David Sharkey’s helps teams by tapping into the power of stories and themes. He has played an important part in the successes of La Rochelle and the Westmeath footballers. 

Condemning or boycotting Israel is not as straightforward or as easy as condemning or boycotting Belarus or Russia.

On Wednesday November 8, the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association (ISESA) will be officially formed and launched in the national sports campus in Abbotstown.

Wemby’s Way is going to be some journey to follow

There is hardly another fixture, not even a World Cup final itself, that will be a greater measure of the progress Ireland have made under Andy Farrell and Gary Keegan

Under Farrell they are playing carefree rugby. And it’s working for them. Instead of playing what they think their coach told them to do, they’re playing what’s in front of them

Of course it’ll be tough not being out there this Saturday night, almost as tough as it would have been on his body were he suiting up against Moycullen.

In short South Africa tend to deliver at World Cups – to the extent they’ve delivered the Webb Ellis itself three times – and Ireland don’t.

As unlucky as he has been, you can only be so unlucky for so long. You can only lose for so long. Even the best can last in one place so long.

The referee for Ireland and Romania credits McHugh, his 'sounding board, critic and crucially a friend', even going so far as to refer to him as 'grandfather'