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Irish Times
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Kerry player ratings: The Clifford brothers star as Kingdom lift Sam Maguire
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore) Had some wobbles in the second half, unlucky to slip before his long-range free effort, but kept enough variety and accuracy in his kickouts to ensure Kerry won enough of the midfield battle. Rating: 7 2. Paul Murphy (Rathmore) Proved himself Kerry's Mr Dependable once again, helping to restrict Oisin Gallen to just two points. Not far off his man-of-the-match display against Donegal in 2014, ferocious in his tackling as always, excellent reading of play. Rating: 8 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue) Stood up admirably against Michael Murphy, ensuring zero goal threat throughout. Brought his usual pace and energy to the position, never losing sight of his task at hand, fighting hard for every ball. Rating: 8 Donegal's Michael Murphy tackled by Jason Foley of Kerry. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho 4. Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks) Completed the full-back line of resistance with his ceaseless commitment, even if Conor O'Donnell caused him trouble at times. Displayed great energy and courage throughout, utterly committed to every ball. Rating: 7 READ MORE 5. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht) Once again brought his unlimited reserves of football ability, attacking with sheer intent with every chance he got. Sent one shot wide, but that just reflected his attacking mood. Helped keep the Donegal half backs quiet. Rating: 8 6. Mike Breen (Beaufort) Went about his business with all his trademark focus and sharpness, central to Kerry's running game, in both attack and retreat. Ran himself into the ground too, gave it his absolute all. Rating: 8 7. Gavin White (Dr Crokes) Played his captain's role to the glorious limit, leading from the start and playing wonderful football throughout. Finished with three points from play, a performance almost entirely without fault. Rating: 9 Donegal's Finnbarr Roarty and Gavin White of Kerry. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho 8. Seán O'Brien (Beaufort) Capped off his remarkable season in style, scoring two first half points in his first All-Ireland final debut, Battled hard for every kick out, superb particularly under the high ball. Rating: 7 9. Mark O'Shea (Dr Crokes) Brought all his club form to the county table when needed, once Diarmuid O'Connor was injured, and stuck to his job with now trademark coolness and courage, in his senior debut season. Rating: 8 10. Joe O'Connor (Austin Stacks) Rose to the challenge here with all his style and substance, repeatedly orchestrating and inspiring the Kerry attacks, and showing brilliant skill in possession. His blazing goal at the death, majestically finished, was utterly deserved. Rating: 9 Kerry's Joe O'Connor celebrates scoring a goal. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 11. Seán O'Shea (Kenmare Shamrocks) Kerry needed another big game from him and he didn't disappoint, twice scoring two-point frees when Kerry needed them, his role in setting up scores equally critical. Donegal couldn't contain him. Rating: 8 12. Graham O'Sullivan (Dromid Pearses) A big influence around the middle third throughout, tracking back when needed, but also playing a central role going forward. Tactically outplayed the Donegal half backs too, cool and committed. Rating: 7 13. David Clifford (Fossa) Wow. Under all the pressure any All-Ireland final could bring, Clifford calmly did what he does best, his three two-pointers in the first half spreading confidence throughout the team. Finished with 0-9, adding to his 8-53 already scored in this championship. Rating: 9 Kerry's David Clifford. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho 14. Paudie Clifford (Fossa) Saved the best game of his season until last, running ceaselessly, scoring three points from play, winning frees when Kerry needed them. Plenty of sibling intuition with David too, a joy to watch. Rating: 9 15. Dylan Geaney (Dingle) Took on the game with aggression from the start, finishing with three points from play, always dangerous when running at goal, even if a little off target with one of his first efforts. Rating: 8 Substitutes: None of them were required to make anything like a match-turning impact, but Diarmuid O'Connor helped bring some added energy to midfield, Evan Looney also getting on some ball in his debut season. Tadhg Morley had the honour of setting up the icing on the cake, Joe O'Connor's late goal. Rating: 7 Management An eighth All-Ireland final for Jack O'Connor, this time flanked by Aodán Mac Gearailt, James Costello, Cian O'Neill, O'Connor steps away after one of his finest, his fifth win. After an emotionally draining season, the team were in absolute peak condition, dominant winners over a highly rated Donegal team. Rating: 9
The Irish Sun
27-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘There's more to life' – Jason Foley finds meaning beyond football after Kerry's Meath meltdown
