Tag Archives: Ireland

Sport

Ireland Comes Calling For Young Mounthawk Basketball Stars

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Mercy Mounthawk Ireland basketball stars in front, Rachel and Rebecca Ryan and Dara Kennelly. Back row, Liam Culloty (Teacher and former Ireland U18 women basketball head coach), Norah Quane and Pat Fleming, Mercy Mounthawk dept head Principles. Photo by Gavin O'Connor.
Mercy Mounthawk Ireland basketball stars in front, Rachel and Rebecca Ryan and Darragh Kennelly. Back row, Liam Culloty (teacher and former Ireland U18 women basketball head coach), Norah Quane and Pat Fleming, Mercy Mounthawk Deputy Head Principals. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.

THREE Mercy Mounthawk students have big years ahead of them both in class and on the basketball court.

Darragh Kennelly, Rebecca Ryan and Rachel Ryan are all involved with Irish national basketball teams this year and continue a fine Mounthawk tradition of producing international players in recent years.

Sisters, Rebecca and Rachel Ryan from Mounthawk estate will pull on the green jersey for Ireland, a garment their older sister Courtney has also worn in the basketball-mad Ryan household.

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“All three of us have made the Irish team and all three of us have caps, we love basketball,” said Rebecca Ryan who is also a big LA Lakers fan.

Both in development squads, Rebecca will run out for the U17s and Rachel for the U15s.

Rebecca tasted victory against England in a tournament in the UK over the Summer and Rachel has a busy schedule with trips to Sweden or England in November and France in December.

Centre, Darragh Kennelly from Camp, began his journey with Ireland last October and since then he has travelled to a tournament in Luxembourg and is looking ahead to France next with the national side.

Training takes place once a month in either Cork or Dublin, due to most of Darragh’s teammates being based in Ireland’s two major cities.

Playing basketball with Ireland is a massive undertaking for players and their families. Irish internationals receive no funding so must raise money for flights and accommodation themselves.

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Mercy Mounthawk Maths and Biology teacher, Liam Culloty, has just finished a successful stint guiding the U18 Ireland women. He coached the side to the quarter-finals of the European championships, which is Ireland’s highest ever finish in that competition.

Despite all the success, Liam has decided to stand down as head coach of the U18s.

“I’m taking a small little break,” said Liam. “It was very intense summer travelling all over the country for training. At the European Championships, you were talking 12 or 13 hour days.”

“Last year the team finished 18th and this year we finished 8th, so there was a great improvement and to win a few games, obviously, was huge,” said the former Tralee Tigers player.

Along with that 8th finish at the Euros, Liam also masterminded victory over South American giants, Argentina which was a particularly big scalp.

Liam played eight years of Superleague basketball, and with The Warriors now putting basketball back on the map in town, is there any chance he might feel the itch to go back playing?

“I went to Cork to watch their [Warriors] first game. There is a part of me that would love to be out there but the standard is so high. The lads are playing well and they are super fit, I think I’m happy on the sidelines for the time being!”

Rugby, Sport

Ultan Dillane Poised For Irish Debut As He’s Named On Bench For England Game

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Ultan Dillane, in the green of Ireland at underage level.
Ultan Dillane, in the green of Ireland at underage level.

TRALEE man Ultan Dillane has been named on the Ireland bench for Round 3 of the 2016 RBS 6 Nations Championship against England in Twickenham.

It’s fantastic news for the former Tralee RFC who looks set to make his first Ireland debut from the replacements bench, inside the belly of the beast at Twickenham on Saturday at 4.50pm.

He was named today in Joe Schmidt’s 23 man side this afternoon. He will take his place on the bench alongside experienced internationals, Cian Healy, Simon Zebo and Ian Madigan.

