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Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Lions try out unlikely midfield combination against Argentina
The Lions' summer's business gets under way this evening with a warm-up against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium. As Gerry Thornley tells us, they'll be without 15 of the squad due to club commitments and injuries for a non-capped international that is 'primarily a moneymaking venture', one that, ultimately, will be 'a footnote in history'. Still, all concerned will be up for it, not least Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi who is not unfamiliar with the city of Dublin. Andy Farrell, says John O'Sullivan, has proved once more that he's not 'risk averse' by opting for 'an unlikely midfield combination' of Sione Tuipulotu and Bundee Aki , Tuipulotu more used to playing as an inside centre. Opportunity knocks, then, for the Scotland international in the absence of Garry Ringrose and Huw Jones. It's a huge weekend in Gaelic games with two hurling quarter-finals and four preliminary football quarter-finals in the schedule. Lose and your summer is done and dusted. After their hiding in the Leinster final, Joe Canning is hoping to see a vastly improved performance from Galway at the Gaelic Grounds when they come up against a Tipperary side 'with their tails up'. Galway's footballers have it all to do too when they meet a Down side whose 'confidence has been soaring' , Ian O'Riordan talking to Galway's Shane Walsh ahead of Sunday's meeting in Newry. READ MORE Meanwhile, those who might assume that this hooter business is the first timekeeping innovation in the history of Gaelic football ... Seán Moran has news for you: the Bogue Clock – the giant stopwatch that made its debut all the way back in 1938. In horse racing, Brian O'Connor reports on Trawlerman setting a track record on his way to winning Royal Ascot's Gold Cup on Thursday, and he previews today's action, Colin Keane choosing 'to stick with his old ally Babouche over Juddmonte's other big hope, Jonquil' in the Commonwealth Cup. In golf, Philip Reid reports on a good day at the office for Rory McIlroy at the Travelers Championship , his opening round of 64 putting him in contention, while Leona Maguire made a solid start to the PGA Championship in Texas with a level-par 72. No one topped Max Kennedy's exploits, though – he shot a course record 60 in France on the Hotelplanner Tour. Sadly, no one in the sports department was available to go sailing with Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove in Dún Laoghaire and have themselves dangled over the ocean at a 45-degree angle giving you 'the same sensation as when you lean too far back in your chair and your life flashes before your eyes'. Except Muireann Duffy. Before you read about her adventure, have your tummy tablets at the ready. TV Watch : There's further coverage from Royal Ascot on Virgin Media One and UTV (from 1.30), and Sky Sports Golf will be hopping between the women's PGA Championship in Texas and the lads' Travelers Championship in Connecticut (from 1.0). At 8.0 you get to choose between the Lions v Argentina (TG4 and Sky Sports Action), athletics' Paris Diamond League (Virgin Media Three and BBC Three) and Shamrock Rovers v Cork City (Virgin Media Two).
Irish Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Lions not at full strength with Leinster players unavailable
With most of Leinster's players unavailable for selection for the Lions side that takes on Argentina in Dublin tomorrow evening , Andy Farrell's chosen 15 for the game might not give too many clues about the shape of the side he'll pick for next month's tests against Australia. But, reports Gerry Thornley, Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Finlay Bealham all have a chance to stake their claim having been named in Farrell's starting line-up, while Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher and Mack Hansen are on the bench. Gerry hears from Farrell and captain Maro Itoje ahead of the game. Beirne partners Itoje in the secondrow, Johnny Watterson talking to the Munster captain who has been impressed by the English man , not least his politeness. 'He speaks incredibly well. He doesn't curse,' he said. John O'Sullivan, meanwhile, dropped in to the Argentina camp to keep an eye on their preparations and heard coach Felipe Contepomi's thoughts on his old pals Leinster and their season. He talked too about Sam Prendergast's development and Johnny Sexton's move in to coaching. In Gaelic games, it's do or die for Donegal and Louth in the championship on Sunday, the counties meeting in Ballybofey in the preliminary quarter-finals. Gordon Manning talks to Donegal's Shane O'Donnell, and he also has a word with Armagh's Oisín O'Neill who has the luxury of a weekend off, his county straight through to the last eight. O'Neill shared his frustration with the continuing tweaking of the Football Review Committee's rules, the latest the ditching of the 50m penalty for impeding a kick-out mark. READ MORE In his column, Ciarán Murphy writes about the art of keeping cool in front of goal , while in hurling, Galway's Fintan Burke looks ahead to his county's championship