Arena with Maurice Brosnan
Award-winning Irish Examiner journalist Maurice Brosnan cuts through the noise with sharp analysis, expert reporting and unmissable conversations. This essential new Irish sports podcast goes inside the biggest stories, the hottest debates and the voices shaping sport today.
Episodes
Arena: Irish boxing’s bright prospects and the brutal realities of the fight game
On this week’s episode of Arena, the Irish Examiner’s weekly sports podcast, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Galway boxer Kieran Molloy ahead of his November 14 bout against Steve Suppan at London’s OVO Arena Wembley.With a homecoming fight planned for 2027, Molloy discusses the challenges of making it in the professional ranks, the heartbreak of major fights falling through and the cancellation of a
Arena: How did the AFL recruit Finnbarr Roarty and what can the GAA do about it?
On this week’s episode of Arena, the Irish Examiner’s weekly sports podcast, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Westmeath footballer Ray Connellan to examine the AFL’s recruitment of young Gaelic football talent.The lads discuss the news that Donegal star Finnbarr Roarty has signed a two-year contract with Collingwood. Drawing on his own experience of being recruited by St Kilda, Ray explains how the re
Arena with Maurie Brosnan: Mastering the half-time team talk
On this week’s Arena, a weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Eamon Devlin, founder of Minute9, who works with coaches, clubs and teams to help them maximise their half-time intervals.The Armagh native’s expertise in making the most of the interval has earned him clients across elite sport, from Real Madrid to Racing 92. He is also working with Cork GAA’s Gaelic foot
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Why are we looking at more Gaelic football rule changes?
On this week’s episode of Arena, a podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan reports from Croke Park where the Expert Advisory Group held a media briefing about the upcoming rule trials.Gaelic football just enjoyed one of its greatest championships of all time. Why are we looking at further change? We hear from Kevin McStay, the head of the EAG, about what they are trying to do and why he i
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: The Diarmuid O’Flynn interview – Cork, family and hurling
On this week’s episode of Arena, the weekly podcast for the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Diarmuid O’Flynn to discuss his new book, Not a Patch on the Oul’ Fella: The Life of a Club Hurler.Diarmuid speaks openly about his love for the sport and his deep sense of pride in his home place. They discuss his inner demons, domestic violence and why he felt the need to write about his fath
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: FAI’s Ceadach O’Neill approach and why Ireland’s underage games are played abroad
On this week’s episode of Arena, the Irish Examiner’s weekly sports podcast, Maurice Brosnan is joined by the Examiner’s football correspondent John Fallon.The lads discuss the news that Ceadach O’Neill, who has attracted interest from the FAI, has been named in the Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming Nations League games.They also look at Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill’s criticism o
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: What will the legacy of Trump’s Irish Open be?
On this week’s Arena, a weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Brendan O’Brien at Doonbeg’s Trump International ahead of the Amgen Irish Open.The lads discuss the atmosphere at the tournament and what this week means for Irish golf. It’s been a busy buildup as we learned about Rory McIlroy’s role in securing this venue, Shane Lowry’s psychological state after some rec
Arena: Andy Moran, Eddie Jones and mastering the media
On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Tim Percival, author of On the Record & On the Ball: How Elite Coaches Master the Media.The lads discuss Tim’s book and the lessons it offers for coaches and journalists alike. They reflect on how figures like Andy Moran and Eddie Jones have leveraged the media to their advantage and explo
Arena: Well-coached teams, Cian O’Neill to Cork, two-point defence
On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Ballincollig basketball coach Ciarán O'Sullivan.The lads discuss Charleville manager Dominic Foley’s recent comments in which he called on the Cork County Board to “wake up” and ensure they retain the county’s top coaching talent. But what actually makes a team well-coached? Is being well-dril
Arena: Wright Thompson on McGregor backlash, being there and the future of sports writing
On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by award-winning ESPN senior writer Wright Thompson. The lads discuss the uncertain state of sports journalism, why it is important to separate the business behind the industry from the craft itself and what great sports writing can still offer in a rapidly changing media landscape. Wri
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: How to get the most out of performance analysis
On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Denise Martin, a leading member of the Gaelic Games Performance Analysis sub-group.A lecturer in Sports Performance Analysis at ATU Galway, Martin explains how performance analysis actually matters. She discusses the biggest mistakes coaches make, how to run team meetings that actually engage
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Irish rivalries, the state of Irish athletics, and what's going on with Adeleke?
