Forget the courage it takes to don the gloves for a UFC fight – real bravery is stepping into that octagon to the sound of flutes.
Yet this is what will happen on Sunday, when Conor McGregor squares up against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
When the lights go down to signal the Irishman’s entry into Etihad Arena, the electric atmosphere will temporarily transform into something more ethereal.
But don't get it wrong, this is no Lord of the Rings-style pastoral number. As McGregor stalks through the arena, the impact of his walkout track gradually reveals itself.
The aforementioned flutes rise in intensity before singer Sinead O’Connor’s quavering vocals crash through as she sings: “As down the glen one Easter morn / To a city fair rode I / There armed lines of marching men / In squadrons passed me by.”
Thus begins a song of revolution and lament as it details a tumultuous period of Irish history that took place more than a century ago.
A failed campaign
The tune in question is Foggy Dew, a 100-year-old ballad sung by plenty of Irish singers, including Dylan Walsh to Luke Kelly.
Based on a poem by the late priest Charles O'Neill and arranged to the melody of old Irish folk standard Banks of the Moorlough Shore, the lyrics commemorate the Easter Rising of 1916, an armed insurrection staged by Irish republicans against British rule.
Launched during Easter week on April 24, the push was forcibly put down by British troops on April 29 with most leaders of the campaign executed.
Historians cite the ferocity of the British response as a turning point for the subjugated Irish and cemented their antipathy to the government.
So why does a song about a failed campaign continue to be celebrated in certain parts of Ireland today, let alone form a rallying soundtrack for what McGregor hopes to be a victory?
What are you fighting for?
A lot of it is down to O'Neill's potent lyricism, which is more concerned with the reasons for fighting as the battle itself.
While he details with an almost journalistic eye the events of the bloody week (And from the plains of Royal Meath / Strong men came hurrying through / While Britannia's huns with their long-range guns / Sailed in through the foggy dew) O'Neill's poem is a paean to self-determination.
It is a battle worth fighting for, he states, as the poem laments the loss of thousands of Irish troops who fought for the British in the First World War.
Wouldn’t it better, he asks, for them to die “under an Irish sky", as opposed to the foreign soil of Turkish villages Sedd el Bahr and Sulva?
He burrows that regret further by juxtaposing their "lonely graves" abroad with the reverence afforded to those slain in the Easter Rising: "their names we would keep where the Fenians sleep / 'Neath the shroud of the foggy dew."
In that light, you can understand the song’s appeal to McGregor, as it underscores his approach in and outside the ring.
As only the second fighter from Ireland signed to the UFC, he has always viewed himself as an outsider fighting for his flag with a finessed combat style that is rooted in street smarts.
The song’s intensity also compliments McGregor’s personal life, which despite some of its more controversial moments has always been marked by a certain tenacity.
All of these attributes will be in full and ferocious display in Abu Dhabi. When the flutes ring on fight night, they will signal the calm before the storm.
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THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
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River Plate 4
Zuculini 24', Martinez 73', 90 2', Borre 89' (pen)
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1. Fasting
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5. Zakat
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PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
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The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
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Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
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Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
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World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
