THE boundaries of legalised thuggery are disappearing. Fast. The latest addition to the “Just shy of attacking each other with knives” genre, is the Power Slap League. Two people face each other. The ‘victim’ stands perfectly still, hands by his side, looking straight ahead. His opponent then slaps him on the face as hard as […]
Joe Brolly – BILL RUSSELL – LEGEND
BILL Russell couldn’t find a university basketball scholarship. He was so uncoordinated in High School and had such atrocious basic skills that none of the good basketball schools wanted him. Eventually, he went to the San Francisco University and joined the unknown San Francisco Dons, who didn’t even have their own gym. He arrived there […]
JOE BROLLY: The Armagh Triangle
I CANNOT remember seeing a bad match at the Athletic Grounds. Something about it brings footballers and supporters to life. In the same way as Donegal cannot lose at Ballybofey, even if they pick a tall u-14 in goals and half the team has hangovers, the Gods have decreed that the Athletic Grounds will bring […]
JOE BROLLY: The power of good
CORK suffer from acute solorunitis. The symptoms are highly contagious, but easily spotted. Sufferer takes possession from hand-pass. Puts head down. Solos hard until runs into something or someone. Looks up, but not before then. Hand-passes to fellow sufferer, who puts head down, solos hard until runs into something or someone. Looks up, but not […]
Jack Madden: Divided, adored, never ignored
THE year is 1993, and Derry are All-Ireland champions. At the victory banquet, there is a shot of Joe Brolly and Marty Morrissey, each smiling ear to ear. Like Down two years previously, the seismic proportions of victory are beyond the comprehension of delirious men, women, and children alike. A cup of shimmering silver is […]
JOE BROLLY: Pat Convery Memorial Trophy
STEVIE Murtagh from the Watty Grahams club says I am now 1/5 on to win the Pat Convery Clubman of the Year Award. Which would be the first time in its history the prestigious trophy has been presented to an outsider. I would probably have to do what our own Colm McGuigan did when he […]
GERARD O’KANE: Kilmacud should offer a replay
WELL, we are two days out from the start of the National League in 2023 and ideally I should be looking at some of the interesting ties ahead with all of the Ulster countries well placed in their respective divisions to be ultra-competitive but unfortunately that is not the major talking point of the GAA […]
JOE BROLLY: Junior jinks
THIS week’s Policing Board report shows ahow extraordinarily peaceful the North has become. PSNI officers have only discharged a shot five times in the last ten years, the most recent being an unintentional discharge in June 2022. The other four shots were fired into the air outside Omagh police station after Tyrone won Sam in 2021. The […]
JOE BROLLY: The football factory
WELCOME to the football factory, where every Gaelic football team looks the same, sounds the same and plays the same. The All-Ireland Senior Club semi-finals on Sunday were the usual chore. The winners, Kilmacud and Glen, spent most of their time trying not to lose. The crowd spent most of our time chatting amongst ourselves. […]
JOE BROLLY: Collective insanity
SEAN MacCumhaills tweeted the following message on their social media on Christmas Eve. “We invite applications from suitably qualified persons for the position of Reserve Team Manager. To express your interest in this position please send an e mail with your name and contact details to: secretary.seanmcools.donegal@gaa.ie before 6pm on Wednesday 11th of January 2023.” […]









