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'Just a special talent' - 20 years on from Galway's 'Terrible Twins' brilliance in All-Ireland final
'Just a special talent' - 20 years on from Galway's 'Terrible Twins' brilliance in All-Ireland final

The 42

time14 hours ago

  • Sport
  • The 42

'Just a special talent' - 20 years on from Galway's 'Terrible Twins' brilliance in All-Ireland final

THE TONE WAS set after just 18 seconds. Cathal Blake made the hard yards, Micheal Meehan provided the finishing touch to the net. On All-Ireland final day for Galway it was the perfect start. By the eighth minute they had hit the net twice, they struck a third goal by half-time, and doubled that tally during the second half to finish with six. They only raised five white flags but no one of a maroon persuasion minded that the goal total surpassed the point figure. Two decades on as Galway and Down prepare to cross paths in the senior championship arena in Newry, the memories of a madcap and wildly entertaining All-Ireland U21 final between the counties in Mullingar come flooding back for those involved. The end scoreline, 6-5 to 4-6, remains stunning to read, and in the Galway ranks there was too chief architects. Meehan, an irrepressible talent, struck 3-2. Seán Armstrong, fresh out of the minor ranks, pushed him hard in the scoring stakes and finished with 3-1. 'Sometimes I feel sorry for Cathal Blake, he was full-forward beside the two lads and he was a brilliant footballer, still playing with his club,' recalls Barry Cullinane, a towering midfielder in that Galway team. 'He took the Down full-back out of it, and they followed him because they knew if they didn't, he was going to cause problems and it just left to rake space inside for the lads. 'You'd don't need to ask them twice to pull the trigger. The exploits of famed Galway duo Sean Purcell and Frank Stockwell earned them the 'Terrible Twins' label, Meehan and Armstrong struck a partnership that year to rival them. Before the final, they hit 15 out of Galway's 17 points in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork, Armstrong swinging over seven from play. Meehan's talent was already advertised in bright lights. In 2002 he won the Hogan Cup with St Jarlath's and an All-Ireland U21 medal with Galway. In 2003 he won the Sigerson Cup with NUIG. In 2004 he won the All-Ireland senior club title with Caltra. Advertisement By 2005, his last year as an underage footballer, his ability had been illuminated for all to see, but there was a confidence in the threat posed by his attacking colleague as well. 'I wouldn't have played with Army up to that, but he had a huge reputation, even from like U14 in Salthill, they had a really, really good team,' says Cullinane. 'He came out of minor but was basically built like a 25-year-old. 'He could handle himself. He came out of Leaving Cert, went into the military, and didn't take a huge amount of work on the physical aspect of it because genetically he was all there. 'We knew when we had him that that you definitely had a potent forward line. We'd been unlucky at minor level with that team, we lost in an All-Ireland quarter-final to Joe Sheridan's Meath team, and probably maybe lacked a little bit of support for Mikey and Army was the extra bit of impetus that we needed.' Delivering for Meehan fuelled the motivation of that Galway group. 'There was huge excitement around then because you saw that 2002 (U21) team and the performance they put in, they beat Kerry in a semi-final and Dublin in a final. That was off the back of the 2001 senior final and there was a huge positivity around Galway football at the time. Maybe it had dwindled a little bit. 'But for all of us, you know you're playing with a generational talent when you've Michael Meehan. We knew that, we'd all seen him since Under-12 coming up through the ranks and knew exactly how good he was. 'I think there was a bit of a responsibility that we had to perform as well to make sure that he got the recognition that that he deserved. He was just a special talent. 'Not only as a brilliant footballer, he was a brilliant leader as well and demanded high standards. It was the responsibiliry for us all to get to the level that he expected.' They delivered. Cullinane was one of a number who graduated to the senior ranks. 'We got a load of lads off that off that U21 team. Damien Dunleavy, Niall Coyne, Darren Mullahy, Alan Burke, Finian Hanley, Gary Sice, myself, Niall (Coleman), Mikey, Army, we got a load of lads went on to play senior. 'Only for injuries, I'd say a couple of them would have had a lot better (careers). Damien Dunleavy was an unbelievable talent. Like he had everything, he was athletic, brilliant footballer, but just ravaged by injuries. 'Darren Mulllahy was an exceptional wing-back and again kind of just got caught with injuries over the years. It was definitely a profitable team for the Galway seniors. We were lucky that Peter Ford at the time was over the seniors and he was over the U21s. 'That was the way it was done. John O'Mahony, God rest him, took the seniors and U21s, and then when he stepped aside and Peter Ford came in, he took that as well. So it was good for us in terms of like that transition to senior was was more seamless.' Related Reads A New York All-Ireland final and Croke Park championship meetings - Kerry and Cavan's history 'You are used to being on the road' - Shane O'Donnell makes light of Donegal controversy 'You couldn't be happy with Saturday' - Paul Geaney gets ready for charge at Sam Maguire Members of the opposition that day have progressed as well. Conor Laverty was a livewire, jinking forward that Galway needed to watch. Now he is the Down boss trying to mastermind the downfall of the Galway seniors. 'He was one of three lads we had pinpointed,' recalls Cullinane of Laverty. 'Joe Ireland, I think injury kind of caught him as well, he didn't start the final and got a goal off the bench. Ambrose Rodgers in the middle of the pitch and Laverty, they were the three hot hot properties. 'At the time, like the whole analysis side of it wasn't as as detailed as it is now. You were just getting snippets here and there, but we knew what he had done up to that. 'To see what he's gone on to do for Kilcoo and Down, you have to have huge admiration for him. He was a hard runner and I think he kind of has brought that into Kilcoo and brought it into Down. He's obviously a good thinker of the game and he was a really, really good footballer.' The 1959 was the first Galway-Down clash in championship, Galway winning that All-Ireland semi-final. They would meet four times in the space of 13 seasons, Galway edging the semi-final record 3-1, but Sunday afternoon will represent a first championship meeting in 54 years. Since last Monday's draw, memories of the 2005 U21 showdown have been stirred up again. 'Good days like that, you'll always gravitate towards those memories and they were really nice,' says Cullinane. 'There was a great bunch of lads and the draw just makes you think about about them. 'It's1971 since Galway played Down in the championship. I played them in the league a few times. 'But definitely there's a connection between Galway and Down football. For myself, I'm from Claregalway. Patsy O'Hagan, who's the former Down star of the '60s, he moved to Claregalway and Danny Cummins, ex-Galway footballer, is actually his grandson. 'So in Claregalway there's a big Down connection and that adds to it this week.' *****

Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan names 59-player long list ahead of summer tests
Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan names 59-player long list ahead of summer tests

Hamilton Spectator

time12-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Hamilton Spectator

Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan names 59-player long list ahead of summer tests

Canada rugby coach Stephen Meehan has announced a long list of 59 players, including 20 who are uncapped, ahead of the team's summer test matches. The 24th-ranked Canadian men take on No. 22 Belgium on July 12 and No. 16 Spain on July 18 at Edmonton's Clarke Stadium. They then start Pacific Nations Cup play Aug. 22 in Calgary against the 15th-ranked U.S. before facing No. 13 Japan on Aug. 30 in Sendai. The Pacific Nations Cup playoffs start Sept. 14 in Denver, with the finals set for Sept. 20 in Salt Lake City. The six-team tournament, which also includes No. 9 Fiji, No. 14 Samoa and No. 19 Tonga, is Canada's first opportunity to qualify for the 2027 World Cup. The summer tests are the first for Meehan as Canada's coach. The 59-year-old Australian was named coach in December, succeeding former Wales captain Kingsley Jones, who stepped down after seven years at the helm. Rugby Canada said the long list was chosen after analyzing the 50-plus Canadians playing in the MLR and those overseas with Christiaan Esterhuizen, head coach of the Pacific Pride and Canadian men's under-20 team, and outgoing men's sevens coach Sean White. Several new Canadian-eligible players were identified in the process. 'The work that has been undertaken over the last few months to prepare for the 2025 season and develop this extended player list has been substantial and valuable,' Meehan said in a statement. 'The players identified in this list are those who will be considered for our matches this year, and we are looking forward to getting on the pitch in Edmonton in a few weeks to kick off our campaign to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.' Meehan, who officially started in April, has clearly looked long and hard for new talent. The 20 uncapped players include talent from Australia, England, Northern Ireland and the U.S. The uncapped group includes Jamie Armstrong, Kyle Tremblay, Morgan Di Nardo and Ethan Turner, who are capped in sevens but not 15s. There is also a return for Evan Olmstead, a 34-year-old forward who last played for Canada at the 2019 World Cup. A six-foot-five 247-pounder with a wild mane of hair, he was hard to miss. Olmstead is currently playing for SU Agen in France's second tier. Olmstead was born in Canada but moved to Australia when he was three. His father, John, elected to move the family Down Under to join a friend who had a startup company in Sydney. John Olmstead, who died in 2008 at 52, was once offered a contract by junior hockey's Edmonton Oil Kings and went on to become a rugby player of some renown himself. A past president of the Capilano Rugby Football Club in North Vancouver, he is honoured when the Capilanos play UBC in the annual John Olmstead Memorial Cup game. Evan's great-uncle is Hockey Hall of Famer Bert Olmstead, who played for Chicago, Montreal and Toronto from 1948 to 1962. Evan Olmstead, who has also played flanker, had interest from Australian age-grade selectors but played for Canada at the 2011 World Rugby Under-20 Trophy in Georgia. A trained accountant, he quit his job as a logistics analyst for a medical devices company in 2015 to focus on rugby. Caden Wilson, Jack Carson, Jack Reeves, Johnny Franklin and Josh Larsen declined invitations for a mix of personal reasons, ranging from family to work, according to Rugby Canada. Players can be added to the extended roster, which will be cut down in early July ahead of the Edmonton tests. Canada Long List (x- denotes uncapped in 15s play) Forwards Andrew Quattrin, Holland