The 42FM

An unusual Masters: Tiger absent and Rory back as champion

Gavin Cooney dials in from Augusta to look ahead to the 2026 Masters with Sinéad O'Carroll. Despite finally getting his hands on a green jacket last year, Rory McIlroy is still the talk of the town. How is he embracing his champion status? How will he perform this year with the pressure finally off to complete the Grand Slam? Will journalists ask him about The Daily Mail’s coverage of Alan Shipnuck's new McIlroy biography? Elsewhere, is Shane Lowry in with a chance of success? Is it Scottie Scheffler’s competition to lose? And what are the players and US journalists saying about Tiger Woods, LIV and Donald Trump? Also, Sinéad is slowly converting Irish football fans into figure skating enthusiasts.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The tragedy of Tiger Woods

Sinead O’Carroll and Gavin Cooney discuss the rise and prolonged downfall of golf’s greatest ever player. From prodigious talent levels in childhood to dominating the sport in his 20s and 30s, to the slow and scandal-riven decline, Tiger Woods has rarely been away from the headlines. Is the near-constant scrutiny, overwhelming fame and atypical childhood enough to engender sympathy for Woods, despite his continued driving offences which put others as well as himself in grave danger? Or has perhaps the most recognisable athletes of the 20th century run out of chances with the public? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

SNAP REACTION: Ireland’s World Cup dream ends in penalty shootout heartbreak

Gavin Cooney and David Sneyd provide immediate reaction from the Fortuna Arena in Prague as Ireland fall to the cruelest of defeats in the World Cup semi-final play-off. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

One win. Then one more win

Gavin Cooney dials in from Prague to chat to Sinead O’Carroll during a defining week for Irish football. Gav is optimistic but daunted on Ireland’s behalf, as they need five competitive wins in a row to make the World Cup finals in America. Sinead, informed by her data analyst sister, says, no - Ireland just need to win one game. And then win more. A more optimistic interpretation again suggests two draws and two penalty shootout victories will suffice, but neither can entertain the cardiac stress of such a turn of events. The pair also discuss why the men’s national football team moves the needle to the extent it does in the media as a consequence of the hold they have over the general population. Is it because the game is so widely played and easy to understand? Or is it, as Sinead suggests, because younger generations are desperate for their own Italy '90 or USA '94 moments? The bounty of those competitions was not spent well here. Can this be different? Do we now have a stronger foundation upon which to build a robust football edifice in Ireland? The odds will be enhanced with one win on Thursday, and then another on Tuesday. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How those who sent racist abuse to Edwin Edogbo could be caught

Munster’s Edwin Edogbo made his Ireland debut during the 2026 Six Nations campaign, after which he was subject to vile, racist abuse on social media. On this week’s show, Sinéad and Gavin speak to Jonathan Sebire, co-founder of Signify, which monitors and reports online abuse of athletes. The IRFU are among Signify’s clients, and Jonathan explains how Signify worked to identify some of those who sent abuse to Edogbo, and how some people may now be held accountable. He also talks more widely about the social media abuse of sportspeople, explaining how it impacts sporting performance and why the solution is never as simple as telling sportspeople to get off social media entirely. Get in touch: sinead@thejournal.ie [sinead@thejournal.ie] and gavincooney@the42.ie [gavincooney@the42.ie] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.