Judging by the amount of abuse directed at The Irish Times in Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's newly published Diary of a Schools Rugby Player, it might be a good idea to clear up some of the issues now in order to avoid further upset.
For a start, The Irish Times does not have plans for sponsored schools' coverage - "Total Schools' Rugby Totally" - along the lines of Bulmers Total Golf. And therefore there is no deal whereby Gerry Thornley has to cover every Castlerock match.
Criticism over the space allocated to O'Carroll-Kelly's heroics in the early rounds of the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup is also unfounded. That was unintentional, and we are talking TOTALLY here. As for the problems with name spelling, where errors occur it is the policy of The Irish Times to correct or clarify as soon as practicable.
That and a few other points aside, the devious and amusing Miseducation of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly is remarkably close to reality. The book, roysh, is published by The Sunday Tribune at £6.99.
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