Tag: Brian Fenton

  • Brennan gets the blue baton

    Brennan gets the blue baton

    And so, the worst kept secret in Irish sport is out. Ger Brennan has indeed succeeded Dessie Farrell as Dublin senior football manager. The St Vincent’s man – a two time Celtic cross winner in 2011 and 2013 – has initially been handed a three year term in charge of the metropoles. You’d have to…

  • The West will be wide Awake if there are any more defections

    The West will be wide Awake if there are any more defections

    “When all beside a vigil keep, the West’s asleep, the West’s asleep”… It may now be the case that if there are many more defections – real or rumoured – from Connacht counties, they may a vigil keep in persuance of a night’s sleep. Firstly, Cian O’Neill switched from watching the sun go down on…

  • Two greats bowing out with very different tales to tell

    Two greats bowing out with very different tales to tell

    Carlow’s Darragh Foley and James McCarthy of Dublin announced their respective inter county retirements on the same day a few weeks back. One of the national papers carried a piece in the days which followed lamenting how – understandably but nevertheless unfortunately – for one individual, media outlets were festooned with pages of coverage while…

  • Na bfhacha tu mo Sheamasin?

    Na bfhacha tu mo Sheamasin?

    Has anyone seen my Jimmy? We’ve all encountered scenario. The offspring of a legend arrives on the scene, touted as being ‘even better than the father’. You might also even be told  ‘There’s a younger lad at thehome that’s even better thtan this fella’. In nearly 35 years of being consumed by all things GAA,…

  • Three out of four might go with form but there’s always the one…   

    Three out of four might go with form but there’s always the one…   

    There are always little signs. If you go back to one of the greatest GAA occurrences ever seen 33 years ago this week –  Kevin Foley’s goal for Meath in the fourth game against Dublin – it’s hardly coincidence that they spent two hours rehearsing the move on a soccer pitch in Scotland seven days…

  • Shrewd operator Deeley on the ball about the brawl

    Shrewd operator Deeley on the ball about the brawl

    At the outset here, it will be admitted that I do not know Ciaran Deeley nor have I ever met him. Though in this line of business, powers of observation are the vice grips and no. 13 wrench of your toolbox. And, even without any great knowledge of the methodology of the aforementioned, it’s obvious…

  • One book to absolutely not judge by the cover

    One book to absolutely not judge by the cover

    There are certain side effects to my disability which rarely if ever make it into discourse here. Today, however, will be an exception. And, yes, it will be a case of going from the frying pan into the fire. But it will be brief and reason for doing so will become obvious as this particular…

  • Neither of them have gone away – Sideline Cuts (27)

    Neither of them have gone away – Sideline Cuts (27)

    It’s the hope that kills you. At the start of every season, it’s in the DNA of a GAA fan to get a new transfusion of hope. Regardless of whether it’s club or county, whether new players have come in or you’ve actually lost some. There’s something woven into the GAA psyche which plants This…

  • Get the tiers in quick to avoid more tears

    Get the tiers in quick to avoid more tears

    At some point during Pat Comer’s excellent video diary of Galway’s 1998 All Ireland SFC win – A Year ‘Til Sunday, then Tribesman wing forward Shay Walsh said that the season was going “A whole lot better than being beaten by crap teams in Tuam”. Now read on… A few people who were very dear…

  • Sometimes it’s written in the stars

    Sometimes it’s written in the stars

    Mayo… 0-17 Dublin… 0-14 (aet) It had to happen sometime. They were always the most likely ones to do it too. And for very personal reasons in this seat, gut feeling in the lead up was that today might be the day. All eras must end. AP McCoy eventually hung up the saddle, Sir Alex…