Latest news with #Féile
Belfast Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Féile representative tells council ‘no complaints' received over pro-IRA chants at festival
A Belfast Féile representative has told Belfast City Council it has received no complaints about 'pro-IRA chants' at the annual festival following a series of controversial concerts at Falls Park. TUV representative Ron McDowell quizzed the Féile an Phobail representative about what is being done to reduce expressions of support for terror during a Belfast City Licensing Committee meeting which was told there has been a reduction in the number of noise complaints. The councillor welcomed what he described as 'moves in the right direction' but said questions remain when it comes to 'inclusivity, and making everybody feel welcome' at the event. "Has there been any discussion or any movement towards the reduction of pro-IRA chants, which would make the event more hospitable to people from right across the city?' he asked. The Féile representative replied: 'Again, we engage very widely with elected reps right across the city, as well as with community organisations, and others concerned. "We had no complaints over the last couple of years directed to us, around anything that was taking place at the festival. Mr McDowell has welcomed enhanced cooperation with police as councillors approved a request to permit the planned entertainment to run beyond 11pm on up to six nights during the event which will run from Friday August 1 to Sunday August 10. It is expected the entertainment will run to 1am on two of the nights – Saturday August 2 and Friday August 8. During the committee meeting at City Hall, elected representatives were told by council officials that 76 noise complaints were received over the period of last year's festival which was a reduction from the 120 received in 2023. The Féile representative said: 'We have had a meeting with the PSNI, and furnished them with all the details of all the evenings concerned, as well as the full event plans, which also went to City Council. "We work very closely with various council teams, including Licensing and Parks, Building Control and Community Safety Teams, and operate hand in hand with the council in the festival period, along with the PSNI.' They added: 'We have a very substantial operation that kicks in from mid July, where we have a number of residential consultation events, including the resident's letter, which goes far and wide, particularly into the houses which are quite close to the event space. "All our committees, which work on a year-round basis to help programme the festival, all involve local people. "We are very well connected to the festival and the local community. 'There was a significant reduction in complaints received last year, and that probably was the result of having a noise consultant on site during those evenings when music was played in the Falls Park.' The representative confirmed the noise consultant would be on-site again this year as they said 'we are happy to take on board any advice or guidance towards this year's events' in relation to pro-IRA chants at previous events. 'Or anything the council would ask us to follow up on,' they said. 'But we have received no complaints, the PSNI are present at all these events, and they didn't record anything either or come to us with any issues. "Nor did any of the other statutory agencies involved.' Up the 'RA chanting at Feile Wolfe Tones finale Over three years ago, the DUP and Sinn Fein clashed at City Hall over The Wolfe Tones concerts in Falls Park. Belfast City Council agreed to subject events in public parks to an annual review. In March 2022, then DUP councillor Brian Kingston, who is now an MLA, condemned: 'the use of a council park where there is a concert, and from the stage there is singing and the leading of young people to the chanting of support for paramilitary organisations.' He said: 'I am referring to the Wolfe Tones concert in Falls Park, in our park. "There is nothing else on the same scale as this. "It remains a stain on the Féile, and a stain on this council.' The Wolfe Tones played a 'farewell to west Belfast' gig last summer as part of the Feile festival. In previous years, major funders of the festival have expressed concern after pro-IRA chanting during Wolfe Tones sets after video footage emerged showing many fans singing 'Ooh, ah, up the 'RA'.