Best of luck Ultan, the whole town is proud of you! See team below…

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Ireland team to face England, Twickenham, 4.50pm, Sat 27 Feb

R Kearney (Leinster); A Trimble (Ulster), R Henshaw (Connacht), S McCloskey (Ulster), K Earls (Munster); J Sexton (Leinster), C Murray (Munster); J McGrath (Leinster), R Best (Ulster, capt), M Ross (Leinster), D Ryan (Munster), D Toner (Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster), J van der Flier (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements R Strauss (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), N White (Connacht), U Dillane (Connacht), R Ruddock (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), I Madigan (Leinster), S Zebo (Munster).

Sport

An Ireland International Soccer Match Is Coming To Kerry

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Republic of Ireland U18s will play Scotland in Killarney in April.

KERRY will host an Republic of Ireland U18 International in Killarney Celtic’s grounds on Thursday, April 14 at 7pm.

Ireland will take on Scotland in the Inspiresport U18 Boys Centenary Shield clash.

In the competition, Ireland also play Northern Ireland, England and Wales.

The Ireland U18’s are a development side which is often used to give the best young players in the SSE Airtricity League continued experience in international football.

It’s rare treat for international football to come to Kerry. Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze, famously played in Listowel a number of years ago while on underage duty for Germany.

So, you’d never know what future star you might catch a glimpse of.

Rugby, Sport

Tralee Player Ready For Big Step At Twickenham Stoop

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Zoe Grattage. Photo by Gavin O'Connor.
Zoe Grattage at Tralee Rugby Club. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.

Gavin O’Connor talks to Tralee Rugby Club’s Zoe Grattage as she prepares to head to England for a test match this weekend…

A TRALEE and Munster player is heading to England this weekend with the Ireland women’s rugby team to take part in an international test against the old foe.

Zoe Grattage, from the Kerries will be hoping to run out in the green for the first time when Ireland take on England at Harlequins famous Twickenham Stoop on Sunday.

Though Zoe’s colours are now nailed to the mast it wasn’t always that way.

Up until the age of 13, Zoe, lived in England. It was only when mother, Breda, originally from Banna, decided they had spent enough time in England did they come back.

Dad Trevor, from Mansfield, is now faced with a dilemma of supporting his adopted country over the one of his birth. Though Zoe still retains a slight English twang she has no such dilemmas.

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“Dad, said ‘you’re going to have to start learning both national anthems now and maybe stitch a rose on the jersey!’ but no that won’t be happening at all,” said Zoe Grattage.

The 25-year-old began her rugby career while studying in UCC, where she graduated in Public Health last September. She then went onto play for Highfield in Cork, before moving back to Tralee this September to play for her hometown club.

Back in September, Zoe, was talent spotted by Irish coach, Tom Tierney, while playing for Munster in the inter-pro championship which Munster won against Leinster in Thomand Park.

The Garveys Tralee employee was then called up to take part in two Ireland training sessions in Belfast. A phone call from coach Tierney awaited, to find out if she had impressed and made 23 woman squad.

“I worked as hard as I could so I had to be ready for good news and bad news, thankfully it was good news,” she said.

Tom Tierney is a nine time capped Ireland international and former Munster and Leicester player.

A Munster regular for the last three years, Zoe suffered an MCL injury last year which put her leg in bracket for six weeks. “I was like Robocop, going around the place! Thankfully it’s the only injury I’ve had playing rugby,” she said.

“It’s only the last few years where I’ve taken the bull by the horns with my nutrition and thinking about myself and where I want to be with rugby. If you want to make the next step you have to make commitments. This morning I was up at five and in the gym by six, that’s just what you do. Some people hate the gym, I love it.”

The match will be a clash of two Northern Hemisphere heavyweights, 2014 world champions England, versus Six Nations winners Ireland. This will be the first time Zoe has played outside of Ireland.

“The way everything is done is very professional, there is always someone to go to. There are so many girls there with years of experience and they always approachable.”

“In the first (Ireland) camp, I had nerves that I suppose anyone would get, but everyone was so welcoming and made me think, ‘you know what, I do deserve to be here’ and to just go with it.”

On Ireland duty is not an unusual setting for a player with strong Tralee ties. Zoe follows in the footsteps of, Siobhan Fleming and Ciara Griffin. And making the trip over with Zoe will be Tralee native, Ruth O’Reilly.

