Latest news with #Fitzmaurice
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Fitzmaurice: Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne to the fore in Dublin resurgence
Dublin may not have won Leinster, or even their All-Ireland series group, but they remain a serious proposition. That's the view of former Kerry All-Ireland winning player and manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice, who believes a rare appearance in the preliminary quarter-final stage – against Cork on Saturday evening - will suit Dessie Farrell after getting more of his players back into the fold in recent weeks. The Dubs snuck out of Newry with victory on Saturday evening, coming out on top against Derry in a thrilling encounter. Dublin's bid for a 15th consecutive provincial crown came unstuck against Meath, while their defeat to All-Ireland champions Armagh in Croke Park was seen by many as further proof of the new pecking order. Victory in Salthill, plus the gritty win against Derry last time out will offer hope to Dublin supporters that despite an inconsistent 2025, there is still plenty of hope with just a dozen sides remaining in the hunt for Sam Maguire. Captain Con O'Callaghan returned in style against the Oak Leaf county, while Eoin Murchan was part of a Dublin panel for the first time since January. With the Small brothers – both absent earlier in the season – fully back in action, it means that only Colm Basquel is an injury concern for the visit of the Rebels to Croke Park. "You can't ever rule Dublin out," Fitzmaurice told the RTÉ GAA podcast. "We know they are not the team they were. Outside of maybe Armagh, who are continuing to perform to a really high level, every other team is having little blips. "Dublin are exactly where they want to be. Normally they would go the straight route, but having the extra game this year, getting those players back, it is probably good for them." "They're in great shape. Even as good as they were the last night (against Derry), there is more in them." O'Callaghan's return, Ciarán Kilkenny's tour de force and the collective shooting accuracy (seven wides was a much better return than the 17 hit against Armagh) were some of the highlights against Derry, but Fitzmaurice singled out the performance of Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne as another reason for optimism. The departure of James McCarthy and Brian Fenton from the engine room has left a sizeable void, with a number of combinations given the chance to impress over league and championship. Ó Cofaigh Byrne and Killian McGinnis were handed the number eight and nine jerseys respectively on Saturday and played well enough to suggest they could be the immediate future of Dublin's midfield, the former pushing for player of the match, ably assisted by McGinnis who notched 0-03 in an industrious display. Fitzmaurice believes the Cuala powerhouse is coming good at the right time for the men in blue. "His performance in the middle of the field was huge for them," he said. "Against Armagh – and credit to them (Armagh) they are always so well drilled – they spoiled him. Cluxton went for him a good few times in that game, but Ben Crealey was able to break the ball away from him and Armagh were picking up the breaks whereas in Newry the last night, they were winning the ball, either him indirectly or off him."
Irish Examiner
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Dance nights and beach days: Tony's photos provide a glimpse of Kerry in the 1950s and '60s
All of life's carnival is on display in a collection of photographs recently acquired by the Kerry Writers' Museum. Tony Fitzmaurice passed away in 2019 aged 87. Little did the wider world – including some close relatives – know of the archive he built up over half a century taking photos of his homeplace, Ballybunion, and the people of north Kerry. His photos from the 1950s in particular evoke the world of the Brooklyn film starring Saoirse Ronan, a time when cigarette-smoking was de rigueur. Kathy Reynolds, neé Kathy Fitzmaurice, left Ballybunion as a 13-year-old in the 1960s, emigrating to London. Her father was Fitzmaurice's guardian. She is a photographer, as is her English husband. They called to Fitzmaurice's house shortly after his death. Fitzmaurice's widow, Madeline, had asked them to do something with the photos and negatives that were stored in her late husband's office at the back of the house and in their loft. While rooting around, they stumbled upon Fitzmaurice's calling card, 'Tony's Photo Service: Kerry's Youngest and Best Ballroom Photographer'. As a child, Reynolds remembered her surrogate uncle's darkroom, effectively an 'oversized cupboard' at the bottom of the kitchen, but she had no appreciation of the photos he took. 'I had this vague impression he used to do photography, but I didn't realise he did ballroom photography,' says Reynolds. 'It's clear he did it to fund his photographic hobby. It was kind of a weekend thing.' Reynolds adds: 'My interest is in landscape photography. I talked to Tony umpteen times about landscape photography, about different films, different cameras, different lenses to produce particular types of shot. So when I got his archive, the first thing I said to Madeline was, 'I'm really looking forward to going through this because you'll have some fabulous landscape shots of Ireland.' And she looked at me and said, 'Why Kathy? He took people.' ' Jack Savage pictured in 1960. Picture by Tony Fitzmaurice, courtesy of Kerry Writers' Museum Fitzmaurice live out his life in Ballybunion. 