A rugby podcast from The Irish Times. Produced in association with Harcourt Bar & Garden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Connaught Podcasts
In Season 2 of Waterways through Time, historian Turtle Bunbury continues his journey through the Waterways of Time as he further explores the rich history of Ireland’s waterways. With an instinct for quirky details, he brings us the story of the terror-inducing Viking leader Thorgesius and the Norman warlords who seized control of the Shannon, the Barrow and the other major leaders. We meet Turlough O’Connor, one of the most powerful kings of Connaught, and learn how he changed the landscap ...
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The Irish at War is a podcast about the military history of Ireland and of Irish people. Whether fighting in Ireland or in foreign service, this podcast aims to examine all the details from the man on the ground to the bigger picture consequences of the battle.
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The Center for the Restoration of Christian Culture
The Center for the Restoration of Christian Culture
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The Thomas More Center for the Restoration of Christian Culture seeks to promote a vigorous public witness to the faith in New England. Following the lead of its patron, St. Thomas More, the Center will focus its efforts in five areas: education, culture, Church teaching, civic life, and family life.The Center hopes to address the crisis of our age: the crisis of a civilization that has drifted from the principles on which it was founded. Lacking a firm foundation, our society is unstable; w ...
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Slow Lions build-up finally culminates in Test week
37:54
37:54
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Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join host Nathan Johns to recap the weekend’s action: South Africa’s hijinks, Ireland’s century and the Lions’ final warm-up game are all up for discussion. What, if anything, did we learn about an Irish side which scored 100+ points against a poor Portuguese side? Is this Lions side genuinely world class, or are t…
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Does Andy Farrell know his best Lions XV yet?
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28:38
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The rugby action continues to come thick and fast. John O’Sullivan is in Portugal to preview Ireland’s clash in Lisbon, and he joins host Nathan Johns for today’s episode. We chat Ireland’s selection of fast wings, Jamie Osborne’s Lions call-up, Andy Farrell’s selection conundrums and take a deep dive into the disappointing U20s campaign at the Wor…
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The rugby action continues at full steam ahead. The Lions struggled against the Waratahs in Sydney while Ireland’s second string impressed in Tbilisi. Meanwhile the U20s continued their struggles against Italy. All this before you mention Wales losing to Japan, France’s B team putting it up to the All Blacks and Fiji giving Australia a bit of a blo…
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Who needs to make an impact on Ireland’s summer tour?
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36:20
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While the Lions tour continues on its merry way, Ireland are back in action for the first time since the Six Nations. John O’Sullivan is in Tbilisi for their game against Georgia and he joins Nathan Johns for a detailed breakdown of the tour opener. It’s pelting it down in the days leading up to kick off. Good look facing a Georgian pack in the rai…
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Which Irish players have impressed for the Lions?
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43:53
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A busy weekend of rugby action saw plenty of Irish involvement in the Lions win over the Western Force, a Top14 final for the ages in France, Peter O’Mahony and Cian Healy bow out with the Barbarians, while the Ireland U20s finally returned to winning ways in their World Cup opener. Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join host Nathan Johns to chat t…
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Lions tours are full of stories of players being called up last minute, dashing across the world to get an opportunity to pull on the red jersey. Former Ireland prop Tom Court has as good a story as anyone, tucking into a takeaway in his native Queensland before being summoned to Melbourne as the 2013 Lions faced a mini-propping crisis. Given it’s …
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Will the Lions tour save Australian rugby?
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48:40
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Imagine Irish rugby had to compete with a professional GAA and a thriving League of Ireland for talent. Would the country still be so successful? That is the picture facing Australia at the moment and then some, given the popularity of Rugby League, AFL, cricket, soccer, basketball and countless other codes down under. Yet just over 20 years ago, A…
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After a lengthy build-up, the Lions tour is finally upon us. Andy Farrell and co come to Dublin on Friday night to take on Argentina before travelling down under. The last time the Lions faced Los Pumas, our own Gordon D’Arcy started at 12 back in 2005. He joins Nathan Johns and John O’Sullivan to reminisce on his own Lions experiences, look ahead …
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Have Leinster answered their critics with this URC title win?
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After weeks of criticism, Leinster have answered their Champions Cup disappointment in the best way possible. A first trophy since 2021 was secured by beating the Bulls on Saturday, Leinster climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand in Croke Park to lift a first URC title since the South African sides joined. What does this mean for the province going …
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Leinster have played the Bulls twice in knockouts since 2022. Both times, they lost. The South African game plan has been clear: beat them up front. But are Leinster better equipped this time? Gordon D’Arcy, John O’Sullivan and Nathan Johns discuss. Plus, how will Sam Prendergast shape up in his first final? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f…
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Will Leinster’s siege mentality help them win the URC?
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34:19
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After weeks of consistent (yet fair) criticism, Leinster turned in a performance to silence the critics. At least for now, their ultimate test for this season still to come. A convincing win against Glasgow showed a side touching top form again while offering a window into their unusual ‘us against the world’ mentality. What to make of it all? Gord…
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Which Ireland players will step up for the summer squad while the Lions are away?
