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Irish Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Efrem Gidey: ‘If you challenge yourself, you are always the winner'
In the packed school hall where Efrem Gidey is speaking, there is a question from the back about injury and recovery. It's pertinent and astute, especially coming as it does from one of the fifth-class pupils. Because Gidey knows all about such challenges, and not just running-related. At 24, his career is soaring, and over the last nine months, he's broken three Irish records between the track and the road, finished fourth in the European half-marathon, then won the European 10,000m Cup in Pacé, France. 'With injuries, I'm not any different,' Gidey says. 'Everybody has to recover, so healthy food, also some physiotherapy, ice bath. Then to never give up, to be better, and to improve. And I'm so proud to do that, and so grateful.' It's Thursday morning at Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál in Inchicore in Dublin and the entire school of 300 pupils, from junior infants to sixth class, are hanging on his every word. Gidey had arrived on his Trek racing bike and is here as guest speaker with The Daily Mile , the now global campaign that promotes basic physical fitness in primary schools, encouraging 15 minutes of activity each day, or the equivalent of running one mile. READ MORE In introducing Gidey, school principal David Gough emphasises the simplicity of running and the benefits for physical and mental health. Gough also hangs on the injury question, the two-time All-Ireland football final referee having suffered a torn hamstring in the Down-Louth game last Saturday, likely ruling him out for the rest of the championship season. Gough talks of Gidey moving from Eritrea to live in Ireland in 2017, at 16, keeping it understandably subtle for this audience. But then no one, only Gidey, can truly understand or even imagine what he endured during that time, fleeing war-torn Eritrea in 2016 and ending up in a series of refugee camps, including several months in the northern French port city of Calais, where conditions meant it was branded as 'the Jungle'. From Calais, Gidey travelled here as one of several unaccompanied minors under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme , put under the care of Tusla, and housed in temporary accommodation in Hollystown in Mulhuddart, in northwest Dublin. He attended Le Chéile secondary school in Tyrellstown, while a care worker in Hollystown also contacted Clonliffe Harriers athletic club in Santry regarding Gidey's possible athletic potential. Within two years, he was Irish Schools champion, on the track and cross-country, and later in 2019, just days after gaining eligibility to represent Ireland, Gidey won bronze in the under-20 European cross-country in Portugal, that race won by a rising Norwegian star named Jakob Ingebrigtsen . 'It's not running only, it's about being healthy, and being happy,' Gidey says, when asked by another pupil what he likes about running. 'And being positive. Just for five minutes, or 10 minutes, when you run, you are healthy. Efrem Gidey addresses pupils from Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál in Inchicore as part of The Daily Mile campaign. Photograph: Ciarán Conlan 'When I started running, I was 16 years old. At that time, my first 5km time was around 25 minutes. Then with consistent training, and other people's help, I just keep improving ... And then in a race, if you challenge yourself, you are always the winner.' It hasn't been all smooth running since he arrived in Ireland. Gidey has had several knee and hip injuries, one sustained after falling off his bike while he worked for Deliveroo, often seven days a week, and long into the nights too. A year after his European under-20 success, his coach and Clonliffe stalwart Joe Cooper, who had also become a father figure to him, died after a short illness. Later, Gidey joined the fifth-class students for a mile run around the beautiful gardens of the Oblate House of Retreat and Church of Mary Immaculate, adjacent to the school, where the benefits of The Daily Mile are further evident. Promoted here by Athletics Ireland , and now run in 1,424 primary schools across the country, it also helps when an athlete like Gidey is leading the way. He is fast becoming an inspiration and role model for young Irish athletes; not yet at Rhasidat Adeleke levels, just not as far off as you might think. Two days before he was invited back to Clonliffe, after his victory in the European Cup, the juvenile club athletes lined up out the door to greet him. The run ends with more high-fives and more rapturous applause. 