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Dave Hannigan remembers a time of a ‘head full of hair and some serious notions’

The 12 men who have been awarded Ireland caps; a rethink of venues for women’s GAA deciders

West Ham United fans show their support during a Premier League match. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA Wire

Mary Hannigan's face
Mary Hannigan
Thu Apr 20 2023 - 10:30

Dave Hannigan took a trip down memory lane recently when he visited some of the old footballing haunts in England which featured in his early days of sports journalism, at a time when he “had a head full of hair and some serious notions”.

How interested were his two American teenage sons, who accompanied him on the trip, in his reminiscing? Not very. But they did at least learn some local lingo when he took them to a West Ham game. “What is a facking tw*t,” asked Finn, “they keep saying, ‘Moyes, you facking tw*t!’

It’s a gem of a piece, which comes VERY highly recommended.

Sonia O’Sullivan had a memorable trip recently too, travelling to Augusta for her first taste of the Masters. One of the strict rules for visiting ‘patrons’ is that they’re not allowed to run on the course, but even that couldn’t ruin Sonia’s visit, one she describes as “a masterful sporting experience”.

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In rugby, Johnny Watterson writes about the 12 men who have finally been awarded Ireland caps, five of them for a match played in 1946, having been retrospectively recognised by the IRFU for appearances in games that had not, until now, been categorised as capped internationals.

John O’Sullivan, meanwhile, talks to Sam Monaghan ahead of Ireland’s daunting Six Nations’ meeting with England in Musgrave Park on Saturday, the build-up to the encounter littered with no end of negativity. John also hears from Peter O’Mahony ahead of Munster’s URC game against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.

In Gaelic games, Gordon Manning talks to Galway hurler David Burke a fortnight after he underwent cruciate ligament surgery, while Ciarán Murphy salutes Monaghan’s Ryan O’Toole for being daring enough to go for goal against Tyrone last weekend, at a time when the game has become “extraordinarily risk-averse”.

Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh is no stranger to going for goal, adding another one to her lengthy tally in Kerry’s win over Galway last Saturday, a victory that gave the county its first Division One National Football League title since 1991. Now, she tells Gordon, they’re aiming for their first All Ireland success since 1993.

There was, though, a sparse enough attendance at that league final in Croke Park, as was the case too with the camogie decider, prompting Joanne O’Riordan to call for a rethink on where these games should be staged when they look so lost in such a vast arena.

Telly watch: Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are in the field for the first Major of the season, the Chevron Championship – Sky Sports Golf has live coverage from 4.0 to 8.0 and 11.0 to 1.0am. In football, Sevilla and Manchester United square up in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final (BT Sport 1 & Virgin Media Two, kick-off 8.0).