Town boss Roy Keane has confirmed that his dog Triggs hasn’t died, contrary to newspaper reports which appeared 10 days ago.
After the initial claims, some Irish papers the weekend before last reported that Triggs, who came into the public spotlight when walked by her owner after Keane’s return from his row with Mick McCarthy at the 2002 World Cup, hadn’t passed on after all.
Keane says that there were no truth in the earlier reports and that Triggs is still very much with us: "It’s not true. My dog is still alive.”
The Blues boss says he’s never shocked about what’s reported about him: "Lies and lies and lies. Unbelievable. Stories about my dog or Jon Walters, nothing surprises me."
Keane spent Sunday watching his native Cork’s Gaelic football side win the All-Ireland final against Down, an occasion he very much enjoyed: "The All-Ireland final will beat any World Cup final or European final, trust me. Not that I’ve been to a World Cup final, but I’ve been to a few Champions League finals.
"It’s about local pride, that’s what GAA is — people representing their parishes and the streets where they grew up.
"Gaelic football in Ireland is different. They don’t move clubs when they get fed up. They represent the people they’re brought up with. It was a great day, I enjoyed it.”
The Blues boss, a committed Catholic, says he was disappointed not have been able to get to see the Pope during his visit to the UK: "I would have liked to have seen the Pope. That would be a good experience. I'll get to Rome soon and will hopefully get to meet him. To get a few contacts!"