Galway’s CAPE Youth Project will be launching a monthly movie night for young people starting Friday, February 2.
Part of Youth Work Ireland Galway, which works with over 6,000 young people in both the city and county, the project encourages local youths from the ages of 14-21 to improve their community through various social activities.
Longtime Galway city resident Letizia Gorini Coady has worked with the CAPE Youth Project for the past two years.
“Often young people are not seen as active members of the community,” says Letizia. “We are working to change that…we give a space for the young people to do things that they like and also make a difference in the community.”
The project’s past activities include holding workshops on climate change, a campaign to promote re-usable water bottles, and a clothing upcycling group that aimed to draw attention to sustainability issues in fast fashion.
“What makes the organisation special is that young people are at the centre. We don’t just decide what to do…young people are consulted in the planning of the activities, and we only help them in achieving that.”
CAPE stands for Circles and Peer Education. True to its name, the movie nights are meant to get attendees thinking about complex topics like climate change, discrimination, and inclusion.
But ultimately the youths will decide what they are interested in seeing.
“Young people are very passionate. I think they want to make a difference in their community, but they often don’t have the chance to do it. So that’s why we do what we are doing—to facilitate them. Often teenagers are just considered as troublemakers, always on tablets or smartphones, but that’s not true,” Letizia explains.
“If you want to make a change, you need to start with young people. There are a lot of workshops and projects for primary schools. Then when you get to teens, the choice is not there, because teenagers are more difficult to engage…but once they are engaged, they are amazing. They can make an impact. And we help them realise their full potential.”
Most Youth Project group activities are free, but the movie night will cost €2 per person for pizza. Attendees will choose the film from a number of options. Space is extremely limited, however, so anyone interested in attending should email Letizia at cape@youthworkgalway.ie.
International arts extravaganza Wide Eyes kicks off tomorrow in Galway for a one-off, four-day celebration of performing arts and theatre for young children aged 0-6 years.
Wide Eyes is hosted by Baboró International Arts Festival for Children and will welcome nearly 200 artists and arts professionals from 15 European countries to enthrall Galway’s youngest residents.
Professor Pat Dolan, Director of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway, will officially open the event at a launch this evening.
Named for the wide-eyed amazement with which young children experience the performing arts, the imaginative programme will feature 15 brand-new theatre and dance shows from all across the continent.
The event is the culmination of a four-year project run by Small size, a European network working to promote the performing arts for early childhood. Baboró has been involved with the network since 2009 and is its only Irish partner.
Aislinn ÓhEocha, Baboró’s Executive Artistic Director, said: “At Baboró we believe you’re never too young to be an audience member so we’re very excited about hosting this major one-off event…It’s been a privilege to be part of an international network like Small size, and to work with organisations who are equally passionate about developing work for younger audiences.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our European counterparts to Galway, and to sharing their work with babies, children and families over four jam-packed days.”
For the first time ever, Baboró will present its own production for children—co-produced with Branar Téatar de Pháistí—called uoo, mee, weee!
Baboró and Branar present Uoo, mee, weee!
Wide Eyes is aimed at families, schools and crèches and will also offer professional development workshops for adults as well as industry symposia.
It is funded through the Arts Council’s Making Great Art Work award, Creative Europe, Creative Ireland, Galway2020 and Galway City Council.
Arts Council director Orlaith McBride commented: “The Arts Council is delighted to support Baboró in hosting Wide Eyes. We see this as an excellent opportunity for families and children in early childhood care and education settings to experience imaginative work by Irish and international artists.”
Last year an ESRI and Arts Council study showed that increased exposure to the arts boosts children’s confidence, socio-emotional well-being, and academic skills.
Children who participate in artistic and cultural activities cope better with schoolwork and have more positive attitudes towards school later on than those who are less engaged.
