Month: September 2021

FOR THE MAJORITY of high-level sportsmen, it’s the defeats rather than the victories that will stick with them. 

Rory Beggan after Tyrone ended Monaghan’s season.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

While Rory Beggan admits he took his game “onto a new level” in 2018, the All-Star nominee was frustrated with his decision-making late in Monaghan’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tyrone. 

In the 73rd minute, Beggan found himself in possession after venturing upfield as Monaghan chased an equaliser to force extra-time.

Rather than work the ball inside, Beggan miscued a shot at the posts. Seconds later, the final whistle brought an end to Monaghan’s campaign. 

“I suppose in the aftermath, I did think about it,” he says. “Obviously, it wasn’t the right decision. At the final whistle, I kind of knew that. I just sort of closed the eyes and go ‘what was I doing?’

Maybe it was a wee bit of rush of blood when I got up the field. Why was I up that far? I don’t know. But lookit, I felt that I took the wrong decision.

“When I really look back on the year, I played some good football I was happy with, but also I made some mistakes I wasn’t happy with. I suppose that keepers get a wee bit more scrutiny when they make a mistake. That’s why we’re there.

“We can deal with it. I felt I was happy enough with the year. I felt I took my game on to a new level, but I’d like to take it onto an even better level next year. That will come with a lot of hard work. We’ll finish this season first and then really focus on what has to come next season.”

Scotstown and Monaghan goalkeeper, Rory Beggan at the launch of the AIB Camogie and Club Championships. This is AIB’s 28th year sponsoring the AIB GAA Football, Hurling and their 6th year sponsoring the Camogie Club Championships.

Source: SPORTSFILE

After their semi-final exit, Beggan quickly refocused on club duties and before long he was celebrating Monaghan SFC success with Scotstown – their fourth title in as many seasons. 

“I regretted it for a couple of days but then, you can’t think for too long – I had club championship two weeks later and had to get the head right and focus on that.

“The club championship and winning it has taken the whole sort of bad feelings away from that game.”

Scotsotwn hadn’t won a county title in 20 years before Beggan’s crop came along and lifted the crown in 2013. Beggan believes a county final defeat in 2011 may have been a turning point for the club.

A lot of these players would have won medals when we were coming through (underage ranks). We took that wee bit of a winning mentality coming into the team. Also we changed our manager.

“We got to a county final in 2011 and we were beaten. Maybe that turned out to be a good thing. People say you have to lose a final to win one. Maybe that was the key. Mattie McGleenan came in in 2013 and changed the whole culture, discipline, mentality of the team.

“He stuck by his principals of attacking football. We’ve the players to play that game, we want to play attacking football in Scotstown. We were eating more or less out of the palm of his hand with what he wanted us to do. It was working.

“We won our first nine league games under him. Obviously, what he wanted to do with us was working and took it into the championship that year. We were beat actually in the first round, came through the back door and won the final convincingly in the end.

“We’ve won five out of the last six championships so it’s been a good couple of years. Hopefully it continues on.”

Scotstown’s Darren Hughes raises the Mick Duffy Cup.

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

With players of the calibre of Kieran Hughes, Darren Hughes and Conor McCarthy in their ranks, they’re expected to launch a serious assault on the Ulster title this winter.

“Winning four in a row comes with its own expectation and people will be expecting us to make a bigger dent in Ulster. We just needed to get that win and get the experience because the intensity levels and the atmosphere levels all go up a notch when you win in the Ulster club, it’s an unbelievable competition.

It’s a competition I love playing in. We probably needed that win just to get that confidence going into that Burren game, because they’ve three weeks to prepare for us, and they got a look at us last weekend. They’ll be tuned in, ready to go.

“(You have) different styles of teams. The weather as well, it’s always wet and windy and greasy and heavy and stuff like that. What makes it so special and so tough is every team doesn’t fear going into the Ulster club.

“The county championship celebrations are put to a back seat and every team going into it feels they can win it. We’re no different to any other team, we feel we’re good enough to win it. But Cargin up in Antrim will be saying the same, Gaoth Dobhair will be saying the same. Crossmaglen obviously will saying the same.

“It’s anyone’s game, and anyone can win it on their day, you could see last year, Cavan Gaels getting to the club final. Derrygonnelly were a kick away from being in it. On your day, if you’re playing well, you’ve a great chance of winning it.”

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Jamie Clarke helped Crossmaglen beat Scotstown in the 2015 Ulster final.

Source: Presseye/Declan Roughan/INPHO

Scotstown reached the Ulster final in 2015, when they fell to an experienced Crossmaglen outfit. It’s a defeat that hasn’t left Beggan.

Both Hughes brothers were sent-off during extra-time, while Beggan uncharacteristically fluffed a kick-out to gift a goal to Kyle Carragher in the second additional period.

What is his abiding memory from that day?

