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Brosna syndicate come up short with Callaway Knegare in Shelbourne Open 600 sweepstake final

Brosna syndicate come up short with Callaway Knegare in Shelbourne Open 600 sweepstake final

He finished third, beaten three and three-quarters of a length behind Ballyhooly Bruno in a time of 32.28, which was 18 spots behind his winning semi-final time. The consolation prize for him was €1,500.
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THE Star Sports English Derby, which offers a winner's purse of £175,000 and was won last year by Liam Dowling's De Lahdedah, starts this Thursday night at Towcester.
De Lahdedah will be there to defend his title, along with four other Dowling runners, and also there will be that very exciting Tralee syndicate dog, Cheap Sandwiches, which is trained by Graham Holland.
In all, there are 32 Irish entries (the total entry is 179) and Holland's Buckos Diamond heads the market at 9/2 with Paddy Power, while Cheap Sandwiches is 12/1 (from 20/1) and De Lahdedah is a particularly sweet 33/1.
The final will be on Saturday, June 14.
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THE Kerry Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association holds its annual awards ceremony at Tralee track this Saturday night, and making it extra special is the fact that the Clifford family, from Ardfert, has come on board as sponsors of the entire racing programme.
There will be prize money of €1,000 for every one of ten races, with the winners getting €700, and, in keeping with the night that is in it, preference re-entries is for members of Kerry GOBA. Rightly so.
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NOT for the first time, a four-timer was recorded by John O'Shea, of Causeway, at last week's Tuesday SIS meeting at Tralee. He started the four-timer in the fourth race with Gentle Mia (29.31) and followed up with Gentle Winnie (29.34), Meadow Dot (29.47) and Off To Dubai (29.12).
Fastest at the 12-race session, on 28.98 in an A5 525, was Dooneen Hoffa, owned by John Walsh, of Castleisland. She now moves up to A2 class.
Other winners were: Classy Mason, 29.27; Loher Mabey, 29.31; Loher Tiger, 29.22; Millridge Andy, 29.14; Shronedragh Mick, 29.15; Ballinulty Freya, 29.63; Lisselton Snowie, 29.75.
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A GREAT Listowel doggy man, John Carmody, died in the Bon Secours Hospital, Tralee, last week and deepest sympathy is extended to his wife, Mary, children, Maurice, Mike and Paul, brother, Dick, sister, Ellen, and extended family. John was buried in St John Paul 11 Cemetery, Listowel, on Saturday.

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‘I'm a Mayo man' – John Joe Patrick opens up on roots and dream of more caps after Republic of Ireland debut
‘I'm a Mayo man' – John Joe Patrick opens up on roots and dream of more caps after Republic of Ireland debut

The Irish Sun

time30 minutes ago

  • The Irish Sun

‘I'm a Mayo man' – John Joe Patrick opens up on roots and dream of more caps after Republic of Ireland debut

