Indo Sport podcast: The Rugby Show – Leinster lose their ‘buzz', Munster's shootout drama & Connacht's Lancaster coup
Joe Molloy is joined by Ian Madigan and Cian Tracey to break down the URC quarter-final weekend and react to some big coaching news in Irish rugby.
The first item on the agenda is the shock announcement that Stuart Lancaster is the new Connacht head coach, before Ian and Cian weigh in on Leinster's slump in performance ahead of their URC semi-final against Glasgow.
Finally, the guys react to the Sharks' controversial behaviour during their penalty shoot-out win over Munster.
Our rugby coverage on the Indo Sport podcast is brought to you by Energia.
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Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Louth pair shine bright at European Youth Olympic Festival in baking Skopje heat
The Argus Today at 21:30 Estella Volkoff and Rian McCrystal did themselves, the country and the Dundalk area proud with their performances in last week's European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje, North Macedonia. Carlingford-based Estella was in the Irish gymnastics team in the Girls' All Around competition, and following the four apparatus events she finished with a total score of 45.300. Her final position overall was yet to be confirmed, but she and fellow Irish gymnast Roisin Hickey combined for 10th place in the team competition. The EYOF has served as a valuable springboard for many of Ireland's top gymnasts, including Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghanand 14-year-old Estella, who competes for DP Gymnastics Club, was pleased with her performance. She scored 10.45 in the uneven bars, 12.1 on the beam, 11.2 in the floor routine and 11.55 in the vault, and afterwards she said: 'I feel like my vault and my bars were very clean. I'm very happy with my floor because I put in a double tap for the first time in an international competition. I'm also very pleased with my beam.' 'I was happiest with the beam. I really love the beam, even though this routine wasn't the best.' Rian McCrystal, nephew of Paralympic champion Eve McCrystal, represented his country in cycling's 10km out-and-back time trial, held in temperatures that reached 40 degrees at one stage, and he performed very strongly to finish 35th in a time of 13:19.696. Team Ireland enjoyed significant success at the Festival, winning six medals, with a number of national records and personal bests also broken.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'They are my joy': Meet the children living in Sri Lanka care homes established by Irish volunteers and donations
'One day, I'd like to play for the Irish cricket team, I'd like to see Ireland, a place that I have heard so much about, a place that I love,' 17-year-old Kavindu* said from inside the Arklow Boys Home, based in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Kavindu is one of 32 boys living in the home that was established by Irish volunteers and donations after the 2004 tsunami that saw hundreds of children displaced, lose their parents and their homes. Set up by Fine Gael TD for Wicklow-Wexford Brian Brennan, the homes have now evolved, with new ones opening in the 20 years since. Named after the town or county that helped fund them - including Cork, Kildare, and Wexford - in total there are now six such homes. It's not just a space for these children to live in, but also a chance for them to continue their education, to play cricket, and express themselves through music, art and other sports as well. In 2004, the St Stephen's Day tsunami saw 31,229 people die and more than 4,000 go missing. Mr Brennan – who was a hotelier at the time - wanted to help, and was able to raise €25,000 with the aid of his community to buy a bus to help move these kids to homes. After visiting Sri Lanka, he ended up ringing the community to say "We should buy land" and ended up building homes for the children who needed it. According to Mr Brennan, there are currently 172 children in the care of the homes. 'I ring them every day,' he said. 'They call me Uncle Brennan, they call Malika amma, and they are my joy. When my mother passed, and she was buried, they were watching it live and keeping in touch. 'And then they had a pizza party later, which is what my mother would have wanted them to have. She was heavily involved with all the work that I was doing in Sri Lanka.' The Wexford-Wicklow TD said the whole goal of these homes is to give these children 'a chance in life'. The Arklow Boys Home The Irish Examiner visited the Arklow Boys Home in May. The children waited patiently as we pulled in. The amma (mother) of the home greeted us with a smile as she took us into the home. One side of the main hall was filled with trophies that the boys had brought home after winning track meets or cricket matches. On the other side of the room the boys gathered around with a few instruments – an accordion, a trumpet and a big drum as they played a rendition of the Irish national anthem. The young boys donned their Wexford GAA jerseys and held their hurleys with pride. Malika, the amma of the house, spoke with pride of the children who have come and gone from the home. 'Some of these boys have been here since they were only a few months old. A lot of the time, these children have a difficult situation at home or are wards of the court,' Malika said. 'Sometimes they have also been witnesses to serious crimes and need a safe place to stay until they can provide their witness statement.' Mr Brennan said: "There is one boy currently living in one of the homes who came in when he was young. He had just witnessed his mother being burned to death by her second partner.' Some of the boys from the Arklow Boys Home wearing their GAA jerseys. 