What a Craic!!

My God! After all the excitement of yesterday, my heartrate is only now starting to return to normal. A courageous group of Irishmen playing as a solid unit defeated the Welsh in rubgy to take the RBS 6 Nations title (as well as the Grand Slam and the Triple Crown), while a lone Irishman, Bernard Dunne, tenaciously fought his way to the World Boxing Association Super Bantamweight World Champion.


Both stories are amazing and represent true achievement. The Irish rugby squad had returned from the 2007 World Cup beaten and subdued. They had clearly underpeformed and we all felt let down. However, it's clear that Declan Kidney has worked some kind of magic with this band of players. The divisions and egos appear to be gone and yesterday we saw a determined and deserving team lift the trophy. Finally, this amazing band of players have earned the rewards that they deserve.

Boxer Bernard Dunne had been knocked out in the first round of a European title defence by Kiko Martinez and I really didn't figure that he had much of a chance in his bout against Ricardo Cordoba in the O2 last night. But it was clear from the 3rd round onwards that Dunne was fighting hard and holding his own, despite being sent to the canvas twice in the 5th round. The two boxers slugged it out all the way to the 11th round, where Dunne finally got the better of his opponent.

Just like the Irish rugby team, Dunne has achieved to his full potential. Was he spurred on by the victory in Cardiff earlier in the day? Who knows, but Ireland took a 6 Nations title and a World title in one day. What a feeling, or as Declan Kidney said "What a craic!".