“Regret,” he responds. “The boys outfield played the best they could, but I didn’t have my best game in a Scotstown jersey.

It’s something I’d look back on as a learning curve for the last couple of years anyway.”

Beggan and Dublin netminder Stephen Cluxton are arguably the two finest goalkeepers in the game and both men will duke it out for an All-Star between the posts next month. 

“It’s nice to be in the mix,” he says. “It’s not something you set out at the start of the year, you don’t set out to get an All-Star. You set out the best ‘keeper you can be for your team, and if that can help your team, that’s the main thing.

“If a nomination comes at the end of the year, so be it. But it’s nice to be nominated, especially beside the two boys who had serious seasons as well. If I don’t win it in two weeks’ time, so be it. I’m not going to obsess over it.

“It’s obviously a huge honour for yourself and your family and your club to win one. It would be great to win it in two weeks’ time. But at the end of the day, if you don’t you don’t.”

Rory Beggan with county team-mate and fellow All-Star nominee Conor McManus.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

The GAA’s proposed alteration to the kick-out rule would radically change the goalkeeping position and it’s not something Beggan is in favour of.

“I suppose it actually probably suits the goalkeeper a lot more but I’m just not in favour of it. I don’t understand. Are players going to rush back into their zones with a minute to go when they’re a point up?

“Are players going to go down cramping? Will there be a lot of time wasting? I don’t understand the rules or how it’s going to impact. I don’t think it’s going to impact high fielding either. It’s obviously going to hit a lot more spaces with kick-outs having to go out beyond the 45 but I don’t think they need to think about the kick-out.

I think teams are starting to adopt a longer kick-out now and I think the kick-out is a skill in itself and I don’t think that they need to change the kick-out rule. I understand they have to change stuff out the field but I don’t think they have to change the kick-out rules.

“I just don’t understand why they had to change the kick-out or change rules around the kick-out. The standard of goalkeeping has went up in Ireland over the last number of years. You can see keepers are so confident in where to hit it and I think it’s a skill in itself because you’re hitting a player 30 yards away on the chest.

“I don’t feel that kick-outs have to go 45 yards long anymore. I don’t understand. Like are we going to go back to breaking ball all the time now? Is it going to go back to lumping it down the field?

Rory Beggan takes a free against Tyrone.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

“But I think teams are going to be smart enough now to put two small fast players in the middle of the field and try and get them to take kick outs on the run.”

Beggan has enjoyed watching the goalkeeping position evolve over the years and feels more players will follow the example set by Laois stopper Graham Brody in venturing outfield with the ball.

“I think there’s a lot more goalkeepers doing it at club level. Too many keepers are doing it but there is obviously a line that you don’t cross in terms of goalkeeping. Your main job is to protect the goal.

Goalkeepers can play football too. A lot of intercounty goalkeepers play outfield for their clubs. It would not be any new territory for them to go up and kick a point.

“I think you’re going to see in the next year or two that some goalkeepers are going to start scoring. I think it is inevitable but I think it’s adventurous. I enjoyed watching Graham Brody this year. I think he single-handedly brought them back into the game against Wexford.

“When he did it they stuck him in at corner forward at one stage but if teams want to use it it’s an option. Keepers are never marked so give them the ball.

“I scored a point in a club game two years ago against Clontibret. Literally no one came to me so I just kept going and I got close enough so I just kicked it.”

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THE TIPPERARY COUNTY board have ratified the appointment of former All-Ireland winning captain Tommy Dunne and former inter-county player and Kiladangan native Darragh Egan as coaches within Liam Sheedy’s backroom team.

Sheedy has returned to the position of Tipperary senior hurling manager, eight years after leading the Premier County to the Liam MacCarthy Cup against Kilkenny in 2010.

Paddy O’Brien (physio) and Cairbre O Caireallan (strength and conditioning) will also form part of Sheedy’s management team in 2019.

Michael Ryan, Declan Fanning, John Madden and Conor Stakelum stepped down together in August after three years in charge, following Tipperary’s Championship exit in the Munster round-robin series last summer.

A lengthy meeting of the Tipperary GAA County Board on Tuesday night at Thurles Sarsfield GAA club concluded with Sheedy’s new backroom team being finalised for next year, with one more selector due to be added.

Tuesday’s meeting also saw Liam Kearns add Martin Horgan and Paudie Kissane to his Tipperary senior football management team for 2019. 

Kearns committed to a fourth year in charge back in July. He led the county to an All-Ireland semi-final in 2016, but suffered a heavy Munster semi-final defeat against Cork this past summer.

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DONAL MOLONEY AND Gerry O’Connor will manage the Clare senior hurlers again for the 2019 season.

O’Connor and Moloney have been in charge of Clare since October 2016.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

The pair were formally ratified on Tuesday evening at a Clare county board meeting as the joint managers for next year’s campaign.

