Latest news with #LeotheLion
Irish Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Leo Cullen's hilarious reaction to being asked about 'Leo' chants at final
Chants of 'Leo, Leo, Leo' rang around Croke Park during and after Leinster's URC final victory over the Bulls. And Leinster head coach Leo Cullen exploded with laughter when he was asked by a South African journalist about his emotions on hearing his name being chanted by the record crowd for an Irish final. "Ha ha, that was for Leo the Lion," exclaimed Cullen."Just to say I don't want to take the credit here! "One of my memories when I came back from England, I was playing in England between 2005 and 2007, Leinster wasn't a happy place back in those days. "But I remember playing in the RDS in 2007 and we were defending a lineout and I could hear the crowd go, 'Leo, Leo!' and I was thinking 'this crowd love me' and then in the corner of my eye I could see the lion doing a dance, and I was like, 'Ahh good luck'. "But Leo the Lion did a great job!" After the official URC trophy presentation on the Croke Park pitch, a contingent of the playing group walked up the Hogan Stand steps where skipper Jack Conan lifted the trophy again in the traditional spot that many a GAA captain has done the same. Asked who came up with the idea, Conan replied: 'I have absolutely no idea. "Marcus O'Buachalla (Leinster media manager), he needs a shout out at least once a week! 'I was conscious of the lads trying to lift up my shirt and making an absolute mug of me so I was tucking that in. 'Look, to be on the Hogan Stand to lift a trophy with all your mates, family, loved ones, it's incredibly special and something that will live long in the memory. 'I had a few words as Gaeilge but I was told my pronunciation was all over the place, so they told me not to do it! I don't think they wanted me to do a speech, I was told less is more!" Conan described the victory as "incredibly special", adding: "It's not something you could ever dream of when you were growing up or even in the last few years because obviously it has been long since we had played here as a club. 'So, it's not something that was ever on your radar but it's just fantastic. I know it wasn't full today but there were 46-odd thousand people and we could feel every single one of them. 'We could hear their voices and they got behind us. They stayed after the final whistle for us to do a lap. "One of the big reasons we do what we do is to give back to the people who come to support us through the good days and the bad days. 'It's incredibly pertinent that we give them something to celebrate. I think everyone is just elated."
BBC News
02-03-2025
- Science
- BBC News
What's happening in the night sky in spring?
Spring is shaping up to be a great time for skygazers with the opportunity to see aurora, meteor showers and both a lunar and solar eclipse this year. So keep your fingers crossed for clear skies throughout March, April and May. When does spring officially start? For meteorologists spring starts on 1 March but for astronomers the beginning of the season is based around the spring equinox which takes place on 20 March this year. The equinox is the point where the Earth is midway in its orbit between the closest and most distant points from the Sun. It can change as the Earth does not take an exact length of time on its journey around the Sun. Eyes to the skies Spring TriangleSome of the best seasonal patterns of stars can be spotted towards the south of the sky. According to Anna Gammon-Ross, an Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, "the three brightest stars that can be seen at this time of the year make up a small triangle in the sky."Each of the three stars is part of a separate constellation, and if you're trying to identify them, Anna Gammon-Ross explains: "Look out for a star that is part of Leo the Lion, a constellation that looks a little bit like a mouse. Another in Virgo that looks like a square with wobbly arms and the final star, is part of the constellation called Botez, recognised as a hunter or herdsman." Lunar eclipse A lunar eclipse occurs during a full Moon, when the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow causing the Moon to darken. This will be on 14 Americas will have the best chance of viewing this total lunar eclipse as it will take place during their overnight period and will only be visible in dark skies. Parts of the UK, away from the south-east, could notice some changes to the Moon's appearance as it starts to set in the early hours of the morning. Partial solar eclipse If you're in the Northern Hemisphere you'll have a chance of seeing this partial eclipse taking place on 29 March. There won't be complete darkness but the moon is going to pass in front of our view of the Sun covering around a third of the UK, this event will start at around 10:00 GMT reaching its maximum coverage at around 11:00 GMT. It will be over by Meteor shower The Lyrids peak on 22 April but will be visible on the nights either side of this Gammon-Ross from the Royal Observatory Greenwich says: "Meteor showers are visible all over the world and on the peak nights of the Lyrids you can expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour."AuroraWith the sun at peak activity, it's likely there will be more sightings of aurora this year. Will it be cloudy or clear? Clear skies after dark will always provide the best chance to see what's going on in the night sky. If you're planning on catching these celestial events, check the local forecast, sunrise and sunset times on the BBC weather website or on our app.
