The 42FM

Sinead and Gav sift through the wreckage of Jim Gavin’s presidential campaign and ponder why so many people thought the former Dublin manager was a suitable candidate.Does this episode now force a reset in how we look at venerated GAA figures? Does success in football put you in any kind of stead to become President of Ireland, or to withstand the brutalities of the campaign?What next now for Gavin, a man that has seen his team dominate Gaelic football, who has reshaped the rules to breathe new life into the sport, but now faces a most public humiliation? How can he atone for the actions that ended his already beleaguered campaign?What will he do next? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav dials in from New York City, following the most remarkable, the most epic and the most fractious Ryder Cup of all.He tells Sinead about the personal and vitriolic abuse that was directed at Europe’s players, Rory McIlroy in particular.He describes the febrile atmosphere and tries to make sense of how we’ve arrived at a stage where this passes as acceptable behaviour for some of the attendees at Bethpage Black.Gav details how Shane Lowry summoned extraordinary courage to guarantee Europe retained the Cup, while Sinead wonders how seismic the Adare Manor episode of the competition will now be in 2027. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav dials in from Bethpage Black, where the Trump-attended 45th Ryder Cup tees off this week.He tells Sinead why this edition of the inter-continental grudge match will be more politically freighted than usual, but that thoughts of a raucous, blue collar New York crowd have likely been curtailed by the extraordinary ticket prices.The pair discuss Europe’s Corinthian refusal to be paid to represent the blue and gold, versus the US player’s clear preference for greenbacks. The contrast has been mischievously exploited by the travelling press pack, who are only going to stoke the fire more as the competition nears.Meanwhile, Gav fills us in on his atypical Airbnb experience so far, where he finds himself tip-toeing around a couch-slumbering, turbo-peddling host in suburban NYC. If the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is folks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park on 28 September, marking the first regular-season NFL game to be played in Ireland. On this week’s show, Sinéad and Gavin ask why there has been so little public debate as to whether hosting America’s Game in Dublin is a good idea. They discuss what the NFL is, and explain its close ties to the US military. As America continues to support Israel’s genocide in Gaza, why are we willing to pay State money to host this game? Or is the hosting of this game just another part of Ireland’s pragmatic and lucrative embrace of America?They also discuss the awarding of the 2026 Irish Open to President Trump’s course in Doonbeg. Are we doing this to favour or placate the American president? And if we need to do this, what does this actually say about our sovereignty? Are we actually free at all?Get in touch - sinead@thejournal.ie and gavincooney@the42.ie  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gavin joins Sinéad from Yerevan ahead of this evening's must-win World Cup qualifier vs Armenia. If the Boys in Green claim three points, can a generation of Irish fans who missed out on Italia 90 and Saipan dare to dream of seeing their nation on the biggest stage?Sinéad and Gav discuss their mixed emotions following Ireland's 2-2 draw vs Hungary last weekend and draw comparisons between Heimir Hallgrímsson and previous Irish managers Jack Charlton and Vera Pauw.The duo analyse Ireland's lack of a sport psychologist due to the FAI's financial struggles, and the negative impact this can have on elite athletes competing at the highest level. Reports of imminent redundancies within the association are also addressed.Finally, Gav reflects on Rory McIlroy's stunning dramatic Irish open win, and how he missed all of the drama while en route to Armenia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dana, Adi Roche, Sean Gallagher, David Norris, Gavin Duffy - all people who thought they had a good enough public standing to seek election to Áras an Uachtaráin. And all likely regretted putting their name forward following bruising campaigns replete with intense scrutiny and accusations, some of which were irrelevant, or untrue, or both.Into that breach now steps Jim Gavin, with an already stellar reputation burnished by his decisive role in saving Gaelic football. But can his aura survive contact with Ireland’s political system and news media?The days of keeping the public at arm’s length while he tends to the success of a generational football team are over. Now he must engage with the Irish people and their press.The awkward questions are about to start and they’ll come fast and frequent until polling day. Is one of Ireland’s most famously prepared and meticulous people ready for what’s next? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Galway Races week, so on this week’s episode Sinéad and Gavin dive into the Irish State funding of horse racing. They present the figures which show horse racing earns multiples more of taxpayer’s money than any other sport, ask if this is fair, and explain how this is justified by our politicians: that horse racing is not a sport, but an industry. They then interrogate that claim, and find that they are far from alone in being sceptical of it.Get in touch - sinead@thejournal.ie and gavincooney@the42.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Sinéad and Gavin look back on a shocking All-Ireland final collapse by Cork. Did they choke? And why is there such stigma attached to calling sportspeople chokers? They explain what it means to choke, and why it happens. They also discuss whether the importance of sports psychology and mental performance in sport is underrated, and whether Cork can ever recover from their Tipperary calamity.Get in touch - sinead@thejournal.ie and gavincooney@the42.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, Sinéad and Gavin look at the recent developments in the case of George Gibney, former swim coach and subject of the 2020 Second Captains/BBC podcast Where is George Gibney? As we await the 77-year-old's return to Ireland after decades on the run following allegations of sexual abuse, Sinead brings us up-to-date on what happened in the Florida court last week where Gibney appeared in prison-issue clothing and consented to extradition.Gav asks why The Journal thought it was important enough to send a reporter to an 11-minute hearing, and we talk about how this is also a story of journalism and the potential impact of doing it the right way.Get in touch - gavincooney@the42.ie and sinead@thejournal.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gavan Casey dials in from New York City to reflect on Taylor’s majority decision win over Serrano in their Madison Square Garden main event. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a bonus episode of The 42FM, with Gavan Casey joining Gavin Cooney live from NYC ahead of Katie Taylor’s third battle with Amanda Serrano. This time they are the headline act at Madison Square Garden, without the accompanying circus of Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson. We explain why Taylor and Serrano have now been utterly vindicated in their decision to lend their credibility to the Tyson/Paul circus, and then Gavan previews the fight. What does this event stay about both boxers’ standing, and how will affect their legacy? Could defeat blemish Taylor’s career at all? Plus, fighting in the month she turned 39, could this be Katie’s final professional bout, and the final act of an extraordinary career?The fight is live on Netflix, with Taylor/Serrano due to get underway in the early hours of Saturday morning, at approx. 3.30am.Get in touch - gavincooney@the42.ie, and sinead@thejournal.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, Sinéad and Gavin look back at the extraordinary fall from grace of DJ Carey. They contextualise his greatness as a sportsperson and explain how he defrauded people of money by claiming he needed treatment for a cancer he did not have. Did the public’s celebration of Carey as a hurler lead him down this path? And now will his standing in the eyes of that public ever be rebuilt?They also check in on last week’s story regarding Conor McGregor’s appeal against his being found liable for sexual assault, explain the unusual withdrawal of fresh evidence, and what happens next.Get in touch - gavincooney@the42.ie and sinead@thejournal.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's podcast, Sinead and Gavin toast the extraordinary work of Jim Gavin and his Football Rules Committee, which has successfully saved Gaelic football. They discuss how the FRC pulled off the job, and where it stands among other ingenious rule changes in other sports. They then make the point that if Gaelic football can be saved, then anything is possible: what lessons can the government learn from the FRC in tackling the housing crisis, or regulating Big Tech?And, if the GAA can fix Gaelic football in less than a year, why can't they accelerate the process of integration?Get in touch - sinead@thejournal.ie and gavincooney@the42.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An estimated one in five Irish households access live sport using a dodgy box - on this week’s show, Sinéad and Gavin explain the crackdown on their use, and the potential punishments for any user caught with a dodgy box. They discuss the appetite among Gardaí for this crackdown, and how some broadcasters are seeking to take things into their own hands.They also debate the moral question - why do so many people feel it is not wrong to use a dodgy box? Has it become unreasonably expensive to pay for sport legitimately? And can dodgy boxes ever really be fully stamped out?Get in touch - sinead@thejournal.ie and gavincooney@the42.