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Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
A tough duel but Cavan find a different way to slay that badger
On the week that Cavan last beat Mayo in the championship, a man from Gowna fought a badger. I'm serious – it even made the Anglo-Celt newspaper. 'Mr John Cullen, Pottle, Gowna, had a rather exciting experience with a badger, which he attacked with a hayfork, the animal retaliating viciously,' the report read. 'After a hard fight for over half an hour, Mr Cullen, fearing the worst, called on his son to bring him a gun, with which he shot the badger. 'Mr Cullen says it was the toughest duel he ever had.' The newspaper was dated September 25th, 1948. Cavan beat Mayo in the All-Ireland final on September 26th – and not again until last Sunday, May 18th, 2025 . READ MORE Now, Cullen v the Badger (what would Don King have called this? Death in the Sett? Full Throttle in Pottle?) prompts some questions, the obvious one being why the bold Cullen waited so long to change his tactical approach. The badger, perhaps working behind the jab, cutting off the ring, clearly had the upper hand – but why did his, presumably, two-legged foe leave it until he was 'fearing the worst' before doing what he surely should have done in the first place? I like to think that coming from Gowna, maybe he was a football man, which would make sense because, down through all the years and all the cursed days, Cavan teams have never made things easy on themselves, either. A few weeks back in Omagh, for the umpteenth time, they reached a crossroads, saw the sign for Gung Ho and took the other road . Let's be honest, it was hard to see the way back and the supporters reacted accordingly; a vanishingly small crowd made the trip to MacHale Park. 'That cliche about travelling in hope rather than expectation would have been true had they travelled at all,' wrote Conor McKeon, damningly, in Monday's Irish Independent. 'The Cavan players loitered in the middle of the pitch and drank in the sun with the few family and supporters who had made it. It looked more like a weekend neighbourhood summer soirée than a raucous celebration for a landmark championship win.' [ Ponderous Mayo find out how dangerous it is to overthink their gameplan in the new-rules era Opens in new window ] 'Landmark' was an apt word though, because wherever this team's journey takes them, this game will be referenced − the day Cavan took a championship scalp really worth taking. Should Cavan go on to do something special, Castlebar will be the day it started. Should they not, Castlebar will be the day it ended. Either way, it's a day that will be referenced for years to come. Yes, Mayo were poor but that's by the by. This was a win against a recognised top team, a win Ray Galligan admitted last week his team were desperately seeking to 'change the landscape of how they're viewed'. They did that; they earned respect. There was a moment towards the end of the match which summed up Cavan's approach, when Mayo's dashing forward, Ryan O'Donoghue, was clattered by a bone-shaking, fair challenge from Killian 'The Gunner' Brady. Reeling, the brilliant Belmullet man, who had been haunted by Niall Carolan all day, offloaded the ball instantly but his thoughts were clearly scrambled. The team-mate O'Donoghue thought was there, was not; maybe, it was an apparition of sorts, induced by a heavy hit. The unfortunate O'Donoghue's handpass went straight to a Cavan man and they raced up the field and scored. It was unusual to see a pass go so wildly astray at that level of football but then, everything about this match was; it just felt like that kind of day, a day when ghosts were banished. (Centrefield in 1948, incidentally, was a forebear of Brady's, Phil 'The Gunner', cut, they say, from the same cloth.) Paddy Durcan of Mayo and Cavan's Dara McVeety get to grips with each other during Sunday's match at MacHale Park. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Seventy-seven years is a long time. The people were different back then, closer to the land maybe (a man might, I don't know, find himself fighting a badger of an evening, for example). 'A kite flying high over the pitch was decked out with the Mayo colours while a rabbit in the same garb was released shortly before the start,' the report on these pages of the 1948 final recorded matter-of-factly, as if this wasn't the daftest carry-on imaginable. 'After nibbling at the grass, it seemed stage struck and was picked up by a steward. Then out dashed a hare dressed in blue for Cavan. It ran round briskly whilst the crowd cheered. It, too, was picked up and the parade started.' A crowd of 75,000 attended that game, with a reported 25,000 unable to gain admittance. 'The crowd were so dense – a swaying mass of humanity – that the situation was positively dangerous for old or delicate individuals. Many people fainted...' the report reckoned. In the Market Square on the Tuesday after the final, Cavan chairman Patsy Lynch spoke to the masses. 'In the victory celebrations tonight, we should not let the opportunity pass without mentioning our traditional friends, the Gaels of Mayo,' he proclaimed. 