SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Team Ireland’s 7-aside football team, which includes Carlow’s Samuel McCabe, made it three wins from three yesterday with a 5-0 win over Hong Kong.
Having navigated the group stage, Ireland now take on Poland in the M1 Division competition round with kick off at 11am.
They’ll also play Morocco this afternoon at 3pm with the 7-a-side finals set for this Saturday.
Carlow’s Michelle Kenny is also in action today. She partners Angela Cleary in the Women’s Doubles bowling event later with games underway from 1 o’clock.
SOCCER
All the awards this weather seem to be coming back to Carlow.
Last night saw the 33rd annual FAI International Awards take place at Dublin’s Mansion House where Carlow duo Aoife Kelly and Peter Grogan were in the running for underage awards while Will Smallbone – whose mother hails from Kilkenny, so we’ll claim him – was also in the running for the Under 21 international of the year.
Woudln’t you know it, they all came home with the gold – Aoife named the Under 17 Women’s Interntional Player of the Year, Peter taking the Under 18 Schools International Player of the Year and Will Smallbone claiming the Under 21 award.
On the senior end of things, Nathan Collins was named Men’s International Player of the Year with Courtney Brosnan picking up the women’s award.
Evan Ferguson was also named Mens’s Young Player of the Year
What a wonderful achievement for Peter Grogan. Representing our school at International level and winning FAI player of the year. This guy puts in so much work on and off the field. Congratulations Peter!
— St. Mary's Academy CBS An Edmund Rice School (@cbscarlow) June 20, 2023
We here at St Mary’s Academy, CBS Carlow are so proud of you. #cbsfamily pic.twitter.com/nsAE0UQpCp
Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has launched a passionate defence of his record in charge of the national team.
The 51 year old is under pressure after last week’s 2-1 defeat to Greece which seriously dented Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024.
Speaking to the media, Kenny says he ‘is the most successful Irish manager at this time’ and has brought 18 players through the system over the last three years.
The Dublin native referenced his record in Europe with Dundalk and says he has made ‘brave decisions’ and ‘good decisions’ in the best interests of Irish football.
Stephen Kenny is going to get flak here – nobody in Ireland can deal with someone being confident – but this is brilliant.
— Michael Tuohy 🇮🇪 (@MicTuathaigh) June 20, 2023
For too long Irish media members have led with the lie that he's out of his depth. As if he hasn't achieved anything in his career.
Talk your shit Stephen. https://t.co/2JNNa5jf82 pic.twitter.com/l7MR94Thwu
CAMOGIE
While the players may be taking to the field under protest, the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland camogie championships resume this week for both Kilkenny teams and Carlow.
For Kilkenny’s seniors, we’ll be live from Parnell Park as they take on Dublin in what’s already being billed as a must-win encounter.
For Carlow, they face a trip to Wexford where a win on Saturday would sent them to the quarter-finals of the intermediate championship for the first time in the county’s history.
Linda Kenny is the outgoing chairperson of Leinster Camogie but first and foremost a Carlow native and supporter.
She’s told KCLR this week that a win over Wexford on Saturday would mark an incredible turnaround given the county’s frustrations in recent years.
The Championship is Hotting Up
— Carlow CountyCamogie (@CamogieCarlow) June 20, 2023
Please come out and support the girls and team management in this crucial gamehttps://t.co/R4TXFFlSiO pic.twitter.com/4bYQd195cP
GAA
With Carlow’s intercounty hurling and football journeys at an end, the attention in the county now shifts to the club championship, at least on the hurling front.
A launch event is taking place at Netwatch Cullen Park later with representatives from clubs at all grades.
While the junior championship is up and running, the intermediate and senior ranks will begin next week with the first round of games underway from Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Football League Division 1 Final will take place this coming Sunday evening from 6pm with Tinryland and Éire Óg getting reaquainted before the football championship begins later this summer.
RUGBY
The Irish provinces will learn their fates in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup this lunchtime.
The draw will take place for a revised pool format, which will see teams split into four pools of six.
The provinces can’t be drawn together, and they can only be drawn with one other URC team.
BOXING
Tributes have been paid to Olympic boxing medalist Jim McCourt, who has died at the age of 79.
His lightweight bronze in the 1964 Olympics was the only medal Ireland took home from Tokyo.
