Talking with Giants
On Thursday Feb 13th, four Giants of the sporting World will come together in the Amber Springs hotel Gorey to converse with an audience, why and how they have conquered their chosen sport.
Liam Spratt will host this once in a lifetime event and provides a unique opportunity for coaches, parents, players and fans to get an up close and personal insight into what has made these guys the best in the game. It promises to be a fascinating opportunity to see and hear their opinions on each others sport and what they have learned from the various codes.
The wealth of achievement and experience in the room across four different disciplines will be difficult to surpass in ones lifetime and provides those in attendance the opportunity to ask ‘that’ question.
Sean O’Brien will attend form the world of Rugby. At 26 he has 30 Irish Caps, 3 Heineken cup medals and was instrumental in the Lions victory over Australia in 2013. He was awarded European player of the year in 2011, and the ‘Star Player of the tournament’ in the last Rugby World cup. In the current season he has received man of the match for Leinster in 3 out of 5 starts. Arguably the best back row forward currently on the planet.
Joining Sean will be the most successful hurling manager of all time. Brian Cody is regarded as one of the best man managers in modern sport. Cody steered his native Kilkenny to a staggering 9 All Ireland hurling titles, 6 Nat leagues and 12 Leinster championships. As a player he won 3 All Ireland senior medals and captained the team to victory in 1982. On 2 occasions he won probably the most difficult medal in hurling the All Ireland club championship with his native James Stephans.
Alongside Cody & O’Brien is without doubt one of the best footballers ever to play the game. A pivotal member of the greatest football team ever, Jack O’Shea has no less than 7 All Ireland senior football medals and 10 Munster medals. He was awarded Texaco footballer of the year for a record 4 times and has received 6 All Stars. Widely regarded to be a decade before his time in fitness terms, Jack O’ played for his country 9 times, was feared by the Australians and won the Harry Beitzel medal in the 1990 series.
Completing the line up is what some would regard as one of the most successful Irish soccer managers ever. Brian Kerr managed the Rep of Ireland senior team from 2003 to 2005 and the Faroe Islands in 2010 & ’11. In ’98 he managed Ireland to an unprecedented double European championship win, at U16 & U18 level. The previous year he led the U20 side to a record 3rd place in the 1997 world cup and like Brian Cody he’s a two time winner of the ‘Philips manager of the year’ award. On the domestic front he managed St Pats to league titles in 1990 & 1996, and continues to be a highly respected analyst for TV & radio.
Evenings like this don’t come along too often and at €15/ticket it makes the experience very affordable. It kicks off in the AmberSprings hotel on Feb 13th at 8pm sharp and is in aid of a local sports project. Tickets are limited and available form AmberSprings hotel, McGovern’s pub main st Gorey or Eleanor on 0876852402.
