Divided loyalties for Ó hAilpín

HE’S the most recognisable face in Gaelic games yet anyone who doubts Seán Óg Ó hAilpín’s commitment to his Fijian roots should think again.

Cork’s last All-Ireland winning captain was in Dublin yesterday giving a ‘welcome to hurling’ type presentation to the touring Fijian rugby team. One exchange between him and a Fijian player was priceless.

Addressing the crowd — and an intimidating crowd of six-footers at that — Ó hAilpín asked if any of them had heard of his mother’s native land, Rotuma, an island off Fiji? A huge cheer arose as a Rotuma man was presented for Seán Óg’s embrace.