Wide Eyes is suitable for babies and children aged 0-6 and will take place in Galway from Thursday 1st Feb – Sunday 4th February, 2018. The full programme can be viewed on www.wideeyesgalway.ie. Tickets are available from the Town Hall Theatre on 091 569 777 or online at https://tht.ie.
Researchers are looking for members of the public, particularly fathers, to get involved in the ‘CHErIsH’ (Choosing Healthy Eating for Infant Health) Project.
CHErIsH is a nationally funded study that aims to better understand parents’ and primary caregivers’ experiences of feeding their children, and how best to support them to do this.
The NUI Galway researchers would like to form a group to help shape the direction of this research and are seeking people who are interested in infant feeding related research.
The group will discuss aspects of infant feeding practices and behaviours such as; patterns of breastfeeding, formula feeding, solid food intake, and other complimentary foods and liquids. The study is particularly interested in the voice of dads and grandparents in terms of how they support their children’s/grandchildren’s infant feeding practices.
Health Economist, Dr Michelle Queally from the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway, said: “To date the CHErIsH Project has recruited a large number of mums and caregivers to participate in the study but we are also keen for dads to get involved. Together with my colleagues Dr Elaine Toomey at the School of Psychology in NUI Galway, and Dr Karen Matvienko-Sikar, School of Public Health in UCC, we are examining various aspects of infant feeding practices in Ireland.
“At the moment we are hoping to assemble a panel who are interested in various aspects of infant feeding and who will in turn guide our research and research materials. We would like to include representatives from all groups on this panel; mums, dads, aunts, uncles and grandparents, and would especially like to hear from a lot more dads, and hear their opinions about infant feeding practices.”
People interested in participating in the study are required to attend four meetings throughout 2018 in the Galway city region. Meetings are informal, lasting one to two hours, and all travel expenses will be covered. Participants will be provided with a One4All voucher as a thank you for their participation.
The CHErIsH Project is supported by the Health Research Board Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement Award 2015.
For more details about the study contact Dr Michelle Queally, J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, NUI Galway at michelle.queally@nuigalway.ie or 091 492934 and 085 1614345.
Met Éireann has issued an updated status yellow weather warning for Galway and seven other counties.
The weather chiefs issued the wind warning this morning, saying that westerly winds veering northwest will reach mean speeds of 55-60 km/h with gusts of up to 110 km/h at the coasts.
It came into effect at 11am and will stay in place until 23.59pm tonight.
The general forecast for Galway today is: Cold and blustery with frequent showers, some wintry with a risk of thunder and falling as snow on higher ground. The showers will merge into longer spells of rain at times. Highest temperatures of 5 to 6 degrees in strong and gusty west to northwest winds, reaching gale force along the coasts.
Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick are also included in the warning.
Meanwhile, a snow-ice warning remains in place for Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Louth and Leitrim.
The EPA has published its latest National Priority Sites List for Enforcement, which includes East Galway’s Residual Landfill Site.
Eight sites licensed by the EPA are on the list for failing to meet the necessary environmental standards for the fourth quarter of 2017.
These companies face further enforcement action.
The National Priority Sites for Enforcement system was launched by the EPA in July 2017 to drive further environmental compliance at industrial and waste facilities.
Four sites – Arrabawn Co-operative Society Limited, Tipperary; Ashgrove Recycling, Cork; Carbery Food Ingredients Limited, Cork; Dairygold Co-Operative Society Limited (Mallow), Cork – have been removed from the list by the EPA.
The National Priority Sites List is used to target the EPA’s enforcement effort at the poorest performing sites in order to drive improvements in environmental compliance.
A score is assigned to each facility based on enforcement factors such as complaints, incidents, compliance investigations, and non-compliances with the licence.
The details of the two All-Ireland club finals involving Sarsfields and Athenry have been confirmed with both scheduled for a double header in Croke Park on Sunday, March 4th.