quarter-final against Tipperary in Limerick on Saturday. Brian O'Connor rounds up yesterday's action at Royal Ascot, Ombudsman producing a resounding success for Godolphin in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, and he previews today's Gold Cup when Aidan O'Brien's hopes of a 10th success in the race rest on Illinois . In golf, Philip Reid previews the PGA Championship in Texas where Leona Maguire is in the field , and after a frustrating time of it at the US Open Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are in action again, this time at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. And in his America at Large column, Dave Hannigan writes about the extraordinary relationship between Brian Wilson, the Beach Boy who died recently, and his 'bodyguard-cum-minder', NBA journeyman Stan Love , father of Miami Heat centre Kevin. TV Watch : The big one at Royal Ascot today is, of course, the Gold Cup at 4.20, Virgin Media One and UTV's coverage starting at 1.30. And in golf, Sky Sports have the Travelers Championship from 12.30 this afternoon and the women's PGA Championship from 4.0.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Casement Park: Euro 2028, millions of pounds and a 14-year saga
Could Casement Park's 14-year stadium saga finally be about to see some good news?The west Belfast site has been earmarked for a state-of-the-art new stadium since 2011 and was even included as a host stadium for when the UK and Ireland host Euro constant delays, legal issues and rows over funding meant the Euro 2028 dream withered while weeds continued to overtake the traditional home of Gaelic games in with the UK government potentially set to announce some new funding as part of its spending review, we take a look back on Northern Ireland's stadium soap opera - and what needs to happen for Casement to come to pass. Where is Casement Park? In west Belfast, just a stone's throw from the busy M1 motorway heading south out of the city, is where Euro 2028, one of the world's biggest sporting tournaments, was supposed to be hosted in Northern first opened in 1953 as a stadium for Gaelic games, and has been the home of Antrim GAA since its inception. The official capacity was just more than 31,000, although three-quarters of the ground was there have been no visitors to Casement in more than a decade and, for years, any passing motorists able to crane their neck into the ground would only see a derelict work did begin at the site in February 2024 in anticipation of the stadium's construction for Euro 2028 - but the long-running row over who pays for it put paid to Northern Ireland's hosting hopes. What happened to Casement Park and Euro 2028? Short answer - nothing. And it's because of have been plans to build a new stadium at Casement Park since 2011, long before Euro that stadium was to cost about £76m, with £61m coming from Northern Ireland's power-sharing government and £15m from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).But those plans got bogged down in a morass of legal rows, safety concerns and planning permission was rekindled in October 2023 when Casement Park was included as a host venue as part of the UK and Ireland's successful bid to host Euro 2028. However, Uefa tournament specifications, which would turn the GAA ground into an all-seater stadium suitable for Euro 2028, meant construction estimates spiralled - at least £300m, and possibly more than £400m according to the UK government (an estimate the GAA said was "wildly exaggerated"). It would also have to be ready by summer 2027 - a tight turnaround, although not impossible if the hefty bill could be cash-strapped Northern Ireland Executive said it would pay no more than £62.5m and the GAA similarly would not go beyond £ the Irish government promising €50m (£43m), it was all down to whether the new Labour government was willing to make up the October, judgement was delivered - the UK government would not meet the shortfall and Casement Park would not be built for Euro 2028. Northern Ireland would not host matches as part of the UK and Ireland tournament. Why didn't they play Euro 2028 at another Northern Ireland stadium? Uefa requires that all European Championship stadia have a capacity exceeding 30, National Stadium at Windsor Park - Northern Ireland's footballing home - holds 18,500 Irish Football Association (IFA) said there was "no route to fund an expansion" of the ground, despite it being the preference of some Northern Ireland football fans. When it came to Euro 2028 in Northern Ireland, it was Casement or bust. What now for Casement and who's paying for it? Euro 2028 may be gone, but Casement could live as per its original vision - a state-of-the-art ground that could become the home of Antrim GAA and the host for Ulster finals, major events and concerts.A reduction in capacity and no requirement to meet Uefa tournament standards means estimated costs have fallen to about £250m-£ that is still a hefty wedge and the standoff over who will pay has continued, with a little friction at January, minutes emerged of a "fraught and tetchy" meeting between the GAA and the Northern Ireland minister responsible for sport, Gordon GAA has acknowledged it will increase its financial