Second Captains @ The Irish Times

It's a beautifully sunny day outside, so whilst our members are waiting for today's Ken Early Political Podcast, here's a short pod featuring Parky, Paulie Malignaggi and Joe 'Mr Doctor' Coffie.Sign up to the Second Captains World Service now at secondcaptains.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This was the weekend when Chelsea were presented with the Premier League trophy by Dennis Wise, but more importantly, John Terry bid farewell - but not goodbye? - to his Chelsea home. There were tears, elaborate rituals of respect and everyone was left with a sick feeling in the pit of their stomach. We discuss the aftermath of Arsenal's failure to make the Champions League. Arsene Wenger's dignified bearing has won praise in many quarters, including from Alex Ferguson, but when you think about it, what choice did he have? Arsenal's prospective new owner Alisher Usmanov has made a video calling out his opponent, Alexei Navalny, who has accused him of corruption. Would Arsene prefer to deal with this guy or Silent Stan?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8c1hR54RyIJonathan Wilson joins us to analyse John Terry's departure and why Chelsea can't seem to find a role for him in their hierarchy.Our Monday broadcasts are free to air. However, to listen to all our programming, become a member of the Second Captains Worl

As starts to the GAA championship summer go, 56 scores, 5 sparkling debuts, the All-Ireland champions dethroned, and a winning goal scored by a man who was told 3 years ago he'd never play again due to a heart complaint, wasn't bad.Michael Duignan was in Thurles yesterday to witness Cork's stunning 2-27 to 1-26 win over reigning champions Tipperary, and we reflect on one result that blows the whole summer wide open for everyone.The tactical freshness from Cork that bewitched Tipp, the champions' frailties at the back, and what Waterford might have learned - all that and more on the agenda.Munster march on to the Aviva Stadium next Saturday thanks to a brilliant Simon Zebo try that points to a bright future for Rassie Erasmus' side. It was a calamitous weekend for Leinster however, saving their worst performance of the season for a Pro 12 semi-final. We talk to Shane Horgan about Munster's fresh bounce and what the Leinster players will be thinking about all summer.Plus there's a scumbag emailer, some more Sto

... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a weekend in which most of the outstanding issues of the Premier League were settled, we get the views of our correspondents Miguel Delaney and John Brewin. After Conte's man management miracle this season, rumour has it that Chelsea are planning the kind of spending splurge we haven't seen there since the early years of the Abramovich era. As Europe's richest clubs gear up to break transfer spending records, when will be the best time to do business? Jose Mourinho suggests that teams already in the top four would love to swap places with Manchester United, who get the chance to win a European trophy next week. Does he have a point?Are British managers second class citizens in their own country? And as Martin O'Neill fails to arrive on time for his press conference, Ken treads the thin line between dereliction of duty and self-liberation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 2017 GAA championship is almost upon us, and we have Kildare manager Cian O'Neill in studio to help us set the scene for summer. O'Neill has been involved in All-Ireland successes in hurling and football in the last 7 years - first in 2010 when he was physical trainer to the Tipperary hurlers, and then with Kerry in 2014, when he was coach under Eamon Fitzmaurice. In between he served with Mayo, having previously worked with the Limerick footballers, so when he finally took the plunge and became manager of his native Kildare in October 2015 he was both massively experienced, and in for a shock. The difference between coaching and managing, the impact on family life, the benefits of dog ownership, working smart, and planning for the Dubs - Cian O'Neill talks about it all. Plus we even get a chance to mention the 2002 penalty shootout against Spain, David Albelda's twisted testicle, and in spite of all the haters out there, Murph keeps his GAA cup half full. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out

