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The 42
7 days ago
- Health
- The 42
'There is a line... you know what you can play through and what you can't'
EARLY JUNE AND credit to the League of Ireland for being prepared to pause for breath and allow its players a chance to recharge. The final stages of the Nations League take place in Germany over the next week, before FIFA's expanded Club World Cup kicks off on 15 June in the United States. So, no time for beaten Champions League finalists Inter Milan to dwell on that sobering 5-0 defeat to PSG as they will be back in action. An Irishman will also feature on that opening weekend when Kildare native Dylan Connolly turns out for New Zealand's fully amateur outfit Auckland City against European royalty Bayern Munich. This month will be filled with games before the final in New Jersey on 13 July; a date sandwiched between both legs of Shelbourne's Champions League first-round qualifying tie. By that point, Premier League clubs will also be back in pre-season action ahead of the 2025/26 campaign and, just six days after the Club World Cup final, Manchester United will play Leeds United in a friendly in Stockholm. On and on it goes, as seasons blend into one. The Republic of Ireland, of course, have two friendlies of their own over the next week as preparations continue for a condensed World Cup qualifying campaign that means September through to November is make or break for manager Heimir Hallgrímsson. He opted to leave out the majority of his Championship players from this squad so they could have the benefit of longer holidays this summer before – as the Ireland boss put it – they spent next year on duty at the World Cup. Someone who has been able to take time to relax on a couch is John Egan, who was a guest on a special live show for the Second Captains podcast in Cork last week. The 32-year-old still harbours ambition to play a role in those qualifiers in the autumn after rebuilding fitness and form over the last nine months with Burnley and Hull City. Advertisement An achilles injury in September 2023 brought a premature end to Egan's Premier League career as well as his time at Sheffield United, a club he helped earn promotion to England's top flight on two occasions. He explained on Second Captains how he went into a match with West Ham with injuries to his ankle and knee but didn't want to pull out of the starting XI as it had been a tough start to the season. 'When you're carrying an injury, it affects the rest of your body if you keep playing. That's advice I'll give to any young fellas or any people with young kids, going forward mind your body because you know you get an injury somewhere, it could be affecting you somewhere else,' he said. 'It cost me the rest of the season, probably cost me the rest of my Sheffield United career, which was sad. Yeah, I think it's (playing while injured) definitely an Irish thing. You kind of feel embarrassed if you don't train or you don't play, you know? That's how I felt anyway, and then you get the Europeans coming in and they've a little knock, they don't play and you think 'come on, man, just play', [but] they're going to be still playing when they're 40, if they want. 'I've learned the hard way. If I could go back I wouldn't play that game. I'd wait until I was right or until I had a two or three-year contract behind me. That's the be all and end all.' Those words, combined with a further elongation of the club and country calendar, seemed all the more prescient when Jason Knight was put up as the Ireland player on media duty yesterday. Now captain at Bristol City and still only 24-years-old, he played every minute of his side's 46-game regular campaign as well as the defeat over two legs to Sheffield United in the play-offs. That's even more impressive when you consider he was coming off the back of the 2023/24 season when he also played 3,848 minutes of 4,140 available. Jason Knight with John O'Shea (background). Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO Knight did manage a two-week break before joining the squad – Preston's Robbie Brady the other Championship player required for duty – and accepts it's hard to argue with Egan's regrets. 'John is probably right. There is a line and as you get older you get more experienced and you know what you can play through and what you can't,' he said. 'There's always knocks and niggles you can get through but I have been fortunate to get through the season without hurting myself too badly so a bit of luck as well. You can always get through a certain pain barrier and get on to the pitch.' That posed an obvious question: what is the line for you? 'If the leg isn't off, I suppose,' Knight said. John O'Shea, Ireland's assistant head coach, was sitting alongside the midfielder at the press conference and expanded on the kind of attitude and application that makes Knight so important. 'He is naturally leading now, vocally but also performance and intensity-wise. If we are doing a drill in training, you know if Knighty is involved in it that it is going to take care of itself and that is brilliant for a coaching staff, to have that and to see that reliability. 'It's also a trust to know what he is going to produce for the team as well. He has grown into the role for club and country. I'm sure there's lots of people looking at him and I'm sure Bristol City are very happy with him too. 'There's always that element of him being new school and old school, but it is a good school that he is from. Hopefully it continues.' Interest from other clubs for Knight is not at a stage where any transfer could be imminent. 'It's been a bit quiet for the last couple of weeks,' he said. Things move quickly in football and Knight knows that. 'I want to be ambitious. I want to play in the top division. But I'm relaxed, if it's now or in the future, that will be. I've just got to keep performing well to get to that point.' And if that means another summer still on the clock at the biggest show of all next summer then so be it.
