It is now a month ago since NUIG held a conferring ceremony where two sporting heroes were awarded honorary MA degrees. One was Eric Elwood, without a doubt 'the peoples favourite', for his exploits on the rugby field for Connacht and Ireland and all the points he scored for the two representative sides coupled with his appearances in the RWCs of 1995 and 1999. College did well to honour such a worthy recipient. But what of the other?

His name is Tom Touhy, coach of the NUIG rowing club. His success over the last thirty years with the College oarsmen is without precedent. To categorise his achievements probably demands a comparison (hard to get the right yardstick) with the very best of coaches who served College down through the years. The big names include the long serving Padraig O'hUiginn (Camogie), Lex Ryan (Rugby), Tony Corcoran (Soccer) and Tony Regan (Football), all of whom delivered considerable success to their respective College clubs. But intervarsity success is the ultimate in university sport. Success is measured in winning Collingwood Cups (Soccer), Sigerson Cups (Football), Fitzgibbon Cups (Hurling), Dudley Cups (Rugby), Embassy Cups (Basketball), the Wylie Cup in rowing and many others.

The Wylie Cup has been competed for since 1922 and from 1937 the cup was awarded for teams of three Men's Eights. NUIG never even won a single race until 1958 and that was a maiden/novice in Belfast. College first won the Wylie Cup in 1970 and made it three in a row by winning again in 1971 and 1972 and Tom Touhy rowed in all three winning crews. That alone ranks him among the very best in College rowing history. College won again in 1987 and 1988 (it would remind one of the McCarthy Cup) and won again in 2000 and for the last six consecutive years (2002-2007), and each time Touhy was the coach. Unprecedented and we use the word with care! College has now won the Wylie Cup twelve times. Touhy rowed in three and coached the other nine! In the annuals of university sport in Ireland Tom Touhy must be a sporting phenomenon. Two of his protégés Alan Martin and Cormac Folan will row in the Olympic Games next year and many more of his charges have worn the green singlet of Ireland at different levels and at different times. He deserves his Honorary MA. Maybe he deserves more!

Renmore Soccer Club is running a soccer marathon in Renmore from 10.00am to 4.30pm on Saturday. The format of the day will be a series of friendly 5-a-sides organised by age groups. The Under 11s are on from 10.00am to 11.30am, the Under 13s from 11.30am to 1.00pm, the Under 15s from 1.00pm to 2.00pm, the Under 6s, 7s and 8s from 2.00pm to 3.00pm, the Under 9s and 10s from 3.00pm to 4.00pm and then if you don't mind the Parents from 4.00pm to 4.30pm, a half hour is long enough too! The club is most deserving of support given the terrible fire it suffered recently. Even if you don't play come along and have a cup of tea and show your support.

The accomplishment of Irish jockey, Tipp born Jamie Spencer, in sharing the British Jockey's Championship with 190 winners provoked a leading racing expert to suggest that 'he was at the very top of his game with his own plane and two children'. Sometimes it is very difficult to keep track of the trappings of success. Spencer tied with Seb Sanders with a win in the last race of the last day of the season at Doncaster on Saturday week. A plane and two children! Maybe.

Kickboxing exponent Cathal Manning is the new European Super Middle Weight Champion. Just imagine if he followed his dad and gave his talents to the Salthill Knocknacarra footballers! We might have been back in Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day. Which reminds us to tell you that the AGM of that club is Friday 7th December.