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘We didn't turn up' admits Hehir as she reveals Clare out to ‘rectify' camogie league final loss in All-Ireland quarter
CLARE HEHIR rejects the notion that the Banner's perceived lack of experience at Croke Park is a stumbling block. Clare face Championship quarter-final this afternoon. Advertisement Most of the Déise side are used to the big stage, having made it all the way to the O'Duffy Cup decider in 2023. But ahead of today's televised clash, Banner full-back Hehir insists her crew have also enjoyed memorable moments at Sinéad O'Keeffe, Niamh Mulqueen, Caoimhe Cahill, Jennifer Daly, Ellen Casey, Cliodhna Queally and Grace Carmody were involved when the juniors won the All-Ireland just two years ago. Last December, Truagh Clonlara were the first Clare team to reach an All-Ireland senior club final. And while Galway's Sarsfields were too strong, it was an invaluable experience for Áine O'Loughlin, Róisín Begley and Michelle Powell ahead of today's outing. Advertisement Read More on Camogie Hehir's memories are from further back — 13 years ago. The Inagh-Kilnamona defender revealed: 'Myself and Andrea O'Keefe would have played in a Féile final there when we were 14. 'We played De La Salle of Waterford. So it's funny to be meeting them again.' Waterford forward Beth Carton and goalkeeper Brianna O'Regan lined out that day and will take the field again this afternoon. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Clare's last quarter-final appearance was a 2021 trip to And Hehir warned that her team-mates must not let the occasion — they are playing in front of the cameras in the curtain-raiser to a sold-out All-Ireland SHC semi-final at Croker — get to them. Palestine GAA players watch camogie match on laptop She said: 'It's not like no one has ever touched the grass there before and that's a help. 'It's just about not letting the occasion get to you, as much as you do want to enjoy it as well, because not everyone gets to play there.' Advertisement Having been relegated from Division 1A of the Very League last season — when Hehir was absent after taking a year out to go travelling — Clare showed signs of improvement, reaching this year's Division 1B final, which they lost to Antrim. Hehir believes that making the All-Ireland last six is another signal that things are getting better for the Banner. She said: 'The league was good, a lot of girls got a lot of game time. 'Two championship wins was great. You saw a lot of girls stepping up to the plate who would be leaders on the team this year. There was a lot of learnings from the league final. There would have been a lot of us who wouldn't make finals too often with Clare camogie. Advertisement 'And maybe that occasion might have got to us or we didn't turn up on the day. 'So that's something we want to rectify and we want to put in a good performance.' With Waterford standing in the way of a last-four berth, Hehir, 27, says the Clare squad will be giving it their best shot. She added: 'We definitely won't be sitting back and admiring them. Advertisement 'Their improvement over the last few years is something we would obviously have liked to have done ourselves. 'And I suppose that this could be the day to start that.' 1 Saoirse McCarthy of Cork is tackled by Clare Hehir of Clare during the Munster Senior Camogie Championship semi-final match Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The 42
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'We won't be sitting back admiring them' - Clare plotting Déise downfall to reach semi-finals
THERE MAY BE a perception that Waterford have the advantage of more familiarity with Croke Park than Clare, ahead of today's Glen Dimplex All-Ireland quarter-final (2.30pm, live on RTÉ 2), but enough of the Banner crew have played at the Broadway of Gaelic games for it not to be an issue. Sinéad O'Keeffe, Niamh Mulqueen, Caoimhe Cahill, Jennifer Daly, Ellen Casey, Cliodhna Queally and Grace Carmody were among those to be involved when the juniors won the All-Ireland just two years ago. Last December, Truagh Clonlara were the first Clare team to reach an All-Ireland senior club final and while Sarsfields were too strong, it was an invaluable experience for Áine O'Loughlin, Róisín Begley and Michelle Powell in the context of today's outing. Clare Hehir's memories are from further back. Thirteen years ago. 'Myself and Andrea O'Keefe would have played in a Féile final there when we were 14,' Hehir reveals. 'We played De La Salle of Waterford. So it's funny to be meeting them again.' She doesn't recall a whole lot from it, but remembers a little redhead named Beth Carton, who she is likely to encounter at close quarters again at HQ later on today. Brianna O'Regan would probably have been involved too. Funny indeed, the way the big wheel keeps on turnin'. Claire Hehir receiving a Player of the Match award after Clare's championship clash with Wexford. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO While there isn't the big unknown people might think, there remains an acknowledgement of what it means to play in the country's premier stadium, with all its history and tradition. And to do so on TV, as part of a double-header with an All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Cork and Dublin, even if it means tickets are scarce down the south west. Advertisement And the importance of managing that. 