Hugh Farrelly

[Dowlinz]

This guy, HF, obviously spends a reasonable amount of time perusing Munsterfans. Then it is perfectly reasonable to assume he has contributed from time to time. I wonder who he is??

You forget that hes the consummate lazy journalist. Its perfectly reasonable to assume he lurks on discussion here, hastily scrawling poorly thought counter arguments on kittensoft while he scowls at the intimidating keyboard warriors on the screen.

[Cowboy]

My wife usually does the irony.

Attachment 2258

She looks like shes stopped for a breather in that picture. You're obviously not giving her enough irony to be doing.

[Boo-boo]

Poor Hugh! He is trying to keep the last few paper readers he can and keep himself in a job

[taz]

You forget that hes the consummate lazy journalist. Its perfectly reasonable to assume he lurks on discussion here, hastily scrawling poorly thought counter arguments on kittensoft while he scowls at the intimidating keyboard warriors on the screen.

He used to post here,was discussed either back in this thread or on another one lately.

[The Last Stand]

Yeah, that's all fair enough - but Farrelly is happy to paint everyone who uses online forums, social media etc as being as bad as the worst you'll find out there (or on here, for that matter). His one-eyed view is that the internetz is bad, m'kay? Possibly because while it's easy to highlight the dross, some of the "keyboard warriors" on here actually write better-informed, more intelligent and more insightful material than he does himself ...

I think Hugh brings up some valid points and maybe at times we forget that there is a real person behind a keyboard or that the ref/player/journalist/celebrity may not have a thick skin for some of the criticism published. But I also think that Mr. Farrelly should look closer to home in his criticism. (I won't go into my views on the Indo and Sindo and the rubbish/untruths they have posted.)

Kathy Sheridan has an interesting article in the IT today (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...314721788.html) with an interview of Johnny Sexton on mental health which touches on rugby players and depression. One particular extract is relevant:

THE MEDIA HAS certainly affected him, he admits, especially at the start of his career. “It probably had too big an effect. I was probably reading papers to see how I played rather than going to people who actually mattered like coaches and fellow players . . . And often the people criticising you don’t even know whether you’ve played well or not. There could be 10 reasons you might not have played well: people around you might not have played well, you could have been sick all week, for instance, and nobody knows except your team-mates and your coaches; you go out and play a great game for someone who has been sick all week but you might not be up to the standard that these media people expect and they can slate you but they haven’t seen the full picture. Or you could go out and be half-injured but you’re playing for the team because you know you can give something to the team that someone else might not, and then you’re criticised for not being 100 per cent.”

It’s not quite a cry from the heart – the tone is measured – but somewhere in there is a suggestion that there is a lot of bombast born of ignorance and insensitivity among the commentariat. These professional sportsmen are what Quinlan calls “perishable commodities”, burdened with the same physical and mental fragilities as everyone else.
The difference is that they lay their bodies on the line, day after day.

[23-19]

Farrelly retiring according to Brendan Fanning today

https://brendanfanningrugby.wordpres...9&preview=true

[masterchief]

Farrelly retiring according to Brendan Fanning today

Excellent news!

[yokibob]

Great news!!....Gareth Fitz won't like this as he loses his man in the Indo

[joeriddick]

Here's the link for anyone concerned.

This is a shoutout to any journalists reading this - could you please stop doing the following.

1: Stop referring to yourself as a "hack". You're not a jobbing, fedora wearing newshound from 1940's New York. It's not happening. Just stop.

2: Stop referring to rugby fans "online" as being "loonies". Especially in a piece where you write a specious article about another writer on your own WORDPRESS BLOG.

[The Last Stand]

I wish him well in what ever he decides to do.

[John Cooper Clarke]

I suspect referring to many here as "the underpants crowd" may have fastened his decision.

[joeriddick]

I suspect referring to many here as "the underpants crowd" may have fastened his decision.

Hell hath no fury like an underpants wearing, neckbearded keyboard warrior scorned.

