Pirate Irwin

Pirate Irwin is a journalist with Agence France Presse , who has been based in Paris for 16 years having initially arrived for just a six month summer stay. Born in Ireland in 1965 and educated at Eton and Institute for Foreign Students in Tours after missing out on University by a large margin. His first name is a gift from his grandfather inspired by Radio Caroline but not appreciated by a Roman Catholic priest at christening. 

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/ 10 September 2007

White backs Boks to see off England

South Africa will beat world champions England in their crucial World Cup clash on Friday, Springbok coach Jake White claimed after his side walloped Samoa 59-7. White said he wasn’t basing his optimism on the poor performance of England in their 28-10 win over the United States or the 1995 world champions’ comprehensive defeat of Samoa, but on more solid factors.

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/ 22 August 2007

William Webb Ellis: Innovator of rugby or fraud?

The Duke of Wellington may have said that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the fields of Eton College, but more surely the game of rugby was founded on the fields of another British public rugby school appropriately called Rugby. And who is to blame for that? An Englishman called William Webb Ellis, who — horrors of horrors for the English — is buried in the town of Menton in the south of France.

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/ 8 March 2007

United through in Europe as Arsenal fall by wayside

Henrik Larsson produced a fairy-tale end to his brief but eventful Manchester United career on Wednesday as the Swedish legend scored to give the Red Devils a 1-0 win over Lille to put them into the Champions League quarterfinals. United clinched the last 16 clash 2-0 on aggregate. United’s joy, however, was not mirrored by Premiership rivals Arsenal.

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/ 27 January 2007

Irish seek to emulate heroes of 1948

Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll believes his team can make history by grabbing only the country’s second Grand Slam (beating all other teams in the Six Nations) and emulating their compatriots’ breakthrough triumph of 1948. He believes that now is the time for the Irish to come good.

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/ 22 November 2006

Nakamura gives Celtic British bragging rights

A terrific free kick by Shunsuke Nakamura gave Celtic an historic place in the Champions League knock-out stages on Tuesday as they edged English giants Manchester United 1-0. After what was dubbed as the ”Battle of Britain”, United’s defeat means the two-time European Cup winners need a point in their final match at home to Benfica to avoid exiting the competition.

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/ 12 November 2006

Ireland try to keep their feet on the ground

Ireland’s talismanic captain Brian O’Driscoll pleaded for a reality check on Saturday after his team inflicted a record 32-15 defeat of 1995 world champions South Africa at Lansdowne Road. The 27-year-old centre said people needed to keep their feet on the ground with a testing match to come against two-time world champions Australia next Sunday.