone by, there […]
TWO years ago, Rod Stewart was invited to partake in the Scottish Cup fifth-round draw. Stewart himself claims to be an avid Celtic supporter. Avid Celtic supporters don’t overly claim Stewart. The 11th January 2021 was one of several indicators as to why. There aren’t too many members of the Green Brigade that are invited […]
By Jack Madden THE small goals are wheeled out. Forget about turnovers won, shooting efficiency, distance covered. Just make sure that the laces are tied. Coaching is normally kept to a minimum. Parents aside, the disinterested crowd care for little other than an unsuccessful scramble for mobile phone coverage. Still, even for Wi-Fi whizzkids and […]
By Jack Madden THE draw – it’s a funny one. The immediate aftermath provides an array of semi-emotive nothingness. The silence says it all really. In today’s game, it requires even more reflection. Gone are the days of the replay, where American football brings All-Ireland semi-finals to Limerick, and where Mayo prolong their barren spell of […]
