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Mary Hannigan: Rock Brynner’s obituaries focused on his Hollywood father, but his path was uniquely his own

Gavin Cummiskey brings news that Shelbourne’s Irish shareholders are to buy back the 60 per cent stake bought by Turkish billionaire Acun Ilicali

Rock Brynner and Liza Minnelli during an after-party at Hisae Restaurant in New York City. Photograph: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

Mary Hannigan's face
Mary Hannigan
Thu Nov 9 2023 - 11:24

When Rock Brynner died last month at the age of 76, his obituaries focused on the fact that he was the only son of Hollywood icon Yul Brynner. But, as Dave Hannigan writes, today, “this character chose a meandering life path uniquely his own”. A list of his many occupations demonstrates as much – among them: actor, chef, playwright, pilot, novelist, farmer, history professor, tour manager and co-founder of the Hard Rock Café.

But the most “unlikely” entry in his CV was that of “Bodyguard to the Greatest” – Brynner being Muhammad Ali’s minder for a spell – which included Ali’s trip to Dublin for his 1972 fight with Al “Blue” Lewis at Croke Park. Brynner was more than familiar with the city, having studied at Trinity College. “It wasn’t an easy life,” he once said but, as Dave puts it, it was “definitely epic”.

Ciarán Murphy would probably stop short of describing his days playing club football in Galway as “epic”, his chief memory from meetings with Corofin being giving the ball away. “The verdicts on my pathetic work-rate that reached my ears were abusive ... the stuff I couldn’t hear was undoubtedly worse.” But he salutes Corofin for their success down the years and the manner in which they achieved it. And for the fact that they have an “openness to change”, having appointed an outside manager this year, Sligo’s Kevin Johnson.

The hurlers of Longford, Cavan, Leitrim, Louth and Fermanagh most certainly aren’t open to the change being proposed that would see counties with fewer than five adult club hurling teams excluded from the National Hurling League. “I’m in total and utter shock and probably slightly disgusted at the blatant disregard of the players,” Cavan manager, Ollie Bellew, tells Gordon Manning.

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A week after Damien Duff cast some doubt on his future at Shelbourne, it looks like there’ll be no managerial change at the club after all. Gavin Cummiskey brings news that its Irish shareholders are to buy back the 60 per cent stake bought by Turkish billionaire Acun Ilicali last June and one of their first acts will be to ensure Duff stays at the helm for a third season.

And on the international front, there is some rare good news for Stephen Kenny with the return to fitness of captain Séamus Coleman, who had been out of action since picking up a medial knee ligament injury last May. He should, then, be back for the game away to the Netherlands on Saturday week.

TV Watch: Tom McKibbin is in action today at the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa (Sky Sports Golf, 9am-2.30pm), while Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow feature in a star-studded field, which includes nine of the world’s top 10, at The Annika Championship in Florida (Sky Sports Golf, 3pm-6pm). Later, Liverpool are away to Toulouse (TNT Sports 1) and Brighton take on Ajax in Amsterdam (Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports 2) in the Europa League – both games kick off at 5.45pm. At 8pm, West Ham are at home to Olympiakos in the same competition (Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports 1).