'The boy had never met his father before, and when he came in here first, he did not speak to anyone for six days. 'It was only after the other boys nudged him to play cricket, to have a bit of fun, that he started to speak again and enjoy life. Now, he is doing really well and is excelling.' Mr Brennan said these children have 'gone through a lot'. 'They're getting the best care here, it's not perfect, but by god, they are in a far better position,' he added. Some of these children do not know their own birthdays, but have been given a day they can celebrate as their own. 'I am currently doing my A-Levels,' Tisara* said. 'I would like to come to Ireland at some point and work in tech. But I also love art and would like to become a tattoo artist on the side as well. 'I love cricket as well, it is the one thing that makes me so happy, and I love bowling and trying to hit the wickets.' On the other side of the home's main hall the boys gathered around with a few instruments – an accordion, a trumpet and a big drum as they played a rendition of the Irish national anthem. Down below from the house where they sleep, eat and study, is a massive green pitch. The older boys play, calling out the runs as they go and keeping an eye out for wicket breaks. The younger boys try to sneak into the games of the older boys to catch a glimpse of how they play, and are always welcomed in. After leaving Arklow Boys Home, some of the children who spent time there have secure jobs. A few now work as police officers, are in high senior positions within the Sri Lankan army, or work in well-respected jobs in large companies. Some have moved abroad to continue their education or work abroad. 'They are exceptionally talented,' Malika said. 'Even though they have had a difficult struggle in their life, it does not stop them from seeing the good and seeing what is out there for them. 'They have incredibly massive dreams, and I know they will excel.' 'One of the boys, Shehan*, was a runner and was into running. One time, he decided that he wanted to run the marathon, and when he went to the start line I noticed he did not have any running shoes. He was barefoot," Mr Brennan said. 'I asked him, 'Why are you running 14k without any shoes?' He said 'I've been training barefoot, why should I wear shoes to run this'. And at the end of it, at the end of the marathon, I was following him on the motorcycle, and what do I see, tuk-tuks and cameras following this one barefoot boy, and he won the race. 'And when he came back home, all the boys in the house lifted him and his trophy up in joy and excitement. The boy now works for one of the top finance firms in Sri Lanka,' he said. Malika said that the children she has looked after in her years as a caregiver are still in contact with her and still call her amma. 'They bring me great joy, and I am so happy to see them doing really well,' she added. Cork Girls Home A 15-minute drive from the Arklow Boys Home lies the Cork Girls Home, which shares the same grounds as a Catholic convent. Similarly to the boys' home, many of the girls living here do not have a mother or a father; some have guardians, some choose to live in the home. A parents' day ceremony is usually held here once a year, and sometimes some parents do not show up, according to the nun who runs the home, Sister Augustine. A flat rate of 3000 rupees (€8) a month is paid in respect towards each girl. However, sometimes not all of them can give that money. The fee is then put towards the girls' food, any necessary items and board. 'A lot of these girls come from broken families, and they definitely carry on the trauma of that,' Sr Augustine said. Many of the girls living at Cork Girls Home in Negombo do not have a mother or a father; some have guardians, some choose to live in the home. 'Some have the dream to visit Ireland, some are just hoping that one day they can see their mothers or fathers again, some just want to do really well in school, or some just want to continue singing or dancing – they are very talented.' 14-year-old Irena, originally from Puttalam – a four-hour drive from the girls' home, said she has only been at the home for a year. Her dream is to visit Korea and meet K-Pop supergroup BTS. However, eight-year-old Andrea has been at the home for over three years. She said her mother left for Canada to work and support herself, her two sisters and her brothers. 'I miss my mam,' she said. 'I will get to see her in November, she will come here and she will bring cake and we will have a good time.' Kavindi, 14, came to the home when she was nine years old. Originally from Peliyagoda in the Colombo district, she had been living with her mother, father and younger brother. A classroom in the Cork Girls Home in Negombo. 'Dad is an alcoholic, and things weren't looking good at home,' she said. 'It came to the point where we left our home, and mam was living in a hostel with my brother and me. I then told my mam that it would be better if I stayed in a home and she stayed with my younger brother,' Kavindi said. Her mother and younger brother are still living in a hostel together. 'I want to do education at university, hopefully and become a teacher and teach nursery,' she added. 'I just want to be happy, to help, and hopefully find a better living,' Kavindi added. For Sewmini, her dream is to one day go abroad to Germany, get a degree, get a job, contribute to society and maybe stay there. Being the oldest in the home, the 20-year-old said that it did not stop her from having incredible friendships with the other girls. Originally from Ja-Ela, not too far from home, Sewmini said she has been living in the home for over 11 years. She is currently looking to re-sit her A-Levels at the end of the year. Pursuing their dreams Mr Brennan said these children, after leaving broken homes, need a space to continue their education and their dreams. 