'It's exciting, the high-fives, they are so happy,' he says. 'It's nice when you can make other people happy running like that, and not just yourself. And I am happy to help them get a little bit more motivated. And you know, they can always get better, maybe someday break a world record.' Back inside the school, Gidey sets out his ambitions for the rest of the season. Since running 60:51 for the half-marathon in Copenhagen last September, breaking the Irish record by eight seconds, then finishing his studies in business and logistics at Cathal Brugha FET College, he's been training full-time with the Hoka elite group, guided by London-based coach Andy Hobdell. Efrem Gidey has increased his weekly running total from 60-65 miles to 100-115. Photograph: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile Under Hobdell, he's significantly increased his weekly running total from 60-65 miles to 100-115, as well as spending weeks at a time at altitude training camps in the French Pyrenees and Arizona. This enhanced dedication is paying dividends, Gidey clocking 27:26.95 for 10,000m on the track in California in late March, breaking the Irish record by 13 seconds. That still doesn't get him to the World Championships in Tokyo in September, so he'll race the UK 10,000m championship in Birmingham next Saturday, hoping to go a little faster again. 'I'm working hard for that, I still need to get a better time,' he says. 'With Andy [Hobdell], he's one of the top coaches, not just for me, for the whole Hoka team. He makes the plan to add some mileage. 'And to win the European 10,000m Cup, I think to win that, it wasn't my personal best. So it wasn't a big surprise for me. Because I knew my time [27:26.95], how hard I'm working, and to win, by just being smart.' For all the difficult twists and turns in his journey, he gives the sense he's still just starting out. Still, there are unimaginable challenges. He's never been reunited with any of his family, who live in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. He says his father is dead, and though he sometimes speaks to his mother, he feels he doesn't know her after so long apart. 'Yeah, sometimes it's difficult for an athlete, it's hard. As an athlete, you need to be happy, to be healthy, mentally. But in everything, there is hurt. In life, there's hurt. 'You know my journey, but you don't have a choice. If you need to have something, to be successful, need to change your life, to get on in life, there is sometimes hurt. To live life is sometimes painful. But it's good, you know?'
Irish Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Down v Louth LIVE score updates from the All-Ireland Football Championship clash
It's a busy evening of GAA action, with this All-Ireland Senior Football Championship clash between Down and Louth one of the matches taking place. The sides clash at Páirc Esler in Newry, with David Gough the man in the middle. Throw-in is scheduled for 5.30pm. As well as this match, there is also the later meetings of Roscommon v Meath (6pm) and Tyrone v Mayo (7pm). You can also follow updates from both those games right here on Here are the teams for Down v Louth: Down: Ronan Burns, Patrick McCarthy, Peter Fegan, Ceilum Doherty, Ryan Magill, Pierce Laverty, Miceal Rooney, Daniel Guinness, Ryan McEvoy, Danny Magill, Odhran Murdock, Eugene Branagan, James Guinness, Pat Havern, John McGeough Louth: Niall McDonnell: Daire Nally, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Conall McKeever, Peter Lynch, Craig Lennon; Tommy Durnin, Ciaran Byrne; Bevan Duffy , Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes Glen Emmets; Ciaran Keenan, Sam Mulroy, Ryan Burns. Subs: Tiernan Markey, Liam Jackson, Anthony Williams, Emmet Carolan, Kieran McArdle, Dara McDonnell, Dan CorcoRan, Conor Brannigan, Ryan Walsh, Dylan McKeown, Paul Matthews. Hello and welcome to our live blog for this All-Ireland Senior Football Championship clash between Down and Louth at Páirc Esler in Newry. This is a local derby and it is a very unique pairing as it is the first time in Championship history that Down and Louth cross paths. The Wee County lost to Monaghan last week two weeks on from their Leinster Championship final win over rivals Meath last time out and the one-week turnaround from that game does them no favours here. Down have had the much better lead-in following their win over Clare a couple of weeks ago and they look set to make it count. We'll keep you up to date with all the action right here throughout the evening.
