The 42FM

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.

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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?

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18 All-Ireland medals and 11 All-Stars across camogie and LGFA - few people are as qualified to speak on the skort controversy as Rena Buckley.

The Cork woman tells Sinead O’Carroll that players’ wishes should be respected, but there are more pressing issues facing camogie - such as the failure to promote the sport to a wider audience and the slow pace of integration.

Rena sets out how the big sports story of this week is a lightning rod for the more general sense of frustration felt by camogie players, from county to club level. She sets out what needs to change for the sport to truly thrive.

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This week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money.

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The GAA enacted a revolution a couple of years ago in introducing the split season, bringing forward the All-Ireland finals to July to allow for a defined season for the benefit of the club player. But as Meath’s shock win over Dublin was lost to many on a busy Sunday of GAA and other sport, Gavin and Sinéad ask if the GAA have made a mistake in so dramatically changing the season’s schedule.

They look into the reasons for the split season’s introduction, and debate whether the GAA have over-corrected in addressing legitimate issues. Plus, why does criticism of the split season somehow make you less of a True Gael, and whatever happened to the GAA’s founding principle: paranoia.

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The IRFU last week announced a change to the central contract system that has underpinned Irish rugby’s success in the professional era, with provinces now expected to foot 40% of the salary bill of players on central contracts, with the IRFU saying the money saved will go towards investing in the three provinces outside of Leinster.

On this week’s podcast, Sinéad and Gavin discuss the IRFU’s policy change, and whether its an admission the central contract system has failed. To what extent have the IRFU placed a thumb on the scale to further help Leinster, or is Leinster’s dominance an inevitable result of Irish rugby finding the best way to success? Are Leinster’s advantages unfair to the rest of Irish rugby, or should the other provinces pull up their socks? Have Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell been wrong to pick so many Leinster players for the Irish team?

What kind of problems will arise across Irish rugby if the inequalities are not addressed? And does this policy change go far enough - or is something more radical needed?

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This week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money

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Rory McIlroy has entered an exclusive club: the subject of back-to-back episodes of The 42FM. Oh, and he’s also become the first Irish golfer to win the Masters and the first European golfer to win the career Grand Slam. Having spoke last week of McIlroy’s years-long quest to win the Masters, Sinéad and Gavin this week reflect on how we he went and did it.

They relieve their experiences of one of the most astonishing and tense nights in the history of Irish sport, and discuss how, exactly, so many people became invested in McIlroy’s story.

How did a golfer manage to bring the whole country together to live the drama? Why has McIlroy been so open with his emotions on his journey to the Masters, and should we expect that of all sportspeople? Was his wildly inconsistent performance simply an exhibition of human genius? And what does McIlroy’s victory say about sport and, in turn, about life?

Get in touch - [email protected] and [email protected]This week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s podcast, Sinéad and Gavin dive into the epic quest that has become of Rory McIlroy’s efforts to win the Masters. Why does winning the Masters mean so much to McIlroy, and why has he struggled so often at the tournament? And how have all of his heartbreaks and near-misses changed how the Irish public think about McIlroy? Why is he more popular now than when he was winning, and the dominant golfer in the game?

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This week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of five kids in Ireland drop out of sport when transitioning from primary school to secondary school, and the average age at which a child drops out of sport is 11. On this week's podcast, Sinéad and Gavin discuss the consequences of this drop-out, and what can be done to stop it.

Research and anecdotal evidence suggest the single biggest reason behind kids' waning interest in sport is its competitiveness from too early an age. What role do coaches and parents play in creating this overly-competitive environment, and do the media create problems by celebrating winners and champions, thereby promoting highly unrealistic career paths for kids?

Is streaming according to ability the right or wrong thing to do? Also, what is sport without competition? At what age point does sport need to stress the importance of competition and winning/losing over providing equal opportunities for everyone to play?

Sinéad and Gavin also discuss their different experiences: Sinéad continues to play sport while Gavin dropped out years ago. How have these decisions shaped them, and what are their regrets?

Get in touch - [email protected] and [email protected]

This week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conor McGregor caused a national jolt by turning up at the White House on St Patrick’s Day, and McGregor has since doubled down on his intentions to run for President later this year. On this week’s show, Sinéad and Gavin discuss the prospect of McGregor running for president. Sinéad explains the criteria around running for president, and how McGregor may plot a route to the ballot paper. They also discuss the role of Elon Musk: why is he so interested in McGregor, and Ireland? Is Musk in fact now one of the most powerful people in the history of the world?

They also ask why the Trump White House are so closely associated with MMA figures like McGregor, and why the Trump administration is changing what we understand of ‘sportswashing.’ Trump has already bagged the mega events like the World Cup and Olympics, but is showing little interest so far in their organisation, and using them as vehicles for soft power. Instead he has become more closely aligned with combat sports, as through them he exerts a more obviously hard power.

Get in touch with the show - email [email protected] and [email protected]

This week’s episode of The 42FM is brought to you by An Post Money.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, Sinéad and Gavin discuss gambling in sport, and Ireland’s drawn-out means of tackling it. First they illustrate the extent to which the gambling industry has captured sport, to the point that it’s now some fans’ primary means of experiencing the sport. They explain how and why this has happened, and delve into some of its frightening consequences.

More than a decade after it was first proposed, the State this month enacted its new legislation aimed at regulating the gambling industry. Sinéad and Gavin take a look at what the law now says and what will change, analyse what aspects were watered down by industry lobbying, and forecast how the new laws may change certain sports. They also delve into the long delay in passing the legislation, explain why there are going to be still more delays before the general public see substantive changes in gambling advertising and visibility, and then ask if we are far too late in addressing the problem.

Get in touch - [email protected] and [email protected]

This week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.