The 42FM

• From UFC to the Áras: Conor McGregor’s fight to stay famous

  Conor McGregor caused a national jolt by turning up at the White House on St Patrick’s Day, and McGregor has since doubled down on his intentions to run for President later this year. On this week’s show, Sinéad and Gavin discuss the prospect of McGregor running for president. Sinéad explains the criteria around running for president, and how McGregor may plot a route to the ballot paper. They also discuss the role of Elon Musk: why is he so interested in McGregor, and Ireland? Is Musk in fact now one of the most powerful people in the history of the world?They also ask why the Trump White House are so closely associated with MMA figures like McGregor, and why the Trump administration is changing what we understand of ‘sportswashing.’ Trump has already bagged the mega events like the World Cup and Olympics, but is showing little interest so far in their organisation, and using them as vehicles for soft power. Instead he has become more closely aligned with combat sports, as through them he exerts a more obviously hard power.Get in touch with the show - email [email protected] and [email protected] week’s episode of The 42FM is brought to you by An Post Money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• How the gambling industry captured sport

  On this week’s episode, Sinéad and Gavin discuss gambling in sport, and Ireland’s drawn-out means of tackling it. First they illustrate the extent to which the gambling industry has captured sport, to the point that it’s now some fans’ primary means of experiencing the sport. They explain how and why this has happened, and delve into some of its frightening consequences.More than a decade after it was first proposed, the State this month enacted its new legislation aimed at regulating the gambling industry. Sinéad and Gavin take a look at what the law now says and what will change, analyse what aspects were watered down by industry lobbying, and forecast how the new laws may change certain sports. They also delve into the long delay in passing the legislation, explain why there are going to be still more delays before the general public see substantive changes in gambling advertising and visibility, and then ask if we are far too late in addressing the problem.Get in touch - [email protected] and [email protected] week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Rob Heffernan on how Ireland can become an athletics powerhouse

  On this week’s podcast, and off the back of Sarah Healy, Mark English and Kate O’Connor’s medals at the European Indoor Championships, Sinéad and Gavin choose not to spend too long basking in the Ireland’s latest athletics success. They are joined by former 50km walk world champion and RTÉ pundit Rob Heffernan to look beneath the surface of the medals and ask: are these medals because of the Irish system, or in spite of it?Rob explains what Irish athletics is doing well at an elite level, and what it must do better.Having founded an athletics club in Cork, Rob is also well-placed to explain the challenges and opportunities at a grassroots level. He explains why the State needs to do more to improve PE hours in school, why investment in facilities is necessary, and why better talent ID is needed for Ireland to capitalise on its potential at a moment major medals has thrust the sport into the national spotlight.Get in touch - email [email protected] and [email protected] week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Why our national football teams are going to get worse before they get better

  Gavin last week met our new sports ministers for the first time, who told him that the government’s promised funding for professional football academies is ‘not imminent.’The comment caused despair in football circles, and the necessity for his money is the centre of this week’s episode. Sinéad and Gavin delve into the minister’s comments and wonder why they are so slow to follow through on their promises, before Gavin give the reality on the ground as to why the funding is already too late.While there have been headline successes like Mason Melia’s record transfer from St Pat’s to Tottenham, the reality is the academy system is not close to replacing elite player development opportunities that have been lost to Irish kids since Brexit. Gavin has to stats to prove this, and they show that the question you should be asking yourself about our national teams is not ‘How have we become so bad?’, but ‘How are we still so good?’Sinéad probes the broader questions: Is it really appropriate for taxpayer money to fund the development of a small number of elite athletes? And can the FAI be trusted with this money anyway?Plus, there’s some listener feedback on last week’s topic of whether the sports media should play a role in helping the national team, and does Irish rugby get softer media coverage than other sports?Get in touch - email [email protected] and [email protected] week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• How Colin Healy's treatment shows the FAI is still dysfunctional

  The manner of the exit of Colin Healy from his role as assistant manager with the Irish women's national team has provoked intense criticism of the Football Association of Ireland, and the story refuses to go away. On this week's episode of The 42FM, Gavin and Sinéad explain the background to Healy's exit, why it has proved contentious, and the questions it raises around the competence of the people running Irish football, specifically the FAI's chief football officer, Marc Canham.They also zoom out on the wider state of the game in Ireland, look at some of the fundamental problems holding the game back in Ireland, and analyse Canham's 'pathways plan' intended to fix many of these issues. Will the FAI's handling of high-profile issues like Healy's exit ultimately damage their plan to overhaul the sport in Ireland, and if so, does Irish football ever have any hope of fulfilling its potential?Gavin and Sinéad also discuss the media narrative around Ireland's Six Nations game against Wales. Are we actually an arrogant people? And is it really the Irish media's job to stay on-message to the benefit of the Irish team?Get in touch - email [email protected] and [email protected] week’s episode of The 42FM is brought to you by An Post Money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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