commitment to the project and said it was cautiously optimistic ahead of the UK government's spending review. What is the story behind the Casement Park delay? To answer that question, we have to go back a couple of that time, Northern Ireland's three main stadiums for football, rugby and GAA - Windsor Park, Ravenhill, and Casement - were seen as increasingly not fit for and a new plan was needed. Initially, Northern Ireland's power-sharing government - the Northern Ireland Executive - came up with an idea for a new, multi-purpose national stadium for all sports. But the divisive proposal of situating the stadium at the site of the Maze Prison - which held paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles, Northern Ireland's bloody conflict of 30 years - meant the idea was eventually dashed on the political instead, in 2011, it was decided that cash would go towards stadium redevelopment:Windsor Park, the home of Northern Ireland's international football team and Linfield FC, would get £25m to build a 18,500 all-seater stadium - it reopened in October 2016Ravenhill, the home of Ulster Rugby, was redeveloped and capacity increased to 18,000 at a cost of £16.5m - work finished in May 2014About £36m would be set aside for sub-regional football stadia aka grounds used by local football clubAnd Casement Park would get £61m - the same amount as football in total - for a new 38,000 capacity stadiumWhile Ravenhill and Windsor - or the National Stadium as it is now officially known - are open and hosting big events, Casement Park has only seen a digger or two. Why has the Casement Park redevelopment taken so long? In 2012, stadium designers were appointed to the project and it was expected the new Casement Park would be built by 2015. But it did not turn out that first big obstacle came in 2014, when the High Court overturned planning permission for the residents had lodged a legal challenge over objections to the stadium's size - they said it would block out light from homes and cause serious traffic in 2015, came possibly the most contentious year of the Casement Park it emerged that a Safety Technical Group (STG) formed to oversee safety issues around the new stadium had not approved the design plans due to concerns over how long it would take people to leave the ground in an one of the STG members, safety expert Paul Scott, told a Northern Ireland Assembly committee that he had been put "under pressure" to approve the plans by government also complained of bullying - he later settled an industrial tribunal case with Sport NI. With the original Casement plan now scrapped, the GAA went to work on plans for a new stadium, revising the capacity down from 38,000 to about 34, submitted a fresh application for planning permission in 2017, which was granted in in 2022, local residents lost a legal challenge against the new project against the plan - the stadium could now go ahead. What else do we need to know about Casement Park? Well, as ever, if Casement Park does get extra money from government, you can be sure other sports will be asking why they cannot get the same years there has been frustration among local football fans over stadium money of a different kind - when cash was announced for Casement, Windsor Park and Ravenhill more than a decade ago, £36m was set aside for what were described as sub-regional football football league grounds in Northern Ireland are in dire need of redevelopment. But that fund only opened for applications at the start of this year, after delays caused by years of political instability. No money has been distributed yet. As the original stadium plan put Gaelic games and football on an equal funding basis, it is likely football authorities will be asking questions should the government offer extra cash for issue is also further complicated by how sport and politics intertwine in Northern and the GAA have long had an uneasy, distrustful relationship. One of the GAA's own stated goals - "the strengthening of national identity in a 32-county Ireland through the preservation and promotion of Gaelic games and pastimes" as per the organisation's official guide - puts it and unionism in political Park itself is in predominantly nationalist west Belfast and named after after Sir Roger Casement, an Irish revolutionary who, in 1916, was executed in London for treason. However, DUP minister Gordon Lyons attended his first GAA match last month in a move seen as highly symbolic given its timing close to the UK government's spending optimism may be most keenly felt by the stadium's long-term tenant, Antrim GAA, who have essentially been left without a fit-for-purpose home ground thanks to its dereliction. So what next for Casement Park? The short answer - get the money, get the stadium built and file the Casement saga into long answer? It remains to be seen how much the UK government, GAA or any other source will put on the table to pay for the stadium - and with a shortfall of about £150m, it will require some serious largesse. However, there is no doubting the political will of the GAA, supported by Northern Ireland's biggest political party Sinn Féin, to get Casement built. A gesture today from the UK government could bring things a step closer to reality.
