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BreakingNews.ie
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
LOI: John Martin hat-trick gives Shelbourne victory over Sligo Rovers
Defending champions Shelbourne returned to winning ways after a John Martin hat-trick gave them a 3-2 win over Sligo Rovers at Tolka Park. Sligo took an early lead through Gareth McElroy in the third minute, before Martin equalised for Damien Duff's side in the 34th minute. Advertisement Martin scored his second in the 40th minute to give them the lead before half-time, and had his third in the 58th minute. Owen Elding continued his good form to pull a goal back for Sligo Rovers, but Shelbourne held on for a much-needed win. Two goals from Mason Melia weren't enough for victory as St Patrick's Athletic and Waterford played out a 2-2 draw. Waterford got off to a great start with a goal after three minutes from Tom Lonergan, with Melia scoring two goals in five minutes to put Stephen Kenny's side ahead at the interval. Advertisement However, St Pat's could not build on the lead, and Conan Noonan's goal in the 81st minute meant the points were shared at Richmond Park. Shamrock Rovers remain top of the table following a 2-1 win away to Derry City. Daniel Mullen put Derry ahead in the 65th minute, before Michael Noonan levelled the game in the 71st minute. In the 89th minute, Aaron McEneff scored the winner to extend their lead at the top of the table Six points behind Stephen Bradley's side in second is Drogheda United, following their 1-0 win over Bohemians. A penalty from Douglas James-Taylor sealed the win for Kevin Doherty's side. In the night's other game, a late goal gave Galway United a 2-1 win at home to Cork City. Moses Dyer put Galway ahead in the 49th minute, but Cork City drew level through Djenairo Daniels four minutes later. With five minutes to go, Conor James McCormack scored the winner for the home side to leave them in seventh.
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
‘A great challenge': Former Dublin GAA star Tomás ‘Mossy' Quinn relishes new Shelbourne CEO role
Tomás 'Mossy' Quinn's arrival as Shelbourne chief executive in April raised a few eyebrows simply because people embedded in Irish sports tend to stay in their lane. Sure, there is plenty of intellectual property shared between the GAA , the IRFU and the FAI , but for the most part the big three organisations are trying to entice the same paying customers. The Dubs draw Shels , Bohemians , Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic fans on to Hill 16 in high summer. Quinn, who won three All-Irelands in his Gaelic football career as a sharpshooter for Dublin and St Vincent's, saw the irony of the very same people being segregated for the recent derby between Bohs and Shels at Tolka Park. 'You could see guys segregated in the home and away sections, and the next morning they would be down in Na Fianna coaching. That took a little getting used to.' READ MORE Currently, Shels's average attendance is 4,600, which could be significantly more if Tolka is improved. 'Gaelic football, GAA, was what I played my whole life but I think sport is my passion,' he said. 'Across multiple sports, I've always had an interest. I was fortunate enough to be on the board of directors of Golf Ireland for the last year. 'I worked in Dublin GAA for 11 years [as the commercial and marketing director] but I would have had opportunities within that time to spend time with other sports, from rugby to soccer to American football. So I've always had that natural interest in working in sport. 'There's not that many jobs in Irish sport at a significant level, or to keep progressing, so I think what appealed to me was that opportunity. Tomás Quinn in action for Dublin in 2012. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho 'It's a broader role than I was in with Dublin, there's obviously more to it. And to be honest, it's outside my comfort zone, so it's a great challenge.' Challenges are widespread at a club like Shelbourne despite investment from tech entrepreneur brothers Neil and Cathal Doyle. But it helps that Quinn arrives in the wake of Damien Duff guiding the club to a first Premier Division title in 19 years. [ How Damien Duff delivered Shelbourne's first league title since 2006 Opens in new window ] 'The financial footing of clubs – there's an onus on clubs to have an ability to make sure they're operating in a responsible way and generating enough revenue to maintain having a men's team, a women's team, underage academy and everything else that goes with it. 'That is the biggest challenge for any club, I would say from my initial assessment. How do you continue to grow that? How can you do that in a sustainable method? What does that actually look like? 'And tied to that is facilities. We're here in Tolka Park. I see opportunity in it, but there's a massive cost associated with upgrading [the stadium].' Quinn's time working under Dublin GAA's quietly efficient administrator John Costello, who retired in 2023 , along with football managers such as the successful businessman Pat Gilroy and the rule-bending Jim Gavin, should ready anyone for the crossover into professional soccer. 'The biggest difference is John probably wouldn't be sitting here doing one of these,' said Quinn of Costello's famous reticence. 'Straight away he'd be giving out to me. 'The big thing is their values are authentic and how they communicate with people. Sport to me is bringing people with you. Shelbourne fans during Shels' clash with FC Zurich in the Europa Conference League last year. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho 'When I think about those people, Pat Gilroy is a clubmate of mine, and I worked with a company alongside Pat for 10 years before working for Dublin. 'More so from working directly with John and Pat, it was their ability to communicate with people. If they make a decision, say why you're making that decision.' Costello transformed the Dublin GAA into a commercial behemoth, while Shelbourne have lost about €1 million per year since Duff arrived in 2022. 'No, we can't [continue to lose money]. I think the onus is on us to strive and try and reduce that. It's not good enough for me to come in and say 'we lost a million last year, we can lose a million this year.' That needs to change.' Still, it's a good time to become the Shelbourne CEO. Next stop is Nyon, Switzerland, for the Champions League draw, with Quinn determined to meet every Uefa stipulation to ensure the first-round qualifier in June can be held at Tolka. 'We are working through stuff with Uefa. There were Conference League games played here last year. Champions League is slightly different. 'Our intent, if we are fortunate to progress to a certain round, it has to be a Uefa-approved stadium, which is Tallaght or the Aviva. 'That would be a good problem to have as it means we are winning games. First and foremost, Tolka Park is where we are playing European games.'