This week, sports journalist Cathal Dennehy joins Maurice Brosnan to preview the National Senior Track and Field Championships at Morton Stadium and assess the current state of Irish athletics.The lads discuss the potential blockbuster clashes on the track, the Irish rivalries that are developing and what to look out for this weekend. They also examine the challenges Rhasidat Adeleke has faced sin
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: England's cowardice, media rage, and a blockbuster final
On this week's extra episode of Arena, the weekly sports podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Joe Callaghan, who was at Atlanta Stadium to witness Argentina's remarkable victory over England.The pair break down both semi-finals, discuss what stood out to Joe from inside the stadium and examine the reaction to England's defeat. They also look ahead to a blockbuster final, a
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Can the GAA become a global sport?
On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by Kevin Conlan from Seoul Gaels to discuss the GAA abroad and this week’s World Games.Hundreds of players from across the world are in Waterford this week as part of the GAA World Games competition. Over 100 teams are taking part, with over 30 countries represented. It is being held for the fift
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Where do Cork go from here?
On this week's episode of Arena, the weekly podcast from the Irish Examiner, Maurice Brosnan is joined by columnist Kieran Shannon to examine Cork's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway and what comes next.Kieran's analysis this week argued that Cork's performance exposed technical, tactical and mental shortcomings and that the county now needs a comprehensive forensic review, one that, in his
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Are England broken? Supporter colour and who gets in
A bonus episode. We're joined by Joe Callaghan from Texas to discuss the World Cup so far, England's unconvincing performances, the supporters on the ground and the enduring fascination with Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro. You can read Joe's article, which we discuss during the episode, here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: A seismic month for Irish boxing. What's next for the sport?
On this week's episode of Arena, the Irish Examiner podcast, Maurice is joined by Monaghan boxer Aaron McKenna.McKenna has the chance to become Ireland's newest world champion when he takes on Italy's Etinosa Oliha at Zuffa Boxing 10 in Dublin's 3Arena on August 8, live on Sky Sports.With three blockbuster cards coming to Dublin across August and September, Irish boxing is preparing for one of its
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Why does sport matter?
On this week's episode of Arena, the Irish Examiner podcast, Maurice is joined by Paul Rouse, professor of history at University College Dublin.Together, they discuss why sport matters, why we care so deeply about it, and how its place in society has evolved over time. What purpose does sport serve in the modern world? Why should the government invest in it? And what sporting events still sit on t
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Messi, Haaland and Mbappé ignite the World Cup.
Arena: Arena is the weekly sports podcast from the Irish Examiner. On this week's episode, sportswriter Joe Callaghan joins the show fresh from MetLife Stadium, where he witnessed France's victory over Senegal. Joe and Maurice discuss France's impressive start to the tournament, the evolving style of play on display and the atmosphere on the ground. What impact have the Tartan Army
Arena: What will be the legacy of this World Cup?
On this week's episode of Arena, we are joined by sportswriter Joe Callaghan, who is in Canada ahead of their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this Friday.104 matches, 48 teams and 16 host cities, what does a successful tournament look like, both on and off the pitch?Joe joins Maurice and the team to discuss the atmosphere on the ground and whether the controversies that have surrounded th
Arena: NBA finals, basketball’s influence on other sports, coaching in the future
This week on Arena, we preview the NBA finals and talk about how basketball is influencing other sports with Ballincollig coach Ciaran O’Sullivan.Ciaran was recently awarded coach of the year after a super season where Ballincollig won the National Cup and Super League title. They discuss how the NBA finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs should have something for everyone, how t
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: How the two-pointer is changing Gaelic football
On this week’s show, we’re joined by Galway footballer Robert Finnerty, Kildare Sports Performance coach Neil Welch, and Monaghan Sports Performance coach Paul Talty to discuss how the two-pointer has changed Gaelic football.What has the two-pointer done to the way teams attack or defend? How will it evolve? Can Rob kick a two-pointer with his right foot? We answer these questions and more during
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Inside Irish AFL scouting and the prospect of an AFLW team
This week on Arena, we explore the growing influence of Irish players in the AFLW and ask whether the rise of Irish talent could one day lead to an Irish-based AFLW team. From the league’s early years, when Irish women helped fill a relatively shallow talent pool, to today’s competition where they are among the standout performers in a fully professional environment, the Irish impact on the A
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Has this been a good season for Irish rugby?
