Amber Barrett is banking on some divine intervention when Ireland open their World Cup campaign on Thursday morning against Australia. Back in her home place of Milford, Co Donegal, mass will be held earlier than usual to ensure the congregation are in front of their tellies in time for the 11.0am kick-off. “Hopefully Jesus does us a wee favour,” she said on hearing the news.
Barrett spoke with Louise Lawless ahead of the big game which will be watched by a crowd of over 80,000 in Sydney, among them her father, brother, cousins and friends. She doesn’t expect to make Ireland’s starting line-up, but, God willing, hopes to once again prove to be a super sub.
Gavin Cummiskey brings all the latest news from the Irish camp, including the increasing optimism over Denise O’Sullivan’s chances of making the game.
Back home, Darragh Ó Sé reflects on last weekend’s All Ireland football semi-finals, both of which were decided in the last 10 minutes or so. “For me, that’s where the similarity ends,” he writes. “Once Dublin entered that home stretch, my sense was they wouldn’t be beaten.” By then, though, he couldn’t see how Kerry were going to win. Derry, he reckons, blew it, five second-half wides proving oh so costly.
In hurling, Stephen Barry hears from Limerick manager John Kiely for whom Seán Moran has some worrying news – when the year ends in three, Kilkenny have a habit of prevailing in All Ireland finals. He has more encouraging numbers for the four-in-a-row seekers, though, looking back through the landmark figures on their path to those three successive All Ireland victories.
In golf, Philip Reid brings news that might worry any Just Stop Oil protesters considering disrupting this week’s British Open: Jon Rahm is planning on, well, taking aim. “You don’t want to get hit by a golf ball ... whether it’s on purpose or even by accident.”
Philip also hears from two of the Irish challengers in the field, Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry; Harrington, the winner in 2007 and 2008, feeling in fine fettle and intent on rolling back the years.
And Ian O’Riordan brings news of Rhasidat Adeleke’s professional debut on Tuesday when only world champion Shericka Jackson finished ahead of her in the 200m in Hungary. Vera Pauw should consider a late call-up for Adeleke – the Australian defence wouldn’t have a prayer against her pace.
Telly watch: There are just five stages to go in the Tour de France, starting with today’s 166km mountainous climb from St-Gervais-les-Bains to Courchevel (TG4 11.10am-5pm, Eurosport 1 11am-5pm, ITV4 11.15am-5pm). And this evening TG4 has full deferred coverage of the start of the Irish basketball team’s efforts to qualify for EuroBasket 2025 – they’re away to Croatia (7.15).
