Axel leaves an inspiring legacy of optimism, courage, and hard graft

Anthony Foley’s death raises an eternal Irish question — why are all our heroes sportsmen? Why no politicians?

There was a week towards the end of May 2006 when, all over Munster, grown men, many used to playing do-or-die hardball in business, many more rounded out by life’s knocks and bruises could hardly finish a sentence without a lump in their throat, without fighting back a tear.

Embarrassed, they looked away. Some dropped a pen, or made a pretend phonecall hoping no-one would notice how very deeply they had been moved by a silly game.