It will mark the third season that Moloney and O’Connor will be in charge, having first taken the managerial reins in October 2016. 

Clare lost out to Galway at the All-Ireland semi-final replay stage in August by 1-17 to 2-13 in Semple Stadium, eight days after playing out a thrilling draw that finished 1-30 apiece after extra-time in Croke Park.

For the second successive year Clare contested the Munster final this summer but again lost out to Cork. Their Munster round-robin campaign saw them begin with a defeat to Cork before they rebounded to claim victories over Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick.

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They overturned Wexford at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage to ensure Clare would return to senior action in Croke Park for the first time in the championship since their 2013 Liam MacCarthy Cup triumph.

Clare boss Donal Moloney celebrates after the 0-27 to 1-17 victory over Wexford.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

Clare are due to begin their 2019 Munster championship campaign away to Waterford on the weekend of 12-13 May next year followed by a home game against Tipperary, a trip to face Limerick and another home tie to Cork.

Moloney, a native of Scarriff, and O’Connor, who hails from Killanena, had previously burst to prominence with their exploits at underage management level for Clare.

They steered Clare to a five-in-a-row of Munster titles with minor wins in 2010 and 2011, before achieving U21 successes in 2012, 2013 and 2014. All three of those U21 campaigns culminated in All-Ireland victories. 

Donal Moloney and Gerry O'Connor confirmed as Clare Senior Hurling managers, with All Ireland medallist Fergal Lynch taking charge of the Minor Hurlers and Dermot Coughlan managing the Minor Footballers for the coming year.

— Clare Gaa (@GaaClare) October 23, 2018

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AIDAN O’ROURKE has officially ruled himself out of the running for the position of Roscommon senior football manager, the county confirmed on Tuesday.

The former Louth boss was the County Board’s leading candidate to take over from Kevin McStay, however a phone call from O’Rourke has ended his involvement in the running. As a result, Roscommon’s search for a new senior football manager continues.

A committee consisting of chairman Seamus Sweeney, secretary Brian Carroll and treasurer David O’Connor were joined by former Roscommon captain Niall Carty and former player Ciarán Heneghan to try and select a new manager. A five-week consultation period followed.

“Interviews were conducted during week 6 and last night Monday, October 22 Roscommon GAA Management Committee expected to be in a position to put the name of the preferred candidate for consideration to the club delegates,” a statement said.

“Prior to last night’s meeting, the chairman Seamus Sweeney received a phone call from the preferred candidate requesting a 24-hour deferral. This was conveyed to the county board delegates at last night’s meeting.

Kevin McStay stood down as Roscommon manager at the start of September following three years in charge.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

“Our preferred candidate was Aidan O’Rourke. His team was to consist of Mike McGurn Strength and Conditioning, two Roscommon coach/selectors, and a head coach Karl Lacy.

The statement continued: “The reason for the delay was because of unexpected doubts in relation to Karl Lacy’s availability as head coach. Unfortunately, this morning the county chairman received a call from Aidan O’Rourke informing him that he was withdrawing from the process.

“The Roscommon GAA Management committee are very disappointed at the turn of events but are fully committed to completing the selection process. However, the committee is concerned at attempts that have been made to influence the outcome of the process over recent days,” the statement added. 

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“The committee believes that these events have undermined the integrity of the process and potentially affected our ability to attract a new manager. In addition, some of the public commentary on social media has been extremely unhelpful.”

McStay vacated the post last month and announced his retirement from inter-county management.

The former Mayo footballer spent three years in the position, delivering a Connacht title in 2017 and promotion to Division 1 of the Allianz Football League this year.

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WHEN LIAM SHEEDY last took charge of the Tipperary senior hurlers, Lar Corbett was the star of the show.

The final game of Sheedy’s first tenure as Tipperary boss yielded an All-Ireland senior title in 2010, Corbett ransacked the Kilkenny defence for three goals in that epic decider.

The news of Sheedy’s return to the hotseat was warmly received by the hat-trick hero from that final yet Corbett stresses the requirement for patience and not to expect instant success with the former boss at the helm once more.

“(I’m) delighted to see Liam back but you have to feel sorry for Liam Cahill as well. I think when he’s in charge, whoever he gets with him, it’ll be done 100%. It gave a great lift to Tipperary people when we heard Liam was back in.

“Straight away, people are delighted. When they heard the name Liam Sheedy, heard the name being mentioned and that he was going to be the next Tipperary manager, everyone was delighted. That goes across the county. I haven’t met one person that was disappointed.

“There’s a bit of pressure on Liam and the players as well, people are picturing what he’d done in 2010 as well, to come back and do it again.

“I hope that pressure doesn’t come on straight away. The players are going to need a bit of time. Liam and his backroom team are going to need a bit of time.

