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Extra.ie
7 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Armagh footballer to stand trial in the Crown Court on eight sex charges
Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent was yesterday ordered to stand trial in the crown court, facing eight charges of sexual assault. Appearing at Armagh Magistrates' Court in Newry, the 31-year-old confirmed he was aware of the charges against him, which were alleged to have been committed in the US on November 17 last year. Aidan Nugent. Pic: INPHO/Leah Scholes A UK resident can go on trial in the UK for alleged foreign offences under certain circumstances. Mr Nugent faces seven charges of sexual assault and one of sexual assault involving penetration, alleged to have been committed against a single complainant.
Extra.ie
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Kilkenny v Tipperary game put into dispute as GAA confirm 'official score'
Sunday's All Ireland Senior hurling semi-final has been put into dispute after a 'ghost' point appeared on the scoreboard, leading Kilkenny players to think they needed a goal to advance to the final. The Cats faced off against Tipperary at Croke Park on Sunday with a thrilling game going down to the final whistle. 14-man Tipperary were victorious on the day on what was initially said to be a tally of 4-21 to 0-30. However, the GAA has since confirmed the final point given to Tipperary did not exist. Sunday's All Ireland Senior hurling semi-final has been put into dispute after a 'ghost' point appeared on the scoreboard, leading Kilkenny players to think they needed a goal to advance to the final. Pic: INPHO/Leah Scholes The confusion came following a shot from midfielder Noel McGrath who went for a point in the 70th minute. Despite the point being waved wide by an umpire the scoreboard increased meaning Kilkenny thought they needed three points in order to take the game into extra time. A statement from the GAA has since confirmed the point was in fact a wide, writing: 'The GAA can confirm that the official score at the end of the Tipperary v Kilkenny GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final was 4-20 to 0-30. The GAA acknowledge there was confusion over the final score. The CCCC is awaiting the full referees report in order to establish how the initial mistake occurred.' Both Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng and Tipp's Liam Cahill said they thought Kilkenny were chasing a three-point deficit at the end of the game. Darragh McCarthy of Tipperary is comforted by Mikey Butler of Kilkenny, right, as he is shown a red card, a second yellow, by referee James Owens during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile The goal difference resulted in players Eoin Cody and John Donnelly going for goals on separate occasions, unsuccessfully. If both players instead went for points and succeeded, the game could have gone to extra-time. GAA fans have been having their say on X with Kilkenny fans furious while others aren't as aggrieved with the error. One said: 'Interesting how with all technology and officials this could happen. @KilkennyCLG had at least 2 attempts at goals that were tap over points that would have taken game to extra time. And with 14 for another 20 minutes would @TipperaryGAA survive?' Tipperary had 14 men with 15 minutes to go, but yet its a human error fault, if kilkenny can't game manage 15v14 nothing to do with one point. FFS. — Paul Davoren (@PaulDavoren1) July 6, 2025 Another said: 'Integrity of today's semi-final was brought into question by human error but a mistake all the same. Kilkenny were seriously hard done by. They chased a goal they didn't need. At the same time, Tipperary defended a goal they didn't have to.' A third responded: 'Tipperary had 14 men with 15 minutes to go, but yet it's a human error fault, if Kilkenny can't manage 15v14, nothing to do with one point.' On Saturday the first semi-final took place with Cork taking on Dublin, which prompted a sensational display from Pat Ryan's Rebel side. A full house, dominated by a travelling Cork army, watched Ryan's team shoot 7-26 to blitz the Dublin fairytale and move within 70 minutes of ending the county's 20-year wait for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
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.'
