Louth athlete Lorcan Forde Dunne shines on European stage in scorching Skopje heat
Meanwhile, back home last week in Drogheda's Lourdes Stadium at the Louth U20 and Senior Championships, Ace AC's Adam Russell took on both the 200m and 400m events in the Senior Men's programme. His efforts were rewarded with a bronze medal in the 400m, a fantastic achievement at Louth senior level.
Sean Daly also competed well in the Senior Men's 100m, continuing to show strong form.
Jamie O'Reilly won the U20 1500m and placed third overall in the Senior race after a well timed and disciplined run.
In the Women's 800m, Ace AC athletes dominated from start to finish after U18 athlete Sholah Lawrence won both the U20 title and the overall race, followed by U17 athlete Chloe Cooney in second and Ciara O'Connor - also only U18 - impressing in third, making it a clean sweep for the club.
In the Men's 800m Adrian Black took bronze in the O45 category. Adrian has now medalled in this event three years in a row, testament to his consistency and dedication.
Neil Culhane and Shea O'Donnell represented Ace AC in the 1500m at the National AAI Games last week and both athletes competed strongly, with Neil securing a podium finish in third place with a time of 3:59.68. Shea followed closely behind in fifth, crossing the line in 4:01.65 after a determined race.
On Sunday in Tullamore, the National Senior Inter-County Championships brought success for a youthful Louth Senior Women's team, who secured a national bronze team medal.
Ace AC athletes Daniela Adebola, Sholah Lawrence, Chloe Cooney and Eimear Cooney all played their part, competing across various events and representing the club with distinction.
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The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I captained my county to All-Ireland glory on Sunday – now I'm getting married, GAA ace's dream week
They had to do it the hard way in Croke Park too HAPPY DAYS I captained my county to All-Ireland glory on Sunday – now I'm getting married, GAA ace's dream week AINE Breen's already made one lifelong memory this week having captained Louth to All-Ireland glory - but she now has the small matter of getting married on Friday to immediately focus on. The Wee County skipper laid out how hectic of a seven-day schedule she's in the thick of while reflecting on their win in Sunday's Junior decider. Advertisement She told The Irish Independent of how the entire team were particularly elated at the weekend as they'd come up short in the 2024 decider. She reflected: 'As I mentioned in my speech, it's an honour to play with your county and to represent your county. "But to lift a cup on the Hogan Stand is always a dream of any child or anyone that plays with their county…it's fantastic. 'You talk about the burden of being captain, but I think the management and the players themselves made it so much easier because there are so many leaders on that pitch." Advertisement A points deluge sparked by Katie Flood helped Louth claim a record fourth All-Ireland JFC crown on the day. With the Wee County one point ahead at the interval in the final, Flood added to her 0-3 tally to double her side's lead with a superb strike shortly after the restart. Scores from Breen, Mia Duffy and Lucy White would give Louth a five-point cushion, which Antrim failed to overturn despite three points on the bounce from Ana Mulholland, Theresa Mellon and Maria O'Neill. Louth manager Kevin Larkin later praised his players for recovering from a four-point deficit in the first half to claim the title. Advertisement He said: 'What a group to work with. All of Ireland has seen it there. Penalty, four points down and the girls just kept going, kept going. They're just a brilliant group.' Antrim, also bidding to become the first county to win the TG4 All-Ireland junior title four times, hit the ground running with a third-minute penalty from captain Bronagh Devlin. TJ Reid and wife Niamh de Brun's gorgeous pregnancy reveal Shortly after, Theresa Mellon split the posts for the Ulster side — and even though Louth eventually opened their account through Aoife Russell, a score from Omolara Dahunsi reinforced Antrim's early authority. Dahunsi found her range again in response to back-to-back points from Russell and Ceire Nolan. But it was the Wee County who went into the interval ahead 0-8 to 1-4. Advertisement And Louth's second-half points blitz was enough to secure the crown, with Saffrons boss Chris Scullion lamenting the chances that his side had scorned. He said: 'There was a couple of opportunities presented to ourselves. But I'm not taking anything away from Louth. Louth were brilliant today.' 1 They triumphed over Antrim by 0-13 to 1-08 LOUTH: R Lambe Fagan; R Beirth, E Hand, E Murray; H Lambe Sally, S McLaughlin 0-1, L Byrne; A Breen 0-2, A Halligan; L White 0-1, E Byrne 0-1, S Matthews; A Russell 0-2, K Flood 0-4, C Nolan 0-1. Advertisement Subs: M Duffy 0-1 for S Matthews 42min, L Collins for Russell 56, G McCrave for Lambe Sally 59, Z Sweeney for White 59. ANTRIM: A Devlin; N McIntosh, M Blaney, M Mulholland; S O'Neill, C Brown, C McKenna; A Mulholland 0-1, A Tubridy; T Mellon 0-2, M O'Neill 0-3, 1f, Aoife Kelly; B Devlin 1-0 pen, O Dahunsi 0-2, L Agnew. Subs: A Turley for Tubridy 39min, A Monaghan for Kelly 39, B Nic Cathail for Agnew 47, N Jones for B Devlin 56, Aine Kelly for McKenna 56. Sunday was a bumper triple-header of LGFA finals as Tyrone then pipped Laois in the Intermediate while Dublin cruised to the Senior crown against Meath.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Brendan Cummins: 'We understand in Tipp, it's never as good or as bad as you think'
