Malachy Clerkin

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Malachy Clerkin

The Munster Championship is alive and dead. Technically, mathematically, statistically, it has a pulse. But after a Sunday that felt clarifying in the extreme, Limerick’s monumental display against Cork has left it weakened. John Kiely’s side had 16 points to spare in the Gaelic Grounds and are all but guaranteed a tilt at a seventh Munster title in a row. Is that your idea of competition? Everyone else has to satisfy themselves with various half loaves.

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Malachy Clerkin

A couple of minutes before the end, Liam Cahill threw his hands in the air at the latest mini-injustice visited upon his side by referee Seán Stack. He spun on his heel and turned to the crowd, chuntering away to himself and to nobody, only stopping when his consigliere Mikey Bevans patted him on the belly. The pair of them fell into a smile. A sure sign the job was done. They were superior to Waterford here, probably even more so than the nine-point margin suggests.

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Malachy Clerkin

Nobody saw it turning into this. Or if they did, they were impressive in their discretion. In the press conference after the 2021 All-Ireland decider, Cork manager Kieran Kingston was asked for his take on the drubbing his side had just been subjected to. Limerick had rinsed them by 16 points, the biggest ever defeat suffered by a Cork team in an All-Ireland final.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Malachy Clerkin

She’s still only 22. It’s easy to forget that about Rhasidat Adeleke. Fourth at the Olympics, fourth at the World Championships, silver medal at the Europeans. Relay medals a-go-go, more Irish records than anybody in the sport. And she’s still only 22. Sometimes, she forgets herself. Like when she was at home last October and decided one day to go to Dundrum Town Centre with her friends. That’s what you do, isn’t it? You haven’t been home in a while and you’ve just had the biggest summer of your life.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Malachy Clerkin

The hardest thing about writing about horse racing is writing about horse racing. To most people, one horse is no different to the next. They run in circles around big open fields, sometimes jumping over things and sometimes not, with little lads on their backs waving sticks. The commentator’s voice rises through the race, and when it’s over, there’s a brief pause to talk about how rich the bookmakers got. Some of us love it.