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Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kieran Molloy vows to make Galway a boxing capital ahead of Pearse Stadium bout
Kieran Molloy has vowed to make Kaisee Benjamin wish he did his homework when the pair clash at Pearse Stadium in Galway on 28 June. Molloy is unbeaten in 11 professional fights, and not only does he want to become a world champion, but he wants to take his county along for the ride. The 26-year-old flew in from London on Tuesday morning, where he trains with Charlie Beat, and went straight to the home of Galway GAA. He will be the headline act of the first event to be held at the Salthill stadium, and as he walked around the pitch and up the steps of the main stand, it was obvious that the enormity of the occasion was hitting him. The Oughterard man told the Irish Mirror: "I've been dreaming of moments like this since I was a kid. "I've been here for many big football and hurling matches. I've got a few great mates playing football now for Galway, Matthew Tierney and Johnny Heaney, they'd all be local lads from where I'm from, so I know what the atmosphere and the crowds are like here. "It's just huge now to be able to bring it back to the West of Ireland and have a first ever outdoor stadium. "This has been my vision. I really do believe that Galway can become an active hub for Irish boxing. We're making history with this show alone. "They've always had shows in Belfast and Dublin, and Galway's been missing out on all that. But on 28 June, people are going to set it for real and it's going to be very exciting. I think everyone is going to get right behind it. "It's brilliant to be able to bring a different sport to this venue." It was typical Galway weather for the press conference, a cold wind blowing and showers of rain. Indeed, Molloy's opponent Benjamin started to shiver as the fighters sat down to talk about the upcoming fight. And the Englishman, a former British title challenger, could be forgiven for wishing he were elsewhere as he revealed that he is on baby alert. "My last couple of fights haven't been my past, as I had stuff going on outside of the ring. But I have got that all sorted now. "I have a little girl on the way. The due date is the day after the fight, so I've got my wife eating prunes, dates and pineapples, everything to get it out earlier." He added: "I'm doing it for her, my unborn child. I'm doing it for her future and my future. "It's all or nothing for me." Experienced campaigner Benjamin (18-4-1) raised some eyebrows when he said that he had never seen Molloy in the ring. Asked how highly he rated the Galway man, he said: "To be honest, I've never seen him box. You might think I am being a bit naive, but that's the way I do things." Molloy was quick to respond to this revelation, saying, "Fairy play Kaisee for stepping in as the last seven or eight opponents have all pulled out for one reason or another, but I would recommend that you get studying before 28 June or you could be in big trouble!" The fight night is stacked with a brilliant undercard, including the likes of Belfast's Sean McComb, Westmeath's Joe Ward, and Hughie Fury, the cousin of heavyweight king Tyson, and a late addition to the bill. But there is no doubt that Molloy, who was joined at Pearse Stadium by a host of family and friends, will bring the star attraction as he looks to inspire a new generation of Galway boxers. He said: "When I started off boxing in the Oughterard Club, I was five years old, but I had dreams to fight here. "That's where it all started for me, and the great coaching I received, and all the fans travelling up and down the country, around Europe and around the world to watch me fight, it's all preparation for these nights, and I'm going to grab this with both hands. "I think everybody's in for a shock about how much noise this place is actually going to make on the night. "It's going to build a massive platform for Galway boxing. "In Belfast, you've got your Lewis Crockers and your Michael Conlons, in Dublin you've got your Katie Taylors, and in Galway it's going to be the Kieran Molloy show. We're going to build it massive."