'They all want to play cricket for Sri Lanka, but usually when they turn 14, 15, we talk about with them what it is they want and we bring about the idea of getting a job, going into college, but also to pursue their dreams. 'There was one boy who said he did not like school but enjoyed farming. So we bought him €100 worth of chickens to look after, and sure now, he owns 1,500 chicken farms in Sri Lanka. 'And the boys in the home, whenever they see him come in to visit with his big motorcycle, and they wonder, 'How did the boy who hated school get in this position now?'' * Names have been changed to protect the identity of the children
The 42
5 hours ago
- The 42
'Win by will' - The powerful video Katie Taylor sent to the Lions
PERFORMANCE COACH GARY Keegan's old connections came in handy for the Lions as they prepared for their second Test win against the Wallabies. Keegan, who works closely with Andy Farrell with Ireland and now the Lions, goes a long way back with Irish boxing icon Katie Taylor. He was the high performance director of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association when Taylor began to make a name for herself as an amateur, helping to guide the early stages of her career. So earlier this week, as Farrell's Lions prepared for what they knew could be a decisive game against Australia in Melbourne, Keenan got onto his old friend. Taylor's video went down brilliantly with the Lions squad and proved prescient in terms of how the second Test unfolded. 'It was unbelievably poignant and powerful,' said Lions and Ireland number eight Jack Conan after the last-gasp 29-26 win over the Wallabies. 'It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but be ready to win by will. 'I think that was something that summed up today massively because we were not at our best at all.' Conan hails from Bray, where Taylor is also from, so the video was particularly special for him. 'Massively, huge,' said Conan. 'Someone to come from the town I'm from, I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well. 'She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world and to be such a superstar and be just incredibly humble and driven and knock it out of herself is something that we kind of leaned on as well, because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it today in spades. Advertisement 'They were unbelievable, they really were, but we just stuck in it for 80 minutes and just incredibly proud of the effort from the lads. Katie Taylor celebrates her recent win against Amanda Serrano. Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO 'I know things didn't click and we weren't flowing properly, but we were getting off the line, trying to hit people, trying to make it count every chance we got. And I think we did that and that's why we got the result in the end.' It wasn't only Conan and the big group of Irish Lions who were impressed with Taylor's message. Her words hit the mark with the rest of the squad. 'Lads absolutely loved it because it meant a lot to me being from the same place and seeing her on the world stage, but I think everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy, it resonated with everyone,' said Conan. 'It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us, it was brilliant.' Conan was standing outside the Lions' dressing room with two cans of Guinness in his hands – 'Sorry, the cans are not good, lads' – as he got his head around winning a series with the Lions. He played all three Tests on the 2021 tour of South Africa but the Lions lost that one and there were no crowds due to the pandemic. This trip to Australia has been altogether different. He revealed that the Lions' training session on Thursday ahead of the second Test was 'pretty shocking' and felt that possibly fed into their up-and-down performance at the MCG, but all that mattered to him was that the tourists had won. Conan joked that as a Leinster man he usually comes out on the wrong side of dramatic finishes like the one in Melbourne, so he was thrilled that his long-time team-mate Hugo Keenan, who is nicknamed 'Barry,' was the man to seal the series. 'I was delighted for him… now in saying that, I would have liked it more if he gave me the ball on the edge and I scored the try,' said Conan. Conan with his daughter, Remi, and wife, Ali. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO 'No, delighted for Barry, I probably would have dropped it like the other one [in the first half]… no, that was knocked out of my hands, lads! 'I was shouting for it, but Barry goes and scores a try, so I've no complaints. If he bottled it there in that moment, I would have killed him and kicked the arse off him afterwards, but that was great.' Conan's wife and daughter have been in Australia to support him, while his twin sister and her husband also made it, along with a big group of Conan's friends. 'They're on a proper stag do, some craic,' said Conan. 'I met one of them earlier who flew in from Singapore and all the lads were already in the pub at half ten [in the morning] enjoying it and I was like, 'f*cking b*stards, I'd love to be there'. 'It's great doing the lap afterwards and seeing so many familiar faces.' His friends had an early start in the pub but Conan is now a Lions series winner. 'You can't take that away from us,' said Conan with clear joy before wandering off to find the rest of the Lions so his celebrations could continue.
