Listen: Tipperary players react to Liam MacCarthy glory
The quartet were speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland.
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RTÉ News
6 hours ago
- RTÉ News
'I am buzzing' - Lara Gillespie part of history-making Irish trio at women's Tour de France
Lara Gillespie has been in a race against time to make it to the Tour de France Femmes but, following her recovery from a bad injury, she will make history in the race on Saturday afternoon. The women's Tour de France begins in Vannes, Brittany and, for the first time ever, there will be an Irish presence. In fact not one but three Irish riders will take part: Gillespie, current national champion Mia Griffin and last year's title holder Fiona Mangan. This is the fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, but Irish women were also absent from the previous women's race run by the Tour organisers between 1984 and 1989. The event is the biggest race on the women's calendar, and has greatly helped the growth of the women's side of the sport, and gives Gillespie a lot of satisfaction be lining out in it. "I am buzzing to be one of the first Irish girls to be at the Tour, so that is really exciting to be part of," she told RTÉ Sport on Friday. "I'm happy to see Fiona and Mia in there and we can experience this whirlwind together." Gillespie has long shown her talent on the track, taking European championship titles at junior, under 23 and Elite level. The Enniskerry rider was, along with Griffin, part of the Irish team pursuit squad which finished a fine ninth in last year's Olympics. She is an accomplished road race rider too, and secured a contract with the UAE Team ADQ WorldTour-level squad last summer following victory in the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies race, plus the Giro Mediterraneo Rosa. This season has been a very promising one for the 24-year-old, with strong results in a number of races. She was runner up in the Fenix Omloop van het Hageland, and third in both Le Samyn des Dames and the Danilith Nokere Koerse. In May she was fourth on a stage of the Vuelta España Femenina, one of the biggest races in the sport. "I am super grateful and feel really privileged to be part of the team," she said of her selection for the Tour de France Femmes. "It is a really great opportunity and a great team we have here." However, she almost missed the chance. In mid-June, Gillespie fell in the Elmos Dwars door het Hageland race. She remounted and was able to sprint in 12th, but after the race it became clear that something was amiss. "I had an unfortunate crash over a month ago where I landed on my sacrum," she said. "I had fluid in the bone. I didn't break anything, but I had to really rest a lot from the races." Trying to get ready for the Tour, she went to Spain with her first coach, Martin O'Loughlin. They worked hard together and she quickly built form. "I had a really nice ten days in Majorca, with Martin motorpacing me," she said. "That was really cool. I knew if I left that camp sprinting good, doing high intensity, doing high volume then I could get through to the team. "So that is what happened, and so I am here with a really strong team, really good energy. We are ready to fight for some stages, so that is really cool." The 24-year-old is a strong sprinter and will relish the opportunity to square up against the world's best such as the Dutchwoman Lorena Wiebes. Stages one and two are lumpy and feature uphill finishes which may favor different types of riders, but days three and four are predicted to end in bunch gallops. From there things get progressively more mountainous, meaning sprint specialist Gillespie's best chances of high placing will be in the first half of the race. Griffin (Roland Le Dévoluy) and Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal) will also be looking forward to those early stages, with aims of helping their teams but also trying to show their own strength too. There is an additional goal for the trio; building up vital experience in the sport's top event in order to grow as competitors and to become even stronger. And making history for Irish cycling? That's a significant motivation too. Tour de France Femmes schedule: Stage 1, Saturday 26 July: Vannes to Plumelec, 78.8 km (49 miles) Stage 2, Sunday 27 July: Brest to Quimper, 110.4 km (68.6 miles) Stage 3, Monday 28 July: La Gacilly to Angers, 163.5 km (101.6 miles) Stage 4, Tuesday 29 July: Saumur to Poitiers, 130.7 km (81.2 miles) Stage 5, Wednesday 30 July: Chasseneuil-du-Poitou to Guéret, 165.8 km (103 miles) Stage 6, Thursday 31 July: Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert, 123.7 km (76.9 miles) Stage 7, Friday 1 August: Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry, 159.7 km (99.2 miles) Stage 8, Saturday 2 August: Chambéry to Saint François Longchamp – Col de la Madelaine, 111.9 km (69.5 miles) Stage 9, Sunday 3 August Praz-Sur-Arly to Châtel Les Portes du Soleil Pré Lajoux, 124.1 km (77.1 miles)
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kenny raves about St Pat's ace and lauds 'incredible football intelligence'
