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Duff wants Ireland

CATHAL DERVAN

Irish Voice Columnist

Published Thursday, July 16, 2009, 10:05 AM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:58 PM

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Read more: Damien Duff, Stephen Ireland, European Football, Soccer, Sports, Manchester City FC, Newcastle United FC, Shamrock Rovers FC

Ireland and Manchester City star Stephen Ireland

Newcastle United winger Damien Duff has said he would welcome any return to the international fold for Manchester City star Stephen Ireland.

“We’ll wait and see. If he does come I will, and I’m sure the rest of the lads will welcome him with open arms. He was the best player last season so I’m sure he’d improve us,” said Duff after Newcastle’s 3-0 friendly win over Shamrock Rovers.

“There’d be no problem with me but I’ve seen some of the younger lads who are probably a bit naive saying things in the press.

“We know who they are -- saying they wouldn’t be happy -- but whatever problems Stephen has had he is a top player and if he comes back fair play.”

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Irish sport is popular and widespread. Levels of participation and spectating are high on the island of Ireland. Throughout the country a wide variety of Irish sports are played, the most popular being Gaelic games (such as Gaelic football, hurling and camogie), soccer, rugby union and boxing. By attendance figures Gaelic football and hurling are by far the most popular sports in Ireland, (34% of total attendances at sports events being to football and 23% to hurling), while golf and soccer (including 5-a-side) are the most played at 17% of the population each. Many Irish sports, such as boxing, cricket, rugby union, Gaelic football and hurling, are organized in an all-island basis, with a single team representing Ireland in international competitions. Other Irish sports, such as Association Football, have separate organizing bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. At the Olympics, a person from Northern Ireland can choose to represent either Ireland or Great Britain. The various GAA discipline finals are easily the largest sporting events regularly held in Ireland, in both terms of attendance and media coverage. The biggest national sporting event in Ireland is the final of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, held annually in Croke Park in September. It usually attracts a sell out crowd of 82,500 to Croke Park. Many of the matches in the championship attract crowds of 50,000, depending on who is playing. Aside from the GAA, the biggest multi-sport event held in Ireland regularly is the Community Games. The games are organized every year from a local level, where hundreds of thousands of young people compete in different disciplines such as athletics, swimming, cycling etc., in the first half of the year. Winners progress to county level, and then to the Community Games finals. One of the biggest international Irish sport events is international Association Football. The Republic's national team has punched above its weight in recent years, qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, and performed well against such teams as Brazil and Portugal. In rugby union, Ireland's national team has been ranked in the top five teams regularly over the last few years, and has produced major stars such as Keith Wood and Brian O'Driscoll. In golf, Ireland is home to several top golfers such as Padraig Harrington.

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