Talk Sport 23dec2024

Paul Gannon here with your Monday Night Sports Roundup. This will be the last Roundup of 2024 and I'd just like to say on my own behalf a huge thank you to all of the people in the station, Pat, Linda, Grainne, Teresa on reception and numerous other people out there who have helped me all year in terms of sending in information in relation to all the different wonderful sports that go on within Connemara Community Radio's catchment area and it's been a great pleasure and privilege for me to assimilate all of all of this material and to send it out on a weekly basis. Very little sports information to put out on this particular bulletin and we start with golf. Connemara Golf Links results from yesterday, Sunday the 22nd of December. It was a Stableford Hamper. Men's Division 1, first Michael Harris 16 points, second is Joe Healy 15 points and at Division 2 level the winner was Tom Kearney on 17 points. With Tommy O'Toole there the runner-up on 16 points. The ladies competition winner was Sinead Foyle on 15 points, followed up there in runner-up position Grainne O'Malley on 14 points. Just a couple of West Coast United results from the weekend and it was mixed fortunes in the Under-16 Division 1 Championship Cup first round. West Coast United won Ballinasloe Town 3 but it was a different outcome for the West Coast Under-14s also playing in the Division 1 Championship Cup. They travelled down to Cairo and came out on top. They're emphatic 5-0 winners and they march on in the Under-14 Division 1 Championship Cup. And the only other item I have tonight is just a reminder that the annual Rynval GA Under-30s versus Over-30s St Stephen's Day Challenge for a really great cause, Cancer Care West, goes ahead at one o'clock on the 26th in Letterfrack. That's my lot for tonight. Talk to you again on Monday the 6th of January. Talk Sport and Connemara Community Radio support Galway County Council in their anti-litter campaign. We all have a responsibility to ensure that our roadways, towns and villages are litter-free. So whether driving or meeting up with friends, don't forget to always put your litter in a bin. Please play your part. It's easy to make a difference. Welcome to Talk Sport on this Monday evening. We're delighted to have Bernard Lee online and Bernard has probably been watching Premiership over the weekend as he normally does and we might mention just a few things that happened during the year. So Bernard, I'm hoping that you're in Christmas spirit and that you're almost ready to put the feet up but just one more program to do. Ah yeah and best of greetings to all the listeners, to everybody out there in the studio. So sports, funny enough, continues right throughout the Christmas period and even in I suppose if you take something like American football now they'll be even playing on Christmas Day and it's very unusual. We think everything closes down. The Premiership we know we have had games at the weekend and of course you have the Boxing Day games which are always very exciting and then in the period over the Christmas and into New Year. So it's an important period but as I said just touching on the American football in another month's time we'll all be experts on the American football coming down to the playoffs and as I said you can imagine the fans in America heading out on Christmas Day going to these some big matches and Christmas Eve and all of that. So they're on a different time scale. I know Thanksgiving is a big day for them back in the late November but you know sports does continue and just on that it would be interesting to see the Kansas City Chiefs or the defending champions there in the American football. They're going well trying to get the number one seed. They'll be up against the likes of the Buffalo Bills. Interestingly enough a team very famous with Irish fans and very popular at the San Francisco 49ers have failed to make the playoffs to the best of my knowledge there after yesterday's game. So that's having reached the Super Bowl in recent years but that's the nature of it. So in the run up to January and into early February you have the Super Bowl and as I said it's a sport that a lot of people just as I said tune in to start in September finishes in February but we'll be keeping an eye on it maybe in some of the broadcasts into the New Year. But and basically I suppose the big game that caught the eye and I suppose people are talking about today is the Tottenham and Liverpool game there. So Tottenham at home to Liverpool and of course it's a real Christmas scoreline. Tottenham 3 Liverpool 6 and you know if you're a Spurs fan you have to expect the unexpected and but not that this was unexpected. It's a case of Spurs say you score three and we'll score four but in this case they scored three and Liverpool scored six. Yeah and good goals as well Burnley weren't they? Oh yeah well Liverpool are looking they're one of the top teams in Europe they have a great record they've had a very good start under Arne Slott and it feels like he's been there a long time now even though it's his first season and his first few months in charge but the results both in Europe and domestically have been very good. So interestingly enough Spurs and Liverpool will play after Christmas in the two-legged League Cup semi-final and Spurs in fairness they have a lot of injuries. They may have one or two back. They were 3-0 up against Man Utd in midweek in the League Cup quarterfinal and almost threw the game away you know with only half an hour to go and they just fell over the line 4-3 I think and they just don't seem to be able to defend and it's not so much that they're not able to defend but that the manager doesn't ask them to defend when there's a game there to be won or to hold you know to it's when we have the ball we're attacking and a lot of the fans are getting very frustrated with that they'd like they it's great to be playing attacking football but there's a time to switch off and close the shop as well but this manager doesn't do it so it remains to be seen he's exciting and a lot of players maybe up to 10 first team well quality players maybe five first team players out a lot of young players in there as well the future looks bright for Spurs under the manager but he does seem to have a philosophy that's not quite popular with all of the fans because it's just too attacking and you know there'll be a lot of blood pressure tablets applied to the Spurs fans between now at the end of the year and if he continues but look they've had some good results they've beaten Man City 4-0 you know Man United in the in the League Cup 4-3 they you know got some good results but they were a bit kamikaze against Liverpool and Liverpool picked them off and they'll be tops for Christmas so um Arne Slott is