Tyrone GAA legend Peter Canavan has accused the GAA of burying its head in the sand over the Allianz sponsorship controversy, after GAA President Jarlath Burns criticised protesters at Croke Park

Peter Canavan has hit out at the GAA for avoiding the issue surrounding its contentious partnership with Allianz, following Jarlath Burns’ remarks about those who participated in Saturday’s demonstration at Croke Park.

The former Tyrone star joined other GAA legends, including Colm O’Rourke, Pat Gilroy and Brendan Devenney, in protesting against the association’s ongoing ties with Allianz, which sponsors the National Leagues and whose German parent firm has connections to Israel.

However, the demonstration descended into disorder when approximately 50 individuals forced their way into Croke Park’s main hall, where GAA Congress was underway.

Whilst figures such as Canavan, O’Rourke and Devenney remained outside the venue, GAA President Jarlath Burns urged the high-profile personalities to separate themselves from those who stormed the hall, particularly given that Croke Park security personnel sustained injuries whilst attempting to prevent the demonstrators from accessing the chamber where discussions were ongoing.

It’s worth highlighting that Canavan, O’Rourke and Devenney were unaware at that point that a Croke Park security officer had been hurt during the disturbance, reports the Irish Mirror.

Burns remarked: “It’s a bit ironic that people who are protesting against illegal occupation will come in and illegally occupy our building.

“And I just want to say this: on the day that we made the decision based on the Ethics and Integrity Commission, it was on the 19th of December. The 19th of December in my area is a very significant date.

“In 1975, the Glenanne Gang came into Donnelly’s bar, which is our local shop, and murdered three people, one of whom was a good friend of mine, Michael Donnelly. On the 19th of December 2025, I went into my car and drove to the front of Donnelly’s house, shop and pub, which is still there, to make a speech.

“Fifty years on, justice still hasn’t been served for the 120 innocent Catholics who were murdered by the Glenanne Gang in a four-year period in my area, in my community.

“I don’t need any lectures about what it’s like to feel the pressure of illegal occupation. I don’t need any lectures or people shouting in my face about what it’s like to go to bed at night fearful that somebody would barge into your bedroom and riddle you with bullets. That was my lived experience when I was young.

“So when this came onto our table in the GAA, we dealt with it the way the GAA does. We put it through our own processes and reached a conclusion, and Tom Ryan dealt with it very well last night. We have facilitated protests by people who disagree with the decision we took.

“But we have security guards down there who work very, very hard. I know them all from being in here every day. They are injured. Somebody is waiting down there for an ambulance to come.

“I would urge people within our own association who might have aligned themselves with some of the people who came in and illegally occupied our building today, and tried to disrupt Congress by assaulting our staff members and those here to protect us, to examine their own consciences and ask themselves whether they are doing the right thing.

“We went through a process. We have our Congress to go through. I will not be bullied or intimidated by anybody who would come in here and try to do so. As I said last night, we are answerable to the people in this room. You are answerable to the members of the GAA.”

On Saturday evening, Canavan was given the chance to address Burns’ comments whilst providing analysis on RTÉ’s broadcast of the Division Two fixture between Kildare and Meath at Newbridge.

When presenter Joanne Cantwell questioned him about Burns’ comparison between the Troubles and the conflict in Gaza, Canavan maintained his stance against the GAA’s ongoing partnership with Allianz.

Canavan remarked: “Yeah, strange comparison, but a lot of what he said I would echo. It does strike a chord when you go back to when we were younger and what we had to endure. Jarlath spoke about what happened in Donnelly’s bar. There were a lot of atrocities that went on, and what kept us going was the GAA.

“We had something to do, something to be part of, and for a lot of us it was the GAA that saved us. Thousands of children aren’t getting that opportunity.

“Jarlath is still sore from something that happened 50 years ago – and rightly so. He mentioned that there were no convictions for those killings. That was 50 years ago. Why? Because so many people buried their heads in the sand and didn’t want to know what was going on.

“The exact same thing is happening now. We have an opportunity as an association to do the right thing, Joanne.”

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Like a voice from the grave, an important part of Surrey’s cultural heritage has sounded again. It is a short ceremonial brass fanfare by Dame Ethel Smyth (1858–1944).