Bank Holiday Monday afternoon on the mountain and Brendan Cummins is back among familiar faces. He spent years coming to the Cooley Peninsula, often smack bang in the middle of All-Ireland campaigns with Tipperary, with one goal in mind - to chase down Ger Cunningham's record of seven All-Ireland Poc Fada titles. Cummins equalled Cunningham in 2013, stretched it out to eight and then nine titles before competing for a final time in 2019. That was until Monday when, after an invite from Martin Donnelly, in his 30th year as competition sponsor, Cummins agreed to do battle with the 5km course again. For a 15th time in total, he reckons. He finished a creditable seventh of the dozen competitors, three places ahead of Louth's Darren Geoghegan. "Would you believe he (Geoghegan) used to be carrying the flags for me and watching where the balls were landing when I was coming up here competing years ago," smiled Cummins. The fire still burns brightly in the former Tipp goalie who was frustrated that half the 5km Annaverna Mountain course was deemed unplayable due to high winds. He had a figure in mind for total pucks that he wanted to beat. Kilkenny hurler Fionan Mackessy - whom Cummins previously coached when both were involved with Kerry - recognised that the Tipp man meant business and declined to tap him up for advice beforehand, as he had done before winning in 2023 and 2024. As for taking the title, and beating the likes of Mackessy, or eventual winner Colin Ryan, an All-Ireland SHC medallist with Limerick in 2018, Cummins hadn't quite carried that level of ambition with him up the M1. "If a 50-year-old starts beating 25 and 26-year-olds in a Poc Fada competition, they'd want to have a look at themselves," he said, referencing his landmark 50th birthday at the start of the summer. Brendan Cummins competing in the Senior Hurling competition during the M. Donnelly GAA Poc Fada All-Ireland Finals at Annaverna Mountain in the Cooley Peninsula, Ravensdale, Louth. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Around 300 were in attendance in Ravensdale for the annual competition and Cummins broke about even in the request-for-a-selfie count with former world boxing champion Bernard Dunne, a regular attendee and close pal of sponsor Donnelly. It has been the best of years for him and Tipp, with two All-Ireland hurling titles tucked away, one of those thanks in a large part to Cummins. He continued as U-20s manager and, just like 2019, the underage side managed to match the seniors by winning the All-Ireland. Keeping both teams at the top now, is the next challenge. "There's no doubt that when you have a sweet spot there with fellas going well and the young brigade coming through, that you have to make the most of it," said Cummins. "And that's what we'll try to do again. It might work again for us next year, and it mightn't. But we'll keep going, next year and the year after and the year after. And we'll win again, at some stage, but there's no guarantees when it'll happen. "Like, you couldn't say that the Tipp hurlers and the Tipp U-20s are guaranteed to even get out of Munster next year. You couldn't say that. And that's what fuels us all to get going again." Cummins, just in off the punishing mountain course with its giant peaks, valleys and ravines, knows more than most about how quickly sporting fortunes can rise and fall. "We understand the situation in Tipp, that it's never as good as you think it is, and never as bad as you think," he said. "Go back to Thurles last year and Tipp were beaten handily by Cork and everyone thought, 'This thing has blown up altogether'. They turned it around. I was delighted for Liam Cahill because he got wicked stick last year. "And that's the way it works as a manager, he understands that, we all do. But to turn it around, I'm delighted for him." Darragh McCarthy, Oisin O'Donoghue and Sam O'Farrell, key figures for Cummins' U-20s this year, all made significant contributions to the senior success. Cummins, U-20 manager since the end of 2021, has monitored their development closely. He sees more young phenoms potentially following their lead. "I can see right down through the food chain, as we'd call it, and there's lots of potential there," he said. "But we have to develop them and bring them on and accelerate that progress as quick as we can by using our experience as management, that's the trick."
