Topics

This cattle cull is a handlin. 

Surely there was a more common sense way to deal with 51 cattle in a field than turning it into an open air shooting range?

UFU now calling for Minister, Perm Sec and Chief Vet Brian Dooher to resign, plus a pile on from DUP, UUP, TUV. 

Feels like there are multiple agendas here?

Love them or loathe them, the implications are pretty severe if Flybe disappear.  2 out of 3 flights out of Belfast City and mostly people doing business.  Is there a Plan B?

Is the truth that while we have many fine coaches, many more are self-serving, in it for the glory and flogging the life out of their star players in the hope of success.  We like to talk a good game about inclusivity and mental health, but all around I see coaches training the legs out of young players night after night, even at this time of year, and trying to win at all costs. 

Balancing school work, school team, club team, maybe County, maybe playing another sport as well, part-time job, maybe sick relative, etc etc....,who do we think these kids are!

Football and hurling are now so fast, it's near impossible for officials to make a correct call in real time on square balls.  What is the point of this rule?  Time to get rid of it, and it would be one less thing for refs to worry about.

Article in the Irish Farmers Journal talking about locations which have become associated with Irish sporting success:
Chicago - Ireland beat the All Blacks
Stuttgart - Ray Houghton
Saipan - Roy and Mick
Rio - the O'Donovan brothers
Or closer to home, they mention Killarney '87 for the Tipperary hurlers or Crusheen for the Clare hurlers training sessions in the 90's.

Any additions?
I'll chip in London - Katie Taylor.

Interesting debate on RTE Radio today where a sports scientist was promoting the benefits of 'bio-banding', where kids are banded based on their physical maturity rather than age.  It's been adopted by the Premier League for several underage tournaments.  The feedback was good from the kids, with the physically bigger ones having to raise their game technically because they couldn't just boss it physically.  And the smaller kids confidence grew because they weren't being pushed aside.

Is this worth a look in gaelic?  In U12 and U14 there can be a massive difference between the smallest and biggest on the pitch and that doesn't help either kid.

The researcher was Dr Sean Cumming, Bath University, if you want to read more.