Watch: Meet Dublin ladies football star Niamh Hetherton
She also talks about what life has been like in the post-Mick Bohan era and explains why she won't be joining the player exodus to Australia.
You can read the full interview with Niamh in this weekend's Sunday Independent and on Independent.ie.
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The Irish Sun
25 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Irish jockey slapped with ban after ‘appearing to ease his mount prematurely costing him first place'
He'd been enjoying a fine campaign until this two-week ban ROS RUN Irish jockey slapped with ban after 'appearing to ease his mount prematurely costing him first place' PATRICK O'Brien has been hit with a 14-day suspension after race stewards at Roscommon judged he'd "eased prematurely costing him first place" on Tuesday. The Irish rider jumped the last onboard Gaelic Des Chastys with a lead over the rest of the field in the 2m5½f handicap chase. 2 Gaelic Des Chastys (blue silks) was sent off the 100-30 favourite for the race Credit: @RacingTV 2 But he was beaten to the post by 16/1 shot It's Never Simple Credit: @RacingTV While O'Brien did use his whip twice after successfully negotiating the final hurdle, he neglected to use it over the last 50 yards. His Eric McNamara-trained gelding wound up being reeled in and overtaken by Martin Brassil's It's Never Simple - securing a 16/1 upset in the process. Racecourse stewards rejected O'Brien's explanation that he'd felt Gaelic Des Chastys "was not running on for use of the whip" when justifying why he'd relied only on hands and heels down the home straight. Ultimately, they deemed the 5lb claimer was in violation of rule 212A (iv) (a) in that he "stopped riding, costing him a better place". The stewards had initially called him before them "concerning where he appeared to ease his mount prematurely costing him first place". O'Brien's clean record was taken into account in the decision-making procedure with a 14-day suspension the outcome. In addition to that, he had to forfeit his riding fee. Up until Tuesday O'Brien's been having a stellar season with ten winners from his 92 outings. Among that total have been victories for star trainers Henry de Bromhead, Gavin Cromwell and Dermot McLoughlin. He'd ended up in the Winners Enclosure at last week's Galway Races thanks to Cleopatra's Needle for Harry Rogers. 'End of an era for Irish racing' - Patrick Mullins on Thurles closure and future hopes for re-opening at Galway races And only last month he'd steered Gaelic Des Chastys to fifth place at a Killarney handicap hurdle.
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Man told he would never cycle again to take on Tour de Munster bike challenge
A Limerick man who was told he would never be able to cycle again is taking on the Tour de Munster bike challenge to raise funds for charity. Conor O'Dea went from cycling competitively to being paralysed from the neck down after an accident seven years ago. But tomorrow, he will begin the 640km bike tour around the counties of Munster. Sport has always been an important part of Mr O'Dea's life. He had been a Gaelic footballer in his youth and took up triathlons in later life. In August 2018, while training for a triathlon event, he was involved in an accident. "I ended up having an impact off the back of a van headfirst, and I was thrown out onto the side of the road. I was whisked away to the local hospital, and I was unconscious for three days," he said. Mr O'Dea had a spinal cord injury and at first had no movement in his body below his neck. While in University Hospital Limerick, some tiny movements returned, and he was transferred to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin. Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, he said he was determined to focus on gradual improvement. "I made a conscious decision that I just was going to think positive and not dwell in any negativity. There's no point in looking backwards, there's nothing to be gained from it, and there's no point in looking too far forward either, because the further you look into the future, the more negativity." Over time, more movement returned to both his upper and lower body. "It's all about little incrementals, and I'm happy with the incrementals. That's all that matters. That's how I survive." A triathlon friend contacted him to suggest he could get a custom-built trike adapted to his needs. With the help of a local bike shop and charities, the idea became reality. "The first time I got the trike, and I went out my front gate there and turned down, I could feel the wind in my face. And that was a real sign of wow, ok, you're back on the bike." "I never thought I'd get this feeling again. I'm not an emotional fish, but that was close to it. It was incredible." Mr O'Dea said it has been easy to stay positive with the "amazing" support of his family, friends and carers. Tomorrow, he will begin the 640km Tour de Munster bike challenge. The four-day event raises funds for Down Syndrome Ireland. Joining him on the tour this year will be his care team, headed by Paula O'Keeffe, Bluebird Care Limerick, who first met Mr O'Dea at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. "Conor is definitely unique. Conor was very positive, which I suppose is the most prominent thing," she said. "When I did meet him first, he did say I am going to walk again. So I said ok, let's try that. And it's just been loads of different milestones Conor has met and surpassed. So it's great to be part of that." Ms O'Keeffe had not cycled a bike in 15 years, but after meeting Mr O'Dea, she signed up for her first triathlon. "He said if you do the triathlon, I'll go and see you coming in on the finish line. Now I had to learn to swim before we did it, so that was a bit of a challenge. But I said, look, if Conor can do what he can do, I can definitely manage to learn." While dealing with his spinal injury, Mr O'Dea has inspired people to take up challenges and has raised significant funds for charities. But he wears those achievements lightly. "I do get told that by people that I am inspirational, but I don't see it as inspirational," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, I haven't changed. I'm the same Conor before the accident as after the accident. I'm still training, I'm just doing different training." "I won't say it's no big deal, but that's the way I look at it. Now, if people want to take inspiration from that, perfect. But I don't look at myself in that light at all."
