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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Galway set for underage shakeup, FRC to continue trials with sandbox games
Galway GAA are set to invite expressions of interest for three of their four underage teams ahead of the 2026 season. Following a County Board meeting on Tuesday night, the positions of Galway U20 hurling and football manager, as well as minor football manager, will be opened up for expressions of interest. Galway U20 football boss Derek Savage has already confirmed he will step down after two years in charge. It follows a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw the Tribesmen miss out on a place in the Connacht championship top three. Fergal Healy's U20 outfit bowed out in the Leinster semi-final against Dublin last May. The Galway football minors, under Neil McHugh made it to a Connacht semi-final where they were beaten by Mayo. Pádraic Joyce's future is yet to be resolved with discussions expected to take place in the coming weeks. Speaking after their quarter-final exit to Meath, the Connacht four-in-a-row winning boss said he would take his time before making a call. 'We've just gone out of the Championship so I'm not going to make any rash decisions. We'll sit and chat. There's a lot of lads in there with decisions to make about next year as well, as we have as a management, so we will do that in due course. 'The county board have always been very supportive of me and the players so we will sit down and get things properly organised.' Meanwhile, the Football Review Committee are set to host another series of sandbox games as they move towards a final report on the new Gaelic football rules. The first game is scheduled to take place in Dublin this weekend with a few adjustments to existing enhancements expected to be trialled. Special Congress will take place in October to agree on the final amendments. 'I think overall the rules have worked well,' said FRC member James Horan, speaking on the Irish Examiner Gaelic football podcast. 'They are not perfect in any way, there is maybe things that need to be looked at. But overall, I think it has been hugely positive.'
Irish Independent
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Mack Hansen a major doubt for first Lions Test as Ireland winger sits out training
Although forwards coach John Dalziel told the media that Hansen is fit to train this week on Monday, the Connacht star was not togged out for today's session at the Churchies School in Brisbane. Pressed on his absence, attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said that Hansen had picked up a foot injury in Saturday's win over the AUNZ invitational side and had not recovered in time for today's session. The former England scrum-half said that Hansen is in the same boat as Blair Kinghorn, the Scotland full-back who also stayed out of the session. Garry Ringrose and Luke Cowan-Dickie have been ruled out with concussion. 'He hurt his foot in the game," Wigglesworth said of Hansen. "I don't think it is anything serious but he was managed today. "Hopefully he will be fully integrated pretty quickly. It is nothing that we are over concerned about but we need to make sure we have enough numbers at training but it doesn't look too serious.' Pressed on whether Hansen would be fit for the first Test, Wigglesworth said: 'A bit like Blair, we will find out tomorrow, he didn't train fully today so we will know a bit more tomorrow. "Every case is different. "There are injuries you can play with and get on with. As a rugby player at the highest level, you're constantly doing that at this stage of the season. You'd be surprised if you ask any of them if they're all, on both teams, feeling 100pc. "And then there's other injuries that you can't and that would be a risk and we certainly wouldn't be taking risks with players.' Born in Canberra to an Irish mother and Australian father, Hansen has been a star on this tour and was right in the selection mix for the first game along with England's Tommy Freeman who now looks likely to get the No 14 shirt, with Hugo Keenan at full-back and James Lowe on the left wing. ADVERTISEMENT Hansen's issue explains why Darcy Graham has been flown in to train with the squad ahead of his Scotland teammates Ewan Ashman and Rory Sutherland who join up with the squad on Sunday. Jamie Osborne trained with the team today, while Thomas Clarkson and Jamie George are due in today. "We need to make sure we're covered numbers-wise and for the games coming up,' Wigglesworth said of Graham's arrival. "That was probably expedited a bit quicker because of Blair and Mack not being on feet today and potentially tomorrow.' Andy Farrell names his team on Thursday.