Landing, Ont., New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Austin Creighton, Edmonton, Nor'Westers Athletic Association; x-Barnaby Waddell, Exeter, England, Bridgend Ravens; x-Bryce Worden, Sussex, N.B., Burnaby Lake RFC; x-Caleb Ashworth, Crowborough, England, Harlequins FC; Calixto Martinez, White Rock, B.C., Old Glory DC (MLR); Callum Botchar, Vancouver, NOLA Gold (MLR); Cole Keith, Sussex N.B., New England Free Jacks (MLR); Conor Young, Sydney, Australia, RFC LA (MLR); Dewald Kotze, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Donald Carson, Tsawwassen, B.C., Britannia Lions; x-Emerson Prior, Brockville, Ont., Utah Warriors (MLR); Evan Olmstead, Vancouver, SU Agen (France); x-Evan Roy, Ottawa, Mount Maunganui Rugby Club; Foster Dewitt, Courtenay, B.C., New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Griffin Phillipson, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, City of Armagh RFC; Izzak Kelly, White Rock, B.C., Capilano RFC; James Stockwood, Bowmanville, Ont., Oshawa Vikings; x-Jeffrey Young, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Jesse Mackail, Palmerston North, New Zealand, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); x-Karl Hunger, Beaconsfield, Que., Pacific Pride; Kyle Steeves, Winnipeg, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Lucas Rumball, Toronto, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Mason Flesch, Cobourg, Ont., Chicago Hounds (MLR); Matt Heaton, Godmanchester, Que., RFC LA (MLR); Matthew Oworu, Calgary, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Piers Von Dadelszen, Vancouver, New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Reid Davis, White Rock, B.C., Utah Warriors (MLR); Sam Miller, Mount Denson, N.S., Southern Districts; Siôn Parry, Cardiff, Wales, Ebbw Vale RFC; Tyler Matchem, Pictou County, N.S., Pictou County Rugby Club. Backs Andrew Coe, Markham, Ont., RFC LA (MLR); Ben LeSage, Calgary, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Brock Gallagher, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Cooper Coats, Halifax, NOLA Gold (MLR); x-Cormac Saint, Rescue, Calif., University of California, Berkeley; x-Ethan Turner, Maple Ridge, B.C., Kalinga Black Tigers; Isaac Olson, Vernon, B.C., New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Jamie Armstrong, Ottawa, University of Ottawa; Jason Higgins, Cork, Ireland, Chicago Hounds (MLR); x-Josh McIndoe, Victoria, Greerton Marist Rugby Club; Josiah Morra, Toronto, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Kainoa Lloyd, Mississauga, Ont., United Rugby Sports Club; x-Kyle Tremblay, White Rock, B.C., Pacific Pride; x-Maddox MacLean, Brisbane, Australia, Souths Rugby Club Brisbane; Mark Balaski, Castlebar, Ireland, Southern Districts; x-Morgan Di Nardo, Toronto, University of Victoria; Nic Benn, Caves Beach, Australia, Utah Warriors (MLR); Noah Flesch, Cobourg, Ont. Chicago Hounds (MLR); Peter Nelson, Dungannon, Northern Ireland, Dungannon RFC; Rhys James, Kelowna, B.C., Pacific Pride; Shane O'Leary, Ballina, Ireland, Miami Sharks (MLR); x-Spencer Cotie, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Spencer Jones, Cambridge, New Zealand, Utah Warriors (MLR); x-Stephen Webb, Toronto, UBC; Takoda McMullin, White Rock, B.C., UBC; Talon McMullin, White Rock, B.C., UBC; Tiarnan Neville, Curracloe, Ireland, Galwegians Rugby Club; x-Will Grant, Sydney, Australia, Randwick Rugby Club. Injury Pending Ethan Fryer, Seattle, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Lindsey Stevens, Sydney, Australia, New England Free Jacks (MLR_) Michael LaPlaine, Montreal, Concordia University. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025 Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . 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Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan names 59-player long list ahead of summer tests
Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan names 59-player long list ahead of summer tests