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Sanders defends refusal to describe Israel's actions as genocide at Dublin event
US senator Bernie Sanders again defended his refusal to describe the Israeli assault on Gaza as a genocide at an event on Saturday at Liberty Hall in Dublin. His speech largely focused on criticising Donald Trump's presidency, winning him a prolonged standing ovation, but it also highlighted the divisions over his position on how to categorise the situation in the Middle East. Two people were ejected from the closing session of the trade-union backed Robert Tressell Festival, which was attended by President Michael D Higgins, for heckling Mr Sanders over his continued refusal to describe the killing of more than 50,000 Palestinians as genocide. Mr Sanders and his wife Jane, who joined him on stage for a questions and answers session with Second Captains and Irish Times journalist Ken Early, roundly rejected the criticism. READ MORE 'What we should be focusing on is ending the destruction and changing policy,' he said. 'Let's be clear, 52,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children. Over 100,000 have been wounded with the entire infrastructure destroyed. That is horrible. That is barbaric. That is the concern we have but some people want to argue about a word which the United Nations is now working to define.' Mr Sanders went on: 'What's going on right now is horrific. I am doing my best. I'm leading the effort in the Senate, and I think we are getting bogged down arguing about a word.' [ Bernie Sanders: Senator has 'no apologies' for his position on Israel's attack on Gaza Opens in new window ] Mrs Sanders said calling the current events genocide would alienate significant allies in the US, of which, she suggested, there were already too few, and provide opponents with an opportunity to shift the focus of the debate. 'The fact we're spending billions of dollars on weapons for Israel would be just falling on deaf ears,' she said. '[Mr Sanders] wouldn't have gotten 15 votes [for a recent Bill he introduced in the Senate to curtail military support to Israel] if he could be marginalised by a word. 'I think he's very smart not to use the word, because it would make a hell of a little bit of difference and so I would ask the left to not marginalise him for a word to criticize him when he is the leading voice [on the issue in the US].' Aside from the two audience members ejected for repeatedly interrupting the Vermont senator's speech, the tone was generally respectful from what appeared to be an otherwise highly supportive crowd. There were occasions during his attempts to directly engage with those present on the issue when it was obvious many others were critical of his position and he appeared to be annoyed by the shift in tone. The wider event included many contributions on Gaza and Palestine including one from Omar Barghouti , via Zoom, from inside Israel. Mr Barghouti, a prominent activist and proponent of cultural, academic and economic boycotts of Israel, was unable to attend the event due to the refusal of Israeli authorities to renew documentation he needed to travel. He argued in his address that the current conflict is a genocide. [ Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti prevented from travelling to speak at Dublin festival Opens in new window ] Earlier, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald participated in a discussion on the potential for a future left-wing coalition government with Labour's Marie Sherlock, Sinéad Gibney of the Social Democrats and People Before Profit's Ruth Coppinger. During it, all four broadly backed increased collaboration between the parties and Ms McDonald said hers had not built the 'relationships' it should before the last general election. She said she was 'not going to make that mistake again'.
Dublin Live
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Dublin Live
Conor McManus slams 'inaccurate and misleading online commentary' over properties
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Former Monaghan star Conor McManus has released a statement in which he calls recent online commentary over his property ownership 'inaccurate and misleading' while stating that his properties have no connection to the International Protection Accomodation Services (IPAS). McManus did not directly state which online commentary he was referring to, but clarified in a statement that he sublets property to Dublin City Council for use as emergency accommodation. As part of his statement, McManus says that he has never had any involvement in government contracts over accommodation. McManus also explained that his official name is Vincent Conor McManus as per his birth certificate and this is the name that would appear on any formal documents relating to him. Releasing the statement on X, he said: "In light of some inaccurate and misleading commentary online, I want to set the record straight. "I sublet property to Dublin City Council for use as emergency accommodation for homeless people in Dublin City.. For the sake of clarity, this has no connection to IPAS or any other accommodation programme. "I have never had any involvement in government contracts or other accommodation arrangements throughout the country beyond this. My christened name is Vincent Conor McManus, as per my birth certificate, and it appears on all formal documents such as my passport and bank accounts — though in day-to-day life, I'm known as Conor. "I am fully committed to my work, both professionally and in sport, and while I respect everyone's right to an opinion, I believe it's important to share the facts." McManus recently retired from intercounty football following a stellar career with Monaghan. The sharp-shooting forward won two Ulster titles and three All-Star awards during his 18-year career with his county. He announced his retirement in January 2025 and has been doing punditry work for both RTE and the Second Captains podcast this season. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Conor McManus slams 'misleading' online commentary over property ownership
Former Monaghan star Conor McManus has released a statement in which he calls recent online commentary over his property ownership 'inaccurate and misleading' while stating that any of his properties have no connection to the International Protection Accomodation Services (IPAS). McManus did not directly state which online commentary he was referring to, but clarified in a statement that he sublets property to Dublin City Council for use as emergency accommodation. As part of his statement, McManus says that he has never had any involvement in government contracts over accommodation. McManus also explained that his official name is Vincent Conor McManus as per his birth certificate and this is the name that would appear on any formal documents relating to him. Releasing the statement on X, he said: "In light of some inaccurate and misleading commentary online, I want to set the record straight. "I sublet property to Dublin City Council for use as emergency accommodation for homeless people in Dublin City.. For the sake of clarity, this has no connection to IPAS or any other accommodation programme. "I have never had any involvement in government contracts or other accommodation arrangements throughout the country beyond this. "My christened name is Vincent Conor McManus, as per my birth certificate, and it appears on all formal documents such as my passport and bank accounts — though in day-to-day life, I'm known as Conor. "I am fully committed to my work, both professionally and in sport, and while I respect everyone's right to an opinion, I believe it's important to share the facts." McManus recently retired from intercounty football following a stellar career with Monaghan. The sharp-shooting forward won two Ulster titles and three All-Star awards during his 18-year career with his county. He announced his retirement in January 2025 and has been doing punditry work for both RTE and the Second Captains podcast this season.
