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Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Costello believes Munster's 'deep purpose' can help province upset odds away to Sharks
Ian Costello believes the 'deep purpose' driving his Munster squad after a difficult campaign can help the province deliver the very best performance he believes will be required to upset the odds and beat South Africa's third-seeded Sharks in Saturday's URC quarter-final in Durban. The 2023 champions will likely have to repeat their remarkable run of three away knockout wins that brought a first trophy to Munster in 12 years two seasons ago, if they are to emerge from 2024-25 with silverware. The first leg of their title bid comes at Kings Park this weekend against a Springbok-heavy Sharks side that beat the Irishmen 41-24 on their most recent visit to Durban last October. That proved to be the final game of title-winning head coach Graham Rowntree's tenure with Munster's Head of Rugby Operations Costello assuming the role of interim head coach for what has been the majority of the season. His side only secured Champions Cup rugby for next term on the last day of the URC regular season, with a second consecutive bonus-point home win, against Benetton in Cork on May 16, sealing sixth place in the final standings and booking a ticket into the knockout rounds. Munster arrived in Durban on Tuesday ahead of their last-eight clash but Costello is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his squad on Saturday evening, describing the challenge as being against 'a serious side… and a very tough place to go and play them.' Yet speaking from South Africa shortly after the 32-player squad's arrival by the Indian Ocean on Tuesday afternoon, the interim boss dismissed the notion that the quarter-final was a free hit for his squad, and though the pressure of European qualification had been lifted, he explained there had been a deliberate shift in Munster's mindset. "I think we probably very explicitly shifted focus over the last couple of weeks to make it about people, make it about people that we care about and individuals within the squad and what they contributed to Munster, and that brings a different type of pressure,' Costello said. 'It's very personal. It's very deep. And then playing at home in front of your fans, your friends and your family, that brings a huge amount of pressure as well. But it also deflected away from maybe the league table and the pressure in the Champions Cup. "And again, this week for us, there are just people who are with the group, that it's their last season. We've been through a lot in the last six, seven months, so there is a real deep purpose and a deep cause within the team. "It absolutely isn't a free shot. There's an expectation we need to be in knockout rugby, there's a lot of pressure to get there. But now that we're here, we're very, very ambitious on what we want to achieve. But again, this is the first test and a really difficult one on Saturday.' Costello insisted the Munster squad, led by captain Tadhg Beirne, was good enough to score a famous result over the Sharks, but added: "We need to get our best or very, very close to it. 'We need to be accurate. We need to execute well and physically, mentally and emotionally, we need to be at the right pitch. If we are, I absolutely believe that we have the ability to. "I have a huge amount of faith in the players. I have a huge amount of faith in the coaches, Mike (Prendergast), Denis (Leamy), Mossy (Lawler), George (Murray), Alex (Codling), the plan that they've put together. So I absolutely do agree. "There's a lot that goes into winning a game of that size against a team of that quality. But if we're close to our best and we execute the way we know we can, we absolutely do believe this squad is good enough to give them a real good crack on Saturday.'
