After the fireworks of their defeat of Derry in the Ulster quarter-final, it was always going to be something rather different and more difficult for Jim McGuinness' Donegal team this weekend, and they needed extra time to overcome Tyrone and set up an Ulster final against Armagh.   Michael Murphy and Oisin McConville are on hand to talk through their respective counties' wins at the weekend, and also run the rule over Louth, who reached successive Leinster finals for the first time since the...

Eoin presides again over the weekly humiliation ritual in which Ken is forced to grudgingly accept that Kai Havertz played well over the weekend while grumbling vaguely about opportunity costs.  Jonathan Wilson and Lars Sivertsen join us to talk about the NLD and other weekend football lines. Is Havertz the signing of the season? And how long can Ange Postecoglou get away with a vibes-based approach to set-pieces?  We also talk about why the issue of 'tourist' fans at Premier League games is...

Welcome to our world service best of show which this week features reaction to Liverpool's loss to Everton, an exploration into Klopp's likely successor, Ken and Murph's trip to Tolka Park and just how popular Rugby continues to be in Ireland. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our...

It was a classic weekend of GAA action, but maybe the surprising result of all came in Celtic Park, as Donegal travelled to Derry and knocked off the league champions with a four-goal, five-star performance.  Michael Murphy was working for BBC TV, was in attendance, and was designated driver for a car full of Donegal legends on Saturday night, and he joins us today to talk about Derry's lethargy, Jim McGuinness' impact, and the future of Odhran Lynch's upfield excursions.  Ken brings us the...

Coventry City almost pulled off the greatest FA Cup comeback of all time, but thankfully VAR was there to save us all from that happening by spotting one of the most fractional offsides of all time. Blessed are we who live under its eye. We also discuss Marc Canham's video communiqué from last Friday, what he seemed to be trying to say and what he might have said instead. Miguel Delaney joins us to talk about his experience at the Cup semi-final, and also the reverberations of Nottingham...

Welcome to our world service best of show which this week features reaction to Man City's dramatic loss to Madrid, a backlash to the relationism backlash, a meaty hurling preview and Oisin McConville explains why he is so open with the media. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our...

It's (maybe) set to be a big week for the Irish Football Family with a new Men's Senior manager imminent but GO TOBANN just as Ken goes to grab the mic news breaks that FAI CEO Jonathan Hill will be stepping aside. Events, they just keep occurring. Outside of the FAI internal re-structuring The Great Debate of our epoch revolves around the conflict between Relationism and Positionism. On today's show Ken goes deep with tactics guru Jamie Hamilton. We also discuss the small matter of Liverpool...

Leinster went for a 6/2 bench, a Will Connors horse for the La Rochelle course, and defended with manic speed and aggression to beat ROG's team for the second time this season. They won with 27 points to spare, and the Nienaber factor was there for all to see. We chat to Shane Horgan and Ruaidhri O'Connor about slaying the dragon, the mental strength and skill required to score the Ryan Baird try after halftime, Ross Byrne's best-ever performance, peak Furlong, Leo Cullen's role in the side's...

This week on our World Service highlights show; Ken exalts the value of watching football in double speed, Branno reviews Eric Cantona's live musicianship and Eoin bravely asks the big question - can Rory McIlroy win the Masters this weekend? To join up go to secondcaptains.com/join – it’s a fiver a month plus VAT, with no contracts, no minimum stay and no sneaky fees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Man United v Liverpool used to be a byword for stultifying boredom and dreariness. Not any more. We discuss another Liverpool fumble-job at Old Trafford, the cult of Darwin and the maniacally optimistic analysis of Erik ten Hag.  Simon Hughes and John Brewin join us to talk about the game at Anfield. Did Liverpool get what they deserved? Is Ruben Amorim likely to succeed Klopp in the summer. What did John make of the Kev Show at Selhurst Park? And who do they feel is looking the strongest out...

As Manie Libbok placed the ball on the tee for the kick that would have knocked La Rochelle out of Europe, you just knew the Rugby Gods (and Libbok's 66% kicking stats) had other plans. And so it's come to pass that ROG and Will Skelton will march on Dublin once more, and Leinster will have to try and pass their greatest mental and physical challenge, once more. We chat to Shane Horgan and Ruaidhri O'Connor about Gibson (s)Park, lethargic Leinster, the case for Nienaber's defence, Munster's...

Welcome to our world service best of show which this week features an on form Pep, Duff and the regime, Rassie's rabble rousing and Leinster's battle at ten and drive for five. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with...

A great weekend of football at Tallaght Stadium, at Anfield, at St James' Park, at Stamford Bridge, at Croke Park - joy, fun, excitement everywhere except at the Etihad Stadium where Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta's two sets of brightly coloured robots offered a terrifying portent of the future. Jonathan Wilson and Jon Mackenzie join us to talk about what it all means. Was this game bad? If so, whose fault was it? Did this game represent a decisive episode in the ongoing ideological war...