Irish Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland combined player ratings from summer clashes with Georgia and Portugal
What were the Ireland summer tour takeaways, who were the star performers, who has enhanced their reputation... The trip to Georgia and Portugal may have been undertaken without four senior coaches, 16 players away on Lions and having to 'find' a new captain. But with a convincing win over the team ranked 11th in the world and a record score, a ton-up against the other in the second game, this may be a trip referenced for a long time to come. We take a post-mortem look at the most important things, and we counted seven, about the last two weekends and the Ireland squad. TOMMY O'BRIENLeinster 10-year project but overnight sensation has had a sensational 2025 to here and will be first choice right-winger for Leinster next season and for Ireland though the 2025 Six Nations.O'Brien first surfaced making his Leinster debut in 2019, with the footnote he was a Leinster Schools 110m hurdle champion - however, getting his rugby career to the starting blocks was continually stalled by delivered last Christmas though, as he started only his second game of the season, against Munster on Dec 27 and was starring for Ireland A by had the no14 shirt the Champions Cup quarter and semi-final, URC quarter, semi and final and, in between among his URC starts there was a Man of the Match display against Ulster.O'Brien four tries on the 2025 Ireland summer tour is just a beginning. PAUL O'CONNELLHome alone and left to his own devices Paul O'Connell put down his had been valid scepticism when the former Lions and Ireland captain was parachuted onto the national coaching roster without having to do any rites of passage at AIL or provincial if a tour is about picking a squad, logistics, cohesion, choosing the right staff to delegate to and then picking the team, it would seem O'Connell got it Prendergast and Denis Leamy have worked well with him while choosing Craig Casey as captain was inspired. That's both off and on the pitch by the way, Casey's press conferences were cracking insight/infotainment while he was outstanding in both Tbilisi and Lisbon. WELCOME ABOARD - NINE DEBUTS There were two new caps in the starting line-up for Georgia, Tommy O'Brien and Connacht second-row Darragh Murray. Connacht's Ben Murphy, Jack Aungier, Munster's Tom Ahern and Michael Milne made debuts from the bench. There were three new caps starting the Portugal game, Connacht's Hugh Gavin, Shayne Bolton and Munster's Alex Kendellen with none making a debut from the bench. A lot good news there for Connacht, five new Ireland internationals COMBINED RATINGS - (20 points = starting two games) Tommy O'Brien 17/20 Craig Casey, Ryan Baird 16/20 Thomas Clarkson 15/20 Jimmy O'Brien, Stuart McCloskey 14.5/20 Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Darragh Murray 14/20 also notable: Jamie Osborne 9 v Georgia, Gavin Coombes 8.5 v Geor, Cian Prendergast 8 v Port, Calvin Nash 8 v Georgia Alex Kendellen 7.5 v Port, Nick Timony 7.5 v Geor, Sam Prendergast 7.5 v Geor. SIX NATIONS Georgia's rise to 11th in the world rankings, their player presence in Top14/PROD2 rugby and EPCR's help in allowing a DD10 domestic league squad play in Challenge Cup rugby since 2022 has been a thing. Meanwhile Portugal had qualified for RWC 2023, beat Fiji, drew with Georgia and gave Wales a 60-minute scare. But an Ireland squad, demonstrably a 'B' team as 16 players were on the Lions tour and a further two big stars injured, demolishing both of them this past fortnight has put their Six Nations chances back 20 years. There has been lots made of Six Nations promotion/relegation and Georgia coach Richard Cockerill used the first game as a political tool to practically demand a play-off with Wales for a spot. Here's the thing, none of the Home Unions will hear of cutting themselves out of the Six Nations party, France's TV money never mind their quality, makes them a bulwark and that leaves Italy. The Six Nations committee might agree Georgia and Italy might be on a similar level but what they don't say out loud is that none of the unions, none of the sponsors, none of the TV stations want to swap Rome for Tbilisi. Ireland have saved them having to make any statements at all - it is as you were now and for a long Six Nations time to come. RECAP ONE Georgia 5 (Jalagonia try) Ireland: 34 (O'Brien 2 tries; Casey, Timoney try each; Prendergast 2 pens, 4 cons). Georgia: D Niniashvili; A Tabutsadze, D Tapladze (T Kakhoidze 60), G Kveseladze, S Todua; L Matkava, V Lobzhanidze; G Akhaladze (G Tetrashvili 53),, V Karkadze (I Kvatadze 53), I Aptsiauri (G Tetrashvili 53); M Babunashvili, L Chachanidze; L Ivanishvili (I Spanderashvili 