Malachy Clerkin

Professional gambler Johnny Dineen: ‘It’s all I’ve ever done and it’s all I’m ever going to do’ The popular racing pundit and ex-bookmaker makes his living gambling on horse racing but accepts it’s not a life for everyone

Happy Cheltenham week to all who celebrate. Had a great chat with Johnny Dineen about what it takes to live the life fo a professional gambler betting on horses. A fascinating guy and a complete gentleman.

"I would describe what I have as a controlled addiction."

www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing...

Professional gambler Johnny Dineen: ‘It’s all I’ve ever done and it’s all I’m ever going to do’ The popular racing pundit and ex-bookmaker makes his living gambling on horse racing but accepts it’s not a life for everyone

Happy Cheltenham week to all who celebrate. Had a great chat with Johnny Dineen about what it takes to live the life fo a professional gambler betting on horses. A fascinating guy and a complete gentleman.

"I would describe what I have as a controlled addiction."

www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing...

Mark Robson on his abuser: ‘When he died, I went through a terrible time because I wanted to kill him’ Rugby commentator has spent his life putting himself back together after being abused by paedophile Lindsay Brown when he was 11

Mark Robson on his abuser: ‘When he died, I went through a terrible time because I wanted to kill him’

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

If it is too dangerous for Constitution Hill to race at Cheltenham, what does it say about jump racing? At one point Constitution Hill looked like maybe the greatest hurdler ever. Now we’ll never know about that

This is great, by Brian O'Connor. If it's too dangerous for Constitution Hill to race at Cheltenham, what does that say about jump racing?

www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing...

Malachy Clerkin: Welcome back to the league, the faithful droopy-eyed hound of the GAA family Many teams have real problems they’ll want to fix in the next two months

Welcome back to the league, the faithful droopy-eyed hound of the GAA family. This week’s column.

www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic...

Dispute between former NFL player Matt Kalil and his ex-wife takes on an alarming dimension Representatives for Hailey Kalil announced she was merely ‘exercising her sexual sovereignty’

Dave Hannigan with a column on, eh, Coke cans and such.

(It's actually about an NFL player's penis)

www.irishtimes.com/sport/2026/0...

The 50 best TV shows of 2025: No 5 – Blue Lights This precision-crafted Belfast police drama is a tense, thrilling watch that’s rich with detail. Has there ever been a more terrifying cliffhanger than it served up this season?

Great to see Blue Lights getting its due. Such a great show.

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Thanks Andy!

Just a few hours until thew American Ryder Cup captain maybe, possibly picks himself to play in the Ryder Cup. A piece on how the Yanks got themselves into such a mad muddle over a middling golfer called Keegan Bradley.
www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/2...

Just a few hours until thew American Ryder Cup captain maybe, possibly picks himself to play in the Ryder Cup. A piece on how the Yanks got themselves into such a mad muddle over a middling golfer called Keegan Bradley.
www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/2...

Sally Hayden: Israel’s targeting of journalists is an attack on truth and history Journalists’ lives are not more important than those of other civilians, but when you attack journalists you stop the world from learning about what is happening

Sally Hayden: Israel’s targeting of journalists is an attack on truth and history

Conor Murray: With Jamison Gibson-Park pulling the strings, the Lions will look like Ireland in red jerseys Our new columnist writes that the Leinster scrumhalf invariably makes right decision in possession

Great to have Conor Murray writing in The Irish Times during the Lions tour. His first piece is about Jamison Gibson-Park.
www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Tuning out the noise, Katie Taylor steels herself for last dance with Amanda Serrano Taylor and Serrano return to New York’s Madison Square Garden for the next instalment in their enthralling rivalry

"Only during the hour itself will Taylor discover if her body still has the capacity to endure the punishments of 10 two-minute rounds which, in their hands, are likely to be defined by a furious rate of punches thrown and a wild unpredictability."

www.irishtimes.com/sport/boxing...

Today's front page - Tusla and the Govt clashed over a national crisis in special care, with a senior official accusing the State agency of taking “insufficient” action to help at-risk children

There were concerns one child was at risk of dying w/out a place

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

The worst thing was, I somehow said it twice. Even though it's obviously wrong. Stoopid.

Malachy Clerkin: Mayo’s decision to oust Kevin McStay was fair enough but the way they did it was foul Understandable desire for change after three years without notable progression

The Mayo County Board can hire and fire who they like but there's a way to do it. This was the work of spivs. Kevin McStay deserved better.
www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic...

Yes! Total brain fart on my part. There have been emails...