'At any time that a Cavan team appeared in Mayo, they were accorded a great reception and they counted them among their greatest friends.' And it's true, there is an affinity between the counties, more so than others a similar distance away. Why that is, I don't know. Maybe the common kinship is built on a latent recognition that well, if you're in this, get out of it while you can or otherwise, it's going to hurt. It's when you least expect it, though, that both teams can surprise you. Witness Mayo scoring own goals and missing penalties in All-Ireland finals, beating the greatest team of all time and losing next day out; remember Cavan winning the Ulster Championship a month after being relegated to Division 3 – and then going to Division 4 before the ribbons had been cut from the cup. All of this is in the last five years alone. So, I headed west torn between dangerously unfounded optimism in the heart and a faint sense of dread in the head. I gave a lift to two young women of my acquaintance and on the drive, football wasn't mentioned, not once – and having covered this same fixture last year and the recent one in Healy Park, I must say I was quite happy about that state of affairs. [ Conor McManus: The West's a wake but it's resurrection time for Dublin Opens in new window ] We reached Castlebar and my passengers disembarked, laden with camping gear, heading further west still to Achill. I considered joining them and rued that I couldn't. To the stadium, a couple of familiar faces outside but not many. 'Big ask, now,' muttered one Cavanman who knows his football better than most, better than me, anyway. Into the lift, up to the press box. 'Any chance?' asked one wizened scribe. 'I wouldn't back us,' I admitted, secretly still hoping we would give it a good rattle but too cowardly to say it aloud in front of the grown-ups. And early on, yes, it was clear there was something different about Cavan – they were up for this one. But bodies started to fall and men looked leggy and when Mayo went in at half-time three points up, without having done anything really of note, you knew, just knew, it was going to be one of those days. And then, like the man from Pottle, God rest him, Cavan said, to hell with this messing around, sent for the shotgun and blasted all before them. A 'rather exciting experience', indeed. On the way home, I stopped in O'Connor's of Tulsk, a shop and pub along the roadside. The sun was setting but there was still a warmth in the air. My phone hadn't stopped ringing and I found myself giddy. Across the shop counter, the bar was hopping; I heard a man say 'some win for Cavan' and for the second time in a few hours, I thought of abandoning all plans and joining in. But I had reports to write, more's the pity, of discarded pitchforks and slain badgers and famous wins and generations of the same family, 77 years apart, in the same colours, fighting the same fight. That's the beauty of it and that's why, despite it all, we love it. On I went. Paul Fitzpatrick is the sports editor of the Anglo-Celt newspaper, where this column originally appeared as the weekly Cavanman's Diary
Travel Weekly
21-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Sage Hospitality adds the Stanley Hotel to its management portfolio
Colorado's Stanley Hotel, which served as the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's novel "The Shining" and the subsequent film adaptation, will now be managed by Sage Hospitality Group. The move follows the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority's recent acquisition of the 68-acre property through its subsidiary, the Stanley Partnership for Art Culture and Education (SPACE). The hotel's former owner, John W. Cullen IV, will remain involved with the property as SPACE's chairman and CEO. Located in Estes Park, the Stanley Hotel was built in 1909 and is currently home to 191 guestrooms, multiple food and beverage outlets, the Stanley Live entertainment venue, a wellness center and spa, and 25,000 square feet of meeting space. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the Historic Hotels of America. "The Stanley Hotel represents everything we look for in a landmark property: a rich history, innovative programming and deep community connections," said Daniel del Olmo, president and co-CEO of Sage Hospitality Group. The company said future plans call for a hotel expansion and a horror film museum in partnership with Blumhouse, a film and television production company. Other Sage Hospitality properties include Perry Lane in Savannah, Georgia; One Ocean Resort in Atlantic Beach, Florida; The Lodge at Sonoma in California; and Hotel Alpenrock in Breckenridge, Colorado.
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Iconic Stanley Hotel in Colorado purchased by public entity
The historic and iconic Stanley Hotel in Northern Colorado has been sold. The public entity, The Stanley Partnership for Art Culture and Education, LLC or SPACE, purchased the hotel through a public-private partnership. The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park CBS That partnership is among the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority, private bond investors, former owner John W. Cullen IV, and new manager Sage Hospitality Group. Cullen is at the helm of SPACE as chair and CEO. "I have owned The Stanley for almost 30 years and can't imagine a better way to both preserve and grow it for generations to come," said Cullen in a statement. According to CECFA, the nearly $400 million bond offering will also fund a major expansion of the two historic lodging buildings and a new 65,000 square foot event center. The event center will feature an 864-person auditorium and a horror film museum curated by Blumhouse Productions. The Stanley Hotel CBS The hotel was initially built to attract wealthy vacationers from the East Coast to Colorado. However, the building was rocketed into fame after Stephen King visited decades ago. He reportedly was a guest during a slow season for the hotel. While staying at the hotel, King had a vision of writing a horror book that took place in the hotel, which became "The Shining" and was turned into a movie.
