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Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Irish Times
Community in ‘shock' as boy (7) who died after getting into difficulty off Sligo beach is named
A young boy who died after getting into difficulty in the sea off Lissadell Beach in Co Sligo on Saturday afternoon has been confirmed as seven-year-old Alan Singh from Ballisodare, Co Sligo. The alarm was raised by members of the public at about 3pm when they saw the child in difficulty in the water. Singh was a second-class pupil at St John's National School, Ballisodare, which has instigated its critical incident management policy. Sligo councillor Tom MacSharry said the community is in 'shock at such a young boy losing his life in such tragic circumstances'. READ MORE 'His family, friends, classmates and teachers are all in our thoughts and prayers,' he said. 'We were just celebrating two new Blue Flag status beaches at Enniscrone and Rosses Point beaches last week, but we'll certainly have to urgently review the safety measures at all beaches in light of this tragedy,' he said. People who were on the beach on Saturday afternoon told The Irish Times the child was brought back to shore by some paddle boarders before two off-duty nurses carried out CPR on him until a paramedic winchman from the Coastguard's search and rescue helicopter landed. They were joined by Gardaí and ambulance paramedics. The boy was airlifted to Sligo University Hospital where he later died. There was an air of disbelief among campers and beachgoers at Lissadell Beach on Sunday, who said conditions were calm and the tide was out on Saturday afternoon. The beachgoers said they did not realise anything was amiss until they saw the helicopter landing on the beach. Even then, many were excited, thinking it was just a training exercise. Voitek Stachyra was looking through his telescope at the time when he noticed four adults doing CPR on someone in the distance. . 'We saw one of the gardaí running across the water. We thought the person was going to be okay. There were so many paramedics there. They took the boy into the helicopter. He was this size, tiny,' he said, pointing to his own seven-year-old son Peter beside him. He approached an ambulance paramedic afterwards, who was crying, he said. He showed photos from his telescope of the paramedics and helicopter on the beach. Voitek Stachyra and his son Peter, from Belfast were in the area when a young boy got into difficulty in the water off Lissadell Beach in Co Sligo on Saturday afternoon. Photograph: Sorcha Crowley Another witness, Ryan Burns, said he wished he had seen the child so he could have helped. 'I would never have thought something like that could have happened here. Everybody was shook ... It's so sad.' A man from Bundoran visiting Lissadell with his wife and six children for the weekend said they were playing dodge ball in the water when the tragedy occurred. 'We've been coming here for years ... We've been to every beach in the country and this is by far the safest we feel, genuinely,' said the man, who did not want to be named.
Irish Independent
18-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
White Hag aims to beat Trump tariffs by shifting some of its production to brewery in US
The White Hag Brewing Company plans to beat US import tariffs by brewing some of its beer within America under licence, with its Co Sligo brewery continuing to supply domestic and other international markets. The company has an agreement with an independent pilot brewery in Milwaukee as it sets up distribution to bars in the US, thanks to word-of-mouth referrals through the Irish pub community. Bob Coggins, a co-founder of White Hag said the move could give the beer business an 'edge over brands there already'. 'This is 101 of going to get around the tariffs,' he said. 'At the moment, some brands have said they are going to stop completely, even though the tariff conversation is constantly in flux.' Ireland's alcohol industry is particularly exposed to tariffs in the US, one of its most lucrative export markets. Irish drink sales to the US were worth €865m in 2024 making up 41pc of the sector's exports, according to Bord Bia. Irish beer exports increased by 2pc in 2024 to reach an estimated €325m. The North American market was worth €65m, up 8pc on the year. Fears over US tariffs have had a stark effect on some Irish alcohol players. Last week, the Sunday Independent reported that the vast majority of distillation in Ireland had been paused, with US tariffs among the leading factors. On the tariffs, Coggins said he was hopeful the EU could secure a trade deal with the US, potentially ending the current 10pc levy Irish beer imports face in America. 'We're all at the mercy of the mad ideas coming out of the US administration at the moment, but I think we will settle back in a place not far from where we were six months ago,' he said. 'Hopefully, we'll end up in a like-for-like situation. In the meantime, it does us no harm to be brewed within the borders.' Coggins said White Hag recently sent a container of 'high-value' beers – such as stouts and sours – across the Atlantic before tariffs kicked in as part of plans to expand into the US market. ADVERTISEMENT In the US, White Hag will brew two of its core beers under licence to service Irish pubs and the general craft beer market. It is sending over brewers and is using hops grown in the US. Its brewery in Ballymote, Co Sligo, will continue serving domestic and other international markets, including France, Italy and the UAE. Brewing in Milwaukee would also allow it to reduce the cost of expanding in the US 'It's similar to Heineken being a Dutch brand but brewing in Cork,' he said. 'We work with an independent pilot brewery in Milwaukee, and they're brewing the beer for us, and we're getting going with distribution.' Beating US tariffs wasn't the only reason for the move by White Hag. Coggins said brewing in Milwaukee would allow it to reduce the cost of expanding in the US and provide fresher beer in a more familiar keg style to American publicans. The entrepreneur said: 'We're reaching out to the Irish bar community. We've had people from all over the States contact us already – just through word of mouth, friends of friends, etc. We're gaining traction through the Irish diaspora'.
