
Leinster skipper Conan frustrated despite Scarlets win
Leinster captain Jack Conan admitted there were "frustrating bits" to his side's performance after they beat Scarlets 33-21 to reach the United Rugby Championship semi-finals. The Irish province, top seeds in the play-offs, scored tries through James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Jamie Osborne and Hugo Keenan to set up a last-four match with holders Glasgow at home next week. However, Leinster allowed Scarlets back into the game at times, with Conan conceding his side tried to force the issue. "[We were] good in parts," said the British and Irish Lion back row. "Our discipline killed us, we gave them a lot of soft penalties. To be fair to Scarlets they stuck at it and battled hard, they're a team with a lot of passion and they pushed us at times."We were inaccurate and forced things a little bit. It's good to have another week but there were some frustrating bits there."Lads want to have big moments They want to feel like they're doing well, but sometimes there's a bit of over-eagerness and over-zealousness."You force things a little bit and get away with things although I thought Hollie [Davidson] was on the money today. I don't think it's anything other than lads trying a bit too hard."Leinster must now prepare for a third game against Glasgow in the space of seven weeks after beating the Scots in the Champions Cup and URC. "It's strange when you've played a team twice in the past six weeks so it helps with the prep because you know what they're going to do to a degree," added Conan."But it's a little bit different every time you come up against a team. I don't think we were great the last time we played them, we had a good win in Europe, but they had lads coming back in so it'll be a tough test for us."
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The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Man dead and child injured after shots fired at shopping centre in Ireland
A man has died following a shooting incident at a shopping centre in Co Carlow. The PA news agency understands that the man's wounds were thought to be self-inflicted. A young girl was also injured in the incident but did not require hospital care. Ireland's justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has described it as a 'really shocking incident'. One local councillor told how people ran terrified from the shopping centre in Carlow town as shots were fired. Fergal Browne said: "I think it is all under control now, it seems the worst is over. People were obviously terrified, a bank holiday Sunday, going into town to do their shopping. "People ran from the centre crying and upset. There were a bunch of foreign students in the area, who could not believe they were caught up in the middle of all of it. "It's a busy spot. We launched a photographic exhibition there on Friday night in the shopping centre." The body of the man remains at the scene and will not be removed until the area has been declared safe. The shopping centre has been evacuated and emergency services remain at the scene, but gardai said there is no further concern for public safety. A Garda spokesperson said they were alerted to reports of a firearm discharge at Fairgreen Shopping Centre shortly after 6.15pm. The spokesperson said: 'An Garda Siochana are currently at the scene, with the shopping centre and car park cordoned off. The cordon will remain in place overnight. 'A white Irish adult male is deceased at the scene. The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team has been requested to attend.' 'A female juvenile received treatment from paramedics following the incident but did not require hospital care. It's undetermined at this time as to how those injuries were sustained.' Ireland's deputy premier, Simon Harris, said he was 'deeply concerned' to hear about the incident and was being kept briefed. Mr Harris said: 'I understand a young child has been hurt and I join with people across our country in thinking of them and their family tonight. 'I am also thinking of all those who witnessed this situation and the awful shock and upset it must have caused them. I know their families and communities will rally to support them. I am grateful to our emergency services for their work and response.' The Tanaiste added: 'This is a live Garda investigation with the support of members of the Army bomb disposal unit. 'I have been in touch with the chief of staff of the defence forces, Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, in relation to this incident and the assistance our defence forces are providing. 'It's important now that our Gardai can carry out this investigation thoroughly.' Mr O'Callaghan added: 'My thoughts are with everyone affected by the shooting and the community and families impacted, including those working at the scene. 'I would appeal to anyone who has any information to speak to the gardai and help with their investigations in any way that they can.' Gardai have asked that anyone who may have recorded footage of the incident not share it on social media platforms or messaging apps, but instead provide it to Carlow Garda Station. Anyone with information is asked to contact the station at 059-9136620 or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.