THIS time six weeks ago, Kerry football folk feared that the sky was falling in. A projected routine Advertisement 2 Jason Foley of Kerry in action against Meath during their shock loss earlier this season 2 Foley is looking at the bigger picture as Kerry head into today's All-Ireland final against Donegal In a county where football flows through the blood of the natives, it was a doomsday defeat. But for Jason Foley, life's bigger picture made its way back into his line of vision as soon as he returned to the workplace. The Although it is a career that he considers his true vocation, he admits there are some days which are more challenging than others — such as the Monday following the 1-22 to 0-16 loss to the Royals. Advertisement read more on gaa He recalled: 'I went into work that morning and I was covering someone else — another SNA — who wasn't in work that day. 'It was like a sign that was given to me to just get on with it. There's more to life. 'It was the one day that I had to cover someone else and it was the most perspective I've had in a long time. It's great that way.' Through good times and bad, perspective can be an elusive commodity for supporters and players alike. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Exclusive Exclusive For contrasting reasons, and quite understandably, the people of Tipperary and Cork in Croke Park may have struggled to accept that hurling is only a game at 5pm last Sunday. Kerry and Donegal battle for Sam Maguire in GAA All-Ireland football final Ever since he left behind a promising athletics career at the age of 17 to focus on football with Ballydonoghue and Kerry, Foley has emptied himself in the pursuit of success. That is verified by his winning of an All-Ireland medal and an All-Star award in 2022. And having emerged on the losing side in two of his three previous appearances in the Sam Maguire showpiece, he is sure to be crushed if today belongs to Donegal. Advertisement But his vocation has helped the 27-year-old to trust that the world will keep spinning nonetheless. Foley, who represented Ireland as a sprint hurdler at schools level, works mostly to aid children with autism spectrum disorder. He said: 'That's the thing about working with children with special needs or ASD in general — I suppose you don't know what way they're going to come in every morning and you just have to roll with the punches and make their life as great as possible for that day. So I love it.' A former University College Cork student, Foley inherited his passion for working with children from his mother Noelle and his Cork-based maternal grandmother Anna O'Donovan. Advertisement He explained: 'My grandmother, she would have fostered a lot of children. I would have gone down to visit her often. "Mom would have told me all the stories about her fostering children and how hard she worked, so it was kind of a natural progression really. 'I kind of wanted to do teaching initially and then kind of fell into Early Years and Childhood Studies in UCC and really enjoyed it. 'I was advised to go into it. I was told that I was compassionate towards children with special needs on placements and stuff like that and really enjoyed it. Advertisement "I really enjoyed helping children develop, I suppose, and I'm very, very lucky to be involved in it. 'I think it puts great perspective on things when I go into work on a Monday morning and see what struggles children have or what struggles parents have. 'I might have struggled at the weekend — my man might have kicked a few points off me. 'I'm coming into work on a Monday morning with a sour head on me but then quickly realising that there's more to life than that.' Advertisement Just like the children that Foley works with in Milltown, near Killarney, the Kerry defence has been in safe hands since he made his Championship debut in 2018. Michael Murphy will put him to the test if their anticipated match-up materialises. But this is a man not known for shirking challenges in any area of his life. FAMILY LIFE On his profession, Foley continued: 'My mother would have been a childcare nurse and when she came to Kerry, she would have been looking after a lot of children. "She would have done a lot of child-minding and stuff like that. Advertisement 'We would have been surrounded by children when we were growing up and when I was a teenager. We'd be out kicking ball with kids and we'd have been surrounded by cousins and stuff the whole time. 'I don't know, I just kind of fell into it. But it's kind of funny how things work out really. 'As I said, I genuinely love it. I love going into work every morning and there's a good camaraderie between the SNAs and the teachers.' For Foley, one of the perks of the job is the opportunity to briefly shed his skin as an inter-county footballer. Advertisement He said: 'The nice thing most of the time is that the children I'd be working with would nearly be totally oblivious to the fact that I am who I am, or I play with Kerry, or football in general, which is kind of nice. 'It's kind of endearing in a way. I can kind of go in and do a jigsaw puzzle or help them with their work. "It's just a completely different life. I suppose, in a way, I can switch off from it too because when you're surrounded by adults the whole time or staff members or different kids, it can be all questions about the game. 'Sometimes it can be a breath of fresh air when you're surrounded by children who are oblivious to that.' Advertisement Putting another Celtic Cross in his pocket will not alter how Foley is viewed by the children who depend on him. Ultimately, his scope to improve their lives will be unaffected by the outcome of the 2025 All-Ireland SFC final. And when all is said and done, no victory that is attainable on the field can measure up to the ones being achieved by Foley in the classrooms.
