Honorary Personal Professor Rheumatology, University of Galway, Ireland. Athbheochan na Gaeilge. Athletics, Mayo GAA, Brain Health in Sport. Views are my own.
Galway, Ireland
Joined October 2013
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Thug bás an aisteora iomráitigh #Stacy #Keach le déanaí, agus é 85 bliain d’aois, cuimhní ar a ról sa scannán iontach dornálaíochta Fat City le John #Huston ar ais chugam. Chabhraigh taithí Huston féin mar dhornálaí leis ina chuid oibre mar stiúrthóir agus mar aisteoir. Níor chuir sé cuma rómánsúil ar an spórt ná níor léirigh sé na dornálaithe mar laochra.
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The recent passing of acclaimed actor #Stacy #Keach at the age of 85 brought back memories of his memorable performance in John Huston's great boxing film, Fat City. #Huston's own experience as a boxer helped him as director and actor. He didn't romanticise the sport or turn its participants into heroes. A good review-rogerebert.com/reviews/fat-c…
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Is there is a case for 13-a-side rugby?. More space could reward acceleration & handling skills & smaller, more agile players might become more valuable. But 7-a-side #rugby players experience more tackles/minute than 15-a-side & 13-a-side players would probably encounter the same. This idea could be tested & reducing the number of substitutes also worth investigation I believe. But it's unlikely to solve the injury crisis in rugby?
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On 26 October, after defeat by #Bordeaux-Bègles, La Rochelle's 23 yr old flanker. Oscar #Jégou criticised the rugby calendar. His comments, reported by Rugbyrama, included “We play far too many matches. I feel it a little myself, but I'm young, so I can cope.” He went further: « À partir de 25 ans, tu es déjà un joueur de rugby "vieux" » “By the age of 25, you're already an old rugby player.” The first 65 days of the Top 14 season involved 10 matches, with widespread exhaustion and a very high injury toll. Is the professional game is becoming physically unsustainable, particularly for forwards who repeatedly absorb and deliver heavy contact? rugbyrama.fr/2026/11/11/top-…
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Ar an 26 Deireadh Fómhair cháin Oscar Jégou, imreoir tríú líne 23 bliain d’aois de chuid La Rochelle, féilire na rugbaí. I measc na dtuairimí a luaigh sé bhí an méid seo a leanas: “Imrímid i bhfad an iomarca cluichí. Mothaím féin é beagán, ach tá mé óg, mar sin tig liom déileáil leis”Chuaigh sé níos faide fós: « À partir de 25 ans, tu es déjà un joueur de rugby "vieux" » Bhí 10 gcluiche imeartha sa chéad 65 lá de shéasúr a Top 14, agus tuairiscíodh go raibh imreoirí traochta go forleathan & líon na ngortuithe thar a bheith ard.
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Some alarming figures on #rugby injuries in Rugbyrama. The report published on 7 Nov 2026 says that 148 Top 14 players were unavailable through injury, approx 25% of the players in the competition's squads. The figures include many types of injury, not just head injuries, This raises further concern that modern professional rugby is too demanding physically, even before we consider the longer-term neurological consequences such as #CTE.
lerugbynistere.fr/news/250-j…
There’s still no validated diagnostic test for #CTE. Poor “performance of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (#TES) criteria in identifying individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Important work that directly tested whether doctors can identify CTE in living people using proposed clinical criteria for TES. compared clinical diagnosis with actual post-mortem pathology. Only 6 of the 25 people meeting TES criteria actually had CTE. The search for better #biomarkers for CTE continues.
nature.com/articles/s41591-0…
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A small study of relationship between #CTE pathology, isolated traumatic brain injury (#TBI) & repetitive head impacts (RHI) outside sport. Is contact sport the only setting for CTE, or can other head injuries be assoc w CTE? CTE is largely related to #RHI academic.oup.com/jnen/articl…
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Anach Cuain-a traditional #Irish lament composed by blind itinerant poet Antoine Ó #Raifteirí (1779–1835). A boat, Caisleán Nua, capsized in River #Corrib, Sept 1828, while travelling from #Annaghdown (Anach Cuain) to #Galway-20 drowned. Seo iad na liricí joeheaney.org/en/anach-cuain…
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Still no diagnostic test for CTE in living. Poor “performance of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) criteria in identifying individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)" in living. Only 6 of 25 (1,038 studied) meeting TES criteria had #CTE.
nature.com/articles/s41591-0…
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This 2026 review on #CTE biomarker development from Leon #Thal Summit. It discusses difficulties with #tau PET imaging, blood #biomarkers & need for better diagnostic methods. Potential biomarkers, 2 types studied: imaging & biofluids, specific to CTE #tau pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article…
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Translation "But I'm not in the #Highlands. Don't let the secret out, but I'm in the Lowlands. Shame on me! But there is an advantage to that. We're not tormented by midges in the summer, damn them! The midges only go after tourists". Ní neart go cur le chéile (Strength in unity)
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The #Irish Times has published "The 50 best Irish-language books of the century so far" (Oct 31); 35 writers, academics & critics nominated 25 favourite #books. 1: Madame #Lazare, Tadhg MacDhonnagáin, 2: #Bódléar, Darach Ó Scolaí, 3: An Litir, Liam MacCóil
irishtimes.com/culture/books…
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Irish athletic community in mourning at passing of Ciara #Mageean (Portaferry, Co Down), holder of the Irish women's 1500m national record & 1500m gold medal at 2024 European Championships in #Rome (race starts 3:30). #Ciara always did Ireland proud. RIP. youtube.com/watch?v=kHExtUEG…
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Tá pobal lúthchleasaíochta na hÉireann faoi bhrón mór i ndiaidh bhás Chiara #Mageean, sealbhóir thaifead náisiúnta sa rás 1500 méadar ban, buaiteoir an bhoinn óir sa rás céanna ag Craobhchomórtais na hEorpa sa Róimh in 2024. Chuir Ciara bród ar Éirinn. Suaimhneas síoraí dá hanam.
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