Paul Kimmage: Old friends Geordan Murphy and Matt Hampson are still bringing out the best in each other
But by Tuesday, he had joined up with Clive Woodward's 45-man Lions squad in the plush Vale of Glamorgan Hotel just outside Cardiff, about to embark on the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand. Then yesterday, he was named in the first Lions side to play on British or Irish soil, for the pre-tour warm-up game against Argentina at the Millenium Stadium next Monday.
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Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Ireland's Jack Raftery and Sharlene Mawdsley take centre stage at European Athletics Team Championships
Raftery became just the second Irishman in history to break 45 seconds for 400m when clocking 44.98 to finish fourth in the men's race, while Mawdsley made a hugely impressive return to racing – the Tipperary sprinter clocking a season's best of 50.93 to finish third in the women's race. Their performances helped Ireland climb to fifth at the halfway stage, their tally of 192 points putting them within touching distance of the top three in division two: Norway (228), Belgium (226.5) and Slovenia (214.5). The top three nations will gain promotion to the first division on Sunday evening, with the bottom three relegated. The Irish didn't have any winners on day one and while Raftery might not have accrued the most points, his run was the standout individual showing, as the 24-year-old Dubliner hacked a massive chunk off his previous best of 45.75 to move second on the Irish all-time list behind David Gillick's national record of 44.77. 'I can't believe that,' he said. 'I don't have the words. I was coming in thinking if I ran 45.5, I'd be delighted.' Raftery has been working under coaches Gerard O'Donnell and Aideen Sinnott at the Dublin Sprint Club and having gone to the Paris Olympics as a substitue for the mixed relay, he's now in a great position to make the Tokyo World Championships as an individual as his time is just shy of the automatic standard of 44.85. Mawdsley, running her first race since the Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia in late May, turned in an excellent showing to dip under 51 seconds for the first time this year, not far off the PB of 50.71 she ran at the Paris Olympics. The race was won by Slovakia's Emma Zapletalova in 50.76. 'I don't even know how I made it around,' said Mawdsley, who was running her first race since the death of her father Thomas (Tucker) in early June. 'A season's best is great. It's a shame I didn't come first, I would have loved the top points.' Mawdsley said she is uncertain of her plans for the coming weeks, adding: 'Today was just about getting out there and doing my family proud.' The action closed with a huge performance by the Irish in the men's 4x100m where Michael Farrelly, Sean Aigboboh, Marcus Lawler and Israel Olatunde broke the national record for the second time in eight days, clocking 38.88 to win their heat and finish second overall. 'It's a great run,' said Lawler. 'There's a lot of effort gone into this over the years. We're all delighted.' Bori Akinola had to withdraw from that race after sustaining an injury in the 100m, where he finished fourth in his heat, and eighth overall, clocking 10.62 into a 2.2m/s headwind. The Irish 4x100m women's team of Sarah Leahy, Ciara Neville, Lauren Roy and Sarah Lavin clocked 43.97 to win their heat and finish third overall. Brian Fay secured a runner-up finish in the men's 5000m, the Dubliner showing his vast range of gears on the last lap of a tactical race, clocking 13:56.07 to finish a close second to Belgium's Isaac Kimeli (13:55.70). Shane Bracken had an impressive run in the men's 1500m, the Mayo man finishing a close third in 3:42.92. Sophie O'Sullivan turned in an off-colour performance in the women's 800m, the recently crowned NCAA 1500m champion coming home eighth in her heat in 2:12.87. Paris Olympian Eric Favors threw 19.42m to finish fifth in the men's shot put, while David Cussen cleared 2.16m to finish fifth in the high jump. Reigning European U-20 champion Elizabeth Ndudi jumped 6.26m to finish fourth in the long jump, Ava O'Connor finished fourth in the women's 3000m steeplechase in 9:45.09, while Niamh Fogarty threw 52.20m to finish fifth in the discus. Fintan Dewhirst had to battle injury in his heat of the 400m hurdles, trailing home eighth and last in 79.01 seconds but making sure he reached the line to earn some valuable points. Elsewhere, rising star Conor Kelly broke his own Irish U-20 400m record when clocking 46.06 at the Junioren Gala in Mannheim, Germany, improving the 46.18 record he set in Brussels last month.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Jack Raftery and Sharlene Mawdsley impress for Ireland at European Team Championships