IRELAND fans are still getting to know John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa and even what to call him. Some fans call him Finn, others John Joe, while he is known at French club 2 John Joe Patrick Finn is honoured to play for Ireland as his late father was from Mayo 2 The Stade de Reims ace is excited to create a legacy with Ireland The back of his shirt when he came on for his Ireland debut against Advertisement So what does he prefer to be called? He said: 'I prefer John but there are a lot of Johns in the squad, it's more easy.' The 6ft 4in 21-year-old is a player that naturally excites fans when he bursts onto the international scene given his impressive CV that is like no other in the Ireland squad. Born in Madrid, his mother Odetta is French with Cameroon heritage while his late father - also John - hailed from Galway but had Mayo roots. Advertisement READ MORE ON GAA Spanish is his mother tongue and he told Luxembourgish journalists he did not feel comfortable being interviewed in French yet, but spoke happily to Irish journalists in English. The midfielder said: 'My dad is from Ireland, also my grandfather and when I was young every summer I went to Ballyhaunis. 'So I had that connection when I was young, it really mattered. I am a Mayo man. 'It was nice, growing up it was so different from Madrid, where I lived. Those summers were really great, with my family, we had a great time, great days.' Advertisement Most read in Football He actually played for Salthill Devon for a while though he was first noticed by Irish fans when he joined Real Madrid as a nine-year-old. It was at Getafe he made his breakthrough making ten La Liga appearances as a teenager even as he finished school and progressed into the Ireland Under-19 squad. He earned Ireland Under-21 call-ups too and was also eligible for Spain, France and Cameroon. But while that was a focus in Ireland and led Advertisement ALWAYS IRELAND He said: 'Cameroon no, France no, Spain no, always Ireland. It's always good that the coach makes the effort to go and see you, to speak with me.' His debut came in the last minute as a replacement for Jason Knight on Tuesday night, though the midfielder admitted that it was not quite the debut of his dreams. He said: 'I feel good, I am a bit disappointed with the result, it was not the way I wanted to make my debut but I will just keep working and continue on this way. 'I feel ok but the last minute, it's not the way that everybody wants to make their debut, it's high intensity, into the game and it's not easy.' Advertisement But the 21-year-old hopes that his debut can be the first of many caps having quickly got up to speed with what Hallgrímsson expects from his midfielders. He said: 'He just told me I had to get the tactics, how the team works and I think I am catching the way the team play. We still have a bit of work to do but I am happy. 'The experience was good, the group has a lot of quality, I think if we can continue this way we can do good things. 'We are hungry, we are conscious that we are in a top World Cup group but with the work we are doing we can do it.' Advertisement Ireland's next games come in September with the beginning of the World Cup qualification campaign at home to Hungary and away to Armenia. And the midfielder hopes that a good start to the season with Stade Reims, who were relegated last season, can keep him in Hallgrímsson's plans. He also believes that next year is a big year for him when he expects to play regularly for Reims after a difficult settling in period in France. He added: 'At the beginning it was not easy, I was alone, my family stayed in Madrid but in the end the club made things really easy so the time I adapted was quick and the culture is nice. Advertisement 'It was a difficult moment to end the season like this (with relegation), but to come here is a bit of a distraction from the club, I had great days, now I can rest a bit and come back.'

'He will be really proud' - John Patrick Finn fulfills late dad's wish for him to play for Ireland
'He will be really proud' - John Patrick Finn fulfills late dad's wish for him to play for Ireland

Irish Examiner

time33 minutes ago

  • Irish Examiner

'He will be really proud' - John Patrick Finn fulfills late dad's wish for him to play for Ireland

'I prefer to be called John,' says Ireland's latest debutant, whose full name is John Joe Patrick Finn Benoa. He's 21 but various versions of his name have formed part of the Irish football discourse since before he reached 10. His distinctive hairstyle caught attention but giddiness abounded when it was discovered this nine-year-old namechecked on the Ryan Tubridy Show was eligible for Ireland. Meritocracy knows no age in the footballing industry and the stylish midfielder emerged from a competitive trial of 200 boys to be recruited by Real Madrid. Born to a Cameroonian mother and English father, whose parents lived in Ballyhaunis Co Mayo, the name was a giveaway about his lineage. Yet this wasn't a case of a player possessing tenuous Irish connections seeking a ticket to the international football circuit. Finn spent his summers in the west of Ireland, lining out for Galway side Salthill Devon on occasion. Then his name began to morph. John Patrick was the primary moniker but John Joe was used within an Irish context. Read More Three bright sparks from a frustrating Irish night in Luxembourg Being the only John in the Irish camp, apart from assistant manager O'Shea, played into his preference for the one name title. He was raised in Spain, now operates in France for Stade de Reims but is unequivocal about his identity. 'I am a Mayo man,' he affirmed in his broken English after appearing as a late substitute against Luxembourg on Tuesday. 'My Dad is from Ireland, also my grandfather, and when I was young every summer I went to Ballyhaunis. 'Mayo was different to Madrid where I lived. Those summers were really great with my family - we had a great time and days together. 'So, I had that connection from when I was young and it really matters.' The one pang of disappointment about his bow was his Dad not being around. He passed away in recent years but held a lifelong wish for his son to represent Ireland. 'I know he will be really proud,' said his son. Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson with John Joe Patrick Finn after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne. His club career entailed a move from Real to Getafe and last season onto Ligue 1 in a seven-figure move. Making his debut against PSG and figuring in the French Cup final were his highlights but Reims suffered relegation. That might widen the latitude for the newcomer to string games together and he realises that's necessary to be in the equation for the Ireland squad that embarks on the World Cup qualifiers. Heimir Hallgrimsson recently made a two-hour drive to meet Finn to ascertain his international commitment. The player insisted Ireland was the only country for him and rival countries didn't pose a dilemma. 'It's not the way that everybody wants to make their debut – playing the last few minutes,' he confessed. 'Being a high intensity match, it wasn't easy getting into the game. 'The manager just told me I had to get the tactics, how the team works and I think I am catching the way the team plays. 'The experience was good. This squad has a lot of quality. I know we have a difficult qualifying group but I think we can do good things.'

