HUGH MCILVANNEY, WIDELY regarded as one of the great sportswriters, has died at the age of 84.
McIlvanney spent 30 years as The Observer’s chief sports correspondent, before working as a columnist for the Sunday Times for 23 years. He retired in 2016.
Born in Kilmarnock in 1934, McIlvanney began his career as a news reporter in 1950. He covered some of the most significant sporting events of the 20th century, including Muhammad Ali’s epic heavyweight world title fights in the 1960s and 1970s.
He also wrote with distinction about football and horse racing during a career spanning over 65 years.
He won a glut of honours and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009.
“His words were a window to the lives, the courage, the struggles and the triumphs of the great champions of his time,” Ali told the Sunday Times after his retirement three years ago.
“He has contributed richly and uniquely to the fabric of our sport.”
Just over a week out from the 2019 Six Nations openers, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey are joined by Bernard Jackman to look at Ireland’s bid for another Grand Slam:
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