Eliud Kipchoge's attempt to break the 2-hour marathon barrier was either a commendable attempt to test the outer limits of human endurance... or a deeply cynical marketing ploy to convince you to buy some runners. David Epstein, author of "The Sports Gene" is better placed than most to separate corporate speak from genuine athletic curiosity, and as Kipchoge's attempt fell 25 seconds short, there's the question of just how fast a marathon can be run by a human being. The GAA championships got underway for another summer this weekend, and Sligo were put to the pin of their collar to beat New York in the Bronx last night. Charlie Harrison, their veteran all-star full-back joins us to tell us why they felt the world was against them in the run-up. Plus there's Richie Sadlier's attempt at racing immortality, Tyson Fury's answering machine, and another chance to hear Lance Armstrong telling us what he's on. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Embattled Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is struggling to generate any momentum ahead of the General Election in the UK, but he is very popular in Liverpool. Tony Barrett of sportsjoe explains why it's the last city in Britain that believes in Corbyn the politician.In spite of another miserable league campaign for Jose, the Man United boss continues to patronise Arsene Wenger. We ask Daniel Harris of The Guardian if United fans have finally lost faith.Eoin, Ken and Murph also drill deep on the big issues in football - why are Premier League fans so sleepy, should we stop calling fullbacks 'fullbacks' and why Zlatan's amazing knee is changing the face of medical science.Plus there's talk of Cuban heels, why the Emirates Stadium is such a damp squib and we deconstruct Kante.Join the World Service today for access to all our shows at secondcaptains.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran mark the weekend's dives out of 10. Sometimes you need to give the referee a little bit of help. David Moyes has been dubbed "the energy vampire" by an unnamed former Sunderland player. What is an energy vampire? How can you guard your personal energy against one? And how did such an inane metaphor about human relationships ever gain popular currency?John Brewin was at Middlesbrough to see Manchester City stagger towards the Champions League qualification line with a 2-2 draw.And Jack Pitt-Brooke saw Tottenham dominate Arsenal in the most one-sided North London derby in many years.Plus there’s Jesus Navas’ stats, second best Spurs, and Jose’s finger of blame. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All aboard the Second Captains helicopter as we use the journey time from Dublin to the match tonight in Manchester to convince you to join the Second Captains World Service.Go to secondcaptains.com now. The Gang's All Here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There have been a lot of great clasicos over the last 20 years - the Barcelona fans lobbing a pig's head at Figo, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos silencing the Camp Nou in 2003, the 6-2, the 5-0, Real's 2-1 title clincher in 2012... But last night's 2-3 win for Barcelona at the Bernabeu was probably more fun than any of them.This game had everything - five goals, incredible skills, flying elbows, a red card, open goal misses, and a brilliant last-second winner from the best player in the world.It was a terrible weekend for Manchester City and Liverpool, a good one for Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, and a very, very special weekend for Big Sam who was generous enough to give chapter and verse on the very special gameplan that silenced Anfield.We relive the Madrid-Barcelona drama with Dermot Corrigan, who was at the Bernabeu.And we argue over whether Spurs are better than Chelsea with Miguel Delaney. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Leinster and Munster bowed out of Europe this weekend, with plenty of what-ifs for both sides. Leinster will feel they had plenty of chances to beat Clermont in the south of France yesterday, and Munster similarly would love to have another crack at Saracens after they failed to raise a gallop in the Aviva on Saturday. Shane Horgan and Liam Toland acknowledge all the financial advantages of English and French clubs, but warn against the idea that we should be satisfied with losing semi-final appearances in this country. Are Galway favourites for the Liam McCarthy Cup this summer? Michael Duignan and Malachy Clerkin discuss their stunning 16-point defeat of Tipperary in the National Hurling League final yesterday. And after marking your card last week, Ilie Nastase confirmed his status as one of sport's biggest assholes this weekend. Plus there's the Rassie Erasmus news, Johnny Glynn's Grand Canyon and Eoin's safety. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin welcomes the return of title run-in mindgames. Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that Tottenham, unlike some of their rivals, are "not artificial". Antonio Conte has responded in an unexpected way, by claiming that Tottenham are the best team in the league. Judging by his own side's performance at Old Trafford, Conte might be right. Was United's victory a Chelsea collapse, or a Mourinho masterclass? Did it show that the United players are finally understanding the principles of the manager's football?We also talk about Everton's decision to ban The Sun after Kelvin MacKenzie's attack on Ross Barkley. Is banning newspapers ever justified? When you look at the details of this case, how much sympathy does The Sun deserve?Jonathan Wilson joins us to talk through the details of United's win. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin, Ken and Richie hit the showers to discuss Ken's hair treatment regime, the French elections and the latest from the World Service.Join us now at secondcaptains.com for access to all our shows. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin and Ken look back at a weekend in which Dele Alli backed up all the hype of last week's podcast. Ken asks is there anything he can't do, Eoin wonders if its time to start comparing him to the greats.David Moyes says the Sunderland job is incredibly difficult. He said the same thing about the Man United job, which must have been difficult in a different way. Might Sunderland be better advised looking for a manager who is slightly less eager to point out how incredible difficult everything is going to be? Meanwhile Luke Shaw has been let out of captivity for a few minutes on the field but can he really trust Jose Mourinho after everything that has happened? We also talk about the superb new documentary "Les Bleus: Une autre histoire de France"Dermot Corrigan tries to explain why Barcelona keep bottling it in La Liga and we explore Neymar's hunger and Messi's magical nutritionist.Raphael Honigstein examines the science behind Arjen Robben's signature move, and looks ahead to the German clubs' adventures in