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Far-right campaigner uses photos of migrants to sell 'criminal identifier' spray
A far-right activist and former leader of an anti-immigration party is using images of immigrants in a bid to bolster demand for a self-defence spray he is selling online. The platform selling Farb Gel – a 'criminal identifier' spray – appears on a website set up by failed general election candidate Derek Blighe last month. He recently told his followers on Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter, that the gel is a 'precursor to pepper spray legalisation in Ireland'. This is a reference to calls for pepper spray, which only gardaí are currently permitted to use, to be legalised. Mr Blighe has used images of immigrants in adverts for the spray that he has posted online. Pic: Defender 21 The Cork-based construction worker said: 'When carrying self-defence becomes normalised, they'll be forced to legislate to public demand.' Since launching the website, Defender 21, last month, Mr Blighe has used images of immigrants in adverts for the spray that he has posted online. The first advert he posted on the site – video stills from which we have included – shows a young woman walking down a street while being accosted by what appears to be three Irishmen. A young woman walking down a street while being accosted by what appears to be three Irishmen. Pic: Defender 21 In the video, the anti-immigration activist claims it is legal to carry Farb Gel in Ireland. He urges followers to buy the spray to protect themselves, 'because what's between you and your attacker could save your life'. But in later posts promoting the spray, Mr Blighe uses images and videos of men from other countries. Reposting a video from Italy, which purportedly showed a Moroccan man stabbing pedestrians, Mr Blighe comments: 'Knife attacks will become more commonplace in your future. I'm going to show you the best defence for a knife attacker, but deterrence is the best option. 'Get some Farb Gel self-defence spray at he urges his followers. Pic: Defender 21 In another post containing a still CCTV image of a black man carrying a barrel, he writes: 'Get yourself some high pressure self defence spray today, and put some distance between yourself and the dangerous threat!' Earlier that day, in a message beside a picture of the same man, he wrote: 'Naked foreign national caught on camera smashing up a dozen or more cars. Ireland needs mass deportations and remigration.' The former Ireland First leader, who is also advertising an anti-immigration protest in Cork next month, also used a post about a car being driven into a crowd in Germany to promote his spray. He tells followers: 'Terror attacks are becoming commonplace all over the western world. Defender 21 will offer you common sense strategies to keep you safe in today's world.' Mr Blighe reposted a video of an attack on a black man allegedly filmed in South Africa. Pic: Defender 21 In another social media message, Mr Blighe reposted a video of an attack on a black man allegedly filmed in South Africa. This post did not contain any promotion of his new product but was posted among his advertisements for Farb Gel and next month's planned anti-immigration protest. He wrote: 'If they can do this to their own, imagine what they would do to a white person! And does that level of violence suddenly disappear when they arrive in your country?' His website claims the Defender 21 'team' is 'passionate about your safety'. It states: 'Personal safety is becoming more challenging in today's world. From knife crime to sexually motivated assaults, kidnapping and home invasions, traditional self-defence methods need an update. We will bring you a range of solutions to deter potential attackers and keep you safe.' Derek Blighe. Pic: File Earlier this year, reported that Mr Blighe is under criminal investigation after he claimed – without providing any evidence – that a 15-year-old boy was allegedly 'gang raped' by a group of Roma men. The move to prosecute Blighe signalled the first move by gardaí to clamp down on widespread disinformation being peddled by well-known far-right agitators online. It came as senior sources revealed gardaí are being 'flooded' with referrals about potential breaches of the new EU Digital Services Act, whose main goal is to combat illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation. In recent months, gardaí have been forced to issue several misinformation notices after false claims were made by far-right provocateurs online. One of these notices was published the day after Mr Blighe posted on social media that a '15-year-old boy was allegedly gang-raped by a group of Roma Gypsy men' in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Mayo'. The subsequent Garda statement said there had been 'a significant degree of misinformation in circulation online'. Gardaí confirmed they did receive a report of an alleged assault in Ballaghaderreen, but said their probe did not involve foreign nationals. In February, Mr Blighe told his followers that 'armed detectives' turned up at his door because the post allegedly 'incited hatred against a group of people'. The failed general election candidate said he was invited to make a statement after a complaint was made 'about one of my alleged social media posts about an alleged rape of a child in Co. Mayo'. Mr Blighe claimed he told gardaí he had 'no interest in making a statement late at night when my two children are inside in bed'. He also said he was told by a detective that a file on the matter will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The far-right agitator previously told he would continue to post the addresses of proposed asylum centres online after several buildings linked with international protection accommodation were set on fire. He also said he wouldn't report arson threats made on his social media platforms to gardaí. According to the Incitement to Hatred Act 1989, it is an offence to communicate threatening, abusive or insulting material that is intended, or likely to 'stir up' hatred against a group of people because of their race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, membership of the travelling community or sexual orientation. The communication can be spoken, in writing, broadcast or part of a recording. However, as previously reported by there have been just 50 prosecutions in the 35 years since the law came into effect. In response to queries, Mr Blighe insisted the gel is 'a discreet self-defence product, which is completely legal in Ireland for self-defence purposes'.