The 42
a day ago
- The 42
'People say to you sometimes, ‘God, that must be awful' . . . I'm lucky'
IT IS A fact now that many young women and men with serious ambitions of having inter-county careers in Gaelic games choose professions conducive to pursuing that goal. You see lots of teachers. Not many self-employed. Few working in jobs with shift work at their core. Nursing is one of the worthiest professions there is, but its long hours, the night work, the physical and mental demands, don't necessarily align with sporting excellence, training, rest or recovery. But Eimear Hayes finds the balance suits her, working in the A&E department at Newry's Daisy Hill Hospital providing context when dealing with the so-called pressures of playing at the highest level, such as for Armagh's Glen Dimplex All-Ireland premier junior camogie final at Croke Park on Sunday, against Laois [throw in 1pm, live on RTÉ2]. Thanks to the understanding of management, who have clearly wanted the Tullysaran defender in their ranks, work has never gotten in the way of camogie except for one year – 2020 – and that was her own call. It was Covid times. As a nurse working in the eye of the pandemic, Hayes did not feel that she could, in all conscience, go from the ward to the pitch, no matter what precautions were being taken. The price of that selfless act was watching on a laptop as her colleagues won the All-Ireland title, against Cavan at Kingspan Breffni. Of course she was delighted for them, and there is not even a hint of regret now. Indeed, in the spirit of all healthy dressing rooms, she is slagged as a hex, having played in three other finals – 2016, 2021 and 2022, when the Orchard's finest failed to get over the line. She takes that in fine heart too, and was ready to put her shoulder to the wheel once more, even after losing to Clare and Tipperary by a point at the penultimate stage of the last two championships. 'The one thing you want to be doing at the start of the year is that you want to be preparing for an All-Ireland final,' says Hayes. Advertisement 'So it's a bit of a relief after the semi-finals, we've got to where we have planned to be. There's a good buzz. It was two years in a row we'd been beat in the semi-final by the team that's went on to win it. So it was 100% a big relief now to get over the line. 'It's funny, the girls joke with me about (the finals won and lost) but thank God, that was great, it was brilliant that they won it when I wasn't there.' The laughter is natural, not forced. There is more to life and she sees that most days at work. 'The hours are not great in terms of trying to manage playing camogie. People do say to you sometimes, 'God, fair play to ya,' or 'God, that must be awful,' but I'm like, no, because if I didn't have camogie . . . I'm lucky enough that I can play it because if I didn't have that release, and I think it's the same for everyone in sports, to be able to go from work, from that environment to, yes, training hard, but having the craic with 25 other girls, you genuinely forget about it. 'Och, I suppose it does put into perspective what you're doing. On the grand scheme of things, you might feel a bit tired, but you know what? Actually, you're really not that bad off. 'Management is great. And I suppose that's the very definition of manager and management but they're very, very good. And I have appreciated so much, they've been so accommodating. And I've never once been made to feel, 'Oh you're missing this or missing that,' they've always been excellent.' In action against Laois earlier this year. Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO Lorraine O'Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO That someone of the calibre of PJ O'Mullan would come in as boss, just a few months after keeping Derry in the senior ranks, having stewarded the Oak Leafers' return to the big time, was a huge vote of confidence and another example, Hayes states, of the county board providing all they can to their camogs. She has relished the raising of the bar in all aspects but there was an impact, even before he came in. 'From the get-go, he's been incredibly professional, but he's been accommodating. He has basically pushed us to be better. He set standards maybe that, not that we're missing, but that we maybe didn't adhere to, or try our best to get to. In terms of training, he's not afraid to call us out which is an excellent thing. 'You go out every training trying to impress him, and every game, you try to impress them all — he has a great background team — because you know that they're watching. And they're not afraid to make changes. They're not afraid to make the hard calls. 'I suppose being a bit more high profile, for the younger girls, even me, there was a nervousness going out first night. You thought you really had to excel to try to impress him.' That is something indeed as Hayes is one of the most experienced members of the panel, one of five survivors from the 2016 group along with current captain Ciara Hill, Rachael Merry, Nicola Woods and Ciarrai Devlin. That is vital nous, given that there has been a huge turnover since last year, with she reckons, 13 players gone from 2024. That they have reached this stage is a huge achievement in those circumstances. The years roll by and she can't remember if it was a year or two before that she was called up. What is inarguable is that she turned 30 last month. Once more, the dressing room did what dressing rooms do. 'It took a bit of a while (to deal with it),' she jokes. 'I got a lot of grief from the girls. But you know what? They keep telling me it's just a number, but I don't know how I feel about that in the mornings after training!' This sounds like a very healthy, tight-knit group. You give it, you take it and you have each other's backs. Like any family. Hayes' focus on balance extended to going travelling with her partner in the latter half of 2022. Four months in southeast Asia, six weeks in New Zealand, six weeks in Australia and four months in South America. 'It was savage. And it definitely scratched an itch. I've had that period now and then you go straight back into focusing on camogie.' The Armagh camogie team. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO Which brings her back to Croke Park. Win or lose, Hayes will go into work dealing at times with life or death, and know that there are worse things than losing a match and better things than winning one. And that the core of life is the relationships in them, and that she and her friends gave their all standing shoulder to shoulder. That said, you take your joy where you can get it and winning would be brilliant. 'I suppose from a camogie perspective, there's 26 other counties or whatever that won't feature in an All-Ireland final. And I suppose you do have to look at it that from that side of things, that you're the lucky one to be building up to it. You've trained since November to be in this position, to put yourself in with a chance of winning an All-Ireland. There's nerves and you'd love to get on with it but you have to enjoy it too. 'The men being in the football final last year, the buzz after that semi-final, for a whole county to share, the joy and the buzz and the excitement that came within then two weeks in the lead-up, was just unbelievable. Obviously this is not at the same scale but in my own club, everyone is talking about it and wishing you well. So you have to embrace it and get on with it.' *****
