Arena with Maurice Brosnan

On this week’s episode of Arena, the Irish Examiner’s weekly sports podcast, Maurice Brosnan is joined by the Examiner’s football correspondent John Fallon.The lads discuss the news that Ceadach O’Neill, who has attracted interest from the FAI, has been named in the Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming Nations League games.They also look at Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill’s criticism of the FAI’s approach during his two spells in charge. While acknowledging the FAI’s right to approach eligible players, O’Neill has taken issue with the age at which some players are being targeted.What exactly happened with Liverpool’s Conor Bradley previously? Has that signalled a change of approach?Elsewhere, they discuss the news that all but two of Ireland’s 75 underage internationals in 2026 will be played outside the country.To get in touch with Maurice, email [email protected] can read John’s column here: John Fallon: The grim reality of the lack of Irish underage games on home soil Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Arena, a weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Brendan O’Brien at Doonbeg’s Trump International ahead of the Amgen Irish Open.The lads discuss the atmosphere at the tournament and what this week means for Irish golf. It’s been a busy buildup as we learned about Rory McIlroy’s role in securing this venue, Shane Lowry’s psychological state after some recent tough outings and Pádraig Harrington’s unrelenting enthusiasm.To get in touch with Maurice, email [email protected] can read Brendan’s column here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Tim Percival, author of On the Record & On the Ball: How Elite Coaches Master the Media.The lads discuss Tim’s book and the lessons it offers for coaches and journalists alike. They reflect on how figures like Andy Moran and Eddie Jones have leveraged the media to their advantage and explore what the new age of media means for everyone concerned.  You can get in touch with Maurice at [email protected].  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Ballincollig basketball coach Ciarán O'Sullivan.The lads discuss Charleville manager Dominic Foley’s recent comments in which he called on the Cork County Board to “wake up” and ensure they retain the county’s top coaching talent. But what actually makes a team well-coached? Is being well-drilled always a good thing? What separates good coaching from simply having good players?They also discuss Cian O’Neill’s move to the Cork hurlers and examine how the two-pointer has impacted Gaelic football so far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by award-winning ESPN senior writer Wright Thompson. The lads discuss the uncertain state of sports journalism, why it is important to separate the business behind the industry from the craft itself and what great sports writing can still offer in a rapidly changing media landscape. Wright recalls the extraordinary reaction to his infamous 2017 profile of Conor McGregor, explains why being there still matters and discusses how long a profile really takes. To get in touch with Maurice, email [email protected]. You can read Wright’s Steve Kerr profile here: The Warrior Still Remains  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.