you know the turning into the manager of the year and you know a good record in the Champions League as well going well with them a victory over Real Madrid and said in the semi-finals of the League Cup and the FA Cup will be up after Christmas so we'll see how it goes but they're in a good position at the minute. The Spurs got a couple of very very good goals themselves but Trent Alexander the way he can actually pinpoint a pass it's he's one of the most amazing players for for Doom the likes isn't he? Yeah yeah no I mean they have some very good talent and of course they're multiple winners of all of the big trophies most of that squad have featured you know they've won the league title, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League and World Club title as well mostly under the the period there of Jurgen Klopp so even in five or six years they they're very experienced for the large part and we know Kevin Kelleher there the the Irish goalkeeper has come in as well and he's performed well when Alisson has been out the regular there so there's a little Irish connection there one or two other Irish connections but you know they still have a very big fan base it's not going to go away and I'm sure it will be added to a lot now with their their popularity and their success and the manager seems very focused and calm he's a calming influence but it's quite rare to see somebody and they haven't gone over over the boat in the transfer market either so he's he's playing maybe with a team that he inherited and but if you have good players you can do good things with them and you know there's a bit of debate there about Mo Salah whether he'll stay at the end of the season and all that and contract negotiations but by and large it's going to be a happy Christmas for the Liverpool supporters and they'll be top and and as I said Chelsea was the only other team that could have tipped them for the Christmas number one spot but they had a nil-all draw with Everton and but they're still in the title race and they'd be one of the surprise packets of the the season so far because they were well down the league last year and they obviously have the new manager coming in there Maresca and while they were a little bit goal shy against Everton, Everton had tightened up at the back they had a couple of nil-all draws which is an unusual result in the premiership but Chelsea have you know the likes of Cole Palmer and they have Nicholas Jackson and they have got some good good players there's a lot of goals in the team but yesterday they drew a blank and so it just leaves obviously Liverpool top there going into the Christmas period on 39 points from 16 games so that you know a very good record only one defeat I think to Nottingham Forest in that. The big talking point I suppose aside from Liverpool Bernie would be the fact that I think Marcus Rashford is on everybody's mind at the moment because there is trouble there he wants I think he wants to get out now at this stage and the new manager he doesn't seem to have gelled the team together as people thought he might but I mean three nil yesterday again that's not good. Yeah yeah I know that that was that was the other big result of the weekend so Amram the new manager there from Portugal eight I think what it goes to show you is you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as the old saying and the players are still there so we remember Eric King Hag and you know there was a lot of one step forward and two steps back and this is the case with Amran and he's come in has a couple of decent results but by and large it hasn't been great there's been a couple of bad losses there as well and the Rashford incident where he's you know obviously said he wants a new start the thing I would say about Rashford he's been underachieving and he's been involved in a lot of off the field activities for one reason or another but basically if you're a professional footballer you're paid big money to do the the job for one of the biggest clubs in the world so I don't think some of the Man United fans would worry too much if the manager shows strong leadership I think he's been giving him a chance to perform and he stopped him with one of the other players as well there for a couple of matches but giving them the chance to redeem themselves but I'm not so sure what's going to happen and the other thing about Rashford is I'm not so sure that a lot of teams will be joining the queue to get him if he's not showing the willingness to perform at one of the biggest clubs in the world what's his attitude going to be at another club and he comes with a big question mark very talented but attitude is very important yeah I think the attitude is bad and like that and he comes with a fairly hefty prize tag as well that's the other side yeah yeah I mean if you could be you know some somebody who could unearth all the talent that's there and reignite you know what he would like a couple of years ago you know he's an English international as well and I'm sure he'd like to regain some prominence back at the top tier of English football but I think at least to go in the January window you know it'll be interesting you see maybe Alex Barton but what's interesting you know players there's a lot of attacking styles there's a lot of different styles of football now with different managers but most of them like to high press at some stage they might be all like Spurs where they're going home for 90 minutes but Rashford is not the sort of guy to track back and to do the dirty type of football which is you know marking and chasing down and you know he's very much you know give me the ball and I'll try and do it but he hasn't been doing that either so he's not going to fit into every coach's system and there's a lot of good coaches in the premiership so I'm not so sure look at if the conditions are right and a manager thinks he can get the the best out of him then he's an addition but at the moment I'd be worried I wouldn't want him coming to Spurs as a Spurs fan he's with too much baggage there at the moment but um it was a very unusual result I mean Manchester United at Old Trafford 0 Bournemouth 3 and Bournemouth picked them off classically they could have got 4 maybe as well so it was a good performance Bournemouth have some good scabs this season already manager doing well just smart decent football no stars and play good football and you know they're a bit like Brentford and maybe they like to Brighton as well they can upset the best of the best on their day but a good performance from them and you know United look at as I said there's no pressure the manager is then he's trying to sort things out and I think he will be a good manager I think he's a good footballing manager so I think United will be safe in the long