'It was his inspiration, his subject, in that he took photos of its people throughout that time. The only place he stood for hours waiting for a sunset was on Ballybunion Castle Green. It was the first thing that surprised me – the fact he didn't do a lot of landscape photography, as he was in the most wonderful place. 'One of the early photographs I found was of a sunset in Ballybunion. It was taken in October 1968. It wasn't printed – it was a Kodak colour slide. "I've been in touch with archives in Ireland, like the John Hinde archive, and they haven't got anything like it. It's probably my favourite photograph because it's the castle of my childhood, what I remember as a child. If you go back there now, most of the top of the castle – what you might call the chimney part – is gone. So that's my childhood in Ballybunion.' Fitzmaurice was born in 1932. He spent his working life as a civil servant with the Kerry County Council, while moonlighting as a photographer. He got his first camera in 1953 as a gift for his 21st birthday, initially taking photos of family and friends, of young people in their late teens and early twenties, in their homes, and on the strand in Ballybunion, learning and developing his craft. His first recorded photograph dates back to 1954. 'The first commercial work he did was the annual Teacher's Dress Dance in Listowel in 1956,' says Reynolds. 'It was a big social event. Once we began digitising those photos, we realised they were amazing, that there was really good photographs of people. "People were dressed up to the nines in their evening wear, which tells us so much about the fashion, the social mores at that time. The fashion of the ladies was incredible. A lot of their dresses were handmade. After the war, cloth wouldn't have been that easy to get. 'I came across things like 1960 Confirmation Day in Ballybunion. That was amazing because it was the character of the kids that shone through. They were dressed up for their day. There are ones from a Wren Boys competition in Listowel. Most of them are around the dance hall, but those dances are very much community-based like The Pioneers' Social. That one is wonderful because there isn't a drink in sight. It's tea and cake, everybody sitting there. It's those moments captured that are important.' A couple at a dance. Picture by Tony Fitzmaurice, courtesy of Kerry Writers' Museum Reynolds and her husband spent 'three winters' digitising their haul. Then began the great search to put names on faces. They started posting Fitzmaurice's photos on a webpage. They reached out to the public through a variety of channels, including north Kerry Facebook pages and through a friend, Noelle Hegarty, a retired postmistress in Lisselton, who recognised people and connected Reynolds with others who could name those photographed. Last year, Reynolds's project kicked on a gear when she approached the Kerry Writers' Museum in Listowel, who agreed to archive and help restore the collection she has gifted to them. The Heritage Council has already invested €100,000 over two years in the restoration work. This includes the job of cataloguing more than 26,000 photos in a searchable database, and making them freely available to the public. In mid-May, there was a showcase event at the collection's new home, in which a 10x8-feet montage of 70 photos were put on display in the museum. The idea was to start a conversation with the community around north Kerry. There are plans for a book, and an exhibition based on the book, which is being led by the curator Ciarán Walsh. Mary Walsh (right) and an unnamed woman looking happy in one of Fitzmaurice's pictures. Picture by Tony Fitzmaurice, courtesy of Kerry Writers' Museum 'Kathy Reynolds liked the idea of the collection going into a small museum in north Kerry where it would not be monetised, but would be made publicly available to everyone,' says Walsh. 'She saw it was like handing it back to the community from whence it came. I suppose if you were to ask me one word that defines this collection it's 'community'. 'What stands out is how Tony had total access to the community of Ballybunion. The result is an extraordinary intimacy of portrayal. Take the girl in a floral dress where she's lying beside a couple wrapped around one another in the sand dunes. "Another photograph – and take that this is around 1954 – there's a family on the beach and the mother is sunbathing in her bra. It's that complete absence of difference between the photographer and the people he's photographing. There are no inhibitions, no walls. 'There's a photo we used on a poster of two girls lying on the grass. From a woman's perspective, the 1950s in Ireland were pretty grim. Here you have two young women full of life. It's so positive. It's a close-up. He must have been only about two or three feet from their faces. There's this wonderful intimacy about that photograph, but it's also the joy that comes through.' The Tony Fitzmaurice Collection is housed at Kerry Writers' Museum, Listowel, Co Kerry. See: and Other images from the Tony Fitzmaurice collection Men sip their tea a dance in Ardee. Pictures by Tony Fitzmaurice, courtesy of Kerry Writers' Museum A couple kiss in the dunes. A group of young people at a dance. A happy-looking couple at a dance. Three Kerry women, including one who is almost finished eating her apple. A woman shades children on the beach. A woman and man at a dance in Asdee in 1957.