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It may be URC semi-final week, but the rugby news cycle has been dominated by events away from Leinster. Connacht have pulled off a big-name managerial signing by securing the services of Stuart Lancaster, while Paul O’Connell has named his Ireland squad for the summer tour of Georgia and Portugal. With the Lions contingent away in Australia, this …
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Munster’s shootout defeat - the dark arts in rugby, yay or nay?
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28:05
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Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to talk through a dramatic URC quarter-final weekend. Munster’s shootout defeat to the Sharks in Durban has dominated the headlines, no least for the home side’s attempts to throw Munster’s kickers off their game. This inevitably opened up a wider chat on kick tricks and the dark arts in rugby more generally. Plus, …
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How can the provinces break France’s dominance?
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29:52
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Gerry Thornley joins the latest episode of The Counter Ruck fresh off his trip to Cardiff to watch the Champions Cup final. He breaks down the future landscape for free-to-air rugby in Ireland, analyses France’s domination of the Champions Cup, looks at the chances of Noel McNamara returning home and more. Alongside host Nathan Johns, talk also tur…
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This weekend was a quiet one for Irish rugby, with no provincial involvement in the Champions Cup final. Still, plenty of intriguing storylines emerged; Noel McNamara’s triumph, Henry Pollock’s return back to Earth plus the curious level of antipathy towards this game in Ireland. Gordon D’Arcy joins Nathan Johns to discuss rugby’s place in the spor…
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Is French club rugby becoming more popular than Ligue 1?
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Bordeaux seem to represent a rare enough phenomenon; a domestic rugby team growing in both on-field and commercial success. They are the best attended club in France, to the extent they can boast to be more popular than the local football team. We all know of their on-field talent, the likes of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Damian Penaud and Mathieu Jalibe…
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Were the IRFU right to cut the men’s Sevens?
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Nearly a week on from the IRFU’s decision to cut the men’s Sevens programme, Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan join Nathan Johns to debate the merits of the decision. Gordon, as a former Sevens player, is well placed to offer insight on the merits of Sevens for players moving into 15s. John has covered the Sevens team as extensively as anyone in re…
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‘Getting the top two inches ready’ - How important is sports psychology to breaking a losing habit?
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45:01
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Inevitably, plenty of public commentary in the last few weeks has focused on Leinster’s inability to get over the line in big games. Clearly, they have the talent. Is the problem instead to be found in the top two inches? Enda McNulty, a former All-Ireland winner with Armagh, worked with both Leinster and Ireland as a sports psychologist. He joins …
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Have rugby fans stopped caring about the URC?
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44:39
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This weekend was a crucial round of URC action, with Munster and Ulster squaring off for playoff places, Connacht looking to stay in the hunt and Leinster aiming to wrap up the league’s top seed. Not to mention the occasion it was for the likes of Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray playing their final game in Limerick. Yet the crowds were on the low s…
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Who is in the most Irish Lions squad of all time and why?
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21:47
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Andy Farrell has picked his long-awaited Lions squad ahead of this summer’s tour to Australia. 15 Irishmen have been named, a record for the touring side, just about pipping the 14 originally named in 2009. A man who was belatedly called up to that squad 16 years ago, Gordon D’Arcy, casts his eye alongside the latest crop. Alongside John O’Sullivan…
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Where do Leinster go next after more Champions Cup heartache?
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Prior to Saturday, Leinster hadn’t conceded a point in European knockout action this year. No team had run in five tries against them in this competition since 2016. Northampton changed all that, leaving Leinster’s latest European escapade in tatters, scoring 37 points on route to a thrilling victory at the Aviva Stadium. How did they do what no ot…
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Leinster vs Northampton - the comeback final revisited
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Just one Irish province is in action this weekend, with Leinster taking on Northampton in the Champions Cup semi-finals. Joining Gordon D’Arcy and Nathan Johns on today’s episode is a man who played for both sides in his career, James Downey. A centre back in his day, Downey lined up directly opposite D’Arcy in the infamous comeback final in 2011, …
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Will Leinster be the only Irish team in the URC knockouts?
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47:25
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For the first time since 2015, all four Irish provinces lost on a single weekend of domestic action. Add this to Ireland women’s defeat to Scotland to wrap up the Six Nations and it was an unusually glum 48 hours for rugby in this country. Panic stations or just a blip? The playoff picture currently being painted leaves just one province, Leinster,…
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The now infamous 7-1 forward split on the bench hit the headlines once again recently when World Rugby announced they would not be outlawing the practice. The innovation, first used by South Africa and made more prominent by France in the recent Six Nations, is controversial in some quarters . While not quite at culture war levels, the use of extra…
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The Champions Cup is not the competition it used to be. For all Munster’s recent trips to France provided a feel-good window of sport at its best, plenty of dead rubber ties reminded us that it is difficult to get the best of the best facing off in truly competitive ties. That the pool stages have featured too many hammerings on the scoreboard to b…
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