Sarsfields meet Derry’s Slaughtneil in a repeat of the 2017 decider when the Ulster champions prevailed 1-10 to 0-11. The New Inn/Bullaun/Woodlawn outfit haven’t lost since and became the first Galway club since Pearses in 2002 to reach consecutive finals when beating Burgess-Duharra last Sunday.
Athenry competed in two senior finals in 2007 and 2009 without success following two tussles with Cashel and will hope their arrival in GAA headquarters will signal third time lucky.
They were comfortable winners against one of the tournament favourites, Waterford’s Lismore, setting the platform in the first half before emerging 0-8 to 0-2 winners.
Their intermediate final date with Kildare’s Johnstownbridge will take place as the curtain raiser at 1.30pm. Check out the Reaction to their semi-final win HERE.
The launch of an online portal whereby local authorities can apply for free wi-fi hotspots from the European Commission will open in the coming weeks, it has been confirmed.
Local authorities across rural Ireland can avail of the funding for free wi-fi, which could potentially benefit tourism in many rural areas.
The €120 million funding will provide areas with low-quality internet connectivity with wi-fi and will provide up to 8,000 free public wi-fi hotspots across the European Union. It will be granted on a ‘first-come, first served’ basis.
Sinn Féin MEP for the Midlands North-West constituency, Matt Carthy, called on local authorities to avail of the funding, and to submit applications when the online portal becomes available.
“The European Commission has reported that it is working on an online portal which will be available in the coming weeks so that local authorities and installation companies can apply to the Wifi4EU scheme,” he said.
Matt Carthy MEP was told that the portal will open in February.
“The scheme will give local areas, especially those who do not have a high level of internet connectivity currently, the opportunity to avail of grants for free wifi-hotspots in public areas.
“I would encourage all those local authorities who are interested in applying to the scheme to stay up to date and watch out for the launch of the scheme.
“Increased internet connectivity benefits the promotion of tourism, which is an essential sector in many rural areas. Additionally, the development of local domestic economies, particularly those dependent on small and medium businesses, rely upon a decent infrastructure and reliable internet connectivity in order to develop,” the Sinn Féin MEP said.
St. Brigid’s College, Loughrea won the latest intalment of their rivalry against Presentation College, Athenry after they emerged 2-6 to 1-7 winners in the Connacht Post Primary Schools Junior A Final in Turloughmore.
Two Caoimhe Gilligan goals proved the difference while senior goalkeeper Katie Gilchrist also contributed four points to give them a two-point victory. Aoife Brennan and Tegan Canning were also on the scoreboard.
St. Brigid’s will face St. Mary’s Mercy, New Ross in the All-Ireland semi-final on February 17th. St. Angeline’s Ursuline Waterford will take on Cross & Passion, Antrim in the other tie.
Presentation College, Tuam are the Connacht Post Primary Schools Senior A Ladies Football Champions after beating Convent of Mercy, Roscommon 4-19 to 2-2 in Tuam Stadium today (Wednesday).
First half goals for Aoife O’Rourke and Amy Coen sent the Galway side on their way to a 2-9 to 0-2 interval advantage before Niamh Daly and Amy O’Donovan added second majors for an impressive 23-point win.
Their semi-final opponents will be Loreto College, Cavan who beat Castleblayney, Monaghan in the Ulster Final and that game will take place on the weekend of March 4th.
Presentation Tuam haven’t won the All-Ireland since 2003 when they beat Kerry’s Colaiste na Sceilge. Loreto, Cavan have never been champions but they did contest the 2017 Junior A decider against Limerick’s John The Baptist, who beat Tuam in the semi-final.
Delays up to 40 minutes on normal travel time can be expected.
Galway’s National Football League Division One (2.30pm) is a double header with Donegal against Derry in the National Hurling League which throws in at 12.30pm.
Ticket Office Opening at 11.30am. Stiles Opening at 11.45am. Hurling Match 12.30pm. Football Match 2.30pm. Event Finish at 5.00pm
Patrons Travelling to the O’Donnell Park:
All patrons travelling to O’Donnell Park for the event are advised to arrive early as a large crowd is expected. Patrons are asked to obey the instructions of stewards & Gardaí at all times. Please allow plenty of time for your journey. Please check your route before travelling as some routes may experience delays due to road works.