Fanfares are short, rousing pieces for brass instruments. Late last year I was asked to find one to open the installation ceremony for the University of Surrey’s new vice chancellor, Professor Stephen Jarvis. As this was going to be a high-profile public event attended by hundreds of people in Guildford Cathedral, I knew I needed a unique piece of music.

Rather than commission a new work, I revived a forgotten piece instead: Smyth’s Hot Potatoes fanfare. I chose this composer because she had strong local ties and links to university research.

In 1930, eight of the most prominent British composers of the day were commissioned to write short fanfares for the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund. Each lasted about a minute.

The last of the set was written by Smyth. She based it on a military bugle call, formally titled the Men’s Meal (2nd call). The call signalled that the troops could collect their rations. It is colloquially known as Hot Potatoes. Soldiers added comic words to help remember its meaning: “Oh, pick ’em up, pick ’em up, hot potatoes …”

Three months ago, the university’s department of music and media presented a major orchestral concert for the annual nationwide Being Human Festival. Several of Smyth’s works received their modern UK premiere.

One year prior, the university installed a maquette of Smyth outside its main music performance space on campus. It is a smaller replica of the lifesize-plus statue unveiled in 2022 a few miles away in the centre of her home town, Woking. My research revealed it to be one of few statues to women composers in the world.

At the pinnacle of Smyth’s impressive musical output lies her six operas, several of which are available in modern recordings. Her other compositions include a Mass (a musical setting of the Christian liturgy), a concerto for violin and horn and a symphony-cum-oratorio. Smyth is widely known in Britain and internationally as one of the greatest women composers in classical music history. She was also an influential suffragette and a much-published author of autobiographical and other prose writings.

Yet little is known of her Hot Potatoes fanfare, possibly the last piece she ever wrote, other than its original instrumentation: four trumpets, four trombones and percussion. It is rarely even mentioned in literature on Smyth.

Composed when she was in her 70s, experiencing profound hearing difficulties and with the greatest achievements of her career behind her, its manuscript has long been lost and for many years it seems to have been generally assumed that it could never be performed again.

The piece would have held particular significance for Smyth. She was familiar with military fanfares from childhood, since her father had attained the rank of Major-General in the British Army. She quoted such bugle calls in her own music, Hot Potatoes having previously appeared in the overture to her final opera, Entente Cordiale, the centenary of the first performance of which fell last year.

While the use of Hot Potatoes is not explicitly identified in the opera’s published vocal score, an archival copy now held in the Beecham Collection at the University of Sheffield is annotated in Smyth’s own hand to indicate its origin.

Smyth’s fanfare from past to present

Smyth’s Hot Potatoes and the other fanfares in the set were first performed by students from the Royal Military School of Music (Kneller Hall Musicians) under Captain H.E. Adkins. The occasion was the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund Annual Dinner held in London’s Savoy Hotel on May 8 1930 (coincidentally the same date on which Smyth died 14 years later), from where the performance was relayed for broadcast on the BBC National Programme.

The fanfares were reprised at this annual event a couple more times, including on St Cecilia’s Day, November 22 1932. The previous June, they had also been recorded by the same ensemble for release by His Master’s Voice (HMV) toward the end of that year. But thereafter the trail runs cold.

However, the HMV recording of the fanfares yielded sufficient information for me to transcribe and arrange Smyth’s piece for students of the University of Surrey Brass Ensemble. I based this work on my wider knowledge of the composer’s output, which proved invaluable in identifying and replicating her musical idiosyncracies.

The idea came to me during research undertaken for my most recent journal article, which takes one of Smyth’s early piano pieces as a case study for exploring questions of performance and interpretation in the rediscovery of “lost” music by historically marginalised composers.

Instead of a faithful transcription, I changed the scoring (though in a nod to the original, I retained four separate trumpet parts) as well as the key of the piece. I even recomposed one bar in its entirety.

Certain details were simply too difficult to make out on the recording, while others naturally lent themselves to being enhanced (and I was convinced that there was at least one wrong note). Nonetheless, this project demonstrates the creative possibilities for bringing back music assumed to be lost to history, and for celebrating diversity by resurrecting works by neglected artists.

Fittingly, since Professor Jarvis’s installation ceremony was an official university event, I conducted the Brass Ensemble from the Cathedral’s South Balcony while wearing my doctoral robes, as had been Smyth’s own practice when wielding the baton. I hope this recovery of Smyth’s Hot Potatoes fanfare will now lead to repeat performances.

