Blarney Castle and Re-imagining Irishness

I had the great pleasure of visiting Blarney Castle yesterday. What a magnificent place, it's almost magical. However, after facing the terrific climb to the top of the castle, I did not bring myself to kiss the stone, for in the words of George Bernard Shaw,

"....it is not necessary for me to seek eloquence at Blarney....my natural gifts in that direction being sufficient, if not somewhat excessive."

Not really - in fact, my natural gifts in that direction are somewhat questionable - the actual reason for refraining from kissing the stone was due to the horrific rumours I'd heard about the treatment of the stone by devious miscreants. How true those rumours are, I'll never know, but I didn't want to find out, much less smear them all over my mouth.

The day before, Ireland became aware of its new President. Labour man-of-letters, Michael D. Higgins is now the 9th President of Ireland. Fair play to him, it was pretty much a certainty from the beginning. Well, that is until failed businessman Sean Gallagher inexplicably emerged as the front-runner for a while. Mr Gallagher could well have been crowned, I mean, inaugurated as our new President, if it were not for Martin McGuinness' revelation that Gallagher had been involved in some shifty financial dealings as part of Fianna Fáil, thus reminding the electorate of all that Gallagher stood for.

And so it was, Michael D. Higgins swept home to victory, leaving Gallagher in his wake, with your man from 'up-there' coming in third - can you imagine what might have happened had a northerner been elected again? Perish the thought. They're not allowed the vote, why should they be allowed to be Uachtarán?

Indeed.

So now we should see the development of the "New Ireland" that Michael D. Higgins of the Labour Party envisions. He wants to examine and re-examine Irishness, to redefine it. He will invest in our national character, our predilection for the arts. One wonders will he continue to trot out the line of Enda Kenny that "Ireland is open for business" (was it ever "closed"?) as though he were the pimp of the nation?

From my own point of view, I truly hope that Higgins does not forget the Irish people of the counties of Derry, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone and Fermanagh and I hope he finds room for them in his re-imagination of Irishness. Partitionists from both sides of the border may chime and chide that he's just for the 26 counties, (that's the Republic, ya hear!), but they are deluded. A state is nothing without its citizens.

A Match Made in Heaven

Estonia defeat Northern Ireland

A chorus of joy rang out around Ireland as Zbigniew Boniek announced that Estonia would be Ireland's opponents in the Euro 2012 Play Offs. Out of the four possible opponents, Estonia was viewed by many as the dream draw and it's hard to disagree with the reasoning. However, many journalists and sports writers are already suggesting that it is likely that we were probably Estonia's dream draw. So what we've got now is a match made in heaven.

Maybe Trapattoni's alleged Opus Dei connections have been at play; maybe he was right about Saint Patrick being a fan of the FAI. Darren O'Dea, too, seemed to know something that we all didn't when he said he was sure that we'd be in Poland and Ukraine next year. However, there is one more trial to be completed before the prophecy of the centre-half can be realised.

Estonia emerged from a tough qualifying group in which they were fifth seeds, catapulting themselves up the ladder of the FIFA rankings along the way, with convincing away victories over Serbia and Slovenia, as well as beating Northern Ireland at home and away. They have, nevertheless, shown themselves to have the inconsistency that is typical of weaker teams, having been beaten by Brian Kerr's Faroe Islands. That said, for a nation of Estonia's stature in football, similarly to Armenia, to get this far is a marvellous achievement and their players will no doubt be spurred on by their status as underdogs.


Therefore, Trapattoni must once more remind his players of the perils of complacency and ensure that the results send us on our way to Poland and Ukraine. Come on you Boys in Green!

It's Not Over Yet

Berezovski receives a red card (Uefa)

I came away from last night's victory with a few thoughts amid the joy of having inched that bit closer to the European Championships. As is often the case, Ireland seemed to have that bit of luck and as usual, there was an edginess to the performance that would give even the most patient of saints a reason to crack. Trapattoni's regime has been such that for every positive result there is a negative that needs to be addressed.

Simon Cox conceded that Armenia's goalkeeper, Berezovski, was unlucky to have been sent off. Indeed it could have gone either way. According to the commentary on RTÉ, it was Mr Gonzalez's last game as a referee, so I sense that he unwittingly attempted to steal the show by showing eight yellow cards and sending two men off. Nevertheless, these things happen in football, like the infamous “Hand of Gaul” incident in that play-off in Paris. Until such times when the powers-that-be introduce video replays, you play to the whistle and get on with it.