Irish Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Top Irish porn star seeks 10 Irish male virgins for sex for new X-rated movie
Porn queen Meghan O'Neill is looking for some Irish male virgins, aged 29 and over, to have sex with her on camera for their first time. Meghan 32, from Antrim, told the Irish Mirror: 'Ten virgins will get to lose their virginity to a porn star. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "Irish men are more than welcome. It will probably be the majority of Irishmen from all over the isle of Ireland. I am happy to have sex with Irishmen. I'm Irish and I love the Irish. I will tour the world after this if it goes well and do the same in different countries.' Meghan added: 'There are probably more men virgins than we like to believe. I talk to a lot of them daily on my Only Fans account. Who will be the lucky 10?' Meghan and Dubliner Andy Lee, 35, were porn's new power couple when they fell in love whilst shooting a threesome last year, but their relationship ended. Meghan told the Irish Mirror: 'Andy and I split up, but we have become amicable friends since. I left porn, but I missed the industry way too much so I'm coming back. 'I'm going to do a few Bonnie Blue-type stunts so we could shock the country. Bonnie Blue is the woman that claimed to have had sex with 1,057 men in 12 hours. I'm going to be Belfast's Bonnie Blue and I'm going to take the virginity of 10 men. They have to be aged 29 or over. 'They will be able to apply on my website and then I will have sex with them all at one time or one after the other. It will all be filmed for my Only Fans account. This is only to begin with. When I get more comfortable with it, I will start doing more and more. I won't work with anyone under 25. So 29 is the cut-off for this stunt.' She added: 'I will be vetting the men myself. I'll have background checks done to make sure that they are who they say they are. They will need to sign consent forms, therefore their IDs have to be valid, otherwise the shoot doesn't go ahead. I need dates of births, all that sort of thing before going ahead to ensure the age is right. 'They will probably want to stay anonymous and that's fine. I will also have security at the venue should anything go awry. Whoever applies needs to be comfortable with losing their virginity in front of others and must consent to the product being on Only Fans. All terms and conditions, which will be sent out to them once they apply. "I would never want anyone to do anything against their boundaries. They will have full right to say no even at the time of filming and they will be checked-in with throughout.' Despite potential backlash and criticism, Meghan said: 'I don't care about the criticism. To me, I am bringing comfort to men. These are men who maybe wouldn't have lost their virginity otherwise - and now they get to lose it to a porn star. They are of well over consenting age, so I'm happy they can make their own informed decisions and everyone is happy. 'The men won't be paid. Their payment is losing their virginity to me. I will profit from the sales from my Only Fans and they will get to sleep with me. which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want men that would never really get attention from girls and who dream of losing their virginity. That would be the wish of a lifetime so some men. This will transform their lives for the better.'
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Tim Shoreman takes victory on first day of Rás Tailteann
Irish riders got off to an encouraging start on day one of the Rás Tailteann on Wednesday, but it was the Briton Tim Shoreman who triumphed into Boyle and took the first leader's yellow jersey. The UK Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli rider displayed the same sprinting power that earned him the final stage last year plus the points jersey, blasting home first on the uphill gallop to the line. He beat Irishman Niall McLoughlin (Connacht Cycling) and Will Tidball (Great Britain CT), with the first 12 opening a gap of several seconds over the rest of the bunch. Another Irish rider Odhran Doogan (Cycling Ulster) was seventh and, thanks to two bonus sprints he won while involved in the day's most significant breakaway, he ended the day third overall. He and second-placed McLoughlin are both five seconds behind Shoreman, who has that buffer thanks to the time bonus for the stage win. "The finish was really technical. We kind of knew what we needed to do," Shoreman told RTÉ Sport. "We had looked at in advance. I just fully trusted my teammates and they put me in the right place. Then I finished it off. "We do a lot of criteriums in the UK, so this kind of finish is perfect for me." The 155.5km stage started in Drogheda and featured numerous breakaways, with the key move going at the halfway point in Ballinagh. Doogan was present along with fellow Irishmen Conn McDunphy and Ronan O'Connor (both USA Team Skyline), as well as Britons Peter Cocker (DAS Richardsons), Danylo Riwnyi (Foran CT) and Aaron King (Wheelbase/Cabtech/Castelli). Also present were the American Owen Wright (Canel's Java), plus the German Robin Fischer (Team Storck-Metropol Cycling). Doogan picked up three seconds in time bonuses at both Crossdoney and Mohill, while McDunphy also boosted his campaign with second and third respectively. However the latter was hit by bad luck after the break was caught inside 25km. McDunphy came down in a crash inside the final two kilometres and while he was given the same time as the main bunch, as per international rules, a split in that group on the uphill rise to the line saw him lose a handful of seconds. McLoughlin is the best placed Irishman in second overall, and was psyched by his runner-up slot. "The streets were really, really tight, really technical," he said. "A lot of left and right handers, so you had to be right at the front right to the finish. "It was a really cool finish, it suited me, especially just the twisting and turning." He is hoping to shine in any of the upcoming stages which finish in a sprint. Doogan expressed the same sentiment, saying he was encouraged to still be feeling strong at the end despite being clear for such a long time in the day's breakaway. "I still had good legs for the finish, but just positioning wise I got caught out in the last corner. That cost me a bit. I'm definitely happy with the form. I can't complain." While he and McLaughlin are focussing their attention on chasing a stage win, Belfast rider Dean Harvey is pinpointing a strong general classification campaign. He was ninth on the stage and is ninth overall, 11 seconds behind Shoreman. "This year I want to go for GC," the double king of the mountains winner said. "There is point in hiding it, that's why I am here." He identified Thursday's stage two as likely one of the most important days for the general classification. It is the longest stage, covering 170.9km from Charlestown to Clifden. The riders will face five categorised climbs, including the category one Windy Gap in the first half of the stage.