The 42
04-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'At times you're thinking maybe I should be a bit more specialised in a certain position'
TOMORROW JAMIE OSBORNE wins cap number eight in an Ireland jersey, and significantly, the meeting with Georgia [KO 6pm Irish time, Virgin Media], will mark the first time the Leinster player starts a Test game in the position many feel will be his long term home. The 23-year-old is one of the most versatile players in the Ireland camp. Across 17 appearances for Leinster in the season just gone, Osborne started games at fullback, on both wings and in both centre positions. Five of his seven Ireland caps have come in the starting team, with Osborne wearing the 15 shirt four times and starting on the right wing in the Six Nations against France. Against Georgia tomorrow, Osborne moves to outside centre, forming a new-look centre partnership with Ulster's Stuart McCloskey – the most senior member of Paul O'Connell's 33-man touring squad. With McCloskey offering experience and power at inside centre, Osborne will hope to get his hands on the ball and showcase his pace and footballing skills at 13, but he knows his role without the ball will be just as important against a powerful Georgian team. 'As a 13, you're probably a bit of a defensive leader in the team,' Osborne says. Advertisement Jamie Osborne. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO 'You look at Garry [Ringrose], what he does for whatever team he's involved with these days, he's really combative and he leads the line. 'It's probably different from, say, being a fullback. You're close to the ball as well. There's that little bit around where you're scanning, you're talking to the 10 and stuff like that. So there are differences, but I'm enjoying each position. I'm ready.' Despite his rising stock Osborne faced a challenging year at Leinster, with the arrival of Jordie Barrett increasing the already strong competition for a place in the centre positions. In the 2023/24 season 15 of Osborne's 16 starts for the province came at centre (nine at inside centre, six at outside centre). In 2024/25, he started four games at 12, two at 13, six at fullback and three on the wing. Unsurprisingly, the Kildare native is reluctant to pick any one position as his 'favourite' – a question he's faced countless times across the season – but admits that versatility can work both for and against him, using Lions' back Elliot Daly as an example. 'Yeah, I think it's definitely a strength and it probably, sometimes it can seem a bit like a bit of a weakness at times if you're say, not selected and you're thinking 'maybe I should be a bit more specialised in a certain position', but when you look at him (Daly) and you look at his performance last weekend, how reliable he was and how classy of an operator he is really… So I think it's definitely a strength. I suppose over time we'll see and hopefully can figure it out how to best utilise it.' That versatility helped him secure a place in Leinster and Ireland teams for key games across the campaign – featuring three times in the November internationals, once in the Six Nations, once in the Champions Cup knockouts and twice in the URC playoffs, before dropping to the bench for the URC final win over the Bulls in Croke Park. 'It was obviously challenging (to play in so many big games) but I really enjoyed it, really enjoyed the challenge. Osborne played 17 games for Leinster last season, starting 15. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO 'The more big games you play, the more you want to play in the big games, if you know what I mean. Once you get a first taste of a really big game, you do anything you can to get back in there and you learn a lot from the preparation in the week and you learn a lot from those games so I really enjoyed them. 'It probably builds you as a player as you're going along and getting those experiences. I think you definitely get a bit more confidence in your abilities once you're able to perform in those games.' With so many centres unavailable for this two-game Ireland tour, Osborne will be sensing opportunity. Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose are both away with the Lions, while Robbie Henshaw is nursing a knee injury. Make a statement across these two games and Osborne can have a bigger say in the selection conversation when the November internationals roll around. Georgia and Portugal might not have the blockbuster billing of a Lions tour, but Osborne is still enjoying his time in a refreshed Ireland camp. 'I suppose when you're in the squad with people with a lot more experience,you're probably looking to learn off them a lot. You're looking up to them, you're asking more questions. Whereas, maybe in this environment, I've been here a couple of years now, so it's probably about passing on a bit more knowledge than I would. 'There's a lot of excitement in the group, a lot of uncapped players so I suppose we all just want to gel together quickly and put in the best performance we can and just show how much it means to us to play for Ireland.'
