Piece on Going to a Championship Match in Thurles
10 May 2022
I went to the Clare Cork hurling match in Thurles. Wrote about it for the Irish Examiner. You can read it here.
Other Writing
Article on legendary sportswriter Brendan Mooney
13 April 2022
It was a privilege to write about the laying to rest of the eminent sportswriter Brendan Mooney for the Irish Examiner. It was a humbling event, lit up with love. You can read it here. Photo of Sonia O’Sullivan with Ann Mooney at the funeral of her husband and former ‘Irish Examiner’ sports reporter Brendan Mooney at St Patrick’s Church, Rochestown. Picture: Michael Mac Sweeney
Essay Published in the Journal of Sports Literature
10 March 2022
A new essay of mine ‘A Place Beyond Words’ has been published in the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 issue of Aethlon: The Journal of Sports Literature which was issued in March 2022. Aethlon is a publication of the Sports Literature Association, which is centred at East Tennessee State University. It’s a print journal published twice yearly and publishes works about sport and sport literature, including original fiction and poetry, juried scholarly and critical essays, and book reviews. My essay is about the intersections between art and sport and features in my upcoming book, The Game which will be published by Merrion Press. More information about my book here. More information about Aethlon here.
Time for another sports diet… maybe next week
1 February 2022
Column in the The Irish Examiner about how much sport I consume. Featuring TJ Reid, Claire Melia, Tom Brady, Jonathan Wilson, Raymond Carver, Jorge Valdano and Catherine Tate. You can read it here.
My tribute to Canon Michael O’Brien published in The Irish Examiner
14 January 2022
I was delighted that my personal tribute to Canon Michael O’Brien was published in The Irish Examiner. ‘The Canon’ coached me on six teams between 1979 and 1984. The tribute revolves around The Fitzgibbon Cup of 1983 hosted by The Ulster University at Coleraine. You can read it here. Photo taken in Bellaghy after the win, courtesy of Mick Lyons. That’s me behind the cup.
Piece in Cork Words 2: An Anthology of Contemporary Cork Writing
19 December 2021
I was delighted to have my short essay: ‘Celebrating the Return of Hurling in a Strange Time’ in Cork Words 2: An Anthology of Contemporary Cork Writing among so many great Cork writers. It’s about the return of hope in a dark time. The book is available in Waterstones Cork and Cork City Libraries. The piece was previously published in The Irish Examiner.
Essay on Diego Maradona in Holly Bough
2 December 2021
I was delighted my little tribute to Diego Armanda Maradona was published in the 2021 Holly Bough. It really is a Cork institution.
Boring pubs, jumpy legs, Midleton and Glen Rovers: A boy watches his first county final
23 November 2021
I wrote a piece for The Irish Examiner on the event of the 2021 Cork hurling club final between Glen Rovers and Midleton from the point of view of a boy attending his first final. You can read it here.
Tradition, continuity, and belief in Cork Con’s past, present, and future
13 November 2021
I really enjoyed my visit to Temple Hill to watch Cork Constitution against Dublin University for an Irish Examiner piece. Great to see a great club in action. You can read it here.
‘Possession’ published in The Winter Papers
13 November 2021
I’m delighted that my sports essay ‘Possession’ was published in the 2021 version of The Winter Papers. The Winter Papers is one of the highlights of the year in the world of Irish literature and it’s wonderful to be part of it. Thanks to Kevin Barry and Olivia Smith for this great honour. The Winter Papers is now on sale in all good bookshops or here.