Business Mayor
26-04-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Insolvency wave to batter Britain as tariffs and higher taxes hit firms
Updated: 12:10 BST, 26 April 2025 Britain could be 'hurtling towards a new wave of business insolvencies' as tariff turmoil and higher taxes batter firms. Official figures yesterday showed the number of companies going bust rose by 9 per cent to nearly 2,000 last month. And a report from restructuring firm Begbies Traynor suggested more will soon follow as the number of companies in 'critical' financial distress rose by 13 per cent in the first quarter. Bars and restaurants, plus travel and tourism operators, were among the worst hit, the report said. Fears over a downturn deepened too after survey figures this week suggesting the economy went into reverse in April. John Cullen, business recovery partner at advisory Menzies, said: 'If recession is next in a line of challenges for British business, alongside a heavier tax burden and a decline in investor and lending confidence, we may be hurtling towards a new wave of business insolvencies.' Increase: Official figures showed the number of companies going bust rose by 9 per cent to nearly 2,000 in March Firms are being hammered by higher costs imposed by Labour, which has hiked employer National Insurance Contributions and the minimum wage and is introducing a wave of new workers' rights. At the same time, they are fearful of the impact of Donald Trump's trade war both on exports to the US and in creating wider uncertainty that dampens business activity. The Begbies Traynor report, published yesterday, said the number of firms in 'critical' distress climbed to 45,416 in the first quarter of this year, up by more than 5,000 on a year earlier though slightly lower than in the fourth quarter of 2024. Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: 'Optimism remains in short supply for UK businesses.' She said that while recent official figures showed some positive signs – with data yesterday showing a 0.4 per cent increase in retail sales in March – businesses are worried about looming challenges. Bars and restaurants have seen a 31 per cent year-on-year increase in firms in critical distress, while travel and tourism operators saw a 25 per cent rise. 'These sectors are bracing themselves for further economic fallout from both domestic tax increases and US tariffs,' said Palmer. The Government's Insolvency Service yesterday said the number of company insolvencies in March rose by 9 per cent compared with the same month last year, to 1,992, though that was 2 per cent down from the level recorded in February. Numbers over the past year have been slightly lower than in 2023, when they hit a record high.
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Insolvency wave to batter Britain as tariffs and higher taxes hit firms
Britain could be 'hurtling towards a new wave of business insolvencies' as tariff turmoil and higher taxes batter firms. Official figures yesterday showed the number of companies going bust rose by 9 per cent to nearly 2,000 last month. And a report from restructuring firm Begbies Traynor suggested more will soon follow as the number of companies in 'critical' financial distress rose by 13 per cent in the first quarter. Bars and restaurants, plus travel and tourism operators, were among the worst hit, the report said. Fears over a downturn deepened too after survey figures this week suggesting the economy went into reverse in April. John Cullen, business recovery partner at advisory Menzies, said: 'If recession is next in a line of challenges for British business, alongside a heavier tax burden and a decline in investor and lending confidence, we may be hurtling towards a new wave of business insolvencies.' Firms are being hammered by higher costs imposed by Labour, which has hiked employer National Insurance Contributions and the minimum wage and is introducing a wave of new workers' rights. At the same time, they are fearful of the impact of Donald Trump's trade war both on exports to the US and in creating wider uncertainty that dampens business activity. The Begbies Traynor report, published yesterday, said the number of firms in 'critical' distress climbed to 45,416 in the first quarter of this year, up by more than 5,000 on a year earlier though slightly lower than in the fourth quarter of 2024. Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: 'Optimism remains in short supply for UK businesses.' She said that while recent official figures showed some positive signs – with data yesterday showing a 0.4 per cent increase in retail sales in March – businesses are worried about looming challenges. Bars and restaurants have seen a 31 per cent year-on-year increase in firms in critical distress, while travel and tourism operators saw a 25 per cent rise. 'These sectors are bracing themselves for further economic fallout from both domestic tax increases and US tariffs,' said Palmer. The Government's Insolvency Service yesterday said the number of company insolvencies in March rose by 9 per cent compared with the same month last year, to 1,992, though that was 2 per cent down from the level recorded in February. Numbers over the past year have been slightly lower than in 2023, when they hit a record high.