run but where they go in the short term and I think the January transfer window will be interesting for them uh one or other two teams maybe the likes of Spurs United interesting to see if Liverpool or Arsenal might go in into the transfer market as well but um for now things not great at United but I think the manager will sort it out I thought Tin Hag was a good manager but he just as you said you cannot take a silk purse out of a sow's ear that's the the long and the short but but uh like he I suppose expected to be one of the top managers and expected to bring one of the top teams back into the top flight but uh it's not it didn't work out for him and it's hard to see where they're going to because I think the attitude has changed like United when you think of United of old they're so different now aren't they yeah yeah and you know we say go back to 2013 or 2014 when Ferguson hung up the boots there and you know they've won a few trophies since then I mean Spurs would be happy with the trophies United have won since Ferguson even though everybody thinks you know they've had a a bad period they certainly haven't been challenging much for the premiership but they've picked up a few FA Cups and League Cups I think along the way um but that's not what they want you know they need to be pushing uh for the top prize there and also in Europe so it's not been working out and you know if we go across the board there then to Man City I mean it's who could believe that what's happening at Man City it's one of the big talking points of football this season that they would have the period of losing so many matches and must really be out of the um the uh the premiership race at this date so they lost to Villa 2-1 at the at the weekend there again and you know Pep Guardiola has his hands full um you know what's interesting it's not not just the premiership but just to qualify for Europe if they didn't get in the top four weren't in the Champions League next year that's a huge blow to the club and money and all that goes with it uh they expect to be fighting for you know the Champions League every year so you know um it's interesting to to see it um you know they're down in seventh position 27 points so you know 12 points of uh Liverpool of 39 and and Liverpool with a game in hand but as I said while the title might be gone you know the teams above them like Aston Villa Bournemouth Nottingham Forest um who would have thought that uh coming up to Christmas because they every team will have a bad run and they had a couple but I mean I don't know is it eight or nine out of 11 or 12 matches and in in all competitions as well so um you know the recent loss there to United in the derby last week was an indication where they were leading with after 86 87 minutes and still managed to lose the game um so interesting to see I'm not sure if they're going they have a few injuries like a lot of teams but certainly you couldn't uh you couldn't feel too much sympathy for Man City with a huge squad they have you know um but it goes to show you because Pep Guardiola was one of the most consistent managers and it's the one thing about great managers like Alex Ferguson maybe Arsene Wenger maybe recent managers there Jurgen Klopp and all the great ones down to the years they they're consistent if they're not first they're second and if they're not second or third they're in that top tier and they're regularly there or thereabouts and never go through what you'd call a bad period so Guardiola was certainly in that category and it's very unusual no matter what league he was in whether it's La Liga or in in the German league there in the Bundesliga he's always there or thereabouts and you know they've won four titles uh in a row there and they're you know their credentials are so strong so it's unusual to see them uh there but I'd say he'd nearly liked a little bit of a clear out there uh at um at City there's a few clear Jack Realish in particular for me just I think he was 100th million there and I know he's only scored two or three goals in this period there they have won a Champions League they got over the line against Inter Milan there a couple of years ago they deserved to win it but they were fortunate in the final so he's ticked the box of winning a Champions League and all the other trophies but they need to be pushing on now and at the moment it'll be very interesting to watch there what happens in the January window and they have this thing hanging over the Maldives maybe a suspension or uh you know for the the charges there for the I suppose the money that might have been spent and all of the you know it's been hanging over them but there was 115 charges I've lost count of them now but um with the uh the powers that be there and could there be a points deduction or could they be relegated or you know anything is possible because depending on how serious and if they are found guilty that's uh so there's a lot of things a lot of crowds hanging over Manchester City and as I said they're in seventh place and uh you know another result and you know the team's just behind them there and one win could catapult them up they could be down a lot further equally they could win could catapult them up but not looking like a title for them this year. No I think when you see him walking off the pitch yesterday and the head down it tells an awful lot about the way things are at Fiji and I think they will throw the book at them the FA will throw the book at them when all this comes out because I mean if they don't sure any team can turn around and do exactly the same you know. Yeah it'll be important for the integrity of the league you know if any team is found guilty and it doesn't matter if you have fraud or money or you know you're one of the richest clubs in the world or whatever uh you bring to the game uh you have to be seen to be punished this year as you know we've seen Everton and was it Nottingham Forth and a lot of teams there last year uh you know being punished points and places in the league for much minor offenses you think you know without ever getting into it so look at the integrity but I'm not so sure if integrity and international and professional sports go hand in hand in a lot of cases but um it'll be okay to watch this space and see how they they get on because you know I suppose if Man City fans said listen we'll put up not qualifying for the top four or maybe domestically this year if they went off and won the uh Champions League which I cannot see them doing at the minute but they do have the potential to regain they have a lot of good players one or two to come back from injury uh I'm not so sure if they'll be in the transfer market but yeah interesting to to see how how it goes there at City. Yeah. John-Joel from John-Joel's Fish Van would like to wish all his customers a very happy and holy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your business throughout the year especially the regulars. The directors and staff of Connemara West would like to thank you most sincerely for your help and support to our work this year and we wish you a safe and peaceful Christmas and good health and happiness for the new year. From all at the Diamond Hair Studio we'd like to thank our clients for their support this year and hope you have a happy Christmas and looking forward to seeing you in the new year. From Rose to Caroline and Stephanie at the Diamond Hair Studio. Wishing all our members and visitors a very merry Christmas and happy new year. We look forward to seeing you all in 2025 from all the teams at Connemara Government. Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! Don't miss out on our biggest sale ever at Kifton Station House Leisure Centre. 15% off 6 and 12 month memberships, swimming lessons and fitness classes. Let's sweat, smile and succeed this new year in the Kifton Station House. Call 095-30433 to avail of this fantastic sale or pop into us we are happy to help. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. Call into one of our shops today Brodericks Electrical, Castle Bar and Westport or go online at broderickselectrical.ie. From TVs to tablets, air fryers to hair dryers, Bluetooth speakers to robot vacuum cleaners. All at the lowest prices in store at Brodericks Electrical, Castle Bar and Westport. Kifton Supply Centre, Galway Road, Clifton. Provide building supplies, plumbing and heating supplies, fuel merchants, DIY and general hardware. Contact the Kifton Supply Centre on 095-21476. Any other results or predictions from last Monday Bernard? Yeah well the big one there, we kind of forget Arsenal of course. 5-1 away win against Crystal Palace and it's just continuing there. They're still in the title race but they've dropped so many points and silly points as well. So they're on 33 points, 6 behind Liverpool of a game in hand. So that's not a great position to be in for Arsenal but look it's only Christmas, there's a long way to go and I think Liverpool will hit a sticky period. Whether you lose, you know it's not about losing as well. If you draw you drop two points and Liverpool, while they've only lost one, they've had a few draws there in recent games but they've dropped a few points. They could even be more comfortable ahead but overall Chelsea, Arsenal and it's hard to see nothing of Boris maintaining it. So there's a bit of a gap then down to it but Arsenal would have thought that if Manchester City are going to win the title this year they were entitled to feel they're the next best after last year but they're going to have a bit of work from Chelsea and obviously Liverpool and as I said Liverpool so solid, a good manager and if they avoid injuries and you know a big fixture pile up because they're in all competitions then they'd be the team to book for maybe winning the title this year and you know interesting to see how they go in the other domestic competitions as well. So no other shocks really over the weekend but a lot of goals scored in fairness it's nice to see you know that there's plenty goals and plenty good goals as well. Yeah Newcastle now are another team they put Ipswich to the sword there 4-0 away and Ipswich down at the bottom but you know it's always interesting to keep an eye on the teams and the relegation so you have Southampton, Ipswich and Wolves, Leicester as well in it and Palace and Everton are climbing out of it slowly but surely and nobody wants to see Everton go down but yeah so they're good, teams can put in some you know unusual results and it'll be interesting on boxing day that's always a fixture where very unusual results and quite a lot of goals can be scored as well so you know we'll see what happens in that you know you have interesting games coming up the likes of Nottingham Forest will be on against Tottenham you know Tottenham have to gain you know some sort of credibility back to climb up the table you know you have maybe Liverpool and Leicester over the Christmas period as well the boxing day there there'd be good opportunity for Liverpool to you know rule the Nestle race having a bit of a difficult period there for Leicester manager so Liverpool maybe to get a win there on boxing day and to continue their good success there at the top of the league and Arsenal at home to Ipswich as well so there should be a lot of points I think for the top team Chelsea at home to Fulham I expect them to win and you know Manchester City home to Everton that might be a tricky one for them but by and large the top team should be going into new year I think maintaining the status quo there at the top and but keep an eye out there should be lots of goals and maybe one or two unpredictable results but you know at the moment you know you have the likes of Nottingham Forest who would have thought that they'd be in fourth position on 31 points and teams below them like Man City, Newcastle, Spurs, Man United, Everton as well so that's the great thing about the league if you have a good manager you know you can get good solid results you don't have to have big star players just get them playing in a type of a system and they all believe in it and that's what Nottingham Forest has said they're the only team to beat Liverpool and that's about Anfield earlier in the year and you know continued it with some great results and up there in fourth place on 30 31 points yeah and I suppose Bernard looking back on the year overall just quickly I think the Irish rugby team the the Ottoman internationals we didn't have it all our own way in fairness they weren't playing as well as they could play and it'll be interesting to see now how the Six Nations goes but certainly they weren't firing on all cylinders like we expected yeah for the you know the teams have lost a little bit from all and I suppose the you know without Johnny Sexton you know you have out halves and you have out halves and you have leaders and I think there's a little lack of leadership I think there and now you have you know interesting sort of a fight for the out half position there and Prendergast is this new player that has come in as well and he's you know in with Leinster there and there might be a new generation different out halves give different I suppose emphasis to a team and now generally as well throughout the team I always you always look for leaders and you look at South Africa and you look at New Zealand and they always seem to have leaders either in the pack or you know star players in in either in the out half position or even you know other in the full show or whatever I just think we're lacking a little bit of that after the Paul