Latest news with #AmhránnabhFiann
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Minute's silence held at Croke Park for mother and children killed in Maguiresbridge
Vanessa Whyte and her two teenage children were honoured with a minute's silence at Croke Park on Sunday, just moments before throw-in at the All Ireland senior football final between the Donegal and Kerry men's teams. Ms Whyte (45), her son James (14) and daughter Sara (13) died following a fatal shooting at her Maguiresbridge home in Co Fermanagh earlier this week. Emergency services were called to the address via a 999 call from within the house, shortly before 8.30am on Wednesday morning. Ms Whyte, who was recently promoted to a senior veterinary role within the Department of Agriculture, was pronounced dead at the scene alongside Sara. James later passed away from his injuries at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen. The PSNI confirmed their lines of investigation include a suspected triple homicide and attempted suicide. Maguiresbridge vigil takes place as book of condolence opens at young shooting victims' former school Ian Rutledge – father to the teenagers and husband to Ms Whyte – is believed to have suffered self-inflicted gunshot wounds and is currently in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. He is the main suspect in the killings. On Sunday afternoon, just before the Irish national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, was played at Croke Park, an image of Ms Whyte, Sara and James was displayed on the stadium's main large screen, and the crowd led a minute's silence tribute for the three family members, who were dedicated players and fans of the GAA. Text on the screen at Croke Park read: 'Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha' – which translates from Irish into English as: 'May their souls be seated on God's right hand.' All three were 'beloved and active' members of St Mary's Maguiresbridge Gaelic Football Club and Lisbellaw Hurling Club. The hurling club said that Ms Whyte was 'first and foremost a devoted mum to James and Sara and they were the centre of her world'. A spokesperson added: 'James came to us at four years old, miles ahead of his peers in his ability and skill. He was a quiet, cheeky lovable rogue and at the same time a leader for his teammates as their captain a number of times over the years. He came up through the ranks with a small group of very close friends who forged a bond that will be forever remembered. 'Sara followed up a year later and even when she was the only girl on the team this didn't phase her, she could hurl with any of them. She was quiet but by no means a pushover and could stand up for herself on the pitch. She was gutted when the rules meant she couldn't continue to hurl after under 12 and there was no camogie for her to play. "Even after finishing playing, she was the boy's main supporter at every game, pucking the ball alongside them. Every function or event we held she was always Mam's right hand woman ready to run here and there as needed. We will all miss her quiet presence and lovely smile.' Meanwhile, a separate tribute from St Mary's GFC reads: 'Vanessa's devotion to her family and our games was well known, but to say she wore her heart on her sleeve seems like an understatement in Vanessa's case. Vanessa's heart was there for everyone to see each and every time James and Sara would take to the pitch. She had a passion for our games that encompassed everything good about the GAA showing dedication, sportsmanship, and camaraderie, and it was clear to see how Vanessa instilled these same values in her children. 'Captain of our U14 team this year, James' energy and drive was the heartbeat of our team and he had the confidence to be vocal and show leadership to younger team members. "During games his enthusiasm and strength of character was only echoed by that of Vanessa and Sara who would inevitably be cheering him on from the sideline. At training, those of us lucky enough to be involved would see James the joker. "His playfulness and sense of humour may have earned his teammates more push-ups than they would've like on occasion, but his light-hearted nature and kindness always enhanced team morale and made our time together all the more enjoyable and memorable. 'A part of our ladies club, Sara displayed a mix of quiet resolve with dogged determination. An exceptionally well behaved girl, Sara was a joy to be around and always had a smile on her face. Like Vanessa and James, Sara shared a love of all things GAA and their beloved County Clare, a regular source of playful goading, which we will now forever miss. 'Our club has lost 3 treasured members, and our community has lost 3 great personalities. It will take time to come to terms with this loss and our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose lives they have touched.' Ms Whyte was originally from Co Clare, and was an avid fan of its inter-county hurling team also. A prayer service will take place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Ms Whyte's home village of Barefield tonight at 7pm.
