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Part of that great midfield with Pat Malone. A great team they were. Fantastic battles with Tipo. I think two have passed now. Keady being the other. RIP Michael.

People who write into the Irish Times about how wonderful their lives are outside of Ireland.

https://www.irishtimes.com/abroad/2022/11/21/its-not-you-ireland-its-me-ive-changed-and-ive-built-a-life-abroad/

Brazil V Italy 1982.  It is because of that match/ Brazilian team, I fell for the game and as much as I try to get out of it ever since, it has failed me.
The colour that day in Barcelona was like from an alien planet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfIvpCgIUU0

https://www.google.com/search?q=fisherman%27s+blues+waterboys+lyrics&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1002US1002&sxsrf=ALiCzsZjg-fXD3AjwaUFV_xi7WQgIipCHQ%3A1658071706306&ei=mirUYumuEo-xqtsPvNqj6AM&oq=fihserman+blues+waterboys&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYAjIHCC4Q1AIQDTIHCC4Q1AIQDTIGCAAQHhAWMgYIABAeEBYyBggAEB4QFjIGCAAQHhAWMgYIABAeEBYyBggAEB4QFjIGCAAQHhAWMgYIABAeEBY6BwgAEEcQsAM6CAgAEB4QDxAWSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAUPMFWOcSYJ8naAJwAXgAgAFmiAG9BpIBAzguMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz

Might be this - 'And the burnin of the coal"

How would it have fared if a summer World Cup had taken place?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJIRDASqFzo

Listened to this a few years back. USA in the 1998 World Cup
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/american-fiasco

Can someone explain why Billy Gilmour was not vaccinated? You would think that all these players, due to the importance of the tournament, would qualify for one.

Great article on an old favourite of mine:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40216124.html

Benjamin Massing – Ex-Cameroonian defender who committed probably one of the most iconic/infamous/best/worst tackles of all time - 1990 World Cup v Argentina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeRlJJbtdHc

May he Rest In Peace.

Cork beating Tipp in the 1st round in Munster Hurling Championship. Cork's stock had gone so low that winning that proved they could compete and not slipping further under the water as was feared.

I was 18 when this happened and so many of the victims were around that age (16 - 20). Because of that I think it probably resonates with a lot of people around that age group at the time. Young, not a lot a responsibilities and mad into football. In the intervening years they should have been going through the stages of their lives as we were. They would all be in their 40s now but because of such a needless tragedy.

Because of the day that is in it, what are people's memories of that dreadful day?
For me:

(1) The anticipation of the match - two great attractive teams at the time was Forest and Liverpool. At the time RTE carried live a semifinal.
    I recall Tommy Gaynor from Limerick starting for Forest that day.

(2) Beardsley hitting the bar - I think that was my only memory of the actual time that was played. It seemed to take forever to go from his boot to the crossbar.
(3) The rising death toll - 5 o'clock it was around ten, then 6 pm, up to 20 and so on up into the 60s and 70s. As the numbers went up, the enormity of what had happened deepened.
(4) Pictures on the paper next day - always remember this picture of a woman squeezed up against the fence with her face jammed against the grill. That was the one memory that will be forever imprinted on my brain. At the time we were all told that all English football supporters were animals and all I could think of was she looked like an animal trapped.

Ger Manley - Cork hurler in early to mid 90s.
Was part of a great minor team that won it all in 1985.Finally got his chance in 1992 – came on in the final as a sub and almost pulled it out of the fire v Kilkenny in a horrible final. Then Cork proceeded to run into the buzz-saw that was Clare for what seemed to carry on through that entire decade.  Aside from the double that commenced the decade, my memory of Cork hurling in the 1990s is the annual trip to Limerick for a Munster first round /semifinal defeat to Loughnane's men. Manley was there for each trip.  He was gone from the scene in 99 when they finally beat Clare and went on to lift the McCarthy Cup.  A great small pacey forward whose size proved his undoing as they Cork coming up against a strong physical and absolutely brilliant Clare team.