Ireland's tactics were straightforward but undeniably effective. The Armenians were unable to deal with Shay Given's long balls and they struggled to stifle the wily movement of Cox and Doyle. However, despite the pressure, Ireland were unable to capitalise until the 43^rd minute and even then, needed a favour in the form of an Armenian own goal. The Armenians, playing with 10 men having had a man controversially sent off, were right to feel aggrieved, because despite the disadvantage, they still managed to control a sizeable portion of the possession - a marvellous testimony to the technical ability of this young Armenian side. At 60 minutes, Richard Dunne pounced on the inexperienced substitute goalkeeper's reticence (he was 17!) to make it 2-0 and Ireland were in cruise control, at least Trapattoni's type of cruise control. At one stage Armenia had 71% of the possession, which would be a frightening statistic to anyone else, but Trapattoni is happy for the opponent to keep the ball as long as his team is winning.

Despite being comfortably in the lead, several Irish players displayed the reckless complacency that has cost Ireland in the past. Aiden McGeady, for example, had an atrocious evening; the tricky Glaswegian simply could not beat his man and insisted on wasting possession almost every time he got the ball, which is completely unacceptable at this level, when so much is at stake. The Armenians even snatched a goal, in what was almost a carbon copy of the build-up play that saw Ireland concede a wonder-goal against Andorra - a weak clearance from a high ball and an abundance of space afforded to the Armenians due to poor positioning from the Irish midfield, Keith Andrews in particular, who was nearly 20 yards away from where he should have been. Certainly, Shay Given could have been better for the shot, but I'd argue that Mkhitaryan should not have been allowed the time and space to shoot and for this reason, Andrews is most culpable. Not only does Andrews lack the positional awareness and tackling ability for his role, he lacks the imagination, as was frustratingly showcased as he squandered an amazing counter-attack opportunity when he played the ball backwards, towards trouble. Kevin Doyle will miss the play-offs as a result of controversial refereeing, but he didn't help his case with the indiscipline he had previously displayed when he needlessly picked up a yellow card.

Thankfully, Ireland are seeded for the play-off draw, which will see them face Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Turkey or Montenegro, but Trapattoni should remind his players to be wary of complacency. By world football standards, of this group, only Turkey has made an impact, but each of these teams is here by virtue of their quality and like Armenia, must not be underestimated. Ireland have faced Montenegro in the past and it is important to note that Estonia have moved from 86^th to 58^th in the FIFA rankings while Bosnia & Herzegovina have moved to 22^nd . So regardless of who is drawn out of the hat on Thursday, Ireland can be sure of a tough task. The roller-coaster ride is far from over.

Ongoing Eligibility Row? Where?

To describe the eligibility of Northern Ireland born Irish nationals in the context of association football as an ongoing issue is, quite simply, a falsehood, because it is not an ongoing issue. Indeed, as the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said in a statement issued in response to the recent upsurge of speculation in the media, the decision reached by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the summer of 2010 granted the issue finality, once and for all. I have written extensively about the eligibility issue in the past, for the simple reason that it is something which presents a principle which is important to me, and over the past few months, it is the ignorant outbursts of Gerry Armstrong, the Irish FA's (IFA) newly appointed 'Elite Player Mentor', that have been the subject of my scorn.

Despite the emphatic nature of the finality which followed the outcome of that court case in Lausanne, elements within the media have deviously sought to ensure that the issue remains at the front of the minds of football fans in Ireland. The idea behind mounting such an aggressive media campaign, presumably, is to effect some kind of change by maintaining an atmosphere of discontent among Northern Ireland fans and, at the same time, attempting to encourage a feeling of sympathy or unease among Republic of Ireland fans. The rabidly sensationalist stories which continue to prevail are typically written by resident hacks who are embarrassingly ignorant of the statutes governing eligibility, as well as the very recent court case on the issue and they insist on propounding myths and outright lies in an effort to stir up frenzy among the Northern Ireland fan base. Of course, that many of these writers are sympathetic to, or even fans of, Northern Ireland is acceptable, but what is utterly inexcusable is the stubbornness of their ignorance in the face of readily available facts. It seems to suggest a defiant 'head-in-the-sand' mentality.

Since his appointment by the IFA as the association's 'Elite Player Mentor', Gerry Armstrong has continued this frustrating habit. The former Northern Ireland international has been extremely vocal about his intentions to persuade players to stick with, declare for, or in some cases return to, the IFA. However, it is hard to take anything Armstrong says seriously when he comes out with such short-sighted, erroneous gems as:

"If you are born in part of Northern Ireland that is your country of birth and usually, under FIFA or UEFA rules, that would be the country you would play for.”