It seemed like everyone was piping up to have a go at the Irish football team after not even registering a goal during the drab March international break.. including the Swiss media, as we were alerted by a World Service member based there. US Murph chatted to us about the latest sporting superstar in the US, Iowa State basketballer Caitlin Clark who has recently broken the all-time NCAA scoring record across both the men's and women's game. Closer to home, Derry play Dublin in the...

Clare and Kilkenny are in the National Hurling League final, and Jamie Wall is back on the pod for the first time as the reigning 2024 Fitzgibbon Cup winning coach to talk us through their semi-final wins this weekend. Limerick were abysmal, according to their own manager John Kiely, and they’ve also been wrestling with the Kyle Hayes court case.  We discuss what likely impact the case will have on Limerick’s Drive For Five. We also find time to outline just why jersey-ripping has become...

Cold? Boring? Meaningless? Not from the point of view of the manager for whom the game was a top-level debut. John O'Shea saw a lot to like in Ireland vs Belgium on Saturday evening. We talk through the details of the game and wonder if we are about to see a second interim coaching appointment transform into a permanent one. Germany produced a shock 2-0 victory away to France on Saturday night; six months after taking the national team job, Julian Nagelsmann is winning people over. We talk to...

It's been a week to remember on the World Service, for none more so than our own proud Galweigen and 'Top Red' Ciaran Murphy. We were delighted to chat with hurling legend Joe Canning on the latest edition of our 'I'll Tell You Who Wrote It Second Captains Book Club. Joe spoke to us about John Feinstein's A Good Walk Spoiled, his own impressive golfing CV and how now living in Limerick brings him into contact with a lot of, well.. Limerick people. Back in Dublin, Ken's attention over the...

Ireland have won back-to-back Six Nations and have been a very consistent team over a long period of time now. We put their achievements into context while also examining their form, which has tapered off since the Italy game. We chat to Chris Jones of the BBC, former 6N winner Andrew Trimble, and Tom English of BBC Scotland about Ireland's second-half power show against Scotland, if their attack needs a re-think, how they will cope if Peter O'Mahony retires, Central Gibson Park, and how Jack...

The secret to any truly great sporting rivalry is some genuine animosity between the two parties, and when it comes to Ireland and the Scottish rugby team - these two straight up don't like each other. Even if one of them keeps beating the other time & time again. Elsewhere, the Champions League knockouts have finally caught fire. We chatted to Rory Smith of The New York Times and Nick Ames of The Guardian about Arsenal's progress and ask what is driving the trend of multi club models. To...

The Irish team didn't perform and the Irish media got this one badly badly wrong, except for a humble GAA man from Galway. We chat to Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley about England's powered-up attack, Ireland's end game, O'Mahony's yellow, the lineout issues, the 6-2 split and what a 6N Championship would mean, and what a loss to Scotland might mean! We also discuss our various scapegoat options, Murph's Turph, Italy's win over Scotland, and Ken's admiration for Rob Kearney. ...

Liverpool and Manchester City played another great game at Anfield and the big winners were Arsenal. The league leaders earned another important win against Brentford on Saturday evening. We discuss the edge of ruthlessness Mikel Arteta's players are showing as they chase a first title in 20 years. Dion Fanning and Gavin Cooney join us to talk over the Liverpool-City game and other Premier League weekend business. Klopp and Guardiola have defined the Premier League, their teams pushing each...

It's the year 2024 and ex Scottish Rugby International's are backing humble England over arrogant Ireland. Is this the future we wanted? Well, it's the one we have and this weekend could see Ireland push even closer to a back-to-back Grand Slam with victory in Twickenham. But first, Eoin is here to warn you with tales from the past. Yesterday Miguel Delaney and Jonathan Wilson put their thinking caps on about why the Champions League has lost its appeal in recent times, and what could be done...

The FAI formally unveiled new interim manager John O'Shea at a press conference at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon - Ken reports from the scene... ...and if you want to listen to that straightaway scroll to the end. First we talk through some of the action from a weekend that saw Nottingham Forest's refereeing lobbyist Mark Clattenburg swing into action. Mark Critchley and John Brewin join us to talk about the Manchester derby. Is it really too much to expect Man United should be able...

Ireland are once again raging hot favourites to win a 6N game, which may sit ok with us when it's Italy or this 2024 Wales team, but this time it's England, in Twickenham! We're not in Kansas anymore. We talk to Gerry Thornley about the dynamics at play including a warning from 6N history, Hugo Keenan's knee injury, Steve Borthwick's reputation, and Ryan Baird's red-hot form. Plus there's Sam Warburton's tackle power, Beggan's boot, and Jim McGuinness bemoaning the rampant use of the 'Rodri...