Advertisement

Wrestling, war and so much more: It's the week's best sportswriting

This week’s collection of writing takes us from the cemetery to the squared circle.

1. “After he pinned Lesnar, McIntyre looked directly into the camera to thank the fans and then climbed the ropes to celebrate with an imaginary audience while a felled Lesnar laid comically in the background. The “thank you” was meant to thank fans for their support, but it might as well have been for sticking out the show.”

Sport is thin on the ground, but The Ringer’s David Shoemaker writes that the Wrestlemania soap opera is finding innovative ways to keep the show on the road.

garda-padraig-egan File photo of a Garda checkpoint during the Covid-19 guidelines. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

2. ‘I suppose I could have flashed my ‘necessary worker’ ID, but I doubt any garda would have believed I was heading for a press conference in the cemetery in Kilcully.’

In The Examiner, Michael Moynihan writes to the departed he was unable to visit.

 3. “By the end of the year, the war had reached its crescendo and on 10th of December, the British government declared martial law in Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry. Mass gatherings of young men were forcefully terminated, often with tragic repercussions.

“On the 7th of February 1921, a military patrol opened fire on a body of civilians near Knocknagree, who were thought to have been armed. Two boys, aged nine and eleven, were wounded as they were “hurling in a field adjoining the village”. Michael J. Kelleher, aged fourteen, was killed. That year, almost no G.A.A activity occurred in Cork.”

Eoin O’Cathain takes us on an enthralling walk through the 1920 Munster Championships.

4. “Clubs accustomed to the unyielding loyalty of fans have managed to alienate even their most ardent followers. Players, more accustomed to being seen as heroes, have been accused not only of failing to help their teams stanch losses, but of the much more serious offense of not offering financial support to Britain’s overworked health service.”

For the New York Times, Rory Smith and Tariq Panja detail the row between Premier League players and clubs that is leaving both sides bloodied.

5. “Some way, he is still not sure how, his mother Meg filled that house with books and he devoured the western novels of Zane Grey, the speeches of Winston Churchill and the collected Shakespeare. A library to fire an imagination and a thirst for discovering the wider world.”

Dave Hannigan catches up with Michael Dowling, a Limerick man working to co-ordinate New York’s response to the pandemic. for the Irish Times.

Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Danny Mike Hennessy
    Favourite Danny Mike Hennessy
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 7:37 PM

    And Iam one of them.. from Aherlow to Madrid Harps!!

    198
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Felicia Spells
    Favourite Felicia Spells
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 9:58 PM

    That’s the legacy of Fianna Fáil and you still will get idiots that will vote for them

    187
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Steve M
    Favourite Steve M
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 9:59 PM

    Colm Keaveny says they have changed….surly he couldn’t be wrong

    92
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Strong
    Favourite Jack Strong
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:21 PM

    Of course they will, because their TD’s great-grand-uncle 14 times’ removed handed DeV a glass of water in Boland’s Mill when he asked for a drink. Ironic really seeing as we replaced one monarchy with another…

    62
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fong Wannapho
    Favourite Fong Wannapho
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:27 PM

    Green Thumb.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute joe o'reilly
    Favourite joe o'reilly
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 11:14 PM

    It’s sad to hear but money pays the bills not playing GAA.

    62
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Plucky Duck
    Favourite Plucky Duck
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 11:59 AM

    If these guys played for Dublin there would be alot more help available to them…. Anyone else… On your bike lads…!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute YourAuldLady
    Favourite YourAuldLady
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 9:57 PM

    Sad sign of the times. Our club were county champions 2 years ago, of the 30 on the panel 16 have left as no work in the area and 14 of those have left the country.

    59
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lad
    Favourite Lad
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:02 PM

    What? What club is that

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Beakey
    Favourite Kevin Beakey
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 8:24 PM

    Ahhhhhhhh come on…….
    any of the 600 gone wouldn’t have stopped Clare winning the all Ireland this year….

    58
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tomás Tiernan
    Favourite Tomás Tiernan
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 9:17 PM

    Ridiculous statement!

    97
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul White
    Favourite Paul White
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 10:12 AM

    Clare ha..one back door all ireland in near twenty year and cocky all ready eh. Not even munster champs…roll on next year.

    18
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Beakey
    Favourite Kevin Beakey
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 10:18 AM

    Yea can’t wait back to back all Irelands

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Dson
    Favourite Dave Dson
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:33 PM

    Incredible that they only went to U.K. ,U.S. and Australia. 100%.
    It was a very narrow-minded group of people.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Spoddgy
    Favourite Spoddgy
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:41 PM

    And where did you go to Dave? North Korea? Iraq? Afghanistan?

    101
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shawn Rahoon
    Favourite Shawn Rahoon
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:50 PM

    Spoddgy you left out Limerick

    18
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Dson
    Favourite Dave Dson
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:58 PM

    I am in Budapest. 8 years. Why?
    They may end up joining their armies and end up in Iraq and Afghanistan anyway.
    Why not got to Canada, Germany, New Zealand, The EUA or anywhere in Scandinavia? They all speak English if that is their problem.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Padraig Culbert
    Favourite Padraig Culbert
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 11:28 AM

    Listen? Hear it? That’s the yawning sound of ignorance. Mark it well because it is often disguised as informed opinion.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall H
    Favourite Niall H
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 9:54 PM

    600 new club members in Dublin gaa?!

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute W.j.d.
    Favourite W.j.d.
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 11:02 PM

    Ever hear a tipp man speaking English …. Ha ha ha here comes the red thumbs…

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daddy De La Noche
    Favourite Daddy De La Noche
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 2:11 AM

    Anyone who has been to Tipperary will know that emigration is better than a life stuck there, coming from someone who lives here and will be leaving soon.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Lawlor
    Favourite Sean Lawlor
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 1:06 PM

    You will be a major loss… Hope the rest of us can manage without you in the premier county!

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard O'Gorman
    Favourite Richard O'Gorman
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 10:00 PM

    No worries, plenty have arrived to take their places.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Reg Holdsworth
    Favourite Reg Holdsworth
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 2:02 AM

    Ya mary, more like a spent force!

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Walshe
    Favourite Mary Walshe
    Report
    Dec 3rd 2013, 11:52 PM

    Kilkenny on the way back, in force !

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor O Callaghan
    Favourite Conor O Callaghan
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 8:02 AM

    The Tipp crowd are no good

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Elvio Verdi
    Favourite Elvio Verdi
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 7:58 PM

    GOOD.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Hurley
    Favourite Brian Hurley
    Report
    Dec 4th 2013, 5:44 PM

    Is that all? Lucky they still have 500+ Most counties would be lucky to have 50

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel