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I'm sick of celebrities pining for Ireland
25 January 2026, 6:00am


You know when you're a kid and your parents finally get on your wick so much that you think, 'that's it – I'm gonna run away'? At the age of 15, I actually got to London, selling scent in a chemist in King's Cross Station for six weeks – but most children only get to the end of the road before slinking back after a few hours. To add insult to injury their families don't even realise they are gone.

When I think of this clownery, I'm reminded of the celebrities who stay in England and bang on about Ireland, or buy a holiday home there. It's the equivalent of running away to the end of the road for celebs who want to seem a bit special. Like a luxury belief, it's a luxury passport. I call them the Lie-rish, as the foundation on which their 'belief' is built is so false.

We're all aware of those hilariously sulky Remoaners who started fussing about having an Irish grandparent when they lost the Brexit referendum – and now the famous are doing it too

We're all aware of those hilariously sulky Remoaners who started fussing about having an Irish grandparent when they lost the Brexit referendum – the poor little oofums – and now the famous are doing it too. Take Steve Coogan, who somewhere along the line turned from a sparky bloke you'd like to hang out with to a left-wing Alan Partridge, apparently utterly unaware of how pompous his pronouncements sound. Like this one: 'I've always felt that I have slight antipathy towards the British flag I've been raised with. It's not like a contempt for it – it's just holding the Establishment at arm's length because of history.' Hmmm – would that be the bit of history that saw us stand alone against the Nazi war machine while the Emerald Isle was conveniently 'neutral', one wonders? Coogan then intoned, 'I am a part of the Irish diaspora.' (Is it just me who finds the taking up of the traditionally Jewish word 'diaspora' by every Tom, Dick and Paddy rather repulsive?) He continues: 'I've always felt like I lived in the middle of the Irish Sea because I feel like I've been spending all my summers in Ireland... Even though I was born in England, people would say "When are you coming home?"' In a foul yet oddly profound statement, he adds, 'I always think that if I get captured by Isis, I'm less likely to get my head chopped off with an Irish passport than a British one.' Well, Isis are certainly Nazis, and Nazis have certainly been friendlier towards the Irish than the British in the past, so the fool may have something here.

Let me make it clear that when I talk about 'Ireland' in this context, I'm not talking about beautiful, brave Northern Ireland here. No, I'm talking about Eire or whatever it calls itself. That earthly paradise of pink-cheeked colleens which was neutral in the second world war and where there are statues of Nazi sympathisers in public parks. Sean Russell, who travelled to Nazi Germany in 1940 to seek arms, support and training for the IRA's campaign against Britain, pleasingly died from a perforated ulcer while on a German U-boat off the coast of Galway in August 1940. He is commemorated with statue in Fairview Park in Dublin. This is, after all, the country where anti-Semitism is probably the worst in Europe, despite having a tiny Jewish population of around 2,700. Disturbingly, according to a recent 200-page report by the great investigative reporter David Collier:

'The spread of anti-Semitism throughout the Irish mainstream is clearly worse than in almost any other Western nation. It requires a massive educational drive to even begin to unravel some of the damage. In Ireland, anti-Jewish racism spreads within the corridors of power and unlike in the United Kingdom or the United States, appears to be as much driven from the top-down as the reverse. Some Irish politicians are obsessed about attacking Israel and Zionism, treating it in a manner different from the way they treat all other international issues. Irish politicians share material that is clearly fake and that comes from social-media accounts that are blatantly anti-Semitic. The argument that allegations of anti-Semitism are about stifling "criticism of Israel" is used to shield some of the most horrific anti-Jewish racism imaginable.'

The Irish establishment – including the artistic establishment like Kneecap – have always had a thing about the Jews. Is it a Biblical thing, the way Jewish schoolkids in New York used to get beaten up by Irish classmates for 'killing Jesus'? It seems somewhat simple-minded, but then some folk are. What's far weirder are people of Jewish origin like Daniel Day-Lewis (Jewish mum) who in 1987 nabbed an Irish passport and blew half a million quid on Castlekevin, a country house in County Wicklow. This led his friend Stephen Frears to harmlessly quip, 'I knew Daniel before he was Irish' to which Day-Lewis hissy-fitted 'I never knew Frears before he was a facetious slob'.

