Ireland under 19s in Norway

The Ireland under 19s are in Norway at the moment, They are involved in the European Championships. They have beaten three of the top sides in the Women’s game , beating Spain 1-0 , England 2-1 and Sweden 2-1. They came from behind in two of the games. Savanna Mc Carthy from Listowel has been a key performer for Dave Connell’s side from centre half. She has chipped in with two crucial goals and a critical assist during the 2-1 win over Sweden that saw them into the semi final to face the Netherlands.

This team has done what Brian Kerr’s underage sides did back in the late 90s by qualifying for a major semi final. They played Netherlands last night and were beaten 4-0 for a place in the European final against Spain. They have had their feet firmly on the ground after three wins. In a refreshing turn of events, they did not fear the Dutch team.

 That Dutch team put them out of top spot in qualifying. They owed this Dutch team a performance and knowing the way they performed throughout this tournament they felt they could get to a major final. Unfortunately they were well beaten, but they can hold their heads high, because they performed really well and the future does look bright for Women’s football in this country.

To Dave Connell and his squad I salute your magnificent effort in Norway and hold your heads high because you have done this country proud.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

25/07/2014.

World Cup 2014

So the 2014 World Cup has drawn to a close , with Germany beating Argentina  1-0 at the Maracana. Mario Gotze scored the crucial goal in the 113^th minute of extra time. This particular player’s goal will bring special memories for the people associated with Listowel Celtic because back in 2008 , Mario Gotze was part of a German Under 16 team that played against Ireland who had two Kerry men in their ranks , Brian Murphy and David Culhane on that night in Tanavalla. Who could have thought on that night that less than 6 years after that game Germany would go on to claim their 4^th World Cup and that the 3,000 brave souls that braved the elements that night can say they saw Mario Gotze first !!

Argentina of course will rue some missed chances throughout the game , in particular a chance in the 21^st minute that fell to Napoli Striker Gonzalo Higuain when he beat the German offside trap to go one on one with Manuel Neuer  but he scuffed his chance wide of the post.  Then in the 46^th minute Lional Messi had his shot at immortality but he too pulled his shot just wide of the target.

 Did the fact that Argentina had to face two extra time periods in the games leading up to the final come back to haunt them ? Also were they too heavily reliant on Lionel Messi  to get them out of trouble. We have seen throughout this World Cup that teams that are too reliant on one player tend to suffer at certain points in major tournaments and maybe that is the case with Argentina. Lionel Messi  pulled Argentina out of a few sticky situations at the World Cup.  

Back to Germany , they have made great strides forward in the last few years and the work that has been put in at underage level has come to fruition at Brazil 2014. 14 members of this winning squad are under the age of 25 and even the elder statesmen in the squad are aged between 30 and 36. The squads oldest member is Miroslav Klose who has broken the World Cup scoring record held by Ronaldo since 2002.

Can this squad go on and dominate like Spain did between 2008 and 2012. At this World Cup we have also seen England fall flat again at yet another major tournament. What can England do to change their performances at a major tournament. They have invested heavily in St George’s Park as a centre of excellence and new FA chairman Greig Dyke has targeted either Russia 2018 or Qatar 2022 as the World Cup where England can fur fill their promise and win a first major trophy since the World Cup back in 1966.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

16/07/2014.

Last Chance Saloon

I am just writing this piece for myself. This past few months have been extremely tough, but with this radio diploma course due to start in September I now finally have something to focus on and to aim for.

I have titled this piece last chance saloon to focus my mind on what could be my last chance at the career I have always wanted. Cian Mc Gibney , sports journalist does have a nice ring to it. Lets hope that I make the most of this last chance.

I have spent the last five years, wasting my time and not putting what skills I have to good use. Yes I have spent the last two years in the Listowel Family Resource Centre. People may say I am boring them by flooding Facebook with Video Blogs and articles but I only do that to get myself out there and I make no apologies for that.

I just hope my writing can help me make my dream come through. Also with this course starting, I can now act instead of talking crap all the time. Actions do really speak louder than words.  My website also has helped me hone my skills as a journalist and lets hope it will open doors for me into the future.

This is really my last chance at this and lets hope I break the habit of a lifetime and grab this chance with both hands and run with it. People will say that this is a pity me piece but I can say that it is not that sort of a piece at all.

I did break one major barrier down yesterday and took a major gamble instead of going for the safe optician I broke out and went with Plan B instead of the always safe Plan A. That is one thing about my character that I have made it my mission to change, stop going with the safe bet and take a risk from time to time. As I was told earlier this year, “You only live once” that should be the motto I take with me wherever I go.