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Britain’s Lone’er Kavanagh claimed the biggest win of his career as he upset former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City.

Kavanagh, who took the fight on just three weeks’ notice, delivered a mature display to win by unanimous decision 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.

Kavanagh, 26, was unranked heading into the contest, but victory over sixth-ranked Moreno – in front of the Mexican’s home fans – will see him him take a big leap towards the top end of the division.

“I said before this fight – I live for legendary moments,” said Kavanagh.

“This is a legendary moment. Brandon is a legend. Two-time world champ. I’m a big fan. I watched him when I was a kid. To get to fight him is amazing.”

Kavanagh took the fight against two-time flyweight champion Moreno when his original opponent Asu Almabayev withdrew because of injury.

The Briton came into the contest after the first defeat of his 11-fight career against Charles Johnson in August, but took control in the early stages against Moreno.

Kavanagh kept Moreno at bay with a series of leg kicks, before hurting him with a flurry of punches midway through the second round.

Moreno had more success in the third round, but Kavanagh regained control with more thudding leg kicks, before seeing out victory by defending a number of takedowns.

The win was the 10th of Kavanagh’s 11-fight career, while Moreno suffered a fourth defeat in his past six fights.

They were serenaded off at the break. O’Neill made changes, as he had to. On came Reo Hatate and Sebastian Tounekti and off went the new men to this fixture, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Junior Adamu. O’Neill could have pulled the trigger on many more, but he left it at two. And it worked. He got his team very badly wrong to begin with, but he righted the wrongs thereafter.

The mentality of sport. You could spend 100 years studying it and still not understand it. Yes, it was about new blood and new tactical thinking, but it was more than that. A team with all the belief suddenly started running out of it. A team with zero belief were suddenly reborn. Confidence is a fickle beast. From nothing, Celtic lorded the second half.

Hatate, a player who has looked a poor version of his best self this season, had a huge impact. He forced the first save out of Jack Butland after 55 minutes. Celtic were now on top. Rangers were in full retreat.

When Kieran Tierney pulled one back with a header it was just reward, Rangers were idling and Celtic were desperate. Where was this urgency earlier on? Daizen Maeda and Luke McCowan could and should have scored.

The thought occurred that after getting out of jail so often in recent times, maybe time was going to catch up with them again. Maybe all of this pressure was too little, too late. There was no act of escapology against Hibernian last week – and with a few minutes to go, you struggled to see one coming here.

It did, of course. The way this season is going – drama at every turn – a late, late penalty was never going to cut it in terms of theatre. No, no. There had to be more.

Hatate’s penalty was saved by Butland, as was his shot on the rebound. Ibrox contorted itself as the goalkeeper performed heroics and then the place let out a guttural groan as Hatate made it third time lucky. The visiting Celtic fans away in the distance went berserk. Sanity plucked from the jaws of madness.

Celtic had their draw. Not what they came for, not what they needed, but it was more than they thought they were getting at the break. And a lot less than what Rangers thought they were getting.

An oil tanker suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet has been seized in the North Sea in a joint Belgian-French operation.

The captured vessel is named Ethera and is on the European Union’s sanctions list, according to Belgian officials.

Announcing the raid, French president Emmanuel Macron called it “a major blow to the shadow fleet“.

Posting on X, he wrote: “In the North Sea, our French Navy helicopters helped last night in the boarding by Belgian forces of an oil tanker under international sanctions.

“Europeans are determined to cut off the sources of funding for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine by enforcing sanctions.”

Moscow is believed to be using a network of poorly-regulated ships with opaque ownership structures to circumvent Western sanctions aimed at cutting its oil revenues.

The ageing tankers are typically prone to spills, mechanical failures, and leaks, and often sail without top-tier insurance or safety certification.

Belgian defence minister Theo Francken said the seized ship was suspected of sailing with a “false flag and false documents”.

He said: “Without his shadow fleet Putin can’t wage war against innocent Ukrainians. So we take these vessels out. One by one. Till his war of aggression stops.”

The ship is now being escorted to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, Francken said.

Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office has also opened an investigation.

Read more:
On trail of Putin’s ‘shadow fleet’ defying sanctions in Channel
EU ‘not doing enough to stop Russian shadow fleet’
Ukraine ‘hits Russian tanker in Mediterranean Sea for first time’

In a post on X, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said: “We urge all partners to follow this example, counter Russia’s shadow fleet resolutely through sanctions and concrete action, and advance peace through strength.”

