Kerry's Clifford brothers announced to play the upcoming Amgen Irish Open Pro-Am
The Pro-Am is already boasting a star-studded line-up of sporting legends, with Ireland rugby star Josh van der Flier confirmed, alongside former internationals Johnny Sexton and Tommy Bowe. Event organisers say more celebrity participants will be revealed in the coming weeks, building anticipation for what promises to be an exciting day of sport and entertainment.
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Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Darragh Long: Ladies football has gone to a new level. We need our own Jim Gavin to look at the rules
In the months after Kerry's first All-Ireland ladies football title in over three decades, the duo who engineered it made a choice. The legacy at senior level was secure; what they could build beneath that was only beginning. Over coffee one morning, Declan Quill floated an idea to his former joint-manager, Darragh Long. The pair had been together for the famine-ending triumph of 2024. Now, they wanted to stitch something from the grassroots to the top. 'Dec leaned over and said we should do a camp,' recalls Long. 'I asked have we not enough on already? But at the same time, we were nobodies five or six years ago and the LGFA took a chance on us. We just felt, after talking it over for an hour, this was an opportunity to give back to an organisation we are very passionate about.' Long, son of former Millstreet and Cork All-Ireland SFC winner Denny and now Austin Stacks manager, had no connection with Quill before coaching. They came from rival Tralee clubs and first worked together with the Kerry LGFA minors. Midway through the 2019 senior campaign, they took over the county team. What followed was a Division 2 title, a Division 1 title and the ultimate prize. This week they ran a four-day camp for girls aged 12–16 in Killarney. It included a cast from the 2024 winning panel including selector Anna Maria O'Donoghue as well as players Síofra O'Shea and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh. 'We wanted it to be different from the typical camps or club camps that go on. We wanted to show the level of coaching. Our tag line is Laochra, it was for the young girls of Kerry and drew from the country. We've a girl from Ballyboden, two from Aherlow in Tipp, from Douglas in Cork. It's about giving them more insight into it all. Why are we doing each drill? How does this stuff translate to being a county footballer? 'We ended up with 120 girls at the camp which is brilliant and humbling. We have broken it down into attacking and defending aspects of the game. Eric McDonnell from the Belief Gym has come in for S&C, just the fundamentals for different age groups, an intro to the basics of it. 'Each day we did something different. Michelle O'Connor, the performance coach for Cork camogie in 2024 and 2023, did mental work. Claire O'Sullivan did a presentation on nutrition. We were blown away by the response we got.' Raising standards was the heartbeat of their tenure. Quill has spoken previously about their first night in Currans: 13 players on the pitch, a queue of others in the gym avoiding training. They needed drastic change. 'I had to hold Declan in place, he wanted to leave. He was flabbergasted by what was going on. What they were getting wasn't of the correct standard, he actually tried to walk away. I said, not that we are here for a purpose, but we have a duty to do this. This is where we are meant to be, we felt strongly that we could do something in Kerry, something special. 'We came from a low base. From fighting relegation to three finals in a row. We fought for everything. With that, the standard of the game has gone up hugely in the last few years. The AFLW drain is obvious, but it's a sign of the talent we are producing. While it is a bit of a drain, it is hard to tell a girl not to take up a professional lifestyle as well. Look for us, it was about doing everything we could.' That boom has brought the game to a new place. Now the game needs to respond. Long admires the lift the new rules have brought to the men's code and believes it is time for the LGFA to create a Football Review Committee of its own. 'The standard, the physicality has gone to a new level. We need our own Jim Gavin at the minute to have a look at the rules and tweak the physicality. The S&C has gone to another level across all teams. The game needs to catch up with that. 'I know other managers have spoken about it, the rules are behind the standards the girls have driven it to. It is only right we allow them to showcase their physical capability.' Long was a gifted player for the Rockies, and the opportunity to manage them was a dream come true. It doesn't require a different approach to what we brought with Kerry. The mantra is the same: strive to get better, day by day. 'The girls are like sponges. The Lorraine Scanlons, the Louises, the Aisling O'Connells, the questions they ask. All-Stars falling out of their pockets but the continuous hunger for learning was remarkable. Boys are different. Maybe it's the environment, development squads early, they probably think they know it all, but if they open their minds and ears, it's massive. 'I try not to be very different, it would be doing someone an injustice. I just want to be the best version of me, I think that is what the boys in Stacks get and it is the version that ladies got in the last few years.'
