Charities to benefit from Clancy's efforts

HOLD THE BACK PAGE: YOU'VE GOT to admire those who get up off their backsides and so something for others. Most of these sportsmen are unsung heroes; they're not national or international stars of rugby or golf or soccer or Gaelic games . . . . they tend to be people who love sport and enjoy challenges.

Rory Clancy, from Clare, is one such sportsman. Last Sunday he took part in the Naas Duathlon, which isn’t exactly an event to have the TV moguls fighting over transmission fees, but for Rory it was significant in that it was the first leg of a 12-part fundraising campaign for two charities – the Myasthenia Gravis Association and the Irish Guide Dogs – that will see him compete in an event each month for 12 months.

His challenges range from duathlons to triathlons – such as the Hell of the West in Kilkee in June – to half-marathons and even a full marathon, the New York City marathon next November. His 12th and final event will be the Waterford half-marathon in December.

In this year of World Cups and Ryder Cups where elite sportspeople will reach the pinnacle of their chosen sports, it is worth noting the endeavours of Rory who will be pursuing his own sporting goals: on a personal level, to challenge himself in some extremely demanding events, and on a wider level in raising funds for worthy charities.

He is not asking for anyone to break the bank in these tough economic climes, suggesting a standard contribution of €12 – one euro for each of the 12 events over the 12 months – although his training and competitive routine is a demanding one with not one of the events less than 16 kilometres and the longer ones stretching to 80 kilometres.

“These two charities are very close to my heart, and now more than ever they could do with continued support,” he says.

Anyone wishing to support his actions can do so online at www.mycharity.ie but don’t expect Clancy’s endeavours to earn him a place in an Irish Olympic team down the road.

As he puts it himself, “I’m more Eddie the Eel than Michael Phelps”.

World Cup is coming to Ireland!

OUR OLD friend Joseph S Blatter – or Sepp as he likes to be known – has been visiting some high and mighty (even mightier than himself, we think) people as the countdown continues to the historic staging of the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

Earlier this week, for instance, he was in Madrid to meet with the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero – the one-time accidental prime minister who has emerged as one of the most influential political leaders in Europe – after which he took time out to out to reassure one and all that everything would be hunky dory by the time the great event kicks off.

Blatter’s assurances, as we’ve discovered, can more often than not be taken with a pinch of salt. But, given the continuing concerns about security, transport, accommodation etc being expressed ahead of the 2010 World Cup, let’s hope he is proved right on this occasion.

“Let’s have confidence in Africa and let’s end the doubts and go there together with the best players,” he told Reuters after his meeting with Señor Zapatero.

Of course, those in the Green Army may argue that the 32 countries heading to South Africa aren’t necessarily “the best players” as Mr Blatter might argue, but let’s leave that to one side and look instead at the different concerns and issues that seem to appear like a rabbit out of a magician’s bag almost on a daily basis.

The British government is playing its part in at least attempting to ensure their known hooligans don’t make it to the World Cup to support England, drafting in legislation at Westminster which will require some 3,200 people either convicted of hooliganism or barred from attending club grounds to surrender their passports for the duration of the tournament.

In fairness, the South African government is also sending out a message of its own. Last weekend, some 236 arrests were made as part of an anti-crime operation in Johannesburg.

The arrests were made for armed robbery, malicious damage to property, fraud and drug trafficking, with the intention of detaining potential troublemakers during the World Cup and also as a deterrent to others tempted to cash in by foul means.

Nathi Mthethwa, the Minister for Police, commented in an article in the ruling ANC's online newspaper ANC Todayduring the week that terrorism and criminality would be dealt with "swiftly and with no mercy," pointing out the police had already invested Rand665 million (€62 million) on equipment ranging from helicopters to 100 BMW highway patrol cars, mobile cameras, water cannons and mobile command units.

Some 41,000 police officers will be deployed during the tournament to ensure the safety of the teams and supporters.

And, in a report in the Sowetan newspaper, the Deputy Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalua, sought to reassure prospective visitors – estimated to be in the region of half a million for the soccer fest – not “to waste their time worrying about their safety”.

He said, “South Africa is not a war zone. We are not Afghanistan or Baghdad. South Africa is a peaceful country and people coming here for the Cup will enjoy themselves.”

Let’s hope so, but there are other factors that continue to cause concern in what will be a long six months build-up. For example, a radical Muslim leader has been deported from Botswana because of allegations that he recruited young men there to execute suicide bombing during the World Cup.

The Sunday Standardin Botswana reported that police had conducted raids on two "terrorist training camps" outside Lobatse.

