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Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Kids on summer break in Wicklow? Here are some of the best family activities this summer
Wicklow summer camps Sports: Football academy The Modern Legacy Summer Camp at Shoreline Leisure in Charlesland, Greystones takes place from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 2pm, and are divided into two groups. For boys and girls from seven to 14, they will take place from July 7 to 11; July 21 to 25; August 5 to 8 (there is a bank holiday refund for this week) and August 18 to 22. For the teen camp, aimed at kids from 13 to 16, the dates are July 14 to 18. The cost for the five-day camps, with a UEFA-qualified professional coach, is €79.99 for the seven to 14 age groups and €89.99 for the 13 to 16 group. Contact 087-717-9720 or email wearemodernlegacy@ Goalkeeping summer camp UEFA goalkeeping coach Ian Fowler is running two of his Paragon Goalkeeping Summer Camps at St Anthony's FC in Kilcoole, from Monday, July 14 to Wednesday, July 16 and from Monday, August 11 to Wednesday, August 13, from 10am to 2pm daily. It's €100 for the full three-day camp, with a €50 deposit (non-refundable) securing your spot. Contact Ian directly on 0863651333 or paragonbyfowler@ Golf camps Delgany Golf Club has junior summer camps running through July and August, with experienced coaches Keith McDermott and Gavin Kavanagh. The camps run weekly from Monday, June 30 to Friday, August 29, from 10am to 11.30am for ages six to 10 and 1pm to 2.30pm for ages 11 to 14. Camps cost €149 and can be booked online at Rugby camp Greystones RFC has two summer camps, the 'Catch-Pass-Play Mini-Summer Camp' for seven to 12-year-olds, running from Wednesday, July 16 to Friday, July 18, and the 'Rugby Factory Youth Summer Camp' for 13 to 18-year-olds, running from Monday, July 21 to Friday, July 23, all 10am to 2pm daily. Cost is €120 and you can book at Creative: Music classes Harmonics Music School, in Kilcoole, is running summer classes focusing on piano, singing, guitar, bass and ukulele, as well as classes in new recording and production techniques. All classes are one-to-one lessons, running from Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 27. There are five-week terms, one class per week, but you can choose any amount of classes that works best for you. Each session lasts for 30 minutes, and the cost is €30 per class. Contact: 085-8499174 or email hello@ Designer Minds' Science, Design & Technology Summer Camps Coming to Greystones between Monday, July 21 and Monday, August 11 at the Charlesland Community Centre, the Designer Minds' Science, Design & Technology Summer Camps are all about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths), with robots, LEGO, coding, art and beyond. The five-day camp also runs at Presentation College, Bray, from Monday, July 7, Arklow's Carysfort NS from Monday, July 14, Wicklow's Methodist Hall and Blessington's St Kevin's Hall from Tuesday August 5, and back to Greystones from August 11. Ages from 6½yrs-12yrs, from 9am to 1pm. Cost is €160 per camp and you can book directly on Fabric painting camp Running weekly through July, starting Monday July 7, are Barbara Connolly's and Caroline Galligan's upcycle camps, teaching the younger generation how to recycle their fashion into brand new bags, scrunchies, jewellery and other fashionable wear. Running at the Greystones Harbour Sea Scouts HQ, from 9.30am-1.30pm, these camps will teach kids how to use a sewing machine, print blocking and design. Cost is €175 for a full week. Contact info@ for booking. Art Lab summer camps The Art Lab, which recently opened at the Egan Centre in Bray, is a bright space to paint pottery, decorate mosaics or create a fab canvas painting. It runs a series of summer camps with focused art instruction, with themed weeks starting Monday, July 7 (animals), July 21 (plants and flowers), August 11 (cartoons). Aimed at ages 8+, cost is €180 and you can book online at We are the Busy Bees Art Camps There are spaces remaining for the We are the Busy Bees Art Camps, running from Tuesday to Thursday, 15-17 July at St Laurence O'Toole's NS, Roundwood and Tuesday to Thursday, July 22-24 at Gaelscoil Chill Mhantáin, Rathnew. The camps focus on providing a welcoming and inclusive space for your child to learn, develop and express their individual creativity through art and play. The cost per child for the full camp is €85 and you can book online at Wicklow family festivals and fun days Summer in Bray Festival From free movies and music to free yoga and BBQs, classic cars, family opera, the Bray Air Display and a new live music series, the Summer in Bray Festival 2025 runs until the final fireworks display on August 4, following the highlight, which is the air display on Saturday, August 2. For those who missed out on Oasis tickets, tribute band Live Forever will perform at the bandstand on Friday, July 11, while the Garth Brooks Tribute Band play on Sunday, August 3. Both shows are at 7pm. Other highlights during the summer are the Beach BBQ Festival, on Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20, and the Brave Maeve Family Festival, on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27. Full programme is