Amanda Marcotte of the online magazine Slate did the state some service recently when pinpointing a flaw or two in the admittedly tired criticism of the Women’s World Cup, which was running over the past few weeks.

The GAA line you’ve heard and seen all summer is a simple one.

THURLES, but not as we know it.

Typically you see the All-Ireland final heralded as the tip of the pyramid, the pinnacle of the GAA year (even if it comes in September).

I enjoyed my holidays, thanks very much. Catalonia is a nice place to be any time, but particularly in the week that Barcelona won the European Cup, with plenty of fireworks in our locality. 

Between Mr Sepp ‘Steering The Ship’ Blatter (see elsewhere on this page), Mr Patrick ‘Golf Balls’ Neary (see the finance/comedy section) and Mr REDACTED REDACTED’REDACTED (see various legal eagles), it hasn’t been a great few days for prominent personages.

You’re backing the bid for the Rugby World Cup? 

For this observer there’s a sense of the 1968 US Presidential election about the forthcoming marriage referendum.

I see verbal intimidation is now coming under the microscope of GAA discipline. Maybe under the dictaphone would be a better term, though. Or the boom microphone.

Last week we told you in these pages that the Gaelic Players Association had polled its members seeking their approval for a simple proposal — whether or not the organisation should support a yes vote in the forthcoming marriage referendum.