Heroes for evermore... how winning the Sam Maguire will change Kerry lives
It is doubtful any homecoming in GAA eclipses that which awaits the winners of an All-Ireland Championship title.
The cacophony of noise which greeted Kerry's plundering of the Sam Maguire Cup last weekend struck a chord with every family in the county and laid the belief that runners-up Donegal can now take a leaf from the Kingdom's book and go the distance next year.
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Belfast Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Kilcoo star opens up on how illness battle has given him fresh drive to taste success
He may have won All-Ireland, Ulster and Down silverware with his club, but even though he has rendered 13 years' service to the Kilcoo cause, Devlin is particularly keen to see his side extend their stay in the honours list. A viral infection restricted his involvement with Kilcoo earlier in 2025 and hospitalised him for a spell, which is one of the reasons why he is so eager to don the jersey again. Indeed, his appetite has been further whetted as Kilcoo brace to meet Bryansford in their Championship opener at Liatroim Fontenoys on August 25. Kilcoo are now under the management of Monaghan man Martin Corey and Tyrone All-Ireland winner Joe McMahon, with the experienced Paddy Crozier having a key role to play as well. For now, though, nothing is being taken for granted as Kilcoo set out to try and recapture the glory days they have experienced in recent years. 'There is no doubt that the club has tasted success, but we cannot sit back and bask in that,' points out Devlin. 'We are very keen to make further progress, and with a good management team in charge of operations, we feel that we can possibly make headway again. 'Obviously, other clubs will be keen to get their hands on the Down title, but we have to live with that.' The fact that Kilcoo have won six Down titles in a row has heaped a little more pressure on the side, but with some new faces having come in, hopes are high that the team might be able to extend their lucrative sequence. The fact that the team won Ulster titles in 2019 and 2021 and lifted the All-Ireland title under Mickey Moran in 2022 has further cemented Kilcoo's reputation as one of the most consistent teams in the country. But Devlin fired out a warning shot as his team prepare to step up their Championship preparations. 'The fact of the matter is that there are several teams in the mix who could potentially win the Down title this year, and you can be sure that we will not be resting on our laurels,' says Devlin. 'I certainly missed being involved in the action when I was out ill in the earlier part of the year and, to be honest, I am keen to make up for lost time. Obviously, competition for places in the team is particularly keen.' The Kilcoo side still carries considerable experience, with five members of the famed Branagan clan – Darryl, Niall, Aidan, Aaron and Eugene – joined by Johnston duo Ryan and Jerome along with Ryan McAvoy, Dylan Ward and Anthony Morgan among others. 'We will be ready for the Championship, and I just hope that we can extend our winning ways,' smiles Devlin.
Time Out
14 hours ago
- Time Out
LIV Golf is coming to Joburg and tickets are on sale now
Global golf phenomenon LIV Golf is officially teeing off on South African soil in 2026, and tickets are now available to get in early. From 20–22 March 2026, the highly anticipated tournament will take place at the prestigious Steyn City in Johannesburg, marking the league's first-ever event on the African continent and the latest step in LIV's international expansion. The exclusive early bird ticket window is now open at with three-day Grounds Passes and Club 54 Hospitality Tickets up for grabs. Expect more than just world-class golf with event organisers promising big-name post-play concerts, a festival atmosphere, and family-friendly entertainment over three action-packed days. Johannesburg will be home turf for Stinger GC, LIV's all-South African team led by major winner Louis Oosthuizen, alongside Charl Schwartzel, Dean Burmester, and Branden Grace. The hometown advantage will be real as the boys take on a star-studded field of 54 global heavyweights, including Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, and Cam Smith. The event also promises a proper South African flavour, from entertainment to hospitality, plus a seriously stunning backdrop. Steyn City 's championship course, designed by Nicklaus Design, offers dramatic scenery and top-tier facilities just north of Joburg. And with Dinokeng Game Reserve only an hour away, international visitors can catch the Big 5 between rounds. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) LIV Golf has made a name for itself by shaking up the sport, combining team and individual formats with live music, immersive experiences, and a vibrant, youth-driven approach to what golf can be. With Johannesburg now on the calendar, Africa officially joins the party. As Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie put it, 'No LIV event will be anything like this one.' With concerts, international stars, home-grown heroes, and a whole vibe, this is shaping up to be the most exciting golf event South Africa has ever hosted. Snag your tickets now and get ready for an unforgettable long weekend at LIV Golf South Africa in March 2026.
Belfast Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
How Armagh star is bringing a real sense of perspective into her side's bid to taste All-Ireland glory
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, night work and 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 (1.00pm, 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 Breffni Park. 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. '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 per cent 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 you,' or 'God, that must be awful,' but I'm like, 'No, because if I didn't have camogie'…' adds Hayes. '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. '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.' 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,' she says. '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 2024 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 in July. 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,' she says. 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,' she explains. '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 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.'
