Latest news with #Ballybrack
Irish Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Biggest fight in Irish history' as gym goes from strength to strength
Andy Lee will get to work with Paddy Donovan over the coming weeks as the southpaw aims to become only the second Limerick man after his coach to win a world title. Donovan and Lewis Crocker clash in 'the biggest fight in Irish history' this September after their March bout ended in controversy when the Limerick man was disqualified for striking his opponent after the bell had sounded at the end of the eighth round. 'The Real Deal' looked to be cruising to victory against the Belfast man up until that point and he will come into the rematch as the big favourite as a result. And while Lee admits confidence will be high in the Donovan camp, he says they will have to be 'on the ball' and show Crocker 'something different'. "It's all done, yeah. Done and dusted. It's a world title fight," Lee told the Irish Mirror. "Just waiting for the venue to be confirmed, but it's the biggest fight in Irish history. "It's unreal. The first fight was sensational. What an atmosphere. This time it's going to be even bigger." He added: "We will be confident but that could be a pitfall. We have to be on the ball and show them something different this time." It was confirmed last week that the IBF world welterweight title will be on the line after Jaron Ennis vacated the belt to move up in weight class. Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan It is understood that the bout has been pencilled in for Saturday, September 6, with either Windsor Park or the SSE Arena in Belfast to host the bout, with a decision expected soon. There's a huge buzz around Ballybrack Boxing Club after their newest fighter, Hamzah Sheeraz, landed a stunning knockout win over Edgar Berlanga in New York last weekend. Sheeraz is the latest of a number of stars to base themselves with Lee in Dublin and their decision to train in Ireland is helping numerous young fighters coming through. "There's so much going for Irish boxing between Katie last week and Paddy, the young star, coming up and all these young guys coming through," said Lee. "Ballybrack is there and they can come to my gym, get their experience, move around with the big pros of the world." He continued: "Ballybrack is turning into one of the best gyms in the world now with (Joseph) Parker, (Ben) Whittaker, (Paddy) Donovan, Hamzah Sheeraz, Jim Donovan, some great fighters out there. "Kian (Hedderman) has sparred every single one of them. We had Kevin Cronin in last week, we've had all these young lads, we've had the two brothers, Jude and Jake Fitzgerald from Dungarvan in. We've had all the young lads in mine, all you've got to do is call or text me and if there's sparring for them, if there's someone in their weight, they can spar them."
The 42
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
A game soon forgotten but it does pose the question: just what do we want from Ireland?
ON AN EVENING like this, for a friendly like this, when summer beckons and we all just want the League of Ireland to return on Friday and dream of potential European adventures to come, a fair question to ask is this: just what do we want from Ireland? Long before Troy Parrott's disallowed goal – a shame as the dinked finish was sublime – on 66 minutes it was a question to be considered, with thoughts splintering in different directions. Heimir Hallgrímsson has made it clear to his coaching staff and the players exactly what it is that he demands. We detailed as much during the 1-1 draw with Senegal, and then Dara O'Shea spoke afterwards offering just a little bit more insight ahead of this trip to Luxembourg. 'The manager is big on someone making a decision and then everyone else going with that,' the defender, who started once again alongside captain Nathan Collins, explained. 'That's the way he wants us to be. He's drilled that into us in the sessions and I think everyone buys into that. As soon as someone sets the press off you need to go with them or else it's not going to work.' On the eve of this friendly with Luxembourg, with Collins sitting alongside him, Hallgrímsson emphasised once more that he wanted to see consistency in the performance and stability with the team shape. He made five changes to his starting XI and was forced into another within 20 minutes when Ryan Manning replaced the injured Robbie Brady. But the message would have been the same. Ireland were content for Luxembourg to enjoy harmless possession – 61% over the opening half hour, dropping to 56% towards the end – with players scuttling from side to side and ensuring the distances between them didn't become too vast so as to allow passing lanes opening up in behind. And some of this brings us back to what it is we want from an Ireland team. For the 300 or so travelling fans they didn't get a goal to celebrate, substitute Jack Taylor smashing the crossbar on 87 minutes. Advertisement Watching on TV, as so often can be the case when attention spans drift, there was a chance for a kind of introspection. Some of the banners being held up in one section of the ground were a catalyst. 