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Irish Times
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
From mania to miracles – the frenzied search for All-Ireland hurling final tickets in Cork
'It's mental, it's manic, it's mayhem,' that's how one Cork hurling fan described the desperate frenzied search for All-Ireland hurling final tickets that has engulfed both city and county since the Rebels booked their place in Sunday's decider in Croke Park . Cork's 260 affiliated GAA clubs are reporting the same story – a major shortage of tickets to meet the hundreds of requests, with the demand in some clubs exceeding the supply by as much a factor of 10, leaving thousands of fans facing disappointment. Ever since Cork won the National League title in April, Rebel fans have ensured every game has been a sell out, with full houses at Cusack Park, the Gaelic Grounds, Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Croke Park – where two weeks ago 62,000 Cork fans turned the venue into the Red Sea. Cork GAA has issued its initial allocation of tickets, with senior hurling clubs receiving 20 stand and 24 terrace tickets, Intermediate and Premier Junior 16 stand and 20 terrace, Junior A 10 stand and 18 terrace, and junior B and junior C four stand and 16 terrace. READ MORE Since then Cork GAA has issued a second allocation, but only to clubs with players on the senior panel – which in the case of North Cork hurling club Ballygiblin, just outside Mitchelstown, has brought in an extra 24 tickets thanks to having club member Darragh Flynn on the extended panel. 'It was ferocious at the start, but we got an extra 10 tickets because Darragh is on the panel and then today we got another 14 because of him – Darragh was worth 24 tickets to us so we have 24 on top of our initial allocation of 36,' said club stalwart, Liam O'Doherty. 'Those extra 24 tickets thanks to Darragh have given us some chance of meeting the demand because we had over 100 people looking for tickets. We're on the Tipp border and I suppose because there are fewer clubs in Tipp, they have more tickets there to go round.' Down in East Cork Killeagh club secretary, Mary Fitzgibbon – aunt of Kingfishr's Eoin Fitzgibbon, writer of the hit song, Killeagh – was reporting a similar shortage of tickets, with fewer people able to source tickets themselves this year compared with last year. 'We're senior hurling and junior football so we got 72 tickets – we fulfilled about one-fifth of requests. We thought the demand last year was huge, but it seems to be even bigger this year,' said Mary Fitzgibbon, who is a cousin of Cork 1990 All-Ireland winner, John Fitzgibbon. [ 'Be single-minded': Cork hurling heroes of 1966 on what it takes to end an All-Ireland drought Opens in new window ] A diehard fan who puts up a Cork flag outside the Church of St John the Baptist in Killeagh whenever the Leesiders are playing, local parish priest Fr Tim Hazelwood has also witnessed the enormous demand, with conversations turning to tickets at all sorts of events in the parish. 'Everywhere I go, I'm hearing of people looking for tickets – it's phenomenal, but I suppose it's understandable. It's been 20 years since Cork won the All-Ireland so everyone wants be there – it's gone so bad now we could do with a 'loaves and fishes'-type miracle here at this stage.'
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Derek Blighe given benefit of Probation Act after making payment to Irish Red Cross
Anti-immigration activist Derek Blighe, who was convicted of a public order offence last year after he refused to make a donation to the Irish Refugee Council has now been given the benefit of the Probation of the Offenders Act after the money was allocated to another charity. Mr Blighe, of Croughevoe, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, was last year given the opportunity at Fermoy District Court to avail of the act by making a donation to the Irish Refugee Council. A conviction followed when he failed to donate the money. At a sitting of Cork Circuit Appeals Court in March of this year, his then barrister Alan O'Dwyer said that it was 'purely a religious matter'. He said that his client's difficulty was with the position taken by the Irish Refugee Council on the repeal of the 8th amendment to the Irish Constitution in relation to abortion. READ MORE Judge Helen Boyle told Mr Blighe that instead of paying €400 to the Irish Refugee Council, Blighe could pay €500 to Nasc . Nasc is an advocacy service which links migrants and refugees to their rights. Mr Blighe indicated his willingness to make the contribution. However, Cork Circuit Appeals Court today heard that the money had not been paid to Nasc. When the case was first mentioned this morning, Mr Blighe told Judge Boyle that his faith did not permit him to donate the money to Nasc arising out of their stance on the unborn child. When the case came back before Judge Boyle this afternoon, she asked Mr Blighe if he had the money in court. The 44-year-old said that he did, and she directed that he hand over €500 to the sergeant. Judge Boyle then directed that the funds be allocated to the Irish Red Cross . Mr Blighe represented himself in court. [ Ireland First election candidate Derek Blighe found guilty of threatening behaviour Opens in new window ] At a previous court sitting, Insp Jason Wallace said it was alleged that Blighe had engaged in threatening and abusive behaviour during an incident at Abbeyville House, Fermoy, on December 22nd, 2023. Witness Christopher Gomez said he was duty manager at Abbeyville when it was being prepared as accommodation for migrants and a protest by people opposing its use for this purpose had been taking place for several months outside. Mr Gomez said he had ordered an oil delivery from a local company. When the delivery truck arrived at about 11am, he said Blighe approached the driver and spoke to him. He said Blighe then told him 'the driver's not going to give you oil' and the truck left. Mr Gomez contacted the oil company and a second truck was dispatched. He opened the gates when it arrived and the driver began making the delivery. Blighe then began recording Mr Gomez with his phone and the court was shown footage he uploaded to Facebook in which he castigated Mr Gomez. In the video, Blighe can be heard telling Mr Gomez: 'You are a guest in this country. Shame on you. You should be ashamed. You will go down in the history books, you will go down in the sewers of Irish history. Go back to where you came from.' Mr Gomez said Blighe live-streamed the incident which 'really traumatised me'. He later downloaded the footage and provided it to gardaí when making a complaint. He said he had been an Irish citizen for 20 years and had 'never experienced anything like this before'. Garda Dane Murphy said he visited the protest at Abbeyville later that day and the atmosphere was 'borderline volatile'. He said Blighe made a cautioned statement regarding the incident on January 9th last, but replied 'no comment' to every question he was asked. Judge Roberts said he found the 'black and white' attitude towards immigration 'hard to understand' especially from an Irish perspective where generations of Irish people had emigrated and 'the vast majority of them illegally'.
Irish Independent
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Avondhu GAA: Araglin and Mitchelstown to meet in Division 2 football final
Buttevant and Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels will face off in the Division 3 final Araglin and Mitchelstown will meet in the Cavanagh's Fermoy Div 2 FL final this Saturday in Glanworth 3pm. Eight teams competed in the league which began in February. Araglin, Fermoy, Glanworth, Mitchelstown, Kildorrery, Shanballymore, Doneraile. Mitchelstown were unbeaten but held to a draw by Doneraile.