77), B Saghinadze (capt), T Jalagonia (G Ganiashvili 53). Ireland: J O'Brien; T O'Brien, J Osborne, S McCloskey, J Stockdale (C Nash 36); S Prendergast (J Crowley 69), C Casey (capt) (B Murphy 69); J Boyle (M Milne 58), G McCarthy (T Stewart 58), T Clarkson (J Aungier, 67); C Izuchukwu (T Ahern 62), D Murray; R Baird, N Timoney, G Coombes (M Deegan 63). Referee: A Piardi (Italy) RECAP TWO PORTUGAL 7 (Martins try; Aubry con.) IRELAND 106 (T O'Brien, Bolton, Gavin, C Prendergast 2 tries each; McCloskey, Clarkson, Casey, Nash, Frawley, Kendellen, Murphy try each, Penalty Try; Crowley 12 cons.) Portugal: N Sousa Guedes; S Bento, V Pinto, T Appleton (capt) (G Aviragnet 20) (F Almeida 32), M C Pinto; H Aubry, H Camacho (A Campos 54); D Costa (P S Lopes 56), L Begic (A Cunha 56), D H Ferreira (G Costa 56); A R Andrade (M Souto 50), P Ferreira; D Wallis, N Martins, D Pinheiro (V Baptista 62). Ireland: J O'Brien; T O'Brien (C Nash 52), H Gavin, S McCloskey (C Frawley 51), S Bolton; J Crowley, C Casey (capt) (B Murphy 61); J Boyle (M Milne 51), G McCarthy (T Stewart, 51), T Clarkson (T O'Toole 51); T Ahern, D Murray (C Izuchukwu 59); R Baird (M Deegan 51), A Kendellen, C Prendergast. Referee: A Leal (England) Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
BreakingNews.ie
13-07-2025
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland's heatwave comes to sudden end with thunderstorm warning in place
Ireland's heatwave will come to a sudden end on Sunday evening with a thunderstorm warning in place across much of the country. Despite the mercury hitting highs above 31 degrees on Saturday, the weather is set to change as we enter a new week. Advertisement Scattered heavy downpours are expected on Sunday afternoon, with a risk of showers across all parts of the country on Sunday night. In the afternoon & evening showers will develop across Munster, Connacht & western parts of Leinster🌦️ Some heavy & thundery downpours are expected, particularly in Connacht⛈️⚠️ Very warm or hot with highs of 23 to 29 C🌡️ and possibly 30 C🌡️ in the W ℹ️ — Met Éireann (@MetEireann) July 13, 2025 A thunderstorm alert is in operation for Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Connacht until 10pm. Met Éireann is warning of heavy, thundery downpours, which could lead to lightning damage, surface water flooding, difficult travelling conditions and may impact some outdoor events. Rain will continue moving northward on Monday morning and will be followed by sunny spells and scattered showers, Met Éireann said. More heavy and thundery downpours are possible, with highs of 14 to 23 degrees. This week is set to be generally unsettled as low pressure dominates, according to the forecaster. It comes after the highest temperature of the year so far was recorded on Saturday – 31.1 degrees at Mount Dillon in Co Roscommon.
Irish Times
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Irish Times
Thunderstorms expected in places as hot weather to continue on Sunday
Heavy and thundery downpours are expected in some areas on Sunday and 'generally unsettled' weather is forecast for this week, according to Met Éireann . A yellow thunderstorm warning issued for Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Connacht comes into effect at 3pm and lasts until 10pm. It warns of potential surface water flooding, lightning damage and difficult travelling conditions. It comes as the highest temperature of the year so far was recorded on Saturday – 31.1 degrees at Mount Dillon in Co Roscommon . READ MORE Highs of 23 to 29 degrees and possibly 30 degrees in the west are forecast for Sunday, which is set to be another 'very warm or hot' day. However, showers are expected to develop across Munster, Connacht and western parts of Leinster in the afternoon and evening. Some of these will be 'heavy and thundery', particularly in Connacht. Rain will continue moving northward on Monday morning and will be followed by sunny spells and scattered showers, Met Éireann said. More heavy and thundery downpours are possible, with highs of 14 to 23 degrees. This week is set to be generally unsettled as low pressure dominates, according to the forecaster. Tuesday morning is likely to be mostly cloudy with showers or longer spells of rain, most of which will clear for the evening, with highs of 15 to 19 degrees expected. Cloudy conditions are expected on Wednesday, with some patches of rain and drizzle expected in the south and west while highs will range from 17 to 22 degrees. Unsettled conditions will carry over to Thursday, when showers of rain are expected with highs of 19 to 23 degrees. According to Met Éireann, early indications for next weekend suggest 'unsettled but warm' weather, with temperatures generally getting into the 20s.
