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The referee awards Campbell the fight. INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Silver lining: Nevin loses out in Olympic final

The Mullingar boxer was beaten 14-11 by Britain’s Luke Campbell tonight.

JOHN JOE NEVIN has claimed Ireland’s first silver medal at London 2012.

The 23-year-old bantamweight fighter lost out to Team GB’s Luke Campbell by a score of 14-11 in his final at the ExCel Arena tonight.

Campbell edged the opening three minutes and was leading 5-3 after the first bell. Nevin fought back in Round 2, winning it 5-4 but after a knock down in the final round, the Mullingar fighter was beaten by a margin of three points.

“I feel I’m a failure because I’ve beaten him before,” Nevin told RTE Sport. “I’m devastated and heartbroken as I wanted to join the club with Katie Taylor and Michael Carruth but it wasn’t to be.

I’d have taken a silver or a bronze medal a month ago but I don’t think I performed to my best on the day. He got his tactics right on the day but maybe I could have done a little bit more.

“Luke is a tremendous boxer and you can take nothing away from him. He’s very tall and rangy.”

By getting to the final, he ensured that these Games are now Ireland’s most successful since Melbourne 1956 when they also won one gold, one silver and three bronzes.

Live: London 2012, Day 15

A picture paints 5,000 words: Farah makes history with double Olympic gold

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    Mute Sluazcanal
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:12 PM

    Campbell was the better fighter on the night. John joe did us proud.

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    Mute James O Donoghue
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:54 PM

    That’s sport. But the lad done very good. He did the Irish proud

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    Mute Dhakina's Sword
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:24 PM

    You’re one of the two very best boxers in the world today, John Joe, that’s not failure, that’s success. Your Olympic medal is proof, as if any were needed.

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    Mute Aidan Geraghty
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:42 PM

    He gad a great achievement . The article is very pessimistic heading.

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    Mute John Barnes
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    Aug 12th 2012, 2:13 AM

    I think he is good

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    Mute harry ford
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    Aug 12th 2012, 5:38 AM

    @aiden I think you’ll find it’s a pun on the fact he won a silver medal – silver lining. Not pessimistic. It’s an achievement to get there in the first place and a better one to come out with a medal for his efforts.

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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:13 PM

    Unlucky John joe, you’ve let nobody down. We’re still proud of you.

    On another note, I wonder where all the Irish fans were tonight :-/

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    Mute camada
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:58 PM

    The Irish fans were there, but didnt have home support, naturally enough! Good man john joe

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    Mute Kay Tighe
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:08 AM

    I heard fans cheering tonite as John joe was on

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    Mute Philip Cavanagh
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:14 PM

    Amazing fight and no complaints. He’s still an absolute hero!

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    Mute Olibhe Ní Eadamháin
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:15 PM

    Great achievement .. Still very young at 23 and is capable of going all the way in 4 years time!

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:37 PM

    Failure? No. Legend? Absolutely!

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    Mute Adam McGauran
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:13 PM

    Fair play Join Joe.

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:18 PM

    Don’t despair, your a legend to even get there. TBH I don’t follow or know anything about boxing, but well done, be proud of your fantastic achievements!

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    Mute Tom Keating
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:18 PM

    Unlucky not getting gold but well done getting silver.

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    Mute Larry Sneeg
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:22 PM

    Great fight, did well against a south paw with a huge reach, silver medal fantastic achievement , nice one John Joe

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    Mute john g mcgrath
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:16 PM

    Well done by the boxers put track and field to shame

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    Mute Declan Mannix
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:42 PM

    heroic young fella. brilliant

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    Mute Peter Feehan
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:15 PM

    That was horrible to watch. Tactics were all wrong again. You cant let Cambell lead the way in a home fight.

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    Mute Shirley Cummings
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:55 PM

    Well done Luke Campbell!!

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    Mute Tomas Phelan
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:36 PM

    You’ve joined a very elite club John joe, the Irish Olympic Medal Club. Proud as punch ( pardon the pun) of all of our Olympians. It gave us all a sense of pride our nation has been lacking for quite some time. Well done!

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    Mute Áine Kavanagh
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:05 PM

    Well done John Joe!

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:17 PM

    Because all the sport played in New Zealand is also played internationallly. Our national games, GAA, are purely domestic.

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    Mute Tommy C
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    Aug 12th 2012, 9:40 PM

    Ben Gunn, 2,718 GAA clubs worldwide. Hardly just a domestic sport!

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    Mute Peter Feehan
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:16 PM

    By the way, the second round was 5-4.