Agriland
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
Fitzmaurice: People in rural areas still ‘left devastated' after storm
Nearly six months after Storm Eowyn, there are still some people in rural areas who have been 'left devastated and without phone lines', according to the Independent Ireland TD, Michael Fitzmaurice. Deputy Fitzmaurice has highlighted specifically that in parts of Roscommon and east Galway, the communication infrastructure has not yet been fully repaired. 'Areas like Cloonfad, Ballymoe, and a number of other areas are left devastated and without phone lines,' the deputy said in the Dáil recently. He has also pointed to the example of what has been going on in Creggs, 'where there are six communication lines for phones'. According to the Galway-Roscommon TD, local people had to 'get a ratchet strap' and tie a pole back. 'It broke and they had to do it again,' he added, and said that 'the pole is still thrown there'. Deputy Fitzmaurice is now calling on government ministers to 'put pressure on' and intervene to ensure that companies take responsibility for ensuring that the communications infrastructure in rural areas is repaired. He has acknowledged that 'in some cases they have gone back and repaired the broadband', however, the Galway-Roscommon TD has stressed that this is vital because 'the phone line is a lifeline to the elderly people for when you need your panic button'. But the TD has also asked that the 'communications regulator start taking the finger out to the likes of Éir because they should be ashamed of themselves the way they have treated the people who have been affected in that area'. Deputy Fiztmaurice Also in relation to the impact that recent storms have had on rural communities, the Galway-Roscommon TD has called for further action from government ministers in relation to ongoing forestry issues, particularly in relation to the 'huge amount of forestry' that has been burned. He wants a timeline from the government on when a reconstitution grant may be put in place to help people who have 'lost everything'. Deputy Fitzmaurice said: 'Whatever about the people in the windblown timber, at least they can try to cut it now and try to get it to sawmills, but where it has got burned, it is destroyed. 'You basically bring in a woodchipper and try to chip up whatever is there, but they have lost everything. 'In the coming months, when the government is doing the reconstitution grants, would it consider trying to include those people along with the windblown timber?'
Irish Independent
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Four months on from Storm Éowyn there's still phone lines in County Roscommon not restored
Since Storm Éowyn struck on January 24, Eir has restored phone lines to over 174,000 homes and businesses. However, some premises have experienced months-long delays in having their phone and broadband services restored – including a rural school in County Mayo which had no landline for 116 days. The issue was raised in the Dáil by Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice, who has called on the communications regulator to take action against Eir over the delays in restoring phone lines in his constituency. Deputy Fitzmaurice said that Eir 'should be ashamed' of how they have treated customers in Cloonfad, Ballymoe and 'a number of other areas' who are still without a landline phone service. Lamenting Eir's response to the storm, Deputy Fitzmaurice said local people in the village of Creggs had to tie a ratchet strap and ropes to secure a broken telephone line that is still 'thrown aside' four months after Storm Éowyn. 'Areas like Cloonfad, Ballymoe and a number of other areas are left devastated and without phone lines. It is not about the phone line because in some cases they have gone back and repaired the broadband, but the phone line is a lifeline to the elderly people for when you need your panic button,' he said. Deputy Fitzmaurice also called on the ComReg to start 'taking the finger out to the likes of Eir'. Replying, Tánaiste Simon Harris said that Eir had informed ComReg, that 'all storm-related repairs for the remaining affected customers' will be completed by 3 June. This, he said, excludes eleven cases where there is a third-party constraint, such as access rights, which are 'outside of Eir's control'. 'ComReg will monitor the restoration work until it is completed,' said Minister Harris. Echoing Deputy Fitzmaurice's concerns, the Tánaiste remarked: 'I do not want to say anything that cuts across the regulator, but Eir really needs to step up in how it deals with customers. I have heard this in countless locations.' ADVERTISEMENT ComReg is currently reviewing the performance of operators regarding service restoration in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. Last week Minister for Communications, Patrick O'Donavan, and Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary, convened a meeting of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force. According to the Tánaiste, this meeting was attended by all mobile and fixed-network operators affected by Storm Éowyn, ComReg, and representatives of local authorities and ESB Networks. 