“All summer I was travelling with Ciara (Griffin) and Siobhan (Fleming) to play with Munster. It’s great to have that connection so I can get a few hinters.”

“Hopefully I can get the start, but if not, if I get a run, I’ll try to put my stamp on the game.”

England v Ireland, kicks off Saturday at 3:00pm

News

OPINION: Why The Berkeley Tragedy Has Affected Us All

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Tributes laid at the site of the tragedy in Berkeley during the week.

Young writer, Fergus Dennehy, says his peers have been shocked and saddened by the tragedy in Berkeley this week. But there is also the sense that it could have happened to their friends, family members or even themselves….

What is it about the Berkeley tragedy that has affected the mood of the entire country?

Realistically, many of us have no personal or logical connection to those who sadly lost their lives in the balcony collapse in California, yet almost every single young person that I’ve talked to has been visibly affected by the tragedy.

Why is this?

It’s because we can all relate to it. That feeling that those young students would have felt, going out to America for the summer, with their exams behind them, looking to create memories that would last a lifetime.

That feeling of being young, free, with the world as their oyster. We know that feeling, we’ve felt it many times ourselves.

What scares us young people most, is this feeling that they were just like us, they were just out to celebrate a birthday and have some fun.

It could have been any of us that had decided to go on this J1, that could have been persuaded to go to the 21st that night, that decided to go out on the balcony in those moments.

Anyone of us could have suffered the tragic fate of those six young people who died and the seven who were injured.

We can all imagine the fear and pain that our own parents would go through if it had been us involved. The anxiety that your mother would feel on the sixth ring of your phone, with no answer yet, is an image that I don’t like to dwell on.

We’re Irish, so we’re imbued with an innate sense that, no matter where we go in the world, we are connected by this shared sense of pride in our heritage.

The fact that we have lost six of our own hurts us deeply.

RIP Ashley, Olivia, Eimear, Eoghan, Niccolai and Lorcan.

• This article originally appeared on Fergus Dennehy’s blog here

Entertainment, News

VIDEO: Kerry Accent Ranks Sixth Best In The Country In Website Poll

 

A RECENT poll conducted by website, ‘The Sliced Pan’, to find the best accent in the country, has resulted in a  very respectable finish for the dulcet tones of Kerry as we took home 6th place.

Only Donegal, Galway, Cork, Derry and Roscommon finished ahead of us in the poll, conducted by asking visitors to the site to ‘Up Vote’ or ‘Down Vote’ their favourite/least favourite accent with the most popular sounding voices obviously rising to the top.

Donegal finished top of the pile, while the people of Offaly will sadly to have to make do with the ‘wooden spoon’ as they finished at the bottom of the pile at number 32.

With an accent like this (any excuse to show the video below again) we’re left scratching our heads as to how we didn’t come out as the number one.

To check out the full poll results, click here.

GAA

Darragh Ó Sé Appointed Selector For Ireland International Rules Side

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Darragh O’Se.

DARRAGH Ó SÉ has been appointed as one of four selectors for the Ireland International Rules team that will play Australia at home in Croke Park this November.

Ó Sé only stepped down from a three year stint with the Kerry U21s two weeks ago.

Joe Kernan, former Armagh All-Ireland winning manager, has been appointed as manager.

Ó Sé has had experience of the compromise rules game, turning out for Ireland in 2001 and 2002.

For the first time in Ireland, the Cormac McAnallen trophy will be decided by a once-off game. 2013 was the last time a series was held with Australia running out ten point winners.

John O’Keeffe remains the only Kerryman to have managed Ireland in International Rules – he took charge of the side in 2002 and 2003.

Seamus Moynihan in 2002 is the only former Kerry player to captain the side and Kerry lead the list of the most represented county in the code ahead of Cork.

 

News, Rugby, Sport

How ‘The Rose Of Tralee’ Answered Ireland’s Call At The World Cup

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Rugby IrlHERE’S a fact that has passed us by as Ireland prepares to kick-off their Six Nations campaign tomorrow.

