Tug-o-war champs feel the heat

The titanic minutes of the Irish Tug of War championships in broiling Corofin on the edge of the Burren yesterday came when the two top Irish teams eventually qualified to meet in the final.

And the rope groaned when the mighty world champions from Boley in Wexford tugged once again against their perennial challengers Lakeside from Knockmore in Co Mayo. Incredible stuff.

The Chinese invented tug-o-war away back in the eighth century as a test for their warriors.They were also masters back then at inventing more subtle tortures designed to break the spirit.