For those who can put worries about security aside, there continue to be questions raised over transport. Blatter, you’ll be pleased to know, has said they “will be definitely resolved for the World Cup”.

The fact remains South Africa lacks the extensive and efficient rail service that worked so well in Germany in 2006 but the host country has built a network of roads and organisers have said 200 additional planes and 1,000 new buses would be mobilised.

There are also hopes that part of a high-speed rail link around Johannesburg and Pretoria – called the Gautrain – may be ready in time.

The other issue that comes up time and time again is accommodation, both for travelling fans and teams. Indeed, Serbia was recently reported to be unhappy with its hotel in Benoni, with the official charged with finding the team accommodation describing the three-star hotel as “a decrepit dump,” something the hotel management has strongly denied.

It seems teams are being accommodated in hotels ranging from three-star to five-star, which surely sends out an early and wrong message of inequality.

While the tournament organisers and the South African government continue with their preparations, and the more positive news is the stadia are completed and have come through trial runs with success, the World Cup trophy itself is on a global tour that started back in September and which won’t finish until it lands in South Africa in May.

The solid-gold trophy is currently in the Far East, visiting Korea and Thailand among other countries. It is expected to be on view in Ireland – most probably Dublin – on March 9th.

Finally, we can say the World Cup is coming to Ireland! But it won’t be staying long . . . it heads over to London the following day.

Hopefully, by the time it makes its way to South Africa, all will be right for the greatest sporting show we’ll see later this year.

Winners are few in Fennell transfer saga

THIS EAMONN Fennell transfer saga – which many involved in the GAA around the country might view as something of a storm in a teacup – is nevertheless one that will touch many a raw nerve in Dublin GAA circles, for there are very few clubs in the capital which have escaped a culture which is anathema to the ethos of the association at large.

In Dublin, there is no parish rule which is a safety net for many small clubs around the country. So it is that smaller clubs in the capital have often been considered as fair game by bigger clubs as they poach players.

I remember my time as chairman of St Monica’s on Dublin’s northside some years ago and going off on holidays and coming home only to discover that almost half of the team which had won the Dublin Division One Feile na nGael hurling title the previous season had transferred to bigger, more-established clubs . . . it was a move that worked well for some who went on to play for Dublin at different levels, not so well for others who were lured by the promise of county titles and county jerseys but who had given up the sport altogether within a few years so disheartened were they with their new environment.

What is different in this case is that Fennell is an adult, someone who has given all of his formative years to playing with O’Tooles.

In fact, if you go onto the O’Toole’s website you will find an interesting Q and A with the player. One of the questions that is posed to him is if he would rather win an All-Ireland with club or county. His answer? “Club.”

The Q and A is a few years old, but he also claims that winning league titles with O’Toole’s as a 13- and 14-year-old are among his proudest achievements. Clearly, the relationship between player and club has altered in the meantime as evidenced by Fennell’s requests to transfer, initially to Ballymun Kickhams and more recently to St Vincent’s.

The nature of the vote at the Dublin County Committee the other night – which was tied and required the casting vote of county chairman Gerry Harrington – exemplifies the hot, thorny and divided issue that transfers provoke within Dublin GAA circles.

There are no winners in this particular saga: certainly not Fennell, and certainly not Dublin football. And certainly not O’Toole’s. If a player really and badly wants to leave a club, what can he offer if he is forced to stay?

RTÉ keep the discussions in-house

F I N A L S T R A W: ANYONE watching or listening to RTÉ on Monday last will no doubt have been intrigued by the rather in-house nature of things . . . on Monday night, on TV, we had that national pastime Charlie Bird on, well, Charlie Bird; while earlier in the day, on radio, the national institution that is Ryan Tubridy had interesting discussions with the national treasure that is Michéal Ó Muircheartaigh with his gold and silver sidekicks, Greg Allen and George Hamilton, about the nature of the beast that is sports commentating.

The radio stuff at least was fast-moving and lively and provided an insight into how lucky the broadcasters are to be doing what they are doing and how lucky we all are that they do what they do.

But it was still all a bit close, a bit like The Irish Times interviewing The Irish Times . . . or, more specifically, one of our own interviewing Tom Humphries.

"What really went on in that scrum in Suttonians?"

"Are you a Kerryman in disguise?"

"Do you have Michelle's number?"

"Remember Saipan?"

"What was the last book you read . . . sorry, wrote?"

"Do you secretly own a set of golf clubs?"

Now, that would be worth listening to!