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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
‘There are one million cars in Georgia. Insurance is optional'
Watching the mayhem in the square outside the hotel, the words of Conor McPhillips, the Templeogue-born assistant coach with the Georgia national team, spring to mind. 'I think that there are four million people in Georgia, two million live in Tbilisi and there are one million cars. Insurance is optional.' When you see the condition of some cars and what appears to be an absence rather than disregard for any rules it seems bonkers that there is no financial accountability. Travelling to the stadium for last Saturday's Test match between Ireland and Georgia, a 20-minute journey, we happened upon two fender-benders en route, with the police in situ. There are few, if any, lines on the roads and at one point in a taxi journey there were three cars tootling along abreast in the one direction, one in the contraflow, rather than a traditional method of two v two sharing the tarmac. Car horns blare incessantly. Hesitating in traffic is considered an affront by all other road users. No room or care is afforded those opening car doors. Crossing the road, well, that's survival of the fittest. The only refuge from this game of British Bulldog is traffic lights – few and very far between – or the occasional underpass, where a surprise awaits. READ MORE Shards of light from tiny shops or stalls illuminate the darkness. One sold jewellery. A loose description. That's real-estate entrepreneurship. Tbilisi reveals other charms, one of the most compelling being the manner in which the street animals are embraced and treated: with compassion and care. The guesstimate, according to local figures, is that there are between 35,000 and 50,000 dogs and cats that roam the streets of the Georgian capital. In 2024, 9,000 stray dogs were sterilised, a 25 per cent increase on the year before. They are everywhere. It's improbable to walk 100 metres without seeing one. Most have a yellow tag in an ear that indicates the dogs have been through an animal management programme that captures strays, vaccinates them, including against rabies, sterilises them to try to neuter the expanding population, and releases them back to the streets. A dog rests by the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Tbilisi. Photograph: Vano Shlamov/AFP via Getty Images The tag confirms that the dog is vaccinated, safe and not a carrier of disease. They are fed and watered by the locals and only approach strangers if beckoned, trading a pet for a morsel or two. Anecdotally they are docile and non-territorial, coexisting peacefully. The Georgians' attitude to the dogs highlights a character trait – naturally warm and welcoming. McPhillips, who has worked with the Lelos under head coach Richard Cockerill on a part-time contract basis for the past 19 months, explained: 'When you're in their inner circle, it's a very loving environment. [ Paul O'Connell happy with hard-fought Ireland triumph against Georgia Opens in new window ] 'A proud nation, culturally they're very family-oriented, around which everything revolves with an emphasis on hospitality. You'll never go hungry or thirsty in Georgia. A lot of the players have apartments in Tbilisi, but they're basically from the mountains, from the countryside. There's a lot of horse riding, a lot of hunting. Tbilisi's really popular for snowboarding and skiing.' McPhillips points to a similarity with Ireland from a couple of generations ago. There's old Georgia and there's new Georgia. The older generation have a hard-work ethic, don't really speak up, don't really challenge anything, probably coming from a time when they were ruled by Russia. 'But all the younger people in Georgia want to kind of move towards Europe and Nato because they want those opportunities. So that's kind of the way it is going. And how that's going to transition over the next 10, 15 years will be very interesting.' Getting to experience that generosity first-hand is humbling. Eating in the family-run Kneina restaurant in the old town, a part of Tbilisi where stunning, ornate architecture vies with buildings with a more austere and unappealing facade, 'mama' organises a tour of a premises that was once the family home. There are parts that date back to the 11th century. Her three sons cater to the clientele, but she speaks the best English. Georgian speciality Khinkali, dumplings filled with meat or cheese. Photograph: Getty Images One of Georgia's most famous dishes is Khinkali – pasta dumplings the size of tennis balls that boast a variety of fillings. The way to eat them is to hold the twisted top and bite into the ball part, exposing the meat/vegetables/cheese and its cooking juices. You leave the 'handles'. Unless you're Irish and unaware, in which case you eat the lot, using a knife and fork, wondering about the chewy part. They're delicious. The meal concludes with Chacha, Georgian poitín, often home-made, a grape brandy/vodka that's 55-70 per cent proof in some cases. It'd make you dance all right. Georgia is recognised as the world's oldest winemaking region, dating back 8,000 years. In a short, non-scientific survey, there are some top-notch reds available for a song. A Bolt ride from the Shota Rustaveli International Airport, 17km to the centre of Tbilisi, costs €7 in the wee hours of the morning. [ Ireland's six debutants against Georgia: What they said and what song they sang Opens in new window ] Food and drink is remarkable in quality and affordability. Ascending on the funicular railway to Mtatsminda Park some 501 metres high – stopping near the Pantheon of the same name, a cemetery that houses prominent Georgian writers and figures from public life – and coming back down by cable car costs the princely sum of €8. Georgia is marooned in a rugby neverland, miles too strong for the Rugby Europe tournament and, at face value, with no prospect of being a plus-one for the Six Nations somewhere down the line. The government funds 75 per cent of the sport; private investors and World Rugby provide more modest investment. Football, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), wrestling and powerlifting are hugely popular. There is no sport in schools. Players take up rugby at age 15 or 16. With minimal investment in coaching and introducing the sport at a younger age, Georgia's capacity for a growth spurt is significant. Playing against Ireland was great but after their upcoming Test match against South Africa they are not scheduled to play another Tier 1 nation before the 2027 World Cup in Australia. It's just plain wrong. And for those worried about a trek to Georgia in any future Six/Seven Nations: don't. It's got a charm all of its own.