'Red card for violence against women,' was the English translation of one. In the corner of the screen, where an Irish tricolour with Ballybrack was emblazoned across the front, a few more messages stood out from the locals. 'Let's break the silence.' 'Football is political.' 'Red card to the football federation.' Indeed, midway through the first half, pockets of supporters then stood up with red cards. Luxembourg striker Gerson Rodrigues was the reason for the second such protest in as many games. He was given an 18-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, and last April he lost his appeal against the charges and subsequent fines. His inclusion in the squad and place in the starting XI was the source of severe criticism. As half-time came and went, with O'Shea and Collins combining from a Will Smallbone free kick just before the break and the skipper heading off the post, it wasn't simply judgement of the Rodrigues situation that lingered. If you wanted to really look deep into it, when the Ireland team plays it is also a chance to see a reflection of the country it should represent. Four days ago, for example, more than 700 members of the Muslim community celebrated Eid al-Adha in a section of Croke Park. It is one of the holiest festivals – the feast of the sacrifice – yet it still resulted in protestors outside. The day before that, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O'Callaghan, posted the following message on social media just before 8.30am. 'Another deportation flight left Dublin last night and landed safely this morning in Lagos, Nigeria. There were 35 people on board who had received but had not complied with Deportation Orders.' As was then detailed by The Journal, two of those children who were deported attended St James Primary school in Dublin 8 for the last three years. They had 'become an integral part of the community there' and the principal explained how staff and pupils were 'devastated' as the children were 'part of our football team, part of our school fabric, part of our school lives.' Those children would have been keen to watch this Ireland team play tonight. They should have been able to talk about it with classmates on Wednesday morning. By the time Evan Ferguson was shown a yellow card for stopping a counter attack 10 minutes into the second half, a broader examination of self, and the beliefs we hold, was underway. Yes, there did seem to be more of an edge to the action on the pitch, Parrott following Ferguson into the book for accosting Danel Sinani after he was yellow carded for a cynical foul on Kasey McAteer, but part of the reason for thoughts drifting was down to reading extracts of a speech made by Pep Guardiola that emerged on the day of the game. The Manchester City manager was receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester and made good use of the platform. 'It's so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts my whole body. Let me be clear, it's not about ideology. It's not about whether I'm right, or you're wrong. It's just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour.' This 0-0 draw will be forgotten instantly, but if it can go some way to Ireland team building towards World Cup qualification then what a joy that will be. Ireland needs it.
BreakingNews.ie
06-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Gardaí arrest man in connection to robbery with a knife in Dublin
Gardaí have arrested a man in connection with a robbery at a retail premises in South Dublin earlier this week. On bank holiday Monday evening a man armed with a knife entered a filling station in Ballybrack Village. Advertisement He threatened staff and took a sum of cash before fleeing the scene. Gardaí from the Shankill Detective Unit arrested a man in the Shankill area of Dublin in connection with the investigation earlier on Friday, He is being detained at a Garda Station in the Dublin Region.