Tipperary boss Liam Sheedy speaks with Lar Corbett during the 2009 hurling championship.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

“You have to remember that time that he left with work commitments and family commitments as well. We would have been all very very disappointed when he left in 2010.

“But we have to remember that work comes first and family comes first as well, and sport probably comes third, and he put all those things first. As he says himself, he’s in a position now, he’s back around the Munster area, he’s in Limerick.

“To manage your county is probably one of the biggest achievement to be able to do in your sport. That itch is going to always be there.”

The notion of current squad members existing in a comfort zone is not once Corbett subscribes to.

“The guys will definitely know that time runs out because it runs out for everyone. Just to give the lads a bit of time, it’s a good panel of players there, and hopefully the guys coming in from Liam Cahill’s (U21) team blend in. 

“I don’t know about lads just being in the comfort zone. I know an awful lot of lads that played with Tipp this year. They’re guys that work hard. I’ll make one prediction next year, for the league matches next year you’ll have an awful lot of Tipperary people going.

“Because they are going to have it in their memory of what happened in 2008, 2009, 2010. So we’ll keep that dream alive. There will be good energy this year. I’m looking forward to the league.”

It’s almost three years since Corbett brought his inter-county hurling career to a close but he is content with family life, club duties with Thurles Sarsfields and cheering on Tipperary from the stands.

Lar Corbett with his daughters after winning the Tipperary county senior hurling final last year.

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

“At the minute I’m 37. I’m going to keep playing anyway, definitely for another few years, because I enjoy it. I’ve never thought about the management side of things.

“The big kick I get out of the club at the minute is, just say there’s 35 lads in the dressing room, 17, 18-year-olds, and you’re having good craic. 

“I think it’s very important in life, when things are over, you have to park them. I say that honestly. I really, really enjoyed the time I got from 2000 to 2015.

“You have to enjoy what’s next. What was next for me was going back to the club. I’ve a wife and three daughters, I love that. So I think, “what’s next?” Don’t ever be looking back.

“I enjoy going to the Tipp matches and I don’t miss it. When I was in the stand in 2016 (at the All-Ireland final), I was delighted to be in the stand part of it.”

***************

Tickets for the Amanda Stapleton Benefit Match between Kilkenny and Tipperary on Saturday 3 November are available to purchase here.

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DUBLIN CAMOGIE GOALKEEPER Faye McCarthy has admitted “it was a surprise” to hear that recently departed manager David Herity was appointed as Kildare’s new hurling boss.

Naomh Jude and Dublin camogie goalkeeoer Faye McCarthy at the launch of the AIB Camogie and Club Championships. This is AIB’s 28th year sponsoring the AIB GAA Football, Hurling and their 6th year sponsoring the Camogie Club Championships.

Source: SPORTSFILE

The five-time All-Ireland winner spent two years in charge of Dublin, leading them to the All-Ireland semi-final in 2017 and the quarter-final this season.

Dublin were on the receiving end of a heavy 16-point beating by Galway in this year’s quarter-final, in what was Herity’s final game over the team. The 35-year-old was this week confirmed as Joe Quaid’s replacement in Kildare and McCarthy believes he’ll be a success in his new role. 

“It was a surprise to me, I hadn’t heard that,” she said. “I’d say he’ll do well but we’ll miss him, definitely. 

“He raised our own standards for ourselves first and with the fitness trainers, he really brought us on in terms of that. Yeah, a huge amount. I think we really made a name for ourselves in camogie over the last few years and he just brought us on so much.

From attitude to skills themselves, he just improved everyone’s game but in particular, he brought on what he saw in us and really progressed us skill wise.”

McCarthy worked closely with the former Kilkenny netminder and they’d often work on goalkeeping sessions for a half-hour before training sessions. Herity helped McCarthy, a Poc Fada champion, develop a puck-out strategy designed to utilise her distance and accuracy.

“I had a good deal there with the goalie trainer as a coach but it’s definitely a blow to us,” she explained.

“In the beginning he would say, ‘(hit it) as long as you can’ but that doesn’t work in senior camogie anymore. You can’t just hit it as far as you can and expect to get a score off it straight away so he really hit home about using it, not only just for length but tactically as well.”

New Kildare manager David Herity.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

She believes Dublin are not far away from mirroring their football counterparts and regularly competing for All-Irelands.

“I think as we progressed through the matches we got better and better but we just dropped it a little bit, nerves got to us a little bit but I think we did improve our own standards and that’s something that we stood to us.

Prior to the Galway, I thought we were improving game on game.  And then we dropped it a little bit, nerves probably got to us.

“It could be that we are showing the Cork, Kilkennys and Galways too much respect. Getting to a semi-final last year was all new to us but it showed that we had a reached a certain standard. We feel that we now belong at the business end of things.

“Going into the next year we hopefully a greater belief that we can do it against the top teams.

