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https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2025/12/17/gaa-ramps-up-efforts-to-tackle-unsustainable-team-costs-with-new-licence-motion/

GAA ramps up efforts to tackle 'unsustainable' team costs with new licence motion
Several counties have reported team expenditure in excess of €2m in 2025

GAA president Jarlath Burns says the new proposal 'will redefine what it means to be an amateur athlete at elite level'. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
GAA president Jarlath Burns says the new proposal 'will redefine what it means to be an amateur athlete at elite level'. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Gordon Manning
Wed Dec 17 2025 - 18:53
•
3 MIN READ

A motion will go before GAA Congress next February requiring counties to attain a new high-performance licence to run their county teams. The move is part of efforts by Croke Park to tackle the "unsustainable" costs associated with team preparation.

The finer details of the proposal, which will be put forward by the GAA's Amateur Status Review Committee, are still being finalised. It will mark the first significant regulatory step towards creating a certification model under which all counties would have to operate.

The total spend on preparing county teams reached €43.35 million in 2024. Already this year, several counties have reported team costs in excess of €2 million – including Tipperary, Cork, Limerick, Kerry, Donegal and Galway.

Speaking about the matter when appearing at the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport on Wednesday, GAA president Jarlath Burns said the spiralling costs are a significant concern for the association.

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The committee was convened to discuss the integration process with regard to the GAA, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie Association. However, Burns responded to the team-costs issue when the matter was raised by committee chairman Alan Kelly.

"Up until now, the GAA is a governance organisation when we didn't have a regulatory power," said Burns. "So, at Congress we have a new proposal that will redefine what it means to be an amateur athlete at elite level.


"But it is also going to obligate counties to apply for a high-performance licence to run their county teams.

"Under which is going to be populated with lots of things, which is going to have a greater framework around the close season, around the amount of money being spent, particularly given the interest the Revenue have shown in matters around the payment of people who are around county teams. We hope by that evolutionary process, we will start to get costs down."

https://www.ft.com/content/4b183c4d-3dee-4ebf-b42c-85f58082de54

Donald Trump has an "alcoholic's personality"; JD Vance has been a "conspiracy theorist for a decade"; Elon Musk is an "odd, odd duck". And the internal divisions were "huge" over Washington's so-called liberation day tariffs that rattled markets in April and had to be rolled back. Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, delivered those judgments on the president and his inner circle in an explosive interview with Vanity Fair magazine that was published on Tuesday and contained unusually biting critiques of key figures in the administration.

Fella from Derry on University Challenge  this week

Question..... Other than  Belfast, Bangor and Derry , name two other cities in the  north?

His answer...

Antrim and Omagh


What do they teach these youngsters in school  these days?

Is it Newtownabbey and Lisburn?

https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/12/18/trump-delivers-a-brief-but-cheerless-address-parading-old-promises-and-boasts/There is a quickening sense that the age of Trump may already have passed: that the fever has broken within the Republican Party and across the Republic itself. Trump's polling numbers make for scary reading. The stunningly indiscreet portrayal of key figures within the administration by chief of staff Susie Wiles in this week's Vanity Fair interview was so blunt that it stunned both sides of the political aisle.
And who would have guessed, at January's inauguration, that Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump's most vociferous champion in Congress, would by December have cut herself loose from the Maga movement and announce, on CNN, that "lame duck season" had already begun on Trump's second term? Her view is that Republican lawmakers are reading the tea-leaves and eyeing next year's midterms and are beginning to turn their thoughts to survival.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/12/18/hybrid-threats-expected-to-increase-during-irelands-eu-presidency-department-warns/

Hybrid threats are expected to increase in Europe over the coming years, including during Ireland's EU presidency, Department of Defence officials have warned.
In briefing materials prepared for newly appointed Minister for Defence Helen McEntee last month, officials noted Europe's security and defence will likely be the "dominant context" of the Irish presidency during the second half of 2026.
They warned that the trend of hybrid activity, described as "systemic, coercive behaviour directed by a state actor and designed to damage a target", is expected to "increase over the coming years, including during our presidency".
While hybrid activity can take place across "all possible domains", officials said it includes "systemic foreign interference in the information space", including in the context of elections.
According to the document provided under the Freedom of Information Act, portions of which are heavily redacted, it also includes sabotage, instrumentalisation of migration, cyber activity, attacks against critical infrastructure, and radio frequency interference.
[ Spike in Russian shadow fleet activities during Zelenskiy visitOpens in new window ]
"The trend of increasing hybrid activity is expected to continue and could escalate in the event of a ceasefire and Russian reliance on a war economy model," the document reads.

