KILKENNY CAPTAIN LESTER RYAN has two good reasons to keep an eye on Wexford this weekend.
After shocking champions Clare, Liam Dunne’s side are still in the mix to join the Cats and Cork in the All-Ireland semi-finals.
To do that, they will have to first beat Waterford in Nowlan Park tomorrow and then safely negotiate a quarter-final against Limerick on 27 July.
As well as doing some opposition scouting, Ryan will be watching out for his cousin — rising star Liam Ryan.
The Raparees defender is one of Wexford’s most promising talents and helped the county to their second straight Leinster U21 title earlier this month.
“He’s my second cousin,” Ryan explained.
I met him there last year. I think he must be living in the gym — he’s gotten fierce big! Last year or the year before he was a minor and now he looks older than me.
“He’s making great ground and he’s a brilliant player. It’s enjoyable watching Wexford and seeing him playing, and it was great for them to get over [Clare].
“Obviously the Ryan family were delighted for him down there,” he added, joking: “I think there’s Kilkenny blood in him even if he doesn’t say it.
“His grandfather hurled for Wexford and moved down from Kilkenny, so his grandfather would be my grand-uncle.”
The younger Ryan cousin is one of four players who have juggled a hectic few weeks with Wexford’s two senior games against Clare falling either side of their Leinster U21 decider.
Their progress at underage and at senior level has emerged as another challenge to Kilkenny’s long-standing dominance in Leinster, Lester Ryan said.
“It is becoming more competitive and it’s great to see Wexford coming through so strong.
Unfortunately they’re after winning two U21s and two defeats for our U21s with it, so it’s definitely becoming more competitive. You just have to look at their U21 team, and the same with Dublin.
“The last three years have thrown up three different Leinster champions so it’s definitely becoming a more competitive province.”
Imagine the howls of outrage and the screams of “Waaayyyycism!” on the journal if the situation was reversed!
But this is racism but not in the right way so no one will talk about it, no one likes to talk about racism against white people.
An everyday example of the double standards that exist with race relations.
I couldn’t possibly say whether Mike Tyson is racist – he may be, he may not be – but what I can say is that if this story was reversed, the Journal’s house woollies (regular readers know who they are) would have been all over this story like a rash. As it is they’re conspicuous in their absence.
Well including this thread there are currently 5 of the 14 comments on this page alluding to the fact that his remark was racist, that’s 36% of the comments on the page. Considering the guys other flaws that’s a pretty good hit rate.
So what if he’s a rapist, he was a damn good boxer.
*racist* Bloody auto correct.
Spike Lee is an overt racist yet he gets away with it even being nominated for Academy Awards.
Why is this animal kept in the spot light. He’s a convicted rapist and has done his sport no favours in bitting his opponents. He also feels it’s appropriate to call someone a “white motherf***er”. If he was called a black motherf***er it would be racist. He’s been in films, had huge air time on TV and Radio, it just doesn’t make sense. Can we not cut this guy loose and find decent people in the world to fill the role he’s occupying.
You can analyse and criticize till the cows come home but there’s only one conclusion you can arrive at.
Mike Tyson had no choice but to become Mike Tyson.
He was a boxer. A ruthless fighting machine. A man in a brutal sport trying to survive.
He was born for the ring.
And that makes raping ok then? Seriously we all have a huge part to play in who we become. External factors influence but not decide who we want to be.
Polarising characters be it positive or negative will always fascinate people, the media and of course people that can make money off their back.
Looking for Doug……
Role models must be petty thin on the ground these days
Why is this bullying rapist still being glorified today???
Cause he is awesome
So you think rape is awesome??? You pathetic fool
Mind your ears son mike is hungry …….
Mike Tyson’s Autobiography is a great read but it can easily be summarised in three words: Boxing, women, cocaine.
Don’t forget , rape.
He should be still in prison how he is allowed into Europe never mind Ireland baffles me because he is a convicted sex offender.
relax he’s not racist sure he was practically adopted by white folks. it’s just how them brooklyn boys talk.
Sun Kil Moon’s ‘Ghosts of the Great Highway’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjA3EbKsl4E&list=PL9C56160C8E63F654
One of the best albums of the last ten years.
Pays tribute to some boxing legends who died too young. Particularly poignant is Duk Koo Kim died in the ring against Ray Mancini, trying to haul himself to his feet with his last breath.
Changed the sport forever.
Well worth a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBBqLPUxddc
A black man cannot be racist