As well as the oft-repeated fallacy that,

"Because of the Good Friday Agreement if you are born in Northern Ireland you can play for Northern Ireland or you can play for the Republic of Ireland"

In light of such astounding ignorance, it seems only logical to conclude that Armstrong, who is a relatively senior public figure within the IFA, does not have the faintest clue about that which he is talking about, which is odd, because the CAS case was, in effect, an expensive lesson in interpretation for the IFA. Amazingly, Armstrong has also been making completely unsubstantiated allegations against the FAI in the local media, claiming that the association is actively engaged in the “tapping up” of players aged 15 and 16 years of age – a claim which has been resolutely refuted by the FAI, who have stated their view that it is a player's prerogative whether or not they wish to play for their teams.Furthermore, Armstrong suggests that young players are facing pressure “from a political point of view”, whatever that is supposed to mean. The credibility, if there ever was any, to Armstrong's allegations is undermined substantially by the fact that, rather hypocritically, he is currently engaged in the “tapping up” of players who are registered with other associations, including players who were not actually born in Northern Ireland, such as Anton Rodgers, an English-born footballer who plays for the representative teams of the FAI.

If anything worthwhile can be taken from the recent proliferation of articles in the media, it is that, in the realm of complex issues such as national team eligibility, Irish football fans should always be wary of the oblique musings of former footballers. Instead, they should ideally refer to the report which was issued by the CAS following the IFA's complaint against FIFA and the FAI. Failing that, they should consult Daniel Collins' article 'FIFA Player Eligibility in the Context of Ireland: The Actual Rules, the Real Facts and Dispelling the Prevailing Myths' (2011), which remains one of the most in-depth examinations of the issue and outlines, with brutally clinical concision, how Gerry Armstrong and others of his ilk are absolutely out of their depth on this issue.

This article appeared on Backpage Football on 20/10/11

All the King's Men

Ireland U21 Team v Hungary

Ireland under-21 boss Noel King has now been in the job for over a year and having inherited a talented group of players, he has improved significantly on Don Givens' efforts as coach with some reasonable results. Ahead of Ireland's under-21 game against Liechtenstein, it is worth looking at the wealth of talent which bubbles beneath the senior squad, in what is quite a young under 21 group.

Goalkeepers
Ireland has never been spoiled for choice when it comes to goalkeepers, but has been lucky enough to have two colossal Donegal men between the posts for the majority of the past 20 years. However, there is a growing worry that once Shay Given hangs up his gloves, with no obvious young pretender ready to pick them up, Ireland will face a goalkeeper crisis. King has experimented with several goalkeepers but only one has been ever-present in his squads and that is Dubliner Ian McLoughlin. The towering custodian has firmly established himself as King's number one. Now 20 years old, McLoughlin began his professional career at Ipswich Town but has since moved on to League One outfit MK Dons after brief loan spells at Lowestoft Town and Stockport County.
King has also used the likes Richie Branagan and Michael Quirke in friendly games, but it is Monaghan man Aaron McCarey who has emerged as understudy to McLoughlin. The 19 year old Wolves reserve goalkeeper Aaron McCarey had long been number one at under-19 level and after Ireland's impressive run in the Under 19 European Championships, UEFA picked McCarey out as “One to Watch”, describing him as an “intimidating figure inside his area”. He has recently made the step-up from Paul Doolin's under-19s to Noel King's under-21s but is currently the second choice, although he will undoubtedly stake a strong claim for the number one shirt.