The Russian embassy in Belgium said it was not notified about the basis for the seizure, and added that it was seeking information on whether any Russian nationals were on board.

The French navy intercepted the tanker Grinch in the Mediterranean in January and only released it a month later after the owners paid a penalty worth “several million euros”.

Previous seizures of tankers carrying Russian cargoes have been called “piracy” by the Kremlin.

The massive U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggered retaliatory strikes on multiple countries in the region and is reverberating around the world.

Related violence expanded Sunday to a growing number of places, with a rising death toll. A major Israeli strike targeted Tehran. Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel and U.S. military installations around the Gulf, and also at the global business and tourism hub of Dubai. Several people were killed in clashes after protesters stormed the U.S. consulate in Pakistan.

The joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which started on Saturday, carried the potential for a wider war and the fallout could hit the world economy. Global reaction ranged from jubilation to condemnation. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to seize the moment and “take over.”

The latest strikes came two days after the latest U.S.-Iran talks as Trump pressured Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program.

Iran’s provisional governing council started its work Sunday, and is expected to name a new supreme leader. Iran’s theocracy has struggled with growing dissent following nationwide protests that began over the economy but turned into anti-government ones.

Supreme leader was one of the first targets

Israel said it had worked with the U.S. for months to plan the attacks. The U.S. military said targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

One of the first strikes hit near the offices of the 86-year-old Khamenei, who had ruled since 1989 and held ultimate power. Iranian state television and state-run IRNA news agency reported Khamenei’s death, without details.

Israel said it killed 40 top Iranian military officials, including the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the defense minister. Iranian state media said at least 200 people have been killed.

The U.S. and Israel also struck Iran last June during earlier nuclear talks, greatly weakening Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. The Trump administration has asserted that Iran had been rebuilding its nuclear program, which Tehran has insisted is for peaceful purposes.

‘Crossed our red line’

Iran launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and strikes targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Three U.S. service members have been killed, according to U.S. Central Command.

“You have crossed our red line and must pay the price,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a televised address Sunday.

The authorities said 10 people have been killed in Israel, and loud explosions caused by missile impacts or interceptions could be heard in Tel Aviv.

Air defense fire thudded over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ commercial capital, which has long drawn business and expatriates by billing itself as a safe haven in a volatile region. Shrapnel from Iranian attacks on the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi killed two people, state media said.

Attacks also extended into Oman — Iran’s longtime interlocutor with the West.

Saudi Arabia said Iran had targeted its capital and eastern region in an attack that was repelled. Bahrain said a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, and three buildings were damaged in the capital, Manama, and Muharraq city.

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority said a drone targeted the main international airport, injuring several employees. Explosions could be heard in Qatar. Jordan said it “dealt with” 49 drones and ballistic missiles.

Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel, according to two senior Houthi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement from leadership.

Trump tells Iranians ‘take over your government’

In announcing the “major combat operations,” Trump indicated the U.S. was striking for reasons beyond Iran’s nuclear program. On Friday, he voiced frustration over lack of progress in negotiations to stop Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.

He listed grievances stretching back to the beginning of the Islamic Republic following a revolution in 1979 that turned Iran from one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East into a foe. Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for armed proxies in the region were other issues.

Trump on Saturday told Iranians to take cover but urged them to later rise up and topple the Islamic leadership.

“When we are finished, take over your government,” Trump said. “It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

US military plans to maintain pressure

Trump later said “heavy and pinpoint bombing” in Iran would continue through the week or longer.

The U.S. had assembled a fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region as it negotiated with Iran about a deal over its nuclear program. The fleet has added more than 10,000 U.S. troops to the region.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in January to bolster the number of warships. The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and four accompanying destroyers were later dispatched from the Caribbean to head to the Middle East and are now in the Mediterranean.

U.S. Democrats are leading efforts to limit Trump’s war powers, notably after he pledged to end with ’’forever wars″ abroad.

Fighting impacts other countries, disrupts air travel

The strikes elicited mixed global reactions, including angry protests, celebrations and calls by world leaders for a return to negotiations and peace.

At least nine people were killed in clashes with police and paramilitary forces Sunday after hundreds of Shiite protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, authorities said.

