Latest news with #McGann
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Jersey seal clean sweep over Guernsey in Siam Cup
Jersey reclaimed the men's and women's Siam Cup titles with victories over Guernsey at St men scored five tries as they cruised to a 36-11 win over their Jersey's women beat their Sarnian rivals 30-13 thanks in part to a Taye Boake-Yiadom hat-trick as both sides avenged losses at Footes Lane 12 months ago. Jersey men ease to victory as ex-pros star Jersey led 10-0 after 32 minutes thanks to Jerry Sexton's try and a Aaron Penberthy McGann's penalty made it 10-3 before former Jersey Reds, Exeter and London Irish forward Sexton - the brother of Ireland legend Johnny - made it 17-3 before a second McGann penalty reduced the deficit to 17-6 at the former Red - ex-Wasps and Leicester forward Guy Thompson - extended Jersey's lead to 21 points when he crossed six minutes into the second crossed for Jersey's fourth try soon after before another former Red Scott van Breda made it 36-6 with 12 minutes left. Anthony Armstrong went over for a consolation try for Guernsey with five minutes left. Jersey regain Siam Cup after 2024 defeat Earlier in the day Jersey's women avenged their last-minute 17-15 loss last year as they crushed Guernsey 30-13. Boake-Yiadom scored a hat-trick for the hosts as they ran in six tries to regain the title from their Sarnian rivals. Aideen Le Prevost have Guernsey a sixth-minute lead, but Katie de la Cloche made it 5-5 with a 26th-minute try. Guernsey had India Healing sin-binned four minutes later and Boake-Yiadom got her first soon after before a Ness Brown penalty made it 10-8 at half time. But de la cloche went over soon after the restart before Boake-Yiadom scored two quickfire tries to extend the lead to 25-8 despite with 20 minutes left. Guernsey saw Ness Brown sent to the sin bin soon after and Willow Le Luan completed the win before a late Guernsey consolation.
Irish Examiner
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Podcast Corner: Actor Paul McGann has a family link to tale of the Titanic
The Noiser network is home to dozens of history podcasts - over 600 episodes - ranging from Napoleon to Hitler to Sherlock Holmes and The Curious History, hosted by domestic historian Ruth Goodman and with episodes on sheds, laundry, bins, and heating. Noiser's latest series is one most of us in Ireland will be familiar with. Launched on April 8, Titanic: Ship of Dreams is hosted by actor Paul McGann ( Withnail and I, etc), who sets out what we can expect over the course of the series, from first designs and the years of construction in Belfast to 'the fateful voyage that sealed the ship's fate and beyond', considering some of the questions that haunt Titanic scholars more than 100 years later: Was the captain really ordered to increase speed, why were so many iceberg warnings ignored in the leadup to the collision, and with almost 1,200 places available on the lifeboats, why were only 700 people saved? Paul McGann's great-uncle James was on board the Titanic. There's a vivid soundscape underpinning McGann's rather grand narration - and if anything deserves such oratory, it's the biggest ship ever built. Consider this, early in the opening episode: 'For a moment, she looks like she won't move after all. Freed from her wooden moorings, the giant ship stands stock still, a towering immobile monument. Then almost imperceptibly, she begins sliding towards the water, gradually picking up speed, five, 10, 15 miles per hour. Finally, after the longest 62 seconds in history, Titanic floats freely for the first time.' McGann also has a personal connection to the story. His great-uncle James McGann is known in the family as Titanic McGann. An experienced 29-year-old Liverpool lad recently returned from a voyage to South Africa, he's signed up for Titanic's maiden voyage. 'I never met Uncle Jimmy,' explains Paul McGann. 'He died almost half a century before I was born. But my brother, Stephen, you might know him as Dr Turner from Call the Midwife, has managed to piece together his story.' He adds: 'By rights, Uncle Jimmy should have nothing to do with Titanic." There are more Swedes onboard than Irish, we are told in the third episode, Into the Atlantic, as the Titanic stops off in Queenstown (Cobh). There are also 154 Lebanese emigrants onboard - about 10% of passengers. Amid McGann's narration are talking heads and historians, who help explain such titbits, also expanding, on this particular episode, on some of the quirks of the menu and how Titanic even has its very own 'ice man', serving cocktails and desserts. Meanwhile, in Queenstown, a sinister omen is apparently spotted. Atop the ship's fourth funnel stands a figure, soot black from head to toe. Some of the more superstitious Irish visitors are convinced it's a harbinger of death. In fact, the ghoulish figure, reveals McGann, is one of the engine room workers. 'For all we know, it could have been my great uncle Jimmy.' Read More Culture That Made Me: Des Kennedy, the Belfast-born director of the Everyman in Cork
The Independent
30-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Ireland end long Women's Six Nations wait with victory over Italy
Anna McGann claimed a hat-trick as Ireland swept aside Italy 54-12 in Parma to notch a long-awaited away win in the Women's Six Nations. The Irish last celebrated success on the road in the 2021 tournament and were coming off defeat to France in the opening round but put together a fine all-round performance as they ran in eight tries at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi. McGann crossed twice in the first half and finished things up with another late score in the closing moments, while Dannah O'Brien slotted seven conversions in a near flawless kicking display. Italy were up against it from the off, Valeria Fedrighi sent to the sin bin in the opening minutes after a high tackle, and Aoife Dalton was first to take advantage. McGann followed with her first two tries and Amee-Leigh Costigan also snuck through, while Sofia Stefan added the consolation for Italy in a half-time score of 28-5 to the visitors. Ireland second row Linda Djougang got the scoreboard moving again in the second half as they banked another converted try but was then yellow carded for head contact. Dorothy Wall and Brittany Hogan forced their way over as Ireland continued to pile up the points and although Beatrice Rigoni converted her own try to reduce the arrears, McGann sealed things with her third dash to the line.