O'Connells and the you know all of the great era you know where we could name those players and they they'd get they'd get players together in difficult situations which is going to pop up I just thought those the Ottoman internationals there well there was something a little bit nitching but you give them the you know the opportunity to regroup and the manager can you know maybe pick the best players gel get teams working get a team working together so that the key player will be the out half I think they're both kicking wise and just bringing the rest of the players into it as well. I'd say too Bernard like you know to to lose the likes of them because he they're they really make big decisions very very quickly yeah but I'd say with Sexton being out of the fold for the you know since since he's retired the fact that there's nobody there and I'd say he'd be the kind of fellow that if you made a mistake he wouldn't be long telling you about it. Yeah well you always felt there was a leader there on the field you know and the the players more importantly the players around them felt it as well and you know you have an energy there all the great out halves and great players generally no matter where their centres are and full backs or wherever certain you know they still do have some key players all right and look at the the I think the Six Nations will be interesting you know I thought of there were a little bit of it maybe the you know the Ottoman internationals aren't they'd be all an in-law we were there's maybe a still recovering a little bit from the disappointment of the World Cup and the fact that you know they lost out there to New Zealand and didn't get past the quarterfinals and really and truly no matter what you do during the four years in between World Cups it's what you do on the top stage of the World Cup and I think there's a bit of a hangover from that and they want to kind of regroup put that behind them get the new players on board and set sail for you know the next World Cup but also the Six Nations will be important as well that they can maybe contest with the likes of France and England are coming out of their shell a bit as well I think it'll be good Six Nations there are some good Scotland emerging as well but I think too Bernard the fact that Andy Farrell he's got one eye on the on the tour you know the Lions tour it's not I think that that has to have an effect on the team as well because really and truly it's a lot to take on yeah no I think so and look at it there's a bit of a you know you feel like you're the divided liabilities are keeping you know an eye on another ball shall we say but yeah look at the I suppose it's a great honour for him to do it but I think he has great potential in that Irish squad if he gets it all together they missed out as I said at the last World Cup there was the potential there to reach the final and to do something great with a great bunch of players and of course the under 20s coming up there you know there's great resources there at underage level for the Irish rugby team going forward so the good manager with his eye on the ball you know it might take a year or two to develop but you know that should be just in time for the next World Cup so I think it's exciting times ahead but you know maybe missed opportunities but yeah always a good watch and you know they're dining at the top table and they will be for the next while we all hope that look at it Linda but an important you know trophy maybe as regards the the six nations which they've won before in the championship but also forward progress in the World Cup when that comes around and I suppose Bernard looking back on the Olympics we had a few I mean our athletes were fantastic and a couple of good successes and you know bright future ahead for a lot of them as well yeah just to highlight the year that's just practically gone by and anything else standout Kelly Harrington I suppose was another standout yeah yeah and you know Katie Taylor recently as well so she's coming to the end of the career and all of that just going back to the Olympics you had Rashid Alayk there in the in the 400 she had the fourth place you know you had Daniel Whitham in the swimming was great to see you know Ireland emerging you know with the gold medal you had you know in the gymnastics as well and the finnick in there and you know and so we we got some great moments in the in the Olympics a few near misses as well but very very exciting going forward and Irish athletics and there's a few new members of other the Nick Griggs there boys and he's going to be a great sort of a runner there at in the middle distance there 15 maybe and 5,000 going forward so but Rashid Alayk there she's you know she's so young and a great future ahead of her and she's going to be a great role model for young athletes coming up and of course O'Donovan and Ruff was his partner they they came through as well so yeah a lot really to be happy about it yeah I mean he's a great guy like you know he won the personality or sports person of the year there as well and but he's underrated I suppose he has a very quirky sort of a sense of humor but I think in times to come as some somebody said he might go down as one of the great Irish athletes of all time and you know the records are made and what he's won and both you know with various partners and national and world championships and you know you kind of take them it's a bit like the old era back in 87-88 when Sean Kelly and Stephen Roach were you know flying high and you know we thought this would be the way it's always would be but you know cycling and you know it went through a fallow period ever since but you have to appreciate the good times when you had them you know when you know Roach funded the Tour de France and Kelly you know he was at the top maybe the top ranked rider in the world for a number of years without ever winning the Tour but you know there were he still thought you know that both players are cyclists and athletes who are highly regarded all those years later so look at it's like with Kelly Harrington and with you know Katie Taylor you have to admire them at the time that they're doing the great things particularly Taylor on the international stage and just appreciate them when you have them and you know it may not always be the case but at least they're giving great encouragement for future athletes as well so as I said that that would be the way it is and just on the darts as well at the minute the darts would be very much prominent over the next few weeks there's been a few Irish performers there some of them have gone out with one or two playing each other but the Alley Pally there particularly now they have Christmas break and into the new year it'll be very exciting there the likes of Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and they will be contesting there for it so between the darts and the football the Christmas period is there the kind of two main sports that hold force there over this period so you know if people are in it and the weather is bad to kick you know to kick out the Christmas period there were plenty of sports on the TV so but a lot of people were reviewing the year overall it's been a decent year and said the Olympics was on they you had the various aspects Ireland and the international soccer scene, a new manager and of course the ladies will be looking for a new manager they failed to qualify for the World Cup unfortunately they put up a good performance and I think it's Bulgaria if I'm not mistaken Ireland have in their Nations League qualifier there out in the springtime as well so you have the Icelandic manager who's getting a seat under the table some bit of talent emerging but maybe not the heady days of Jack Charlton and that but you can't have it like that all the time but hopefully as I said some decent results and they had a recent World Cup you know there's a World Cup qualifying group as well so they're not in the toughest group there going forward for the next competitions but overall yeah I mean look at the sport will always be very much prominent it'll keep us interested glued to our feet and but the Premiership and the Champions League and all of that when it kicks off back again after Christmas will regain the recognition and I'm sure as I said the Liverpool fans will enjoy it the Christmas the Man United fans Spurs fans maybe and there'll be a lot of banter in the pubs and all of that so it's all good. The Turkey will be wearing a Liverpool jersey this year anyway. Definitely. Closer to home then or closer to our own national sports Galway have Micheál Donoghue back as well for the Harling for next you know we'll be hoping that we're we're going to be knocking on the door come next August September hopefully anyway. Yeah obviously he's back there after the period of Henry Shetland didn't work out and Donoghue you know brought the success in 2017 and interesting you know the way Harling has gone there's a lot to talk about the changing of rules and football and all of that but you know I remember that final when they won in 2017 and I think they didn't Galway didn't score a goal from the quarterfinal to the final and you know that was an unusual statistic but they were certainly scoring from out the field and you know they just got over the line and then it didn't go so well in the last couple of years then of his tenure there and he went to Dublin and that but I think the real thing there is that I think Galway teams deserve probably Galway managers and while Shetland didn't work out he done his best and I think you know the very complex nature of the Harling and Galway they're very successful at different levels in club and they're very you know prominent while they might be winning the All-Ireland as often as they should do you know they feature strongly and Galway in fairness as a county must be one of the top sporting counties in the country because you've seen recently the club titles there in the Camogie you know for Galway, Sarsfield and also Cairn Clumburn in the ladies football winning four in a row and it's great prestige for the county and to be you know doing that well even on club level so the other thing of course was the disappointment in Galway and now it's going back to the three, was it three weeks in a row, four weeks in a row, three weeks in a row there was Galway losing the All-Ireland finals in the men's football which was disappointing that's a huge disappointment because that game was there for the taking the loss by the point to Arma and the women lost to I think it was Kerry and that was a deserved defeat and then the Camogie as well I think it was three weeks in a row you know and that was disappointing it's good to be at the top table but you know you don't want to be losing two but going forward the footballers, the Gaelic footballers you know they're still going to be there, they're about Torric Dice still in charge, there's been a few changes in the backroom team but it remains to be seen you know some of the other counties will be emerging as well and they'll be going forward and Dublin I'm sure will re-emerge, Kerry with all their talent and then you know the Tyrones, the Dundee Golds under Jimmy Guinness and you know the Armas and who knows maybe Mayo still as well you know they're never too far away so it's very competitive. Back to the point on Micheál Dunne who burned it I think he was unlucky in a way that I mean JP's money came to Limerick and really and truly you could see it I mean there was they were all the professional in fairness they were professional in every sense of the word but that money really and truly it lifted Limerick really and truly out of the doldrums but it was just unfortunate that Galway like we had a team I think that could have gone on to do a three in a row only for it really Limerick had the backing of JP at the time and it was just unfortunate. Yeah no I mean he's a solid type of a manager and it'd be interesting to look at Galway, Harling can be a lot maybe rivalry among clubs as well so there's a lot of politics involved in it, it probably goes on in a lot of counties but you know Galway's one of the top hurling counties in the country so maybe there's more politics than normal so look he'd know that as I said maybe an outsider wouldn't and he'll know it from before so it'd be interesting to see the brand of hurling they do play but Clare he brings through from you know the trials and that and you know not many of the 2017 team would be still there and you wouldn't want to be depending on them seven years later would be one or two but look he'll have his own judgment on that and Limerick won't be too far away you know it was a great All-Ireland final between Cork and Clare and you know one of the greats and the other great final going back to maybe 2014 when Clare and Cork were in it as well and it went to a replay so they certainly do shop a great entertainment and Clare their you know deserving champions became through toward the end and Limerick disappointed not to you know continue on with their great success but it's no harm to have new teams winning as well but very competitive there you know you have your Waterford's your Kilkenny's we haven't even mentioned them Dublin not too far away so it's a very tough thing I think a success for Galway maybe which Dunahoo might be a semi-final maybe getting through to a semi-final performing well maybe getting through to a final but they're doing very well to match the likes of Clare, Cork are a bit ahead of them and of course Limerick as well on