Features

Speaking to both Killian and Philip Butler you have to pinch yourself and remember that you are speaking to two devout Gaels. Such are their London accents, it is easy to forget that these boys are Irish to the core.  Born and raised in Greenford, the Butler brothers are key figures within the Tír Chonaill Gaels club, the current London …

Derek McGrath agrees with his Waterford successor, Paraic Fanning, that the GAA need to focus their attention elsewhere rather than trying to ban training camps. Earlier this week, Fanning voiced his displeasure at the GAA’s ruling to prohibit foreign training camps from next year onwards. Waterford recently returned from a five-day stint in Portugal and Fanning described the change in …

For elite Irish athletes, 2019 is a pivotal year as in a lot of cases it provides an opportunity to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and for pentathlete Natalya Coyle, she is no different.  The 28-year-old Meath native is no stranger to the process having qualified for London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 where she finished …

It’s rare that we get a championship season like the one we have waiting in the wings. Dublin stand on the brink of etching their names into the annals of GAA history. If they complete the five-in-a-row they will surely go down as the greatest in Gaelic Games history. Kilkenny hurlers attempted the feat in 2010 only to come unstuck …

Belgium born with hurling roots and an ex-career in professional football, you won’t meet many Gaelic footballers like Kevin Feely. The Kildare vice captain’s sporting career has been far from straight forward. Born in Brussels to Irish parents, Feely spent the first seven years of his life in the Belgian capital before returning home and settling in Waterford. It was …

An early goal from Donny Van De Beek gave Ajax a crucial 1-0 win against Spurs in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The away side started off the better and their crisp passing and youthful endeavour led to their opener after just 15 minutes as Donny Van De Beek picked up space …

On Tuesday former Ireland and Manchester United defender John O’Shea announced that he would be calling time on his career at the end of the season. O’Shea, who has been at Championship side Reading since the start of the season, brings the curtain down on a career that has spanned over 20 years and included five Premier League titles, an …

There’s something about the Irish psyche which means many of our elite athletes tend to play down their achievements or make safe predictions about their potential success in future competitions. Focusing on the quality of their opponents, or using phrases such as “I’ll give it my best and see what happens” are often expressed and it’s clear to see why. …

It was a few years back when a story seeped out and started doing the rounds within Premier League circles. Manchester United were desperate to bolster their squad as the clock ticked down on the end of the summer transfer window, thus a technician with a Sky Box was surprised to be sent to the home of a club executive …

On Sunday, Sheffield United’s promotion back to the Premier League was confirmed following Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. The result for third-placed Leeds as well as United’s victory over already-relegated Ipswich on Saturday meant that the Blades ensured their spot in the top flight for the first time since the 2006/2007 campaign. Chris Wilder’s men, in only their …

Leeds United and Aston Villa played out a controversial 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Sunday in one of the most chaotic games the Championship has ever seen. After a scoreless and relatively even first half, Leeds took the lead after Mateusz Klich fired the ball past Jed Steer in the Villa goal despite the opposition appearing to stop, assuming …

Irish manager Mick McCarthy was quick to deliver a message to the section of Ipswich fans who “hounded him out” of the club as the Tractor Boys await relegation to League One. McCarthy spent five seasons with Ipswich in the Championship, taking them from the bottom of the table when he arrived to 14th in his first campaign followed by …

“Someone like Mike Lowry is a very experienced head on young shoulders. He’s going to be a phenomenal player, obviously and I think he’s going to be a leader on the back of that as well.”  Ulster prop Eric O’Sullivan didn’t take long to respond when asked who he believes could step up as a leader for the northern province …