Two superb 400m runs by Jack Raftery and Sharlene Mawdsley, along with a 4x100m national record by the men's relay team, put Ireland firmly in the hunt for promotion after the first day of the European Athletics Team Championships in Maribor, Slovenia on Saturday. Raftery became just the second Irishman in history to break 45 seconds for 400m when clocking 44.98 to finish fourth in the men's race, while Mawdsley made a hugely impressive return to racing – the Tipperary sprinter clocking a season's best of 50.93 to finish third in the women's race. Their performances helped Ireland climb to fifth at the halfway stage, their tally of 192 points putting them within touching distance of the top three in division two: Norway (228), Belgium (226.5) and Slovenia (214.5). The top three nations will gain promotion to the first division on Sunday evening, with the bottom three relegated. The Irish didn't have any winners on day one and while Raftery might not have accrued the most points, his run was the standout individual showing – the 24-year-old Dubliner hacking a massive chunk off his previous best of 45.75 to move second on the Irish all-time list behind David Gillick's national record of 44.77. 'I can't believe that,' he said. 'I don't have the words. I was coming in thinking if I ran 45.5, I'd be delighted.' Raftery has been working under coaches Gerard O'Donnell and Aideen Sinnott at the Dublin Sprint Club and having gone to the Paris Olympics as a sub for the mixed relay, he's now in a great position to make the Tokyo World Championships as an individual, his time just shy of the automatic standard of 44.85. Mawdsley, running her first race since the Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia in late May, turned in an excellent showing to dip under 51 seconds for the first time this year, not far off the PB of 50.71 she ran at the Paris Olympics. The race was won by Slovakia's Emma Zapletalova in 50.76. 'I don't even know how I made it around,' said Mawdsley, who was running her first race since the death of her father Thomas (Tucker) in early June. 'A season's best is great. It's a shame I didn't come first, I would have loved the top points.' Mawdsley said she is uncertain of her plans for the coming weeks, adding: 'Today was just about getting out there and doing my family proud.' The action closed with a huge performance by the Irish in the men's 4x100m where Michael Farrelly, Sean Aigboboh, Marcus Lawler and Israel Olatunde broke the national record for the second time in eight days, clocking 38.88 to win their heat and finish second overall. 'It's a great run,' said Lawler. 'There's a lot of effort gone into this over the years. We're all delighted.' Bori Akinola had to withdraw from that race after sustaining an injury in the 100m, where he finished fourth in his heat, and eighth overall, clocking 10.62 into a 2.2m/s headwind. The Irish 4x100m women's team of Sarah Leahy, Ciara Neville, Lauren Roy and Sarah Lavin clocked 43.97 to win their heat and finish third overall. Brian Fay secured a runner-up finish in the men's 5000m, the Dubliner showing his vast range of gears on the last lap of a tactical race, clocking 13:56.07 to finish a close second to Belgium's Isaac Kimeli (13:55.70). Shane Bracken had an impressive run in the men's 1500m, the Mayo man finishing a close third in 3:42.92. Sophie O'Sullivan turned in an off-colour performance in the women's 800m, the recently crowned NCAA 1500m champion coming home eighth in her heat in 2:12.87. Paris Olympian Eric Favors threw 19.42m to finish fifth in the men's shot put, while David Cussen cleared 2.16m to finish fifth in the high jump. Reigning European U-20 champion Elizabeth Ndudi jumped 6.26m to finish fourth in the long jump, Ava O'Connor finished fourth in the women's 3000m steeplechase in 9:45.09, while Niamh Fogarty threw 52.20m to finish fifth in the discus. Fintan Dewhirst had to battle injury in his heat of the 400m hurdles, trailing home eighth and last in 79.01 seconds but making sure he reached the line to earn some valuable points. Elsewhere, rising star Conor Kelly broke his own Irish U-20 400m record when clocking 46.06 at the Junioren Gala in Mannheim, Germany, improving the 46.18 record he set in Brussels last month.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Major travel warning for Irish holidaymakers heading to popular sunspots as record-breaking 42C heat sweeps Europe