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Galway expertly forced mistakes from Dublin, and then had quality to punish them
Galway's superior efficiency and defensive steel helped them overcome Dublin at Parnell Park. While the raw scoreboard shows only a seven-point margin (0-29 to 3-15), the turnover battle told a much deeper story — one of Galway's structured intensity and ruthless transition play. An analysis of both halves through turnover maps reveals how Galway dominated key moments, especially through pressuring puckouts, blocking shots, and converting opposition mistakes. The high number of turnovers that Galway created on Dublin's puckouts helped set the tone for the game - six Galway points came directly off turnovers. First half – Galway set the tone From the outset, Galway displayed an aggressive and coordinated press on Dublin's puckouts. Their setup forced numerous mistakes, with turnovers from Dublin restarts notably clustered around the central third. These puckout wins formed the foundation for Galway's dominance in the opening 35 minutes. READ MORE Galway pressed up on Dublin puckouts while remaining zonal on long puckouts. Galway's turnovers were not just numerous — they were productive. The graphic's white dots show that six of these led directly to points, inside or just outside the D. Their ability to regain possession and convert quickly into scores was a key pillar of their first-half control. However, both sides lacked cohesion in the first quarter with both sets of players struggling with the breeze and distribution of deliveries to inside lines. Dublin in particular looked disjointed, with their backs hitting too much ball from too deep, as we can see below. Their inability to build play through the lines meant the Galway half backs were able to sit deeper and cut out deliveries. Too often Dublin went long with balls that suited the Galway defence rather than trying to work it short. With just two puckout wins from Galway restarts, they failed to establish any meaningful momentum off Galway's mistakes. Dublin's inefficiency was also evident in their conversion rate from play, with a 46% conversion rate (12/26) really hurting them, especially in the first half. While they did manage two scores from turnovers, many more ended in wides or were turned over again in contact. Galway's spatial awareness and anticipation often allowed them to collapse on ball carriers and force errors without overcommitting. David Burke's game sense and intelligence stood out, and his delivery of good ball to Anthony Burn's and Brian Concannon yielded scores in both halves for their inside line. Second half – Galway's discipline and execution The second-half turnover map highlights Galway's capacity to sustain their pressure while also defending with increasing composure. Once again, Galway forced multiple turnovers from Dublin puckouts − six yellow dots can be seen below − and, more importantly, they converted these into a string of scores. The turnover map for the second half again illustrates Galway's dominance Galway's attacking structure made full use of broken play. Their middle third operated as a pressing trap − forcing Dublin into panic decisions − while their forwards were consistently first to react to loose ball or mis-hit clearances. Galway's top three shooters from play − Concannon 0-5, Tom Monaghan 0-4 and Conor Whelan 0-3 − left Galway with a total shot count of 43, which yielded 29 scores. A 67% return was impressive on a breezy day, but Kilkenny backs won't be as generous with no-pressure shots in the Leinster final. One area of note for Galway's forwards was a lack of goal threat, however the numbers suggest that Galway have improved in shot creation and conversion over the course of the Leinster championship. And since the Offaly game there has been an improvement in the forward unit when it comes to winning ball and turning ball over. The pressing by the Galway forwards has improved in recent weeks. Here we see them attempt to close down Dublin bringing the ball out of defence - the aim is to use the sideline as a 'defender' and force Dublin down a tight channel. The Galway full back line of Fintan Burke, Daithi Burke and Pádraic Mannion seemed to enjoy the tight confines of Parnell Park. Their defensive organisation undermined Dublin's attempt at a late resurgence. With four blocked shots (black dots) visible near the D, Galway's defenders refused to yield even under heavy pressure. Time after time, Dublin broke through only to be met by a wall of maroon jerseys. These blocks were often as impactful as scores at the other end — denying Dublin crucial momentum. Conclusion This turnover numbers underline why Galway were fully deserving of the victory. Post-match possession stats reveal that Galway turned over just 42% of their possessions, compared to Dublin's 57% — a stark indicator of the latter's struggles with build-up play, decision-making, and team cohesion. Galway's superior pressure on puckouts, swift transitions, and scoring efficiency overwhelmed Dublin's system. Just as significant was their aforementioned defensive work, which denied Dublin any route back into the game. Although Dublin improved after the interval and converted more turnovers into points, they continued to falter in front of goal. Galway, by contrast, operated with clinical intent. The numbers tell us that this game was decided on turnovers − and Galway dominated those turnovers. Jeffrey Lynskey managed Galway to three All-Ireland minor hurling titles. He is also a former Galway under-20 manager and is currently an MSc student in Sports Performance Analysis at Setu Carlow.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Galway's Walsh returns for Dublin All-Ireland opener
