Latest news with #Waterford
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'We have a target on our back' - Cork primed for Déise battle in semi-finals
It's been a distracting and ultimately disappointing week for Cork GAA following the All-Ireland final defeat to Tipperary on Sunday. But neither the hurlers' second-half implosion to gift Tipp the title, nor talk or a potential three-in-a-row for the reigning camogie champions is going to let Saoirse McCarthy lose focus ahead of Saturday's vital semi-final against Waterford. A Nowlan Park double-header sees the champions take on the Déise in the later game, which follows the meeting of Galway and Tipperary in the other semi-final. Cork come into the game off the back of a flawless group phase, where they finished top of the table in the five-team round-robin, while they also proved victorious in the league earlier in the year. They have contested the last four All-Ireland finals, winning both the 2023 and 2024 deciders, and are just one game away from making it back to Croke Park. "You can't be preparing for something that you're not in yet, so definitely won't be looking past Waterford this weekend," said McCarthy, speaking to RTÉ Sport ahead of the weekend fixture. "Semi-finals are there to be won and obviously we want to do that, but it's one game at a time." Saturday's opponents finished second in their respective group behind Galway in what was a competitive collective, as Waterford got the better of Dublin and Kilkenny, before overcoming a tough Clare unit in the quarter-finals. And McCarthy is expecting a tough battle against their neighbours, with the reward of a place in the final adding to the expected intensity. "It's going to be some challenge," said McCarthy. "They're a great side and I think they're having a great year, so we definitely won't be looking past them. "We know Waterford very well. We've played them multiple times most years. "They're a brilliant side, they're very pacey and they like to run the ball. They have the likes of Beth Carton, Lorraine Bray, and Niamh Rockett is flying this year. "We're under no illusions. They're going to come out of the traps. We know we have a target on our back and they're going to want to hunt us down. "I think they're going to bring a lot of physicality and pace to the game. "Hopefully, now we can stand up to that. "Obviously, they're going to be sharp after playing the quarter-final and we haven't had a game in four weeks, so that will be something we'll have to manage as well. "They're having a great year and Mike (Boland) has done a really good job with them as well. I think we're just excited to go out and play and see what they're going to produce too." Cork have been idle for four weeks since winning the group and claiming an automatic place in the last-four, while Waterford have only had three weeks to fill since their quarter-final win over Clare. But McCarthy said that the intensity and quality of training combined with the ever-increasing competition for places has kept the team sharp ahead of Saturday's trip to the Kilkenny venue. She said: "I think it is a bit long, but obviously you have to play off the quarter-finals in that time as well and still give the other teams a chance to have a break. "It's understandable at the same time. I think we managed it well. We were the same last year. "We know what we need to do now as well to prepare ourselves correctly. "The competition within our own squad is immense for places. The standard of training has been really good and hopefully we'll be ready now for Saturday." And while McCarthy can look forward to remaining competitive and eyeing further glory this summer, she admitted the ache of watching her male counterparts losing out at Croker Park last Sunday. "We were all behind the hurlers and I'm gutted for them," she said. "They had a great year, and they don't become a bad team overnight, so hopefully they can lift themselves up and be proud of what they achieved this year. "We're just trying to finish out our year now on a high and do our job."
Irish Examiner
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
FAI Cup third round draw: Cork City to host Waterford, St Pats to face Shelbourne
Cork City will take on Waterford at Turner's Cross in the third round of the FAI Cup. The draw for the last-16 took place on Tuesday afternoon with City hosting Munster rivals Waterford one of the ties of the round. Another stand out tie sees St Patrick's Athletic facing Shelbourne while Kerry will meet Cobh Ramblers and there is a repear of last year's final as Derry City go up against cup holders Drogheda United for a place in the quarter finals of the national cup. Ties will be played across the weekend ending Sunday August 17 with official dates and kick-off times to be announced in due course. Read More FAI Cup Third Round draw in full Finn Harps v Bray Wanderers Kerry v Cobh Ramblers Shamrock Rovers v Longford Town Cork City v Waterford Salthill Devon v Galway United St Patrick's Athletic v Shelbourne Derry City v Drogheda United Bohemians v Sligo Rovers.
