Latest news with #Leinsters
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
‘They'll humble you straight away' – Billy Ryan on teaching, hurling and ambition
The ambition of Kilkenny hurling means provincial silverware is little more than a stepping stone. For Billy Ryan, the ultimate ambition stays the same. Six Leinsters in a row won't satisfy their hunger. "Look, every year when you set out your stall with Kilkenny and you're training, the ultimate goal is to win an All-Ireland,' he said. 'I know every other team are going after that as well. If you pick up a Leinster title along the way on that journey, happy days. We are happy with how the Leinster final went and we've got another one under our belt. But you nearly feel straight away afterwards that the momentum shifts to an All-Ireland semi-final and trying to get back to a final and hopefully winning that." Ryan knows the history and the legend. He is a teacher in St Patrick's De La Salle, where Brian Cody was once a principal. Eight-time All-Star Eddie Brennan is a club-mate and the player he studied growing up, trying to model himself on his explosive speed and insatiable appetite for goals. The classroom operates as a perfect counterbalance to hurling. It is another reflection of the love for the game within the county. "Yeah, it is actually fantastic. If you play well on the Sunday, they'll bring you right back down. They'll humble you straight away. I love it. I genuinely love it. 'In fairness, the class I have as well, there's a lot of lads that love the hurling. We were playing Antrim up in Belfast this year and a few of them went up to it. The support has been absolutely immense for me and I'm truly grateful for it. I have great people around me and the community as well where I'm from in Ballycallan, it's so supportive and it genuinely is fantastic to have." The 28-year-old finds respite in his work. 'It's great because you can get caught up in the hurling thing and you can nearly drive yourself demented with hurling and whatnot. I just find teaching is great in the way it resets you and you can divide the man from the player in a way when you're going back into the working environment. 'You are trying to be a role model for these children and show them the way of how to go about their day-to-day stuff. I genuinely love it. It's something that when I'm walking to work in the morning, I'm genuinely looking forward to each day." Ryan has already played in two All-Ireland finals, nabbing a goal in the 2022 decider. He scored another last season in the semi-final as Kilkenny pushed six clear of eventual champions Clare. That comeback knocked them out and is a lesson they have not forgotten with Tipperary coming down the tracks. In the Leinster final, Kilkenny were cruising before a late Galway burst. They can't afford to allow the same opportunity on Sunday. "I suppose with any semi-final, whoever you're facing, you can bet that they're going to be a top-quality team. The way we see it is that no matter what team you're playing, they're always going to have a purple patch. The challenge for us is to try and limit it. 'I think last year we didn't. Clare got a run on us and their purple patch went on for far too long. That was probably what cost us. We just couldn't get our hands on the ball or we couldn't reset. It cost us and that is something we are going to have to look at. There have been glimpses probably in the last few games as well that teams are getting purple patches on us and we're dropping the intensity. Tweaking it is probably the challenge that has been set for us."
Irish Independent
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Provincial joy for Tredagh Boxing Academy's boys and girls
First up, Adam walsh boxed in the quarter-finals against an opponent from South East and won by unanimous decision to progress to the semis. It was the same story for Rua Clinton who overcame an opponent from Wexford who had beaten him twice before at the Leinsters. Ceejay Sheelan boxed in the preliminary round against a boy from Wexford and also did extremely well to win by unanimous decision to reach the quarter-finals. Ceejay then won his second bout against a New Ross opponent by split decision and now he was in the semi-finals. Next into the ring for Tredagh was Casey Donagh who was up against a double All-Ireland champion. This was a very tight affair and Casey was unfortunately edged out by the narrowest of margins on a 3-2 split decision. But her display of boxing was testimony to her hard work and fantastic progression over the past year. Also on the wrong end of a 3-2 split decision was Adam Walsh who lost his semi-final to a very good boxer from Wexford in one of the bouts of the day. Rua Clinton won on a unanimous decision against an opponent from Dunboyne BC, landing his trademark big shots to catch the eye of the judges and progressed to his Leinster final. Simon McDonagh boxed a strong lad from Athlone and got the nod on a split decision to book his final place. Andrew Mathews boxed the reigning All-Ireland champion in his semi-final and was beaten on a 3-2 split decision, but the talent he showed didn't go unnoticed as he was invited onto the coveted Leinster Development Squad. Ceejay Sheelan came fron behind to win his semi-final against Wexford opposition in another top-class bout but unfortunately wasn't able to contest the final and had to settle for a silver medal. Nevertheless, his ability was also rewarded as he too was invited onto the Leinster Development Squad and both he and Andrew Matthews will train with the team every weekend in Carlow which will be great for their development. Iris Kinahan also contested a final and boxed a very experienced girl from Kilkenny. She gave 100 per cent but had to settle for silver. This is her first year of boxing and yet she has won the Dublin League, Louth Open and Armagh Down Open as well as contesting a Leinster final. Following on from his great semi-final win, Simon Mc Donagh was unable to contest his Leinster final and had to settle for a silver medal, but he too won Louth Open and Armagh Down Open titles this season. Rua Clinton boxed extremely well in his excellent final against the reigning All-Ireland champion, but he had to settle for a silver medal. Nevertheless, two fantastic wins en route to the final and an Armagh Down Open title represents a great season for him. PJ McCullough also boxed in the final against opposition from Wexford and won all three rounds with constant pressure and a high volume of punches to take a unanimous decision and win the Leinster title in his first year of competitive boxing. He joins Cara Evans and Chloe Sheelan in the All-Irelands in the National Stadium as both Chloe and Cara were also crowned Leinster champions over the fortnight.
