FLYING Garryowen winger Ciaran O’Boyle celebrated his first start for Munster in the Magners League by bagging the crucial bonus-point clinching try in a 14-point victory over Edinburgh at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.
The 64th minute try came as an early birthday present for O’Boyle who turned 25 yesterday. O’Boyle, who has previously played for the Munster A side, has been a prolific tr-scorer for Garryowen in the AIL for several seasons.
Munster maintained top spot in the Magners League as a result of their 28-14 success over the Scottish side.
The lively Keith Earls, powerful prop Tony Buckley and former All Black Doug Howlett also crossed for Munster’s tries before an attendance of 6,500.
Tony McGahan’s men currently enjoy a three-point lead over both Leinster and the Ospreys at the top of the Magners League.
Munster’s next fixture in the competition is an away tie with the Dragons on Saturday week, March 7.
Meanwhile Ireland coach Declan Kidney will be relieved to have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s big RBS Six Nations championship clash with England at Croke Park (kick-off 5.30pm).
Kidney will name his starting XV to face Martin Johnson’s England tomorrow.
In the All-Ireland League Shannon moved up to second place with a deserved 28-10 derby victory over Young Munster at Clifford Park.
Shannon collected a precious bonus point as a result of scoring four tries before Munsters’ biggest home crowd of the season. The defeat leaves Young Munster lying in the relegation zone.
Elsewhere Garryowen recorded their seventh straight success to move up to third place in the table. The Light Blues victims on this occasion were UCD.
UL Bohemian squandered an excellent opportunity to strengthen their grip on a top eight spot for next season’s new look AIL Division One when suffering a surprise 13-6 defeat to Old Belvedere at Annacotty.
In Division Two Old Crescent continued their promotion push with a 22-9 success over Greystones. Bruff suffered a 14-6 home defeat to UCC while Thomond lost out on a 0-9 scoreline to leaders Lansdowne at Fitzgerald Park.
The semi-final draw for the AIB Cup will see former champions Garryowen make the long journey to Ballymacarn Park to face giant-killers Ballynahinch on March 21. Young Munster will have home advantage for their last four clash with Cork Con on the same day.
The final of the AIB Cup is due to be played on May 5, with the game being televised live by RTE.
Colm Kinsella
Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Real Madrid’s visit to Limerick will present sports fans with a unique opportunity!
Football fans often fail to understand how good the top players really are. TV doesn’t do them justice. On the telly it seems as if you or I could do almost as well. TV doesn’t give you a real idea of the brilliance required to cope at the very highest level.
From the armchair all seems possible and it’s impossible to comprehend what it’s like to oppose the finest players in the world, so success seems almost within your grasp. That’s why we laugh at errors and suggest that granny could do better. The thing is that the very best players in the world are not better than anything we can imagine, in fact they are better than anything we are capable of imagining.
When Real Madrid visit Limerick’s Thomond Park next summer every serious sports fan should make it his business to attend. We probably won’t be presented with a first-choice XI, but nevertheless it’s an opportunity to see some of the greatest players in the world grace the field. And, it’s a real eye-opener to see these guys play in the flesh.
On May 15th, 1996 Girondins de Bordeaux completed a 10-month 20-game European campaign with a 1-5 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup final.
Although that French side also featured Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry the 24-year-old Zinedine Zidane (pictured below) was the undoubted star of the side.
To qualify for the 1995-1996 UEFA Cup Bordeaux won the Intertoto Cup in the summer of 1995 - that same summer Kenny Daglish, then manager of Blackburn Rovers, had expressed an interest in signing Zidane to which Jack Walker reportedly replied: “Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?”
Anyway, I still class July 8th, 1995 as one of the highlights of my sporting life. That day, in the Intertoto Cup, Bordeaux faced Bohemians at Dalymount Park and won 2-0 with Zidane scoring an extraordinary goal in the 80th minute.
During his career Zidane played 108 European games and although I only saw him in the flesh, with a full head of hair, once I will cherish it forever. Any one who did not feel humble in his presence that day is no judge of a man.
And, even though Real Madrid cannot count anyone comparable to Zidane among their ranks right now the visit of Los Blancos will present Limerick men and women with the opportunity to take in something . . . well, who knows, but it could be something special!
