Sport

Paddy Heaney makes his return to The Irish News sports pages

IRISH News sports readers are in for a real treat this week as former reporter and columnist Paddy Heaney is set to return with a regular column on Wednesday.

After more than 15 years with the Irish News sports department, during which time he produced a highly regarded, widely read column, Paddy left the paper in late 2015 to establish and run his own gym in his native south Derry.

His insights into gaelic games, from the grassroots up to the highest levels of the games and the organisation, were a must read for Gaels from across Ulster and further afield.

Now, starting this Wednesday, Paddy will return with a brand new weekly column, a page laced with his own inimitable take on sporting happenings, a splash of personal fitness and a dash now and again of his views on wider current affairs.

“I’m delighted to welcome Paddy back as a weekly columnist in our award-winning sports section and I know that our readers will be too,” said Irish News sports editor Thomas Hawkins.

“At the start of December 2015, Paddy filed his 'final' column after a career spanning around 15 years to focus fully on running his new gym, The Train Station in Maghera.

“That week, we had to devote a page and more to readers’ comments, readers who all lamented the loss of Paddy’s presence in the paper, but wished him well in his new career.

“The readers clearly wanted Paddy back then and, thankfully, with The Train Station up and running successfully now, Paddy can now turn his attention back to devoting time to further develop his immense talent as a writer.

“His new column will appear in the paper every Wednesday to compliment the already great sports package our sports reporters and correspondents provide daily.”