Latest news with #Ballyboden
Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Timeline: Cup finals, Europe and league glory - Damien Duff's time at Shelbourne
The news on Sunday of Damien Duff's decision to quit Shelbourne has rocked the League of Ireland, where his profile has helped to lift the domestic game to new heights. Capped 100 times for Ireland and a two-time Premier League winner with Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, the Ballyboden ace took on his first senior management role when he was appointed as Shelbourne boss. But it wasn't a straightforward recruitment process and it required some convincing by Shels officials before he stepped up from his academy role. It turned out to be a great appointment as the club improved season-on-season under Duff, but their struggles this year in the defence of their Premier Division title took a toll on the 46-year-old. After last Friday's defeat to Derry City, he laid into his players in an explosive interview. And on Sunday morning, he told his squad of his decision to step down. Reds officials, having convinced him to change his mind and take the role in the first place, will attempt to draw another u-turn from the Boys in Green legend. Here's a look back at his time in coaching and management so far. Having cut his coaching teeth in the Shamrock Rovers academy, with the Ireland Under-15s, Celtic's reserves and then first-team, Stephen Kenny's senior Ireland side and finally Shelbourne's Under-17s, Duff took over from Ian Morris to become the Reds' first-team manager. He turned down the role at first but was convinced to change his mind. On his appointment, he spoke of his fondness for coaching at youth level, but added that he was keen to 'build something' at Shels. Duff was taking over a newly promoted side. Shels, under Morris, won the First Division title, but the club wanted a change at the top. His first competitive game in charge was a 3-0 home defeat to St Patrick's Athletic, but he won his second game, away to Drogheda United. Shels finished seventh in the Premier Division, but they reached the FAI Cup final, beating Bray Wanderers, Bonagee United, Bohemians and Waterford along the way. A first piece of silverware remained elusive, however, as Derry City hammered the Reds 4-0 at the Aviva Stadium. Shels' league form improved greatly in season two under Duff and they finished fourth in the Premier Division. Third placed St Patrick's Athletic's FAI Cup win meant their league place was enough to secure Europa Conference League football. It was the club's first time back in European competition in 18 years. In the FAI Cup they could not match the performance of the previous year and exited at the first time of asking, in a 1-0 defeat to Bohs. Duff looked set to leave Shelbourne during the club's brief spell under the ownership of Hull City's Turkish owner Acun Ilicali. He became majority shareholder in June of that year, but under Ilicali there was uncertainty over Duff's future at the club. Duff, whose contract was up, claimed that he did not know what was happening behind the scenes and there was uncertainty over who had control of player recruitment. Amid fan anger at the potential departure of their manager, Ilicali handed back control of Shels at the end of the season and Duff signed a new deal. A season Shels supporters will never forget. The Reds made a blistering start to the new campaign, winning six of their first seven games, and remaining unbeaten until their 10th match of the campaign - a 2-1 defeat to Bohemians. That start helped them navigate a sticky run-in, during which they claimed just one victory in 10 games before returning to form and winning their final three. A 1-0 win in Derry on the final day, thanks to Harry Wood's late goal, saw off a resurgent Shamrock Rovers and earned Shels their first title in 20 years. In the FAI Cup, Shels lost to Derry City in the quarter-finals, while in Europe they made it past St Joseph's of Gibraltar in the first qualifying round, winning 3-2 on aggregate, but lost out in the second-round to FC Zurich (0-3). The year started well for the champions. A President's Cup win over Drogheda United signalled that more good times were ahead. And they kicked off their campaign with back-to-back wins against Derry City (3-1) and Waterford (1-0), before drawing against Shamrock Rovers and Galway United. A first defeat of the term came against Drogheda, but their struggles were largely down to a series of draws - nine in 22 games to date. Only Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda have lost fewer games than Shels so far. With a Champions League campaign looming, and in the wake of Friday's defeat to Derry City, Duff made the shock decision to step down from his role.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The GAA Social Ray Cosgrove. Dublin superstar, walking away under Tommy Carr. Dubs 2025. Missing that free
King of the celebration, a proper Dublin superstar who had to wait seven years for his breakthrough season. Wins, bringing Dublin back from obscurity and in 2002 finishing joint top scorer- but missing that crucial free v Armagh. What could have been. What is the ultimate embarrassment for any Gaelic footballer? Tommy Carr brought Ray Cosgrove on as a substitute in Croke Park, 1999 Leinster final. He was then taken off. Cruel. Their relationship pretty much ended and Ray couldn't play under Tommy again. Kilmacud Crokes is his club, but the children line out for Ballyboden now. Dublin players signing outside players is an issue "That's always been there" we also look ahead to the games this weekend, including Dublin against Derry. It's honest, funny and an illuminating account of one of the most recognisable Dublin footballers over the past 25 years.