The Guardian
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Joseph Parker: ‘This will mean something different. I'm doing it for myself now'
There's nothing quite like watching Joe Parker lip-syncing to Take That to lift the mood in the back of an Uber on a drizzly morning in Dublin. The dangerous threat Parker faces against another big-hitting monster of the ring in Daniel Dubois, in Riyadh on Saturday night, fades with the laughter. Even the depressing reality that boxing will continue to ignore human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, as Parker's intriguing bout with Dubois headlines an outstanding bill bankrolled by the country's General Entertainment Authority, can't erode the wit and charm of the New Zealand heavyweight channelling his inner Gary Barlow. It's a long drive from the heart of Dublin to the Ballybrack Boxing Club, where Parker has prepared for Dubois, and so I watch the video the fighter made last April. In December 2023 Parker had outclassed Deontay Wilder, a knockout merchant expected to crush him, and he was looking for a new opponent. Settling on Dillian Whyte, against whom he had lost a slugfest in 2018, Parker created an amusing parody of the usual abusive call-out. Rather than being belligerent or crude, Parker pretended to croon and dance his way into Whyte's heart by serenading him to the plaintive strains of Take That's Back for Good. Featuring framed photographs of Whyte, and lipstick-stained mugs, Parker and his crew of South Auckland homeboys shuffled and sang their seemingly love-struck lament as a way of trying to set up a rematch. Those few minutes captured the essence of Parker. Hearing about this diversion on my way to see him, a beaming Parker exclaims happily soon after I step into the gym. 'That's my favourite,' he says of the Whyte spoof which belongs to an entertaining collection of videos Parker began making during Covid lockdowns with his wife, Laine, and their children in 2020. Laine was initially dubious but the videos became an internet sensation and she joined him in making them – including her as Olivia Newton-John to his John Travolta in their version of Grease. Last month Laine and their five kids surprised Parker by arriving in Dublin – as a way of bringing the family back together amid the grind of fight camp. 'It's been very beneficial,' Parker says of their reunion, 'because I worry when I'm in camp. I always think: 'What's happening back home? How are they? They're missing out on time seeing their dad. Is my wife OK looking after five kids?' 'The toughest part about boxing is saying goodbye to your family and being away in camp. They're now staying in a separate house but it's six minutes away and I get to see them for two hours every evening. It's a great boost.' Parker is the most amiable man in boxing but his good mood, as the days tick down to his fight against the formidable Dubois, is not just because his family have been around him. It seems rooted in his sense that he has a serious chance of upsetting Dubois and replacing him as the IBF heavyweight champion. His team is led by Andy Lee, the astute and inspirational Irish trainer, and also includes George Lockhart, the American nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach. Lee has transformed Parker after the heavyweight, who was ill with a virus, lost against Joe Joyce on an 11th‑round stoppage in 2022. Parker has since been on a five‑fight winning run, with his most recent two victories against Wilder and the Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang catapulting him towards the heavyweight summit. After an hour in the ring, the steam rising from him on a freezing morning, Parker sits down with me for an hour. Conviction pours from him as he says: 'I feel a real belief going into this fight – not just because of those two wins but because George and I have been quietly working away since April, and Andy and I have done such great work the last three months.' Dubois is also on a roll. He has shown grit and explosive power when stopping his past three opponents – Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua. 'Even though Daniel's in good form I don't see the threat,' Parker says coolly. 'I know he's a beast but I'm extremely confident because of the work I've done. I'm more focused on the process. I enjoy going to the gym, training, eating honey, resting. If I do everything right, and do exactly what Andy tells me, the result will come.' Parker is heartened by speculation that Dubois is overlooking him and focusing on a possible heavyweight title unification fight against Oleksandr Usyk, who remains the real world champion and is in possession of the three other belts: 'Mmm, it's good. He might be in two minds. His focus might be split on that fight and our fight. He deserves the praise he's got recently but that can take him away from what's actually important and what he needs to work on.' Was he surprised that Dubois beat Joshua, knocking him down multiple times in five one-sided rounds? 'I was,' Parker says, 'because the only people that said Daniel would win were his team and George Lockhart. The whole week George told us that Daniel beats Joshua.' What is Lockhart's prediction for Dubois v Parker? 