available to download at Summer treasure hunts A series of family-friendly treasure hunts will take place throughout the summer in Glendalough. Each treasure hunt will feature a different topic, identifying the animals and plants of Glendalough. There are eight different themes, with each treasure hunt available for a week. Families can pop in any day to pick up the treasure hunt pack from the National Park Information Office, Upper Lake, Glendalough, daily between 10:30am and 4:30pm. Over the eight weeks, children can collect a full set of identification charts and the programme is as follows: Small birds: Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 6 Wildflowers: Monday, July 7 to Sunday, July 13 Butterflies: Monday, July 14 to Sunday, July 20 Large birds: Monday, July 21 to Sunday, July 27 Pollinators: Monday, July 28 to Sunday, August 3 Native trees: Monday, August 4 to Sunday, August 10 Moths: Monday, August 11 to Sunday, August 17 Mammals: Monday, August 18 to Sunday, August 24 Arklow Seabreeze Festival Arklow Seabreeze Festival is a four-day, street festival with plenty of entertainment and a carnival atmosphere for the children. All events are free and the focus will be on family entertainment with a variety of music. You will even find some more unique events, such as the burger eating competition, the greasy pole competition, wheelbarrow obstacle race, and ice cream eating competition, as well as the singing pub trail and the teddy bear picnic. Wicklow Mountain Bike Festival Taking place from Friday, July 4 until Sunday, July 6, the Wicklow Mountain Bike Festival hosts three days of mountain bike action, featuring multiple mountain bike disciplines such as the infamous 'Whip Off' crowd pleaser, Enduro racing, cross country racing and downhill events. The festival village will be located at the Café in Ballinastoe Forest and will mark the focus point for information, food, drinks and live music. Spectators are welcome to come and cheer on Ireland's best mountain bike riders over this exciting outdoor weekend. The full weekend programme is available on The Kilmacanogue Show The Kilmacanogue Show is one of the most popular events in the county and returns for its 53rd year on Saturday, July 26, to Enniskerry Horse Farm, with all the usual fun and activities for all the family. At the heart of the show are the horse and pony classes, with everything from rein to in-hand to showjumping and working hunter opening the event up to every kind of equestrian. But it's not just about horses; there's a dog show, classes for sheep and a host of entertainment away from the rings. Last year K2 Alpacas came, and a famous goose-herding collie dog, as well as a wool-spinning expert and a wood sculptor. Expect free pony rides, a kids' games zone and of course, the old favourite, face-painting. For the full schedule, go to Tinahely Agricultural Show A local tradition since 1935, the Tinahely Show welcomes over 20,000 visitors every year and is now one of the biggest agricultural shows in the country. But it's not all just about agriculture as there are plenty of stalls and activities for the kids. This year, in addition to the ever-popular livestock competitions, the show will feature the Best of Wicklow Exhibition, a craft village, a pet show, poultry displays, a dog show, sheaf pitching, vintage exhibits, equestrian events, pony games, funfair, polo cross, tractor pulling, bale throwing—and of course, a packed entertainment programme, which includes country music star Jack Keogh and his band. The show takes place in Fairwood Park, on Monday, August 4, from 8:30am-6pm and entry is €55 for a family (two adults and two children). For a full programme, go to Outdoor adventures Climb the new Sugarloaf trail The new trail has just been opened at Wicklow's Great Sugarloaf mountain. With new parking facilities, it only opened in May after almost three years of planning had gone into the project, making it more sustainable and more accessible for walkers. The Sugarloaf lies on the route of the Sugarloaf Way, which will eventually link Bray Head to the Wicklow Way and trails around the Wicklow Mountains. Details for the Sugarloaf trail route, as well as other outdoor trails in Wicklow, can be found in The Wicklow Trails App, which can be downloaded at Surfing in Brittas Brittas Bay Surf School is a great place to catch your first few waves, with surf lessons and camps available throughout the summer. The school offers one-to-one lessons all year round by appointment. Group lessons run most weekends depending on the swell conditions. They usually post on the social media channels on a Thursday for the upcoming weekend. The camps are already underway but they will run through July and August and there are spaces left. Call 086 739 6010 to book a place. Kids' lessons are €35 per hour and the camps, which are two-hour slots, for five days, cost €150. Go to for list of options. Kayaking, abseiling, and more Bray Adventures has you covered for just about every outdoor activity you can think of from kayaking to paddle boarding, as well as raft-building and hiking. The summer camps run from 9:30am-12:30pm, Monday to Friday, every week throughout the summer at a cost of €165. But you can also book activities, from €55.00, on the