All-Star forward Shane Walsh has returned to the Galway starting line-up for Saturday's All-Ireland round-robin opener against Dublin in Salthill. Walsh has not played since injuring his back in the Division One loss to the Dubs on 15 March, but is named at centre-forward with Sean Fitzgerald dropping out in the only change from the Connacht final win over Mayo a fortnight ago. Damien Comer remains ruled out for the Tribesmen after missing the Mayo game. Dublin, in action for the first time since their stunning Leinster semi-final defeat by Meath, name 43-year-old Stephen Cluxton in goal, but Sean Bugler and Eoin Murchan are still missing. Galway beat Dublin 0-17 to 0-16 in a nail-biting quarter-final in last year's All-Ireland series. Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Mulkerrin, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Sean Kelly, Liam Silke; Paul Conroy, John Maher; Cein Darcy, Shane Walsh, Cillian McDaid; Matthew Tierney, Rob Finnerty, Matthew Conor Flaherty, Daniel O'Flaherty, Cian Hernon, Kieran Molloy, Sean Fitzgerald, John Daly, Sam O'Neill, Cathal Sweeney, Liam O Conghaile, Tomo Culhane, Peter Stephen Cluxton; David Byrne, Theo Clancy; Conor Tyrrell; Cian Murphy, John Small, Brian Howard; Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Tom Lahiff; Niall Scully, Lorcan O'Dell, Ciaran Kilkenny; Paddy Small, Con O'Callaghan, Colm Evan Comerford, Luke Breathnach, Cormac Costello, Nathan Doran, Alex Gavin, Davy Keogh, Sean McMahon, Greg McEneaney, Killian McGinnis, Brian O'Leary, Dan O'Leary. Mayo boss Kevin McStay makes one change for Sunday's Group One game against Cavan. Diarmuid O'Connor, who started the Connacht final defeat by Galway, is replaced by Sam Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Rory Brickenden; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Enda Hession; Stephen Coen, Matthew Ruane; Davitt Neary, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O'Shea, Darren McHale, Ryan O'Donoghue. Subs: Adrian Phillips, Bob Tuohy, Conal Dawson, Conor Reid, Dylan Thortnon, Fenton Kelly, Fergal Boland, Frank Irwin, Kevin Quinn, Paddy Durcan, Paul Towey.
Sunday World
03-05-2025
- Sunday World
Trapper's Inn on the Tuam road hits the spot for good grub, perfect pints and atmosphere
The Old Commando didn't see the need to use up space in his gut on food so he stuck with his usual pint of plain, of which he was very complementary. Trapper's Inn on the Tuam road hits the spot for good grub, perfect pints and atmosphere OUR Commandos were delighted to be making the five-hour round trek to Galway this week and, as the Young Commando said, I only wish we could go there every week. It has never happened to us, and we don't know of anyone it happened to either, but we don't think it's possible to have a bad night out in Galway. It's always busy in or around the city regardless of the time of year, the time of the week or even the time of the day you call to a pub. 'Hopefully today's no different,' the Old Commando said, as our designated driver took us along the Tuam Road on the outskirts of the city centre. As sharp as ever, he spotted The Trapper's Inn on the right-hand side and suggested to us that this might be a nice little local to check out, while noting they served food and his stomach was rumbling. The Commandos don't mind where they visit as long as there are refreshments available, so he parked the pub mobile in the spacious car park adjacent to the boozer. Stepping inside the front door we found a bar to the left and to the right, but the Young Commando immediately turned left as he spotted a soccer match on one of the two TVs. It was reasonably busy when we arrived with a mixed clientele of mostly couples or groups of men, but we were served very quickly and a couple of the Commandos even opted for food. The Old Commando didn't see the need to use up space in his gut on food so he stuck with his usual pint of plain, of which he was very complementary. Coors and Rockshore are also available on draught and the bar staff and waitresses were all polite and friendly. The Old Commando enjoyed his pint of Guinness as he checked out the Galway GAA memorabilia behind the counter. Most of the clientele appeared to be tourists rather than locals but we did meet one regular barfly who informed the Old Commando as he sank his pint of Guinness of the new Radisson Red Hotel which had just opened 300m away. 