Defenders
Through the years, Ireland has had some tremendous defenders playing football at the highest level. Kevin Moran, Paul McGrath, Steve Staunton and Denis Irwin are just some of the names that immediately spring to mind. However, in recent times, there has been a lamentable drought of talent and Richard Dunne is arguably the only defender worth talking about in the same bracket as the aforementioned individuals. Amazingly, Noel King has been deploying a defence made up of four natural centre backs and each of them possess undoubted potential to progress in the game. 20 year old Rob Kiernan is an English born Irish under age international who recently signed for Wigan Athletic and is currently King's captain, having captained previous Irish teams. The centre-half started his career as a midfielder but switched to defence and he has been ever-present in Noel King's backline since he took over.
Niall Canavan is another English-born Irish international who currently plies his trade at Scunthorpe United. The 20 year old declared for Ireland in 2011, and has emerged as Noel King's preferred choice alongside Rob Kiernan at centre-half. Canavan has played many games for League One team Scunthorpe, and while 'Iron' fans have high-hopes for the young man, he has found his appearances limited with fellow Irish international, the on-loan Shane Duffy, being Alan Knill's preferred choice. 19 year old Derry man Shane Duffy already has a wealth of experience behind him. The giant centre-half made his Everton debut at the tender age of 17 and could possibly have had senior international honours had he not suffered a life-threatening injury at 18 while with Trapattoni's senior side. Duffy had a loan spell at Championship outfit Burnley in the 2010-2011 season and is currently on loan at Scunthorpe United where he has firmly established himself in Alan Knill's starting eleven.
Bolton's Mark Connolly is another centre-half in King's squad, but he has been playing mostly at right back or in midfield, a versatility that the Monaghan native believes is an invaluable strength in the modern game. Now 19 years of age, Connolly's manager Owen Coyle has stated his willingness to play the defender at centre back. Gavin Gunning is a further natural centre-half but is equally adept at left-back, which is where he has featured during King's tenure. At 20 years of age, Gunning is arguably one of the most experienced and certainly one of the most decorated players in the squad, having represented Ireland at all underage levels. He kicked off his career at Blackburn, but has since moved on to SPL side Dundee United after several successful loan spells in Scotland and the lower leagues in England. Left back Greg Cunningham is only 20 years of age yet has already featured three times for Giovanni Trapattoni's senior side. The Galway man suffered a horrendous leg-break in the 2010-2011 season, but has since returned to full fitness and has been included in Noel King's squad to face Liechtenstein.

Midfielders

Despite the vast improvement on Steve Staunton's regime, the reign of Giovanni Trapattoni has also embarrassingly exposed the painful weakness in the Irish midfield. For all their efforts, the likes of Glenn Whelan, Keith Andrews, Darron Gibson and Keith Fahey have been largely ineffective in the rigid 4-4-2 formation, with many fans begging for a change of formation, or at least mentality. Noel King's under-21 side, in contrast, is brimming with talent in the middle of the park. Chelsea reserve player Conor Clifford has represented Ireland at all underage levels, often playing a full year above his age-group. A skillful midfielder with great vision and a powerful shot, the 19 year old captained Chelsea to FA Youth Cup glory and has had two loan spells to date, with Plymouth Argyle and Notts County. Indeed, Clifford's progress was recently recognised with a call-up to Giovanni Trapattoni's senior side in August 2011.

Dubliner Robbie Brady is a real star in the making. The 19 year old Manchester United winger is currently on loan at Hull City where his dazzling skill and speed has already made him a fan-favourite. Interestingly, the former St Kevin's Boys player's Ireland career appeared to be in doubt following an alleged disagreement with under 19 manager Paul Doolin prior to the Under 19 European Championships, but he has since made the step up to under 21 level and, to Noel King's delight, has been thriving, scoring three goals in five appearances. After experiencing recurring injuries early in his career, Brady is finally realising his massive potential.

Leeds United player Aidy White recently declared his allegiance to Ireland in 2011 after having played for England at under 19 level. Equally adept at left-back or left-wing, White has been playing on the wing for Noel King and has impressed greatly in his three performances to date. 20 year old Celtic player Richie Towell is currently into his second loan spell at Hibernian. Another versatile player, Towell can play at right back, but it is at centre midfield where he has impressed for Noel King's under 21s. Towell is a tireless ball-winning midfielder who commits himself admirably to tackles. A controversial recent inclusion in King's under-21 side is Preston North End player Adam Barton. Barton is a lanky, but graceful attacking midfielder and it is interesting to note that the English-born 20 year old actually has a senior cap for Northern Ireland. However, he opted to play for the Republic instead and has since represented the FAI on two occasions. Derby County midfielder, Jeff Hendrick has made the step up from under 19 level to cement a starting berth in King's under 21s. The 19 year old has a tremendous amount of potential, which has been showcased in his performances for Derby this season.

Strikers

With Robbie Keane entering the twilight of his career, Ireland are in desperate need of a goalscorer. Sadly however, there is a distinct lack of firepower in Noel King's under 21 squad. Nevertheless, King has utilised a number of quality players in attack. For example, the likes of Crystal Palace forward, the English born Sean Scannell has shown that he has plenty of potential. Indeed, Scannell was previously included in Giovanni Trapattoni's senior squad; unfortunately, the 21 year old has been plagued by injuries, forcing him to withdraw from many squads. Arsenal youngster, the English born Rhys Murphy, has also recently declared for Ireland having played at under 19 and under 17 level for England, while English born James Collins has been a regular for Ireland at under 19 and under 21 level. Collins started his career at Aston Villa but now finds himself with League Two side, Shrewsbury. Finally, another English born player, Joe Mason, who has played for Ireland at under 19 and under 21 level is now playing regularly for Cardiff, having signed from League Two outfit, Plymouth Argyle.

