Colm Keys reflects on the huge impact made by minority sports in 2018

The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in east London, the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, the Plovdiv Regatta Centre in Bulgaria and Finland’s Tampere Stadium are not exactly iconic venues of world sport.

canadian goose jacket But in an Irish context they have become meaningful signposts to a brighter future, helping to stitch together the fabric of a remarkable story of expansion and adventure in 2018, taking athletes into uncharted territory and the sporting public away from its regular mainstream diet. canadian goose jacket

Whoever thought that an Irish team’s first World Cup final canada goose factory outlet toronto location appearance would be in women’s hockey? Or that a 19 year old would not only represent Ireland for the first time in a European gymnastics final, but complete swing, scissors and circle movements with such polished execution to win it outright?

One World Championship rowing gold medal in an Olympic event would have constituted a resounding success, but two on the same weekend? Was that not being a touch avaricious?

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Canada Goose Online PodiumIrish sprint success on the track had only twice stretched to the podium at a major championship in 86 years but that gap canada goose outlet montreal was closed in 2018. Canada Goose Online

uk canada goose And, if what’s coming behind is anything to gauge by, it could well be a common occurrence after the success of the women’s sprint relay team at the World U 20 Championships. uk canada goose

We’ve become accustomed to success between the ropes at Olympic and World boxing championships, we’ve known track success over longer distances, Irish horses run faster and jump better than most, golf Majors have been within reach over the last decade, while the exalted status of the canada goose outlet uk fake No 2 ranked rugby playing nation in the world has been coming for a while.

However, this was a year when Irish sport spread itself wider canada goose outlet las vegas and tapped into some niche markets with resounding success, as a whole new landscape was cultivated.

None more so than the hockey team in early August, who proved that anything really is possible with a stunning silver medal success.

These hockey tournaments are not known for upsets, with the divide between professional and amateur teams stark.

So when Ireland, competing at that level for the first time in 16 years, emerged from their group and then beat India to qualify for a semi final against Spain, just about everyone sat up and took notice.

On a dramatic Saturday afternoon, Ireland’s success in a sudden death penalty shoot out, courtesy of Ayeisha McFerran’s initial block and Gillian jacketstockk.com Pinder’s nerveless winner, delivered Ireland to the final day of a tournament few even knew they canada goose outlet online uk were participants in a week earlier.

They lost 6 0 to Netherlands in the final, but that scarcely took from the journey that they’ll hope to build on.

Rhys McClenaghan is a name we’ll hear much more about, with Tokyo 2020 now firmly in his sights after his pommel horse success at the inaugural European Championships.

canada goose clearance sale It is a measure of Irish rowing’s growing status that last September in Bulgaria, Paul canada goose outlet online and Gary O’Donovan’s win in the men’s lightweight double sculls final, followed within 24 hours by Sanita Puspure in the women’s single sculls, gave Ireland as many gold medals at the World Championships as Australia, Canada and Netherlands. canada goose clearance sale

Derval O’Rourke apart, Irish success at major outdoor track championship events has been threadbare, but Thomas Barr’s second fastest 400m hurdle time earned European bronze to build on his Olympic fourth two years earlier.

canada goose uk shop Two medals at the World U 20 Championships in Finland in July can only give optimism that more will follow in Barr’s slipstream. canada goose uk shop

uk canada goose outlet Patience Jumbo Gula, Ciara Neville, Molly Scott and Gina Akpe Moses claimed silver in the women’s 4x100m 15 year old Rhasidat Adeleke was also part of the team before injury ruled her out while Sommer Lecky’s 1.9m high jump added a second silver. uk canada goose outlet

Together with Sara Healy’s 1500 3000 metre race double at the European U 18 Championships in Hungary, young Irish athletes canada goose parka outlet uk left quite the footprint across the continent in 2018.

canada goose coats on sale For all the new horizons, however, it was the modern constant of the canada goose outlet store uk international canada goose outlet rugby team that will feature prominently in any future canada goose outlet online store recall of a year when they soared higher than ever before. canada goose coats on sale

canada goose That just a third (Five/Six Nations) Grand Slam felt like an inevitability once Johnny Sexton had engineered a great escape from Paris on the opening weekend reflected the growing expectation around them. canada goose

That 41 phase passage of play with time elapsed ended with Sexton, later shortlisted for world rugby ‘player of the year,’ landing that mammoth drop kick.

The ‘Slam’ was completed in Twickenham on St Patrick’s Day and by the summer that same depth of resolve saw them come from an opening test defeat to beat the hosts 2 1 on Australian soil for the first time since 1979.

But even that felt like small change when New Zealand left Dublin bowed, bullied and defeated in a brutally brilliant test match.

Canada Goose Parka At club level, Leinster’s great promise manifested with a fourth Champions Cup success, with Sexton again pivotal. Canada Goose Parka

In an epic year for hurling, full of thrilling matches and outstanding performances, Limerick withstood a thunderous Galway rally to lift a 45 year siege since their last Liam MacCarthy Cup success.

In Gaelic football, such is the hold that Dublin have over the rest, that scarcely an eyelid was batted as they did what only three teams had ever done before by winning a fourth successive All Ireland title.