If travelling through Stranorlar please note that match traffic will be diverted through Lifford and on to Letterkenny. Please allow 40 minutes extra journey time.
Ticket Info;
Entry to the grounds is by ticket only. Tickets will be available to purchase on the day from the clearly marked ticket outlets within the grounds. Ticket Purchase does not automatically qualify the ticket holder to a seat at the event. Seats cannot be held or reserved under any circumstances.
Adults €15
Student/Senior €10**
U16 Free
** You will be asked for ID verification when purchasing tickets
Full Price Adult Tickets can be pre-purchased for the event from donegalgaa.tickets.ie or in your local Supervalu/Centra Outlets priced at €12.
Season Ticket and Club+ Card Holders must enter the grounds through the designated stiles which will be clearly marked. Season Ticket & Club + holders are not automatically entitled to a seat in the stand. As there is no allocated seating Stand Seats are available on a first come first served basis. Seats cannot be held or reserved under any circumstances.
Parking
Please note that O’Donnell park has limited parking therefore parking is only provided to those with an official car pass only. Official Car Pass Holders should arrive at the ground not later than 1.00pm. Vehicle access to the ground will be unavailable after this time. No vehicles will be allowed to exit the grounds for at least 30 minutes after the end of the game.
A Park & Ride system will be in operation from Black’s Centra Store. Patrons are asked to use the designated Car Parks in Letterkenny which will be clearly signposted.
Patrons arriving by car from Glenties /Fintown area are advised to come to the roundabout at O’Donnell Park and park on left side of the road. Gardaí and stewards will be on duty to advise and assist.
Special Needs Parking:
There are 15 disabled parking spaces in O’Donnell Park Car Park which can only be accessed from the main entrance. Patrons using this facility should be at the grounds at least 1 hour prior to the event starting or admittance cannot be guaranteed.
Bus / Coach Parking:
There are no specific bus or coach parking areas around O’Donnell Park. Coaches must not be parked in a manner which could lead to disruption. Patrons travelling to the above event by coach should be dropped off at a pre-arranged point and should return there once the event is over.
Residents:
Patrons are requested to be aware that O’Donnell Park is located in a residential area. Patrons attending at O’Donnell Park are requested to respect residents by behaving in an appropriate manner when going to and departing the grounds. Issues such as illegal parking, anti-social behaviour, drinking and urinating in public cause difficulties and will not be tolerated by Gardaí. Patrons are asked to desist from such behaviour.
Pre Event Traffic Restrictions:
As with all events at O’Donnell Park, a Garda Cordon will be in effect on the streets that lead to the grounds. Only accredited vehicles will be permitted to pass by this cordon. All vehicles will be checked for accreditation.
Garda No-Parking Cones will be placed on roads in the vicinity of O’Donnell Park to allow for the safe movement of patrons & vehicles.
Local residents, their immediate families, local business community will be facilitated at the barriers with proof of address. However proof of address does not guarantee entry through the cordon where high pedestrian volumes exist.
During the hours of operation of the Garda Cordon, vehicles, bicycles, skips, bags, bins or any other items which are causing an obstruction or which may become a trip hazard will be relocated or removed.
Patron Search:
All patrons entering the Garda cordon will be the subject of a ticket check by Stewards and search by Gardaí. Any offensive articles, e.g. glass bottles, air horns, large flagpoles, flares, vuvuzelas will not be permitted. Patrons are advised not to bring any unnecessary baggage with them and are advised to travel early to the grounds to avoid any unnecessary delays.
Public Order:
Patrons are asked to have consideration for local residents and refrain from anti-social behaviour such as on street drinking and urinating etc.