weekends. Go to to book directly. Alive Outside From the people who put the hardiest through Hell and Back on Bray's Killruddery Estate, Alive Outside's summer camps have everything to tame the wildest wild child, from splashzone to mountain adventures, archery to obstacle challenges and orienteering. There are are eight weeks of camps running from Monday, June 30, to Friday, August 29, and family discounts are available, giving you €10 off for each additional child registered. So, for example, in a five-day camp, the first child costs €175, the second €165. The third, and every subsequent child, costs €155. Booking is available online at Animal encounters Scenic treks on horseback Brennanstown Riding School in Kilmacanogue offers treks at a gentle and relaxed pace, where riders can enjoy some amazing surrounding views of the Glen of the Downs to the south and Wicklow Mountains to the west. These rides cater for all standards of rider but are conducted at a gentle and relaxed pace, while there are longer treks available for intermediate and experienced riders. Groups of four start at €60 and there are also private treks available. Go to for full list of options or call 01 2863778. K2 Alpacas K2Alpacas are based near Newtownmountkennedy, and while the farm itself has an abundance of wildlife, there are also self-catering cottages available to rent to spend a few days chilling in the Wicklow Mountains. Being with the alpacas is a truly unique, fun and memorable experience and is what most people come here for and there are a range of experiences to choose from, including treks, hen party experiences and alpaca therapy. The kids' alpaca experience is the perfect family day out, with children aged from two to 17 charged €7.50 each and adults €15.00 each for a 45-minute trek. You can book online at Tick-Tock Activity Farm The Tick-Tock Activity Farm, in Thomastown near Arklow, is the ideal spot to allow your kids to roam and mingle with the animals. The farm is open daily from 11am-5pm and while the kids will be thrilled to be allowed to get up close with the pets, there are also plenty of other activities to choose from, including a converted bus which gives you a tour of the farm, mini-tractors and trikes, a racing track and, for the mums and dads, a seating area and coffee shop. Greenan Maze and Farm Greenan Maze is a family-run open farm and visitor attraction located in a beautiful part of the Wicklow mountains, just six kilometres from Rathdrum. Suitable for all ages, the Celtic Maze is one of the highlights, but the fairy trail is a beautiful family walk through the forest, while you also have the Solstice Maze, three traditional farming museums, wild nature walks and wildlife haven, treasure hunts and the farm animals. It's open every day in July and August and adult tickets are €9, child tickets are also €9, and toddlers under two are free. Family tickets (two adults and two children) are €34.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spain and France Women triumph in Euro 2025 warm-up games
With the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro in Switzerland set to kick off next week, participating nations are undergoing their final preparations for the tournament. A number of friendlies are set to take place over the course of the weekend, and two of the competition favourites in Spain and France were in action against Japan and Brazil on Friday evening. Advertisement Here's how the action unfolded... Spain come from behind to beat Japan Scorers: Tanaka 30', Pina 44', López 66', Del Castillo 88' Spain surprisingly found themselves a goal behind in the first half as Japan's Maika Hamano set up Mina Tanaka for the opener on the 30-minute mark. However, it didn't take the current World Champions long to get themselves back on level terms as Clàudia Pina rifled home the equaliser on the brink of half time. Just after the hour mark, Vicky López then fired Spain in front after a calamitous error at the back for Japan. Advertisement Spain put the result beyond doubt in the final minutes as Athenea del Castillo found the top corner with a strike from inside the box to ensure the competition favourites head into the Euros on the back of an emphatic victory. France produce comeback triumph against Brazil Scorers: Luany 7', Kerolin 12', Geyoro 45', 56', Katoto 76' It was Brazil who got off to a lightning fast start with two goals in the space of five minutes, courtesy of strikes from Luany and Kerolin. France gave themselves a lifeline moments before the break as Grace Geyoro pulled a goal back to halve the deficit. Advertisement Early in the second half, it was Geyoro once again on the scoresheet with a deflected effort to level the scoreline with over 30 minutes still to play. France eventually completed their comeback in the 76th minute as forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto headed home the winner following relentless pressure from the hosts. 📸 JAVIER SORIANO - AFP or licensors


Yomiuri Shimbun
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Belarus Qualifying for European Soccer Event Forces UEFA to Find Third Co-Host Nation