AN URGENT warning has been issued to Irish holidaymakers over record-breaking heat sweeping across Europe. Irish holiday hotspots, Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, have been placed under an urgent weather alert for scorching temperatures as 4 Many sunshine countries in Europe is suffering an record-breaking heatwave Credit: GETTY_HUB 4 Warnings has been issued for many countries Credit: Facebook 4 Spain and Portugal suffer temperatures going up to a whopping 42 degrees Credit: Facebook It comes as weather expert Alan O'Reily from Carlow Weather revealed that the majority of the European countries are suffering "real heat" as Ireland and most of the Taking to The map also shows that The majority of European countries experienced hot temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees, with READ MORE ON TRAVEL While the temperatures reach a high of 15 to 20 degrees in Ireland, the Southern region of the United Kingdom suffers temperatures between 24 and 30 degrees. However, the heat wave conditions are expected to worsen tomorrow, with the conditions at their peak. They revealed that the heat wave originated from the Most read in News Travel They added: "This increase will be reinforced by the arrival of a warm, dry mass of Saharan origin across the western peninsula, bringing some haze beginning Sunday afternoon. Golf ball-sized hail & raging wildfires spark chaos across Europe as killer heat dome looms "As a result, very high and persistent temperatures are expected, both during the day and at night, which could pose a risk to exposed and/or vulnerable people." Tomorrow, the temperatures are expected to exceed 38 degrees across the southwest region, across the northern plateau, the eastern part of the southern plateau and the Jucar and Segura valleys. And temperatures may reach between 40 and 42 degrees in the Guadalquivir, Genil, Guadiana, Tajo, and Ebro valleys. The warning includes popular sunshine spots in WARNINGS FOR PORTUGAL, FRANCE & ITALY Several warnings have also been issued separately for Portugal, Using sunscreen with a factor of 30 or higher is recommended; ensure to reapply it every two hours and after swimming at the beach or pool. France is expected to reach 35 to 38 degrees locally and up to 39 degrees inland tomorrow, making the nights even more unsettled. A severe weather alert has been issued for everyone due to the potential heat stroke. KEEPING SAFE IN HOT WEATHER ALTHOUGH many people enjoy warm weather, heatwaves can cause heat exhaustion and heatstroke in the elderly, young children, and other vulnerable groups. The HSE has issued advice for people who are experiencing very hot weather. And the health bosses stressed the importance of staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water to ensure you do not experience dehydration. When inside, the HSE advised: Turn off lights and appliances not in use as they generate heat Close windows that face the sun during the day, and open them at night when the temperature drops Close curtains in rooms that get morning or afternoon sun Sprinkle water over your skin, or keep a damp cloth on the back of your neck Use an electric fan (but only if temperature is below 35C) When outside: Avoid going out during the hottest part of the day if possible (11am to 3pm) Wear light and loose-fitting clothing that covers your skin Wear a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses Regularly apply a broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB) water-resistant sunscreen to skin that is not covered Stay in the shade Elderly people, people who regularly take medicine, those suffering from chronic diseases or those with People are urged to drink water several times a day and continue to eat normally; they are also encouraged to stay indoors during the hottest hours and stay cool in an air-conditioned place for 2-3 hours a day. Italy issued a major red alert for 21 cities this weekend, including the capital, People are also advised not to go outdoors between 11am and 6pm and seek shelter in air-conditioned public places. In FURTHER WARNINGS FOR EUROPE While Albanian firefighters fought Thursday to contain at least eight fires after flames damaged dozens of homes in the country's south last weekend, authorities in Each warning has been issued through their official government website, and the locals and tourists are urged to follow their local authorities' advice to stay safe during the heatwave. Weather agencies in Strong winds, dryness, and high temperatures associated with climate change have made the nation more susceptible to summer fires in recent years. Firefighters reported Friday that a forest fire that had prompted evacuations in the Athens area was under control, but they cautioned that the city and the northern Aegean islands were at high risk of fire due to the intense heat. 4 Tourists are urged to stay safe during the heatwave Credit: GETTY_HUB