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:24 PM

    Cheers Peter

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    Mute Eddie Barrett
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:21 PM

    Proud!

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    Mute Stephanie Meehan
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:46 PM

    John Joe has been a fantastic competitor for Ireland, a silver medal is a fantastic achievement, but he has won gold in my mind for his sportsmanship and representing our country. A true fighter!

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    Mute Paul Darby
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:54 PM

    From the above photo the english chap looks quite excited indeed…..on the other hand well done john joe,we got bronze,silver and gold at the games well done Ireland…

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    Mute rodrigo detriano
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:10 PM

    Why does a country like New Zealand win 5 times more medals than Ireland? We have roughly the same population, yet they always produce far superior athletes! Just curious like!

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    Mute Ognetty Fwetters
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:28 PM

    I think there are a few reasons the Kiwis did better. They seem to put a higher onus on sport and it is more engrained in their lifestyle. I think they put more money into the games and development. Their team was more than 3 times the size of the Irish team as a consequence. Add to that the fact they are of similar genetic stock, but when the people travelled conditions were tough and the “weaker” people died, leaving a stronger gene pool. And, probably most controversially, it is a very isolated country (unlike Ireland) and sport is a way to get out of the country, travel and see the world, so motivation is added. There are likely many more reasons, but those are what I can think of offhand.

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    Mute Reg
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:04 PM

    Simple answer to that Rodrigo. GAA. It swallows up a lot of talent.

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    Mute gareth o'connor
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:40 PM

    Gaa does take a lot but that ain’t a bad thing, look at the great stuff they do at a local level for so many thousands who would never get to an Olympics….we should be very proud of our gaa players big and small. It’s great to have great Olympians, and long may it continue, but the GAA and all local sports contribute immensely to the local communities….well done Ireland and its awe inspiring olympic athletes

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    Mute David Breen
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:01 AM

    Rugby is not an olympic sport… and New Zealand still over achieve. Gaa is not the reason. Plenty of room to play GAA/Soccer/Rugby and also compete in athletics or some other olympic sport.

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    Mute Keith Banks
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:43 AM

    @Ognetty NZ “are of similar genetic stock, but when the people travelled conditions were tough and the “weaker” people died, leaving a stronger gene pool”

    we also had our own little survival of the fittest contest called “the famine”

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    Mute Keith Banks
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:50 AM

    i dont think that GAA swallows up talent rather than, and this is coming from a GAA family, everything else is frowned upon as being a pansy sport. if i had of told my da that i wanted to throw a javelin he would have thought i was a troublemaker. add to that that me or anyone else ive ever known have never jumped into a pit of sand or thrown a disc in any school ive attended. athletics were great… up until they stop them past age 12. time to stop shoving football, rugby and hockey down our throat as the only choice.

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    Mute Ognetty Fwetters
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    Aug 12th 2012, 10:58 AM

    Keith Banks, a lot if the emigration to NZ occurred during the great famine and certainly after the 1700s famine. So that group had a double “contest” surviving famine and travel by sea for months, fighting tropical illnesses in a foreign land, etc.

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    Mute tozyurt
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    Aug 12th 2012, 3:03 PM

    GAA takes a lot from the other sports potential in this country not only in terms of funds but also interest from youngsters …

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    Mute FreshPrinceOfKildare
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:31 PM

    It was far better than watching Kenny Egan’s jackets. Well done to John Joe and the entire Irish boxing squad for again hauling in the medals for another Olympics.

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    Mute Peter Daly
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:55 PM

    Well done JJ
    Very proud of your excellent achievement
    Very gracious in defeat too
    A real sportsman

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    Mute Alan Blackmore
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:08 PM

    Well done lad..

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    Mute Michele Kealy
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    Aug 11th 2012, 10:29 PM

    it wad a good fight on both sides .

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    Mute peter
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    Aug 11th 2012, 9:51 PM

    Sorry people but Nevin won the first round and should have been protecting a lead.

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    Mute Diarmuid Danger Lenihan
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    Aug 11th 2012, 11:22 PM

    No he didn’t he lost it 5-3

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    Mute lindsey feeney
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:15 AM

    Actually he was 3 Pts down in the first round…. Nevin your a legend for me

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    Mute Darrell Monks
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    Aug 12th 2012, 2:02 AM

    @the two people who replied to him.

    Are you serious?

    He meant that Jon Joe was better in the first round and should have been given the points.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:09 AM

    Well done, John Joe. I’ve yet to talk to anyone who’s anything less than bursting with pride for you. You fought a great fight and Olympic Silver is a fantastic achievement!