Lets face it, the old Cian, took no gamble, played it safe and took no risk at all. From this point on I hope to change people’s opinion of me from being just a wannabe journalist to hopefully a fully-fledged journalist with real career prospects at the end of my course in Dublin.

By

Cian Mc Gibney.

09/07/2014.

My World Cup Eleven

1 Manuel Neuer

2 Philip Lahm

3 Raphael Varane

4 Thiago Silva

5 Jan Vertonghen  

6 Bryan Ruiz

7 Angel Di Maria

8 Thomas Muller

9 James Rodriguez

10 Lionel Messi

11 Arjen Robben

This is my World Cup eleven. I know we are a week away from the final. But this eleven will not change. It will be interesting to see what people think and what elevens they would come up with.

By

Cian Mc Gibney

07/07/2014.

Player Profile

This is a player profile of Wexford Camogie star Katrina Parrock , who shot to fame last year when she made a now famous appearance as a Maor Uisce for her Wexford colleges as she was out with a hand injury at the time. This caused most of the country to ask, who was this woman??  She is one of this country’s top camogie players with three All Ireland senior medals won in 2007, 2010 and 2011 and also three Leinster titles to her name. She also has three camogie league medals from 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Katrina Parrock

Club  St Ibar’s Shemailers

County Wexford

Honours  3 All Ireland Senior Titles , 3 Leinster Titles and 3 National League Titles. All Star Nominee in 2006 and 2009. Team Of The Championship in 2011.

Katrina has also played Hockey and Football for her country at underage level.

By

Cian Mc Gibney.

07/07/2014.

Diving In Sport

The topic of diving in sport has again come into focus since the 2014 World Cup began on June 12^th. Some analysts have said that diving in now entrenched in Football and no matter what you do to eradicate it from the sport it may never fully leave the game. In the past 24 hours we have seen Arjen Robben say he dived during the Netherlands vs Mexico last 16 tie. He also claimed he did not dive to win the crucial penalty that saw the Netherlands through to the quarter finals of the World Cup.

Since the World Cup started we have again seen a number of decisions made off the back of some questionable “Fouls”. Not everybody who goes to ground are guilty of diving but after hearing Arjen Robben last night say that yes he did in fact dive in the game. Does this mean that he could be sanctioned after admitting to diving during the game.

This may not happen, but it does open the argument for dealing with this in retrospect. Will FIFA have the “Balls” to deal with this if it happens again? It is refreshing in a strange way to hear a player admitting to diving in the game. We often hear players saying that they did not dive to win free kicks and penalties but after Arjen Robben last night admitted to doing this we know that it does happen quite often.

This could be detrimental to the rest of his career because he has now openly admitted to diving in a game. Will we now see most if not all referees taking a second or third look at every move that Robben makes in and around the box.

 It will again open the debate for a third official behind either goal which as we know was trialled in European games this season. FIFA do not want to go down the route of a Television Match Official to help make decisions like this. But again we are talking about a suspected “Diving” case instead of talking about the game between the Netherlands and Mexico.

To come away from football and to move to another sport that has seen a rise in “Diving” cases, Rugby Union has seen a fair share of these incidents in the last 18 months or so, with Bismark Du Plessis and Bryan Habana guilty of “diving” to have an opponent sin binned in different games. Rugby Union seems to be better equipped to deal with these cases on the field than Football at the moment.

You have referees who will tell the player in no uncertain terms to get up and get on with the game. In Football the referee does not have the same authority as he or she has in Rugby Union. They are two different sports but the discipline levels are worlds apart. In Football you can touch the referee and say what you like, but it is very different in Rugby Union. From an early age you are taught to respect the match official and understand that what he or she says goes.

Diving is a massive problem in Football, is it purely down to the pressure that is on the players in every game to win or is it a deeper problem and will it ever leave the game. It is not just happening at elite level. It also happens at grass root level which is not good to hear. We in Ireland seem to think that the game at grass roots level is perfect and that this does not happen but unfortunately it does happen!!

One solution that could be brought in at elite level that would eradicate “Diving” is severe penalties be they financial or by long term suspension. Yes this is a black and white solution but what else can the powers that be do the help get rid of” diving” from the game that the world adores.

By

Cian Mc Gibney.

30/06/2014.

Katie Taylor’s Ireland Forgotten Hero

Katie Taylor claimed her 6^{th European crown last week. Back in 2012 she was the pride of Ireland with her gold medal win over Sophia Ochegava. But her win in the past week was greeted with very little fan fare and although her win has been covered in the media it doesn’t seem to have had the same impact as her win in 2012.}

She and her father have had an interesting journey since London 2012, they have battled with the IABA over new contracts for both Zaur Antia and Peter Taylor. Also Katie has flirted with the idea of turning professional before deciding to stay amateur for Rio 2016 to defend her Olympic crown.

