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Belfast Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Linfield boss David Healy outlines main reason Larne let slip League crown… and it's not fixture chaos
Linfield manager David Healy says he believes that Irish League sides can still reach the group stages of major European competition and challenge for the Premiership title despite Larne's struggles in the 2024/25 season.


BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
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BBC Elaine Nelson from Glenarm Rowing Club says this year's event is one of the biggest to date The coastal County Antrim village of Glenarm has this weekend hosted the All-Ireland coastal rowing championship. The last time the yearly event was held in Northern Ireland was in 2013 when rowers descended on Carnlough, just around the coast from Glenarm. Organisers believe over 10,000 people have attended this year's three-day competition. Thirty-six rowing clubs are participating with 550 crews, attracting rowers from all over the island of Ireland. The championship features rowers of all ages Elaine Nelson from Glenarm Rowing Club says the event has grown since beginning in 1992, adding this year's event is one of the biggest to date. "Because we are so big now, Carnlough couldn't accommodate us," she said. She says while hosting the championship is great news for Glenarm, it is even better for the wider community and the tourism industry as people are booked "as far and wide as Belfast, Carrickfergus, Ballycastle and beyond". Doireann (right) described the gold medal she won as "the cherry on top" The championship features rowers of all ages with an under-12's category and a legend's category, which is for those who are 60 plus. Visiting teams were certainly enjoying the sunshine and the comradery at the event. Sister and brother Doireann and Colm Kelly of Flesk Valley Rowing Club in Killarney enjoyed some sibling rivalry as 14-year-old Colm told us that 16-year-old Doireann had won a gold medal in one of her races. "He'll have to work really hard now to prove himself now," Doireann laughed, adding that it was hard work but the gold medal was "the cherry on top". George Livanos from Kilmacabea Rowing Club in Cork says he's "coming back" to Glenarm George Livanos from Kilmacabea Rowing Club in Cork described the water conditions as "perfect". He said he had never visited Glenarm before but said he was, "coming back, especially if it's this sunny all the time ... which they've told me it is". For those who were visiting within Northern Ireland, it also proved a popular day out. Mervyn Wallace, who lives nearby, was spending his second day at the championship with his son-in-law Lionel Date Mervyn Wallace who lives nearby was spending his second day at the championship with his son-in-law Lionel Date. "We were here yesterday and the craic and the atmosphere was absolutely superb, and so we came back today again." Coastal rowing will soon make the world stage with Beach Sprint Rowing, a version of coastal rowing set to feature in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.


BBC News
19 hours ago
- BBC News
'Sockgate', face-offs and Gibson goals
The second set of fixtures of the new Irish Premiership season may have seen only four matches played rather than the regular six, but Saturday's action still managed to throw up its fair share of talking Rangers and Glentoran established themselves as the pacesetters at this very early stage of the 2025-26 campaign as both clubs made it six points from six by securing home wins over Glenavon and Bangor Cliftonville and Coleraine played out a goalless draw at Solitude, while Portadown defeated nine-man Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park for their first victory of the new Sport NI looks at some of the main takeaways from the weekend's quadruple-header. Defences 'box clever' after 'sockgate' Ultimately, some of the talking points around the eagerly anticipated 'match of the day' between Cliftonville and Coleraine surrounded events before the game and during the half-time interval of Saturday's heavyweight encounter in north the run-up to kick-off it emerged that Coleraine had neglected to bring their match socks to Solitude, with a representative of the Bannsiders having to be hastily dispatched to a local sports retailer to acquire the necessary footwear, in dark blue to avoid any potential clash of colours with their after a first half which saw both sides barely able to land a glove on their opponents, supporters were treated to a half-time face-off in the centre circle as boxers Matty Boreland and Ruadhan Farrell squared a Coleraine supporter, and Cliftonville fan Farrell, will meet on the undercard of the Lewis Crocker-Paddy Donovan rematch at Windsor Park on 13 the pitch, Magilton's men and Higgins' charges slugged it out after some early sparring, but neither was able to find a knockout blow and had to settle for a share of the the array of attacking talent on display, including Joel Cooper, Matthew Shevlin and Joe Gormley, defences were largely on top and goalmouth action mostly at a Curran came close to scoring for the home side while substitute Gormley believed the challenge which helped prevent him scoring in the dying moments was metaphorically 'below the belt' and should have been punished with a penalty. Cliftonville still chase their first win of the season, while Coleraine fans retain high hopes that their club's investment will continue to allow them to 'punch above their weight' in comparison with previous years and add to their solitary previous Irish League title success in 1974. Gibson among the goals again The race for the Gibson Cup may be very much in its infancy but the name of the trophy which is awarded annually to the Irish League champions was well to the fore on Gibson's first-half goal at Taylors Avenue proved enough to condemn Glenavon to a second straight league defeat, the former Glentoran striker making it three goals in two games after contributing a double in the stunning opening day comeback success against Carrick frontman applied the finishing touch to Paul Heatley's delivery and has now racked up 40 goals in 90 appearances for the side. The victory secured manager Stephen Baxter's first back-to-back league wins in charge of the east Antrim club on a playing surface which he described to listeners of Radio Ulster's Sportsound as "lively and bumpy"."I'm very pleased to get off to the start we have but it's very early days. We have a new squad and it takes time to get them playing the way we want them to," said Baxter, whose team only retained their Premiership status via the end-of-season play-off in asked if he was concerned that his side's early momentum may suffer from the postponement of Tuesday's scheduled league meeting with Linfield, the former Crusaders manager explained that he was happy with the fixture being delayed as his players "needed a rest".Glenavon, meanwhile, travel to Glentoran in midweek still searching for their first point of the new campaign. Dungannon more Gibson goals Dungannon's disappointing start to the campaign continued as they went down to a comprehensive 4-1 defeat by Shamrock Reds took significant early steps towards clinching their first points of the new season by moving 2-0 ahead and, despite Sean McAllister pulling one back from the penalty spot, late second-half goals from new signing Jordan Gibson ensured the win for Niall Currie's Swifts' cause was not helped by the dismissal of skipper Gael Bigirimana for a high challenge on Eamon Fyfe late in the first half followed by substitute Leo Alves receiving a red card for two bookable offences in quick losses and seven goals conceded, with just one goal, a spot-kick, scored, does not represent the start manager Rodney McAree will have been looking for as he sets out to build on the Irish Cup success, fourth-place league finish and European qualification that his team achieved last season. '1-0 to the Glentoran...' Successive 1-0 triumphs in their opening two matches of the season is hardly enough to see Glentoran labelled with the terrace chant associated with the efficient Arsenal side who picked up the knack of winning games by the single-goal scoreline in the 1990s. However, everyone associated with the Oval outfit will take those opening 1-0 wins over Portadown and Bangor very nicely as a potential springboard towards building a Premiership title won just nine of their previous 24 home league games prior to beating the Seasiders, manager Declan Devine will hope that Saturday's victory at the Oval, courtesy of a goal from recent acquisition Ryan Cooney, will also provide a platform for improved results on their home patch in the top tier this the match, Devine told Sportsound listeners that he was "pleased with a lot of the football his side played" and "there were a lot of good individual performances".The Glens boss pronounced himself particularly happy with the displays of two of his other summer signings - Jordan Stewart and substitute Liam Burt - who made a positive impact off the bench after overcoming a long-term hip Bangor's part, they defended resolutely for much of the game, but Kyle Owens' error when misplacing an attempted back-pass proved decisive and provided a stark reminder for the Seasiders, if one were required, of how mistakes are ruthlessly punished in the top division, following their curtain-raising 3-1 win over Cliftonville last weekend.