Last week I took a holiday to Ireland. I have been to Europe many times before, but this was my first visit to the Emerald Isle.
As an American sports media member, I always look at the local sports in the country I am visiting and how they view American sports. As I expected, Ireland was interesting.
When I got to Dublin, I talked to a local bartender to find out about the lingering pain from the Thierry Henry handball that kept the Republic from an appearance in the football World Cup finals this summer in South Africa.
Let us put it this way, they are not over it. I am a big football (soccer) fan, but I am also American. We do not have the tradition of rooting for our national team like they do in Ireland and most other countries around the world.
I asked the bartender what would happen to me if I wore a Henry jersey around Dublin. He shook his head and said: "It would not be good ? for you ? at all."
Now while I know football, I have to admit that I am a bit of a novice about other sports that the Irish take seriously, such as rugby union.
I was in Galway the evening Connacht faced Toulon, which was great. The pubs were full and the fans were engrossed with the match on television. I was sitting next to a group of women who laughed as they tried explaining even the most basic rules of the game to me. I am fascinated by the brutality of rugby and the men who play it.
My mistake was to let the Connacht fans know that I think the National Football League (NFL) is much tougher to play than rugby. They laughed at my statement, joking that you cannot feel anything under all the padding that American football players wear. I had no retort.
In Ireland, I also watched their main sports channels, BBC and Sky Sports. I found it interesting how they will cover snooker and cricket, but not the NBA, baseball or the NFL. American athletes that are household names in the States are completely unknown in Ireland. They may know who Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning are, but they do not know many more players.
American sports fans that are anti-soccer joke that most Americans do not care about soccer. Well, let me tell you this, nobody in Ireland cares about the NFL.
Now one thing that I wanted to see in Ireland was a real old school golf course. The British Open is one of my favourite sporting events and I really am enthralled with the courses in Ireland, England and Scotland.
I arrived at the Dromoland Castle, just north of Shannon, Ireland. The Dromoland has it all, a beautiful castle surrounded by a pristine golf course. This was it. I was going to complete one of my dreams, to play on a golf course in Ireland. It did not happen.
I could have golfed that day. I could have borrowed clubs and paired up with a few locals for a round. I chose not to. The course was too nice. I did not want to disgrace it with my awful ability. I did not want to hack up this lovely course with the locals shaking their heads in disgust in the background. I already regret it. I think they would have understood. Maybe I will do it next time.
As much as I enjoyed Ireland and would love to spend a long stretch there watching football, rugby and playing golf, I think I would miss American college football and the NFL too much. Let me know when the NFL adds a team in Dublin. I am moving the next day.
@Email:sports@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Naga
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
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The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
Read more about the coronavirus
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)