ABSTRACT
Over the years the authors have had the opportunity to work closely with sporting organisations in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland is a small nation, similar to Scotland in size, and Northern Ireland is the smallest province of the United Kingdom. As nations they have produced Olympic and World Champions as well as major champions in golf. How can athletes and professionals from a small nation (Ireland) and an even smaller province (Northern Ireland) achieve this level of success competing against the best in the world and from the largest and wealthiest nations in the world?
This chapter examines the reasons behind the success of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowall in golf. It is refreshing to report that the result of these conversations brought a surprising outcome and set of reasons for their success.
The FIFA World Cup in 2002 in Japan and Korea had yet to start, but the island of Ireland was devastated by the early homecoming of Roy Keane, Ireland’s captain. The author was asked by the Irish Sports Council to report on what happened and make recommendations as to how the Football Association of Ireland might better support their international teams and players. Some surprising findings are made public for the first time.