“In terms of skills and training, the desire is there to improve. Smart play needs to be developed but that can only be done at training and with a good strong manager who can implement that.”

Faye McCarthy warming up before the 2017 All-Ireland semi-final.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

On the club front, McCarthy’s side St Judes were crowned Dublin camogie champions over the weekend after an extra-time win over Na Fianna. They’ll face Kilkenny’s Thomastown in the Leinster semi-final on Sunday, a challenge she’s looking forward to. 

“It was huge. We had such a big crowd of support for Judes and it was insane. They had a homecoming for us, like the support they had was crazy. Because it is such a big achievement, not only for us but for the club to have the female team win Division 1 in the 40th year of our existence so it was huge.

I think a lot of us thought we shouldn’t have been in extra time to begin with but our fitness really stood to us on the day and I was so glad we got there in the end.

“We can’t wait for it. We’re on a high now and it’s not something any of us have ever done before so we’re really just looking forward to it. We really want to show off what we can do, what we’ve been working on for the past year and enjoy it.”

Judes have developed a state-of-the-art video analysis room in the clubhouse, a facility the camogie side regularly use. 

“We would use it every week after training. It’s open to anyone and it’s such a goof facility to have. It brings that element of professionalism to the game.

Clubs are following suit, this is the new analysis room at St Jude’s GAA Club in Templeogue, amazing facility for a club team pic.twitter.com/YzrPwkxVXE

— Marie Crowe (@mariecrowe) May 19, 2018

“Before Sunday, we watched the Na Fianna game in the league. Everybody said we are different team now. You could see the progression through the video analysis. That type of improvement really pushes a team on.

Such analysis also helps me with my puck outs. You can have a huge puck out but if you are not putting it where you should then there’s no point. It’s about the technology that we have to our benefit.”

It’s a big week for the club, with the men’s footballers taking on Kilmacud Crokes in the Dublin SFC final on Monday.

“We can’t for own game and then the footballers in their county final. There was a great homecoming for us last Sunday. We had support from the chairperson as well. The work that he and others are doing to bring on all parts of the club is insane.

“We are all confident. It would be an amazing achievement to do the double. I think we can do it.”

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“WE THOUGHT HE was gone.”

When the news of Mike Curran’s accident in France filtered through to the tight-knit community in Waterville, Kerry, they feared the worst.

Waterville’s Mike Curran.

Curran was cycling in France on a stretch of road between Reims and Paris when he was struck by a speeding car. He was barely 10 metres ahead of his girlfriend Sara O’Shea when the collision took place. 

The 32-year-old was thrown into the air and landed on his head, suffering traumatic injuries to his brain. 

“He suffered severe head trauma in the accident including five haemorrhages to the brain, bleeding in the lungs, two fractured ribs, a broken nose and broken cheekbone,” said Curran’s friend Eoin Dennehy.

It was a horrific end to the trip of a lifetime Curran had embarked on with O’Shea.  

In August 2016, the pair left their jobs and travelled to South Africa, before taking in India, Nepal, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Jordan and Central Asia. They arrived in China in June 2017 and explored the country for two months, before making an ambitious plan to take the scenic route back to Ireland.

“It was on a whim really that we decided we’d look into cycling back to Ireland,” O’Shea wrote on the travel blog, Ar Do Rothar (on your bike), the couple kept during their trip back from China. 

“The main reason for the change is that we wanted to make our journey more challenging, adventurous and rewarding and to experience something new,” she continued.

“We did some research, sourced bikes and gear from a Chinese company that specialises in touring bikes and set off on 17 August 2017 from Kashgar in Xinjiang Province, China.”

Mike Curran and Sara O’Shea during their travels.

So they headed off from western China and journeyed through Asia, the Middle East and eventually Europe, making friends and taking in some extraordinary sights along the way. Home was never far from their minds and all the way through, Curran proudly donned his Waterville gear.

They made it 14,500km across the globe and were less than two weeks out from home when the tragedy struck. 

“He was only 10 days from home,” Waterville chairman Seamus O’Shea tells The42. 

“He was coming home for a local wedding. It was a huge shock. We thought he was gone that first week. We thought he was gone.”

O’Shea has been by his side since the accident, while his family also made their way over to France.

“Only family really have gone over to him, his uncles and his first cousins have been making it over to him. I think they were all over there the first week. Things were very bad that week.”

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A talented GAA player, Curran played minor and U21 football with Kerry during his younger days and featured alongside Kingdom legend Declan O’Sullivan with the successful Colaiste na Sceilge school team.

He’d even had planned on lining out with Waterville in the local championship on his return this year.

“A fierce popular fella,” said O’Shea. “Mike was a Kerry minor and a Kerry U21 as well. He was an outstanding footballer and he’d be well known around the county. His girlfriend, she’s from Keel as well so he’d be well known around them parts as well. 