The 42
16-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Game-by-game guide after today's All-Ireland senior football draw
All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-finals Kerry v Cavan Saturday, 3.15pm – Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney – GAA+ A jolt to Kerry's system last Saturday in Tullamore. Not their first loss in the All-Ireland group series since it began, that was the 2023 opener at the hands of Mayo, but they recovered then to top the table, the same position where they finished last year. No direct path to the quarter-finals this time, Meath despatching Kerry towards the last 12 stage. The good news is they have home advantage, greater comfort in the fact they have avoided top-tier Division 1 opposition again. Cavan were terrific in their first game when they stunned Mayo, but life since has been sobering with crushing defeats against Donegal and Tyrone leaving them with a scoring difference of -29. Crosserlough's Paddy Lynch kicked an impressive total of 0-9 against Tyrone yesterday, Cavan will need that replicated and others to step up if they are to shock Kerry. The home side's squad looks threadbare given their injuries, Jack O'Connor will want to reintegrate some key men into the starting side. Only scoring 0-2 in the last 20 minutes is an area Kerry need to remedy as they seek to book a passage to the quarter-finals. Cavan's Oisin Brady. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO ***** Advertisement Dublin v Cork Saturday, 6.15pm – Croke Park – GAA+ A repeat of the All-Ireland quarter-final between the counties in 2022 and the Super 8s game in 2019. Dublin had 11 points to spare three years ago and crashed home five goals en route to a 13-point success six years ago. That's the gap Cork have to close. They pushed Dublin hard when the teams met in the 2023 league, bagging two goals, but have only netted twice in their last seven championship matches. That issue surfaced again on Saturday, yet the flipside was Cork's nerveless defending in holding out Roscommon, their powerful midfield partnership of Colm O'Callaghan and Ian Maguire, and the combined 0-9 return from Mark Cronin and Seán McDonnell. Dublin acquitted themselves well to book second spot in a highly competitive group. The form of Lee Gannon and Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne is encouraging, the endurance of Ciaran Kilkenny equally so. The return of Con O'Callaghan, sorely missed against Armagh, was a major boost with his 0-4 tally against Derry. He is a game changing option as Dublin head back to Croke Park. Cork's Daniel O'Mahony intercepts a pass to Diarmuid Murtagh of Roscommon. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO ***** Down v Galway Sunday, 1.45pm – Páirc Esler, Newry – GAA+. Perhaps the most intriguing pairing given the novelty of the fixture and it puts Galway, All-Ireland finalists in two of the last three seasons, on the road for an awkward encounter. Given their stumbles in the group stage, emerging intact will fill Galway with relief. After defeat to Dublin, a draw with Derry, and trailing by eight points at half-time against Armagh, the recovery mission on Saturday night was impressive, inspired by Shane Walsh's scoring heroics. Padraic Joyce will hope that result gets them on the right track and the signs of John Maher, Cein Darcy, Robert Finnerty, and Matthew Thompson moving well will continue. They bring great experience to bear against a Down team who have impressed since jumping up from the Tailteann Cup twelve months ago. Pat Haverin was outstanding with 0-12 against Monaghan yesterday. Down will be smarting that they didn't close out that game to bag top spot in the group, tighten things up at the back and they'll feel confident of seriously testing Galway. Manager Conor Laverty takes on a county he kicked 1-2 against in defeat in the 2005 All-Ireland U21 football final. Shane Walsh of Galway. James Lawlor / INPHO James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO ***** Donegal v Louth Sunday 4pm – MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey – GAA+. A repeat of last year's All-Ireland quarter-final where Donegal triumphed 1-23 to 0-18. Peadar Mogan and Oisin Gallen starred on the Donegal side that day, the point-scoring of Tommy Durnin sustained Louth in opposition. Both enter this game as reigning provincial champions, Donegal after landing a seventh Ulster title in 15 years, Louth memorably ending their 68-year wait for Leinster honours. The form of both since then has been striking. Louth have shown signs of a hangover from the high of that exhilirating provincial success. They lost by six to Monaghan and one to Down, needing to dig deep yesterday with the combined 2-11 from Ciaran Downey and Sam Mulroy sweeping them past Clare. This is as tough an examination as they could have asked for, trekking to the north-west. Donegal may have lost at home to Tyrone but since then they ripped Cavan apart and survived a gut check with Mayo. The towering play of Michael Murphy and dashing surges of Ciaran Moore are just two of the assets they can utilise in a game they will be heavily tipped to win. *****
