Latest news with #LeinsterChampionships
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
Kilkenny star weighs in on debate around moving Leinster hurling final out of Croke Park as Galway tussle looms
IF DEREK LYNG persists with his rewiring of Kilkenny's switchboard, Adrian Mullen is ready to be an adaptor. An All-Star midfielder in 2022, apprentice electrician Mullen has played most of his hurling in the half-forward line. 2 Kilkenny are hoping to be crowned Leinster kingpins for the sixth year in a row 2 As a player Derek Lyng won nine Leinster Championships to go with six All-Irelands But for the first time since his underage days, the Ballyhale Shamrocks man had No 6 on his back as Kilkenny With David Blanchfield, Mikey Carey and Richie Reid also occupying the position this season, Cats boss Derek Lyng continues to tinker with centre-back options. Speaking ahead of the Leinster final against Galway, Mullen said: 'I've no idea where I'm going to be playing. 'I'll be happy to play anywhere that I'm picked so we'll have to wait and see.' Read More On GAA As Kilkenny were already assured of a place in the provincial final before their seven-point loss to the Models, Lyng had scope to experiment. Mullen explained: 'I'll play anywhere I'm told to play. If you're told to play centre-back, you obviously just have to adapt to that. 'If you're closer to the goal, you have to be a threat up there and stuff like that. You have to be able to play anywhere with the way the game has gone. 'Given the circumstances of the round-robin — we were already through — it was probably a game to give lads a bit of game time and get minutes into the legs and stuff like that. I suppose that's just what you saw there.' Most read in GAA Hurling Plagued by injuries over the years, Mullen has declared himself fit and available for selection as Kilkenny take aim at a sixth straight Bob O'Keeffe Cup this weekend. He said: 'The body is holding up well for now. I suppose at this time of year, you're never really 100 per cent going into any games, especially with how tough and heavy training is. RTE pundit Joe Canning urges GAA to make huge change for Leinster hurling final as fans 'totally agree' 'I've kept it together for now and I'm looking forward to Sunday.' Heading into his seventh season on the panel, Mullen picked up a groin injury that sidelined him for the National League. His playing time for Kilkenny at senior level has also been curtailed by knee, hamstring and thumb injuries. The 2019 Young Hurler of the Year said: 'It's probably just a variety of different things. 'I suppose with the workload of pre-season at the time, you'd do well to come out of it injury-free. I was just unfortunate at that time to pick up kind of a groin injury or a groin issue. 'But it's all good now and I'm fit and ready to go.' FEELING FIT While a twisted ankle also forced Mullen off after just 17 minutes of the Leinster opener against Galway in April, he was back for the meeting with Offaly three weeks later. If given the nod, the former DCU student will make his 33rd Championship start against the Tribesmen at Croke Park on Sunday. And he insisted: 'I feel good. Training has been tough over the last couple of weeks and months. Once you put in that work and that foundation, it definitely stands to you. 'I feel good coming into the latter part of the Championship.' Mullen produced a man-of-the-match display in last year's Leinster final, racking up 0-7 from play as Joe Canning has But Mullen said: 'I suppose speaking as a player, there's no place you'd rather be than Croke Park. As a player, I'm happy that it's in Croke Park. 'Wherever it ends up being played, maybe in the years to come, you just have to get on with it. It makes no difference really once you're out on the pitch.' Asked about the bookies' forecast — which has been echoed by many pundits — that this year's All-Ireland is a two-horse race between Limerick and Cork, Mullen responded: 'I suppose it only seeps in if you're paying attention to it really. 'Obviously we have our own opinions and our own beliefs.'
