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Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Meet the Irishman playing at the Club World Cup against Bayern, Benfica and Boca
Dylan Connolly knows he's not supposed to have days like these, not as an amateur footballer who has to shoehorn training sessions into his busy working life. But sometimes you just strike it lucky and today the Celbridge lad has arrived in America to take on some of the world's biggest teams in the FIFA Club World Cup. From Celbridge in Co Kildare, the 25-year-old will be the sole Irish competitor in the expanded tournament that now incorporates 32-teams. He plays for New Zealand's most successful club, Auckland City, and the amateur side have been drawn in the same group as Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors and Benfica. Champions League winners PSG, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus and Porto are among the other heavyweight clubs involved in the tournament. 'It's absolutely bonkers, and still hard to believe,' Connolly told Mirror Sport as he ramps up preparations for Auckland's opener against Bayern Munich on June 15. The Bundesliga champions are bringing their catalogue of stars to America and right-back Connolly will be part of a defence tasked with keeping Harry Kane quiet. 'It's one of those things that as you're saying it now, it still doesn't sound real,' said Connolly when asked about trying to do a job on the England international. Veteran striker Edinson Cavani - once of Manchester United - is still punishing defences for Boca Juniors, the giants of Argentina and Diego Maradona's old club. And it won't be lost on Connolly that Greece international Vangelis Pavlidis led the way for Benfica this season after smashing 19 league goals in 34 games in Portugal's top flight. Connolly said: 'Don't get me wrong, we're going to try our best as we've prepared so well and put so much into it. We want to give the best account of ourselves as possible. But we also have to consider that these are some of the very best players in world football. The experience and opportunity to share a field with them is every amateur footballer's dream. 'You're watching their games on TV at the weekend going 'wow, I could be on the pitch with them in a few weeks'. Not many amateur players get to say that, especially in a competitive game that both sides are going to take seriously. That makes it even more special. It's not a charity game or a friendly match, it's a big game in a big competition. ' Last year, Mirror Sport caught up with Connolly when he was playing in the Oceania Champions League in Tonga, for a club based in the Cook Islands called Tupapa Maraerenga. In April of this year, he returned to the Oceania Champions League with his new club Auckland City and ended up winning it outright in the Solomon Islands. Football has taken Connolly to some far flung destinations since leaving these shores, where he played U17 League of Ireland football for Shelbourne and Drogheda United. At senior level, he represented Lucan United in the Leinster Senior League and his younger brother, Aaron Connolly, is one of Athlone Town's key players. From Ireland to tournaments in Spain, and New Zealand via the Cook Islands and Tonga, Connolly is now in America for games in Cincinnati, Orlando and Nashville. And in September, it looks like he will be off to Africa to play in a FIFA Intercontinental Cup qualifier as the African Champions League winners are due to play Auckland City. 'It's unbelievable but as an amateur footballer you always have that wish growing up as a kid that you will play in something like this,' he said of the Club World Cup. 'I turned 25 last week and you think that opportunity is over and that you've missed the boat on the professional scene. So to have something like this, while still being an amateur, is just incredible and scarcely believable. 'I just want to contribute to the team, give it a go and make it something to remember. If you could go back a few years when I decided to move to New Zealand and told me this would happen in a couple of years, I'd have said you were crazy. This doesn't happen to people, so I know it's a once in a lifetime opportunity.' The entire New Zealand league is amateur but as they settle into their Tennessee base, Auckland City will shed that mindset and adopt the most professional of approaches. They have two warm-up matches pencilled in and will then fly to and from their group games against Bayern Munich in Cincinnati (June 15), Benfica in Orlando (June 20) and Boca in Nashville (JUne 24). Connolly admits it's a world removed from the day-to-day grind of amateur football in New Zealand's top flight, where you juggle work demands with the beautiful game. What's certain is that the galaxy of stars on display at Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors didn't have to book time off work to play in this Club World Cup. That is their job and Connolly said: 'I'm a physiotherapist and I work as a contractor in a sports clinic. I also work as a football coach with a private academy. That's almost turning into another full-time job at the minute. A lot of my life is taken over by football and I'm either training, coaching or doing physio with athletes. It's really busy and I've tried to cut down on work this year because of football but it's difficult as you have to earn a living.' Connolly continued: 'All of our players are in different positions, depending on the jobs they have. I'm lucky that I work for myself as a contractor. I can take time off and with the football coaching we have other coaches that can come in and I can oversee that from abroad. 'Some of the lads are in university and have had to get special exemptions from exams to travel to America. Other lads working in jobs are taking annual leave and unpaid leave which is crazy as I doubt too many players are asking for time off work to go to the Club World Cup. 'But if you ask any other amateur footballer in the world if they would do it, of course they would. We're definitely not complaining but it's just a different world to what the professional players are facing. The best thing about the sport is that anything can happen and you just have to go out there with that attitude. On the day, it will be hard to avoid the big names but we'll be going out to follow a game plan, give it 100% and whatever happens, happens.' And Connolly added: 'We'll get what we deserve to get, but for the next couple of weeks it's about getting the head down and trying to give the best account of ourselves. Will an amateur team ever play in this competition again? I'm not sure, so we have to go and grab it, enjoy it and live the experience.'
Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Irish Times
Challenge brought over alleged unauthorised erection of gates blocking access to Castletown House
A community group has claimed in the High Court that a set of gates allegedly blocking public access to a period house and its estate in Co Kildare is an unauthorised development. Save Castletown Committee CLG claim the gates and connected fencing, erected by the owners of a 235-acre parcel of land within the historic demesne of Castletown House in Celbridge, are blocking public vehicular access to the house and grounds via a road known as Gay's Avenue. The committee is seeking an order requiring the owners to remove the gates and fencing, on the grounds that planning permission was not obtained for their erection. According to court documents, Save Castletown Committee was established in September 2023 after the Office of Public Works did not acquire the 235-acre parcel of land. READ MORE It was instead acquired by a group of related companies, the respondents in the action: Celio Properties Ltd, Kilross Properties Ltd, Liffey Bridge Homes Ltd and Springwood Properties Ltd. The privately owned parcel makes up part of the Castletown House demesne, while the State-owned part of the includes the grounds on which the house itself is built. On Monday, Save Castletown Committee's counsel John Rogers SC, appearing with Peter Leonard BL and instructed by FP Logue solicitors, said his side were looking for 'some priority' in seeking a hearing date. Appearing for respondent parties, Michael O'Donnell BL said Kildare County Council considers the erected gates to be an exempted development. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys listed the case for an expedited hearing date, set for late July. In a sworn statement, Fintan Monaghan, chairperson of Save Castletown Committee, says that the public has previously 'enjoyed habitual access' to Castletown House via Gay's Avenue. It connects an access point to the house to the northern entrance to the historic demesne, which is close to the M4 motorway. The erection of the gates and fencing has blocked all public vehicular access to the house and demesne grounds, Mr Monaghan claims. 'The lack of vehicular access has significantly limited the ability of the public to habitually access this recreational and tourist amenity,' he says. Mr Monaghan says that the ongoing blocking of access to Castletown House at Gay's Avenue is having a 'severe impact' on the local community. He claims the gates obstruct the primary route from the M4 motorway to the demesne, and could potentially delay emergency medical services from reaching the northside of the demesne, or accessing the demesne via the M4 in a timely manner. The gates could also impact tourism and recreation at Castletown House, Mr Monaghan says, and threaten the financial viability of the house. This could have a knock-on effect on local business, he says. Mr Monaghan says his group's purpose is to promote public access to the Castletown House estate, and the reunification of the historic demesne lands. '[Save Castletown House] believes that Castletown lands are of vital historical, cultural, and ecological significance for the community of Celbridge and Leixlip, and therefore considers that they should be in State ownership for the use and benefit of the people of the area and for the State as a whole,' he says.
