From Michael Collins to Stephen Cluxton: The perfect sporting pictures of our time

Sports photography requires a great deal of skill and a little luck

Dublin goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton kicks the winning point in injury-time from a free kick during their 2011 All-Ireland Senior Championship Final over Kerry. Photo: Brian Lawless/Sportsfile

Dermot Crowe

In a restless and fast-moving world, the photograph offers pause for thought. It is an invitation to slow down, to reflect, to relive. One simple finger compression can produce an image that transcends eras and draws a nodding timeless appreciation. As in sport, it is often a matter of good judgment, instinct and sheer pot luck.

And experience, dear boy. Ray McManus started taking sports photographs in the early 1980s and tells a tale of Colman Doyle, who worked as a photographer for many years for the Irish Press. His photograph of Seamus Darby’s goal in the 1982 All-Ireland final is one of his legendary captures.