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Pope Leo XIV in Ireland: Unassuming and personable, he answered emails on the friary stairs
On Thursday evening, every Augustinian friary across the country erupted in cheers. Their former prior general, but more importantly, their brother – known to them as Bob Prevost – had been elected pope. Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV , visited all the Irish Augustinian friaries about every four years during his tenure as their international leader from 2001 to 2013. He is seen as unassuming, kind, personable, intelligent, but unafraid to assert authority when needed. The wifi was terrible when he visited the Ballyboden Augustinians in Dublin . Discovering that the best reception was on the stairs, the prior general of a religious order found in some 47 countries camped there for the afternoon to answer emails. When offered a chair, he courteously replied that he was fine on the stairs. But if there was joy in the friaries in Dublin, Dungarvan, Cork, Drogheda, Fethard, Galway, New Ross and Limerick, I was assured that there would not be a chicken left alive in Chiclayo, Peru , as the locals celebrated their former bishop. READ MORE On the understanding that I would not name him in The Irish Times, one Augustinian suggested that the speculation about whether Pope Leo XIV was a liberal could be answered by one question. When did you last meet a liberal canon lawyer who studied in the Angelicum, the Dominican College in Rome? The Church was never going to elect Che Guevara as Pope. According to this Augustinian, the key to the former Bob Prevost is not a somewhat meaningless liberal-conservative frame, but understanding the distinctive role played by South American bishops, characterised by closeness to their people, service and justice. Technically the first North American pope, he is better understood as the second South American pope. Pope Leo XIV's heart is not in the Chicago of his birth, but Peru. He broke with tradition not to speak in English, but Spanish. The friars have been WhatsApping a photo of him on ponyback, complete with a traditional Peruvian saddle and blanket. He looks totally at home. He is in tune with Pope Francis but no clone. For example, wearing the traditional papal garb , including the distinctive red cape called a mozzetta, which Francis declined to do, was a subtle sign of independence. The mozzetta symbolises the compassion of Christ for humanity when he sacrificed his life. His choice of Leo XIV echoes Pope Leo XIII's commitment to dialogue with the world, the deployment of diplomacy for peacemaking, the complementary roles of science and religion, and workers' rights to form unions, receive just wages and work in dignified conditions. [ Why the next Pope should be ... Leo Opens in new window ] The popes named Leo include five saints. The first, Leo the Great in the fifth century, was declared a doctor of the church by Pope Benedict XVI, so significant was his positive defence of Christian orthodoxy. The first Leo also persuaded Attila the Hun not to sack Rome and the Vandals to spare most of the art and architecture. In a world beset by war, unrest and polarisation, our new Pope Leo used the word 'peace' nine times in his first, short, handwritten address. He mentioned accompanying, walking together and encountering nine times, and building bridges three times. He quoted St Augustine: 'With you I am a Christian, for you a bishop.' In the sermon where the quote originates, Augustine speaks of the terror and burden of his office as bishop, which would be impossible without God's grace. Significantly, Augustine says: 'It consoles me more that I have been redeemed with you than that I have been placed over you.' The quote indicates that the new pope sees his role as walking together with all the baptised. He has expressed a particular wish to be close to those who suffer and has lived that in his commitment to the poor of Peru. [ Who is Robert Prevost? The American cardinal who is the new Pope Leo XIV Opens in new window ] Pope Leo XIV is embarking on one of the world's loneliest and most criticised roles. There are already criticisms of his role in historical sex abuse cases in Peru, allegations that he did not do enough, particularly from three women who say he never opened an investigation into their cases, and their abuser was never suspended from ministry. The Diocese of Chiclayo strongly disputes the allegations. On the other hand, in a Sky News interview, Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean victim of clerical sexual abuse in Chile who became extraordinarily close to Pope Francis, declared himself hopeful, grateful and happy to see Robert Prevost elected. How will Pope Leo be received in Ireland? Once the most fervent Catholics in Europe, many are cynical and disillusioned with the church and not remotely interested in a new pope. To have an impact in Ireland, Pope Leo XIV will have to show total commitment to rooting out the evil of sexual abuse in the church and holding bishops and church leaders accountable. He will have to speak of faith in terms accessible to everyone, but also not water down the challenge of belief. His fellow Augustinians are not alone in looking forward to and praying for the pontificate of their astute, understated brother with the heart of a lion when it comes to serving others.