Why are the Lie-rish so sensitive? Is it because they know they're phoneys? Is it because they crave in the Emerald Isle things they'd consider 'too white' on the mainland? Perhaps the unspoken secret of the Lie-rish is that they like it there because parts of it – the rural parts – are like England before that nice Mr Blair decided that open borders were dead groovy. We've got the English equivalent in people like Billy Bragg who bang on about the glories of multiculturalism and then go and live in a dirty great mansion in one of the whitest counties in England. Overcrowding and an end to Englishness for plebby old thee – but not for lovely famous me.

But the irony is that the Irish are getting very angry indeed about immigration from faraway shores themselves now – and the ethnic group which their masters wanted them to turn on, the Jews, haven't featured. And it must be said that Irish anti-immigration activists are a good deal fonder of arson and fire-bombing than their more phlegmatic English counterparts.

Still, I'm thoroughly in sympathy with the showbiz section of the Lie-rish. You want to go there – and we want you to go there too. Leave London, leave the acting work so readily found here, leave the lovely well-paying voiceovers to British actors who don't aim to make themselves seem superior by making their country seem worse. And take Ed Sheeran with you; the Yorkshire-born, Suffolk-raised crooner recently told Louis Theroux, 'I class my culture as Irish. My dad's got seven brothers and sisters. We'd spend all of our holidays in Ireland. My first musical experiences were in Ireland, I grew up with trad music in the house. So I identify culturally as Irish, but I was obviously born and raised in Britain. I don't overthink it but I do feel like my culture is something that I'm really proud of and grew up with and want to express. And I feel like just because I was born in Britain doesn't necessarily mean that I have to just be [British], there's loads of people I know that are half this or quarter this.'

Might I venture that Sheeran is half half-wit and quarter cretin? I'll leave the other 25 per cent for you to fill in. But whatever he is, he's certainly – like Shane MacGowan (born in Kent) and Kevin Rowland (born in Staffordshire) – 100 per cent Lie-rish.

Congrats on Tay-Tay on her engagement to Travis Kelce.
If they make it to the altar, how long will it last? 

[Niall Gilligan found not guilty of assaulting boy]

Niall Gilligan found not guilty of assaulting boy

The jury in the trial of former Clare All-Ireland winning hurler Niall Gilligan has found him not guilty of all charges.

Mr Gilligan was on trial accused of assaulting a 12-year-old boy with a stick.

The 48-year-old from Rossroe, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, had denied the assault causing harm of the then 12-year-old at the Jamaica Inn hostel, Sixmilebridge on 5 October 2023.

After more than five hours of deliberations the jury cleared him of all charges.

There were emotional scenes in the court as the not guilty verdicts were delivered.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2025/0723/1524887-niall-gilligan-court/Niall Gilligan found not guilty of assaulting boy

I see Michael D was at it again. Using the Young Scientist show to platform his own personal political views.

This time he was having a go at NATO. Obviously anything that stops Mother Russia from invading more countries in Europe is a bad thing.
The former president of Estonia Toomas Hendrik rightly smacked him down. It's easy for Ireland to be smug when we don't live under the constant threat of Russia like several small Eastern European countries.

Higgins has also used the office of President to issue love letters about Castro, the Venezuelan dictatorship and the Iranian regime.
It's bizarre that Michael D would be so in favour of a regime that hangs gays so readily, but that's his own personal business.

It's unusual how much leeway he has been given to exceed his brief as President? Is Official Ireland tolerating him because thankfully he'll be gone in a few months?

https://archive.is/4oQXl

[1: Nickie Quaid (Limerick)]

GAA.ie Hurling Team of the last 25 years

By John Harrington

We're quarter of the way through this hurling century so it's perhaps timely to attempt to pick a team of it so far.

The last 25 years has been a golden era for hurling with a stellar cast of players and shoe-horning the best of the best into a 26-man panel was a ridiculously tough task, much less settling on a starting XV.

The competition for places was such that nine of the 25 Hurlers of the Year from 2000 to 2024 didn't make the cut for the final 26.

Hard calls were made and some players missed out by wafer-thin margins. You might find it easy to think of a player you believe should have been included in the below list but deciding who to drop in their favour will surely give you pause for thought.

1: Nickie Quaid (Limerick)

Nickie Quaid has arguably been the most important player for Limerick during their fun of five All-Ireland titles in the last seven years. His distribution is the best of any goalkeeper we've ever seen, and he has a deep catalogue of brilliant saves too.