Crime:
Patrons are advised to be aware of their own personal safety and security while attending the event. They should ensure the security of personal belongings while on route to and from the grounds i.e. purses/wallets/tickets/ Mobile Phones. Patrons who arrive by vehicle should also ensure that property is not left exposed in parked vehicles. They should ensure that car windows, sunroofs are correctly closed. Patrons should also comply with the directions issued by Gardaí and stewards as they depart the grounds. Again, the directions are issued with a view to making the grounds environs a safer place during patron exit from O’Donnell Park.
End of Event Crowd Movement:
Please be patient at the end of the event. Follow instructions from Gardaí and Stewards who will be available to assist you.
Met Éireann say that it will remain cloudy throughout this afternoon, with rain spreading from the west towards evening.
We can expect highest temperature of 6 to 9 degrees in moderate to fresh south-westerly winds.
Mainly dry this afternoon with mixed cloud and a little sunshine in places; some occasional mist and drizzle will affect western coastal counties. Highest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees in moderate southwesterly breezes. pic.twitter.com/71xZ5jmAuH
Tonightwill be windy with the rain spreading eastwards and then clearing to scattered showers, some heavy with hail and sleet. Cold with lowest temperatures of 1 to 3 degrees, with frost in places and a risk of icy patches.
Tomorrowwill be a cold, bright and blutery day, with scattered showers -some heavy – of hail or sleet, with a risk of thunder.
There will be highsof between 4 and 6 degrees but it will feel colder in strong and gusty westerly winds.
A Galway East TD has called on Minister Katherine Zappone to put pressure on the Communications Minister and the Taoiseach to appoint a Digital Safety Commissioner.
Anne Rabbitte TD, Fianna Fáil’s Spokesperson on Children & Youth Affairs, said that the government is not taking the issue seriously enough.
She has criticised the government’s lack of action on the issue despite a number of high profile cases, and the sentencing last week of Matthew Horan.
“Online safety is one of the biggest issues facing children and their parents in this digital age. Fianna Fáil has been highlighting concerns about cyber bullying and online grooming for some time but the government has failed to act. Even in recent months, when a number of high profile grooming and inappropriate contact cases have come to light, Ministers Zappone and Naughten have failed to push through measures to deal with these threats”, said Deputy Rabbitte.
“Many parents feel ill-equipped to deal with the dangers posed by certain online activities. They themselves are unfamiliar with how these apps or social media sites operate and don’t know how to protect their kids from online predators.
“While in government in 2008, Fianna Fáil established the Office for Internet Safety to specifically protect kids from online dangers, but this government has starved that office of resources to the point where it is unable to perform its duties.
“We have now also agreed to set up a Special Working Group on Child Internet Safety to examine how best to implement the recommendations of the Government’s Advisory Group from 2014. The fact that almost four years have passed since these recommendations were published and no action has been taken is a clear indication of how seriously this government is treating this extremely serious issue.
“The proposal to appoint a Digital Safety Commissioner is a step in the right direction, but the government has been sending mixed messages about whether it intends to push forward with the idea.
“I want Minister Katherine Zappone, who has remained relatively silent on this issue, to increase the pressure on Minister Denis Naughten and the Taoiseach to ensure that a Digital Safety Commissioner is appointed.”
University Hospital Galway is under immense pressure today with an extremely high number of people waiting on trolleys.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s officail figures state that there are 55 waiting on trolleys at UHG, the highest in the state.
Cork University Hospital is also badly affected today, with 54 on trolleys.
The figure nationally is 644, with many hospitals struggling to cope under enormous pressure.
University Hospital Limerick, Letterkenny University Hospital and Nass General Hospital also have an alarming amount of people waiting on trolleys today.
The 2017 County under 21 B Football Final between An Cheathru Rua and Glenamaddy/Glinsk will finally take place this Saturday (3rd February) in Pearse Stadium at 2.30pm.
Due to a congested calendar, weather and replays, the meeting between the North and West champions will go ahead just over three months since the competition began.