Winnipeg Free Press

time12-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Winnipeg Free Press

Canada rugby coach Steve Meehan names 59-player long list ahead of summer tests

Canada rugby coach Stephen Meehan has announced a long list of 59 players, including 20 who are uncapped, ahead of the team's summer test matches. The 24th-ranked Canadian men take on No. 22 Belgium on July 12 and No. 16 Spain on July 18 at Edmonton's Clarke Stadium. They then start Pacific Nations Cup play Aug. 22 in Calgary against the 15th-ranked U.S. before facing No. 13 Japan on Aug. 30 in Sendai. The Pacific Nations Cup playoffs start Sept. 14 in Denver, with the finals set for Sept. 20 in Salt Lake City. The six-team tournament, which also includes No. 9 Fiji, No. 14 Samoa and No. 19 Tonga, is Canada's first opportunity to qualify for the 2027 World Cup. The summer tests are the first for Meehan as Canada's coach. The 59-year-old Australian was named coach in December, succeeding former Wales captain Kingsley Jones, who stepped down after seven years at the helm. Rugby Canada said the long list was chosen after analyzing the 50-plus Canadians playing in the MLR and those overseas with Christiaan Esterhuizen, head coach of the Pacific Pride and Canadian men's under-20 team, and outgoing men's sevens coach Sean White. Several new Canadian-eligible players were identified in the process. 'The work that has been undertaken over the last few months to prepare for the 2025 season and develop this extended player list has been substantial and valuable,' Meehan said in a statement. 'The players identified in this list are those who will be considered for our matches this year, and we are looking forward to getting on the pitch in Edmonton in a few weeks to kick off our campaign to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.' Meehan, who officially started in April, has clearly looked long and hard for new talent. The 20 uncapped players include talent from Australia, England, Northern Ireland and the U.S. The uncapped group includes Jamie Armstrong, Kyle Tremblay, Morgan Di Nardo and Ethan Turner, who are capped in sevens but not 15s. There is also a return for Evan Olmstead, a 34-year-old forward who last played for Canada at the 2019 World Cup. A six-foot-five 247-pounder with a wild mane of hair, he was hard to miss. Olmstead is currently playing for SU Agen in France's second tier. Olmstead was born in Canada but moved to Australia when he was three. His father, John, elected to move the family Down Under to join a friend who had a startup company in Sydney. John Olmstead, who died in 2008 at 52, was once offered a contract by junior hockey's Edmonton Oil Kings and went on to become a rugby player of some renown himself. A past president of the Capilano Rugby Football Club in North Vancouver, he is honoured when the Capilanos play UBC in the annual John Olmstead Memorial Cup game. Evan's great-uncle is Hockey Hall of Famer Bert Olmstead, who played for Chicago, Montreal and Toronto from 1948 to 1962. Evan Olmstead, who has also played flanker, had interest from Australian age-grade selectors but played for Canada at the 2011 World Rugby Under-20 Trophy in Georgia. A trained accountant, he quit his job as a logistics analyst for a medical devices company in 2015 to focus on rugby. Caden Wilson, Jack Carson, Jack Reeves, Johnny Franklin and Josh Larsen declined invitations for a mix of personal reasons, ranging from family to work, according to Rugby Canada. Players can be added to the extended roster, which will be cut down in early July ahead of the Edmonton tests. Canada Long List (x- denotes