January
“I realised that my resources are not endless . . . we are not young rabbits any more and we don’t jump as high as we did.” Jurgen Klopp catching Liverpool fans on the hop by announcing that he would be leaving them at the end of the season.
“I honestly wish it was my wife leaving me and not Jurgen.” A soon-to-be single Liverpool-supporting caller to talkSPORT after Klopp’s announcement.
“I enjoyed that, I really did. I started the week feeling a bit rough but I bought myself an air fryer and started eating a bit better.” Ronnie O’Sullivan after finding his inner Ninja in his comeback against Judd Trump in the World Grand Prix final.
“I just wake up, play on my Xbox, have some food, have a chuck at the board, go to bed and that’s it.” Luke Littler on his life before reaching the World Darts Championship final at the age of just sixteen. It’s changed a fair bit since then.
Your complete guide to all the festive sporting action including TV details
Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards: ‘The greatest collection of women in Irish sport in one place ever assembled’
Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington named Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year 2024
February
“Speaking from experience, when you have a barnet like that, you have got to play well – and my God, did that boy play well.” Brian O’Driscoll doffing his cap to Joe McCarthy (and his hair-do) after his most excellent Six Nations display in the victory over France in Marseille.
“I’m in awe of Willie Mullins. He’s at the top of his profession and has been for over a decade. Some people are suggesting he should be restricted. Well, you don’t tell Taylor Swift to stop releasing albums so that other people can win the Grammys.” Jane Mangan salutes trainer Willie Mullins and his crop of Swiftie horses.
“I stopped someone following me in to the toilet the other day. They were like, `oh, can I get a photo?’, and I was like, `yeah, but do you mind if you wait for a bit?’.” And this was before Daniel Wiffen won his Olympic medals. They’re probably snapping him at the urinal this weather.
“How do I word this? Maybe through someone through someone through someone, someone asked me would I be interested in speaking to someone.” Damien Duff on whether the FAI contacted him about becoming Stephen Kenny’s successor during their interminable search for one. That was a definitely maybe.
March
“She’s such an incredible rider. As good as she is everywhere else, she’s even better here. We’ve had some incredible days.” Trainer Henry De Bromhead after Rachael Blackmore rode Captain Guinness to victory in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham. Having already won the Gold Cup and two Champion Hurdles, that secured Blackmore the third jewel in the festival’s crown.
“We unknowingly used a divisive expression. We deeply regret this error and apologise to those we have offended.” MLS club Minnesota United after signing off their announcement about hosting St Patrick’s Athletic in a friendly with: “Tiocfaidh Ár Lá.”
“I have a poster of Novak on my wall. Every night I go to bed, I see him. He’s the best player ever. I will keep this moment with me for the rest of my life.” Luca Nardi, the 20-year-old Italian who, when ranked 123 in the world, beat his poster boy Novak Djokovic at the Indian Wells Open.
“I told John that I’ll chase balls into the bushes or go look at players, whatever he needs. I’m delighted he feels I’ve something to contribute after all these years.” Brian Kerr on returning to the Republic of Ireland set-up as a technical adviser to interim manager John O’Shea, 19 years after he was the gaffer himself.
April
“He’s transformed the club from a place when they had people like me playing for them – that’s how bad it was.” Peter Crouch saluting Jurgen Klopp as he closed in on his final game in charge of Liverpool.
“I sort of liken it to when Northern Ireland went through the peace process. Catholics weren’t happy, Protestants weren’t happy, but it brought peace and then you just sort of learn to live with whatever has been negotiated.” Rory McIlroy reckoning that a Good Friday agreement is needed to resolve the LIV v PGA war.
“Bristol Rovers Football Club would like to apologise for any offence caused by an error in wording in a recent communication. No harmful intention of meaning was ever intended.” That “error”? “We will provide all disabled fans with free electronic ticket cards upon request. As for normal fans and older fans, they can purchase the card for £15.” Oh my.
“He’s an intellectual earthquake that transforms itself into this athletic majesty. It’s not bomb and gouge, it’s laser-guided missiles that you’re watching here.” Brandel Chamblee swooning, as only Brandel Chamblee can, over Bryson DeChambeau’s opening round of 65 at the Masters. The missiles were misdirected thereafter, DeChambeau finishing nine shots behind winner Scottie Scheffler.
May
“We’re going in full guns blazing.” An unfortunate enough turn of phrase from Northampton Saints’ Tommy Freeman ahead of the Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster in Croke Park, just after he and his team-mates were told about the stadium’s history.