On this week’s episode, we are joined by Leinster Schools Head Coach, MSc Sports Performance Analysis lecturer, and The Currency columnist Brett Igoe to preview the final round of the United Rugby Championship regular season and assess the current state of Irish rugby.Maurice and Brett discuss Ireland’s depth chart, Leinster’s Champions Cup ambitions, Munster’s ongoing issues, the job Stuart Lanca
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: RTÉ Head of Sport Declan McBennett on GAA TV rights, Champions League coverage and punditry
On this week’s episode, we’re joined by RTÉ Head of Sport Declan McBennett to discuss the recent announcement that the broadcaster will remain in the Irish market for Champions League coverage.He explains why free-to-air television remains vital for sport, how decisions are made around which events are broadcast, and the challenges of balancing audience demand with commercial realities.We also exa
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Ryder Cup ticket prices and the modern fan’s dilemma
This week, we’re joined by Colin Sheridan to talk about the price of tickets for the Ryder Cup and other big sporting events currently.Ryder Cup tickets made exclusively available to Irish fans, priced at €499 each, sold out in under an hour last Friday, while practice day (€89) and weekly tickets (€1,999) sold out in under four hours.Colin explores the evolving relationship between fans and
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Chasing gold - the truth about Irish athletics funding
This week, we’re talking funding for athletics. Gerard O’Donnell is a coach with Dublin sprint who knows what it is like as an athlete having won nine national titles in the short hurdles too. He joins us to talk about how the model currently works and where it could improve.This week, a record €28.5 million in funding was confirmed for Sport Ireland's High Performance Unit for this year. We ask w
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: Rory McIlroy’s decade-long dance with Augusta, golf and Ireland
Rory McIlroy is now a back-to-back Masters champion and a six-time major winner. This week, we look back on his remarkable triumph at Augusta National and what it was like to witness it on the ground.What McIlroy means to the sport, and to Ireland, are questions we try to answer. In a modern era where golf is competing for attention and searching for a post-Tiger Woods figurehead, McIlroy’s succes
Arena with Maurice Brosnan: The magic of the Masters, a science and an art
This week, we’re reporting from Augusta National for the 90th Masters. The first of the four Majors gets underway on Thursday.What is it about August National? What makes this tournament? We hear from Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy before sitting down with Reach plc US Sports Editor Thomas Bristow.Arena, a new podcast from the Irish Examiner, is a weekly feature-style reflection on Irish sport. List
Arena with Maurice Brosnan - the art of punditry with Ruby Walsh
On this episode, we’re joined by Examiner Sport columnist and racing legend, Ruby Walsh to discuss what makes a great sports pundit. He talks about working at Cheltenham, prepping for the job and what he sees as the objective of the job.Ireland has a proud history of outspoken and engaging punditry with a long list of big personalities who provided immense entertainment. But the world has changed.
Arena with Maurice Brosnan - Influencers and the GAA
Influencers are becoming the GAA’s newest force. But why were so many social media stars invited to the All-Stars and what is the strategy behind it?Arena is a new podcast from the Irish Examiner with a weekly feature-style reflection on Irish sport. On this episode, we’re joined by content creator Caolán Ward to unpack what this shift means for the future of the game and its audience. Hoste
Welcome to Arena with Maurice Brosnan
Award‑winning Irish Examiner journalist Maurice Brosnan cuts through the noise with sharp analysis, expert reporting and unmissable conversations. This essential new Irish sports podcast goes inside the biggest stories, the hottest debates and the voices shaping sport today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
