In a battle of wills between the British Army and Fr Michael O'Brien there could only be one winner

Tadhg Coakley's personal tribute to the man who coached him on six teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s

Fr Michael was mercurial, he was irascible, he was stentorian. Gifted with boundless energy, boundless willpower, boundless intellectual and emotional intelligence, and a boundless ability to inspire. Burdened with a huge sense of duty and responsibility, though he appeared to carry it lightly.

Tonight I hope to be in the Mardyke again for the annual Canon O’Brien Cup match between the hurlers of UCC and Cork.

I’ll be thinking of Father Michael O’Brien, after whom this match is called. Of course, I will.