Colin Sheridan: Better prioritise our funding for human talent?
Inpho/james Ireland’s Wiffen Medal And Gold Spectacle: Bronze With Pic: Crombie His Swimmer Daniel
An incredible week for Irish athletes in Paris, a bad week for greyhound racing. One of the unintended consequences of the heroics we witnessed from Daniel Wiffen, rowers O’Donovan and McCarthy, Kellie Harrington and Rhys McClenaghan and our female sprinters on the track, was the focus it put on how money is spent in Irish sport. And whenever we talk about money and Irish sport, we talk about greyhound and horse racing.
Rest assured, our four-legged friends and their masters have lobby that could rival a Super Pac in a presidential election. All for the love of the animals, of course.
Last November, the government approved its budgetary decision to provide a €95 million funding package to the Irish greyhound and horse racing industries, despite strong opposition from animal rights groups and opposition politicians.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said: “Public funding to the greyhound racing industry must end.” She detailed that reports and concerns of abuse, lapses in industry regulatory provisions and poor treatment of greyhounds had been highlighted at committee level and within the media for a number of years.
Cairns added: “The importance of the industry to the survival of rural communities is fantasy. If parties in this Chamber are so convinced of its importance and popularity, why not let it survive on a commercial basis?”
She wasn’t alone. People Before Profit TDs Paul Murphy and Mick Barry highlighted their opposition to the funding of greyhound racing over concerns for the dog’s welfare.
Murphy criticised reviews of the industry, insinuating bias due to the industry representatives being used as the main source for the data. He added that the funding is “a waste of public money”.
Barry too opposed the bill on the basis of the welfare of the animals.
Barry said: “If this motion is passed tonight the amount of money that has been gifted to the industry will pass the €300 million mark in the next year.
In a slide toward the middle, Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon-Galway Claire Kerrane said she disagreed with the amount of money provided to the sectors, but recognised the “positive impact” it had on rural communities.
She said that the €95 million bill was “an awful lot of money” and said reviews should be completed in the interest of transparency, to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare. It’s around about here you’d be inserting a confused looking emoji.
Far less equivocal were TD’s Michael Lowry, Mattie McGrath and Michael Healy Rae. At the time, Lowry said: “Support from the State to the horse and greyhound industries is one of the most important financial outlays in the budget.”
One of the most important outlays of the budget! That’s big talk, with the country in the midst of a legitimate housing crisis, in an Olympic year, as welfare concerns around both horse and greyhound industries swirled like hay in the wind, the worst of which would be exposed less than seven months later in an RTÉ Investigates programme.
Last November, Lowry welcomed the allocation of the additional funds to the greyhound racing industry and said moves to reduce financial support to both industries would be “unwise and counterproductive to our economy,” before adding “the industry has had serious concerns due to falling attendance at the tracks, resulting in a significant drop in revenue. However, with aggressive marketing and promotion, attendances have been improving again.”
Emboldened, fellow Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath thanked the Government for the funding, adding that it is a “vital” industry, finishing with a line he obviously thought smart and funny: “Deputy Cairns came up one day protesting and she brought a lurcher. She did not even know what a greyhound was.”
For the record, Greyhound Action Ireland said the fund is a waste of taxpayer money and that the racing events are falling in popularity in recent years.
As the country united to watch the women's 4X400m relay team finish an agonising fourth in the Olympic final on Saturday, it was mentioned in RTÉ commentary that two of the four are not full-time athletes, and work jobs to supplement their training.
Often, at such emotional moments, a piece of information such as this can be weaponised in an overly simplistic way to emphasise a point people feel passionately about. In this instance, it was that many felt they would rather athletes such as Phil Healy and Sophie Becker be properly supported, rather than the taxpayers' money be diverted to an industry beset by animal rights issues.
The government, rural TDs and those invested in the horse and dog industry will undoubtedly make the “It's complicated” argument. That an industry which consistently boasts about making so much money and guaranteeing so many jobs, deserves protection.
Nights like Saturday in the Stade de France suggest we might be better placed protecting those with the actual talent, rather than those with the means to own an animal to race.
Tributes poured in as the golfing world remembers one of its all-time greats, Juan "Chi Chi" Rodriguez, who passed away at the age of 88. Rodriguez, renowned not only for his talent on the golf course but also for his charisma and charitable efforts, leaves behind a rich legacy as both a sportsman and philanthropist.
Rodriguez, originally from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, made his debut on the PGA Tour back in 1960. Over the course of his impressive 21-year career, he won eight PGA Tour titles and 22 more on the Senior Tour, showcasing his enduring talent within the sport. The PGA Tour recognised Rodriguez's vibrant personality, stating, "Chi Chi Rodriguez’s passion for charity and outreach was surpassed only by his incredible talent with a golf club."
This is no doubt true, as he was known to light up the course through his unique antics, including dancing after sinking birdies and his signature "matador routine" with the golf club.
His life story wasn’t just about swinging clubs; it was about triumphing through adversity. Growing up, he helped his father harvest sugarcane, learning the game of golf with improvised tools. He started out by swinging sticks at cans before becoming a caddy at local courses, eventually shaping his future on the professional circuit.
Rodriguez was also deeply involved in charity work, believing strongly in giving back to the community. Both during his playing days and after Rodriguez, cognisant of the privilege his success brought him, remained committed to supporting those less fortunate. His on-course humour endeared him to not just fans but also to fellow athletes and the broader community.
After enduring health challenges, including hospitalisations for heart issues, Rodriguez eventually shifted his focus from competitive play to community service, spending significant time back home in Puerto Rico. His contributions to golf and the joy he spread will surely resonate within the sport for generations to come.
Lee Carsley, recently unveiled as England’s interim coach, may be about to learn it's not all a bed of red roses being the gaffer. He might even wish he had chosen Ireland instead. In stepping up from the England U-21 job, he’s following in the footsteps of his predecessor Gareth Southgate, but Southgate’s reputation, profile and stature within the English game was much greater than Carsley’s, especially as the former Everton man was a Republic of Ireland international, not an English one.
His appointment has already drawn the FA criticism for its lack of foresight and proactivity in identifying a permanent successor given how telegraphed Southgate's departure was.
The English press are an unforgiving bunch, and Carsley will be cut no slack because of the temporary nature of his appointment. Style will be as important as substance. By the time the two countries face off next month, he might already wish he had a permanent job in Dublin, rather than an interim one in London.
Before Saturday night, Charlie Smyth had never kicked an American football in a competitive game. A year ago, he had never kicked an American football in his life. This line was repeated a few times by his teammates and coaches after he nailed a 37-yard field goal to give the Saints a 16-14 lead over the Cardinals with five seconds remaining in a pre-season fixture. It won the Saints the game, and a lot of new admirers for the 22-year-old goalkeeper from Down. He will likely enter the coming season as backup kicker for the team. Age and ability are on his side in a league as ruthless as it is exciting. It's a long way from the Tailteann Cup.