February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The Cork-born superstar said he got into yoga a few years ago, when his body was beginning to feel the wear and tear of the game at the top level.
Keane first went to a yoga session at a school hall near his home outside Manchester. But now, a yoga teacher comes to Old Trafford twice a week to work with him and two other United players, Ryan Giggs and David Bellion.
“I still find it hard,” Keane said. “I lie down and the teacher can push my leg back to 90 degrees. You should be able to that on your own, but I don’t know whether it’s an Irish thing or just the time I grew up in, but I never stretched. There are definitely benefits. You loosen the muscles and take pressure off your joints.”
Keane said that he now leads a simple life and admitted that he would like to return to live in Ireland one day.
“I go to work, go home, get the kids from school,” he said. “I am well-rewarded — nice house, that’s all. In the past I did lose touch with a lot of the people I grew up with in Cork. But over the last few years, I’ve got in touch with a lot of the lads I grew up with again. I go home when I can. It’s important to have a sense of that, even for Theresa [his wife] and the kids. I like for them to know where I grew up, to identify with what being Irish is all about.
“I’m living in England, but I see myself as being Irish. I see my family as Irish, my kids as Irish. Of course they are in school and they are talking about things English kids talk about. I asked my son ‘Who do you follow?’ and he said ‘England.’ I know he is only winding me up, at least I think so.”
Keane added that he has spent a lot of time recently reading a book a dictionary of Cork slang words, which he got as a present. Surely, that’s a definite sign of a man who hankers for home.
CAST HAS HAD ENOUGH
“I Keano” a comedy show recounting the infamous row between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy in Saipan, played to packed houses in Dublin’s Olympia Theater during its short run last month. But plans for a second run at the end of April ran into trouble last week when it was revealed that three of the main actors, including Mario Rosenstock, who plays Keane, said they would not be available. Truly a case of art imitating life.
Risteard Cooper, who plays the parts of Quinnus (Niall Quinn) and Packie Bonnerus (Packie Bonner), said he was not happy that co-writers Arthur Matthews and Michael Nugent had not been part of the rehearsal process.
“From my point of view, I was not particularly happy with the way things were going with the show in general,” Cooper said. “There seemed to be a reluctance to implement the changes that needed to be made to the satisfaction of myself and others in the cast.”
EIRCOM READIES
FOR KICKOFF
The third Eircom League summer season kicksoff on March 16 when Shelbourne, bidding for a hat trick of league titles, play newly promoted UCD at Tolka Park. During the off-season, Shels picked up three of their neighbors Bohemians’ best players: Bobby Ryan, Colin Hawkins and Glen Crowe. Shels manager Pat Fenlon has also signed Gary O’Neill from Dublin City and Richie Baker returns to the club after one season playing in the U.S.
But the top game on the opening weekend will see Bohemians welcome their new tenants, Shamrock Rovers, to Dalymount Park on March 18. Roddy Collins, who led Bohs to the league-cup double in 2001, is now manager of Rovers and as he’s always a good man for a quote, we can rely on him to crank up the rivalry between these two old Dublin clubs in the build-up to the game.
This will be Gareth Farrelly’s first full season in charge of Bohs and the former Irish international is expected to play more often this season as he was carrying an injury when he replaced Stephen Kenny at Dalymount last term.
The season runs until the end of November and the FAI Cup is to be put back to Dec. 4, so as to ensure that it is once again the last game of the season.
“The cup final was always the grand finale to the season and I am glad that it will be once again,” the FAI’s president, Milo Corcoran, said.
KINGDOM, DUBS TO
DUEL UNDER LIGHTS
The National Football League resumes this weekend after a two-week break and no doubt about the big game — it’s the Saturday night meeting of Kerry and Dublin under lights at Austin Stack Park in Tralee. These great rivals are always sure to put on a good show and both counties come into Saturday’s game with identical records of: played two, won one, lost one.
Kerry got off to a bad start against Cork, but got back to winning ways against Offaly. After beating Mayo under the new Parnell Park lights, Dublin were then well beaten away to Tyrone. Amazingly, it will be Kerry’s third consecutive game under lights. For that reason, coupled with their home advantage, I make them favorites to topple the Dubs once again.
Up north, there is speculation that Tyrone’s Peter Canavan may be back sooner than expected. Indeed, we may see Peter the Great, who said he was taking a break from the League, line out against Offaly on Sunday. Canavan scored 1-4 for his club Errigal Ciaran in a recent club game and showed that he hadn’t lost any of his zest for the game.
FANS PELTED WITH STONES
Soccer officials in Dublin and Belfast are urging clubs not to fly the Irish tricolor or the Union Jack when the new North-South competition gets under way later this month.
The Setanta Cup kicks off with a game between Glentoran and Longford Town at The Oval in Belfast on March 15. Normally, Linfield fly the Union Jack at their home games in Windsor Park, but down south, Eircom League clubs rarely fly the tricolor at their grounds, unless it’s an UEFA game.
There is much good will toward the new North-South competition, but there are the inevitable worries about the potential for violence. Linfield paid their first visit to The Brandywell in 36 years when they drew 1-1 with Derry City last week. The game passed off without incident, but afterward the traveling Linfield supporters were pelted with stones as they made their way back to their buses. Linfield Chairman David Crawford said that it will be some time before his club travel to The Brandywell again. “The water has been tested in a bold move by both clubs and found not yet ready,”he said.
O’BRIEN TAPS
JOCKEY FALLON
Jockey Kieren Fallon is certainly living up to the old adage that life begins at 40. The Clare-born jockey was last week confirmed as the new stable jockey to the powerful Aidan O’Brien stable. Fallon takes over from Jamie Spencer, who ended his association with the Ballydoyle trainer last month. Fallon apparently agreed the new deal in Barbados last week, where he was celebrating his 40th birthday. He will also have first call on all horses owned by the Coolmore Stud.
Fallon, at times a colorful and controversial rider, has spent the winter riding at Gulfstream Park in Florida. He is still on bail from the courts in Londond as they continue an investigation into alleged race-fixing in Britain.
Meanwhile, Irish-born jockey Pat Eddery is to be awarded an honorary OBE in recognition of his services to horse racing. The 52-year-old rode 4,600 winners in Britain and was champion jockey 11 times.
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WOOSNAM TIPPED
FOR CAPTAINCY
Europe will today name its captain for 2006 Ryder Cup competition, which will be played at the K Club in County Kildare. The 46-year-old Welshman Ian Woosnam, who served as vice captain to Sam Torrance in 2002, is favored to take over from Bernhard Langer. The other main contenders are England’s Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle from Scotland. Irishmen Des Smyth, Christy O’Connor Jr. and Eamon Darcy all applied for the job. Apparently, though, you don’t apply, you are invited. However, an Irishman could be named in the backup team as a token gesture.
O’CONNOR’S LAWYERS
COMPLAIN TO FEI
Showjumper Cian O’Connor’s legal team have written to the International Equestrian Federation demanding an apology for the wording of a bulletin on his doping charges, which were published on the FEI Web site last week. The bulletin claimed that many scheduling difficulties had been caused mainly by the non-availability of O’Connor’s witnesses and/or counsel at a number of earlier dates proposed by the judicial committee.
O’Connor’s legal team has taken exception to this claim by the FEI, particularly as a list of dates proposed by the Irish side had been rejected by the international governing body. It’s understood the hearing will be on Easter Sunday.