cardinal form and I suppose as long as we don't we mentioned Man City earlier on and the monies that are kind of being questioned as long as the revenue commissioners don't put Galway and Mayo I think they're being quizzed as well about financial things as long as we don't get hit with something like that you know it could put Galway football or Galway Harlins or Galway GA back years yeah and I often used to wonder about you know they used to collect money on the the turnstiles and there's a lot of you often wondered about the fact that a lot of there was buckets hanging on gates there for a long time yes and where the buckets went after that was the question so maybe revenue might have gotten wind of that and you know not casting aspirations on any county board or anything but I'd say there might be a few Bob undeclared over over the period of time hopefully they won't alert anything too serious but it certainly would impact it look at I think you can't go outside your door now without somebody coming after you for tax or our revenue or something like that it's it's you know we'll see how it goes it's an added thing that I suppose they'll have to be mindful of and just to clean up their shop as best they can and you know what that could be true of all of the the county board across the road matters if there are some off the field problems because there'll be enough on the field problems for all of these managers going forward and county boards etc yeah Bernard I suppose we better leave it at that but overall it's been a fairly positive year for Ireland as far as sporting items go and hopefully 2025 will bring us some I suppose starting off with the rugby it's going to be the first thing served up for the six nations and looking forward to I think we've a trip to Cardiff planned for that so I'm really looking forward to that it's a great competition but overall a good year for sports yeah and just on the athletics we mentioned before there's just one local element to that and that's that a gentleman there who was very prominent with to cut American actions that Killian Green Killian in the 400 meters now he came out of injuries he was there the 400 champion and you know he has links there I think his dad comes from initially near Roundstone there Killian as we call it always said he Harriers but I know he's emerging a little bit up coming back from injuries that has shown some recent good times so we'll keep an eye on him as I said he did have some he was part of the men's and women's the relays there in the 4x400s and he was part of that with the Irish team featuring very well in the world championships there the world relay championships and at the Olympics going back there to the previous one in Tokyo I think but again if he comes out of the shadows and recovers from injury he'll be another interesting one to watch with the prominence of Irish athletics going forward so we wish Killian all the best there and as I said it could be a good year ahead from and the rest of the Irish athletics team. Absolutely. This Christmas give the gift of Kyle Morabbi. This is our beautiful Connemara estate and experience the festive atmosphere of Ireland's best loved historic treasure. Make Christmas shopping and dining an experience to remember with our wholesome winter menu and delightful handcrafted gifts. Fill your larder with homemade Kyle Morabbi Christmas fare and choose from a beautiful range of giftware and award-winning chocolates handmade in Sister Grenadier's chocolate kitchen. Gift joy this Christmas when you shop in store or online at KyleMorabbi.com. Kyle Morabbi, a story so timeless it's still being written. Okay, welcome back listeners. Now we're going to talk a little bit of rugby and I'm joined online by PJ Heffernan from Connemara Rugby Club. You're welcome PJ. Thank you Bernard, thank you and happy Christmas to you and all at the radio station and hopefully it'll be a good one you know. Thank you and the same to everybody there at the club. So look at it, it's quietening down but you've had a busy few weeks there and of course it'll kick off again after the Christmas. The way the season is structured at the moment is it's like a two halves so before the Christmas they'll try and run off most of the league games and you'll be at the tail end of the table then say after Christmas. We're in the enviable position of being two points ahead at the halfway mark and so that entitles us to home advantage out in the Monastery field and as you know no team likes to come out there and face the Blacks on any day of the week you know, a fine day or a wet day. They're a formidable squad that I love you know. Yes and you had a very good, was it against Craig your old enemy there? There was a very good match in recent. We had a what you call it like there's probably four teams that are fighting out for the top position of the league. There are yourself and Craig, Ballonat who had come down from senior last year to division three and done more over the fact that I chewed. Now we played an inconsecutive weekend like we had Ballonat forced away above a half an impact and we came away with a two point win which was fabulous because we sustained a lot of injuries at Choombe game which was the ultimate game that we lost. So then we head off to Ballonat with a great win down there and then we went to Dunmore which is another cauldron of noise and we came away with a win there as well. So then in the subsequent weekend we had Craig out here the only home game of the top of three and yeah we had a fabulous win out here 13-11. It was right down to the wire. There was no quarter given or taken. The lads know but unfortunately they lost the toss in Craig's game and Craig's battle to play down the hill with the win in the second half which is a favourable of Connemara. They like that kind of second half down to the lake. It's like Liverpool playing into the Kop. I was just laughing because I think I'm an Arsenal supporter and I was sure our neighbours the Spurs would give us a hand out yesterday but no. There was no Christmas presents coming from the Spurs side. I'm a Spurs supporter so sadly none. In the new year we'll collaborate the Spurs and the Arsenal and we'll collaborate to keep Liverpool out of it. Easier said than done. But the rugby announcement. So we came away with a great win against Craig and that weekend as well we found out that we are playing Sligo at home in the Cup which is the first game after the new year out in the Monastery series the 12th of January. So there's a few bits happening as well over the Christmas period. We have our annual Christmas Day swim. One o'clock at Clegan Pier on Christmas Day. Refreshments will be served for the brave souls that will jump into the water. It's for a very good cause, a local charity, the