Thanks Ger...Louth GAA's loss as the man who delivered Delaney moves on
It's just over a week since Ger Brennan left and people are still taking about his departure from Louth.
The Dubliner who guided Louth to a first Delaney Cup in 68 years, left quietly with no fanfare - a phone call, a short meeting and a statement issued by the County Board announcing Brennan's departure.
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Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
Tony O'Reilly, the ‘boy wonder' who took the Lions tour of South Africa by storm
No matter how well the Irish international rugby players perform on the current British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, none of them is likely to match the impact that Dubliner Tony O'Reilly made 70 years ago this summer during the 1955 Lions tour of South Africa . Not yet three months past his 19th birthday, he scored two tries on his Lions debut and he played in all four test matches against South Africa in August and September when South Africa were regarded as the best team in the world. He was top scorer on that tour with 15 tries, including one in the first and fourth test matches. 'His speed shook the Springboks ,' said the Sunday Press report on the first test, which the Lions won 23-22, in Johannesburg. The accompanying photograph was captioned: 'The fast-running Tony O'Reilly, whose great individual efforts were rewarded by scoring a try.' Another try in the fourth and final test in Port Elizabeth, where South Africa won by 22 points to 8 to share the series 2-2, enabled the same paper to headline its match report: O'Reilly Stars As Tourists Go Down. The Irish Times report was more phlegmatic. 'He dislocated his shoulder when scoring, but the bone was later replaced successfully,' it said. (Idiosyncratic house styles dictated that the The Irish Times called the travelling team 'British Isles' while the Sunday Press called them 'British and Irish XV' or 'the Tourists'.) READ MORE During the subsequent Lions tour of Australia, New Zealand and Canada in 1959, O'Reilly scored a try in each of the test wins over Australia and in two of the four tests against New Zealand. His combined total of 37 tries on the 1955 and 1959 tours remains a Lions record. The 17 tries he scored in New Zealand in 1959 is also a Lions record. O'Reilly won his first Irish international cap, aged 18, in January 1955, less than two months after he was hailed as 'an up-and-coming boy wonder' in the Sunday Press, then the country's best-bestselling paper. Already 'attracting attention as a great attacking player' on the Old Belvedere senior team, the 6ft 3.5in, 14-stone O'Reilly had also achieved success at cricket, tennis and soccer, it noted. 'He has four School Cup medals for tennis and was on the Belvedere team which won the Schools Cricket Cup as a wicketkeeper and opening bat,' the report said, adding: 'In cricket he has provincial honours and was a reserve for the Schools of Ireland team. At soccer Tony played for Home Farm and got a trial as a centre-forward for the Irish Schools against England, but was unable to play because of a Rugby Cup match.' Rugby renown was followed by a successful business career, initially as general manager of An Bord Báinne, the Irish Dairy Board, for whom he oversaw the launch of the internationally successful Kerrygold butter brand. He became chairman and chief executive of the giant US food group Heinz and owner of the Waterford Wedgwood crystal glass and ceramics brands. [ Tony O'Reilly: A dazzling star who left a mark on many facets of Irish society Opens in new window ] He also enjoyed more than 35 years as a 'media magnate' (a now obsolescent term), peaking in ownership of 128 newspapers and a number of radio stations and TV cable interests in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Britain. He gained control of the Irish Independent group in 1973 and he became majority owner of Ireland's bestselling Sunday World five years later. After another five years he had full control over the Independent Group and from about 1990 onwards he was in effect bankrolling the Sunday Tribune. He was also joint owner of the Anglo-Irish tabloid Daily Star and owner of the Belfast Telegraph. His investments in the Sunday Tribune and in the London Independent and Independent on Sunday probably never made a penny profit, however. Neither did his multimillion pound 1994 investment and loan to the owners of the newspaper that had first heralded his sporting prowess, the Sunday Press, and its sister daily and evening titles. The State's Competition Authority found that the investment and loan amounted to 'very serious breaches' of the Competition Act and 'an abuse of a dominant position' by O'Reilly's Independent group. The Press group collapsed in May 1995 and O'Reilly was ousted from Independent News & Media (INM) in 2009. His shareholdings in INM and Waterford Wedgwood nosedived in value, foreshadowing his serious illness and bankruptcy. His long-serving INM chief executive Vincent Crowley was asked later what value had been attributed to the Press shareholding in its annual reports. He replied: 'Zero.'