“He was going to be playing football with us as well this year, he was going playing our local championship here which is on in two weeks time. He was going to go playing in that.

Had to cut @watervillegaa shorts and T Shirt off during my accident… depressed… #withmefor2years+ pic.twitter.com/VQPNjwk2TP

— Mike Curran (@MickeyCurran) October 23, 2018

“You could play him anywhere from the half-back line to the full-back line to midfield, he was a very versatile player. He’d play anywhere for you. He was a great bit of stuff. Hopefully he still will be.”

After moving to Dublin to take up an accounting job, he transferred to St Brigid’s in the capital and was part of the squad that lifted the Dublin SFC title in 2011. They went on to make the Leinster final, where they lost to Garrycastle to an injury-time free in Tullamore. 

“He won a county title with Brigid’s. He was working in Dublin for a couple of years and he found the commute was too much to Waterville. He joined them for a year and he actually came back to us then afterwards. They won the county final that year.”

GAA communities tend to rally around their own during the tough times. Like Dunboyne’s fundraising drive for Sean Cox, and the efforts of the Stapleton family in Borris-Ileigh for Amanda Stapleton, the people of Waterville, Kerry and beyond have shown huge support for Curran.

Let’s go Kerry, bring one of our own home. Every little helps, takes a minute to do and no amount is too small. https://t.co/cZ3lSWVfQ8

— Kieran Donaghy (@starryboy14) October 18, 2018

Terribly tragic accident to our former AFL1 Footballer and friend Mikey Curran @MickeyCurran – Details below.https://t.co/0PMtkiBJW3

— StBrigidsGAA (@StBrigidsGAA) October 18, 2018

Please support! Absolutely heartbreaking. https://t.co/JCXVvFO644

— Darran O'Sullivan (@Darransull86) October 18, 2018

The fundraising page has been flooded with messages of support, including from people they met along their travels.

“Devastated to hear this news,” wrote Joey and Chantal from New Zealand.

“We met Mike and Sara in Skopje, Macedonia and they are the loveliest people. Hearing their stories about their biking travels were fascinating, and their stories about Iran, particularly, inspired us to visit.

“Really saddened to hear about this tragedy. We wish Mike the best recovery possible, and our thoughts are with Sara, and Mike’s friends and family.”

Mike Curran with Sara O’Shea.

Dermot Carlin said: “We met lots of people travelling, Mikey and Sarah are standout people and great friends.”

“I met Sara and Mike in Serbia, lovely couple on an amazing journey,” said John Butler. “Get well soon Mike.”

O’Shea continued: “Everyone would be asking you for updates. We had mass there a couple of weeks ago for him. Talk about a turnout for mass here! Even the priest said it was the biggest crowd he ever had at a mass.”

The National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire is the only facility in Ireland capable of treating Curran’s injuries, but there’s a six-month waiting list for admission.

As early intervention is vital for brain injuries, the family identified a similar facility in England – but it comes at a major cost. The family set-up a Go Fund Me page to help cover some of the costs of the rehab and already they’ve raised over €100,000 of their €300,000 goal.

“He’s supposed to be going to hospital in England hopefully in a couple of weeks’ time,” said O’Shea.

“It is serious support he’s getting. He needs to be there for six months and I think it costs something like £50k a month or something. We’re going to help him as much as we can with the fundraising efforts.”

After initially falling into a coma, the good news is that Curran is awake and talking, although there’s a long road ahead. 

Def looking better and feeling better. Just need to start rehab ASAP pic.twitter.com/7eK5eNlm4B

— Mike Curran (@MickeyCurran) October 22, 2018

“He’s awake at the moment. He has his phone, he’s texting people, he’s texting his family. He does be on Twitter as well. A big improvement in the last week.

“He’s still quite confused but that’s understandable the injury he has had.”

Curran thanked everyone for the well wishes he’s received earlier this week, tweeting: “Thanks everyone for supporting… means a lot at this awfully stressful time…”

Earlier today, he indicated his determination to finish the off journey from France to Ireland at some stage in the future: “We will finish it someday! 14,500km done, 1,500km more to go.” 

Depressed here – I am injured and cannot finish my cycle journey with @SorchaNiShe #China2Ireland We will finish it some day!! 14,500km done. 1,500km more to go…. #FeckinFrenchDrivers

— Mike Curran (@MickeyCurran) October 24, 2018

You can contribute to the Bring Mike Home page here

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ON FRIDAY MORNING Peter Acheson will leave his home in Dubai, head to the airport and his flight is scheduled to touch down in Dublin at lunchtime.

Peter Acheson celebrating Tipperary’s 2016 quarter-final victory over Galway,

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

All going well he’ll back home in south Tipperary that afternoon and on the field training with Moyle Rovers that evening, as they put the finishing touches to their county final preparations.