Has the appetite for amateur boxing died down since her win and can the lost ground be made up in time for Rio 2016. The National Amateur Boxing championships take place every year and although the finals are covered the ordinary fan doesn’t seem to have an interest in the outcome. I think with better marketing the Championships could be a highlight of the sporting year with the GAA championships.

Back to Katie, she is one of Ireland’s greatest female athletes right up there with Sonia O Sullivan and Catharina Mc Kiernan and I just hope that the Irish Public get out to support her before she hangs up her gloves. Brian O Driscoll has had a full year of good byes before he went into the sunset. Let’s hope Katie gets the same treatment before she retires. I urge anyone who can to go and see her box before Rio 2016.

Katie Taylor is one of Ireland’s greatest, lets just hope she doesn’t become a forgotten hero….

By

Cian Mc Gibney.

08-06-2014.

Heineken Cup Final Preview

This is my Heineken Cup final preview; Toulon will face Saracens in Cardiff on May 24^th. Both teams will fancy their chances of turning the other side over and will go hell for leather to win this one. Toulon will want to defend the title they won back in May 2013. Both sides are littered with International stars of the World game. On the Saracens side you have Brits, Farrell, Ashton and both the Vunipola’s Mako and Billy. On the Toulon side you have real quality with Wilkinson, Botha , Rossouw , Smith , Habana and the Armitage brothers Steffon and Delon.

Both sides are well coached by Bernard Laporte and Mark Mc Call , Mc Call has already won this competition as a head coach back in 1999 with Ulster so he will have no fears about facing Toulon. His Saracens side will be well prepared for this one as this is their first European final and that may also play into Toulon hands because of their previous final experience in both the Amlin and Heineken Cup finals of 2010 and 2013.

I just feel after both sides respective semi-finals where Munster ran Toulon so close and Saracens dispatched Clermont with such ruthless aggression that this final is set up to be a classic and a fitting way to bring the curtain down on this competition as we know it. Can Toulon do what Leicester Tigers did back in 2001 and 2002 and win back to back titles or will Saracens and there wolfpack defence led by Jacques Burger seize the day and win a first European crown for Saracens.

Owen Farrell and Jonny Wilkinson will have major roles to play in their team’s quest for victory. As it stands Wilkinson leads the one on one match ups 1-0 after handing Farrell a lesson in the 2013 semi final. Can Farrell redress the balance and make it 1-1 before Wilkinson hangs up his boots.

For me I just think Toulon may just have too much for Saracens on the day and could do the double and win a 2^nd European crown in a row. I am going to but my neck on the line and say Toulon will win this won by 30-18. Toulon’s experience in European final to be the difference.

 

By

Cian Mc Gibney.

14/05/2014.

Letter Of Thanks

I am writing again this time to thank everyone for their support and kind words since last Thursday  when I put my open letter out there. Since I did it I feel much better and at ease with myself. The level of support I have received amazed me and touched me deeply. I hope my openness can help anyone that may find themselves in a similar situation in the future.

 I have done a lot of thinking in the last few days and after speaking to both close friends and family I now realise that I have a lot to live for. I made a massive mistake last February by not asking for help but I now feel strong enough to open my mouth and say something. Also after reading a book on Donal Walsh I realise the true meaning of his message to” live life”.

So now as we head into summer 2014 I just hope I can put the last 6 months behind me and now focus on the here and now. To Anyone who offered me help if I ever got into bother again I will be on the phone ASAP. Thank you all so much , I am so grateful to have people who care for me.

Regards

Cian.

An open letter to my friends

I am just writing this letter to tell the people closet to me what I have been going through over the last few months , I have expressed my feelings to a few people which has elevated some of my pain. On the night Ireland played England I was at my lowest point and I came to a place I find helps me relax my grandparents home.

Then I began what I thought was the last few moments of my life. I began to write a number of goodbye letters to the people that I am now writing this letter too. I just felt on that day that I couldn’t go on. This is not the first time this has happened to me, in fact it is the 3rd time I have thought about suicide.

Not an easy thing for me to admit but now that I have I find things are much better and I thank one person in particular because if he did not phone this house on that night , I may not be here now writing this letter. Thanks to a number of close friends who I am truly grateful to. They know who they are I don’t need to name check them.

 But everyday since that night I thank my lucky stars that I let them know how I was feeling and they were a great help to me. To my friends I am grateful that you are such a good bunch and also that you have always been there for me at every turn. I am feeling much better since that night and I am trying my best never to end up in that place again.

To you all I thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart.

Regards

Cian.