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA changed the hosting plan for its 2026 European Championship for indoor soccer on Friday because Russia's military ally Belarus has qualified for the finals tournament. Co-hosts Latvia and Lithuania 'prohibit the organization of matches involving Belarusian teams on their domestic territories,' said UEFA, which added Slovenia as a third host for the 16-team futsal event. Slovenia, the home nation of UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, will now organize more than half of the four-yearly tournament that opens on Jan. 20 and includes Ukraine. UEFA said Belarus will be drawn to play in one of the two groups moved to Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, which also will stage two quarterfinals, both semifinals and the final. One group will be played in each of Riga, Latvia's capital, and Kaunas in Lithuania. 'Each city will also host one quarterfinal, reaffirming their central roles in the tournament,' UEFA said, giving no details of how Ukraine will be separated from Belarus in the draw. Russian teams have been banned from international competitions by UEFA and FIFA since the full military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. UEFA's move in 2023 to reintegrate Russian under-17s teams was stopped by a backlash from Ukraine and other member federations. National and club teams from Belarus have continued to play, though must host 'home' games in neutral countries with no fans in the stadium. Belarus will start qualifying for the men's 2026 World Cup in September in a group with Denmark, Scotland and Greece. Belarus is playing home games in Hungary. The previous futsal Euros played in the Netherlands saw one of the last soccer matches between teams from Russia and Ukraine, in the quarterfinals on Feb. 4, 2022. Russia won 3-2.


Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Now relegated to Ligue 2, Lyon secure Uefa backing for Europe spot if demotion overturned
LYON, June 28 — Lyon have agreed a financial sustainability procedure with UEFA which will allow them to play in Europe next season if they win their appeal against relegation to the French second division, the club said on yesterday. On Tuesday, French football's financial watchdog (DNCG) demoted the club. Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season and qualified for the Europa League, said at once they would appeal. On Friday, they said that UEFA was prepared to accept them into continental competition. 'Olympique Lyonnais completed the financial sustainability procedure and signed an agreement with the UEFA Club financial control body,' the club said on their website. 'The club could therefore participate in next season's Europa League, subject to a favourable outcome of the appeal of the DNCG decision.' A source close to the discussions between the club and the governing body of European football added that Lyon would be subject to a 12.5-million-euro ($14.6 million) fine with a suspended amount of 37.5 million euros, to be lifted if the club achieves its financial targets. After the DNCG initially ruled in November that Lyon would be relegated at the the end of the season, UEFA began monitoring the club. On May 5, UEFA fined Lyon 200,000 euros ($234,400) for unpaid bills to other clubs, to employees, and to the tax and social security authorities. After the DNCG ruling confirmed its initial decision, the club said they had met 'all of its demands'. While they were unable to convince the French watchdog, UEFA has ruled Lyon could play in Europe. Lyon will have seven days to appeal from the date they are officially notified of the DNCG's ruling. The club said Friday they had not yet received the notification. — AFP


New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Lyon can compete in Europe if they overturn relegation: Club
LYON: Lyon have agreed a financial sustainability procedure with UEFA which will allow them to play in Europe next season if they win their appeal against relegation to the French second division, the club said on Friday. On Tuesday, French football's financial watchdog (DNCG) demoted the club. Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season and qualified for the Europa League, said at once they would appeal. On Friday, they said that UEFA was prepared to accept them into continental competition. "Olympique Lyonnais completed the financial sustainability procedure and signed an agreement with the UEFA Club financial control body," the club said on their website. "The club could therefore participate in next season's Europa League, subject to a favourable outcome of the appeal of the DNCG decision." A source close to the discussions between the club and the governing body of European football added that Lyon would be subject to a €12.5 million (US$14.6 million) fine with a suspended amount of €37.5 million, to be lifted if the club achieves its financial targets. After the DNCG initially ruled in November that Lyon would be relegated at the the end of the season, UEFA began monitoring the club. On May 5, UEFA fined Lyon €200,000 euros (US$234,400) for unpaid bills to other clubs, to employees, and to the tax and social security authorities. After the DNCG ruling confirmed its initial decision, the club said they had met "all of its demands." While they were unable to convince the French watchdog, UEFA has ruled Lyon could play in Europe.