It would be true to say that plans to rebrand Páirc Uí Chaoimh as SuperValu Páirc – “a clunky, bilingual, mash-up,” as Denis Walsh puts it – haven’t, on the whole, been warmly received, everyone from the grandson of the man after whom the stadium was named, Pádraig Ó Caoimh, to Tánaiste Micheál Martin having their say on the matter. Mind you, with the debt on the stadium in excess of €30 million, it’s little wonder that Cork GAA are considering “flogging its identity to the highest bidder”, although as Denis tells us, “it won’t be called by its new name ... in Cork, people only ever called it The Park. No change”.
After “a remarkable and historic football career” that saw him win eight All-Irelands, becoming the top scorer in Dublin football history along the way, Dean Rock probably deserves to have a stadium named after him. Following his announcement on Tuesday that he is retiring from intercounty football, Seán Moran looks back at Rock’s contribution to his county’s success.
Conor Glass is hoping to collect an All-Ireland medal himself, this one of the club variety when his Glen side take on St Brigid’s of Roscommon in Sunday’s football final at Dean Rock Park – correction: Croke Park. Gordon Manning talks to the Derry man who, since his return from Australia in late 2020, “has stirred both his club and county to life”.
Andy Farrell has put a fair chunk of life in to Irish rugby too since taking on the national job, Gordon D’Arcy saluting his “management skills and his ability to pick people, as much as players, who add value to the squad”. Farrell will name his selection for the upcoming Six Nations campaign today at 2pm, Gordon taking a look at the contenders for a call-up.
Johnny Watterson goes through Farrell’s options too, with injuries and retirements leaving openings that the likes of “Shane Daly, Jacob Stockdale, Robert Baloucoune and Calvin Nash” will hope to fill. Farrell has also to name his new captain, Peter O’Mahony among the contenders, Gerry Thornley talking to Munster defence coach Denis Leamy about the Ireland backrow’s contractual position in light of news that he has yet to be offered a new deal for next season.
On the Olympic-qualifying front, the Irish women’s hockey team kept alive their hopes of making it to Paris this summer with an excellent 3-1 win over Korea on Tuesday evening, while cyclist Kelly Murphy has her own Olympic ambitions, the 34-year-old aiming to qualify as part of the Irish pursuit team. Ian O’Riordan caught up with her to check the progress of that journey, Murphy now free to focus on her cycling having just completed her PhD in brain imaging and cognitive neuroscience. For that feat alone, she should have a velodrome named after her.
TV Watch: There’s more action from the Australian Open on Eurosport today (up to 1.30 this afternoon), while Sky Sports Football’s Africa Cup of Nations offerings are Morocco v Tanzania (5.0) and DR Congo v Zambia (8.0). And Nottingham Forest have a nervy trip to Blackpool for their third round FA Cup replay (TV4 and Premier Sports 1, 7.45).
