IrishCentral sport - b5cc3275d518416eacb61d676e8d84d1

Sports Digest GAA: Roscommon no match for Mayo in Connacht championship (IrishCentral)

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:07:49 PDT

By: CATHAL DERVAN

Mayo relentless march to another Connacht title continued at pace with Sunday’s 0-21 to 0-9 win over Roscommon in the semifinal at Castlebar as talk again turned to a reform of the championship.

Living off the land, GAA sporting pride and economic woes bring sad times too (IrishCentral)

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 04:19:10 PDT

I'm in the cottage kitchen with the door open because it is fine outside and a lady butterfly comes dancing in She flutters around my head for a moment before elegantly fluttering away out into the sunshine again Some days in the west are garnished by stray little images like this, matterless things that actually matter She changes my morning mood infinitely for the better READ MORE

Sports Central NFL Mock Draft 2013 (IrishCentral)

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:17:47 PDT

One would think that April would be a quiet month for a league that runs from September through February, but that is what makes the NFL so special these days The NFL has become a year round commitment and arguably the most exciting event on it's calendar is the NFL draftUnlike the Super Bowl, an event that only includes the top two teams in the league directly, every single fan has a reason to be hopeful when it comes to the draft1 Kansas City Chiefs-Luke Joeckel, OT READ MORE

Irish rugby hail the most successful weekend in its history -- Ladies beat England, U20s beat England, the clubs beat England and a close game for the men's I XV at the Aviva (IrishCentral)

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:46:34 PST

Fiona Coughlan Ireland's female rugby captainWhat an awesome weekend of Irish victories and momentum with the Ladies taking England apart in the greatest yet performance, the U20s played it perfectly beating England with a Scholes try and the Clubs win through a Ballynahinch / Stuart Morrow try!The weekend started on Friday night with the Ireland U20s team facing England in what is undoubtedly the future of both national men's squads The Ireland coaching team and strategy developers had completely analyzed the English play in previous games and the squad had a very simple game plan to nullify the one way that England play and that is with crash ball Having absorbed everything and gone behind on the scoreline when the England team had become a spent force Ireland struck with the killer blow, a perfectly worked try on the wing which was duly converted Ireland held the game at this level until the final whistle was sounded on a superb victory READ MORE

Nutty Krust Floodlit Tournament draw live – the 16 elite under-19 rugby clubs in Ulster (IrishCentral)

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:16:09 PST

The media were there in force, talent spotters looking constantly to unearth and spot the next generation for the provincial youth sides, Daryl Callaghan, Liam Eastwood, Gary Longwell, Ulster Branch President, Willie Gribbon, to name but a fewThe draw was filmed as it happened and you will agree the connotations of the route to the final or those looking to establish themselves as a youth force in Ulster Rugby and therefore beyond, this is one place to showcase the U19 talent across the 16 clubs - Ballymena, Ballynahinch, Banbridge, Clogher Valley, Coleraine, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Instonians, LArne, Lisburn, Lurgan, Malone, Newry, Omagh, Portadown, and Randalstown It was literally a who's who of names that are emerging major talent and the seasoned clubs who have tasted victory and defeat beforeIts all to play at The Nutty Krust 2013 Tourno READ MORE

Merry Christmas From Ulster Club Donegal Town Rugby Christmas Jumper Party (IrishCentral)

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:46:58 PST

A superb evening of Festive fun at Donegal Town rugby clubOn a cold winter night the club hosted their ever successful Christmas party with a Christmas jumper theme to add that extra touch of fun Local photographer Christina J Irwin was on hand to snap an album of pictures of the male and female rugby players enjoying a splendid, warm and friendly Christmas With mulled wine and all sorts of beverages and a roasting fire topped off by the clubs own Santa sled in the corner lots of light will fill the club this Christmas READ MORE

Ballymena RFC Retain The Ulster Rugby Provincial Cup Title v Rainey Old Boys (IrishCentral)

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:46:49 PST

For the second year running Ballymena RFC I XV won the Ulster Rugby provincial cup with a 25-6 score line against derby rivals Rainey Old Boys RFC I XV Ravenhill was the location in Ulster and the scene was one of near perfect rugby conditions An icy evening with a little rain made for a great playing surface and both teams responded to the occasion with superb rugby Ballymena dominated the set pieces yielding territory and possession throughout the game although Rainey in their first ever cup final appearance after a superb undefeated run against formidable sides felt that they had not played to their true potential READ MORE