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Irish Times
Young boy dies after getting into difficulty in water in Co Sligo
A young boy has died after getting into difficulty in the water off Lissadell Beach in Co Sligo on Saturday afternoon. Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of the incident. The boy was airlifted by the Irish Coast Guard's search and rescue helicopter Rescue 118 to Sligo University Hospital, where he has since died. An Garda Síochána said investigations are ongoing and a file will be prepared for the Coroner's Court.
Irish Independent
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Bryson DeChambeau wins LIV Korea as teenager Doyle does Cork double
The reigning US Open champion carded a six-under 66 to Howell's blistering 63 to win the individual title by two shots as his Crushers edged past Smash GC to win the team title. "Charles and I had a great battle out there," said DeChambeau, who finished on 19-under. "He never wavered today. It was fun, and we had a great time today, but it was intense. Super-intense." Talor Gooch was third on 14 under, while Graeme McDowell tied for 20th on four under after a closing 70 to help Smash GC finish second in the team battle. Jon Rahm's Legion XIII quartet finished joint fifth with Holywood's Tom McKibbin 47th in the 54-man field on four-over after a 72. In amateur golf, John Doyle (17) won at Cork Golf Club for the second time in the nine days when he made eight birdies in a sensational six-under 66 to win the Munster Stroke Play Championship by a shot. After claiming a wire-to-wire win in the Irish Boys Amateur Open, the Fota Island star was two shots off the lead after 36 holes and five behind Dundalk's Eoin Murphy with a round to play after a third round 73. But he saved the best for last at Little Island in the afternoon, sandwiching a lone double bogey six at the eighth between birdies at the first, second, fourth, sixth, 11th, 12th, 13th and 17th in a joint-best of the week, six-under 66. He won by a shot on six-under 282 from Knock's Ross Latimer, who bogeyed the last for a 70, and Murphy, who shot 72. Co Sligo's TJ Ford was fifth on 284 after a final round 70 while Carton House's Keith Egan closed with a 66 to finish a shot further back in fifth alongside Portmarnock's James Temple. Co Louth's Stuart Grehan followed rounds of 71, 71 and 70 with a 74 to finish seventh on two-under as defending champion Paul Coughlan took seven on level par. ADVERTISEMENT 'It feels nearly better than the first,' Doyle said of his win. 'I'm just really, really happy to have won this. 'It was different to last week because I had a five-shot deficit instead of a five-shot lead, so I was chasing a lot. I'm just really happy that I was aggressive, and it paid off for me. It's just a really good round to be fair.' In the 59th Lytham Trophy, Malone's Matthew McClean (31) finished tied for third behind Frenchman Hugo Lee Goff at Royal Lytham and St Annes. The former US Mid-Amateur champion followed a level par 70 in round three with a closing 73 to tie with Scotland's Andrew Davidson, England's Max Hopkins and Welshman Matt Roberts on eight-over 288. They were three strokes behind recently crowned Spanish Amateur Open winner Le Goff, who followed a morning 72 with a four-under 66 to win by one stroke from Lindrick's Tom Osborne on five-over 285. Athenry's Davit Kitt was joint 14th on 294 with Connemara's Luke O'Neill (295) tied 17th, Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty (297) joint 22nd, Edmondstown's Thomas Abom (301) tied 34th and Co Sligo's Aodhagan Brady (304) joint 40th.