2: Sean Finn (Limerick)

The four All-Stars in a row he won from 2018 to 2021 testified to Finn's consistency. His physicality, pace, stickiness, and ability to hurl from the front makes him a nightmare proposition for opposition corner-forwards.

3: Diarmuid O'Sullivan (Cork)

'The Rock' was the most inspirational figure in the All-Ireland winning Cork teams of 2004 and 2005. The four-time All-Star was a colossus on the edge of the square and his ability to win hard ball and drive out the field with it lifted team-mates and supporters alike.

4: JJ Delaney (Kilkenny)

The classiest stickman in this defence, Delaney was such a consummate hurler he was as comfortable in the full-back line as he was the half-back line. A great reader of the game, he had a knack for being in the right place at the right time and his timing made him one of best hookers and blockers the game has seen.

5: Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny)

Very few hurlers have had the ability to raise the decibels in a stadium like Walsh could. The nine-time All-Star was a spectacular hurler who inspired those around him thanks to his ability to win hard ball and then put his team on the front foot by sallying out of defence with it.

6: Declan Hannon (Limerick)

The only player to ever captain a county to four All-Ireland titles, Declan Hannon has been a hugely influential presence at centre-back for Limerick. His ability to read the game sees him hoover up possession and his distribution is excellent.

7: Padraic Maher (Tipperary)

The six-time All-Star was a force of nature in the Tipperary defence during his 13-year inter-county career. Hugely physical and a tremendous hurler, his bursts from defence and ability to take a score made him a Premier county fan favourite.

8: Tony Kelly (Clare)

Tony Kelly is the greatest Clare hurler of all time. His combination of skill, speed, bravery, and lethal finishing make him something very special. The goal he scored in this year's All-Ireland Final will forever be remembered as one the best ever to grace the biggest day of all.

9: Cian Lynch (Limerick)

Cian Lynch is another man with magic in his wrist. His skill and vision in tight spaces and make the two time Hurler of the Year a joy to watch.

10: TJ Reid (Kilkenny)

Second in the all-time championship top-scorers list, TJ Reid's ability to win ball and finish clinically makes him one of the greatest forwards in the history of the game. His longevity has been remarkable too.

11: Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny)

Henry Shefflin won more All-Stars (11) than any other player and is the only player to be crowned Hurler of the Year on three occasions. A powerful and accurate forward, he was the key cog in the Kilkenny machine that won 10 All-Ireland titles.

12: Joe Canning (Galway)

Third on the all-time championship top scorer list, Canning was a unique combination of athleticism and pure skill. He had a flair for the spectacular that few players have come close to.

13: Patrick Horgan (Cork)

Patrick Horgan is the most prolific scorer in the history of championship hurling, a feat all the more laudable considering the Rebels haven't won an All-Ireland title during his 17 years as an inter-county hurler. His ability to snipe points from tight angles is something special.

14: Seamus Callanan (Tipperary)

Seamus Callanan scored 40 championship goals, a feat only better by Wexford legend Nickey Rackard. Incredibly skilful for such a big man and a lethal finisher.

15: Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)

Kelly's ability to make space for a score when none seemed available was unrivalled. Both skilful and physically powerful, if he got the ball in his hand it usually ended in a score.

16: Brendan Cummins (Tipperary)

Five-time All-Star Brendan Cummins was one of the greatest shot-stoppers in the history of the game.

17: Barry Nash (Limerick)

Barry Nash has redefined the corner-back position thanks to his distribution and ability to join the attack.

18: Ollie Canning (Galway)

Ollie Canning was the prototype modern corner-back who was skilful enough to hurl his man from the front and create as well as destroy.

19: Daithi Burke (Galway)

Five-time All-Star Daithi Burke has been the best full-back of his era. Ferociously strong in the tackle and a brilliant ball-winner.

20: Ken McGrath (Waterford)

Unlucky not to make the starting XV at centre-back, McGrath in his pomp was as swashbuckling defender who lifted the crowd with his ability to win ball and put his team on the front foot.

21: Sean Óg Ó hAilpín (Cork)

Sean Óg hAilpín was an absolute specimen of an athlete and a nightmare for opposition half-forward thanks to his man-marking instincts.