[Waterfordlad]

I suspect referring to many here as "the underpants crowd" may have fastened his decision.

Stop! You'll get Stanley all hot and bothered

[busby]

Fanning not best friends with Farrelly or indeed Thornley going by that piece!

Good points about Kidney losing a buffer, and interesting to hear Farrelly was once coached by Kidney which explains how personally he seemed to take the 'keyboard warrior' stuff. With the amount of air time Thornley gets though he's worth about 10 journos.

[busby]

I'd say Conor George is right up there as possible replacement. Would fit the Indo just perfectly...

[bankman]

Rugby knowledge does not seem to be important for this job, Its more about generating heat but not much light.

[Allez Les Rouges]

Mind you, Fanning is the Sunday Independent rugby journalist (the same stable as Farrelly's Indo). Strange that he writes of a "colleague" from the Independent Newspapers stable in such a manner. Is he looking for the INDO job? It would be a nice transfer from the SINDO!

Is Fanning suggesting that he is more in touch with rugby opinion in the country and would provide the welcome change from Farrelly? I must say that I never found Brendan Fannings article's inspiring. I always read Jim Glennon's and George Hooks articles in the SINDO before tackling the Fanning article.

I mightn't have agreed with Farrelly but I do recall him suggesting that Leinster would beat Munster in Musgrave Park some years back when it would be laughable and after a dirty wet late November Friday night I had to wonder how he got it so right. It was an occasion when Sexton first showed touches of his class to a Munster crowd. At the time, it was considered an outrageous prediction on the part of Farrelly as Munster were high flying and were at home. I even thought that he was writing to please Sir Anthony!

[In Exile]

I wish him well in what ever he decides to do.

Rumour has it he is quitting his job to take up a full time crusade to rid MF's of Kidney haters

[wrangy]

Best of luck to Farrelly, I enjoyed his articles and often humorous take on things.
Brendan Fanning is a bit deluded and a bit full of his own self importance if he thinks that Kidney is kept up at night wondering what the journos are printing.
"Having the IT as his only safe-house will make it harder for him to sleep at night."

[Munsterboy]

Best of luck to Farrelly, I enjoyed his articles and often humorous take on things.
Brendan Fanning is a bit deluded and a bit full of his own self importance if he thinks that Kidney is kept up at night wondering what the journos are printing.
"Having the IT as his only safe-house will make it harder for him to sleep at night."

I was thinking the same. He's not a bloody politician. Journos opinions matter to some extent but as Sexton says in the article extract, it's more important to listen to the opinions of players and coaches who know the score than journos who snipe from positions of relative ignorance.

In my opinion, any coach or player who reads papers or fans forums is asking for trouble.

[joeriddick]

I was thinking the same. He's not a bloody politician. Journos opinions matter to some extent but as Sexton says in the article extract, it's more important to listen to the opinions of players and coaches who know the score than journos who snipe from positions of relative ignorance.

In my opinion, any coach or player who reads papers or fans forums is asking for trouble.

Yeah it definitely seems like Fanning is getting high on his own supply (of codswallop). If he thinks anyone in the Irish management ticket, let alone Declan Kidney, gives a crap about what he or anyone else would be writing he's either a: delusional to the point of believing he's a I'LLMAKEYOUANDBREAKYOUPOWERFULJOURNALIST or b: just trying to feel better about himself.

[Thomond78]

Fanning was Cooder's man. He has hated Kidney going back a long, long way, all the more so since Cooder's departure meant he lost both his inside track and any credibility. Hence the bile.

Farrelly, btw, broke stories like the IRFU NIE plan being unlawful, which only increased Fanning's hate when he has produced nothing in donkey's years. That he has also worn a green jersey - Irish students, SA tour, 1994, undefeated - and rose from being a sub-ed to getting the job Fanning so clearly wanted and now choosing to leave it shows why Fanning came out with this: it just highlights Fanning's failure.

[The Outlaw]

Autumn Series is huge for Kidney really. Will make or break him.