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Person: Shane O’Leary

Connacht’s McCartney to hang up boots

Another member of Connacht’s victorious PRO12 squad is set to retire with hooker Tom McCartney about to bring the curtain down on six years at the Sportsground.

Tue, 07 Apr, 2020

Business movers: The biggest appointments in Irish business this week

Here is a selection of people who have moved into interesting new roles.

Fri, 23 Aug, 2019

Familiar face looks to help USA Eagles soar against Ireland

Security will be tight in the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey tomorrow night for the clash between the USA and Ireland but AJ MacGinty is no stranger to being escorted in and out of this fixture.

Fri, 09 Jun, 2017

Connacht will see shift in personnel for start of Kieran Keane era

Connacht may have managed to hold on to most of their frontline players for next season but there will be a significant shift in personnel at the Sportsground for the start of the Kieran Keane era.

Thu, 13 Apr, 2017

Pat Lam’s decision did not influence John Muldoon to play on

Captain John Muldoon says Pat Lam’s decision to walk away from Connacht had no influence on his decision to extend his stay at the Sportsground.

Thu, 19 Jan, 2017

Pat Lam gambles on a scrum-half at No. 10

Connacht coach Pat Lam has gambled by starting today’s key Champions Cup pool game against Zebre without a recognised out-half.

Sat, 14 Jan, 2017

'It was just turned down by the IRFU because he is a foreigner. Mitch was going to cost nothing'

Pat Lam said an effort to bring his own son in for three weeks to help offset an injury crisis in Connacht was shot down by the IRFU because he is a foreign player.

Wed, 04 Jan, 2017

Backs to the wall for Pat Lam and injury-hit Connacht

Pat Lam has a backs injury crisis on his hands as Connacht put their Champions Cup quarter-final hopes on the line against Wasps at the Sportsground next Saturday.

Wed, 14 Dec, 2016

Bundee Aki is braced for Robbie Henshaw showdown

Bundee Aki is expecting a ‘bite’ in the challenge when he faces down Robbie Henshaw in a Leinster shirt for the first time on Saturday.

Thu, 27 Oct, 2016

Pat Lam: Desire, hunger and character got us through

Connacht 14 Glasgow Warriors 7: Connacht’s players will have a bounce in their step when they return to the Sportsground after three days rest to prepare for yet another seasonal first.

Mon, 09 May, 2016

Pat Lam more focused on home than away

Pat Lam likes to talk. He’s good at it, too. 

Sat, 16 Apr, 2016

Sportsground braced for mother of all derby battles as Munster arrive

The Galway Sportsground has played host to many magnificent occasions over the past eight months but they will struggle to match the atmosphere that will be generated for tonight’s Guinness PRO12 clash of Connacht and Munster.

Sat, 16 Apr, 2016

There are Mondays you can like

JESS dropped me to work on Monday. The morning after the day before. I’d built Sunday up to be the defining moment in my time at Racing 92. Had we lost in Paris to Toulon, I started imagining how Monday morning would feel.

Fri, 15 Apr, 2016

Pat Lam: Connacht will learn from mistakes

Pat Lam has urged his young players to learn from the mistakes that cost them so dearly in Grenoble last weekend and has told his players that they could do worse than look towards Munster, their opponents this Saturday in Galway, for inspiration.

Wed, 13 Apr, 2016

Ronan O’Gara backs Pat Lam’s Connacht to come good

Ronan O’Gara can see a lot of similarities between his Munster side of a decade and a half ago and where Connacht are now going under Pat Lam.

Tue, 12 Apr, 2016

Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble slot late drop goal to reach semis

Grenoble 33 Connacht 32: Heartbreaking, but scintillating. Connacht and Grenoble produced an epic European Challenge Cup quarter-final that upped the profile of this second tier European competition and dazzled the 14,876 fans present on Saturday night.

Mon, 11 Apr, 2016

Peter Jackson: Connacht fall foul of old family curse

Nobody knows what the Irish ever did to upset the Wisniewski family but whatever it was, they’re still at it — still putting the boot into the Greenshirts after all these years.

Mon, 11 Apr, 2016

The greening of Grenoble

What is it with Irish rugby players and coaches heading to the mountains in France? In the Pyrenees, Pau has become an Irish enclave, while over in the Alps, Grenoble has become green.

Sat, 09 Apr, 2016

Andrew Farley set for emotional reunion

Last August, when Andrew Farley returned to Galway as Grenoble team manager for a pre-season clash with Connacht, he was chuffed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the home supporters.

Fri, 08 Apr, 2016

Connacht's Shane O’Leary ready for return to France

Shane O’Leary will complete a loop of a remarkable journey on Saturday night when he lines out at out-half for Connacht against Grenoble in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

Tue, 05 Apr, 2016

Ulster stop slump with hard-fought win over Connacht

Ulster 18 Connacht 10: For Ulster the misery of the a month which saw them slump to fifth ended in a hard-fought win in Belfast over a Connacht side which never took a backward step but was undone by injuries and some unforced errors.

Sat, 02 Apr, 2016

Les Kiss: Time to show real Ulster

Les Kiss, Ulster’s Director of Rugby, was asked yesterday if his targets for his side had changed, given the slide from table-toppers to fifth in the Guinness Pro12.