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
RTE pundit says DJ Carey booing 'left a bad taste' on All-Ireland final day
DJ Carey's name being jeered on All-Ireland final day 'left a bad taste' for Waterford great John Mullane. Boos rang around Croke Park as Carey's name was called out when the All-Ireland-winning Cats team from 2000 were being honoured ahead of Sunday's decider between Tipperary and Cork. Carey was not in attendance. The stadium announcer said of the nine-time All-Star winner: "Full forward DJ Carey from the Young Irelands. He scored 1-4 on the day, claiming his third All-Ireland of five in total and he would end the year with the eighth of his nine All-Star awards. DJ is not with us today." A number of people took to social media to hit out at the GAA's decision to honour Carey, but Mullane, who was working for RTE Radio at the game, said the booing of Carey's name did not sit well with him "I was up there (in Croke Park) and the thing with made a mistake and he's after admitting he made a mistake," Mullane told the Indo Sport podcast. "It's going through the procedures of the court now. And Jesus, here's me as someone who's made plenty of mistakes in life. And who hasn't made a mistake in life? "But I'll be straight with you, it left a bad taste in my mouth. It's probably hard enough on the family and probably hard enough on DJ Carey that he wasn't able to turn up there yesterday. "But y'know the not about booing people on All-Ireland final day. I don't know, I can't speak for others. "There is probably a certain percentage that would see that it was okay to boo but it didn't sit well with me. "From a neutral's point of view it didn't sit well that people would start booing a person on All-Ireland final day - and a person that wasn't even there on All-Ireland final day." John Mullane (Image: ©INPHO/James Crombie) Carey was named man of the match in Kilkenny's 2000 final victory over Offaly, scoring 1-4 as they won by 5-15 to 1-14. The five-time All-Ireland winner recently pleaded guilty to 10 counts of defrauding several individuals by falsely claiming he had cancer. The 10 charges Carey confessed to involved a total of 13 victims, including Denis O'Brien, Owen and Ann Conway, Mark and Sharon Kelly, Aidan Mulligan, Tony Griffin and Christy Browne, Thomas Butler, Jeffrey Howes, Noel Tynan and Edwin Carey. Carey made his Kilkenny debut in 1988 and continued to play until 2006. He is seen as one of the greatest hurlers of all-time, boasting 10 Leinster Senior Championship medals, five All-Ireland titles, four league titles and a Player of the Year award in 2000. He also won nine All-Star awards throughout his career, second only to Henry Shefflin who has 11.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Cork in a state of fragility as Liam Cahill's plan comes off
In addition to his many other attributes as a manager, we have to give Liam Cahill top marks for misdirection. A fortnight ago, when itemising his list of grievances concerning the media coverage of his difficult first two years in charge, Cahill highlighted one slight in particular. "There were other things, such as Cahill plays with a sweeper. Liam Cahill never played with a sweeper on his team in his life. Ever." That was that. Not alone did the Tipperary manager deny that he had ever played a sweeper, he sounded personally offended by the implication he would do so. All the while, the newly-crowned champions were planning to deploy a textbook sweeper in the first half to halt the supply of ball into the Cork full-forward line, a tactic which worked sensationally well. This is a tricky moment for the traditionalists. The word 'sweeper' is obviously taboo across large swathes of hurling nation, Tipperary very much included. As a result, we're hearing some degree of semantics around this. On one podcast this morning, Bryan O'Mara was described as operating as an 'extra man back'. We're not sure yet of what the precise distinction is between a sweeper and an extra man back but we're assuming it's a highly subtle one. After this, the popular notion that a team has never won an All-Ireland playing with a sweeper can be put to bed. Yesterday was a great victory for the gurus of tactics, even if there is some irony in the fact that it was supposed arch-traditionalists who delivered it. In his victorious press conference, Cahill even pre-empted the line of questioning about the use of the sweeper with a slightly sheepish laugh. "Ah look, I'm a traditionalist. I like to play 15 on 15 if I can at all," Cahill said. "But we had to cut our cloth to measure to make sure that we gave ourselves a chance of allowing us to express ourselves. "You have to move with the times. When you get to a final, you have to try and win it." As it is, the Tipperary manager has presided over one of the most stunning one-year turnarounds in modern times. From the sick man of the Munster hurling championship to the lords of all they survey in the space of 14 months. Is there anything comparable? Clare came from way back in the pack to win in 2013 and then drifted away again as soon as they'd come. Going much further into the mists of time, Cork were knocked out by Waterford in 1989 - not really the done thing back then - and won the All-Ireland the following season. It's a remarkable coup for Tipperary, all the sweeter for being so unexpected. Cahill had said at various stages of his reign that it was a three-year plan to get Tipperary back to where they were in the 2010s. The outworkings of that plan have followed a very odd trajectory. Who knew that the plan was to stink out the joint in the second year - to the point where local media were asking whether you were considering your position - and then to win the big one in the third year? Whatever about the 'extra man back', Tipp held firm to their modern tradition of never winning an All-Ireland final by a tight margin if they can at all help it. They were greatly helped by their opponents' shocking meltdown. There's a graphic quiet emanating from Cork at the minute, especially in light of what's gone on in the last month. A sense of a people processing a great shock. The music and the conspicuous hype have died down and all that's left is sorrow and pained introspection. The fear from Kingfishr's point of view is that 'Killeagh' will go the same way as 'We're all part of Ally's Army' did in Scotland after the 1978 World Cup. As usual there is a great deal of mirth and schadenfreude on whatsapp and on social media. The image of a certain North Tipperary poll topper and former county board chairman outlining Cork's second half scoring tally from his perch on the backbenches has gone everywhere at this stage. The players