BreakingNews.ie
12-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Legal challenge over alleged unauthorised gates blocking access to Castletown House
A community group has claimed in the High Court that a set of gates allegedly blocking public access to a period house and its estate in Co Kildare is an unauthorised development. Save Castletown Committee CLG claim the gates and connected fencing, erected by the owners of a 235-acre parcel of land within the historic demesne of Castletown House in Celbridge, are blocking public vehicular to the house and grounds via a road known as Gay's Avenue. Advertisement The committee is seeking an order requiring the owners to remove the gates and fencing, on the grounds that planning permission was not obtained for their erection. According to court documents, Save Castletown Committee was established in September 2023 after the Office of Public Works did not acquire the 235-acres parcel of land within the historic demesne of Castletown House. The land was instead acquired by a group of related companies, the respondents in the action: Celio Properties Ltd, Kilross Properties Ltd, Liffey Bridge Homes Ltd and Springwood Properties Ltd. The 235-acre, privately-owned parcel makes up part of the historic demesne of Castletown House. The State-owned part of the historic demesne includes the grounds on which the house itself is built on. Advertisement On Monday, Save Castletown Committee's counsel John Rogers SC, appearing with Peter Leonard BL and instructed by FP Logue solicitors, said his side were looking for 'some priority' in seeking a hearing date. Appearing for respondent parties, Michael O'Donnell BL said Kildare County Council considers the erected gates to be an exempted development. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys listed the case for an expedited hearing date, set for late July. In a sworn statement, Fintan Monaghan, chairperson of Save Castletown Committee, says that the public has previously 'enjoyed habitual access' to Castletown House via Gay's Avenue. Gay's Avenue connects an access point to the house to the northern entrance to the historic demesne, which is close to the M4 motorway. Advertisement The erection of the gates and fencing has blocked all public vehicular access to the house and demesne grounds, Mr Monaghan claims. 'The lack of vehicular access has significantly limited the ability of the public to habitually access this recreational and tourist amenity,' he says. Mr Monaghan says that the ongoing blocking of access to Castletown House at Gay's Avenue is having a 'severe impact' on the local community. Ireland Environmental group brings court challenge against... Read More He claims the gates obstruct the primary route from the M4 motorway to the demesne, and could potentially delay emergency medical services from reaching the northside of the demesne, or access the demesne via the M4 in a timely manner. Advertisement The gates could also impact tourism and recreation at Castletown House, Mr Monaghan says, and threaten the financial viability of the house. This could have a knock on effect on local business, he says. Mr Monaghan says his group's purpose is to promote public access to the Castletown House estate, and the reunification of the historic demesne lands. '[Save Castletown House] believes that Castletown lands are of vital historical, cultural, and ecological significance for the community of Celbridge and Leixlip, and therefore considers that they should be in State ownership for the use and benefit of the people of the area and for the State as a whole,' he says.
Irish Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Castletown House: Vandals cause more than €500,000 of damage amid dispute over right-of-way access
Some time over the May bank holiday weekend vandals entered a temporary Office of Public Works (OPW) depot at Donaghcumper House, overlooking the river Liffey in Celbridge, Co Kildare . They first cut the wires to the house's CCTV units, then overturned four vehicles and dumped a cherrypicker into the river. The cost of the damage is estimated at €500,000, which could rise to €700,000 if the vehicles have to be replaced. Donaghcumper House was bought by Kildare County Council earlier this year with a view to creating a linear park along the Liffey, but it was bolted up and out of bounds to the public last week, with security at the gate. The OPW was using it as a temporary depot in advance of the proposed reopening later this month of Castletown House, which has been at the centre of a major dispute over right-of-way access. READ MORE The main access road into Castletown House in Co Kildare has been blocked off to traffic for a year The Castletown estate consisted of 800 acres. It was sold off in pieces, with the house and some land transferred to the OPW in 1994. Since then, the OPW has been steadily buying up land that formed the historic demesne, acquiring 227 acres so far. The main vehicular access point was off the M4, and the car park, which accommodated some 250,000 cars annually, was located near the house. The M4 entrance was part of private land owned by Janus Securities. The OPW made a strong business case to the Department of Public Expenditure to purchase the lands. In September 2022 it argued: 'Ownership of this key access route might provide considerable leverage to a new owner, either through a refusal to renew the State licence for access or through an unjustifiably high increase in the licence fee charged for access.' The OPW tried to buy the land privately in 2021, but was outbid when it was put for sale in 2023. It was bought by Kildare-based developers Killross Properties, owned by Lar McKenna, and Springwood for more than €5 million. The Castletown Gate Keepers want Lime Avenue (pictured) to remain exclusively a pedestrian walkway for visitors to Castletown House and grounds Negotiations over a licensing agreement between the OPW and the owners broke down over the issue of public lighting and insurance. The OPW and community's worst fears were confirmed on May 11th, 2024, when the developer erected a barrier across the M4 entrance and blocked all private