BBC News
30-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
McGann hat-trick helps eight-try Ireland thump Italy
Women's Six NationsItaly (5) 12Tries: Stefan, Rigoni Cons: RigoniIreland (28) 54Tries: Dalton, McGann 3, Costigan, Djougang, Wall, Hogan Cons: O'Brien 7 Ireland recorded a first away win in the Women's Six Nations since 2021 with a 54-12 victory over Italy in Bemand's side scored four tries in each half with Anna McGann providing a hat-trick at the Stadio Sergio to the site of their failure to qualify for the last World Cup, the visitors crossed for two scores in the opening seven minutes to take control of the game and beat Italy for the first time since Dalton, Amee-Leigh Costigan, Linda Djougang, Dorothy Wall and Brittany Hogan also scored tries for Ireland, while Dannah O'Brien added seven conversions. Ireland made a slow start in their otherwise encouraging defeat by France in round one but flew out of the traps in Parma to set the foundations of their King had already secured an early breakdown turnover when Italy lock Valeria Fedrighi was sent to the sin bin after only 52 high tackle on Edel McMahon was further punished when Ireland scored twice during the 10 minutes against 14 felt they failed to make the most of a player advantage against France last week, Ireland showed patience when their maul stalled and Aoife Dalton was on hand to scoop up a loose ball and finish powerfully for the Fegrighi's return, an Eve Higgins break created the space for McGann to go over for her Sofia Stefan, who was a bright spark for the hosts throughout her hour on the pitch, responded when she caught Ireland cold from a scrum and scampered over from the base. But another break from Higgins created Ireland's third score of the half, this time for Amee-Leigh Costigan, and they would secure the try bonus point before the break when McGann crossed again after more patient play in looked set to mount a response in the final minutes of the half but, after strong work from prop Niamh O'Dowd, Dalton held up Vittoria Vecchini over the line. Aoife Wafer had a score ruled out for obstruction at the line-out five minutes into the second half, but Ireland would get their fifth try when prop Linda Djougang crashed over in the 55th minute. The loose-head was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Emma Stevanin three minutes later with the punishment remaining a yellow card after a TMO bunker while down to 14, replacement second row Dorothy Wall finished off another patient Irish move for the side's sixth Beatrice Rigoni scored for Italy when she cleverly pounced on a loose ball and wriggled over the line, but the hosts were well beaten for the second consecutive week after a heavy loss to England in round one. Ireland scored twice more in the final three minutes through Brittany Hogan and the third of McGann's hat-trick in the last play of the the fallow week, Ireland will host champions England in Cork on 12 April while Italy are next in action against Scotland the next day. Italy: Granzotto; Muzzo, Sillari, Rigoni, D'Inca; Stevanin, Stefan; Turani, Vecchini, Maris, Fedrighi, Duca, Tounesi, Sgorbini, Giordano (capt).Replacements: Gurioli, Zanette, Seye, Veronese, Ranuccini, Bitonci, Mannini, card: FedrighiIreland: Flood; McCann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan; O'Brien, Reilly; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Tuite, McMahon (capt), King, Moloney, McCarthy, Haney, Moore, Wall, Hogan, Lane, card: DjougangReferee: Ella Goldsmith
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Costigan to captain Ireland against France in opener
Amee-Leigh Costigan will captain Ireland in their Women's Six Nations opener against France at the Kingspan previously captained Ireland Sevens but will lead Ireland for the first time in a Test match in Belfast with regular captain Edel McMahon on the row Ruth Campbell and openside flanker Erin King will make their Six Nations debuts for Scott Bemand's side in a game that will be live on BBC Northern Ireland as well as iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and Ireland team shows four changes to the side that beat USA in the WXV Series in their last game in October as Campbell, Anna McGann, Eve Higgins and Dannah O'Brien are handed Flood and McGann join Costigan in the back three with McGann coming in for the retired Eimear Considin at right Higgins and Aoife Dalton are selected as the midfield pairing whilst Emily Lane makes her first championship appearance since 2021 at scrum-half as O'Brien comes in for Nicole Fowley at O'Dowd, Neve Jones, who has been selected as vice-captain, and Linda Djougang make up the front row, with Campbell preferred to Fiona Tuite at lock alongside Dorothy Hogan, King and Aoife Wafer complete Ireland's back has opted for a 6:2 split on the bench and can call upon the likes of Cliodhna Moloney, Siobhan McCarthy, Christy Haney, Grace Moore, Tuite and McMahon as forward reinforcements, with Aoibheann Reilly and Enya Breen the backline were beaten 38-17 by France in last year's Six Nations as they finished third in the team: Flood, McGann, Dalton, Higgins, Costigan (capt); O'Brien, Lane; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Wall, Hogan, King, Moloney, McCarthy, Haney, Moore, Tuite, McMahon, Reilly, Breen.