As part of ongoing preparations for Ireland's EU presidency, officials noted that some €19 million will be spent to acquire counter unmanned aerial systems, or anti-drone technology

https://www.ft.com/content/a03d9bb4-16c3-4343-a667-5ef5dbdc6b64

Vice-president JD Vance went to Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley on Tuesday with a mission: salvage his boss's message on the economy. Beneath a banner emblazoned with "Lower Prices, Bigger Paychecks", he dismissed a disappointing jobs report that had been published just hours before and turned the blame for America's stubborn inflation on former president Joe Biden. "We are fighting for you every single day, and I don't want you to think for one second that because Joe Biden gave us the worst economy in the world that we forget it," Vance said in the centre of a shipping warehouse.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/12/16/ireland-to-buy-500m-military-radar-system-from-france/

A new radar, maybe the French can sell a few Rafales to datalink with as well

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/12/16/ireland-to-buy-500m-military-radar-system-from-france/The military radar programme comprises three parts. There will be a long range, land-based radar, a ship-borne maritime radar and ground-based air defence systems, which will include counter-drone technology.

These systems will combine to provide a "recognised air picture", enabling the military to see all aircraft over the State, including those with their transponders switched off.

The Government said the project will be completed by the end of 2028, with some counter-drone capabilities being acquired before Ireland takes up the EU presidency in July 2026.

Funding for the project will come from the €1.7 billion National Development Plan for the Defence Forces which was published last week.

https://www.ft.com/content/db1c00d8-1118-474e-8230-c7139b981556

In Donald Trump's telling, London is governed by a "horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor", Sadiq Khan. European leaders are "weak", their nations "decaying" and the EU was established to "screw" the US.  Trump reserves much of his sharpest criticism for America's allies in Europe. The US president's frustration with Nato members over their failure to meet the alliance's defence spending targets was well known. The level of antipathy was not.

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/dj-carey-the-dodger/10013798-00-0000?epguid=IP10013802-01-0001

[The report says that the botched campaign will cost the party between €350,000 and €400,000.]

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/12/16/fianna-fail-presidential-election-report-party-told-jim-gavin-past-disputes-would-be-uncovered/

Fianna Fáil presidential election report: Party told Jim Gavin past disputes would be uncovered
Document does not appear to contain any previously unknown 'smoking gun' about party's disastrous campaign

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil's presidential candidate Jim Gavin speaking to members of the media at the Ploughing Championships. Photograph: Ronan McGreevy
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is likely to face sharp criticism at a meeting of his parliamentary party over his handling of the presidential campaign with candidate Jim Gavin (right). Photograph: Ronan McGreevy
Pat Leahy
Tue Dec 16 2025 - 18:12
•
4 MIN READ


Jim Gavin was told before he became the Fianna Fáil candidate for the presidency that any disputes with former tenants would come to light, but he repeatedly told the party that he had no recollection of any issue, according to an internal review of the doomed campaign.

The report – which has recently been circulated to Fianna Fáil TDs – does not appear to contain any previously unknown "smoking gun" about the party's disastrous presidential campaign, though TDs may be annoyed that Mr Gavin's candidacy was being considered by the party leadership for months before they found out.

However, the report makes clear that many potential candidates were in the mix over the summer period.

Taoiseach and party leader Micheál Martin is likely to face sharp criticism at a meeting of his parliamentary party on Tuesday evening, with rumours of a motion of no-confidence circulating at Leinster House and some TDs suggesting that party rebels were already seeking signatures for a motion of no confidence.

 
Mr Gavin was asked again about any dispute with a tenant before the parliamentary party meeting which saw him chosen above Billy Kelleher – but again told party officials that he had no recollection of any dispute.

However, the report does not say that Mr Martin or his chief of staff Deirdre Gillane were in possession of any detailed information about the dispute between Mr Gavin and his tenant before they sought support for his candidacy among Fianna Fáil TDs.


The report says that Mr Gavin was subjected to a more intensive due diligence process than any previous candidate for the party in any election, in which it was stressed to him that any past disputes or controversies were likely to come out. Ultimately, party officials accepted Mr Gavin's assurances that he could not recall any disputes.