The Irish Sun
18 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Lee Chin draws inspiration from Tipperary's rapid rise as he vows Wexford can bounce back in 2026
CHIN UP Lee Chin draws inspiration from Tipperary's rapid rise as he vows Wexford can bounce back in 2026 THE light went out on Wexford's season much sooner than they had planned – but Lee Chin believes Tipperary's resurgence is proof of how quickly the darkness can lift. Having failed to record a Championship victory in 2024, Tipp won six on the bounce to be crowned All-Ireland champions last month. 2 Lee Chin of Wexford reckons they can bounce back after a poor 2025 season 2 Chin is certain they can gain promotion back to the top tier Wexford skipper Chin said: 'I just think that's what hurling is now. You have a team that potentially might not be at the level they desire one year and they win the All-Ireland the year after. "Tipperary have high standards and their ambition is to win All-Irelands. "I don't think those sorts of goals would have changed for them coming into this year, regardless of how the previous couple of years went. "To come out and go all the way was incredible to see. And of course it gives you some sort of light at the end of the tunnel to think that regardless of how your year went, you can still turn things around the following year.' A win over Kilkenny in May was ultimately irrelevant for Wexford as the game was already a dead rubber. Their Leinster SHC campaign also yielded victories over Antrim and Offaly. Yet the Model men came up short of a top-three finish due to costly defeats to Dublin and Galway. Speaking exclusively to SunSport ahead of his involvement in the 2025 Hurler for Cancer Research match, Chin reflected: "We had to wait for other results to come our way by not getting the victory up in Salthill and obviously the Dublin game had left us under pressure as well. 'If you'd managed to get a win there, you would have put a bit of comfort in your way. Unfortunately we weren't able to go to either of those two venues and get a victory. "We kind of had to keep ourselves out of the relegation picture come the game against Offaly. The Kilkenny game was an odd one then because we knew that was the last day we'd hurl for 2025.' With 20 minutes remaining in their Parnell Park clash with the Dubs, Wexford were in the driving seat with a three-point lead. Scottie Scheffler suffers major blow ahead of PGA Tour playoff event after $43 million season earnings are revealed But a significant moment that turned the game in favour of the hosts was Seán Currie's penalty. While replays showed that the sliotar had not crossed the line, a goal was awarded by ref Michael Kennedy nonetheless. But Chin insisted: "Obviously when things like that do occur, you have to just suck it up and move on. After the game when you reflect, you can be very frustrated. "But as time moves on, you accept that these things happen and that's just sport. 'You get on with it. It's just foolish to be thinking about what could have been. At the end of the day, we didn't do enough in that game against Dublin. "We just need to improve. There are a lot of other areas that we needed to be better in on that day. "Just conceding too many goals, too many scores and ourselves probably as a forward line didn't really get into any sort of a rhythm through the Championship. "There are a lot of things we just need to address in terms of our performances. We can't really put it down to one incident or two incidents. We've got to be accountable for our own performance. We've just got to go searching for better." Next season will be Chin's 14th as a Wexford senior hurler. And with the county board this week proposing that Keith Rossiter be ratified to remain in charge for 2026, the veteran forward reckons they still have the right man at the wheel. He said: "I suppose we've gone through various different changes over the last number of years. As a county and especially as a player who's been around for a while, the one thing you want is continuity. 'You don't want change occurring all the time because any manager who comes into a project like ourselves, they want a year or two to bed in, to figure out players and who's in Wexford. "And obviously just to get everything in order for themselves. 'For someone like me, if that were to start all over again, that's probably not something I have time on my side for anymore. "If change was for the betterment of Wexford, I'd obviously support that. But for ourselves at the moment, we know what quality Keith brings. 