The 42
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
This is a sad end to the Ireland sevens' exciting, emotional journey
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE not to feel sad for the group of Irishmen who spent such a big chunk of their 20s striving to put Ireland on the rugby sevens map. They succeeded. The Ireland men's sevens team played at the Olympics in 2021 and 2024. They finished second on the World SVNS Series last year and third at the 2022 World Cup. Terry Kennedy was World Rugby sevens player of the year in 2022 and easily could have been again last year. Having restarted in Division C of the Rugby Europe Championship in Bosnia and Herzegovina back in 2015, Ireland rose steadily through the ranks to become contenders. It was an exciting, emotional journey featuring lots of highs and some big lows. But now, a decade later, the Ireland men's sevens team is no more. The IRFU has shut the programme down and as things stand, there is no plan in place to even try to plot a route to the 2028 Olympics. This really does appear to be the end. Kennedy is among the ex-Ireland sevens players who have shared their anger at the IRFU's decision to discontinue the men's sevens programme. He branded the union's actions as 'utterly disgraceful' and 'absolutely shocking,' words echoed by several of his former Ireland team-mates and their supporters. Kennedy finished up with Ireland after the Olympics to pursue his career outside rugby. That was constantly a dilemma for these Irish players. At the start, they weren't even paid. When contracts eventually came into play, they weren't lucrative. Even in the last couple of years, the highest salary a men's sevens player could earn was €30,000 per season. Only a select few were at that level. Others were earning between €18,000 and €22,000. Some came into squads when they weren't even on that much. So no one was in sevens for the money. Nearly all of Ireland's players over this period have worked or studied outside of rugby in order to get by. Some of them have relied on support from their families. And those family members deserve a mention. The men's sevens community has been a tight-knit one, parents and loved ones travelling around the world together and keeping each other up to date when their lads were on the road. They're feeling anger and sadness right now too. The Ireland men's sevens team had some great success. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO A degree of the frustration stems from the timing. The 2024/25 World SVNS series finished two weekends ago. It's not like the remaining contracted Irish players were given a full year to prepare themselves for life after sevens. The Ireland squad were due to meet IRFU performance director David Humphreys on Monday. There was an awareness that bad news was coming at that meeting. But for a statement to then get released suddenly on Wednesday evening hurt for people who wanted to be told face to face that they would no longer have jobs as pro players. Advertisement Still, this decision is not a major surprise to those involved. There has been a sense of doom around the Irish men's programme for some time now. World Rugby's extensive financial struggles in sevens mean unions like the IRFU have been questioning its sustainability. Indeed, it has been reported that World Rugby has lost up to €25 million since centralising the sevens series in 2023. When Ireland moved on from last year's Olympics without a major chunk of their most experienced, proven players, the writing was on the wall. This 2024/25 campaign was a miserable season for an inexperienced Irish side as they finished 11th out of 12 teams. By the time the final leg in LA rolled around, World Rugby had belatedly clarified its plans for the series next season. Ireland were already in the relegation play-off places and duly got chopped as the series was reduced from 12 to eight teams for next season. That all would have meant Ireland having to go through the Rugby Europe Championship to qualify for the third tier of the restructured SVNS series. And that confirmation proved to be the final straw for the IRFU. They pulled the plug. So the union can argue that they were only able to make a final decision after World Rugby confirmed its plans, although the evidence of the 2024/25 campaign is that the IRFU was already firmly on the path towards wrapping up the men's programme. Otherwise, there would have been a genuine post-Olympics plan in place. The 2024 Games were always likely to be the finishing point for many of the core players. But the union opted against truly refreshing the men's programme. Of course, this decade of the Ireland men's sevens team's rebirth correlates exactly with David Nucifora's tenure as the IRFU's performance director. Terry Kennedy and Jordan Conroy. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO The Australian is a huge advocate of sevens as a development tool for 15s, but also as a standalone game. He hoped the sevens team could unearth and improve players for the Irish provinces and the Ireland 15s team. He also believed sevens could be a popular game in its own right here. It's clear now that few in the IRFU agree. Nucifora moved on last year after the Olympics and he must be exasperated to see 10 years of work on the men's programme going down the drain. The Irish union has other priorities now. Sevens was undoubtedly important in giving current Ulster players Zac Ward, Rob Baloucoune, and Cormac Izuchukwu a pathway into professional 15s rugby. Baloucoune and Izuchukwu have Ireland 15s caps. There have been others who got an opportunity in the Ireland sevens set-up at just the right time. Ireland 15s internationals such as Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O'Brien, and Shane Daly had substantial spells with the sevens team and have spoken highly about how that time improved their core skills. There are further 15s players such as Nick Timoney who are held up as products of the sevens programme, yet didn't spend long with the squad in reality. And on the flip side of those positive examples, there have been some players directed into sevens from provincial academies who didn't feel it furthered their game and may even have denied them chances in the 15s game at crucial points in their development. Whether the Ireland men's sevens programme developed players for professional 15s at a steady enough rate over the last 10 years is open to debate. Unfortunately for all involved in the programme, the IRFU's assessment was that it didn't. The union evidently doesn't believe that sevens has captured the imagination of the wider sporting public in Ireland. The series is difficult to follow due to the vastly different time zones involved and the lack of TV coverage these days. World Rugby has struggled to sell the rights in recent years because broadcasters haven't been drawing in big audiences. So the IRFU no longer feel that the investment is worth it. To men like Kennedy, Harry McNulty, Mark Roche, Billy Dardis, Jordan Conroy, and Jack Kelly – Ireland's most capped sevens players – this decision must hurt greatly. They were the heartbeat of Irish men's sevens. They had amazing experiences on the circuit and formed a remarkable brotherhood. None of the sevens stalwarts had a chance to go back into the 15s game after missing out on senior contracts first time around, but they did get the chance to represent Ireland on a global stage. Sadly, no one will follow in their footsteps now. IRFU performance director David Humphreys. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO The IRFU has been spending millions of euros on sevens. €2.97 million in 2021/22 became €3.84 million in 2022/23 and then €4.24 million in the 2023/24 campaign, which was the Olympics year. Those numbers cover both the men's and women's programme, with the latter staying alive for now because the union feels it genuinely is a development pathway for women's 15s internationals. So the IRFU will save itself money through this decision, even if there is funding from World Rugby for teams who participate in the SVNS series, understood to be to the tune of around €350,000. Further funding came from Sport Ireland due to the Olympics element of sevens, while the Ireland sides have been sponsored by TritonLake since 2021. The IRFU has cited the need to safeguard its 'long-term financial sustainability.' The union has reported three deficits in the last four financial years. And it has been well flagged that professional rugby is on shaky financial ground around the world. The axing of the men's sevens programme is part of an increasing trend of the IRFU tightening its belt. That kind of cold, financially-driven decision doesn't take into account the human element of this. And that's another reason Wednesday evening's announcement hurt and caused anger. CEO Kevin Potts did thank 'everyone who has contributed to the success of the Men's Sevens programme,' but the 500-word statement lacked warmth. There were no celebrations of the amazing moments Ireland have had in the past decade, no direct mention of the families who have given so much, the staff who have worked so hard behind the scenes, and no real sense of gratitude towards players who have toiled and sacrificed plenty in order to proudly represent Ireland. This is the end, but they deserve to be saluted.