Irish Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Tactical analysis: Mayo need method rather than madness
Galway rode their luck a little to come out of a bruising encounter with Mayo, who rattled their composure at times. Yet Mayo weren't able to find that composure themselves when it was needed, as turnovers and tackles dominated an enthralling game of football. Final play: the same but different Tweleve months ago in the Connacht final, Galway led by a point as time was running out. David Gough had signalled five extra minutes and Cillian O'Connor got off a rushed speculative shot from outside the 45 as the clock read 76.15. Fast forward a year and Galway are two points up, the hooter has sounded and a two-point effort is needed for secure a draw. It is the same type of scenario but the big difference from last year was that Mayo had all the time in the world to try to manufacture the right shot, and execute it on their terms. They didn't do this, as they played with typical Mayo abandon and urgency, which led to Matthew Ruane shooting over blocking hands with the outside of his boot. This scenario now requires clear thinking and the execution of a training ground move. READ MORE There are a number of elements to this phase that are interesting and the devil is in the detail. The game is in a 14 v 14 at this stage, as Matthew Tierney has just been shown a black card by David Neilan, so in theory there is potentially a little more space on the field to create mismatches and go at Galway defenders. As the phase settles, Jack Carney is left as one of the Mayo men up the field. He is sat on the half way line and can't cross − is he the type of player who warrants being involved in the attack? In this final phase, Ryan O'Donoghue is on the ball on the 65m line as a pivot and Jack Carney is one of the men left back Then Ryan O'Donoghue gets possession of the ball five times in the phase but all were from 50m out at least, and only ever as a pivot, rather than the man they are looking to get on the end of the move. Surely, their go-to shooter needs to be positioned differently in this phase? The final shot from Ruane was in zone 13, which the latest set of statistics released by the FRC last week shows has a 38% shot chance. Is trying to draw the free in the central zone 9, a better option? You can be sure in a similar situation that Armagh would have a structured set play to increase their conversion percentage. For instance, maybe overloading inside the 20m line to create space outside − something that clearly wasn't done as Ruane shot. Mayo have created no inside overload - to create space outside - as Matthew Ruane hits the speculative final effort Statistics released by the FRC on two-point shots in all league and championship games Kickouts: problems with the short game A team's own kickout is becoming a real problem area, and there is a clear struggle to develop the required nuance. Both teams had periods of dominance on the opposition kickout. Galway had it in the first half from the 20th minute on, winning six of Colm Reape's kickouts in a row, as they extended their lead from two points to eight by the 28th minute. Mayo had similar joy for a period in the second half, winning three Galway kickouts in a row and turning over a short kickout, allowing them to close the gap by four points in this short period. Kickouts from Galway and Mayo during the Connacht final The short kickout is fast becoming a thing of the past, as both teams put themselves under pressure with them. Galway in the second half went short three times − one ball failed to cross the 20m line and the other two were turned over by Mayo before the ball reached halfway. And Mayo got punished severely for Colm Reape's miscue in the 61st minute, as Rob Finnerty sniped in ahead of Rory Brickenden and drew a foul, which resulted in a converted free and a black card for Brickenden. This represented a huge momentum swing, as the game was level at this point. Shooting: a question of where and when The difference in two-point efforts tells a vital tale of the game. Galway scored three from seven attempts. Paul Conroy scored three from four attempts. That is 43% conversion rate or 0.86 points per two point effort. It has been well highlighted that Conroy is a serious weapon in this territory, which makes the space afforded to him for his first score startling, even allowing for the fact that a powerful late run from Dylan McHugh took away some of the Mayo cover (see below). Conroy's effortless striking is a dream to watch and a nightmare for oppositions to try and shut down, yet Mayo only started to put adequate pressure on him after his initial efforts. The ease with which he got his two scores from play will be a concern for Mayo, but a warning to others. Paul Conroy's first two pointer, where the space he was afforded was aided by Dylan McHugh's late dart forward Shots taken by Mayo and Galway during the Connacht final Compare that to Mayo, with eight attempts and only two converted. A 25% conversion rate or only 0.5 points per two-point effort. Mayo had a scattergun approach to their two point efforts, compared to Conroy hitting over half of Galway's ones. This approach was shown by the different people making the attempts. Ruane was the man who pulled the trigger for the effort after the hooter, and he had form after landing one of their successful efforts earlier in the game. There was also the smart thinking from Connor Gleeson to get a touch to a two-point effort by Ryan O'Donoghue, ensuring it only registered as one point (even if it was potentially over the bar before Gleeson got his hand on it). Corner backs from both teams had similar strike runs in the game, but the luck was with Galway, as they secured a return from theirs. Johnny McGrath raided forward, untracked by Ryan O'Donoghue in the 26th minute to get a shot off which was smothered by Colm Reape, but referee Paddy Neilan harshly called a penalty for a minor tug back, which Matthew Tierney dispatched. Enda Hession had a similar run in the 66th minute as he was through one-on-one with Gleeson but his shot went too high and was easily palmed away. A further opening in the Galway defence came a minute later, but Paul Towey's effort was blocked by Dylan McHugh − the real gutpunch came when Galway broke fast up the field and scored through Liam Ó Conghaile to go two ahead. Mayo showed their usual heart and bravery but the lack of cool heads for those shots in the final four minutes is encapsulated in the galling figure that Mayo only scored 14 times from 28 shots (50%). Paul O'Brien is a performance analyst with The Performance Process ( ).