Ken realises that he knows enough about golf to be a pundit on Sky's Masters coverage. All you do is draw sweeping generalisations from tiny details of body language, and keep that going for four days. Oisin McConville and Mike Quirke discuss Kerry’s evolution, poking the bear, Dublin’s slump in form and doing football a favour.Murph isn't here which means we can talk about Joe Brolly. What is the best way to take Brolly on when he is at full steam? Lawrence Donegan joins us to talk about Sergio Garcia's win, golfer beefs, and friendly rivalry nonsense. Plus there’s The Butler Cabin time warp, and McDevitt relives his fraught toilet encounter with Boris Becker. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Things were already bad enough for David Moyes before he got the silly idea of immolating himself in a sexism firestorm. Was his comment to the BBC's Vicky Sparks at the end of his interview with the BBC "unforgivable," as some influential voices are claiming? Ronald Koeman was another one struggling with interviews as Sky encouraged him to take on the many enemies and losers who have criticised him.Only Jose Mourinho seemed to feel at home in the interview environment this week, and that after a disappointing draw with West Brom that meant United currently have their worst home win ratio of the Premier League era. Perhaps the fact that he OWNED the BBC's Conor McNamara will be of some consolation to the United faithful. We are joined by Tony Barrett to talk Merseyside Derby, and David Preece gives his view on whether Moyes can carry on at Sunderland. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It was like the good old days on Saturday, as Munster and Leinster ruthlessly took apart Toulouse and Wasps to advance to the European Cup semi-finals on Saturday afternoon. Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley reflect on what a difference a year makes - 12 months ago we didn't even have 1 team in the last 8, and now we have two teams who have shown they're capable of winning the competition outright. Former Kerry player and Irish Examiner columnist Mike Quirke looks ahead to next Sunday's league final between Dublin and Kerry - and predicts that despite trepidation down south at another heavy beating in Croke Park, the future still looks bright for Kerry. Plus we have Danny Cipriani, Murph’s Belgian waffles, Simon’s strip, clutch Dublin and a stonking Wexford win in Kilkenny. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Katie Taylor grabbed her fourth win in four professional appearances last weekend, and the impression is that she is blazing a trail for her sport. But are her promoters doing a good job for women's boxing, or a good job just for Katie? Christina McMahon, the Irish pro boxer we spoke to last November, returns to the show to tell us how delighted she is for Katie, but why her promotion is not exactly lifting the sport. Michael Duignan has long been one of the best analysts on hurling, and he joins us in studio at the end of the group stages of the National Hurling League... and promptly calls Murph a football man. Plus there's Offaly's one-match winning streak, Con Houlihan's elbow on Eamon Dunphy, and the Donnacha Ryan madness. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As Martin O'Neill gives a sombre press conference ahead of tomorrow's friendly with Iceland, Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss the fallout from the Wales game and Seamus Coleman's terrible injury. It's time for us to decide what kind of game we want to see. Do we want a sport in which skilful players are protected, or one in which you can get away with cheap shots?Also - Brazil are on a roll under new coach Tite. Tim Vickery joins us from Rio de Janeiro to talk about their footballing rebirth.Plus there's honeysuckle and serenity on the Royal Canal, goose and beef tea, and the end of Dutch football. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.