'It's not like no one has ever kind of touched the grass there before and that's a help. At the end of the day, it's the same as any other field in terms of dimensions, but it does hold that special place. So it's just about not letting the occasion get to you, as much as you do want to enjoy it as well, because not everyone gets to play there. You definitely want to enjoy it.' The Déise are favourites, regulars in the knockout stages now for a number of years, while John Carmody started a major rebuild in Clare last season that involved introducing almost a full panel of youngsters. Hehir is the longest serving member of the squad along with O'Loughlin she reckons, with a decade served at senior level in the saffron and blue having been introduced to the squad in 2015. Clare's last quarter-final, against Cork in 2020, took place at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Apart from Hehir and O'Loughlin, Ciara Grogan is the only other survivor from the 20 that got on the pitch during that game in today's squad. Having been relegated from Division 1A of the Very League last year – when Hehir was absent after taking a year out to go travelling – Clare showed the benefit of that steep learning curve and the return of their defensive bedrock by reaching this year's 1B final, which they lost to Antrim. Getting to the last six of the Championship is another indication of their gradual improvement. 'The League was good, a lot of girls got a lot of game time. You're facing into competitive matches every week, which is good. And you can see the experience from last year. Two championship wins was great. You saw a lot of girls stepping up to the plate who would be leaders on the team this year. 'I think there was a lot of learnings from the League final. There would have been a lot of us who wouldn't make finals too often with Clare camogie. And I think maybe that occasion might have got to us, or we didn't turn up on the day. So that's something that we definitely want to rectify and we want to put in a good performance.' The 27-year-old is a bit envious of the neophytes. 'You look back on your first years on the panel, you're kind of so young – I don't know was it naïve – but you're just taking it game by game. But when you're playing a few years, you nearly think about it too much! Sometimes you'd want to go back to those days where you're playing for the fun of it. 'So you try and remind yourself that while you're there to play and to win, you want to enjoy it too. And we're trying to do that now, because you're not going to be there forever.' Watching the Inagh-Kilnamona stalwart play, you don't get the impression that she is short on joie de vivre. She may be full-back more often than not, tasked with shackling the opposition sharpshooter, but the swashbuckler comes out every now and then and she tears up the field to grab a score. 'In the last few years I've just kind of had it as part of my game. I don't know, maybe I do it too much these days, but if it's on, it's something I like to do. As long as the legs can keep moving forward. Tracking back afterwards is different!' Hehir's long-distance freetaking is a huge advantage also and overall, it adds to a package that has produced player of the match performances go leoir over the years, including in the vital first round Championship win over Wexford, that set them up to qualify for the last six. Much and all as she gets a great kick from landing a bomb, or supplying a decent ball to a forward, it is the challenge of going toe-to-toe with the elite of the sport that really gets the juices flowing. 'Definitely. We pride ourselves on playing from the front, going out and attacking the game, as opposed to sitting back and kind of letting the forwards dictate the play. So as much as we can do that, we like to take on that challenge.' That speaks to an environment of proactiveness, positivity and empowerment, which is a credit to Carmody. Sometimes it will go wrong, but the philosophy of not playing with fear has been at the root of the Clare resurgence. Related Reads Eoin Cody starts for Kilkenny as Tipperary name unchanged team for All-Ireland semi-final 'It's great because you can get caught up in hurling and nearly drive yourself demented' 'You can't let your own individual feelings manifest itself in being grumpy, being bitchy' The draw gave them a chance of getting this far but no one would have said with any firm degree of confidence that it would be Clare over Limerick or Wexford to emerge. That they took care of business, albeit on score difference over their Shannonside neighbours, was significant. Now Waterford stand in their way of an All-Ireland semi-final. 'It's probably a few years since I've played Waterford myself. We would have only watched on at their success over the last few years, getting to an All-Ireland final (in 2023). They really kind of pushed on and drove those standards, which is something that we can say we admire, but we definitely won't be sitting back and admiring them come Saturday. 'Their improvement over the last few years is something that we would obviously have liked to have done ourselves, but I suppose this could be the day to start that.'
RTÉ News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Clare's Hehir drawing on experience ahead of Déise test