The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
Labour pushes ‘military Keynesianism' to win support for defence spending
Labour's push towards increased militarisation, with Keir Starmer already having slashed the aid budget in favour of defence spending, may not be a policy greeted enthusiastically by many of the party's core supporters. But the government wants to win support for the change in thinking by arguing that investment in defence helps create skilled jobs, particularly outside London, such as at shipyards in Barrow, Devonport, Glasgow and Rosyth. This 'military Keynesianism' was emphasised on Sunday morning when ministers announced plans to build six new munitions factories, which would in time create 1,000 jobs and support a further 800, the Ministry of Defence said. John Healey, the defence secretary, argued that by 'diverting funds from overseas development aid', money would 'go into reinforcing the British industrial base, more jobs in every part of the UK' – an argument almost certainly made with Reform UK at the forefront of the polls at the back of his mind. Fiona Hill, one of the three independent members of the government's strategic defence review team, has long been focused on the impact of post-industrial decline on the economics and politics of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. It reflects her personal experience. Hill grew up in County Durham, but moved to forge a successful career as a national security analyst in the US, mindful of her father's advice about where she had grown up: 'There is nothing for you here.' Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Britain's support to help Kyiv defend itself have pushed the UK to seek to revive forms of manufacturing that the long period of peace after the cold war had made obsolete. Last year, an agreement with Germany paved the way for a revival of artillery barrel manufacturing at a site in Telford, a decade after it had been abandoned. And ahead of Monday's strategic defence review, the government again focused on a long-term industrial commitment, this time to eventually build a fleet of Aukus nuclear powered attack submarines, starting in the late 2030s. Assembled in Barrow, the effort would support 30,000 jobs, the MoD said. Such a longer-term focus may also help conceal the relative shortage of money in the short term for defence. The current commitment to lift defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in 2027 may easily be swallowed up in funding existing commitments and overspends. Fresh spending on armaments is of course hardly neutral – it depends entirely on what the weapons are intended to be used for. And while there may be strong public support for Ukraine, in other cases the export of arms can be controversial. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion In May, it emerged that the UK had supplied $169m worth of arms to Israel between October and December last year, despite announcing a partial ban on exports in September amid concerns they could be used in breach of international law as part of the ongoing offensive against Gaza. Critics argue that while state spending will always stimulate the economy and create jobs, defence spending may not be the most efficient way to do that. A study by Greenpeace looking at the economies of Germany, Italy and Spain concluded that investing in healthcare, education or green technologies creates more jobs and growth than investing in defence. A more honest position, said Sam Perlo-Freeman of Campaign Against Arms Trade, would be to 'separate security arguments from economic arguments' and seek to justify military investment only the basis of the threat perceived. But it is not one that politicians are likely to make when it is possible to point to new factories being built and new jobs created as a result of defence spending.


The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
Man dies in shooting at shopping centre in Co Carlow, Ireland
A man has died following a shooting at a shopping centre in Co Carlow. The PA news agency understands that it appears that the dead man's wounds were self-inflicted. A young girl was also injured in the incident but did not require hospital care and it is unclear how she was injured. Gardai have identified the dead man as a white Irish male. Ireland's justice minister, Jim O'Callaghan, has described it as a 'really shocking incident'. One local councillor told how people ran terrified from the shopping centre in Carlow town as shots were fired. The body of the man remains at the scene and will not be removed until the area has been declared safe. The shopping centre was evacuated and emergency services remain at the scene, but gardai said there is no further concern for public safety. A Garda spokesperson said they were alerted to reports of a firearm discharge at Fairgreen shopping centre shortly after 6.15pm. The spokesperson said: 'An Garda Síochaná are currently at the scene, with the shopping centre and car park cordoned off. The cordon will remain in place overnight. A white Irish adult male is deceased at the scene. 'The army explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team has been requested to attend.' Ireland's deputy leader, Simon Harris, said he was 'deeply concerned', adding: 'I understand a young child has been hurt and I join with people across our country in thinking of them and their family tonight. 'I am also thinking of all those who witnessed this situation and the awful shock and upset it must have caused them. I know their families and communities will rally to support them. I am grateful to our emergency services for their work and response.' O'Callaghan said: 'This was a really shocking incident. My thoughts are with everyone affected by the shooting and the community and families impacted, including those working at the scene. He added: 'This is something we never want or expect to happen in our communities. Gun violence is very rare in Ireland, and I am determined that will remain the case. The area in Carlow is safe. 'We must now allow An Garda Síochána to investigate this incident fully.' Local Fine Gael councillor Fergal Browne said: 'People were obviously terrified, a bank holiday Sunday, going into town to do their shopping. People ran from the centre crying and upset. 'There was a bunch of foreign students in the area, who could not believe they were caught up in the middle of all of it. 'It's a busy spot. We launched a photographic exhibition there on Friday night in the shopping centre.' Browne added: 'There is lots of activity in the centre between people shopping and people working there, exhibitions. It's very upsetting for everyone who was involved in it or who witnessed it. I was down there in the last hour and it seems to have calmed down a good bit now.' Browne said he wanted to thank all the emergency services that had attended the scene.