uncapped in 15s play) Forwards Andrew Quattrin, Holland Landing, Ont., New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Austin Creighton, Edmonton, Nor'Westers Athletic Association; x-Barnaby Waddell, Exeter, England, Bridgend Ravens; x-Bryce Worden, Sussex, N.B., Burnaby Lake RFC; x-Caleb Ashworth, Crowborough, England, Harlequins FC; Calixto Martinez, White Rock, B.C., Old Glory DC (MLR); Callum Botchar, Vancouver, NOLA Gold (MLR); Cole Keith, Sussex N.B., New England Free Jacks (MLR); Conor Young, Sydney, Australia, RFC LA (MLR); Dewald Kotze, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Donald Carson, Tsawwassen, B.C., Britannia Lions; x-Emerson Prior, Brockville, Ont., Utah Warriors (MLR); Evan Olmstead, Vancouver, SU Agen (France); x-Evan Roy, Ottawa, Mount Maunganui Rugby Club; Foster Dewitt, Courtenay, B.C., New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Griffin Phillipson, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, City of Armagh RFC; Izzak Kelly, White Rock, B.C., Capilano RFC; James Stockwood, Bowmanville, Ont., Oshawa Vikings; x-Jeffrey Young, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Jesse Mackail, Palmerston North, New Zealand, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); x-Karl Hunger, Beaconsfield, Que., Pacific Pride; Kyle Steeves, Winnipeg, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Lucas Rumball, Toronto, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Mason Flesch, Cobourg, Ont., Chicago Hounds (MLR); Matt Heaton, Godmanchester, Que., RFC LA (MLR); Matthew Oworu, Calgary, Chicago Hounds (MLR); Piers Von Dadelszen, Vancouver, New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Reid Davis, White Rock, B.C., Utah Warriors (MLR); Sam Miller, Mount Denson, N.S., Southern Districts; Siôn Parry, Cardiff, Wales, Ebbw Vale RFC; Tyler Matchem, Pictou County, N.S., Pictou County Rugby Club. Backs Andrew Coe, Markham, Ont., RFC LA (MLR); Ben LeSage, Calgary, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Brock Gallagher, Edmonton, Seattle Seawolves (MLR); Cooper Coats, Halifax, NOLA Gold (MLR); x-Cormac Saint, Rescue, Calif., University of California, Berkeley; x-Ethan Turner, Maple Ridge, B.C., Kalinga Black Tigers; Isaac Olson, Vernon, B.C., New England Free Jacks (MLR); x-Jamie Armstrong, Ottawa, University of Ottawa; Jason Higgins, Cork, Ireland, Chicago Hounds (MLR); x-Josh McIndoe, Victoria, Greerton Marist Rugby Club; Josiah Morra, Toronto, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Kainoa Lloyd, Mississauga, Ont., United Rugby Sports Club; x-Kyle Tremblay, White Rock, B.C., Pacific Pride; x-Maddox MacLean, Brisbane, Australia, Souths Rugby Club Brisbane; Mark Balaski, Castlebar, Ireland, Southern Districts; x-Morgan Di Nardo, Toronto, University of Victoria; Nic Benn, Caves Beach, Australia, Utah Warriors (MLR); Noah Flesch, Cobourg, Ont. Chicago Hounds (MLR); Peter Nelson, Dungannon, Northern Ireland, Dungannon RFC; Rhys James, Kelowna, B.C., Pacific Pride; Shane O'Leary, Ballina, Ireland, Miami Sharks (MLR); x-Spencer Cotie, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Spencer Jones, Cambridge, New Zealand, Utah Warriors (MLR); x-Stephen Webb, Toronto, UBC; Takoda McMullin, White Rock, B.C., UBC; Talon McMullin, White Rock, B.C., UBC; Tiarnan Neville, Curracloe, Ireland, Galwegians Rugby Club; x-Will Grant, Sydney, Australia, Randwick Rugby Club. Injury Pending Ethan Fryer, Seattle, New England Free Jacks (MLR); Lindsey Stevens, Sydney, Australia, New England Free Jacks (MLR_) Michael LaPlaine, Montreal, Concordia University. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025