Saturday will be a day to relax at home and catch up with his family, come Sunday afternoon he aims to hit the ground running in Semple Stadium on the biggest day in the Tipperary club football calendar.

If it sounds like an exhausting and frenzied schedule, then that is the investment of time and effort the 28-year-old is willing to make.

It’s nine years since Moyle Rovers were last at the summit in Tipperary, the solitary senior success that Acheson was part of. He was frustrated in attempts to get a second medal after that and then when he moved to the Middle East towards the end of 2016, he figured that chapter of his life was behind him.

Playing in October is generally a common aim that club players share at the start of a season. If you’re still kicking ball at this time of year, the chances are that a county final of some description is on the agenda.

At the outset of 2018, that was not something on Acheson’s radar as the prospect of playing with Moyle Rovers seemed remote. It was not until the season drifted on that it was first floated with the former Tipperary captain.

Tipperary faced Mayo in Acheson’s last game for the county in 2016.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

“Obviously I was always following the lads, to see how they were getting on,” says Acheson.

“I knew they were doing well. I’d been in contact with a few of the management team, just general chit-chat. David Conway, he’s a selector I would have played with before, we’d a quick chat at one stage about how they were getting on.

“He kind of just said tongue in cheek would I come back for the later stages of the championship and I said I would. We left it at that and there was nothing else said.”

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Coming home for a holiday in late August had been planned for while by himself and his girlfriend Roisin. He went up to watch club training on a Friday night when he returned and manager Niall Fitzgerald, who Acheson lined out with when the club collected Tipperary honours in 2009, didn’t hesitate in roping him in.

“Fitzy asked would I tog out for a Portlaoise friendly game on the Sunday, so I did that. Then he asked me would I play the Galtee Rovers game, the last in the group stage, and that’s where it started.”

That last game completed the round-robin assignments and in late September the serious knockout stuff loomed on the horizon. A towering figure at the heart of the Tipperary senior effort before he departed two years ago, there was always going to be an eagerness to utilise Acheson’s talents on the club stage.

“The lads asked me to come back for the quarter-final then (against Killenaule), so I flew in for two days for that game and then I came back for three days for the Commercials game two weeks later.”

A pair of victories later and he finds himself many miles from home thinking of a county final Sunday.

“It’s a strange one alright,” laughs Acheson.

“The one thing I do miss while I’m out here, family and friends now obviously, but club football is a big pull I do miss. I’m glad to get the opportunity to play. The year before I left I was captain, we lost (by a point) to Commercials (in the final) so that stung a bit.

Peter Acheson (left) in action against Kerins O’Rahilly’s in the 2009 Munster club championship.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

“At the time there was no talk of Dubai so I thought I’d have a chance to get payback and try and win a county final. Then I left after the 2016 All-Ireland (semi-final), we were in the final that year also but I couldn’t fly back due to visa reasons.

“The visa process in Dubai had started so I couldn’t get back for it. That was a bit of a sucker punch. It makes it all worthwhile when you’re flying over eight hours for two days and back again. When you’re winning, it’s going to be worth it all the time.”

There’s been a bit of an adjustment process, shifting his mind to playing Gaelic football in Tipperary again. The weather conditions at this stage of a campaign are in stark contrast to the baking heat of Dubai.

“For the Killenaule game, it rained out of the heavens before the game. I was fairly sickened, I’d the mouldy studs on, I’ve no hard studs out here.

“After about five or ten minutes of slipping, I whipped them off and put on the steel studs then. It’s different alright, there’s no hopping of the ball this time of the year. But I’ve three games under the belt now, hopefully it will be a bit easier for me for the next one.”

Getting up to the speed of play was not as much of an issue. He plays for Jumeirah Gaels, who will be commencing their campaign in the coming weeks, and had a block of pre-season work in the bank before returning home to feature for Moyle Rovers. He tips away regularly at soccer as well.

“The fitness wasn’t an issue at all. It’s just the GAA out here is nine-a-side. It’s a different tempo game, it’s a little bit different. The first game or two back, the fitness was there, it was just getting my eye in. I think it’s back now, so hopefully I can push on again.”

The pangs of regret at missing club action at home are eased by how much he is enjoying his new life. He’s an operations manager for the UAE for dewatering company Hydroserv, which was founded by Tom Doyle from Carlow and Kerry man Barry O’Sullivan.

“It’s getting better and better to be honest. Work is going very well. Roisin is flying in work too, so life’s going well and the lifestyle’s great. We’re after meeting plenty of friends out here too. I’d say we’ll be here for the foreseeable future .”

That rules him out of Tipperary’s plans. He moved on after being a cornerstone of their memorable journey to the last four in 2016 yet always watches their fortunes closely.

“A lot of Moyle Rovers lads and a good few lads I soldiered with for years are still there too. It’s great that Liam Kearns is staying on for another year, I think that would have been a massive loss if they’d lost Liam.