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Beckham has completed a career ambition with the bestowing of a knighthood by King Charles.On this week’s podcast, Gavin and Sinéad discuss why Beckham wanted a knighthood so badly, and detail his 20-year campaign for the honour. They look back at his career, assess his legacy, and consider the controversies. Do we underrate him as a player? Why did the English media establishment get Beckham so wrong for so long? Would sport and celebrity culture so enmeshed today had it not been for the trailblazing figure of Beckham? And what next for Beckham and his family? Have they become an ersatz royal family for the benefit of America?Get in touch - gavincooney@the42.ie and sinead@thejournal.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sinead spent the weekend at Croke Park, watching her beloved Kildare hurlers complete a stunning rise to win the Joe McDonagh Cup, and earn promotion to compete among Leinster's elite in the Liam McCarthy Cup next year. On this week's pod, we discuss how Kildare completed their rise, and then discuss the GAA's biggest single failing of their history: the failure to grow hurling across the country. We discuss why hurling is a minority sport, look at its biggest single impediment - Gaelic football - and explain what the GAA have got wrong, and what they are now trying to do to make it right. Get in touch - email gavincooney@the42.ie and sinead@thejournal.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, Sinéad and Gavin look ahead to the biggest events of the summer, previewing storylines and the likely winners and losers. What the hell is Fifa’s Club World Cup, and why is Gianni Infantino a collectible in the official sticker album? Can Rhasidat Adeleke or anyone else on Team Ireland win a global medal at the world athletics championships? Why do we all get so inexplicably caught up in the British and Irish Lions? Can Ireland actually win a quarter-final, this time, at the women’s Rugby World Cup? And what kind of absurdity will break out at the Ryder Cup?Get in touch: email gavincooney@the42.ie and sinead@thejournal.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine first experiencing the thrill of scoring a goal or kicking a point at the age of 51. That's the unlikely and thrilling turn life took this year for Laura Byrne, The Journal's Opinions Editor. This week Laura tells Sinead O'Carroll about her upbringing on the side of a GAA field in 1980s Wicklow. Football was hugely important in family life, but it just wasn't something girls played in her experience. As a result, an antipathy to Gaelic games developed - until Laura had kids of her own and they began to play hurling and football. Then, in recent times, Laura was talked into giving the 'Mothers and Others' programme a go at her local club. After years of being on the outside looking in, Laura is now an enthusiastic participant, chasing the thrill of the next score, while remembering not to apologise to opponents for tackling them. Her sporting story is poignant and uplifting and underscores the truth that it is never too late to lace up the boots and savour the joy of being part of a team.Get in touch: sinead@thejournal.ie and gavincooney@the42.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s pod, Gavin and Sinéad discuss Gary Lineker’s early exit from the BBC, after he shared a social media post that included an anti-semitic trope. They discuss how Lineker found his political voice, and why his challenging of the BBC’s impartiality rules made him a controversial figure. They explain what those impartiality rules are, and how they are not appropriate for the coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. They then also look at how sports bodies are using this language of impartiality to justify not ostracising Israel from international sport, as they did with Russia. Get in touch: sinead@thejournal.ie and gavincooney@the42.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav dials in from Quail Hollow where Rory McIlroy begins his new quest - to become the first golfer of all time to win a calendar Grand Slam.He and Sinead consider the long odds against such a feat yet ponder whether a freewheeling and easy McIlroy can at least take the next step at the golf course with which he has a cherished relationship.Also, the pair discuss Shane Lowry’s chances after a heartbreaking weekend at the Truist Championship.And what legacy are the Irish pair providing back home, where playing numbers - already high - have taken an upswing on the back of their exploits? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.