On the Campaign Trail: Gay and Martin

Gay Mitchell, Irish Rover

In between my attempts to be taken seriously as an academic, I've been trying to stay tuned into the developments of the Presidential election and the thing that has recently come to the fore, is the self-proclaimed “Street-Fighter” attitude of Fine Gael candidate Gay Mitchell.

Mitchell, we are told, has now been let loose – like a rabid political dog – on Martin McGuinness. “I'm not afraid of you, Martin!”, he declared triumphantly on Eamon Dunphy's radio show on Newstalk. And many commentators suggest that Mitchell's zealous attacks on McGuinness will ultimately prove to be a fruitful endeavour, if only for the sake of “honour”. Eoghan Harris for example, in a piece for the Irish Independent, would have us believe that Mitchell was ready to step into a ring with McGuinness, that he was a man of robust character who has been preparing for and relishing this opportunity for years. Just postpone the thoughts of Mr Burns and the release of hounds for a second, for in the same article, Harris amazingly states that “IRA tribalism is to Ireland what anti-Semitism was to Germany”. His endorsement of Mitchell, therefore, appears to be one of desperation.

The fighting Irishman Gay has constantly reminded us of how, growing up in Dublin, he and his family endured a difficult time, riddled with sudden bereavement and financial hardship. Strangely, however, he attempts to frame this in the exact same context of Martin McGuinness growing up on the streets of Derry. Such a ludicrous comparison does not make Mitchell out to be heroic, but rather ignorant. I'll go out on a limb and guess that Mitchell didn't live in an institutionally gerrymandered city, where the state felt he was a second-class citizen, considered him a threat to the status quo and even shot at him, killing and injuring his fellow citizens. But no, he insists that “I've had a hard life Martin, yet I didn't resort to the gun.”, noble as he is. I think Father Sean McManus summed it up perfectly when he, quite reasonably, said:

"How have McGuinness’s critics resisted British injustice and anti-Catholic discrimination and inequality in Northern Ireland?"

Mitchell's other gripes concern the financial well-being of McGuinness and the fact that he is inextricably linked with Sinn Féin. That McGuinness is inextricably linked with Sinn Féin is no secret, so to continually raise it as an issue seems pointless and with regard to Mitchell's scepticism over salaries, McGuinness responded by releasing his financial details to the public, thus taking the wind out of Gay's sails. Mitchell is certainly not stupid, but one must wonder at the rationale behind his militant stance on McGuinness and whether it will serve to gain him votes.

It's all very interesting to observe as the events unfold, it is absolutely entertaining. McGuinness has his enemies; be they those angered by his involvement in the Troubles, dissident republicans who feel he has sold out “The Cause”, or southern politicians who simply loathe the rise of Sinn Féin. At the same time however, he most certainly has his sympathisers and Mitchell's frequent, somewhat obsessive tirades may just grant him a few more. Sinn Féin and McGuinness have a past that is rooted in violent conflict, but they also have a vision for the future of Ireland and as someone who hopes to see the reunification - the freedom - of Ireland, I can't see any other party working for it in the way that Sinn Féin is. Their approach is now one of pragmatism, although many will argue that it is completely hypocritical, and while the President's role is largely ceremonial, I want to see a President who takes the entire people of Ireland seriously – not one who thinks Ireland ends at Dundalk and Letterkenny.

What about those puppet shows, Gregory?

Gregory Campbell (Belfast Telegraph)

So Gregory Campbell of the DUP has branded a Presbyterian minister a puppet for endorsing Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness. The gall of that Reverend, eh?  I mean, how dare a Protestant support a republican? He should know better - sure isn't republicanism and nationalism just for Catholics, like? Our grafitti will show him.

Such rash and frankly childish name calling is, of course, completely unnecessary and it makes one truly wonder as to the internal machinations of some people - it's not new, but the point is that it never ceases to amaze. However, if anything, once more, it serves to expose the outright naivety of auld Gregory and others within unionism/loyalism.

Republicanism is not a sole refuge of Catholics, nor is unionism a sole refuge of Protestants and anyone with the slightest interest in Irish society through the years will know that. Perhaps auld Gregory is worried that it might become fashionable or something, that people might not feel bound to an ideology because of their spiritual outlook. Imagine that now, religion not necessarily dictating one's politics.

That'd be the day.