RTÉ News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Kerry star Jason Foley hoping experience counts as Donegal battle brews
Kerry may be favourites for Sunday's All-Ireland final, however, Jason Foley is expecting a battle to the finish against an impressive Donegal outfit as both sides aim to land the Sam Maguire at Croke Park. The Kingdom's march towards glory suffered a set-back in June, losing out to Meath in Tullamore, which led to the back-door route of coming through the preliminary quarter-finals, however, Jack O'Connor's side appear to be back to their best throughout the knockout stages. Three Ulster sides in a row, as Kerry first accounted for Cavan, then took down the All-Ireland champions, Armagh, in the quarter-finals before securing their place in this year's decider thanks to a victory over Tyrone. And now one more northern side stand in their way as Jim McGuinness' Donegal lie in wait at HQ on Sunday afternoon. Donegal, likewise, had to take the road less travelled to the final, and have equally impressed en route to Jones' Road, and while there may be a clash of styles with the way both sides play the game, Kerry defender Foley is expecting every eventuality. "We're expecting a tough game," said Foley, speaking to RTE Sport. "We're expecting it to go down to the wire, so yeah, we're expecting a battle, so we have to be ready for that, and we have to bring what we can to the game and hopefully that will be enough to get us over the line. "We're reviewing their games and I'm sure they're doing the same for us and we're trying to find where we can get at them and they're probably doing the exact same, so it might be a clash of styles, all right, but I'm sure the game might take on a life of its own and we'll just be ready for whatever they can throw at us." "I think we've just learned from game to game," said the Ballydonoghue man, when asked what had changed since that defeat to Meath in the round-robin stage. "We've learned our lessons in games, and we've taken what we needed to learn and focused in on training and produced a performance and backed it up with another performance and here we are, we're in the final. "So I don't even think we had a lot of time to read into a lot of that kind of stuff, we just have to focus on the games in front of us." While much of the spotlight has centred around the gifted talents of Kerry star forward David Clifford, Donegal are also blessed with real attacking prowess, most notably in the guise of Michael Murphy, and Foley is embracing the challenge that awaits once the ball is thrown in on Sunday. "I think I go into every game looking forward to a different challenge and they produce different challenges all over the field," said the 29-year-old. "They have a real selection of good forwards and we'll have to be very wary of all of them, so yeah, absolutely looking forward to a different challenge." A game of fine margins, perhaps, between the two forms sides of the campaign, and while it may come down to the kick of a ball, Foley is hoping that past experiences on the big stage can help Kerry get over the line on Sunday afternoon. "Hopefully, it's something we can rely on, maybe coming down the stretch, that experience," said Foley. "I've been in finals before and losing a few and only winning one; they're totally different experiences. "So hopefully when the game comes around, we'll be able to harness some of those lessons that we learned in the finals that we lost."
RTÉ News
29-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Seán O'Shea: Doubters and team spirit fuelled Kerry win
Seán O'Shea was delighted that he and his Kerry team-mates could prove the doubters wrong in their All-Ireland SFC quarter-final win over Armagh. O'Shea's unerring accuracy in front of the posts saw the Kenmare Shamrocks clubman finish with a personal haul of 12 points as the Kingdom ended Armagh's Sam Maguire defence on a 0-32 to 1-21 scoreline. The forward's stellar display saw him named man of the match in a last-eight encounter that Armagh were favourites to win. Seán O'Shea said there was a special energy in Kerry this week at the thoughts of playing Armagh 📱 Updates: 📺 Watch: — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 29, 2025 "As soon as we saw the draw last week, it was one of those weeks where you're struggling to sleep," the 26-year-old admitted. "It's the last thought when you go to bed every night and when you wake up every morning. "There was a special energy in the group this week. "We were written off. People weren't giving us any hope, even back home. "But we've a really tight group. Nobody knows what goes on in our dressing room. The fellas that are inside, we love each other. We're just a really tight group and I think that showed today. "We asked the crowd to get behind us as well and they really made a difference in the second half." Their outsider status ultimately proved liberating for a side more accustomed to being overburdened by expectation and O'Shea admitted: "We just said that we'd throw the shackles off and just go out and express ourselves. "We were coming in as underdogs here today. Armagh were obviously incredible All-Ireland champions and they were flying all year and we knew the challenge. "But that second half, we really turned the screw." If Kerry's performance was one forged out of adversity, their shock round-robin loss to Meath may have been another apparent negative that eradicated complacency and sharpened their focus. Jason Foley felt a "great sense of satisfaction" from Kerry's performance today. He described their loss to Meath as a reality check. — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 29, 2025 Full-back Jason Foley told RTÉ Sport: "We got a bit of a reality check and we went back to the drawing board and worked on a few things. "Since then, our training and performances have improved and we're just delighted that we were able to get a performance out there today."
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Residents take to Hammonasset Beach on Memorial Day to kick off summer
MADISON, Conn. (WTNH) — Sandcastles, beach volleyball and sunbathing were in full swing Monday at Hammonasset Beach State Park for the 'unofficial start of summer.' Beachgoers soaked up the sun after a weekend of rain. 'We are playing spikeball over here,' said Jake O'Brien from Wallingford. 'It has been rainy recently now it's a beautiful day and we're taking advantage of the beach.' Some families took to the park for a cookout, camping and quality time. Communities across Connecticut observe Memorial Day with parades and ceremonies 'We enjoy each other's company that's the greatest thing about camping with this crew we all get along and we enjoy each other and rain or shine we are going to have fun,' said Toni Acciardo of North Haven. Others made the journey to the shoreline from out of state. 'Actually getting outside you know,' said Jason Foley from North Haven. 'Coming down from the University of Maine, it is a lot warmer here than up there so looking forward to actually spending time outside and getting sunlight.' Walkers, runners and bikers all soaked up the sun on Monday, joining the crowds on the shore. 'I think really just getting outside going on the bike paths,' said Newtown residents Jack Whelan and Sadie Elkow. 'We don't go biking too often we love the aquarium it's the best time to go in the summer we go to the aquarium we go fishing, days out with his friends just outside playing frisbee.' While Memorial Day is seen as the 'unofficial start of summer,' the season doesn't start officially until June 20. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
