Tag Archives: Ciara Griffin

News, Sport

Ciara Griffin To Retire From International Rugby

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Ciara Griffin. Photo: Billy Strickland/INPHO

IRELAND women’s rugby team captain Ciara Griffin, will retire from international rugby following Saturday’s Autumn Test against Japan at the RDS.

The 27-year-old Ballymac woman, who teaches in CBS Primary in Tralee, has captained Ireland since 2018 and will win her 41st cap this weekend.

She made her test debut against Wales in the 2016 Women’s Six Nations, and since then she has become a standard bearer on and off the field.

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Commenting on her decision on the Irish Rugby website, Ciara said: “It has been a childhood dream come true to play for my country. Being afforded the opportunity to captain the National Team has been the highest honour. It has been an incredible journey filled with many highs and lows and I am very grateful for all the life skills I have developed through my involvement in High Performance sport.

“It is a decision I have not come to lightly and after discussing it with my family ahead of the Autumn Tests, it is now time for me to turn my focus to my life outside of rugby and begin a new chapter. I would like to thank everyone for their unwavering support, and I look forward to supporting the team going forward.”

Ireland Head Coach, Adam Griggs, commented: “Ciara stood out to me right from our first training session as a genuine leader and someone that players respect and listen to. She wears her heart on her sleeve and it is that leadership style along with her passion and dedication to making people and the team better that has always been so effective.

“Ciara has led the way with her standards and what it takes to be a first class international, and I know in doing this has inspired so many young players to take up rugby and try to emulate her own journey. Irish Rugby will miss her, and we wish her all the best in retirement and the next chapter of her life.”

News

Irish Captain Ciara Helps Promote Bus Éireann Competition For TY Students

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Irish Women’s Rugby captain and Ballymacelligott native, Ciara Griffin, with TY students Leanne Sugrue , Lisa Brosnan, Kayla O’Connor and Lizzie May Hartnett from Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland, promoting Bus Éireann’s ‘Go Places’ competition. Photo By : Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD

BALLYMAC native, Ciara Griffin, captain of the Irish Women’s Rugby team, teamed up with students from Presentation secondary school, Castleisland, to promote the Bus Éireann competition for transition year students – ‘Go Places’.

As part of the competition, students are being invited to submit projects – in words, photographs, or videos – about their journey to school.

Whether they travel by foot, bike, car or bus – Bus Éireann want to hear about their journey.  Where do they go? How do they spend that time? Who do they travel with?

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Who are the people and what are the places in their community that they pass by every day, and what are their stories?

Three lucky winners will receive an iPad and the overall winners will also receive a day trip with entry to Tayto Park for their class driven by a private coach.

Six nations rugby star, Ciara Griffin who captains the team against Wales this weekend, recalls her journey on the bus to Castleisland school.

She said; “I remember waiting with my friends at handball alley to get the bus to Presentation School Castleisland. We always had good fun on the bus, catching up, doing homework, sometimes we even threw the ball around!

“It was also a great way to make friends with people who aren’t in your class. Kerry students should definitely capture those memories. There’s only 3 weeks to go in the competition so get your creative juices flowing!”

Go Places with Bus Éireann is open to all TY students from across the Republic of Ireland. Deadline for entries is March 16th, 2018. For more information visit www.goplaceswithbe.ie

Bus Éireann has operated the School Transport Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills for 50 years.

Every day in Kerry, it transports 5,340 pupils to and from school on 185 buses under the scheme. That breaks down into each day 28,568kms on 289 school routes.

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News, Sport

Tralee Women Prepare To Take The Field Against England On Saturday

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Tralee women Ruth O’Reilly, Ciara Griffin will start on Saturday night for Ireland while Zoe Grattage (right) is on the bench.

IT’S not just Ultan Dillane  Tralee people will be looking out for on Saturday, as he is poised to jump from the bench for his debut.

The Irish women are also in action on the same night and Tralee RFC is well represented on the team with Ciara Griffin starting and Zoe Grattage in the replacements, while Galwegians player and Ballyroe native, Ruth O’Reilly, will also start.

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The good news is the Six Nations game will be shown live on RTÉ.ie, after Ireland’s clash with England, also at the home of English rugby.

The game kicks off at 7.15pm and will be streamed on the England Rugby Union YouTube site. It’s set to be some weekend and Tralee RFC is getting excited…

Rugby

Ireland: Niamh Briggs, Elise O’Byrne-White, Aine Donnelly, Sene Naoupu, Mairead Coyne, Nora Stapleton, Larissa Muldoon, Ruth O’Reilly, Cliodhna Moloney, Ailis Egan, Sophie Spence, Marie-Louise Reilly, Ciara Griffin, Claire Molloy, Paula Fitzpatrick.

Replacements: Zoe Grattage, Fiona Hayes, Fiona Reidy, Ciara Cooney, Heather O’Brien, Mary Healy, Nikki Caughey, Jackie Shiels.

Sport

Two Tralee Women To Start For Ireland Against Wales Tomorrow

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Ruth O'Reilly Zoe Grattage
Ruth O’Reilly and Zoe Grattage from Tralee play against Wales tomorrow.

TWO Tralee women will start for Ireland in their Six Nations game against Wales tomorrow in Donnybrook.

Tralee RFC’s Zoe Grattage and Galwegians Ruth O’Reilly, a native of Ballyroe, will take to the field for the opening clash of the tournament in Donnybrook at 1pm.

Hooker Zoe Grattage will win her first cap on Saturday, with her Tralee and Munster team-mate, flanker Ciara Griffin, hoping to make her Ireland debut from the bench.

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Let’s hope we see all three Tralee players in action tomorrow. You can watch the match on live stream on www.IrishRugby.ie/live or listen on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra.

In other rugby news, there is no place on the bench for Tralee man Ultan Dillane for the men’s Six Nations opener against the Welsh at 3pm on Sunday. He’ll have to wait his chance another day. That’ll come too…

 

IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt); Elise O’Byrne White (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Aine Donnelly (Cill Dara/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Galwegians/Connacht), Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht); Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Ulster), Larissa Muldoon (Skewen); Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Zoe Grattage (Tralee/Munster), Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Paula Fitzpatrick (Toulouse), Claire Molloy (Bristol), Heather O’Brien (Toulouse).

Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney (Railway Union/Leinster), Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Fiona Reidy (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster), Ciara Griffin (Tralee/Munster), Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht), Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jackie Shiels (Richmond).