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Louth athletes shine at All-Ireland Schools and Leinster Championships as Boyne AC stars medal
From the national stage in Tullamore to local roads and the high energy of the Leinster Championships, their athletes showed exactly what they're made of. Things kicked off on Friday last when Hila Raji represented Ballymakenny College at the All-Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships in Tullamore. Hila put in a calm, focused performance in the high jump, clearing an impressive 1.50m to take third place and claim a well-earned All-Ireland bronze medal - a proud moment for her school, her family and everyone at Boyne AC. The following day her sister Hannele Raji stepped into the same arena, this time wearing the colours of St Oliver's CC. Hannele competed in both the shot putt and long jump, placing sixth in each event, and while the results weren't quite what she was aiming for, her effort and commitment stood out. Also on Saturday, over the roads of Monasterboice, Seamus Keenan was in flying form for the club as he stormed home to finish as the first Junior in the U18 category at the Monasterboice 4-Mile Race. Clocking a time of 24:39 under the guidance of coach Andrew White, Seamus once again proved that he's one of the brightest young endurance runners in the region. But perhaps the most electric energy of the weekend came from the youngest members of the club, who took to the track and field for the Leinster Championships at Tullamore Harriers Stadium. For many of them, it was their first time competing at this level and they rose to the occasion brilliantly. In the U10 Girls 600m pairs, Stella Gow and Folasade Chloe Bello Osagie delivered a superb performance, earning themselves a bronze medal after a gutsy and well-paced race. They returned to the track for the sprint pairs later in the day and finished fifth overall, proving themselves as a dynamic and consistent duo. Jessica McMahon impressed in the U12 Girls high jump, clearing a big personal best of 1.20m to place fourth. She was just outside the medals, but her performance spoke volumes about her potential. Over in the turbo javelin, the U11 boys were in top form. Rasmus Fangeru led the way with a 14.68m throw, followed by Mal Brodigan with 11.27m and Conor Hughes with 9.84m. All three hit personal bests, showing steady improvement and promise for the seasons ahead. In the U13 Boys 600m, Will Gow put in a strong run, clocking a new personal best of 1:54. Though just shy of a medal, his was a gritty and determined effort. Caithlin Hughes took on the U12 Girls 600m with a great mix of drive and composure. She earned herself a personal best and finished with the kind of smile that shows just how much she loves the sport. The U11 Boys 600m featured two determined Boyne AC runners. Malachy Brodigan ran a strong heat, placing second, and then pushed hard in the final, narrowly missing out on a medal. Conor Hughes also ran well and showed good form across the board. In the U10 Boys 600m, Cormac Brodigan gave it everything, finishing 12th overall. At just nine years old and already competing at this level, he's clearly one to keep an eye on in the coming years. And just when it seemed the day was done, there was one more highlight to come! Right at the end of the Leinster Championships, Folasade Chloe Bello Osagie was back in action, this time as part of the Louth relay team. Running in the final event of the day, Folasade helped secure a silver medal for the team with a flawless run and a smooth handover that brought the team home in style. It was the perfect way to cap off an already fantastic day of competition. Meanwhile, the countdown is continuing to this Friday's latest running of the ever-popular SKF Boyne 5K. The action starts at 8pm from St Oliver's NS on the Ballymakenny Road in Drogheda and runs out towards the countryside area of Townrath, before turning and proceeding back towards St Oliver's NS for a fast downward stretch to the finish. There are prizes of €150, €75 and €50 for the first three finishers overall in both the men's and women's categories, plus a further €150 if the course record is broken. There are also category prizes in the various age groups for both men and women, plus prizes for the top two teams and the top three wheelchair finishers. There is a medal for all finishers, refreshments available in the school, chipped timing and bag-drop facilities, and the event is AAI-approved. Further information and entry details can be found on the Boyne AC Facebook page.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Hila Raji hits the ‘high' notes to make podium at All-Ireland Schools Championships
From the national stage in Tullamore to local roads and the high energy of the Leinster Championships, their athletes showed exactly what they're made of. Things kicked off on Friday last when Hila Raji represented Ballymakenny College at the All-Ireland Schools Track & Field Championships in Tullamore. Hila put in a calm, focused performance in the high jump, clearing an impressive 1.50m to take third place and claim a well-earned All-Ireland bronze medal - a proud moment for her school, her family and everyone at Boyne AC. The following day her sister Hannele Raji stepped into the same arena, this time wearing the colours of St Oliver's CC. Hannele competed in both the shot putt and long jump, placing sixth in each event, and while the results weren't quite what she was aiming for, her effort and commitment stood out. Also on Saturday, over the roads of Monasterboice, Seamus Keenan was in flying