'Knowing the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, we can be particularly sure that he expressed his frustration at the meeting regarding Eir's inability to restore services to all customers nearly 18 weeks later. It is farcical,' Mr Harris commented. The Tánaiste said Mr O'Donavan had held meetings with individual operators, including Vodafone, to address network resilience concerns. The minister is due to meet the CEO and owner of Eir shortly. Deputy Fitzmaurice said he would be amazed if all phone services are restored by June 3, which falls after the Bank Holiday weekend. He told the Irish Independent that no work had taken place on the poll near Creggs – which is still being held together with ratchet straps and ropes - since he raised the matter in the Dáil.
Agriland
29-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Heydon committed to 2-pillar CAP but has no ‘crystal ball'
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has reaffirmed his commitment to the traditional two-pillar structure of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), but has said he has no 'crystal ball'. The minister was speaking at his first appearance as a senior minister in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. A range of topics came up, with CAP, and its future post-2027, being one of the main issued raised by TDs and senators on the committee. The European Commission is understood to be planning a radical overhaul of the EU's long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), in which the funding to member states would be consolidated into a single funding pot, with member states then developing a plan to outline how they would use that funding. This has sparked concern that the two-pillar structure of CAP, and even a dedicated budget for the entire CAP, could be scrapped in favour of a single member state fund. The minister was quizzed on this by Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice, who asked: 'The overall budget in CAP, is it going to be bigger, yes or no? Is Ireland's budget going to be bigger to accommodate it if we're going to be tweaking around on it? Are we going to have Pillar I and Pillar II, is it going to be the same system?' In answer to Fitzmaurice, the minister said: 'Apologies deputy, I left my crystal ball at home, so I don't have that, and we'd all love to know those answers. 'What I can tell you is we'll know in the middle of July. Around July 16 is when these [plans] are going to be announced, and all I can tell you is we are doing everything in our power. 'I can't be clearer – we want to maintain the [CAP] fund, we want to maintain Pillar I and II, we want a fully funded CAP,' he added. 'Will we get that?… We know all the other demands there are on other sides.' Fitzmaurice then asked if, in a situation where the CAP in its traditional form was not forthcoming, the government would be prepared to step in and 'prop it up'. Minister Heydon said: 'We could end up with so many different scenarios here… If what was leaked out in terms of a single fund was to come about…I would make the point that it would be a very bad thing. That would mean renationalisation of our system. It would actually undermine the whole [EU] single market. 'I'm not going to get into predicting what might come of what outcome, because there's so many different outcomes there can be here. 'What I can tell you right now is we are making every effort across government to put our best foot forward to maintain a fully funded cap with the traditional structure that has served our sector so well,' he added. The minister also noted that, in the second half of 2026, when the CAP budget is likely to be finalised, Ireland will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, one of the legislative bodies of the EU, meaning Minister Heydon, if he is still in office, will be the chairperson of the council of agriculture ministers during that period. He said: 'The first element of this is actually the MFF. What happens with the overall budget will totally determine what happens with CAP. 'In terms of the role we play in the agriculture council… What we do have is, in the second half of 2026, I'll be the chair of the council of ministers and, as we're working through that, we'll be working on the basis of consensus. 'I'm meeting with every other minister bilaterally to understand their priorities and so they understand our priorities… Hopefully before the end of 2026 under the Irish presidency, I;ll be in a position to get that CAP over the line by means of consensus.