22: Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny)

The 2011 Hurler of the Year was a monster of a midfielder in his pomp, combining huge physicality with a great hurling brain.

23: Lee Chin (Wexford)

There's very little Lee Chin can't do on a hurling field. A very physically powerful ball-winner and clinical finisher.

24: Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick)

The four-time All-Star and 2020 Hurler of the Year is a unique mixture of size and skill who's unstoppable when at full throttle

25: Richie Hogan (Kilkenny)

Richie Hogan made the game look easy thanks to the magic in his wrists. His skill was complemented by a ferocious will to win.

26: Aaron Gillane (Limerick)

Limerick's best forward during their era of dominance, Gillane's ball-winning ability and clinical finishing make him a nightmare to mark for defenders.


https://www.gaa.ie/article/gaa-ie-hurling-team-of-the-last-25-years

Paddy Power odds.

Limerick 8/13

Galway 8/1

Waterford 9/1

Cork 9/1

Tipperary 9/1

Kilkenny 11/1

Clare 20/1

Wexford 33/1

Dublin 66/1

Frank Hogan was a very nice man and will be sadly missed. One of the GAA's great institutions.

I have a feeling Limerick will cause an upset. Kilkenny have looked comfortable this year, but haven't got a proper test.
Maybe some of the unrest in the Kilkenny camp will cause them to lose focus?

They will expect to beat Limerick and we haven't worried them in recent years.
They'll underestimate is and Limerick will win by 4. 

Just how far has Cork hurling fallen?
By Donal O'Grady

Empires rise, and empires fall.

As Tipperary supporters exited Croke Park after their county won the 1971 All-Ireland final, they'd have laughed if someone suggested they'd be in the wilderness for 18 years.

In the '60s they'd won seven Munsters and four All-Irelands and must have felt comfortable looking forward to a similar future, having just beaten their bitter rivals, Kilkenny.

But the groundwork hadn't been done. Between 1952 and '62 Tipp won all the Munster minor titles bar '58, adding six All-Irelands to boot. They were dominant at senior level in Munster in the '60s but minor success had dried up.
Cork took over, winning 13 Munster titles from 1964 and winning eight All-Irelands in minor. This led to success for the Cork seniors in the '70s and '80s. Underage success is no guarantee of senior success, but it's a major help: by 1980 Cork was the Emperor in hurling terms, leading the roll of honour in all major grades.

In attempting to gauge where Cork hurling is now you only have to look at the Cork stats and compare those to the stats of the current top teams, as success is always relative.

Since 1980, Cork have won six and lost five senior All-Ireland finals. Kilkenny in the same period have won 13 senior finals and lost six.

At U21 Cork have won four All-Irelands, the last in 1998, while Kilkenny have won eight. At minor Cork have won four titles, the last in 2001, while Kilkenny have won nine, the last in 2010.

At inter-county level in the main grades since 1980, Kilkenny have won more than double the number of titles Cork have.

How is the health of Cork hurling at present?

Is it in crisis or just going through a slump?

If it were a business, the call to arms would have sounded a number of years ago as competitors raced ahead, getting a greater market share. In 2005 when Cork won their last senior title, a well-known county board volunteer said to me that winning the senior title "papered over a lot of cracks".

Lou Holtz of Notre Dame once said: "Nothing is as good as it seems or as bad as it seems" and reality is normally somewhere in between. But the stats don't lie.

Cork have fallen behind their main rivals and "in between" here hovers around mediocrity.

Sporting excellence doesn't just happen. Having performed poorly at the Euro finals in 2000 the German FA instituted a root and branch study of football and as a result structures for coaching and player development were put in place.

Today their national team is highly competitive and the Bundesliga attracts the biggest average crowd in European football, standing on a sound financial footing with 70% home players (in comparison to the English Premiership, where it's 30%).

Kilkenny have understood for years that the groundwork must be done. Their first port of call is the primary school, and teachers and school principals who help develop hurlers in their schools are prized assets.

Appreciation is shown by the Kilkenny County Board, which organises a meal for them annually and distributes sliotars and hurleys to the various schools as a mark of appreciation.

Kilkenny's Strategic Plan boldly encourages "young Kilkenny teachers working outside the county to return home with a strong open invitation to get involved in the Cumann na mBunscol philosophy" and the outcome looked for is that "development work at primary level continues at pace".