form for the club as he stormed home to finish as the first Junior in the U18 category at the Monasterboice 4-Mile Race. Clocking a time of 24:39 under the guidance of coach Andrew White, Seamus once again proved that he's one of the brightest young endurance runners in the region. But perhaps the most electric energy of the weekend came from the youngest members of the club, who took to the track and field for the Leinster Championships at Tullamore Harriers Stadium. For many of them, it was their first time competing at this level and they rose to the occasion brilliantly. In the U10 Girls 600m pairs, Stella Gow and Folasade Chloe Bello Osagie delivered a superb performance, earning themselves a bronze medal after a gutsy and well-paced race. They returned to the track for the sprint pairs later in the day and finished fifth overall, proving themselves as a dynamic and consistent duo. Jessica McMahon impressed in the U12 Girls high jump, clearing a big personal best of 1.20m to place fourth. She was just outside the medals, but her performance spoke volumes about her potential. Over in the turbo javelin, the U11 boys were in top form. Rasmus Fangeru led the way with a 14.68m throw, followed by Mal Brodigan with 11.27m and Conor Hughes with 9.84m. All three hit personal bests, showing steady improvement and promise for the seasons ahead. In the U13 Boys 600m, Will Gow put in a strong run, clocking a new personal best of 1:54. Though just shy of a medal, his was a gritty and determined effort. Caithlin Hughes took on the U12 Girls 600m with a great mix of drive and composure. She earned herself a personal best and finished with the kind of smile that shows just how much she loves the sport. The U11 Boys 600m featured two determined Boyne AC runners. Malachy Brodigan ran a strong heat, placing second, and then pushed hard in the final, narrowly missing out on a medal. Conor Hughes also ran well and showed good form across the board. In the U10 Boys 600m, Cormac Brodigan gave it everything, finishing 12th overall. At just nine years old and already competing at this level, he's clearly one to keep an eye on in the coming years. And just when it seemed the day was done, there was one more highlight to come! Right at the end of the Leinster Championships, Folasade Chloe Bello Osagie was back in action, this time as part of the Louth relay team. Running in the final event of the day, Folasade helped secure a silver medal for the team with a flawless run and a smooth handover that brought the team home in style. It was the perfect way to cap off an already fantastic day of competition. Meanwhile, the countdown is continuing to this Friday's latest running of the ever-popular SKF Boyne 5K. The action starts at 8pm from St Oliver's NS on the Ballymakenny Road in Drogheda and runs out towards the countryside area of Townrath, before turning and proceeding back towards St Oliver's NS for a fast downward stretch to the finish. There are prizes of €150, €75 and €50 for the first three finishers overall in both the men's and women's categories, plus a further €150 if the course record is broken. There are also category prizes in the various age groups for both men and women, plus prizes for the top two teams and the top three wheelchair finishers. There is a medal for all finishers, refreshments available in the school, chipped timing and bag-drop facilities, and the event is AAI-approved. Further information and entry details can be found on the Boyne AC Facebook page.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Jubilant Ace AC pair medal at All-Ireland Schools finals
Drogheda Independent Today at 06:30 It's been another strong week for athletes from Ace AC, with members delivering solid performances at both national and provincial events as well as at the BMC in UK. At the National Schools Championships, two Ace AC athletes earned bronze national medals while representing their schools. Firstly Eimear Cooney, competing for Sacred Heart Drogheda, took bronze in the Senior Girls 1500m with another fine display. Eimear completed the distance just one second behind the second-place athleted with a time of 4:36.79. Shea O'Donnell is one of the club's most consistent performers and he rarely fails to deliver results at the highest level. He was running for St Mary's DS Drogheda and also earned national bronze in the Senior Boys 1500m with a time of 4:02.23. Both Eimear and Shea will be strong favourites for national club medals later in the season. While these were schools results, both athletes train with Ace AC and continue to impress at national level. There was further success at the weekend, this time in the younger age groups at the Leinster Championships, where Caoimhe Carolan joined an illustrious group of female Ace AC athletes who have won provincial medals, claiming second place in the U13 Girls 600m. The Tullyallen-based athlete came through her heats with a strong time of 1:50 and secured the vital silver medal with a 1:44 personal best in the final. U17 athlete Chloe Cooney travelled to Loughborough in the UK on Saturday to compete in a BMC meeting and continued her strong return from injury, recording a season's best time of 2:16 in the 800m. Chloe has improved her time in each of her last three races and is clearly moving in the right direction. Elsewhere, out on the road, Danny Nugent won the Monasterboice 4-Mile Race, putting in a solid performance over the distance. Also competing in the same event were U8 Finn Murphy and U9 Millie Roche who both raced well and successfully completed the distance despite their young ages.