Glenamaddy/Glinsk have been busy only securing their place three weeks previously having needed six games to come through the North Board campaign.
After an opening day win over Dunmore MacHales (1-17 to 0-14) on October 28th, they were brought the distance by St. Gabriel’s in the quarter-final. The replay on December 3rd went Glenamaddy/Glinsk’s way edging home 0-13 to 1-9 but they had two more games before Christmas.
Williamstown were their semi-final opponents and the first day finished 0-12 to 1-9. The second installment came three days before the turkey was carved but Glenamaddy/Glinsk found a way again repeating their drawn game tally in a 0-12 to 0-10 win.
The final took place on January 13th and they were comfortable 0-14 to 1-6 victors over Headford. Michael Heneghan was Man of the Match and Mark Dolan received the North Board trophy as winning captain.
It was more straight forward for the West Board champions as An Cheathru Rua needed just three games. They were 0-10 to 0-9 winners over St. James in the quarter-final on October 30th before another one-point result as they got past Naomh Anna, Leitir Mor (2-9 2-8) in the semi-final.
Their final was on November 26th but they didn’t need to bite finger nails again running out 3-7 to 1-4 winners allowing captain Padraic Mac Donnacha claim the trophy; before they had to wait over two months, and watch their opponents four times before getting their chance at county silverware.
5 July 2016; Cathal Sweeney of Galway during the Galway Football squad portraits at Pearse Stadium in Salthill, Co Galway. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Cathal Sweeney has claimed that Kevin Walsh is the right man for Galway football and looked forward to Sunday’s meeting against Donegal (2.30pm Letterkenny) after their 1-9 to 0-8 victory over Tyrone.
“In the last three years he has brought us on and developed us as players. He is just the right man for Galway football.”
Sweeney and his twin brother Patrick have been vital cogs in Galway’s gradual reemergence and both played started against Tyrone. Cathal, with over 30 appearances for his county, lined out at wing back while Patrick scored from corner forward.
“The main aim was to win the match and we are satisfied in a way, but there is a lot of things to improve on for the next game which we will be looking at on Tuesday night.
“Going up to Donegal we will be up against it, only two have our players had played in Division One before this year. We are a very inexperienced side, while Donegal have been around the block in Division One for a while. So, we are hoping we can go up there to give it a lash, to see what happens.”
This is new found territory for Galway having spent seven years in the second tier but their 2017 championship recorded victories over Mayo and a 4-17 to 0-14 thumping against Donegal and Sweeney states that ‘Division One is where you want to be.’
“Compared to the other Leagues the intensity levels are so high. If you make a mistake in Division One you get punished, you won’t get away with it. In Division Two or Three you might get away with it, but in Division One you won’t. It is vital that we are at full tilt every day we go out.”
Cathal Sweeney of Galway and Hugh McFadden of Donegal at the Abbey Hotel earlier, ahead of next weekend's #AllianzLeague Division 1 Round 2 game . #GAApic.twitter.com/3rKXnzrxsZ
Billy Clery’s side learned their fixture details last week after the FAI announced an eight-team league for 2018 after Limerick FC’s acceptance into the top level of women’s football.
The Tribeswomen have finished sixth in four of their five campaigns since joining in 2013 and will aim for improved fortunes after coming fifth in 2016.
Among their ranks are Aislinn Meaney, who made her Ireland international debut recently against Portugal, and current Rose of Tralee Jennifer Byrne.
Galway face Cork City at home in their opening fixture before further meetings with UCD Waves and Shelbourne before the end of March.
Wexford Youths are the defending champions and will expect a challenge from Peamount United who signed Republic of Ireland stars Karen Duggan, Claire Walsh and Aine O’Gorman in the close season.
Kilkenny United complete the line-up in the 21-round series that runs until Galway’s final match at home against Limerick FC.