Debate heats up as Ocean City wind farm moves forward
Debate heats up as Ocean City wind farm moves forward

Yahoo

time07-06-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Debate heats up as Ocean City wind farm moves forward

The Maryland Department of the Environment has made a final determination to approve permits for Baltimore-based US Wind Inc. to build the first large-scale offshore wind project near Ocean City. According to MDE, 'The proposed construction and commissioning of the offshore wind project would not cause violations of any applicable air pollution control regulations.' The decision, issued Friday, is the latest move in a multi-year, controversial effort to bring the plan to fruition. U.S. Wind has proposed 114 turbines that would be about 11 miles from shore at their closest, according to documents filed by the company with the Maryland Public Service Commission. The project would deliver 1,710 megawatts with turbines about 10 miles from Ocean City, according to its Maryland PSC application. The build-out would occur in several phases, with the first turbines intended for operation in 2028, according to the commission document. Opponents of the project, who include Ocean City Mayor Richard Meehan, argue that the wind farms could harm the environment and wildlife, degrade air quality and damage the region's tourism economy by marring the beach view. 'It is unconscionable to believe that the Maryland Department of Environment is ignoring pre-established permitting deadlines and fundamentally ignoring every shred of feedback offered by those who will be directly involved if this poorly conceived and potentially disastrous offshore wind project is allowed to move forward,' Meehan said in a statement Friday, following the MDE decision. 'The entire economy of our coastal resort town is dependent on tourism, our eco system, and commercial fishing, all of which will be significantly impacted if hundreds of these giant eyesores are constructed 10 miles from our beaches.' In October, the town of Ocean City filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the wind farm that is closest to beginning construction along its shoreline. The ongoing suit alleges that the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management violated federal law when it approved the construction plan for US Wind's project. There are several groups circulating petitions against the wind farms, including nonprofit Save Ocean City and Indian River High School Engineering Students Class Of 2025 & 2026. Ocean City resident Spencer Rowe said he is concerned about the environmental impact of the wind farms. 'In my experience, more and more people are starting to question the proposed wind farms, although many of them are not motivated enough to sign [petitions],' Rowe said in an email to The Baltimore Sun. 'Traveling [around] town, one sees a lot of bumper stickers and restaurant signs displaying opposition messages. I talk to a lot of people about this, and nearly everyone is opposed now that they are learning more about all the detrimental impacts, both to the offshore environment and to our priceless viewshed.' Maryland has made significant investments in wind energy in recent years. The US Wind project is projected to create 13,000 jobs and net more than $6 billion in economic benefits. For fiscal year 2025 alone, $5 million was allocated to build a wind energy workforce and supply chain. Under state law, Maryland must reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. The state also aims to develop up to 8,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2031. Despite some expressing environmental and economic concerns, others continue to support the development of offshore wind farms. In a letter to The Sun, Berlin resident Larry Austin Ryan outlined 10 reasons why people should not sign a petition recently sponsored by the Town of Ocean City to push wind turbines more than 26 miles off Maryland's coast. 'Wind power is the fastest growing energy industry in the world! Jobs in wind turbine technology are also one of the fastest growing areas of employment in living wage jobs,' Ryan wrote. 'The Ocean City area is guaranteed 60 jobs and there will be many more jobs in Salisbury and Baltimore in the manufacture and distribution of wind turbines and their components. With the addition of this many jobs, more visitors will have more discretionary income allowing them to enjoy the fruits of their labor in Ocean City.' 'Electricity produced by offshore wind will supply more than 750,000 homes and businesses on the Eastern shore,' Ryan added. 'It will ensure a large-scale improvement of our already inadequate electrical grid here on the shore and avoid a surcharge to Maryland ratepayers for having to import electricity from out of state. This will allow continued economic growth for all the shore in the 21 st century.' A petition to review MDE's decision must be filed by July 14 in the circuit court for the county where the permit application indicates the proposed activity will occur. 'The permits were issued after a thorough review of US Wind's application and following a public process,' an MDE spokesperson said in an email Saturday. 'Due to significant public interest, the Department of the Environment extended the time for the public to provide input. All feedback was carefully reviewed.' Aside from public debate, US Wind's project is facing legal and political hurdles. On May 5, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown sued President Donald Trump's administration for freezing the development of offshore wind energy projects. Brown and a coalition of 17 attorneys general allege that the executive order threatens states' abilities to secure affordable energy sources, meet the increasing electricity demand, meet climate goals and disrupt billions of dollars in infrastructure and supply chain investments, according to the lawsuit. 'The president's actions violate federal law and will make it harder for us to help Marylanders keep the money they make. One of the best strategies for driving down utility costs is ramping up clean energy production through wind power,' Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement at the time. 'At a moment when families are feeling the strain of high energy bills, we should focus on cutting red tape, not halting critical infrastructure projects.' Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.