Irish Examiner
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Depleted Kerry down to bare bones for Munster final clash with dangerous Banner
Kerry boss Jack O'Connor revealed that he will be without a number of key personnel for the Kingdom's bid to beat Clare for a third consecutive year in a Munster SFC final. The injuries could not come at a worse time for O'Connor and for Kerry, considering Paudie Clifford will be serving a one-match ban after being shown a red card against Cork and then having his appeal to get the red card rescinded fail. O'Connor was brief and to the point with his pre-Munster final chat with local media when asked about the injury situation heading into Sunday's meeting with the Peter Keane-managed Clare. 'I think Diarmuid O'Connor will still be out of the equation for this game," said O'Connor. "He is back doing bits and pieces but not fully back yet. Paul Murphy went off in the game (against Cork) and has a bit of a calf issue and he won't be available. Graham O'Sullivan won't be available as he has a kind of an ongoing groin issue. "Then, obviously, there is a doubt about Shane Ryan who hasn't trained since and obviously Paudie Clifford is suspended so that is four or five right there. "Mike Breen (calf) and Tom O'Sullivan are back training so they should be in contention, yes. So we could have a few changes, yeah. Shane Ryan has a fairly substantial cut on the knee." O'Connor believes that the reports that provincial championships were dead took a bit of a hammering over the past couple of weeks. 'Firstly I would say there is a bit of life in the provincial championships despite what people were saying about it. People were saying that the Munster and Leinster Championships were dead ducks but both games (Kerry v Cork and Dublin v Meath) proved that is certainly not the case. "There is no question that the two point rule now has ensured that no lead is safe. That was obvious out here (in Austin Stack Park) when we played Dublin in the league, we were 13 up at one stage and they reeled us in and eventually got ahead of us, mainly due to two pointers. "Particularly when there is a wind there the two pointers are crucial. Meath kicked some outrageous two-pointers against Dublin (on Sunday) particularly in the first half. Yeah, I think that is the biggest factor (in making every game more interesting) as it was in the Cork game. The two- two pointers in a row that preceded the goal, that is what Cork back into it.' O'Connor also cannot fathom why the draw for the Sam Maguire is being made this Wednesday with none of the provincial finals played. 'I am not too sure what the rationale is behind it, I would not be sure now. Can any of ye figure out what the rationale is? I don't know, I honestly have no comment on it because I don't why they do it; it seems a bit strange all right.' The Dromid Pearses club man has accepted that Paudie Clifford will not be playing and Kerry are not going in further with his appeal plus O'Connor was not best pleased with both red cards that were issued by referee Barry Tiernan. 'We will find out how big a loss he is Sunday, won't we?" said O'Connor. "Yeah he is playing great football. He is, I suppose, coming into the best years of his life, prime years football wise. He is just in a great vein of form and it's a pity he is missing the game. I thought in the context of the game that Paudie was a bit unlucky. "Now, of course, it was a clumsy challenge but I did not think it was a dangerous tackle. I mean we had three or four players who left the field at various stages after collisions, whether they were caused by the conditions or not I am not too sure. The conditions were very slippy on the night and I just thought the referee could have taken that into consideration in both instances. In Sean Brady's case as well, I thought he was very unlucky as well. "I mean what was annoying was that the referee was quite close to the action on both occasions and it seemed to be the linesmen who made the calls. I thought maybe in the conditions, and with the physical nature of the game, that a yellow card would have been sufficient on both occasions."