Briain Ó Riain, one of two Kilkenny Games Development Advisers (GDAs'), told me that in Kilkenny, young player development is based on keeping the hurling activities age-appropriate, keeping them hurling at street league level in the clubs with conditioned games, on through to the skill based non-contact Go Games to further develop skill before the U13 primary schools competition.

"A good pathway onto second level," as he says.

Hurling in Dublin is making huge strides at underage level, having begun their renaissance seriously about eight years ago. There are 50 GDAs coaching and organising GAA activities in schools and clubs. The Dublin County Board contributes almost €500,000 annually, or half the cost, towards those GDAs and the clubs make up the rest.

Kilmacud Crokes, current Dublin senior hurling champions have put huge resources into building a strong underage and developing club school links.

Dublin senior hurler Niall Corcoran has been involved in schools/club hurling development on a full-time basis for over six years.

"Support from the principal and staff in the feeder primary schools is key to developing good young hurlers. My role is to help create a good link between school and club as well as coaching on the ground. The plan is for the hurling work done in school to be further emphasised and replicated on a weekly basis in the club and vice versa."

He also stressed that whereas nine primary schools feed directly into Kilmacud Crokes there is a fall-off in the teenage years and anything up to 100 Under 5s may be needed to develop top-class minor teams, such are the other attractions in their area.

I asked John Costello, chief executive of Dublin County Board, if he could pick one single development that has made a significant difference in the raising of standards in Dublin hurling. Without hesitation he plumped for all-weather, floodlit facilities.

The Alfie Byrne Complex in Clontarf, developed in partnership with Dublin City Council, is very accessible and "has made a huge difference being constantly in use," he said.

Some individual clubs have their own top-of-the-range all-weather facilities and these are ideal for developing skill execution at top speed, which is necessary to survive at the top level as well as providing a much longer hurling playing season for all age groups.

But Cork are well behind Dublin in this area and should have these facilities in hurling strongholds. The city, Midleton and Mallow are ideal, accessible locations.

Facilities available to schools by day and clubs and inter-county panels by night would surely make a difference.

However, the development of Páirc Uí Chaoimh will take the bulk of finance and energy over the next few years and the provision of all-weather floodlit facilities in hurling regions should — but won't — make the priority list.

How does Cork measure up when compared to Kilkenny and Dublin at primary school level?

Cork clubs and schools are investing a lot of time and effort in developing young players at primary and street league level. It's very similar to the efforts on Noreside, although it's difficult to benchmark the standards of development. Compared to Dublin with 50, Cork have five GDAs working in the whole county, resourced by the Munster Council and county board.

The general consensus is that five isn't enough and they are spread too thinly. A GDA in Cork might be responsible for up to 30 schools and clubs whereas a GDA in Kerry might have nine.

Twelve GDAs with a lot of coaching duties consolidating good work being done in schools and clubs — with six devoted to the city — would be a good starting point. Club activists tell me they get good support and advice from the relevant GDA, helping them to implement nursery plans from four years up, but they realise the bulk of the work must be done by themselves with little direct help from the county board.

Some clubs are now providing their own coaches for their feeder schools but the economic recession and lack of resources made available for games development in County Cork limits the achievements compared with Dublin.

I looked at the Sciath na Scol A grade primary school competition winners for the past 10 years. Hurling is a priority sport in these winning schools, with interested teachers and a strong GAA ethos.

Scoil Oilibhéir near Blackpool is the only Northside school to figure in the roll of honour. It's dominated by St Anthony's in Ballinlough, with strong efforts too from St Columba's, Douglas and lately Riverstown, who won in 2011.

Clubs have strong links with these schools and most of the panel members continue to play on with their clubs at underage level, with high retention rates.

Blackrock's average intake across their underage from St Anthony's is 45% and this was theaverage in their U21 winning panel this year, for instance. But a worrying concern when Cork needs all its resources to raise standards, is that around 40% of players from Sciath na Scol A winners in the past three years have moved on to non-GAA schools, thus losing out on player development, and in particular opportunities through exposure to top level competitions in Munster colleges hurling.

Brendan O'Driscoll chairman of An Coiste Oiliúna – responsible for coaching in the county – remarked: "Coaching in the primary schools in relation to the resources available is going well but second level may need attention."

So can standards be raised at second level in Cork?

Trial by YouTube ;-)