Irish Times
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
If we want free-flowing hurling we must accept the refereeing that facilitates it
On the raised television gantry at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night, Alan Connolly leant on the barrier, while on the pitch behind him Cork fans belted out a chorus of 'After All'. When he turned around to take in the scene below, the decibel levels rose. Liam Sheedy, Donal Óg Cusack and Henry Shefflin were all standing beside him. Hurling royalty. But for those draped in red and white below it was clear that Connolly was the star attraction. Such was the level of the noise, Shefflin had to lean over at one stage to repeat his question to the Cork forward. During the entire interview Connolly – still in full gear and boots – carried the chilled-out disposition of a man who had just perched himself at a poolside bar in their flip-flops. There were the usual questions about the game and then host Joanne Cantwell interjected: 'Can I ask, when there was a change in referee – because Thomas Walsh referees a very particular way, and James Owens referees a very different way – what was it like?' READ MORE Connolly smiled apologetically, seemingly recalling the sight of Walsh requiring treatment on the pitch for cramp. 'It was funny, I hope he's all right,' he said before wondering if it had ever happened before where a referee had to leave the field. Informed that it had indeed, he continued: 'It was interesting, they reffed the game the same enough I thought, to be honest. There wasn't too much of a change, I don't know.' Plenty of others seemed to know. A quick scroll through social media on Saturday night would have demonstrated one of the main talking points from a gripping Munster final was the performance of the referee. Walsh was lauded by many for letting the game flow, his approach credited with contributing to the match, but for others the officiating facilitated a level of lawlessness that went too far. It quickly became a Marmite debate. A couple of days on and still many conversations about the game eventually arrive at the referee. Cork's Alan Connolly has his helmet tugged by Limerick's Diarmaid Byrnes. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Strip it all back and it leaves one very straightforward yet complex question about hurling: What game do we actually want? For those of us currently in a space where we spend many Saturday mornings ferrying kids to Go Games, hurling can seem a very different sport at either end of the chain. But children learn the game not only because of their coaches, they also learn from the referees they encounter. The referees at Go Games are predominately teenagers who have been persuaded to take up the whistle. Many of them spend a lot of their time during matches patiently instructing seven- and eight-year-olds on what to do next. They'll give the goalkeeper a second chance at puck-outs, or on spotting repeated fresh air shots the referee might encourage the young player to hit the ball along the ground instead. When it comes to juvenile sport, both the coaches and referees are heroes. But retaining referees is an ongoing problem for the GAA. Earlier this year Dublin GAA arranged a training course to try attract new referees to deal with a 'chronic shortage' of officials. Gaelic football and hurling are different sports but they share a common indistinctness in terms of some playing rules. Hurling, in particular, can exist in different forms depending on whether the referee wants to swallow their whistle or blow it. So, what game do we want? At the start of each half last Saturday, Walsh held the sliotar in his hand while a pair of opposing midfielders locked horns in that perpetual dance of bouncing off each other and snarling like a pair of bucking bulls released from their pen for the first time in months. Limerick's Shane O'Brien celebrates winning a free. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho As their shoulder-fest found its rhythm, the intensity spread across the pitch and several little replica dances sparked off. The roars from the stands increased, the Gaelic Grounds becoming a sporting tinderbox. The atmosphere, electric. In those few seconds at the start of each half, the terms of engagement were being set. If the referee was allowing those battles to fester, the players had a fair idea that a decent level of aggression would go unpunished. And so it played out. There were fouls not blown, flaking ignored, players got away with stuff. Both management teams then surrounded the referee at half-time – presumably to check if perhaps he could arrange it that only their lads would be allowed do the flaking. One of the positive outcomes of the FRC's new rules in football has been a greater level of respect towards match officials. Gaelic football referees at club and county level have seen a significant decrease in verbal abuse. And yet another of the FRC's rules has been to have a one v one throw-in at the start of each half. Instead, you now have two players standing on opposite sidelines and then dashing in when the ball is tossed in the air. For all the progressive FRC changes, the start of Gaelic football matches has lost something. It's lost that edge of physicality and aggression. But perhaps that is the game we are trying to manufacture now in football? Are we saying we don't want those displays of hostility at the outset of matches? Are we saying we want a game where players hand the ball back to their opponent? That, of course, is football's journey of discovery right now. But those are the kind of questions hurling might eventually have to answer too. As a sporting contest, what the Cork and Limerick players served up on Saturday was captivating. It was a game full of endeavour and desire, two tribes going full-blooded to represent their people. You couldn't take your eyes off it. They deserve great credit for producing such entertainment and drama, but at the same time those matches are also almost impossible to referee. If we can at least agree on that, perhaps we're not far away from having the game we want.
