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Revision as of 23:02, 11 April 2011 by Daniel (talk | contribs) (Protected Tom Humphries: Violations of the biographies of living persons policy ( (expires 23:02, 11 May 2011 (UTC))))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)- This article is about an Irish sportwriter. For the American university professor, see Tom L. Humphries.
| Tom Humphries | |
|---|---|
| Born | London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | Irish  |
| Education | St Joseph's CBS, Fairview, UCD |
| Occupation | Journalist/Columnist |
| Employer | The Irish Times |
| Known for | Sports Journalism |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) |
| Title | Chief Sports Writer |
| Parent(s) | John J and Mary |
| Relatives | Deirdre (Sister) |
Tom Humphries is a sportswriter and columnist who writes for The Irish Times. He lives in Dublin with Mary and his two children, Molly and Caitlín.
Humphries, born in London, grew up in Foxfield, Raheny, on the northside of Dublin, and was educated at St. Joseph's Christian Brothers School, Fairview (alma mater of politicians Charles Haughey, John A. Costello and George Colley). Attending University College Dublin (UCD) he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Commerce and a Higher Diploma in Education. A notable student's union politician, Humphries ran for the office of University College Dublin Students Union Education Officer. After teaching for a period he entered journalism.
His name came to international prominence when he interviewed Irish soccer player Roy Keane in Saipan in May 2002, as Ireland were preparing to take part in the World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Originally his intention had been to write an article based on the interview, but such were the nature Keane’s revelations, in particular his thoughts on the Irish team’s preparations for the World Cup and the attitude of the management, players and the FAI (Football Association of Ireland), that the article appeared as a verbatim transcript of the interview, starting on the front page of The Irish Times (an almost unheard of concession) and continuing in full on the inner pages. The resulting furore caused Keane, the preeminent Irish player of his generation, to resign from the squad at the same time as being sent home by the Irish soccer team manager, Mick McCarthy, before the World Cup started.
His book 'Lap Top Dancing and the Nanny Goat Mambo' was published in 2003 and was an account of his year spent covering sporting events in 2002, including the Saipan events and the Champions League Final. He was also one of the first Irish journalists to question the validity of Michelle Smith’s swimming success in the 1996 Olympics . To this day he regularly mentions Smith in his columns.
Besides his regular sports reporting and feature articles, Humphries writes a Monday column in the Irish Times called 'Lockerroom',
'Green Fields: Gaelic Sport in Ireland' was Humphries' first book and is an analysis of the importance of the GAA in modern Ireland, a recurring theme of his work.
He was ghost writer on Irish soccer player Niall Quinn's autobiography Niall Quinn - The Autobiography, published in 2002 and nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.
A collection of his Irish Times and Sports Illustrated writings was published in 2004 as 'Booked!' and was nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. All royalties from the book went to Amnesty International.
Humphries wrote the book 'Dublin V Kerry', an account of the series of historic clashes between the two dominant teams in Gaelic Football of the mid to late 1970s.
He coauthored Come What May, Donal Og Cusack's autobiography.
He detests the League of Ireland and rugby.
References
- ^ Author biography. In Irish Books Online - TownHouse Dublin, Ireland. Retrieved on July 20, 2006.
- London Independent article about Cusack's coming out
Bibliography
- 'Green Fields: Gaelic Sport in Ireland (Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated , ISBN 978-0-297-83566-0, 1996)
- Laptop Dancing and the Nanny Goat Mambo: A Sportswriter’s Year (Pocket Books/Town House, ISBN 1-903650-53-4, 2003)
- Booked! (V. Carefully) Selected Writings (Town House, ISBN 1-86059-212-0, 2004)
- Dublin V Kerry (Penguin Ireland, ISBN 1-84488-085-0, 2006)