Author: Brendan
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Why would you do it?
More than a quarter century ago, I tentatively rolled my wheels into organised politics for the first time. Primarily because the Local and European elections of 1999 were literally one month after my 18th birthday and thus my first opportunity to vote. Four years before that, the late John Bruton took over as Taoiseach –…
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Selections from Ballinrobe – Sept. 12th 2025
3.55: WACKESTONE (JACK KENNEDY/GORDON ELLIOTT) 4.25: KORINTHIA (PAUL TOWNEND/WILLIE MULLINS) 5.00: BOSTON JURY (JACK KENNEDY/GORDON ELLIOTT) 5.30: CARRIED WITH LOVE – EW – (PETER SMITHERS (7)/JOSEPH O’BRIEN) 6.00: MOZZIES SISTER (ALAN O’SULLIVAN (7)/DECLAN QUEALLY) 6.30: MY FRIEND THE WIND – EW – (GARY NOONAN (3)/ERIC MCNAMARA) 7.00: KILASHEE – EW – (EOIN STAPLES (4*)/JOHN RYAN)…
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The sunny side of the street?
A very long time ago, a well travelled Gael, who was, shall we say, a bit of a negative Norman, stated, in his own self promoting ‘learned’ way, “Townie teams are generally soft-centred, rugged country teams bowl them over and muscle them out”. Naturally, being a disciple of a ‘townie’ outfit myself, the retort was…
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Selections for Clonmel – Sept. 11th 2025
3.27: WALK THE HIGHLINE – EW – (SEAMIE HEFFERNAN/JOHNNY MURTAGH) 4.02: YOUNG CHURCHILL (GARY CARROLL/NOEL MEADE) 4.37: MISS OLIVIA (GARY CARROLL/GAVIN CROMWELL) 5.10: EXPOUND – EW – (DYLAN O’CONNOR (7)/DENIS HOGAN) 5.42: LUST – EW – (SEAN BIRD (7)/CONOR MAXWELL) 6.15: TEED UP – EW – (RONAN WHELAN/EMMET MULLINS) 6.45: ALFALFA – EW – (DAVID…
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Heimir’s hot air baloon
Rep. Of Ireland… 1 Armenia… 2 There’s an episode of The Simpsons in which, as punishment for floating a hot air baloon sporting an image of Principal Skinner mooning, the long suffering headmaster made the miscrient, mischief making spikey head accompany him on a night engaging in his favourite passtime – astrology. Lo and behold,…
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Selections for Cork – Sept. 10th 2025
4.10: SOY EL FUEGO (COLIN KEANE/GER LYONS) 4.40: UNIONVILLE – EW – (SHANE FOLEY/JESSICA HARRINGTON) 5.10: PINAR DEL RIO – EW – (RONAN WHELAN/KIERAN COTTER) 5.40: JOSH’S JOY (GAVIN RYAN/DONNACHA O’BRIEN) 6.10: STARTING MONDAY – EW – (BILLY LEE/GILLIAN SCOTT) 6.40: DALER – EW – (NICOLA BURNS (7)/GER LYONS) 7.10: DEUTERONOMY – EW – (NICOLA…
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Selections for Galway – Sept. 9th 2025
4.05: HAMIYAN (CHRIS HAYES/DERMOT WELD) 4.35: GENUINE ARTICLE (COLIN KEANE/GERRY KEANE) 5.05: RIZAL (BEN COEN/JOHNNY MURTAGH) 5.35: REMEMBER THAT (GARY CARROLL/JOE MURPHY) 6.05: SELECTIVE POWER – EW – (JAMES RYAN/TOMMY COYLE) 6.35: CHEEKY WINK – EW – (BEN COEN/JOHNNY MURTAGH) 7.05: FAR ECLIPSE – EW – (ROBERT WHEARTY/GAVIN CROMWELL) 7.35: SHARANGA (CHRIS HAYES/DERMOT WELD)
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Signposts to the passage of time
I can’t be the only one slightly uneasy about this newly formed Dublin senior football management setup. Not, in any way anything to do with any of the individuals involved. Merely, one is wary of the new regime bounce the two shades of blue are liable to get from coming under the tutelage of Ger…
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Selections for Galway Sept. 8th 2025
3.50: MONEY DANCER (DONAGH MEYLER/NOEL MEADE) 4.20: HUDSON – EW – (DARRAGH O’KEEFFE/ELLMARIE HOLDEN) 4.50: BUSSELTON (JJ SLEVIN/JOSEPH O’BRIEN) 5.22: SHANNON BANK – EW – (CONOR STONE-WALSH/GAVIN CROMWELL) 5.52: KINGKONG CIERGUES – EW – (SIMON TORRENS/PHILIP ROTHWELL) 6.22: MY GREAT MATE (PAUL TOWNEND/WILLIE MULLINS) 6.52: ARCTIC GALE (DONAGH MEYLER/EMMET MULLINS) 7.22: RIVERWOODS – EW –…
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Nothing bubbling yet but the glass is half full
Rep. Of Ireland… 2 Hungary… 2 Analysis of anything needs context. For example, if you just saw the above scoreline without having seeing the match or any details thereof, you might consider it a poor result. Indeed, were it not for a heroic stop from Caoimhin Kelleher shortly before the break, whatever morsels of positivity…