There may be a perception that Waterford have the advantage of more familiarity with Croke Park than Clare, ahead of today's Glen Dimplex All-Ireland quarter-final, but enough of the Banner crew have played at the Broadway of Gaelic games for it not to be an issue. Sinéad O'Keeffe, Niamh Mulqueen, Caoimhe Cahill, Jennifer Daly, Ellen Casey, Cliodhna Queally and Grace Carmody were among those to be involved when the juniors won the All-Ireland just two years ago. Last December, Truagh Clonlara were the first Clare team to reach an All-Ireland senior club final and while Sarsfields were too strong, it was an invaluable experience for Áine O'Loughlin, Róisín Begley and Michelle Powell in the context of today's outing. Clare Hehir's memories are from further back. Thirteen years ago. "Myself and Andrea O'Keefe would have played in a Féile final there when we were 14," Hehir reveals. "We played De La Salle of Waterford. So it's funny to be meeting them again." She doesn't recall a whole lot from it, but remembers a little redhead named Beth Carton, who she is likely to encounter at close quarters again at HQ later on today. Brianna O'Regan would probably have been involved too. Funny indeed, the way the big wheel keeps on turnin'. While there isn't the big unknown people might think, there remains an acknowledgement of what it means to play in the country's premier stadium, with all its history and tradition. And to do so on TV, as part of a double-header with an All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Cork and Dublin, even if it means tickets are scarce down the south west. And the importance of managing that. "It's not like no one has ever kind of touched the grass there before and that's a help. At the end of the day, it's the same as any other field in terms of dimensions, but it does hold that special place. So it's just about not letting the occasion get to you, as much as you do want to enjoy it as well, because not everyone gets to play there. You definitely want to enjoy it." The Déise are favourites, regulars in the knockout stages now for a number of years, while John Carmody started a major rebuild in Clare last season that involved introducing almost a full panel of youngsters. Hehir is the longest serving member of the squad along with O'Loughlin she reckons, with a decade served at senior level in the saffron and blue having been introduced to the squad in 2015. Clare's last quarter-final, against Cork in 2020, took place at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Apart from Hehir and O'Loughlin, Ciara Grogan is the only other survivor from the 20 that got on the pitch during that game in today's squad. Having been relegated from Division 1A of the Very League last year – when Hehir was absent after taking a year out to go travelling - Clare showed the benefit of that steep learning curve and the return of their defensive bedrock by reaching this year's 1B final, which they lost to Antrim. Getting to the last six of the Championship is another indication of their gradual improvement. "The League was good, a lot of girls got a lot of game time. You're facing into competitive matches every week, which is good. And you can see the experience from last year. Two championship wins was great. You saw a lot of girls stepping up to the plate who would be leaders on the team this year. "I think there was a lot of learnings from the League final. There would have been a lot of us who wouldn't make finals too often with Clare camogie. And I think maybe that occasion might have got to us, or we didn't turn up on the day. So that's something that we definitely want to rectify and we want to put in a good performance." The 27-year-old is a bit envious of the neophytes. "You look back on your first years on the panel, you're kind of so young – I don't know was it naïve – but you're just taking it game by game. But when you're playing a few years, you nearly think about it too much! Sometimes you'd want to go back to those days where you're playing for the fun of it. So you try and remind yourself that while you're there to play and to win, you want to enjoy it too. And we're trying to do that now, because you're not going to be there forever." Watching the Inagh-Kilnamona stalwart play, you don't get the impression that she is short on joie de vivre. She may be full-back more often than not, tasked with shackling the opposition sharpshooter, but the swashbuckler comes out every now and then and she tears up the field to grab a score. "In the last few years I've just kind of had it as part of my game. I don't know, maybe I do it too much these days, but if it's on, it's something I like to do. As long as the legs can keep moving forward. Tracking back afterwards is different!" Hehir's long-distance freetaking is a huge advantage also and overall, it adds to a package that has produced player of the match performances go leoir over the years, including in the vital first round Championship win over Wexford, that set them up to qualify for the last six. Much and all as she gets a great kick from landing a bomb, or supplying a decent ball to a forward, it is the challenge of going toe-to-toe with the elite of the sport that really gets the juices flowing. "Definitely. We pride ourselves on playing from the front, going out and attacking the game, as opposed to sitting back and kind of letting the forwards dictate the play. So as much as we can do that, we like to take on that challenge." That speaks to an environment of proactiveness, positivity and empowerment, which is a credit to Carmody. Sometimes it will go wrong, but the philosophy of not playing with fear has been at the root of the Clare resurgence. The draw gave them a chance of getting this far but no one would have said with any firm degree of confidence that it would be Clare over Limerick or Wexford to emerge. That they took care of business, albeit on score difference over their Shannonside neighbours, was significant. Now Waterford stand in their way of an All-Ireland semi-final. "It's probably a few years since I've played Waterford myself. We would have only watched on at their success over the last few years, getting to an All-Ireland final (in 2023). They really kind of pushed on and drove those standards, which is something that we can say we admire, but we definitely won't be sitting back and admiring them come Saturday. "Their improvement over the last few years is something that we would obviously have liked to have done ourselves, but I suppose this could be the day to start that."