“Bruce had to be played, I suppose. They had to dance in the dark up here for a couple of days but the pitch was the one to suffer.” Wexford manager Keith Rossiter none too impressed with the state of the Nowlan Park surface a couple of weeks after senior hurler Springsteen played on it.
“Clearly, there is something rotten in Irish rugby for its finest ambassadors to bend the knee whether at international level or in the Champions Cup. There is no question here of shooting at the ambulance. We greatly sympathise with Leo Cullen and his kids.” French newspaper Midi Olympique offering a, eh, heartfelt hug to Leinster after that Champions Cup final defeat by Toulouse.
“I was pretty rattled to say the least. I was shaking the whole time. It was definitely a new feeling for me.” Scottie Scheffler on that bizarre moment he was handcuffed and arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship. He had mistakenly tried to drive past a police stop following an accident that resulted in the death of a spectator.
June
“I went out on that track today super nervous but with a plan and a mission and that was to hear Amhrán na bhFiann. When I was getting boxed in I thought I had nowhere to go, but I didn’t grow up playing camogie to get boxed in.” Ciara Mageean doffing her cap to her first sporting love for helping her battle her way to European Championship gold in the 1500m.
“The Picasso of the radio.” Tomás Ó Sé's tribute to Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh who died at the age of 93 in June.
“If it was an old dog, the GAA would be telling us that good old hurling was being taken to live on a lovely farm in the country, while texting the local vet about having it put to sleep.” How happy was Dónal Óg Cusack with the GAA’s promotion of his beloved game? Not a lot.
“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer. But I’ve shown my resilience over and over again and I will again.” Rory McIlroy on that crushing conclusion to the US Open, three bogeys in his final four holes handing the title to Bryson DeChambeau.
July
“It’s nearly destroying it talking about it, we should just shut up and watch.” Dónal Óg Cusack calling for silence from the RTÉ panel so they could just quietly marvel at Tony Kelly’s other-worldly All Ireland final goal for Clare.
“What can I say? We’re All-Ireland champions and Olympic gold medallists – what a great county!” Daniel Wiffen on Armagh striking gold twice in the space of three days thanks to himself and their footballers.
“I’d rather ate cowshite. Don’t let him near the place.” Former Galway goalkeeper James Skehill somewhat ruling out working with Davy Fitzgerald if Fitzgerald was appointed boss of his county. (He wasn’t, he took over Antrim instead).
“My brother texted me and said, ‘if 14-year-old Kellie had thought she’d be here now she probably never would have believed it’. I forwarded the message to my mam. She said, “No, you’re right, you were a little shit back then! Still a little shit now but you have two Olympic medals!’ Kellie Harrington on her loving messages from home after guaranteeing herself at least a bronze in Paris.
“Days like this felt a very long way away. I started crying on the podium, it’s just unbelievable, it’s the pinnacle of sport to have all your hard work pay off in something like this.” Mona McSharry on her bronze in the Olympic 100m breaststroke final, not even her goggles filling up with water could thwart her.
August
“It feels like a dream, but it’s a dream well earned. If I fell on my bum today, I still would have loved this journey, every second of it. But I didn’t and today I’m walking away with an Olympic gold medal.” Rhys McClenaghan on his golden day in Paris.
“The first impression is that they are really good team players, really good characters… maybe a little bit too nice. Sometimes you need a bastard in your team. I am looking for him. Maybe we can develop him.” New Republic of Ireland gaffer Heimir Hallgrímsson on the hunt for a ruffian in green.
“It was really hard because we couldn’t really focus on the race. We had to focus on not swallowing water. I saw some brown things…. I hope it’s not what I thought it was.” Hungarian marathon swimmer Bettina Fabian on the joys of taking to the Seine at the Olympics.
“That’s it, done, dusted, there are no more mountains to climb. I’ve nothing more to prove, not even to myself, which is the most important thing. The next chapter is going to be my life chapter.” Kellie Harrington signing out in some style, as a two-time Olympic champion.
“Seventh? Yeah, something like that. But I think I was dragged along by other people for most of them.” Boastful as ever, Paul O’Donovan loses count of how many World Championship golds he’s won – it was number seven in Canada along with Fintan McCarthy, just three weeks after he became the first Irish athlete to medal in three successive Olympics.
September
“I had a little cry in the call room. It’s a really emotional day, this is coming to an end. Winnie the Pooh said it best when he said, ‘how lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard’.” Ellen Keane on ending a sparkling swimming career at the Paralympics in Paris.