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    Mute Seany Mc Donagh
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:39 AM

    Failure – not by a long shot.
    Legend – to bloody right.
    Did he do us proud? – You bet yer ass he did.
    Hero – No.
    The hero no is not a knockdown of the fella. Personally I see heroes as people who do or even attempt to do something to save someones life eg. firemen , cops, ambulance crew etc.
    Excellent work john Joe. You done brilliant .

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    Mute Kay Tighe
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:13 AM

    I think John joe was wonderful
    He went out and did his best

    Himself and team Ireland have done us proud

    Well done to them all

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    Mute Charlene Chuck Murphy
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    Aug 12th 2012, 2:05 AM

    John Joe ain’t no failure! A silver for Ireland is nothing to be sniffed at! Well done lad!

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    Mute Joey Wagga
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    Aug 12th 2012, 8:57 AM

    The reason we don’t win as many medals as we should is without doubt because of the gaa.. Kids are forced to play it by insular bigotted parents and as a result they end up bigotted and insular themselves. It’s an irrelevant sport that is played predominantly by talentless Neanderthals. However some of the players do have talent and the country and they themselves would benefit so much more if they paticipated in proper sports which are played internationally. Gaa sports are backward and that is the reason they’ve never taken off abroad. Poor mens’ football (that’s soccer for all u ignorant gaa heads) and poor mans’ hockey. I strongly believe the 3 things which have ruined this country are the holy trinity of the catholic church, fianna fail and the gaa..
    Ps. Well done John Joe you pit in a fine shift so fair play to you and the rest of the Ireland Olympic team even those who Came home empty handed.. U all did us proud!

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    Mute Eddie Barrett
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    Aug 12th 2012, 10:02 AM

    What an ignorant and so out of touch comment by someone who clearly has no knowledge whatsoever of the work of the GAA , or probably none either of any of the volunteer amateur Sporting Bodies who give so handsomely to the youth of our little Country.

    In an hours time I watch my Grandson playing in an u10 football game with his Club Austin Stacks. He also trains in a Taekwondo Club – which is also of huge interest to him.
    All of these sporting activities keep kids involved and out of trouble on the streets of our Community and also instills pride in Club and Community.

    Would you ever get a life my friend – sport does not have to be to Olympic standard to have a huge value in our little Country!

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    Mute Tommy C
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    Aug 12th 2012, 9:42 PM

    Joey, there are 2,718 GAA clubs worldwide. Our national sports are played by thousands all over the planet. Hardly a sport for bigots. If you dont like certain parts of whats left of Irish national culture and identity, you can always move to somewhere more suitable to YOUR bigotry.

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    Mute Charlene Chuck Murphy
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    Aug 12th 2012, 2:16 AM

    John Joe ain’t a failure! A silver for Ireland is nothing to be sniffed at! Well done lad! We’re so proud of you!!

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    Mute Tootrue left
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    Aug 12th 2012, 12:19 PM

    It was a great fight. The best man won on the night, but Nevin was not at his best.

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    Mute Joey Wagga
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    Aug 12th 2012, 5:26 PM

    Well done eddie and fair play to your grandson for playing both sports.. However I d take offence to you labelling me ignorant. I have an in depth knowledge ‘my friend’ of many sports and have played competively in many codes. The one sport however, that a found there was always a negative bigot involved in was Gaelic football. Even today I know of kids who are not allowed participate in other sports because their father’s feel it would be a betrayal or even unpatriotic to allow them play a game which may not have it’s roots in a Tipperary hotel. Your grandson maybe a mighty talented lad eddie and you may be very proud of him but unfortunately that talent is being wasted down at Austin stacks. So for the kid’s sake I urge yo to take him away from that sport and give him a chance at a sport that actually means something in the world of sport and don’t allow him to become another wasted talent in a bigoted talentless sport that has helped ruin this country and Eamon de Valera has a lot to answer to the young people of this country for..
    Imagine all the extra international glory this country would’ve achieved if it weren’t for the backward gaa..
    So really Eddie I believe it’s u that needs the life and I hope for your grandsons sake the bigballers don’t try to turn him off tae Kwon do but I bet they do… Poor kid!!

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    Mute Darrell Monks
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    Aug 12th 2012, 1:57 AM

    Didn’t Read LOL

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    Mute Joe Traynor
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    Aug 12th 2012, 10:29 PM

    Maybe if he had kept his head in the game instead of getting involved in his families dispute with the publican that had to call the Gardai to them, he might
    Have a Gold Medal now.

    2
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