vehicular access to the demesne. The entrance is now padlocked and bolted, with 'no trespassing' signs outside. This has led to an ancillary dispute between some local campaigners and the OPW, which now uses Lime Avenue, the pedestrian entrance to Castletown House, for vehicular access. Originally, the OPW agreed to its vehicles accessing the site with somebody walking in front of them, but it has since decided this is no longer financially or operationally feasible. Instead, a buggy escorts OPW vehicles up the lane. The Save Castletown Gate Protectors community group say Lime Avenue is used by parents with buggies, children learning to ride bicycles and people in wheelchairs and there must be a return to the original walking escort agreement. They keep a constant vigil in a blue tent at the entrance to Lime Avenue while the grounds of Castletown are open. These are still open to pedestrians but the gates are locked at 5.30pm, another source of grievance for local people who feel they are being shut out of their park during daylight hours. There are no less than 11 organisations involved in trying to restore the status quo at Castletown House, and they are united in horror at the recent vandalism. 'This wasn't a few kids in the woods who had a few cans and decided to have a bit of fun,' said Vinny Monaghan, chairman of the Project Castletown campaign, about the recent vandalism. Whoever did it, he said, knew what they were doing and knew the impact it would have. Local resident Treasa Keegan added: 'Castletown is the Phoenix Park of north Kildare, it always has been. It is the back yard of every person in Celbridge and Leixip. We absolutely have to protect and preserve it. 'I have been on the phone for the last 24 hours solid. I haven't eaten, I've barely slept. I have had conversation after conversation with the people and everybody is numb with shock, disgust, anger and frustration.' Áine Tobin, a campaigner, said local people were grateful for the efforts OPW staff have made to reopen the house. 'To target the workers like that is not on and it's not nice. I don't know who did it. The amount of damage done is horrific.' Those who spoke to The Irish Times, and locals who posted on the various social media platforms, are adamant that none of their members had anything to do with the vandalism. The OPW has been back on site preparing for the reopening of the house later this month. Staff were being taken by bus from Donaghcumber House to the Lime Avenue entrance and walking the rest of the way, or driving if in service vehicles. Talks scheduled for Monday with the Minister of State responsible for the OPW, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran, who is determined to succeed where his predecessors failed in resolving the dispute. Artist Fifi Smith said locals have proposed a possible solution to the issue of vehicular access to Castletown, using a car park in the Kildare Innovation Centre. She and local campaigners had been urging the OPW to apply this for 18 months, but she said 'they have been very lethargic in response to that'. Mr Moran told RTÉ's Morning Ireland last week that he expects a planning application to be submitted in relation to a new car park in the coming weeks. Ms Smith says a new car park could go a long way to resolving the dispute. 'All they need to do is to agree some details about how the traffic goes up and down the avenue and give a firm undertaking that Lime Avenue will be simply a pedestrian entrance. At the same time, they should be proactive about providing the car park which has been laid out for them.' The issue could be resolved, campaigners believe, if the State used compulsory purchase powers on the lands involved. However, the OPW says that is not a matter for it. Alternatively, campaigners believe, the State could invoke the Heritage Act to ensure the M4 side is reopened. The developers did not respond to requests for comment.
Irish Times
07-05-2025
- Irish Times
Vandals cause €500,000 worth of damage to OPW site used to access Castletown House
Vandals caused more than €500,000 worth of damage to Office of Public Works (OPW) property over the bank holiday weekend. Four OPW vehicles were overturned and damaged along with four CCTV towers, which were smashed at Donaghcumper House, Celbridge, in Co Kildare. Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Kevin 'Boxer' Moran described the criminal damage as 'shocking' and 'unacceptable'. Nearby Castletown House, one of the most architecturally significant Palladian-style country homes in Ireland, was closed in 2023 in a dispute over a right of access to its lands , which are a popular place for local people to walk. READ MORE Private land within the estate was sold to a developer who closed off an entrance and car park near the M4 to the public and to the OPW. OPW staff returned to Castletown House on April 10th for the first time in two years, with a goal of opening the house to the public at the end of May. However, they were unable to access the site because of a dispute over the right of access at Lime Avenue. OPW staff have been using Donaghcumper House as a base. Between April 22nd and 30th, a number of incidents took place at the Donaghcumper House site, including fire damage to outbuildings and staff welfare facilities. This escalated last weekend with the vandalism of the vehicles and CCTV towers. Vandalism caused at the OPW site at Donaghcumper House, near Castletown House, in Celbridge, Co Kildare. Photograph: OPW Two of the groups involved in restoring the right of way have condemned the incident. The Save Castletown Committee said it was 'shocked by the news of arson attacks. Save Castletown Committee would like to take this opportunity to express our solidarity with staff and those affected by these attacks'. A view of Castletown House in Celbridge, Co Kildare The Castletown Gate Protectors posted on their Facebook page: 'We are shocked and deeply saddened by the news this evening about the extensive criminal damage to OPW property at Donaghcumper House. We condemn any such action in the strongest possible terms and hope those responsible are brought to justice swiftly.'
