The Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association says that in these fantasy leagues, there is a market of more than $7bn (€5.95bn).

'We roll our eyes, of course, but mostly we smile because usually, Cork’s brand of confidence is cheerful and breezy. In hurling terms, Cork is Tipperary with a sense of humour

In the 1930s, Ireland actually made bids to stage the Olympic Games. Indeed, it had attempted to stage the 1932 Olympics (awarded to Los Angeles) and the 1936 Games (awarded to Berlin) and then the 1940 Olympics.

Teams that play with spirit, that seem to own the air, that are inspired and stimulated, that set about a game in a way that fills the imagination are exactly what sport demands

It was no surprise that John Cheever’s story, first published in 1964, was soon made into a film – also called ‘The Swimmer’ – starring Burt Lancaster.

In the last two years alone, Kerry and Dublin have given serious beatings to teams who are undeniably in the top 16 teams in the country. No redrawing of championship structures is going to change that

A soccer match broadcast from South America looks different. The players are familiar, the stadia are now almost identikit, but the light is different

The very structural organisation of the Olympics is deeply political in itself.

The Irish Homing Union was established in 1895 and there are at least 120 racing pigeon clubs. These clubs reside in two regions – the North Region which covers Northern Ireland and the Southern Region which covers the Republic of Ireland. There are also local federations of clubs across Ireland

What is most incongruous of all is the disconnect between ordinary Irish lives as against the insufferable self-regard and pomposity of the trappings of Wimbledon