Shipping companies suspended their vessels’ traffic through the Suez Canal. The strikes could rattle global markets, particularly if Iran makes the Strait of Hormuz unsafe for commercial traffic. A fifth of worldwide traded oil passes through the strait.

The fighting disrupted air travel in the region, with global repercussions.

Hundreds of thousands of travelers were stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace. There was no flight activity over the United Arab Emirates, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said.

The M62 is closed westbound between J20 (Rochdale) and J19 (Heywood) following a serious collision.

An Air Ambulance has attended.

The eastbound carriageway is currently blocked J19-J20 at Rochdale and Heywood.

There are delays of 60 minutes on the M62 eastbound J18-J19.

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

A spokesman for National Highways said: “North West Motorway Police Group have requested a closure westbound between J20 and J19. It is anticipated that accident investigations will be requied.

“National Highways traffic officers are providing assistance with road closures.”

DIVERSIONS

Traffic travelling westbound is advised to follow the solid circle diversion route:

Leave the M62 westbound at J20.

At M62 Jct 20/A627(M) Roundaboutt, take first exit onto A627(M) Southbound and follow for 1.7km.

Leave A627(M) at A627(M)/Slattocks Link Road Roundabout.

At A627(M)/Slattocks Link Road Roundabout, take second exit onto Slattocks Link Road Westbound and follow for 1.1km.

At Slattocks Link Road/A664 Rondabout, take third exit onto A664 Westbound Slattocks Link and follow for 2.2km.

At A664/A6046 Jct, turn right onto A6046 Norhbound Hollin Lane and follow for 2.6km.

At A6046/M62 Jct 19 Roundabout, take first exit and rejoin M62 Westbound.

The spokesman added: “If this incident impacts on your planned route, please allow extra journey time. Plan ahead, you may wish to re-route or even delay your journey.

“Further information is available from National Highways by visiting our www.trafficengland.com website and travel apps, or via our regional X feed.

“Our 24/7 contact centre team is also available to provide up to the minute information on 0300 123 5000.”

The Married At First Sight UK Series 10 cast will reunite for one last time tonight

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E4 viewers are bracing themselves for what promises to be a fiery reunion episode tonight (March 1) as the Married At First Sight UK Series 10 cast sit down together for one final time.

The explosive season concluded in November last year with the group last shown to viewers enjoying a reunion dinner party shortly after making their final vows. A fresh reunion special will air tonight on E4, catching up with the cast months after their love stories aired on TV.

Since the series wrapped nearly all of the couples have split, with just one still going strong today. Abigail Lindsay and John Shepherd were late arrivals to the series but proved the strongest match of all, and the duo recently announced they were moving in together. They also teased that they had “a little secret” to reveal to viewers at the reunion tonight.

Reflecting on her own MAFS UK experience ahead of the special episode, Abigail posted: “What started as an experiment turned to be our real love story. And now we’re taking the next step moving in and building our future together. Here’s to love, growth and proving that sometimes the most unexpected journeys turn into the most beautiful ones.”

E4 has been busy teasing viewers about what they can expect from tonight with a series of sneak peek clips, with one of the key confrontations in the reunion taking place between Rebecca Fenney and Bailey Smith.

The couple were consistently one of the strongest throughout their season, despite an initial hiccup at their wedding when Rebecca questioned how attracted she was to Bailey. However, during their honeymoon they found a spark that carried them through the whole series.

Viewers watched them make their emotional final vows where Rebecca said she would uproot her life in Liverpool to join Bailey and his young daughter down south, and they were still together at the last reunion.

However, after the final episode of the season aired, the pair revealed they had split up. While they have kept the details of their split mostly under wraps, the duo are set to address their relationship breakdown at the reunion.

What time does the MAFS UK reunion start and end?

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In one preview clip, Rebecca can be seen confronting Bailey for his actions after their split around the dinner table. He admits he “got with someone too soon” after they parted ways, but doubled down that he hadn’t done anything wrong. The back and forth descended into a full shouting match as Rebecca insisted she didn’t consider herself his ex.

Viewers will be able to watch the dramatic reunion tonight at 9pm on E4, with the episode running until 10.35pm. It will also be made available to stream on Channel 4’s catch-up service after airing.

Married at First Sight UK: Reunion Special airs on E4 tonight at 9pm. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

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