Drogheda Boxing Club now has a fighting chance as former EBU champion Eric Donovan appointed head coach
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bowling: Young hotshots the highlight of five Munster finals
Munster bowling fans will have an incredibly busy weekend if they are to take in all five Munster finals from Friday to Sunday afternoon. Cathal Creedon against Eoin O'Donovan in Saturday's Junior C final at Derrinasafa is the prime attraction. These are two really impressive young players. Creedon contested the Munster u18 final earlier in the Summer and was part of the all-conquering Irish youth team at last year's European championships. O'Donovan is a few years ahead of him and is also a burgeoning talent. He won the Munster Novice B in October 2020, but, because of covid-19, had to wait almost a year to contest the All-Ireland series in September 2021 in Aughagower. Both come into the final with a nice mix of form and a few hiccups to keep them grounded. Creedon secured his place through a last shot win over Conor Lucey at Ballinacurra. He opened as if he would totally dominate the contest. He got a huge first shot and was almost at the church in two more, raising a bowl of odds. Lucey played a fine fifth shot to Foley's which brought the lead under a bowl. He was pushed back on his heels though, when Creedon got a big shot to the gas line to take his lead well over a bowl. Creedon kept the lead at or close to a bowl in the shots past Perrott's. Lucey gained traction with a good bowl to the GAA field and a brilliant bowl towards the bridge won him the lead. Creedon only beat Innishannon cross with his next one. Lucey hit back with another big bowl to the silver gate and he now was almost a bowl in front. Creedon pulled that back to just five metres with a great bowl onto the straight. He followed up with a huge bowl past the finish line. Lucey was left with his reply and missed the tip. O'Donovan needed a late rally too to see off Michael Ahern in the other semi-final at Curraheen. They were level after five each to light at Ryan's. Ahern went over the bridge in two more to go almost a bowl in front. He held that with his next two to the riding school. O'Donovan closed the gap dramatically with a great bowl from there. He followed with another big one to Richard's lane which won him the lead. Ahern nosed back in front with a fine bowl past Lane's. O'Donovan had the last word with a super last shot through the cross and past the line. Kevin Ó Crualaoí and Padraig Scanlon have a chance to test each other over the same Curraheen course, when they face off in Sunday morning's Munster Novice A final. In the semi-finals Ó Crualaoí got the better of David O'Brien at Shannonvale and Scanlon dismissed Tom Cronin in Béal na Marbh. O'Brien led well after four to McSweeney's. Ó Crualaoí closed the gap with a good fifth. But the defining bowl of the score, was his scintillating shot to Buttimer's pillars. O'Brien missed that well and then missed Desmond's cross. Ó Crualaoí went out to go a bowl in front. He scorched to Campbell's lane in just five more to keep his lead at a bowl, which was more than enough to see him home. Scanlon was engaged in a very tight contest with Cronin in the early exchanges at Ballyclough. He won the first significant lead with a big fifth shot up the hill. He was a bowl in front after two more to the end of the railing. He then comprehensively beat a big bowl from Cronin onto the straight. He raised almost two bowls of odds with his next one. David Minihane and Michael A. Cronin will contest the Novice B final at Grange on Saturday. Minihane's opponent, Alan Murphy, pulled up injured in their semi-final at Clondrohid. Cronin gave a five-star display in the second half of his semi-final win over T.J. Holman at Templemartin. The first final of the weekend is between Liam Kearney and Billy Healy in the Novice C decider at Newcestown on Friday. Kearney led all the way against Barry Coughlan at Inch. Healy held off a late rally from Eoin Hurley at Baile Bhuirne in his semi-final. Pa Daly and Cathal O'Sullivan contest the Novice D final at Ballinacurra on Saturday. Daly pulled off an unlikely win against Mark Bourke, thanks to a big second last shot at Ballyclough. O'Sullivan beat Mikey O'Callaghan by a bowl in the other semi-final at the Clubhouse. Maria Nagle beat Ciara Buckley in the last shot of the Gretta Cormican Cup at Newcestown. In the Tim Foley Cup at Templemartin, Cillian Kelleher beat David Hegarty in the last shot, with Kenneth Murphy two bowls behind.
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Shamrock Rovers sign multi-year deal to extend relationship with ticketing firm
Future Ticketing, which says it is Ireland's industry leader in offering digital ticket services, has assisted the Tallaght-based club to process key data and services. The agreement, which is an extension of a nine-year relationship with Shamrock Rovers, helped enable the planning of a new family focused North Stand at Tallaght Stadium, informed by in-depth understanding of the club's demographics, it said. Future Ticketing's chief marketing officer Ann Marie Guinan said the key breakthrough between the partners was the development of an app for the club. 'We were delighted to work with Rovers to improve the fan experience,' she said. 'We have helped the club automate its workload and the development of the bespoke Shamrock Rovers digital ticket app was a real breakthrough in ensuring that the seamless digital transformation coincided with enhanced fan loyalty.' According to Future Ticketing, Shamrock Rovers were the early adopters of a 'game-changing' technology called Dashboard Connect. This allowed the club to host home and away ticket sales, prioritising loyal fans and guaranteeing ticket-holder visibility. Shamrock Rovers' head of business operations Ross Cullinane said: 'Since 2016, Future Ticketing has been a key strategic partner for Shamrock Rovers, supporting us through a period of sustained growth. 'From record attendances at Tallaght Stadium to major European fixtures, Future Ticketing's technology has allowed us to scale seamlessly while delivering a smooth, high-quality experience for our supporters.' The club highlighted Future Ticketing's application programming interface (API), which allows different software to work more effectively and gives the club the ability to integrate ticketing with every part of their digital infrastructure. 'That flexibility has enabled us to streamline operations, improve decision-making, and enhance how we engage with fans,' Mr Cullinane said. Future Ticketing's headquarters are in Co Offaly, and it has offices in Manchester and Edinburgh. It describes itself as the leading ticketing solutions provider for clubs in the League of Ireland, the Northern Ireland Football League, and the Scottish Premiership and Championship.
Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Drogheda Boxing Club now has a fighting chance as former EBU champion Eric Donovan appointed head coach
Former European champion Eric Donovan says he's looking forward to doing his bit towards breathing new life into Drogheda BC after being appointed head coach at the Moneymore-based club.