It came as a surprise to us to learn that ‘The Rose of Tralee’ was used four times as Ireland’s national anthem at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.

An article by Malachy Clerkin in last Saturday’s Irish Times on the national anthem being played before rugby games, told the story of how it came about through interviews with Irish stars of the time, Neil Francis and Trevor Ringland.

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An IRA bomb a month before the Rugby World Cup in 1987 was the catalyst for changing Ireland’s anthem from ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’ to a song more noted as a celebration of womanhood than a nationalistic battle cry.

Three Irish internationals, Nigel Carr, Philip Rainey and David Irwin were caught up in an IRA bomb which killed Lord Justice Maurice Gibson. The blast ended Nigel Carr’s rugby career.

Speaking to The Irish Times, Trevor Ringland, a former Unionist politician and Ireland international, said the The Soldier’s Song wouldn’t have felt appropriate to be played at the World Cup in New Zealand to some of the players after that happened.

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“We were standing there, and I actually didn’t know what song was going to come on. And then it was The Rose of Tralee…I remember thinking, ‘God, you wouldn’t really lay down your life for The Rose Of Tralee, would you?” he told Malachy Clerkin.

“It was the worst compromise of all time,” Neil Francis said.

“It was played before all four games and I just stood there totally unmoved each time. I didn’t know the song, I hadn’t ever heard it, I knew none of the words. None of us did. We just stood there in stony-faced silence and waited for the game to start,” Francis said.

You can read more of Malachy Clerkins’s highly entertaining article HERE

News, Sport

Tralee Man Pops The Question To Irish Boxing’s Golden Girl

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Kenneth Quillinan, who proposed to five time boxing World Champions Katie Taylor, with the medal she had just won in South Korea.
Kenneth Quillinan, who proposed to five time boxing World Champions Katie Taylor, with the medal she had just won in South Korea.

THERE was a Tralee twist to Katie Taylor winning her fifth consecutive world title earlier this morning at the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Jeju, South Korea.

While at the final bout, Kenneth Quillinan from Derrylea, who is currently a university instructor in South Korea, asked Katie Taylor to marry him!

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The proposal, came in the form of a message emblazoned across a tricolor that read ‘Katie, Please Marry Me!! (Is that OK Peter?)’. Which is both romantic and patriotic. Just what women want.

Unfortunately for Kenneth, Katie left him hanging when she reportedly said ‘Maybe’ to his proposal.

Katie did let Kenneth have a go of the medal she had just won though. As they parted ways there was time for a quick photo with the five time world champ and her father Peter.

Kenneth is no stranger to these pages. Last month, he told Traleetoday.ie of his plans to teach Gaelic Football to students in North Korea.

If anything, this is an opportunity missed for one of Ireland’s greatest sporting icons, she could do a lot worse than one of our own.

Kenneth Quillinan, with five world time champ, Katie Taylor and her Father Peter, at the Woman's World Boxing Championships in South Korea.
Kenneth Quillinan, with five world time champ, Katie Taylor and her Father Peter, at the Woman’s World Boxing Championships in South Korea.
News

US Journalists Not Impressed With Our Politicians, Very Impressed With Kerry

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TWO journalists who were touring Kerry, were not impressed with three government ministers who stood them up for meetings earlier in the week.

Ari Shapiro and Rich Preston, are journalists from NPR, which is a world-renowned American public radio network. The journalists were in Ireland touring from north to south.

While in Kerry, they stopped off at Dairymaster headquarters in Causeway and took in some of the sights of our county.

Though they were not overly impressed with our politicians, there was redemption for the nation in the shape of our beautiful Kerry coastline which the two travelling reporters were in awe of.

Below are the reporters tweets criticising government ministers and also their photos of their time in Kerry…

That day didn’t go well for the two reporters, but thankfully our county put smiles on their faces.