Brian McDonnell
From the armchair all seems possible and it’s impossible to comprehend what it’s like to oppose the finest players in the world, so success seems almost within your grasp. That’s why we laugh at errors and suggest that granny could do better. The thing is that the very best players in the world are not better than anything we can imagine, in fact they are better than anything we are capable of imagining.
When Real Madrid visit Limerick’s Thomond Park next summer every serious sports fan should make it his business to attend. We probably won’t be presented with a first-choice XI, but nevertheless it’s an opportunity to see some of the greatest players in the world grace the field. And, it’s a real eye-opener to see these guys play in the flesh.
On May 15th, 1996 Girondins de Bordeaux completed a 10-month 20-game European campaign with a 1-5 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup final.
Although that French side also featured Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry the 24-year-old Zinedine Zidane (pictured below) was the undoubted star of the side.
To qualify for the 1995-1996 UEFA Cup Bordeaux won the Intertoto Cup in the summer of 1995 - that same summer Kenny Daglish, then manager of Blackburn Rovers, had expressed an interest in signing Zidane to which Jack Walker reportedly replied: “Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?”
Anyway, I still class July 8th, 1995 as one of the highlights of my sporting life. That day, in the Intertoto Cup, Bordeaux faced Bohemians at Dalymount Park and won 2-0 with Zidane scoring an extraordinary goal in the 80th minute.
During his career Zidane played 108 European games and although I only saw him in the flesh, with a full head of hair, once I will cherish it forever. Any one who did not feel humble in his presence that day is no judge of a man.
And, even though Real Madrid cannot count anyone comparable to Zidane among their ranks right now the visit of Los Blancos will present Limerick men and women with the opportunity to take in something . . . well, who knows, but it could be something special!
Brian McDonnell
Friday, February 20, 2009
Will Limerick FC miss Mike Kerley?
I think the club will. The 36-year-old manager never had much time for me, correction the 36-year-old man who played Eircom League football for 16 years and who resigned as Limerick FC supremo on Thursday night never had much time for the press.
The very first time I talked to Mike Kerley, on the occasion of his appointment as manager (round this time last year); he was impatient and obviously wasn’t too interested in making my job any easier. I liked him immediately.
Here was a man who meant business, a man who meant to take Limerick FC places.
Once Limerick got going last season, once Kerley got the players fit and playing the way he expected them to play, the Super Blues were irrepressible - from the half-way point of the season Limerick were the best side in the division.
And, that is what makes Kerley’s departure all the sadder. Last season was like watching an emerging painter at work on his first, unmistakable masterpiece. When the 2008 Eircom League season concluded Mike Kerley had just finished the preliminary sketch. Limerick were now playing composed, confident football and we couldn’t wait for the 2009 campaign. That campaign kicks off in two weeks time against UCD. That was the time, on the back of a decent pre-season, that we expected Kerley to mix the colours on the palette and see whether the first draft might sustain deeper dimensions.
Then, bang, Mike Kerley resigns for whatever reason and we’re left . . . well what are we left with?
Brian McDonnell
The very first time I talked to Mike Kerley, on the occasion of his appointment as manager (round this time last year); he was impatient and obviously wasn’t too interested in making my job any easier. I liked him immediately.
Here was a man who meant business, a man who meant to take Limerick FC places.
Once Limerick got going last season, once Kerley got the players fit and playing the way he expected them to play, the Super Blues were irrepressible - from the half-way point of the season Limerick were the best side in the division.
And, that is what makes Kerley’s departure all the sadder. Last season was like watching an emerging painter at work on his first, unmistakable masterpiece. When the 2008 Eircom League season concluded Mike Kerley had just finished the preliminary sketch. Limerick were now playing composed, confident football and we couldn’t wait for the 2009 campaign. That campaign kicks off in two weeks time against UCD. That was the time, on the back of a decent pre-season, that we expected Kerley to mix the colours on the palette and see whether the first draft might sustain deeper dimensions.
Then, bang, Mike Kerley resigns for whatever reason and we’re left . . . well what are we left with?
Brian McDonnell
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