Former whiskey distillery with 200 years of history put up for sale
Former whiskey distillery with 200 years of history put up for sale

Belfast Telegraph

time01-06-2025

  • Business
  • Belfast Telegraph

Former whiskey distillery with 200 years of history put up for sale

A former whiskey distillery and latterly a shirt factory is up for sale in the Waterside area of Derry. An online listing on the Lisney website says the property, at Distillery Brae and Spencer Road was constructed around the 1820s by James Robinson, taken over by the Meehan family and subsequently the Watt Family. It's understood the Meehan family built a street in the Waterside called Meehan's Row to accommodate the distillery workers. By the early 1830's, the Watt family purchased the business and set out on a planned, systematic expansion of the site. It's reported that despite being successful, the Waterside operation always laboured in the shadow of the Abbey street distillery on the opposite side of the River Foyle. In the 1880's, Abbey Street reportedly had the capacity to produce two million gallons of whiskey a year. Its main product Tyrconnell whiskey was very popular in Britain and America. The property comprises a four-storey split level building straddling Spencer Road, Distillery Brae and Simpsons Brae. It has been refurbished in parts over the last ten years to create a mixed use commercial and residential property. The property is described as a 'prominent and imposing' building located adjacent to the North West Transport Hub. The building of 13,350sqft is said to offer 'extraordinary views' over the River Foyle. At Simpsons Brae, the ground floor comprises of an occupied retail unit. While, the majority of the units are accessed from Distillery Brae and comprise of a large vaulted open plan space currently occupied by a gym on the ground floor. Due to the split level nature of the building, although this floor is classed as first floor, this can also be classed as ground floor level from The first floor at Distillery Brae comprises of two large open plan suites, both currently vacant. The suites have been fitted out as a gym and a hair salon and are both said to be in good condition. The second floor is fitted out as a serviced office scheme, comprising of a number of individual rooms created by stud walling. Five of these suites are currently occupied. A two bedroom apartment is accessed directly from Distillery Brae which is occupied. Access to the 'attic' space, which is currently tenanted, is directly from Spencer Road.

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