Irish Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Leinster pales in comparison to spectacular Munster decider
Some weekend, that. Top billing? You'd be torn between Carlos and Cork, the former, Señor Alcaraz, for his astounding comeback against Jannik Sinner in the French Open final, the latter, the hurley-wielding Rebels, for their part in a Munster final that won't soon be forgotten. 'Everything about it was staggering,' writes Denis Walsh of the game at the Gaelic Grounds. ' The suffocating intensity, the twists, the spectacular scores and the crazy misses.' It was, says Seán Moran in his match report, 'a smouldering, frantic affair' , one that was decided by the first ever shoot-out in a provincial final. As Ian O Riordan puts it in his round-up of the weekend's hurling , nothing Kilkenny and Galway could produce on Sunday was ever going to outdo what was served up the day before. Nicky English agrees. The Leinster decider was, he writes, 'a pale imitation of the Munster final' , but while Kilkenny prevailed, he's not convinced they are contenders this year. They did, though, survive a late Galway rally to win their sixth successive Leinster title , Ian in Croke Park to witness their triumph. Paul Keane heard from Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng after, and Paul was on hand too earlier in the day to see Kildare produce a breathless second-half display against Laois in the Joe McDonagh Cup. READ MORE There wasn't too much drama in the Tailteann Cup, the form guide holding as Sligo, Wexford, Offaly and Westmeath all progressed , but there was plenty of it on the opening weekend of the women's football All-Ireland championship, Dublin and Meath both needing last second equalisers against Waterford and Armagh, respectively. Kerry opened the defence of their crown with a win over Mayo in Tralee, while last year's runners-up Galway saw off Tipperary in Tuam. Denis, meanwhile, previews RTÉ's five-part series on the history and nature of Gaelic football , the first episode of Hell for Leather airing tonight. Its timing, he says, 'couldn't have been more opportune because this has been the most spectacular football season in living memory' – thanks in no small part to the new rules. In rugby, after enduring three straight URC semi-final defeats, Leinster finally broke the code, comfortably beating Glasgow on Saturday to set up a meeting with the Pretoria Bulls at Croke Park in next Saturday's final. Gerry Thornley reports on the game and hears from Leo Cullen and Jack Conan , while Johnny Watterson analyses a performance that was far superior to Leinster's last outing . And in racing, Brian O'Connor looks back at Lambourn's Epsom Derby success , one that gave Aidan O'Brien a record-extending 11th win in the classic. Lambourn is now odds-on to become the 20th horse to complete the Epsom-Curragh Derby double at the end of this month. TV Watch : There are highlights from the GAA and rugby weekends on TG4 and RTÉ 2, respectively, at 8pm, while the pick of the night's football action is Wales' World Cup qualifier away to Belgium (Virgin Media Three, 7.45pm). And at 9.35pm, there's the first episode of Hell for Leather, a history of Gaelic football, on RTÉ One.
