Tag Archives: hurling final

WHILE tens of thousands of Clare fans will watch their team in Croke Park this Saturday, many more will be cheering from around the world. Some will be shouting at big screens from bar stools early in the afternoon. Others will be wiping sleep from their eyes while cowering beneath mosquito nets. More will be shouting into the silence while clinging to their headphones. PE teacher Jayne McMahon from Ennis is living in Ulsan, an industrial city located on the south-east coast of Korea. There are some Irish there but none from Clare, as far as she knows. She will watch the match alongside a Cork man. The Gort Road woman hopes this will enhance the atmosphere. “Unfortunately, due to the time difference, I had to stream the last game on my laptop at home at 11pm Sunday night. I wasn’t in the most exciting atmosphere but I was still sitting on the edge of my seat with the tension …

DAVID Rudisha stands on the Mondo track at London’s Olympic Stadium. The 23-year-old shifts his weight from his left foot to his right and back again, bending his knees as he does so. As he gently sways, his face is nothing but steely focus. “On your mark”. The 6ft 2in figure strides to the white line. His eyes are set with determination. Leaning forward, he stretches his left leg in front of him and he takes his position. Lane four – he’s sandwiched between his countryman Timothy Kitum in three and Botswana’s Nijel Amos in five. There is a delayed response from the crowd as the runners launch their attempts to earn Olympic medals. Rudisha takes the lead. Kaki is on his shoulder. Aman follows. It looks fast. It is fast. The tall man in Kenyan livery completes the first 400m in 49.28 seconds. The battle for second place begins as Rudisha pulls away. Aman is in second, Kaki third …

See you soon. Jimmy Barry Murphy and Davy Fitzgerald shake hands after the dramatic finish in the All-Ireland hurling final.