'Trade has picked up around these parts since Christmas when that new hotel opened up. I suppose they're all coming here first for a few pints before getting taxis into the city centre,' he told the Old Commando. There was a decent atmosphere throughout the pub with a high turnover of customers during our stay. Most customers were dining, or lining their stomach as the Young Commando put it, and our troops who did order grub were left satisfied. The solid fuel stove wasn't lit as the spell of warm weather continued, and the green leather bench seating was generally in good condition, although it was torn in parts. The Proclamation hangs proudly inside the front door as well as a photo of Michael Collins, and the Tricolour is draped from the ceiling. Some of the great Galway teams in both football and hurling are also proudly displayed – such as the 2017 senior hurlers, the 2001 senior footballers and the great teams of the 1980s. Having survived in New York last weekend, perhaps the four-in-a-row chasing Connacht champions might have a new photo to hang at the end of 2025. Before we departed, we dispatched the Young Commando to inspect the toilets and he reported back to us that they were fresh and clean and contained two cubicles and a ceramic urinal. We enjoyed our grub and the few pints in The Trapper's Inn before our designated driver took us into town to finish off the night. Rating: Three pints out of Five One for the road: The Dew Drop Inn – Galway As the Young Commando pointed out, it probably wouldn't matter if you called to this pub on a Wednesday night or a Saturday night — it would still be busy. Our love for Galway continues to grow and it took us to The Drew Drop Inn recently where we enjoyed a fill of pints — too many, if the truth be known. There was a mixed clientele of all ages in the front bar where we sat, but the higher you went up in the building the younger the crowd. There is one TV in the front bar and a votive candle on each table with a nice open fire in the cosy snug section at the rear. The purple bench seating was fine and the timber flooring was clean. There was a brilliant atmosphere throughout the bar and the staff were friendly and offered efficient service. The toilets are located upstairs and contained two urinals and one cubicle. Rating: Three pints out of Five
The Irish Sun
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Tributes pour in for Galway GAA legend Tommy Keenan after sudden passing
TRIBUTES have been pouring in following the sudden passing of Galway GAA great Tommy Keenan earlier this week. He was a key figure in Advertisement 1 Galway legend Tommy Keenan passed away suddenly earlier this week Credit: GALWAY GAA Mr Keenan was widely regarded as one of the 'Kings of the 60s' and also captained the county side to a Connacht final and an All-Ireland semi-final in 1970. He was central to Dunmore MacHales' dominance at club-level during that era. The icon helped them secure five Galway Senior Club Football Championships. After his playing days, Mr Keenan remained deeply involved in the club. Advertisement read more on gaa He took on a number of positions, including President, Secretary, and Treasurer over the years. Galway GAA confirmed the sad news of his passing on social media. A statement read: "Is údar mór brón do CLG na Gaillimhe an scéala go bhfuil ár n-iar imreoir Contae Tommy Keenan imithe ar shlí na firínne. "The Dunmore MacHales club man tasted success with Galway, winning two All-Ireland Senior Football medals as part of the three in a row squad of 1960s. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football "In 1970, he captained Galway to a Connacht final victory before leading the team in the All-Ireland semi-final against Meath. "Tommy was a key player with the Dunmore MacHales team that won five Galway Senior Club Football titles in the 1960s. "He had a lifelong involvement in the GAA, serving as President, Secretary and Treasurer of his club Dunmore MacHales, as well as fulfilling many other roles in the club as both player and administrator over a long and distinguished career." "On behalf of Galway GAA, we express our deepest sympathies to his wife Eileen, daughter Mary, sons Henry, Francis, Thomas and Brian, in-laws, grandchildren, his sisters Mary, Evelyn and Sheila, his brother John and extended family. Advertisement "He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and the whole Galway GAA community. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam." According to his death notice, Mr Keenan was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was predeceased by his daughter Eibhlín, sister Peggy, and brother Martin. He is survived by his wife Eileen, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, grandchildren, siblings, extended family, neighbours, and many friends. Advertisement Dunmore MacHales GAA also shared a heartfelt message following his passing. A post read: "There is a cloud of sadness in our Dunmore MacHales football community, when the shock news came on Tuesday night that one of our great and revered icons and Club President, Tommie Keenan had died suddenly, leaving a void, not only for his beautiful family but for all of us who knew and loved him in the town he lived in all his life. "Everyone across Dunmore MacHales wish to express our heartfelt sympathies and support to the entire Keenan family at this sad time." Mr Keenan will repose at Glynn's Funeral Home in Dunmore on Friday, May 2, from 6pm, with removal to his home afterwards. F Advertisement The funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, May 3, at 12 noon in the Church of Our Lady & St Nicholas, Dunmore, followed by burial at Dunmore Cemetery.