'George said I'm going to finish him off in three rounds. And Daniel's said he's going to finish me in three rounds. So it's interesting.' Lee, meanwhile, told me how much he trusts Parker's intelligence to negate Dubois' shocking power. If the 33-year-old Kiwi of Samoan heritage can withstand the brutal punches being thrown his way he has the ring smarts to test Dubois – who has lost previously against Joyce and Usyk. The young British heavyweight was criticised unfairly in both contests and accused of quitting – even though he sustained a broken orbital bone against Joyce. But Dubois remains under the domineering sway of his father and he used to be withdrawn and painfully shy. His confidence has blossomed since he defeated Joshua but does Parker believe Dubois might be psychologically fragile if momentum swings away from him? 'If you haven't worked on your weaknesses you can revert to them,' Parker says. 'When things get hard in the fight, you might latch on to that again. But he's showing growth and confidence and strength. It's just hard to know because he's not really a man who says a lot. I also don't trash-talk anyone. In that sense we're similar. There is no crap talk towards each other.' Parker and Dubois were first scheduled to fight in late 2023. 'Andy, George and me were all on board for that one but, five days after agreeing, I got a call: 'Sorry, Joe. You're not fighting Daniel. You want to fight Wilder?' Me, Andy and George were keen and so I got Wilder instead of Dubois. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'Andy came up with the perfect gameplan. As soon as [Wilder] went on his back foot, Andy was like: 'Put it on him and keep him there, using your feints and jabs. I executed and it was totally my night.' Was victory against Wilder even sweeter than the moment when, in December 2016, he became the WBO champion after beating Andy Ruiz Jr in Auckland. 'It was – because Wilder was a knockout artist who was going to smash me. I was just another opponent for him to look good before fighting Joshua. It was so sweet for myself, Andy and George and after the fight I was like: 'Oh piss off, man.' Beautiful.' It was the same before he defeated Zhang last March. 'They were lining Zhang up for Joshua because I wasn't meant to win. It was just the one fight after the other I was meant to lose.' Parker has been authoritative and convincing recently but does he worry about the damage of boxing having turned pro in 2012 and after 38 fights? 'Yeah. Big time. I said to my team: 'If you ever see any signs [of brain damage] I'm out. If my speech goes off track, please jump in and tell me.' Andy would do it. George would. I've said I've only got two more years. When I'm 35, I'm out.' Parker's great friend Tyson Fury, who introduced him to Lee, has retired four times previously. But was Parker surprised by Fury's latest retirement last month? 'I was because I still think Tyson's got a lot to give. He was in two very competitive fights with Usyk [who narrowly won both last year] and Tyson still loves the sport. When he announced his retirement I called him straight up that evening. I said: 'What's happened?' He goes: 'Joe, it's one of those things. I don't feel like fighting any more.' But you never know with Tyson. He can do whatever he wants. He's made lots of money, he's got a loving family, achieved everything in boxing. So I told him: 'It's fine if you want to walk away. Enjoy your life, you've done everything.'' Parker is a passionate ambassador for Manuka Doctor honey, while devouring the sweet stuff before he fights, and he has a supportive family. He credits his parents for all they have done. 'They both came from Samoa. My dad lived in the bush and had a hard life. He lived on bats and eels, and went diving into the waterfall to get shrimp. He was very resourceful and like a bushman. But he had a hard upbringing in Samoa. My mum also lived up in the mountains of Samoa and it was tough for her. 'But it was even harder for them when they moved to South Auckland. They only spoke Samoan and they had to get work. Back then there was racism but they survived and made a living for us as a family [of five]. My dad's been working in the same steel plant for 35 years and it's a tough job. He's still there now and he's almost 65. But they are so proud of me.' Parker reveals: 'My mum's dad had over 20 kids and my dad is one of something like 28 kids. I've got a very big family.' Is the heavyweight planning to add to his own immediate family? 'I think No 6 would be perfect. I've got four girls and one boy. One more would balance it out, hopefully another boy. You want to spend time with each of them and make sure they're all given the time they need and want.' Does his wife get nervous watching him fight? 'I'm sure she still does, but she sees how Andy, George and me operate, how in sync we are, how we work so well together and it gives her confidence. She knows that if I win this fight it'll probably be my best achievement. This will mean something different because I'm doing it more for myself now. Before it was for my dad, New Zealand and Samoa. Now it's for me, my wife and kids.' If he does win, will another lip‑syncing video be on the way? 'I'd love that,' Parker says as he points to another trusted member of his camp. Kerry Russell helps the boxer to make his surreal and humorous videos and Parker says: 'He's the magic man and we'd need to do something special together after I beat Dubois.'