Ulster Rugby v Leinster Rugby - OK SO THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST FIGHT I THE HISTORY OF ULSTER & IRISH RUGBY (IrishCentral)

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 10:16:32 PST

Everyone in Ireland is talking about Ulster Rugby, everyone in the rugby world is talking about Ulster Rugby With a devastating and massively powerful display against Northampton Saints in the Heineken Cup on Saturday past, a side who are renowned for their physical play and scrum dominance Ulster Rugby took them apart in what one Northampton commentator called an embarrassing night for English rugby! To put it in the most direct terms - this is without a shadow of a doubt the greatest Ulster Rugby team in the history of the province! Now, lets reflect on the fact that Leinster another of the 4 Irish provinces are the current Heineken cup holders, a competition that sees all the best teams in Europe compete, then the mind simply boggles on the connotations of say an All Ireland European Cup Final (same as last year) between Ulster & Leinster, but this time, not in Twickenham the famous English stadium but in Ireland's International stadium The Aviva, in Dublin!This is the stuff of legends, it would simply be the biggest period of Irish Rugby dominance in the history of European RugbyThe club scene in Ireland is a buzz of rugby fanaticism READ MORE

The end game comes peacefully - Irish county footballer hears the long whistle (IrishCentral)

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:16:50 PST

Illustration by Caty BartholomewMarie met Mahon at the front door of the farmhouse, greeted him with a warm hug while holding his right hand in both of hers as old friends do She told him in the hallway that Stephen was awake and alert in the bed and not suffering this evening He had taken no solid food for two days but had kept down a glass of milk that afternoon He would be glad to see Mahon for sure READ MORE

Boxer Katie Taylor shows up Irish soccer manager Trapattoni’s silly games - Taylor great for Irish sports but Trapattoni has outlasted his welcome (IrishCentral)

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 06:00:28 PDT

Katie TaylorOn the front page of the Irish Independent this week was the heading ‘Trapattoni goes to Norwich’ now I must admit I’m not the biggest soccer fan in the country, but when Ireland are playing I do support the teamThat said it’s hard to be enthusiastic especially after the European championship this year There was more talk of Trapattoni going this week than the team going to the World Cup in two years’ time So when I saw this headline I thought it would make a lot of people happy READ MORE

Kilkenny are kings once again in all of Irish sport -- Hurling champions have no equal in their dominance (IrishCentral)

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 05:02:51 PDT

Kilkenny hurling team dominate their sportIt must be hard to be the best at what you do and have everybody against you, I suppose everyone naturally wants the underdog to come out on top If a team is focused properly and have their heads in the right spot it’s possible to overcome this I believeEven though Galway beat Kilkenny in the Leinster final and subsequently drew with them in the first All-Ireland game, Kilkenny were still favourites to win Henry Shefflin showed the whole country how not to lose a championship final in an amazing display READ MORE

Donegal celebrations were mad and magnificent - All Ireland final victory set off an explosion of joy (IrishCentral)

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 06:32:42 PDT

Donegal CelebrationsI saw a tweet today from Donegal footballer Karl Lacey It asked ‘what day is it?’ I wasn’t one bit surprised at this I’d say the celebrations in the hills were out of this world There is a level of madness in Donegal that makes other counties jealous READ MORE

Watching the GAA All Ireland final over breakfast - a constant celebration of Ireland in Jersey (IrishCentral)

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 05:17:39 PDT

Fixed intensity - sipping coffee and watching the All-Ireland (Photo: Jim Lowney)It’s still halfway to St Patrick’s Day I suppose it truly never ends We are always having some sort of Irish celebration in these parts which is a good thing READ MORE

Autumn beckons as farmers headed to Listowel races -- Race meeting captured harvest time celebration and craic (IrishCentral)

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 06:47:32 PDT

The Listowel RacesYou can feel the change in the air here with the last week, that lovely smell of autumn Autumn smells different in the city, usually of burning coal or whatever they burn in their fireplacesDown the country it feels fresh, where a shower of rain could knock the cobwebs out of you very fast September is a beautiful, but very strange month READ MORE