But once the existence of a dispute with the former tenant was revealed, and that Mr Gavin owed the man €3,300, Mr Martin and deputy leader Jack Chambers told him that they were no longer in a position to ask the parliamentary party to continue its support for him.

Mr Gavin had been suggested to Mr Chambers as a possible candidate by the former Dublin footballer Keith Barr in early June and he was approached soon afterwards, meeting with Mr Chambers later that month. After a series of discussions, including with Mr Martin on July 21st, he confirmed his interest in being the party's candidate to party general secretary Sean Dorgan on August 1st.

However, this information was kept quiet by the party leadership, as they did not want Gavin's candidacy to become public during the August silly season.

The report also reveals that MEP Billy Kelleher urged Mr Martin to stand for the presidency in mid-August in a text message to Mr Martin's chief of staff Deirdre Gillane, in which he said that it was "unimportant to me" as he was now in Brussels. This was just five days before Mr Kelleher requested a special parliamentary party meeting to consider the issue.

[ Inside Fianna Fáil: How grassroots members feel about Micheál Martin amid shambolic presidential campaignOpens in new window ]

Shortly afterwards, in a telephone call between the two men, Mr Kelleher indicated to Mr Martin that he would not seek the nomination if he (Mr Martin) had a preferred candidate, though the two men agreed to discuss the issue again. However, Mr Kelleher would go on to change his mind and declared his candidacy after Mr Martin and Mr Chambers had begun contacting members of the parliamentary party to seek support for Mr Gavin.


The report says that the party was not given details about the tenant dispute and the €3,300 owed to the tenant until October 2nd. The party again put the allegations to Mr Gavin, who again said he had no recollection of any dispute or money owing. The party issued a statement in response to the questions. The following day, seeing the party's denials on Mr Gavin's behalf, the tenant – Sunday World deputy editor Niall Donald – contacted Fianna Fáil.

Following discussions with the party leadership, Mr Gavin pulled out of the race the next day, after Mr Martin and Mr Chambers told him that they could not ask the organisation to continue campaigning for him.

The report says that the botched campaign will cost the party between €350,000 and €400,000.

The report makes a number of recommendations about how presidential candidates should be selected in future, pointing to the absence of any formal rules currently in existence. There is not, it says, and has never been a procedure by which a person can seek to be the Fianna Fáil candidate.

It says the new rules should be drawn up by an internal rules committee and adopted by an ardfheis. It stresses that adequate time should be set aside for the process to take place in advance of a presidential election. It says that the process as carried out this year placed some potential candidates at a disadvantage because they could not officially declare their candidacy until September 2nd.

The report will be discussed at what is expected to be a stormy Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting at Leinster House on Tuesday evening.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2025/12/16/brendan-rodgers-confirmed-as-head-coach-of-saudi-pro-league-club-al-qadsiah/

Brendan Rodgers has been confirmed as the head coach of the Saudi� Arabian side Al-Qadsiah. Rodgers resigned from Celtic in October, a move that triggered a stinging attack from the club's main shareholder Dermot Desmond. The 52-year-old is yet to address Desmond's comments but is known to have been attractive to Saudi clubs for some time. He turned down a move to the kingdom after leaving Leicester in 2023.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/16/liverpool-parade-crash-driver-sentencing-day-two/#1765890411693

Dashcam footage showing the moments when Paul Doyle ploughed through crowds at the Liverpool victory parade was the most graphic and distressing experienced police officers had ever seen.
Paul Doyle has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison.

Its a fixture not a rule.
Ulster team v Connacht team should mean a Leinster venue with a Leinster or Munster Ref.

what a juvenile perspective. Any ground that is not on within the boundary of the two counties involved is neutral ffs. Trying to get a balance of distance for both teams is a different point. The ref, I know if I was from Scotstown I wouldn't want McQuillian who is from Ulster.

It's 45 km for Scotstown and 85km for Brigids.

Chris Hedges on Bondi
https://youtu.be/eNbaARiszJU

https://www.ft.com/content/5cbedc56-b29a-4284-901b-aef5f6853135

Her remarks follow a series of sabotage incidents in the UK and across Europe that have been attributed to Russia or Russia-linked actors, including a fire at a London warehouse last year and a railway line explosion last month in Poland. Airports have also been disrupted by drones.

Last week, the UK's foreign secretary Yvette Cooper warned that Russia was running "vast malign online networks" as part of a strategy of "information warfare".