Sunday World
13-06-2025
- Sunday World
Mechanic drove into Garda car inside GAA club grounds after high speed chase, court told
The court was told how the vehicle appeared to be trying to capture the attention of gardaí who were on patrol at the time by stopping in the middle of the road and recording officers on a mobile phone. Conor McPhillips led gardaí on a high speed chase across Monaghan in a pursuit that ended in a GAA club grounds. A mechanic went 'buck mad' when he led gardaí on a high speed chase before turning and driving into a garda patrol car inside the grounds of a GAA club, a court has heard. Conor McPhillips (32) Kincorragh, Smithborough, Co Monaghan was eventually stopped after his attempts to give gardaí the slip moments after entering the vicinity of Tyholland GAA ended in failure during the early hours of July 21 last year. McPhillips appeared at a sitting of Monaghan District Court where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, no insurance, refusing to provide a specimen to gardaí and of having no driving licence in place in the wake of the incident. Conor McPhillips on the steps of Monaghan Courthouse. Sgt Lisa McEntee outlined how gardaí had been drawn to the movements of a VW Passat shortly before 4am after it was spotted being driven in an erratic manner. The court was told how the vehicle appeared to be trying to capture the attention of gardaí who were on patrol at the time by stopping in the middle of the road and recording officers on a mobile phone. Moments later, the vehicle proceeded out the N2 and towards Emyvale where its driver failed to stop despite attempts by gardaí to signal to its driver to pull in. As the VW Passat continued towards Emyvale, gardaí temporarily lost sight of the vehicle before noticing it then travelling behind the patrol car minutes later. The same vehicle carried out what was described in court as a 'dangerous' overtaking manoeuvre by crossing a number of traffic islands in the Gortmoney area of the county. As gardaí set off in pursuit of the vehicle once more, its driver undertook a second dangerous overtake a short time later before it was spotted circling around a roundabout 'numerous times' as it made off in the direction of Tyholland. It was there, the court was told McPhillips entered the grounds of Tyholland GAA with gardaí following in hot pursuit. Conor McPhillips on the steps of Monaghan Courthouse. Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 13 2025 Sgt McEntee said it was at that stage, gardaí observed the accused turn his vehicle and drive directly into the garda patrol car, causing damage to its front bumper in the process. Judge Raymond Finnegan was informed how McPhillips proceeded to drive around the outside perimeter of the Monaghan club side's pitch before he subsequently exited the vehicle and was arrested. Defence solicitor Martin Cosgrove described his client's actions as a 'big outing for a first outing' in light of his lack of any previous convictions. 'He has no real explanation and just went buck mad that night,' said Mr Cosgrove as he handed in €400 on behalf of McPhillips for the damage that was caused to the garda patrol car. The local solicitor insisted that while there was no damage inflicted upon the pitch or gates of Tyholland GAA which McPhillips rammed during the course of the chase, it was conceded his 'cooperation wasn't great' with gardaí when he was brought to a local garda station following his arrest. 'This is worthy of a prison sentence,' replied a visibly irritated Judge Finnegan as he ordered McPhillips to spend a spell in the holding cells of Monaghan Courthouse while he considered his verdict. When the accused was brought back up shortly before lunchtime, McPhillips said that experience was one he did not wish to encounter anytime soon again. 'How would you like nine or ten months in it because from what I heard this morning you deserve it for the way you conducted yourself,' said Judge Finnegan. McPhillips responded by insisting his actions on the night of the incident were 'completely out of character', something which drew a terse response from Judge Finnegan. 'Do you know how many times I have heard that in here? Everything is out of character when you end up in the court,' he said. McPhillips was consequently fined €500 for one of the dangerous driving charges and banned from driving for two years, as well as being fined €500 for the section 12 refusal alongside an accompanying four year ban. A €350 fine, meanwhile, was also handed down for driving without insurance. In 'taking into consideration' the no driving licence charge and criminal damage charge given the €400 compensation which was handed in earlier, Judge Finnegan told the 32-year-old: 'You are a very lucky man Mr McPhillips.' In the aftermath of that ruling, Mr Cosgrove applied for a brief postponement to McPhillips' disqualification in view of the fact he lived at home with his parents and was presently bringing his mother to medical appointments for treatment to a shoulder injury. Those overtures, however, fell on deaf ears as Judge Finnegan insisted his client needed to recognise the error of his ways. 'No, I won't do it (postpone driving ban),' he said. 'Let him pay for a taxi as he needs to take responsibility.'