The League Cup begins on May 6th with the final on Sunday, September 16th. While the Women’s FAI Cup Round One takes place on August 26th and the final will be played as a double header with the men’s decider in the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, 4th November.
Supporters travelling to Letterkenny this Sunday to watch the Galway senior footballers in action against Donegal will be advised to leave early as road closures could slow down their travel plans by up to half an hour.
Galway Supporters might be delayed in traffic on Sunday traveling to Letterkenny. The N13 will be closed from Friday 2nd February @ 19.00 until Monday 5th due to major planned road works. Expect long delays! @TribesmenGAA
The N13 road linking Ballybofey to Letterkenny will be closed between Tircallen and Stranorlar from Friday to Monday meaning supporters of both teams will have to use diversions to get to O’Donnell Park.
One option upon leaving Ballybofey is to head west towards Cloghan and Cullion before coming back in towards Letterkenny which is expected to add 20 minutes to the journey.
Travellers can also head east through Killygordon, Castlefinn and Strabane on the N15 before heading back north on the N14. This should add 30 minutes to the trip.
Road Closed Tircallen N13 Stranorlar Co Donegal. Friday 2nd February 7pm to Monday 5th February 7am Weekend Only Road Closed at Killross Junction R236/N13. Residents only To Tircallen Letterkenny Traffic divert at Dry Arch Roundabout via N14 Lifford, N15 Castlefin Stranorlar. pic.twitter.com/Zh57wpGgex
With the journey from Galway City to the Donegal venue already expected to take more than three and a half hours, maroon and white fans not making a weekend of it may need to be on the road not long after 8am to ensure they arrive in plenty of time.
It will be the first meeting between the counties since Galway were emphatic 4-17 to 0-14 winners in the 2017 championship qualifiers.
The National Football League Division One game (2.30pm) is being played as a double header with the Donegal hurlers who face Derry in Division 2B at 12.30pm. While this shouldn’t produce a massive crowd, it could still add to the traffic congestion especially as it is a local rivalry.
Galway’s ladies footballers are also travelling to Donegal on Sunday for their second outing in the National League but no details of this fixture has been announced yet although it is expected to have a 2pm throw-in.
Even though he’s seen it all as a player, Michael “Hopper” McGrath took huge satisfaction from the latest effort by his Sarsfields camogie charges as they booked their place in another All-Ireland senior final.
There were faults with the performance and they rode their luck at times but when needed, the Galway champions dug deep to make sure they set up a coveted rematch with Slaughtneil on March 4th.
“They dug in fierce (deep) there against the storm in the second half,” said McGrath after the final whistle. “We were level at half-time and in fairness, you wouldn’t give much for us at half-time. But they dug in considering they’re (Sarsfields) such a young team (oldest is 25).
“And physically, they (Burgess-Duharra) were a lot stronger than us and the pitch, as the game went on, was cutting up as well. But we dug in and got the result.”
McGrath was complimentary towards his opponents who didn’t surprise him by their determination to make a breakthrough staying with Sarsfields throughout the second half.
“They’re a fine team,” added the four-time All-Ireland winner with club and county. “We know they’re a fine team and they’re way more experienced and way stronger physically than us and probably a better spread of players. But ours had great heart and they just fought until the bitter end.”
The game had 48 frees and five yellow cards and McGrath wasn’t impressed with some of referee Eamon Cassidy’s decisions but was happy his team just kept focusing on their task.
“He was whistle happy in fairness,” added McGrath. “I don’t know, this thing with the hand or what it is. He must have given nine or ten frees. I don’t know what they were for. He let no flow in it. It was frustrating but you just have to get on with it.”
HEAR the full interview BELOW or listen to our chat with Siobhan McGrath HERE
Thousands of homes in Connemara are without power this morning after Storm Bert brought heavy wind and rain overnight.
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Uisce Eireann has issued a Boil Water Notice for more than 2,000 properties in Connemara resulting from issues cause Storm Bert.
The notice has been...
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