Stephen Kenny has hailed Jay McClelland for stepping out from the shadows and into the European spotlight for St Pat's. McClelland was the Saints man-of-the-match in Thursday's tense 1-0 Conference League win over nine-man Kalju, a result that puts St Pat's in control going to Estonia. And if they hold their rivals at bay on Thursday, the Inchicore men will face the loser of the Europa League tie between Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk. As it stands, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Besiktas are the most likely opponents as they lost Thursday's first-leg 4-2 at home. McClelland, 28, has been at St Pat's since 2020 but hasn't always been a starter and when he does play, he could be deployed in any number of positions. Lately, the attacking midfielder has been playing at left-back but has also popped up on the left wing and in the middle of the park. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . But Kenny has hailed McClelland's professionalism for refusing to cave when opportunities were hard to come by, after becoming a key man in Europe this year. Ex-Ireland boss Kenny said: 'No, he hasn't (always been a starter), and hasn't always been in the squad - he's been in the stand in the past. He's had to bide his time but he's just having a run of form and his innate football intelligence is incredible. St Pat's Jay McClelland and Daniil Tarassenkov of Kalju (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) 'He can see great pictures and has the technical ability to execute really intelligent passes and crosses. He's a very intelligent player. The physicality maybe wasn't his strongest point but he has adapted that to his game to help him play there. 'He's worked on aspects of his game which weren't his strongest points where you might get exposed as a left-back, in your one-on-one defending and your heading. 'He's got much better at those facets of the game and his distribution is very inventive. It's a competitive area for us. Anto Breslin has never let us down, he's always been a terrific full-back at the club. 'At the start of the season we probably wouldn't have factored Jason playing at left-back but when people take their opportunity you have to reward that.' McClelland only started five league games last season - he came on another 16 times - but already has 12 Premier Division starts this year from his 21 league appearances. At no stage since Kenny took charge 14 months ago has the Dubliner ever knocked on the manager's door demanding to leave. St. Patrick's Athletic's Jay McClelland (Image: ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy) Kenny said: 'He was out of contract last year but I made it clear to him that I wanted him to stay. His versatility is important. Even when he's not in the team, he's super fit and that's a challenge because players find it hard to stay at the level when they're not in the team- they get demoralised.' Ryan McLaughlin, the former Liverpool and Northern Ireland player, is another who has stepped up to snatch a starting role. He was behind Axel Sjoberg as Kenny's right-back option, but has now wrestled the shirt off the Swede. Kenny continued: 'Ryan and Jason didn't start any of the European games last year and they're in the positions now. "You see the passing, Ryan to Jason and then Jason back to Ryan. You don't see that much in matches, those touchline to touchline passes from full-backs. But Ryan has that in his locker and the in-joke in the group is that he showed Trent Alexander-Arnold how to do it! Meanwhile, Kenny won't rule out signing a midfielder before Monday's 11pm transfer deadline for contracted players, as Romal Palmer remains on the long-term list. But Chris Forrester is nearing a return to the starting line-up after stepping up his comeback from injury of late, and scoring the all-important late winner against Kalju. Kenny said of Forrester: 'He's been a great player, a regular in nearly all of my games since I took over but he was out for eight weeks. 'That's two months and you can lose a lot. He needs to work hard. He's had a few weeks' training and is coming on so he definitely comes into our thoughts.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bowling: Shane Crowley retains Munster U18 title
Shane Crowley retained his Munster U18 road bowling crown in a show of power and awe against Cathal Creedon at Bantry. Once he hit his stride with his huge second bowl, he quickly took control. Creedon had opened with a brilliant bowl, straight over the sop, towards McSweeney's lane. Crowley's reply was well right of his sop. That handed, what turned out to be, the only lead of the night to Creedon. Crowley wiped out the deficit immediately with his second throw. Creedon did well to miss that by just eight metres. Creedon's next bowl broke left, but still reached McSweeney's farm. Crowley beat that by 70m. That turned into almost a bowl of odds when Creedon beat it by just 45m with his next fourth shot. Crowley was now in full flight. He delivered a searing bowl up the middle towards Harrington's that put him well over a bowl in front. His next one was below par, but he immediately clicked back into top gear. A sensational sixth bowl to light at Casey's cross pushed him two bowls clear. Even a beauty from Creedon past Cronin's cross, could do little to stem the tide. Crowley followed with another massive bowl past the hedge and that brought the curtain down on the contest. Eoghan Kelly was an impressive Munster U14 winner. He defeated last year's All-Ireland U12 champion, Fionán Twohig, by two bowls of odds. This final followed a very similar narrative to the U18 final. Twohig opened with a huge bowl to win the first tip comfortably. Kelly then got a great second bowl, which won him a big lead. He was never again headed. He increased his lead with a great third throw towards the crush. He then produced the score defining bowl. It scorched down the left and ran all the way to Cronin's cross. That catapulted him two bowls clear. It also closed off almost any chance of Twohig regaining a foothold in the score. Still Twohig managed to contain the odds. He had it back to an even two bowls of odds after nine and 11 to the fuchsias past McSweeney's farm. That was as close as he got as Kelly increased his lead again in the run-in.