Irish Examiner
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Banner's Hehir ready for Croke Park Féile reunion with Carton and co
There may be a perception that Waterford have the advantage of more familiarity with Croke Park than Clare, ahead of today's Glen Dimplex All-Ireland quarter-final (2.30pm, live on RTÉ 2), but enough of the Banner crew have played at the Broadway of Gaelic games for it not to be an issue. Sinéad O'Keeffe, Niamh Mulqueen, Caoimhe Cahill, Jennifer Daly, Ellen Casey, Cliodhna Queally and Grace Carmody were involved when the juniors won the All-Ireland just two years ago. Last December, Truagh Clonlara were the first Clare team to reach an All-Ireland senior club final and while Sarsfields were too strong, it was an invaluable experience for Áine O'Loughlin, Róisín Begley and Michelle Powell in the context of today's outing. Clare Hehir's memories are from further back. Thirteen years ago. 'Myself and Andrea O'Keefe would have played in a Féile final there when we were 14,' Hehir reveals. 'We played De La Salle of Waterford. So it's funny to be meeting them again.' She doesn't recall a whole lot from it, but remembers a little redhead named Beth Carton, who she is likely to encounter at close quarters again at HQ later on today. Brianna O'Regan would probably have been involved too. Funny indeed, the way the big wheel keeps on turnin'. There remains an acknowledgement of what it means to play in the country's premier stadium, with all its history and tradition. And to do so on TV, as part of a double-header with an All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Cork and Dublin, even if it means tickets are scarce. And the importance of managing that. 'It's not like no one has ever kind of touched the grass there before and that's a help. At the end of the day, it's the same as any other field in terms of dimensions, but it does hold that special place. So it's just about not letting the occasion get to you, as much as you do want to enjoy it as well, because not everyone gets to play there. You definitely want to enjoy it.' The Déise are favourites, regulars in the knockout stages now, while John Carmody started a major rebuild in Clare last season that involved introducing almost a full panel of youngsters. Hehir is the longest serving member of the squad along with O'Loughlin, she reckons, having been introduced to the squad in 2015. Apart from Hehir and O'Loughlin, Ciara Grogan is the only other survivor from the 20 that got on the pitch during Clare's last quarter-final, against Cork in 2020. Having been relegated from Division 1A of the Very League last year – when Hehir was absent travelling - Clare reached this year's 1B final, which they lost to Antrim. Getting to the last six of the Championship is another indication of their gradual improvement. 'The League was good, a lot of girls got a lot of game time. You're facing into competitive matches every week, which is good. And you can see the experience from last year. Two championship wins was great. You saw a lot of girls stepping up to the plate who would be leaders on the team this year. 'I think there was a lot of learnings from the League final. There would have been a lot of us who wouldn't make finals too often with Clare camogie. And I think maybe that occasion might have got to us, or we didn't turn up on the day. So that's something that we definitely want to rectify and we want to put in a good performance.' The 27-year-old is a bit envious of the neophytes. 'You look back on your first years on the panel, you're kind of so young – I don't know was it naïve – but you're just taking it game by game. But when you're playing a few years, you nearly think about it too much! Sometimes you'd want to go back to those days where you're playing for the fun of it. So you try and remind yourself that while you're there to play and to win, you want to enjoy it too. And we're trying to do that now, because you're not going to be there forever.' Watching the Inagh-Kilnamona stalwart play, you don't get the impression that she is short on joie de vivre. She may be full-back more often than not, tasked with shackling the opposition sharpshooter, but the swashbuckler comes out every now and then and she tears up the field to grab a score. 'In the last few years I've just kind of had it as part of my game. I don't know, maybe I do it too much these days, but if it's on, it's something I like to do. As long as the legs can keep moving forward. Tracking back afterwards is different!' Hehir's long-distance freetaking is a huge advantage also and overall, it adds to a package that has produced player of the match performances go leoir over the years, including in the vital first round Championship win over Wexford, that set them up to qualify for the last six. Much and all as she gets a great kick from landing a bomb, or supplying a decent ball to a forward, it is the challenge of going toe-to-toe with the elite of the sport that really gets the juices flowing. 'Definitely. We pride ourselves on playing from the front, going out and attacking the game, as opposed to sitting back and kind of letting the forwards dictate the play. So as much as we can do that, we like to take on that challenge.' That speaks to an environment of proactiveness, positivity and empowerment, which is a credit to Carmody. Sometimes it will go wrong, but the philosophy of not playing with fear has been at the root of the Clare resurgence. The draw gave them a chance of getting this far but no one would have said with any firm degree of confidence that it would be Clare over Limerick or Wexford to emerge. That they took care of business, albeit on score difference over their Shannonside neighbours, was significant. Now Waterford stand in their way of an All-Ireland semi-final. 'It's probably a few years since I've played Waterford myself. We would have only watched on at their success over the last few years, getting to an All-Ireland final (in 2023). They really kind of pushed on and drove those standards, which is something that we can say we admire, but we definitely won't be sitting back and admiring them come Saturday. 'Their improvement over the last few years is something that we would obviously have liked to have done ourselves, but I suppose this could be the day to start that."