Therapeutic Rifles in Clegan. So it's Kevin Keoghan and Kevin Ward who organise this every year in conjunction with the charity. And we're trying to raise as much money as possible for the charity. There will be donations on the day out at the Pier. There's a GoFundMe page, there's cards here in the Austin Square Restaurant and in Tom Kane's and in Griffin's Bar. So that is one of our annual charity events. We honour a great man for the club who passed away a long time ago, Peter Lydon. We play for the Peter Lydon Memorial Cup on St. Stephen's Day which is an in-house game in a sense. It used to be the senior team against the second division. But now, to make it all inclusive, we have divided it into a mixed tag rugby game. So there'll be lads and girls. The girls will give the good of the lads. It's a good bit of fun to honour a man that gave a lot to the club and get out after the Christmas Day Blues and brush off the club reds. So that's two things that will happen. That's good and it sounds like there'll be a lot of fun. And again, I'm sure the Connemara Therapeutic Writing Centre, they're a great group and it's great that you're raising that money. They're very worthy of any money. We try to base our charities all around the Connemara region because, as you know, in this day and age it's hard to get money to keep it all funded and all going. So it's just a little thank you back to the community from the rugby club. Apart from the other thing, the Connacht-Linster game on Saturday night, where Connacht were very harshly done by the referee. They lost 20-12 to a massive Linster team that had riches. The poor referee got a blue haze and he didn't treat Connacht the way it should be with the penalty count and everything like that. I think Mack Hansen got into the headlines with his comments. He possibly was right in what he said. It was better coming from a player than from Pete Wilkie because it's probably sour grapes thinking of Pete Wilkie giving out about it. As a player, they're entitled to grievances. Even Sam Pinnicus during the game is caught on the ref mic asking if the referee is being swayed by the crowd. It's hard when you're playing like that. They did play very well in the second half. I thought the referee didn't referee the scrums very well in the first half. He got three penalties to Linsters in the scrum, which was very dubious. As all people in the front rows will tell you, it's a dark art. I couldn't see what Connacht would do so badly wrong that it was a penalty every time. It's hard to compete with the likes of Linster if you don't have the referee coming and giving fair play. Yeah, they expect the referee to be impartial no matter who you're playing. Didn't he get caught with Sturridge's eyes with Geordie Barrett there? Yeah, and the fact Mack Hansen has said that when it's a player, it makes more of the headline more than a coach or something. I suppose he might be putting down a marker for future games. And I suppose there's a certain amount of frustration there, if you feel. He was referring to a Bundy-Aki tackle as well. Yeah, he looked at it 10 times, a high-tackling Buster Carter to Linster with Hawker by Iwane, the New Zealander. He looked at that 10 or 12 times. He didn't look at the Geordie Barrett clean-out of Bundy head-on-head. The field didn't seem level in the first half at all. I know if the referee is going to be bad, please be bad for both sides. You know, try and balance it out some way. I don't know. And as you said, it probably takes more credence coming from a player because he's out there in the heat of the fire, you know. And it'd be interesting to see if he might come in for some punishment. Somebody was saying that, you know, you're not allowed to do that. But I think it's refreshing to hear it because if you're telling the truth, it doesn't matter who says it, just say it. Yeah, well, that's in every walk of life, Bernard. If you're telling the truth, you have nothing to hide. You can look anyone in the eye. And I think he had the point. If it continues, what are Linster going to be up against in two weeks' time in Munster or the 28th, you know? And then heading off to Ulster, Donnaumeo, which is a good move by the task force. They're moving the Ulster crock in to McHale Park on the 29th of March, I believe. So that'll be a fine big sellout crowd of 26,000. So, yeah, to hear that the Viva Stadium, and you only have a handful of Connaught supporters up there, and a big, big, big blue army wave, it would be intimidating enough. But if the referees against you, then it doubles it up, you know? Exactly. Well, hopefully, look, if things are going well in Connaught, they have good potential there. And as I said, no more than yourselves in Connemara, you're flying high at the top of the J1 coming into Christmas. And look, we wish you well coming into the new year. Anything else happening there on the fundraising? No, we will be holding our big Christmas night plateau in the middle of January. We sort of postponed it from the unusual time of this time of year, because we felt there was too much going on. And, you know, it was unfair to ask people to come back out again on another Sunday night. So we'll hold it when it's a little bit quieter, and people will look forward to a night out. And no, I just wish everybody in the Connemara region, and from the Connemara Rugby Club, and off the square, the best and healthiest and happiest Christmas, and look forward to seeing them on the new year, back in the rugby section. That's very well said, PG, and we wish you all of the best. All the players, stay injury-free, don't party too hard over the Christmas, and come back refreshed in the new year. PG, thank you very much for joining us this evening. Thanks to the radio station for all their help during the year. We're never found once, and when we want something to be advertised, we're straight on the radio. Okay, very well done. Okay, talk to you later, PG, all the best. Take care, and that was PG Heffernan, the Rugby Club, and just in finishing up, like to wish all the best to all the local clubs, Ní Fheinn in Clifton, their GAA club, Llynfail GAA club, Carna Cashel, and the Piercy there over in the smoke, the Carna Cashel, and also the Club Lucas Connemara, the club, the athletics club there, based out of Carna, and Gráinne, Wales, and all of the ladies footballers involved there had a very good season overall, and all of the other clubs there involved, as I said, the rugby club as well, everybody who's been involved, all the coaches, all the parents, everybody, have a safe, happy, and holy Christmas, and have a good Sporting 2025, and that's where I'm going to leave it for TalkSport for this evening. This is Bernard Lee signing off. Thank you for listening. It's easy to make a difference.