Irish Independent
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Anika Thompson strikes gold as Nicola Tuthill wins silver at European U-23 Championships
Thompson, a student at the University of Oregon, turned in a superb performance in the 25-lap event, breaking her Irish U-23 record by 23 seconds and hitting the line in 32:31.47, with Germany's Kira Weis (32:36.52) and Carolina Schafer (33:04.43) following her home. 'I'm overjoyed,' said Thompson. 'Track and field is a sport of process and hard work and every day, I gave 100pc for moments like this. I'm so grateful for all my family, friends and coaches who support me. The plan was to feel it out, go by instincts. I trusted my gut and I knew I had every tactic in the bag.' Thompson played a patient game in the race, tracking Weis as the leader hit halfway in 16:16, with Thompson surging to the front with just over two laps to run. She cranked up the pace soon after and broke clear on the final lap, becoming just the second Irish gold medallist in the 28-year history of the championships after Sophie O'Sullivan in 2023. Thompson was raised in Oregon but qualifies to represent Ireland through her Cork grandparents, competing for Leevale AC in national events. The 22-year-old had finished 11th in the same race two years ago and it was a special kind of pride getting to stand atop the podium and hear Amhrán na bhFiann. 'I live in the United States but my whole family is in Ireland,' she said. 'I grew up going to Ireland every summer and it was a dream of mine to represent Ireland. So this really means a lot to me. "My grandad (Dan Joe Kelleher) passed away last fall, my Granny Maria is over there from Cork and it is such an honour – I'm so grateful for her support. "I grew up watching Sonia O'Sullivan, Ciara Mageean, Donie Walsh. It was always a dream of mine to represent Ireland at European Championships and hopefully others in the future.' It was the 12th Irish medal in the 15 editions of the championships to date and soon after, Tuthill earned number 13, winning silver in the hammer – the first ever medal for Ireland at this grade in a field event. The 21-year-old Cork athlete launched her leading throw of 70.90m in the fourth round, but had to settle for second behind Germany's Aileen Kuhn, who threw a PB of 72.53m. Bronze went to Valentina Savva of Cyprus with a national record of 70.22m. 'I'm delighted, second was where I was ranked and that's where I came,' said Tuthill. 'I'm always looking for a little bit more but these medals are so hard to come by so I'm delighted to get one. 'I'm not overly happy with my series of throws, I know there's more in me, but it's still another throw over 70 and in a major championship like this, where there's nerves and everything that comes with it, I'm delighted.' The UCD student became an Olympian in Paris last year and last month, she broke her own Irish U-23 record with 71.71m in Finland – behind only Eileen O'Keeffe's 73.21m on the Irish senior all-time list. She will be back in action next week at the World University Games in Germany. On Saturday, the leading Irish medal hope in Bergen is Nick Griggs, who races the 5000m final at 5.30pm Irish time. However, the Tyrone athlete will come up against Dutch star Niels Laros, who should cruise to victory having run a 3:45.94 mile to win in Eugene recently. Meanwhile, there will be strong Irish interest at the London Diamond League with Rhasidat Adeleke, Sarah Healy and Mark English all competing. Adeleke will hope to ignite her season after some sub-par outings over 400m in recent weeks, the Dubliner dropping down to 200m where the big favourite is her training partner, the Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred. Adeleke is the Irish 200m record holder via the 22.34 she ran in 2023, while her season's best is the 22.57 she ran in Florida back in April. Healy has been enjoying the best season of her career and she will have Ciara Mageean's national record of 4:14.58 in her sights when she lines up in the women's mile, where Olympic medallists Jess Hull of Australia and Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia are the favourites. English will face a red-hot field in the 800m, the Donegal man enjoying a breakthrough season at the age of 32, having dipped under 1:44 for the first time when setting the national record of 1:43.92 to win in Hengelo last month. After a 1:43.98 clocking in Paris in his last outing four weeks ago, he has put in a block of altitude training and will be eyeing another Irish record in a field that includes Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and previous world champions Marco Arop and Donavan Brazier. Ireland will also have a team in the women's 4x100m, where the national record of 43.80, set at the 2018 Europeans in Berlin, could be under threat.
RTÉ News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Watch: Should the national anthem be mandatory in school?
Sinn Féin's Conor D McGuinness has called for the national anthem to be included on the school curriculum. He said it was "shameful" that it is not currently mandatory to teach Amhrán na bhFiann in primary or secondary schools. Mr McGuinness said the national anthem is taught in many schools "because teachers choose to include it". The Department of Education said that while teaching the song is not mandatory, there are "clear pathways" for it to be included. It added that it is a matter for each individual school. We asked people in Dublin's city centre if they know our national anthem, where they learned it and if they think it should be a mandatory to teach it in schools.
The Journal
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Should all schools in Ireland teach the national anthem?
SINN FÉIN'S CONOR D McGuinness TD has called for Amhrán na bhFiann, Ireland's national anthem, to be a mandatory part of the school curriculum. The party's Rural Affairs spokesperson has described the exclusion of the national anthem in schools as 'shameful' and an 'undermining of Ireland's republican heritage'. Advertisement In response to a Parliamentary Question from McGuinness, Minister for Education Helen McEntee confirmed that it is not compulsory for schools to teach students the words to Amhrán na bhFiann. Instead, it is left to individual teachers to decide whether or not to teach it. So, tell us what you think: Should all schools in Ireland teach the national anthem? Poll Results: Yes (1551) No (125) Unsure (41) Yes No Unsure Vote
RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Call for mandatory teaching of national anthem
A Sinn Féin TD has called for the national anthem to be included on the school curriculum. Conor D McGuinness said it was "shameful" and "outrageous" that it is not mandatory to teach Amhrán na bhFiann in primary or secondary schools. He said it is a "clear sign of how little respect this Government has for Ireland's republican heritage". In a statement, Deputy McGuinness said the national anthem is taught in many schools "because teachers choose to include it". "It is not guaranteed," he said. He added that Amhrán na bhFiann is a "basic expression of national identity and civic belonging". Not on primary school history curriculum In response, the Department of Education acknowledged that the current primary school curriculum for history does not "specifically mention the national anthem". However, it said frameworks provide "clear pathways" for schools to include Amhrán na bhFiann as part of "broader learning about Irish history and identity". It said it is a matter for each school to decide to teach the song as part of its programmes. The Department said schools can choose to teach the song as part of some strand units. There are also opportunities for teachers to include the song in history, Irish and music classes at post-primary level. "The Department recognises the importance of national symbols, including Amhrán na bhFiann, as valuable educational tools for fostering civic pride and historical awareness," it said.
