Ah, Kilkenny, You Have This In Ireland Too?

French footballing legend and FIFA Presidential hopeful Michel Platini made a bizarre visit to Ireland this week, ostensibly to attend the draw for the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup. Well, naturally. The FAI though had the thunder stolen from them by his attendance at the All-Ireland hurling final between Kilkenny and Cork, which Platini was apparently hugely impressed by. The FAI's website also says that he took the opportunity on his short visit to take some tutorials in English at UCD. This, like Platini's visit, is a bizarre notion; I have no idea how good or how bad his English is (I have only ever heard him speak French) but don't you think a FIFA-executive member would already be taking classes in English, and would probably be able to get by for a couple of days in Dublin without emergency grinds? Or maybe it was a crash-course in Cork English. Well, the GAA seems to have rubbed off on him, as he has had to cancel his appearance at the Cup draw because, like many a 'dignitary' before him, he has to leave to attend a funeral.