Peter Acheson celebrating the 2016 All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Galway with Liam Kearns.

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

“I just think they need to get a few more younger lads in through. Guys like Sweeney, Fox and Kiely are still under 30 years of age, Campbell and Mikey are 25/26, just a crop of younger lads (is needed). I know Jack Kennedy came through last year, a few more maybe. I think they could then give Munster a crack.”

He saw a few of those former county team-mates sink in despair after the semi-final, a last-gasp goal snatching victory against the reigning kingpins Clonmel Commercials.

“For the Commercials, it’s always a very, very difficult way to lose. They’re obviously our main rivals. I do feel for the lads, it happened to us in 2015.

“There’s literally no worse way to lose. A draw would probably have been a fair result on the day. But in Sean Carey style, anybody else on that team would have probably tapped the ball over the bar to make sure a draw, but (he had the) confidence, he stuck the goal, thank God.”

And so that result propelled them into a decider and necessitates another long-haul flight for Acheson. It’s an undertaking he’s glad to make and is conscious that this set of personal circumstances place the onus on ensuring the silverware comes back into the Moyle Rovers dressing-room on Sunday.

As a youngster Acheson witnessed a golden period for the club, five county championships harvested between 1995 and 2000, along with a couple of trips to Munster finals. He started out in his senior career playing with the club’s most celebrated operator Declan Browne and is keen to atone for the disappointment of final losses since 2009.

Moyle Rovers faced Doonbeg in the 1998 Munster senior club football final.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

Standing in their path is Ardfinnan, mastermind by his old county manager John Evans.

“For the older generation, Moyle Rovers and Ardfinnan would have had a lot of battles back in the day. (John) Evans will get absolutely everything out of that team. I’d say they’re buzzing now for this.

“The Foleys’, John Owens, Jimmy Dunne and the lads, were winning county titles nearly every year and challenging to win (in) Munster. I grew up watching them. This county final will be massive for me, it could be my last one.

“Back in 2009 when I won my first senior county title, I thought I’d win two, three more, maybe four hopefully, but it wasn’t to be. I won’t be travelling over and back every year so this could be my last one. It’d be massive to get a county medal.”

One last journey in 2018 to make then in the pursuit of silver.

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THREE DECADES AFTER Meath lifted Sam Maguire after a victory over Cork that completed two-in-a-row, some of the legendary figures from both setups will convene on Friday night in aid of the Support Seán Cox fund.

Colm O’Rourke and Stephen O’Brien in action in the 1988 All-Ireland final.

Source: James Meehan/INPHO

Meath defeated Cork on 9 October 1988 in the All-Ireland senior final replay by 0-13 to 0-12 after it had finished 1-9 to 0-12 in the drawn encounter in Croke Park.

Despite having midfielder Gerry McEntee sent-off in the early stages, Meath triumphed to retain a title they had won the previous year against Cork. The two sides had a major rivalry with Cork going on to win the 1989 and 1990 All-Ireland senior titles, the latter after a final victory over Meath.

Leading figures from both sides will come together for a Q&A session for a worthy cause. Meath will be represented by their ex-manager Seán Boylan along with former players Colm O’Rourke, Gerry McEntee, Joe Cassells, Martin O’Connell, Colm Coyle and David Beggy, with former Cork boss Billy Morgan and player Dinny Allen giving the thoughts from the Rebel viewpoint.

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Billy Morgan and Colm Coyle were the managers in opposition after the 2007 All-Ireland football semi-final.

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

The trip down memory lane takes place in the Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim at 7pm with LMFM’s David Sheehan the MC.

Tickets cost €10 and it is all in aid of the fund for Seán Cox, the Meath man who sustained life-changing injuries in the incident that took place before a Champions League semi-final at Anfield last April.

Cox was heavily involved in St Peter’s Dunboyne GAA club, the recent victors of the county senior and junior football championships in Meath.

Tickets for the event are available here.

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EXPERIENCED TIPPERARY FOOTBALLER George Hannigan has announced his retirement from the inter-county game.

Hannigan made his senior championship debut for Tipperary against Kerry in 2006 and his final appearance came in this summer’s qualifier loss to Mayo in Thurles.

He made 36 senior championship appearances for the county and his decision to call it a day was announced by supporters group ‘Friends of Tipperary Football’.

During his career Hanningan was part of three National football league triumphs with Tipperary sides when they won Division 3 finals in 2009 and 2017, and the Division 4 decider in 2014.

George Hannigan (right) celebrates league promotion with Tipperary in 2009 with team-mate Brian Fox.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

The Shannon Rovers club man was a member of the Irish U17 Compromise Rules side in 2005 that faced Australia while in the same year he helped St Flannan’s (Ennis) win the Dr Harty Cup in 2005.

In 2011 Hannigan won a county senior football championship medal as part of the divisional outfit Thomas McDonaghs.

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