Irish Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Devastated Ireland star's British and Irish Lions tour ends before final Test
Garry Ringrose will not get the opportunity to play in a Test for the British and Irish Lions in Australia as he undergoes return to play protocols. However Mack Hansen is poised to make his Lions Test debut against the country of his birth, while Joe McCarthy is in the frame to return to the second row after missing the dramatic second Test that clinched the series win for Andy Farrell's squad. Ringrose, 30, was due to start last Saturday's game at the MCG but self-reported concussive symptoms 48 hours before the game and Huw Jones replaced him at outside centre. Lions attack coach Andrew Goodman has now confirmed that the Dubliner is going through a 12-day return to play programme because he had previously suffered concussion after the Lions' victory over the Brumbies and so will miss out on Saturday's final Test in Sydney. "He's disappointed, as you can imagine," said Goodman. "Garry was playing some amazing rugby through this tour. It's been a dream of his for so long to represent the Lions and he's managed to do that. But he wanted to be a Test-match Lion so it's been devastating for him. "To his credit, he's been good around the group. Anyone that knows Garry, he's a great lad and a team man so the boys have all been disappointed for him. "Obviously he's disappointed for himself but he's getting around everyone and making sure he helps prepare everyone as much as he can. He's a real leader for us in terms our backline in particular, so he's been great." Hansen missed out on selection for the first two Tests due to a foot injury but, along with McCarthy, played a full part in training today as the Lions returned to work following an extra day off to celebrate the series win. Garry Ringrose and Andy Farrell celebrate after the 29-26 Test win in Melbourne (Image: ©INPHO/Tom Maher) "I think everyone was impressed with Mack's efforts off the ball through the opportunities he's had - work rate, kick-chase, scramble defence, he works really well off his wing to make an extra number on the long edges," said Goodman. "He communicates very well and I think all of the inside backs appreciate his composure off the ball and the chat he gives. It's been a big strength of his, his work off the ball but also his composure and the way he sees the game. He grew up playing a lot of 10 so he's really smart around what he sees and making the right calls off the back of that. "For this time of the tour, it's amazing how many people we've got available. Unfortunately, Garry has been ruled out of this Test match, but we have Mack, Joe, Sione (Tuipulotu) all out there running today, so they're in contention." Farrell and his coaching staff must decide how far to go in terms of freshening up the matchday 23 and giving other players - including the 2022 World Player of the Year, Josh van der Flier - a taste of Test action. "There's some great competition, guys who haven't played Test matches and would die for the opportunity to do so," acknowledged Goodman. "Again, we've got to do what's best for the squad and the 23. Cohesion versus freshness. It's going to be a long process as it always will when we sit down after dinner to have a good chat after that. "Did you see Tadhg Furlong?... Everyone's seen that interview he gave. Someone like him has been on three tours and he doesn't want it to end. That's a prime example. It's probably going to be his last opportunity to wear a Lions jersey and it's been a massive part of his career. "There are a number of guys in that boat who just want to keep going because it's a special time and they want to be part of history, finishing the tour off well. Whether it's your first tour or third tour, everyone wants to keep competing." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Anna Foster wins qualifying spot for AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl
The Dubliner (23) was one of 17 players to come through Final Qualifying at nearby Pyle & Kenfig, carding a three under 68 to finish a shot behind leading qualifier Anna Hung (16) of Canada. 'The 4am alarm this morning was definitely something else!' said Foster, who is enjoying an impressive rookie season on the Ladies European Tour. 'But once I saw the draw, I was really pleased that I was out first, with the fresh greens and the calmer conditions. 'I was delighted to be able to take advantage of playing early and do the simple things effectively, like playing the par-5s well.' Foster went off in the first group at 6:45am and qualified in joint second with Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol. 'I was first reserve for the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open last week but didn't get in,' added Foster, who is 28th in the LET's Order of Merit. 'I drove down from there on Friday and got to play here at Pyle & Kenfig on Saturday and Sunday, so that definitely helped. 'I played in the AIG Women's Open in 2023 at Walton Heath, and it was quite an overwhelming experience as an amateur, but now I feel I have more confidence in myself.' Amateurs Aine Donegan and Beth Coulter shot a two-over 73s to share 45th in the 107-strong field and miss out by three strokes. Olivia Mehaffey shot 74, Annabel Wilson a 75 and Sara Byrne a 78 to finish further down the field.
