[caption id="attachment_70524" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The Dublin team stood for the national anthem ahead of the abandoned game against Mayo in Castlebar in February. "]
On Saturday, Feb. 11, many Irish sports fans with a broad interest in sport settled down for what they hoped would be an entertaining evening in front of their television screens. First up on the schedule was the National Football League game between Mayo and Dublin in Castlebar, but the fog was so heavy that by half-time referee Marty Duffy was left with no alternative but to abandon the game. So the attention switched to Paris for the Six Nations game between France and Ireland, but with the band on the Stade de France pitch waiting to play the National Anthems, the referee deemed that the pitch was unplayable. Since then the Irish rugby team has returned to Paris and got a well deserved draw, but what will happen in Castlebar on Saturday when Dublin, the reigning All-Ireland champions return to face Mayo at McHale Park?
Last time out James McCarthy was sent off early in the half, but Dublin still lead by three points at half-time. Mayo started impressively in the league winning away to Laois and Armagh, but since then they have been poor. Dublin will be without Bernard Brogan who is recovering from a minor knee operation. Kerry and Down and possibly Cork are looking good for the semifinals, but the winners of this re-arranged game could also make the semifinals next month.
The replay of the All-Ireland club football final between Crossmaglen Rangers and Garrycastle will also be played next Saturday evening, in Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan. Crossmaglen captain Stephen Kernan, who missed the drawn game, will be available on Saturday. Often in finals the underdog only gets only chance and Garrycastle may have their chance at Croke Park, but it’s a hard one to call.
DUNNE GETS U.S. TREATMENT
Irish defender Richard Dunne is currently getting medical treatment at American football club Cleveland Browns. The Aston Villa man injured his collar bone in an English Premier League game against Manchester City last month and is now getting treated at the club owned by Villa chairman Randy Lerner.
Dunne said: “ Cleveland have a lot of experience in dealing with this kind of injury. Any help I can get will be appreciated. It will also be a great experience for me. I’m hoping when I come back that I will be sorted and can push on with things and start training again. I am hoping to be back playing back before the end of April. But I will just have to listen to the doctors at Villa and see what is actually possible. I trust their judgment and will follow whatever they say.”
Another Aston Villa player in the news is Stephen Ireland. The former Irish international has been linked with a move to New York Red Bulls. The news came from an unusual source, Michael Becker, who is the agent for German Michael Ballack. Becker seemed annoyed that the Bulls were supposed to be more interested in 25 year old Ireland rather than his 35 year player!
SOUTH CONTINUES
SETANTA DOMINENCE
Linfield won the inaugural All-Ireland Setanta Sports Cup, but since then the competition has been dominated by League of Ireland clubs. Now three of the four clubs through to the semifinals of this year’s competition are from the League of Ireland. The odd one out is Crusaders, who will meet Sligo in the semifinal next month. The second semifinal will be between holders Shamrock Rovers and Derry City, who are of course based in the North, but play in the League of Ireland. So it looks like the switch to summer football is clearly benefiting the League of Ireland clubs because 10 years ago clubs from the North were regarded as being better organised.
TAYLOR TO BOX
AMERICAN CHAMP
Irish Olympic medal hopeful Katie Taylor has been taking part in various boxing promotions in her home town of Bray recently. She continues her preparation when she will box US national champion Liz Leddy in the Silversprings Hotel, Cork, on Friday next. Twelve other bouts are down for decision on the night.
HELP WANTED
In the aftermath of a terrible scrummaging display against England at Twickenham on St. Patrick’s Day the Irish Rugby Football Union has advertised for a national scrummaging coach. IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said that they probably should have this person in place before now. Tight head prop John Hayes, who won over 100 caps before he retired last year, is being missed and when Mike Ross was injured against England on St Patrick’s Day we were well beaten in the scrum. Browne said: ‘‘We were already committed to the date, a few days after the defeat to England. I wouldn’t read too much in that defeat, we have had good results and bad results over the last couple of weeks.’’ But clearly at this stage the IRFU and the provinces need to get together and bring through prop forwards who qualify for Ireland and are not imports.
HOLE IN 1 WOULD
YIELD €1 MILLION
If you are a golfer visiting Ireland next month you should try and play a round at Druid’s Glen in County Wicklow. From now until the end of May every golfer who tees off at Druid’s Glen or Druid’s Heath will be entered into a draw. The first 50 names out of the hat will be invited back to play in the Druid’s Glen “shot in a million” competition on June 1. On that day every competitor will have just one shot at the par three 12th hole. And if anybody gets a hole in one in one at the 174-yard hole they will win €1 million. The odds of an amateur getting a hole in one are 12,750/1, but there will be a million euro for everybody who gets a hole in one that day. Further information from: www.druidsglenresort.com.
Dublin is going to have its first official night race next month with the inaugural Run Dublin at Night 10K on Sunday, April 29. The decision to hold the race on a Sunday night seems strange as one of the appeals of a night run is that people can take part in them after they have finished work. But I suppose the race will not cause as much traffic disruption on a Sunday night and it’s expected to attract the 5,000 capacity entry. The race will start near Trinity College at 8.30pm and the route will take the runners up O’Connell Street, down the quays past the Custom House and Convention Centre, across Samuel Beckett Bridge, past the new Grand Canal Theatre, passing Shelbourne Park, the Aviva Stadium and ending at Westland Row.
MEYLER LAYS DOWN LAW
Kerry hurling manager John Meyler says he is standing by his decision to drop the three Boyle brothers from the senior squad. Meyler dropped Liam, Mikey and Padraig, who play for the Ballyduff club from the Kerry squad after they played a game for local soccer club Rattoo Rovers a few days before the hurling league game against Carlow. A fourth brother Aidan is still part of the Kerry squad. The move was ironic in that Wexford-born Meyler is a former soccer player himself and his son David currently plays for English club Sunderland. But he says it has nothing to do with soccer but about getting a full commitment from all players in the Kerry squad.