“Lee Carsley needs to zone out of his Irish republicanism and learn to sing God Save the King. Otherwise, no one will believe he cares about the England team he wishes to lead.” Renowned football pundit Jacob Rees-Mogg getting hot under the collar after Carsley, 2024′s Wolfe Tone and England’s interim coach, revealed that he’s not an anthem singer.
“Why didn’t you win the gold?” Rower Daire Lynch, who won Olympic bronze with Philip Lynch, on the first question he was asked by youngsters on his tour of his native Clonmel’s schools. Harsh.
“I couldn’t work out whether Ireland are more similar to Andorra, San Marino or the Faroe Islands.” Tony Cascarino a touch unimpressed by Ireland in their 2-0 defeat by England in Dublin. To be honest, he probably ended up offending Andorra, San Marino and the Faroe Islands.
October
“This is a guy that was all man. When he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there and said, ‘oh my God, that’s unbelievable!’” Donald Trump telling his supporters at a rally in Arnold Palmer’s Pennsylvania home town about the magnitude of the late golfer’s, em, manhood. Why? No clue.
“How can a foreigner urge Englishmen to do or die on football’s battlefield…. rouse the troops like King Henry V when he implored his men: ‘On, on unto the breach dear friends or let close the wall up with our English dead.’ This is a dark day for English football.” The Daily Mail’s Jeff Powell welcoming the appointment of German Thomas Tuchel as England gaffer.
“My maths wouldn’t be great, so I was struggling to figure out what the score was.” Man of the match Rian O’Neill admitting that he had no clue whether Ulster were winning or losing to Connacht in the final of the interprovincial series thanks to the rule-tweaking two-point arc and four-point goal.
“My conker was obliterated in one hit, and that just doesn’t happen – I’m suspicious of foul play.” Alastair Johnson-Ferguson suggesting that 82-year-old David ‘King Conker’ Jakins might have used a steel nut to win their World Championships final. Jakins was indeed found with one in his pocket, but happily he was cleared of actually using it to obliterate anyone’s nut.
“I’ve had many challenges growing up, I think that just made me very resilient. A broken collarbone and illness? I was like, ‘oh, I’ve gone through much worse than this’. When you stand on that top step of the podium, you forget about all the bad times, they just melt away.” Katie-George Dunlevy reflecting on a September that saw her win … deep breath… Paralympic gold with Linda Kelly, Paralympic silvers with Kelly and Eve McCrystal, and two World Championship golds with Kelly.
November
“It is amazing, a letter addressed to “Pat the b******s, County Kerry” posted in Armagh arrived in the door. It just goes to show how good the postal service is in Ireland.” Pat Spillane saluting his postman for somehow delivering a love letter from up north.
“Congratulations to Katie Taylor. Tempers are flared when you’re in the heat of battle and you say things you shouldn’t say. She and I are cool outside the ring and the best dance partners in it. Whenever our teams can agree on a trilogy, I’ll be ready.” Amanda Serrano withdrawing her allegation that Taylor intentionally head-butted her during their fight for the ages in Texas. Round three coming up?
“He has a Boost, a meal deal, a curry and a couple of those little half pink and half white sweets – Squashies – and he walks up there and smashes me like that. This boy is a joke. He is absolutely awesome.” Martin Lukeman on the darts sensation that is Luke Littler after the 17-year-old beat him 16-3 in the Grand Slam of Darts final.
“It’s not done and dusted yet. Things can change very quickly in the Keane household, let me tell you.” Roy Keane on being asked about his “future son-in-law” Taylor Harwood-Bellis after he scored against Ireland on his debut in England’s 5-0 win at Wembley.
December
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but Leinster are up there with the National Children’s Hospital for returns on investment – no one has seen anything.” Donncha O’Callaghan being a touch naughty about Leinster’s European woes.
“Dessie has always been like a second father to me. It’s like breaking up with someone. There were two days of tears. There was a week of carnage. The dust is settled now. Life moves on and the world spins, and you’re out.” Dublin legend Brian Fenton on breaking the news to manager Dessie Farrell that he was retiring from intercounty football.
“I remember when teams started warming up on the field before a match and Willie Duggan turned around to me and said, ‘listen, I can do the warm-up or I can play the match, but I couldn’t do both’. It’s come a long way.” Donal Lenihan on rugby before all this training intensity lark.
“I drove here with my dad beside me and he kept looking down at me with no trousers on. Mam was in the back with the needle and thread.” Damien Duff completing a memorable year by splitting his pants en route to the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers awards where he won the Personality of the Year gong. Mercifully, his Mam had mended them by the time he took to the stage.
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