Fri, 01 Apr, 2016

AJ McGinty injury deals ‘killer blow’ to Connacht

Connacht are suffering yet another injury headache with outhalf AJ McGinty ruled out for a month ahead of Friday’s meeting with Ulster in Belfast.

Tue, 29 Mar, 2016

Pair admit public order charges

Gardaí investigating a reported assault on a rickshaw driver in Cork city centre encountered two men smiling and punching the air, and banging at a phone kiosk.

Tue, 22 Mar, 2016

Brian Ashton goes for a basket 27/1/2016

St Aidan’s early blitz crucial as Ballincollig’s brave fightback falls short

The big hitters came out to play on the final day of action at the All-Ireland Schools Cup Finals as St Aidan’s CBS of Whitehall met Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig in the U19A Boys decider. The Dublin boys maintained their impressive form with a 92- 71 win.

Thu, 28 Jan, 2016

Connacht v Newcastle Falcons - European Rugby Challenge Cup - Pool 1 Round 2

Depleted Connacht can seal Challenge Cup passage

Connacht’s injury plague means Pat Lam’s squad face Newcastle tomorrow with a reduced squad of 22. 

Sat, 19 Dec, 2015

Pat Lam plea to bolster Connacht squad rejected

European rugby’s governing body has turned down an appeal from Connacht’s Pat Lam to add two extra backs to his injury-torn squad ahead of Sunday’s return visit to Newcastle.

Wed, 16 Dec, 2015

Pragmatic Pat Lam adjusts as depleted Connacht brace for Newcastle Falcons battle

Connacht Rugby will take on Newcastle Falcons in this evening’s third round European fixture at the Galway Sportsground (kick-off 7.45pm) with wholesale changes to the starting line-up.

Fri, 11 Dec, 2015

AIL Review: UCD edge out Garryowen and move top of table

UCD may have been in free-scoring form of late in Ulster Bank League Division 1A, but they showed their ability to win a tight contest when coming from behind to defeat Garryowen 13-6 at Dooradoyle on Saturday.

Mon, 30 Nov, 2015

Digicel ad-blocker ‘to help force advertising shift’

Digicel’s move to block ads on customers’ phones across its entire network is part of a wider shift that will become more pronounced in the coming months and force a fundamental change in advertising, according to a leading expert.

Fri, 02 Oct, 2015

Pace key to Sevens success, says Colm McMahon, as Munster take on the world

Colm McMahon, formerly of Shannon and Munster and now coach of the Munster squad in this weekend’s Limerick World Club Sevens at Thomond Park, knows exactly the kind of player he needs to help relieve Fijian side Daveta of the trophy they lifted 12 months ago.

Thu, 20 Aug, 2015

Irish clubs suffering as French swooping for country’s best emerging talent

French rugby clubs are targeting school leavers as they seek to attract Ireland’s young talent with the lure of a decent living wage and a good lifestyle.

Fri, 24 Jul, 2015

Pat Lam focuses on Ospreys as Connacht shake off gutsy Zebre

Zebre 10 Connacht 40: It has been a season like no others. With a new record of 10 wins and currently leaders in the disciplinary stakes, Connacht will still be fighting on the last day of the Guinness Pro12 season for Champions Cup rugby.

Mon, 11 May, 2015

Win boosts Connacht's Champions Cup hope

Connacht kept alive their hopes of European Champions Cup qualification with a 40-10 away win over bottom-of-the-table Zebre in the Guinness PRO12.

Sat, 09 May, 2015

Munster keep up top four push

Guinness Pro12  

Mon, 30 Mar, 2015

Dolphin delight as losing spell is broken

Dolphin 12 Young Munster 11

Mon, 05 Jan, 2015

Clontarf unleash firepower to blow gutsy Munsters away

Clontarf 37 Young Munster 19

Mon, 15 Sep, 2014

Sheahan: League will now be far more competitive

Despite last season ending on a cliffhanger that could hardly have been more dramatic, the Ulster Bank League will be decidedly differently this year.

Fri, 12 Sep, 2014

Boost for Connacht as skipper Muldoon set to face Dragons

Connacht have been boosted by the availability of their skipper John Muldoon ahead of their opening Guinness Pro12 game of the season against Dragons on Saturday.

Tue, 02 Sep, 2014

Wasps edge out Connacht

Wasps 28 Connacht 18

Mon, 25 Aug, 2014

Extra push gets St Brendan’s through

Currow 0-13 St Brendan’s 3-13 (AET)

Mon, 30 Jun, 2014

Buckley bullet offers Currow senior status

Currow 2-11 St Mary’s 0-14

Mon, 21 Oct, 2013

Malone: Player development is working

Munster’s British and Irish Cup coach Peter Malone has backed the national system of identification and development of players, despite recent headlines highlighting young talent now plying their trade in England and France.

Wed, 09 Oct, 2013

Jerry Sexton follows illustrious brother in making France switch

Jerry Sexton, younger brother of Lions out-half Jonny, has joined his sibling in making a move to French club rugby.

Fri, 26 Jul, 2013

Shannon fail to raise a gallop

Young Munster 18 Shannon 0

Mon, 15 Apr, 2013

Derby success ends Young Munster losing streak