Is the bould Páidí that hard up for a few bob? Surely not. Or could it be, given his recent diversion into political commentary in an egregious column that argued that CJ Haughey was a marvellous man who never stole anything he wasn't entitled to, that he's considering running in the next-but-one general election? Let's be having you, sir!

'PULLENANDRAGGEN' NO MATCH FOR THE HURLING Having received a letter from Gearóid �? Loinsigh in contae Cill Ceannaigh earlier in the week Sideline Cuts would like to thank him for his contribution.

Although he was highly critical of an article last week lambasting his county for not fielding a football team, his words illustrated the point we were making better than any we could muster. "Most Kilkenny people have little interest in watching a game which is, though marginally less boring than soccer, a mishmash of Scandinavian handball, amateur soccer and rugby, and is a poorly developed great-grandson of the 18th and 19th century rural pastime of parishes and villages chasing a bundle of rags around the countryside. The Irish football game memorably described by wannabe Brits living in Dublin as 'pullenandraggen' is full of fouls, stoppages, rows, interference with officials and cheating, not to mention kidnapping referees in the boots of cars. And you want Kilkenny people, who play some of the best hurling in the land, to risk their talent and fitness on such a useless spectacle." Yes we do Gearóid. Please contact the sports editor re: employment.