Kneecap case: ‘A woman pointed to a sniggering Móglaí Bap as the magistrate asked if anyone knew an Irish interpreter’ Bedlam and singing outside London court as Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appears on charge over displaying Hizbullah flag

Mark Paul at the Kneecap trial.

The magistrate said the court had so far been unable to find an Irish interpreter. “If anyone knows of one….” he said. A woman in the public gallery could be heard laughing as she pointed at Ó hAnnaidh’s bandmates."
www.irishtimes.com/world/uk/202...

A photo of a wooden desk with two black-and-white prints lying on it. One print shows a man with his arm extended, mid-performance on stage. The other print shows a young man in sunglasses standing in front of a barbershop with signs reading "COMO GENTS HAIR". Nearby are a white Apple keyboard, a white Apple Magic Mouse, a hard drive, and some medication sachets. The desk surface has light scuff marks and scratches.

Jarvis Cocker paused during Pulp’s 3Arena show last week to remember their first gig in Dublin — The Rock Garden, March 1993. A £10-a-night hotel, missing gear, and one unforgettable punchline.
Read the full tale of Pulp’s curious Irish beginnings here
theblackpoolsentinel.com/2025/06/16/p...

Michael Lewis, Master Storyteller, Dalkey Book Festival 2025 (Cuala GAA Hall, A96X795) TicketSwap is the safest place to buy and sell tickets. A simple and fair-priced marketplace for fans to buy and sell tickets for events, concerts, festivals, etc.

Ticket available for Michael Lewis's sold-out #DalkeyBookFestival event, Sunday 6pm:

www.ticketswap.com/listing/mich...

Buildings designed as creches are being sold as residential homes Government Ministers working to update planning regulations to prevent change of use of childcare facilities

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

How Cork v Limerick became the biggest game in Irish sport Four years ago it wasn’t much of a contest, but an injection of pure uncut Cork has helped make this a rivalry for the ages

Choose any metric you like - crowd size, TV audience, the closeness of the games. Cork v Limerick has become the biggest game in Irish sport. Here's how it happened.
www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic...

Rhasidat Adeleke on life in the spotlight: ‘How do people like Beyoncé handle this? This is crazy!’ Rhasidat Adeleke interview: Tallaght sprinter on navigating fame at 22, building her brand and the changes she has made ahead of September’s World Championships

“I’ve run three times this season and each time I was like, ‘Oh my God, I feel different. I don’t feel as sharp. I don’t feel as quick. I feel sluggish.’ And my coach is like: ‘Ray, you’re not trying to break the world record right now. Focus on the goal.’
www.irishtimes.com/sport/athlet...

‘Dad was only 62 when he died. My friend’s partner was only 37. Everyone’s only is their own’ He finished his 40 years of work and a year later he was diagnosed with cancer

On Daffodil Day, here's a piece I wrote about my dad a few years back. If you see a daffodil seller today, throw them a few quid. If you don't, text DAFF to 50300 to donate €4 to the Irish Cancer Society. They're amazing, amazing people.
irishtimes.com/life-and-sty...

Ellen Coyne: Conor McGregor is Ireland’s most diabolically embarrassing export – and Trump may have given him his next big break Here’s Conor McGregor’s biggest problem. His desire to leave a noble legacy is so very intense, but the moral fibre he’s relying on is so very pallid. McGregor is the living paradox of someone who is ...

www.independent.ie/opinion/comm... Ellen Coyne: Conor McGregor is Ireland’s most diabolically embarrassing export – and Trump may have given him his next big break

What a piece of writing Ellen. Brilliant.

'It's always there' - Ruairí Keating opens up on grief, and why he needed to return to Cork Ruairí Keating speaks exclusively to The 42 about coming to terms with the tragic loss of his father.

My piece this weekend is an interview with Ruairí Keating, who was very honest about how difficult life has been since the death of his father. (Free to read)

'It's always there' - Ruairí Keating opens up on grief, and why he needed to return to Cork the42.ie/6613150

Malachy Clerkin: Whatever anyone thinks about Rory Gallagher, the GAA president should not be influencing Naas GAA’s coaching choices Jarlath Burns has brought huge energy to the role since he took over last February, but his intervention at the Kildare club is an unprecedented overreach

Whatever anyone thinks about Rory Gallagher, the GAA president should not be influencing Naas GAA’s coaching choices.
www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic...

The Legend of Sparrow Robertson: The last sportswriter in Nazi Paris Described as ‘illiteracy’s most famous product’, what Robertson lacked in skill he made up for in tenacity under the cloud of Nazi occupation

This is an extraordinary story by Dave Hannigan. The Last Sportswriter in Nazi Paris.
www.irishtimes.com/sport/2024/1...