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Louth Ladies boss Kevin Larkin bursting with pride after his side's All-Ireland victory
If truth be told, that enthusiasm has grown and on Sunday the Kildare man was bursting with pride in the press room under the Hogan Stand in Croke Park after Louth achieved their main goal for the 2025 season, winning the TG4 Ladies Junior Football Championship. 'That's all down to the players, what a group to work with,' said Larkin. 'I mean, everybody, all of Ireland saw it there. A penalty, five points down and the girls just kept going, kept going and we went in [at half-time] a point up. Like, there was 20 seconds on the clock and we didn't stop. 'We didn't try and slow it down. We could've slowed it down and gone in level but that again, the players called that on the pitch themselves, they're just a brilliant group.' Louth showed great character after giving away the early penalty, there was no panic and eventually they worked their way back into the game – a reflection of their resilience and mental strength, Larkin said. 'I've been saying it to the girls, their mental strength and their resilience is their biggest weapon,' the Louth boss said. 'They're just fantastic and even the control on the ball. Eimear Murray put in a tackle there when I thought Omolara Dahunsi was through…no, Eimear gets a hand in. Rachel Beirth did not give her player an inch. 'It's all over the pitch. I know obviously the forwards will probably get the headlines but everywhere, all over the pitch we were just fantastic.' At half-time Louth held a one point lead, Antrim got the opening score of the second half, but after that it was all about Louth as the Saffrons struggled to create chances while Larkin's side made the most of their opportunities to build up a five-point lead. 'Again it's players like Kate Flood, Eimear Byrne, who kicked a fantastic score, Mia Duffy - I just want to give her a mention, she did her ACL last year and I've never seen somebody work as hard to get back,' Larkin said. ADVERTISEMENT 'She's back in eight months and she ran on in Croke Park today and kicked a point. She's an inspiration for anybody who's injured like that to get back. But again, that's just the character we have in this team.' And what about the performance of Player of the Match, Céire Nolan? 'Listen, Céire is just, and I keep saying to her, she's the heartbeat of the team,' he said. 'I mean, who's stopping Ciara when she gets the ball? Absolutely nobody. I said to her, 'Céire, just go and win me the game please'. That was it. And she did.' There were some anxious moments for Louth near the end when Antrim reduced the deficit to two points, how did Larkin's nerves hold out?. 'I'm going to be honest with you, I couldn't watch it,' the Louth boss laughed. 'I actually couldn't watch it. I nearly closed my eyes until I heard the Hooter. I had confidence in the girls to get over the line but the final is always going to be like that. 'You know yourself, and Antrim have not lost a game all year so we knew they were always going to finish strong, so it was a delight to get over the line.' Looking at the Louth panel, a lot of them have previous success with the team and previous disappointments as well, but the players Larkin was able to bring back, Laura Collins, Shannon McLoughlin, and a few players have come back from serious injury, all played their part. 'Laura and Shannon have just been a dream this year,' Larkin acknowledged. 'Laura, the way she talks to the younger players, and Shannon's just a bundle of positivity. I've never met somebody more positive in my whole life and that translates out onto the pitch as well. She's just brilliant.' Having guided Maynooth Community College, where he is a teacher, to All-Ireland glory, how much did Sunday's victory mean to the Kildare man? 'It's great. My son was there, Fionn, and all my family were there,' he said. 'He came six weeks early so he gave us a bit of a fright, Jill [Mrs Larkin] recovered well and I wouldn't be able to come to train if it wasn't for her. She puts him to bed and stuff. She's my rock.' And as for the future for Louth? 'We'll enjoy the next few nights and we'll come back in a few weeks and reassess everything and hopefully kick on then in the intermediate.' Larkin said.
