One For The Irish

Last week was certainly one for the Irish. Thursday was St. Patrick's Day, an event celebrated worldwide - but either side of the Irish national holiday were a string of very exciting wins at the Cheltenham Festival and a remarkable win in the 6 Nations Rugby. 

Cheltenham is renowned for its Irish participation - both on the racecourse and in the stalls. Talking to The Independent's 'i' on St. Patrick's Day, Irish entrepreneur Michael O'Leary attempted to explain its importance in the Irish calendar,  "It's a religion where I'm from... A true Irishman will grow up to follow Cheltenham first and the Catholic Church second". The Festival proved to be an eventful one, with Ruby Walsh resonating on all news channels. 

Cheltenham was not the only accompaniment to St. Patrick's Day. Ireland ended England's hopes of a grand slam in the Six Nations tournament. The final score was 24-8 to Ireland, and although England ultimately won the tournament, its Ireland's final victory that will be remembered. 

Talking to BBC Sport, Ireland's Man-of-the-Match Jonathan Sexton reflected on the match: "... it was a brilliant day for everyone involved. We desperately wanted to finish on a high. We've set a standard now and we hope to continue that to the World Cup". 

Ireland made quite an impact on the tournament, with Brian O'Driscoll's performance being respectfully recognised as one of the highlights of the Six Nations.