News, Sport

Tralee Has A Rory Of Its Own To Take On The Golf World

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Rory Hill, a member of the Ireland U18 golf team and a student of Mercy Mounthawk. Photo by Gavin O'Connor.
Rory Hill, a member of the Ireland U18 golf team and a student of Mercy Mounthawk. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.

YOUNG golfer Rory Hill doesn’t just share a first name with his idol from Northern Ireland.

He too can say he has been selected on the Ireland U18 golf team, just as Rory McIlroy was when he was an up and coming golfer.

“I was delighted when I got the news, it was a personal goal for me all year to get on the Ireland team,” said Rory from The Spa.

The member of Tralee Golf Club is coming off the back of a terrific season where he finished 1st in the Munster U17 competition and in 10th spot in the U18 All-Ireland championship.

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“My parents are really happy. Before I started playing they didn’t really have an interest in golf, but now they’re mad into it” said Rory.

There are 12 players in total on the Ireland panel. With the season now over Rory will be looking ahead to competitions next year. These include the European Championships and the Home International Championships.

“One of the best aspects of getting on the team is that a good friend of mine, Jesse Stafford Lacey is on the Ireland soccer team and another Andrew Barry is on the Kerry minor team,  so I can say now, I’ve made it onto a major sports team as well!” said Rory.

The next step for Rory with the Ireland team will be a team meeting in November in prestigious surroundings of Carlton House Golf Club in Kildare, a former host of the Irish Open.

Principal of Mercy Mounthawk, John O’Roarke, also had these words to say about Rory’s achievement.

“It just goes to show Rory’s dedication and commitment for the sport. He’s a very motivated young man right across the board. He’s one of those kids who’s all-rounded, so we’re not surprised he’s got this far.”

News

Ladies To Drive Through 32 Counties In One Day For Charity

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FOUR ladies are giving Recovery Haven a boost this month when they attempt to drive through all 32 counties of Ireland in 24 hours in aid of the cancer respite care centre.

“We just got a brainwave one night and thought could we do it? So we said if we were going to do it we’d do it for a charity,” said one of the drivers, Nicola Baker, who will take up the task with Karen McKenna, Linda Murphy and Joanne Coffey.

“We decided to pick something local and went with Recovery Haven because every one of us know people who have been helped by them in the past and they do incredible work,” said Nicola.

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The route will see them head south first and then up towards Dublin, zig-zagging into the midlands all the way up to the north of the country, then coming down the west coast and into Limerick for the home stretch.

Without taking stops and the traffic into account, they estimate the journey will take 17 hours, but they think 22 hours would be a more realistic length of time.

The four girls expect to burn two tanks of petrol along the way which ‘Eamonn O’Connell Haulage’ will be covering the cost of. All told, the journey will cover just over 1,000 miles.

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To prove they’ve done the 32 counties, the girls will take a picture of the road sign that welcomes drivers into each county as soon as they enter.

“We came to a number of garages and straight away Adams said they would be up for helping us. They’ve been great so far,” said Nicola.

The girls will take off  at 10am on Friday, September 26 from Twomey’s Bar, Abbeydorney and will return to the same spot 24 hours later. That evening they will also host a fundraising night for Recovery Haven in Twomey’s Bar.

“Every four hours we will swap driver, so we all have a chance to rest and maybe get a bit of sleep!” said Nicola.

“It’s a fantastic idea and there is a lot of credit due to them,” said John Ahern, Chairman of the fundraising of Recovery Haven. “It’s great to have young people come to us because it can be quite difficult to people from the ages of 20 and 30 to get involved. The enthusiasm they have is incredible,” added John.

“We had no problem helping them. It’s a very good cause and to be fair, cancer is never that far away from anyone’s house,” said Noel O’Connor from Adams of Tralee.

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At the official handover of the car from Adams of Tralee for the ’32 counties in 24 hours’ charity attempt for Recovery Haven, were, from left: John Ahern (Recovery Haven), Grace O’Donnell, Noel O’Connor (Adams of Tralee), Darren Dineen, Killian Young, Linda Murphy, Joanne Coffey, Nicola Baker and Karen McKenna. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.