The 42
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'They've been great for us' - Referee Gough delivers support for FRC's new rules
LEADING GAA REFEREE David Gough has given strong support for the new rules that have revamped Gaelic football as the championship action continues, despite having previously criticised how the changes were introduced. Gough had given his thoughts on the changes brought in by the FRC when speaking to RTÉ last November and again with Newstalk's Off The Ball in January. He said he was 'horrified' at the way the rules were written and described at the time as 'astonishing' the decision to bring in 49 rule changes. But speaking yesterday as part of a panel discussion at the announcement of SuperValu's five-year sponsorship extension of the All-Ireland senior football championship, Gough revealed his backing for the rules since they have been implemented. Advertisement Gough was in charge of last Saturday's thrilling Ulster semi-final between Armagh and Tyrone, while he also last month refereed the Leinster quarter-final between Kildare and Westmeath. 'They've been great for us, once they bed in,' said the Meath official yesterday. 'I think the greatest one for us is one of the values that's based in the GAA. Respect – and the respect that's afforded to referees now on the pitch and from the sideline has increased greatly. I notice it not so much at inter-county level in that we have a great relationship (with the players) on the pitch and a good relationship with the management teams. 'But certainly for club referees around the country, they are telling us anecdotally that the enjoyment for them in refereeing and the respect that they're getting has increased significantly. 'That there's greater silence on the pitch and they're allowed make their decisions, go through the thought processes and there just seems to be a happy atmosphere among the referee cohort at the moment in relation to the respect on the field.' *****
Irish Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ref David Gough gives fresh take on rules after being 'horrified' at first
Leading football referee David Gough has heaped praise on the new rules, saying they have brought a 'happy atmosphere' to matches. It's something of an about turn by the Meath official, who was vocal in his criticism of the swathe of rules changes when they were passing through Special Congress in November and again at the outset of the Allianz League in January. Gough said that he was 'horrified' at how the rules were written and said that 'to bring in 49 rule changes was astonishing'. However, some three months on, he says that the work of Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee has seen levels of respect afforded to referees go through the roof, particularly at club level. The two-time All-Ireland final referee was taking part in a panel discussion for the launch of SuperValu's five-year extension to its all-Ireland SFC sponsorship alongside Dublin footballer Niall Scully, Armagh footballer Jemar Hall and Cork dual star Hannah Looney. 'They've been great for us, once they bed in,' he said of the rules. 'I think the greatest one for us is one of the values that's based in the GAA. Respect - and the respect that's afforded to referees now on the pitch and from the sideline has increased greatly. 'I notice it not so much at inter-county level in that we have a great relationship (with the players) on the pitch and a good relationship with the management teams but certainly for club referees around the country. 'They are telling us anecdotally that the enjoyment for them in refereeing and the respect that they're getting has increased significantly and that there's greater silence on the pitch and they're allowed make their decisions, go through the thought processes. 'There just seems to be a happy atmosphere among the referee cohort at the moment in relation to the respect on the field.'