'The county board are probably confident in that too and that's the reason he's going into his third year. I'm delighted that's happening." PROMOTION PUSH As well as reaching a first Leinster SHC final since the triumph of 2019, promotion back to the top tier of the National League will be among Wexford's top priorities in a year that will mark the 30th anniversary of their last All-Ireland win. And with Tipperary showing what is possible for teams who have lost their way, Chin is adamant that Rossiter's side can also turn a corner. The Faythe Harries man, who turns 33 in October, said: "I think a lot of teams are capable of bouncing back positively with how much they have at their disposal in terms of preparation and organisation and how detailed managements can be. "It's just fine lines and narrow margins with results or decisions that cause you not to get out of Leinster or Munster. "Small things can cause you to end up on one side or the other and it can make it a completely different year for you. "This was just a year that we were disappointed in. Our ambition would be to get back to Leinster finals and compete and go into an All-Ireland series. 'It wasn't to be and it's something that we'll look to rectify. Obviously getting relegated in the league didn't help with confidence either. "But we'll put our heads down over the winter and we'll work hard on sorting out a few things that we need to address. Hopefully we'll have found the improvements coming into 2026." *LEE CHIN will be one of the stars on show in the annual Hurling for Cancer Research match. Supported by Centra, it takes place at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow on Monday at 7.30pm. Tickets – priced €10 for adults and €5 for children – are available from selected Centra and SuperValu stores, as well as online at
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Kerry FC shock nine-man Cobh Ramblers to reach last eight for the first time
FAI Cup: Kerry FC 2 Cobh Ramblers 0 Colin Healy's Kerry FC saw off nine-man Cobh Ramblers in Mounthawk Park on Friday to reach the last eight of the FAI Cup for the first time in their brief history. It belied their respective league positions with Ramblers in second place behind leaders Dundalk in the First Division while Kerry FC are struggling in eighth position. Cobh Ramblers had lost only one of their five league game while Kerry FC had just one win. But cup football is a different ball game and goals from Cian Brosnan and Joe Adams helped Kerry to a comfortable 2-0 victory after John O'Donovan's opening-minute red card made what looked like a good chance for Ramblers to reach the quarter-final stages a nightmare. Ramblers' misery was rather summarised by captain Shane Griffin's dismissal for a dive at the beginning of injury time. Less than 60 seconds after kick-off Ramblers were reduced to 10 men. John O'Donovan struggled to deal with the pressure of chasing Brosnan and turned the ball over to the Kerry attacker. With Brosnan through on goal, O'Donovan chose to take him down, which left referee Aaron O'Dowd no choice but to send the Cobh defender off. It took Kerry just seven minutes to take advantage of the extra man. Brosnan capped off a wonderful opening spell with the game's opening goal. It was a left-footed volley off a breaking ball at the edge of the area that he could not have caught any sweeter. Ramblers began to enjoy a little bit of possession as they looked to level the tie. However, Kerry were comfortable at the back with the extra man, as Mick McDermott's men were unable to muster up an effort on target before the first half came to a close. They kept the pressure up and came within inches of a leveller 10 minutes into the second half. Cian Murphy latched onto a Bargary cross but was denied superbly by Matthew Connor in the Kerry goal. Just after the hour mark, Kerry doubled their lead. Once again, it came from an unnecessary Cobh mistake as Iestyn Hughes pushed Joe Adams to the floor inside the corner of the box. The Kingdom's Welshman stepped up and drilled the spot-kick into the top left corner. Kerry will now go into the hat for the quarter-final draw on Tuesday in what is sure to be a historic fixture for the Kingdom. Kerry FC: Matthew Connor; Kevin Williams, Samuel Aladesanusi, Chris McQueen, Niall Brookwell, Sean O'Connell; Oran Crowe, Carl Mujaguzi, Ronan Teahan; Cian Brosnan, Robert Cleary. Subs: Joe Adams for Aladesanusi (53), Finn Barrett for Brosnan (65), Ryan Perez for Barrett (87) Cobh Ramblers: Timothy Martin, John O'Donovan, Cian Coleman, Shane Griffin, Jonas Hakkinen; Niall O'Keefe, Harvey Cribb; Shane Griffin, Barry Coffey, Cian Bargary; Cian Murphy Subs: Iestyn Hughes for O'Keefe (60), Dylan McGlade for Bargary (72), Matthew Whelan for Murphy (72), Rhys Gourdie for Griffin (81), Samuel Bellis for Coffey (81) Referee: Aaron O'Dowd
