Great to see Cork honour sterling sportsman

As a boy in Dublin, with a Cork mother, I admired the sterling sportsman Noel Cantwell, just as my late father had admired Cobh’s “Gorgeous Gael”, the boxer Jack Doyle.

Many football fans fancy that Ireland only emerged as a solid soccer side with both Big Jack and Big Mick. This is not so, those latter two stood on the shoulders of giants galore.

Among the finest was Corkonian Noel Cantwell, who brilliantly captained his country and captained Manchester United. Like Jack and Mick later, Noel was a born leader. Noel Cantwell died around the same time as George Best. The media focused on the flawed genius alas.

Last Friday, the great city of Cork at last fittingly commemorated Noel Cantwell – international soccer player and cricket player. As his widow, Maggie said, he would have been proud to see a pedestrian passageway near where he grew up in the city named after him.

J.A. Barnwell

St Patrick’s Road

Dublin 9