Chasing Irish sports in New Jersey - trials and tribulations of being a GAA and soccer fan on the shore (IrishCentral)

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:17:13 PDT

All-Ireland Kilkenny v Galway - watching from afarRattigan, the Galway man, will give me an earful when we next meet“We come out and support Mayo,” he barked at me Saturday evening “You can at least come out and support Galway in the morning”The wife, known here and elsewhere as Honey Badger, and I were out sampling the raw bar at the Blackthorn in Kenilworth when we ran into the pride of Dunmore READ MORE

Hurling win high short- lived as fishermen perish at sea -- Reality intrudes into a happy occasion (IrishCentral)

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 05:16:59 PDT

Galway Cork All-Ireland hurling semi-finalI wrote last week of the fun and games at the Rose of Tralee and it was a time of great celebration, but I want to take you back to the week before that It was one of tremendous highs and wicked lowsI was in Croke Park on the Sunday for the Galway Cork All-Ireland hurling semi-final After Galway’s great win over Kilkenny in the Leinster final the question on everybody’s lips was could they keep going at this pace READ MORE

From Celtic mythology to surfing on the west coast – taking advantage of all Ireland has to offer (IrishCentral)

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:30:18 PST

Enjoying the surf off the coast of IrelandMonday was our first day of classes at National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) We woke up to the sun shining for the first time since we had arrived in Galway, what a wonderful way to start the weekThese first two weeks are used to kind of shop around to see what sort of classes you may like to take It feels odd not having registered months in advance like I’m used to at ASU READ MORE

Exiled Gaels and sporting rebels of Ireland - part III (IrishCentral)

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:15:14 PDT

Still from the 'Gaelic Gold' DVDIn this the final of our three part look at the clash of the ash and salmon like leaps for midfield aerial supremacy across the world of Gaelic games, we recall some famous and infamous Gaelic sporting events from days of yore, where in some remote or fabled corner there remains fields and memories which remain forever Irish Ireland v Scotland, 1897- at Celtic FC soccer grounds, Parkhead, the first Hurling Shinty International MatchMichael Cusack himself presented the Celtic Times Challenge Cup (in whose honor this parish is named) in 1897 to mark the first international hurling/shinty match between Ireland and Scotland at the soccer grounds of Celtic FC in Parkhead, and indeed officiated thereafter at a return match played at Jones’ Road in Dublin that same yearIt marked the culmination of close ties and communication between the Scottish Caledonian Society and Irish cultural and sporting revivalists since the early moves to form the GAAJohn Murdoch, the renowned Scottish land league leader and founder/editor of The Highlander newspaper had, along with fellow Scot and entrepreneur, Morrison Millar, (who helped Cusack establish the Celtic Times newspaper) cultivated sporting links with Irish sports enthusiasts READ MORE

Exiled Gaels and Irish sporting rebels: part 2 (IrishCentral)

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:55:34 PDT

GAA: beloved for generations across all agesPart 1: Exiled Gaels and sporting rebels - Exotic stories of Gaelic and indigenous games The intensely passionate addiction for Gaelic sports held by Irish ex-pats did not just form after the establishment of the GAA in 1884 There are accounts the world over which narrates the Irish grá for the clash of the ash and the big ball in the years and centuries prior to the clarion call for formal organization of these sports went out from the Dergvale Hotel of Dublin to Hayes’ Hotel in ThurlesThere are accounts on intrepid Gaels such as Chevalier Thomas O’Gorman and the Wild Geese of Paris O’Gorman from Tullycrine, County Clare was born into a wealthy Catholic family in 1718 READ MORE

Exiled Gaels and sporting rebels - Exotic stories of Gaelic and indigenous games (IrishCentral)

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:25:18 PDT

Histories and folklore, stories and legend abound about the ancient Gaelic sports of Ireland These native games have a rich modern history, peopled by famous names and fabled places, from Ring and Mackey, Purcell and Stockwell to Thurles, Croker and Clones on a mid summers day in the Red Hand Province The four seasons speak of the feats and fame, infamy and lows in the vernacular world of Irish sport These contests have earned its association a rightful place as a dynamic force in today’s Irish society READ MORE