have understandably communicated that they can't hack a homecoming event this evening and opted to deliver their thanks to the supporters via a county board statement. One perceptive Cork fan said he saw the warning signs at half-time. They had played with a healthy breeze in the first half and were grossly flattered by the six-point margin at the break. In general play, it was clear that Tipp's tactics were working and it was only their poor shooting efficiency and the late Shane Barrett goal that produced the six-point lead. From Cork's perspective, it was a tactical failure before it was a mental one. It's what occurred in the second half that has people casting around in search of historic parallels. Inevitably, the question has been floated as to whether Cork buckled under the weight of hype and expectation that had been placed on them this summer. Modern analysts and members of the broader coaching fraternity tend not to favour this school of analysis. It's not granular or technical and smacks too much of bar-stool cod psychology. However, the second half scoreline is so abnormal, it seems to warrant a deeper explanation than the usual technical and tactical insights. The key period arrived early in the second half when Tipp rattled over five points on the trot to bring it back to a one-point game. Cork never responded to this flurry, with anxiety quickly pervading the entire team. The sense in real time was that this deepened with every shot that came back off the post. The dread increased with every thwack of the woodwork, with the Tipp defenders seizing on every rebound. That sinking feeling familiar to any county with a losing run in All-Ireland finals. The second half didn't ebb and flow. It all flowed the one way from there. There were even shades of 1984 in reverse. John McGrath's opening goal which pushed Tipp in front for the first time resembling Seanie O'Leary's late goal in the '84 provincial final, when John Sheedy stopped Tony O'Sullivan's point only for the Cork full-forward to pounce on the rebound. The second goal, which came with the double-whammy of the Eoin Downey red card, was a display of Darby-esque wiliness from McGrath. Once that happened it was dire straits for Cork. McGrath's brilliantly taken third goal, by which time we had entered the realms of the surreal, produced gasps and exclamations of shock all around us. The now infamous 0-02 haul in the second half was at least partly a consequence of their need to find goals late in the game but the substantial damage had been done at that stage. For Tipperary, they earn the historic bragging rights, in the first ever Cork-Tipp All-Ireland final. In Cork, the darkness creeps in. In both the context surrounding the game and the manner of the capitulation, it has to go down as the most galling of All-Ireland final losses.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man who sexually abused his daughter over four year period jailed for 12 years
A man who sexually abused his young daughter and forced her to watch pornography has been jailed for 12 years. James O'Reilly (63) was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of oral rape, five counts of sexual assault and three counts of sexual exploitation at the family home in Waterford on dates between 2010 and 2014. Advertisement The court heard on Monday that the injured party, Bridget O'Reilly, was waiving her right to anonymity to allow O'Reilly, of Williamstown Halting Site, Waterford, Co Waterford, to be named. O'Reilly's son Thomas gave a character reference on his father's behalf and said he and his mother were in court to support him. O'Reilly is the father of a large family. Imposing sentence, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon said this was an 'egregious breach of trust' by a father towards his daughter. She said the offending took place over a significant period of time, was 'accompanied by a level of violence and threats', and took place in the family home where the injured party, a young child, should have been safe and protected. Advertisement Ms Justice Creedon noted there had been no acknowledgement by O'Reilly of the verdicts, and no expressions of remorse or empathy towards the complainant. The judge said there was 'very little by way of mitigation', but noted that O'Reilly's previous convictions do not include sexual offences. She set a headline sentence of 13 years and suspended the final year for 12 months on strict conditions, including that O'Reilly place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service post-release. Speaking outside court, Ms O'Reilly said she wanted other children who have been victims of abuse to know that 'when one door closes, another one door will always open'. Advertisement 'It's hard, but it will get easier at the end. It was not easy, but I'm really happy that I got the justice I deserve,' she said. Ms O'Reilly said she wanted other victims of abuse to know that it's 'not easy, but they will get there'. An investigating garda previously told prosecuting counsel that the offending occurred when the complainant was aged between six and 10 years old. The abuse included oral rape and sexual assault, involving inappropriate touching. She was also sexually exploited by being forced to watch pornography by her father and being forced to watch him touch his own penis. Advertisement She said that her father would slap and hit her when she did not comply. She said her father was not supposed to do that, that he was meant to love and take care of her. She said he told her it was her fault because she made him do it. The case involved four trials. The first was aborted due to a legal issue, in the second the jury failed to reach agreement and in the third the jury were discharged. In the fourth trial, O'Reilly was convicted of all nine charges by the jury. He has three previous convictions for unrelated offences. Ms O'Reilly described in her victim impact statement the devastating effects of the abuse on her life. She outlined the ongoing issues she has, including feeling unsafe and worrying for her family's safety. She thanked those who had supported her. Advertisement Defence counsel asked the court to consider the comprehensive probation report before the court, and that O'Reilly had been assessed as at low risk of reoffending. He said O'Reilly had no issues with alcohol or substance misuse and has several health issues. Counsel asked the court to take into account the lack of previous offending. He asked that, in line with the probation report suggestions, the sentence would include a period of probation supervision. He asked the court to be as lenient as possible. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help .