John Joe Patrick Finn's verdict on his Ireland debut and hopes for the World Cup
John Joe Patrick Finn's verdict on his Ireland debut and hopes for the World Cup

Irish Daily Mirror

time36 minutes ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

John Joe Patrick Finn's verdict on his Ireland debut and hopes for the World Cup

The big winners from Ireland's two-game summer window were the players who stayed at home because very few of them will find their positions under threat in the fringe players reporting for duty against Senegal and Luxembourg, only Kasey McAteer, Jack Taylor and Ryan Manning enhanced their claims for a World Cup O'Leary did well on his debut against Luxembourg - six years after his first call-up - but he's behind Caoimhin Kelleher, with Gavin Bazunu and Mark Travers still to return. St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips put his best foot forward off the bench on his own debut against Senegal, but found it harder going against Luxembourg. And while John Joe Patrick Finn may be one of the more hyped Irish players in recent times, it's very much based on a curiosity factor rather than actual Omobamidele, Liam Scales and Josh Honohan will be disappointed not to have featured at all this month, although Honohan did have a scan on a thigh the dour stalemate on Tuesday, there's a noticeable confidence within the squad after four games unbeaten this year, ahead of September's clash with Hungary. But there is still cause for concern across aspects of this team, not least with a malfunctioning attack despite the potential on offer to Heimir Hallgrimsson. And midfield remains an issue, even though Hallgrimsson addressed it this month with a smattering of bigger, more imposing players added into the was no coincidence, according to Hallgrimsson, after handing debuts to both Finn and Phillips over the two games. Clearly, Finn is further down the pecking order as he was only introduced in the 88th minute against Luxembourg but it was good to finally have a look at the Reims and raised in the Spanish capital Madrid, his late father was from Mayo and his mother is French-Cameroonian with Finn eligible to play for all four countries. But the 21-year-old - who played at Real Madrid's academy as a kid - insists he only wanted to represent Luxembourg, softly-spoken Finn said: 'My dad is from Ireland, also my grandfather and when I was young every summer I went to Ballyhaunis. I had that connection when I was young, it really mattered. I am a Mayo man. It was nice, growing up it was so different from Madrid, where I lived. Those summers were really great, with my family, we had a great time, great days. I think my dad would be really proud.' Finn, who plays for French side Reims having been previously with Getafe in La Liga, continued: 'I feel good, but I'm a bit disappointed with the result. It was not the way I wanted to make my debut but I will just keep working and continue on this way. The manager just told me I had to get the tactics, how the team works and I think I'm catching the way the team plays.'We still have a bit of work to do but I'm happy. The experience was good, the group has a lot of quality, and if we can continue this way I think we can do good things.' Finn's hopes of a recall in September for the Hungary and Armenia qualifiers won't rest on his seven-minute run out at Stade de Luxembourg. Instead, that will hinge on how he handled himself behind the scenes over the week and how he performed on the training Monday's open training session, he was partnered with late call-up Bosun Lawal in midfield and Lawal was the more dominant of the two. The Stoke City man only played seven league games this season due to a back injury but is well liked by Ireland's management team, from his time with the Under-21s. If he is fit and firing by September, he will rival Finn and Phillips all the way for inclusion, with the likes of Josh Cullen and Finn Azaz nailed on to travelled out to France at the start of May to meet Finn and to sound him out on his international intentions, considering he could play for other nations. But Finn only had eyes for Ireland and wanted to seize this June opportunity, even though it came on the back of a difficult club were relegated from the French top flight and they also lost the French Cup final, smashed 3-0 by PSG with Finn coming on as a sub.'At the beginning it was not easy (moving from Spain to France), I was alone as my family stayed in Madrid. But in the end the club made things really easy so I adapted quickly and the culture is nice.'But it was a difficult moment to end the season like that, but to come here is a bit of a distraction from the club. I had some great days and now I can rest and come back.'The fear for Finn is that playing in French football's second tier next season will mean he is out of sight, out of mind. The flip side is he could play more he hopes that Hallgrimsson's flying visit last month counts for something and said: 'It's always good that the coach makes the effort to go and see you, to speak with me.'

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