RTÉ News
09-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Damien Duff hoping Shelbourne injuries ease and new system clicks for St Pat's clash
In a league as tight as this year's Premier Division, it seems at times that the table tends to lie. Shelbourne, the reigning champions, sit seventh after 14 games - a position that, at first glance, suggests stagnation. But underneath all that, you can see a team that is evolving, maybe struggling to adapt at times due to injuries to key players, but perhaps they are a team simmering just under the boil. Four wins to their name paints a picture of underachievement. Damien Duff will know better than anyone that his team's current form isn't good enough. Their form has dipped, no wins in five, but the performances haven't always reflected the results. They sit only five points off top, two good weeks and they could be right back in the mix. Shelbourne's transformation since Duff took over at Tolka Park has been one of the more compelling projects in Irish football. Last season's title win wasn't built on flair or glamour but on structure, consistency and belief. What we're seeing now is a team trying to stretch beyond that: to evolve from hard-to-beat to hard-to-stop. Duff is trying to reshape their identity. The hallmark traits of defensive organisation and tenacity are still present most of the time, but there's a growing flexibility in how Shels approach games. They can go direct or dominate the middle third; they can play through the lines or push two up front. When Ellis Chapman plays - adding a third man into midfield - they often control proceedings. He offers them a different dimension in attack from a deeper position. Shelbourne's recent wobble cannot be separated from their injury list. Sean Boyd and Sean Gannon, key figures last season, have been missing. Paddy Barrett, whose absence is considerable, brought a sense of calm and assuredness to the defence. His leadership, especially when under pressure, gave the group composure. Without him, there's been a softness exposed. Shels have been conceding the type of goals they simply didn't give away in 2024. This year's squad, despite being more talented on paper, has lacked continuity due to those missing bodies. Mark Coyle has even had to deputise at centre-back recently, robbing the midfield of its enforcer and organiser. Daniel Kelly only made his debut in the loss to Waterford this week - a game that summed up their season to date. The emergence of Mipo Odubeko has been a welcome development for them. Athletic, intelligent in his movement, and now chipping in with goals, he has provided the platform for Shels to play higher up the pitch. The ability to go with two up front has helped them shift momentum in games. John Martin, often introduced late on to support Mipo, has been useful. When Boyd returns, that duo could rival any strike partnership in the league. The depth is there. Kelly will add pace and experience once match-fit, and Chapman, Kerr McKinroy and Coyle can form a midfield trio capable of going toe-to-toe with any in the division. A cornerstone of last year's title charge was the form of goalkeeper Conor Kearns. Lately, however, he has looked short on confidence. A few uncharacteristic errors and flaps at crosses have crept in. Duff will be desperate to restore him to his best because a solid base is essential. With Barrett gone and makeshift defences on show, a vocal and in-form Kearns is more important than ever. Because the margins in this league are so thin, stopping the concession of soft goals is priority number one. A clean sheet or two could very well spark a run that sees Shels bounce back into contention. Shelbourne may have slipped to seventh, but context matters. Injuries to key players, the bedding in of new ones, and a more competitive league across the board have created a turbulent start. But there's substance to this side. The evolution is clear. Duff isn't just building a team, he's building a system, an adaptable one, and the early signs of that have shown positive signs. There are rough edges, sure. But there has to be belief too. Shels are just five points off top spot. In a campaign where no one is running away with it, that's a manageable gap. So while the league table might make for slightly uncomfortable reading at Tolka Park, the feeling around the club shouldn't be one of despair. This is a team still finding its rhythm - and they will be hoping it clicks against tonight's opponents in St Pat's, which was the fixture last season that provided us with one of the best games we've seen in the league in many years.
