Connacht Tribune
Galway siblings enjoy success across the sporting codes
It’s been a jam-packed summer of sport for Moycullen brothers Paul and Sean Kelly who continue to distinguish themselves in their respective fields at home and abroad.
Both brothers are Croker bound on the weekend of August 11 and 12, after they helped the Galway footballers qualify for All-Ireland semi-finals at senior and minor level.
They are following in the footsteps of their late father, Pádraig ‘Dandy’ Kelly, a five-times Connacht champion who soldiered with the Galway footballers during the 1980s.
Sean Kelly scored a point in Galway’s win over Kildare in the Super 8s and also made his mark in the Tribesmen’s first championship win over Kerry in 53 years the week previous.
The lively wing-forward, who’d run all day, is expected to line-out in Pearse Stadium this Saturday against Monaghan in the final game of the Super 8s, the result of which will determine who Galway play having reached the last four of the All-Ireland for the first time since 2001.
Sean Kelly after scoring Galway’s first goal against Sligo in the 2018 Connacht semi-final at Pearse Stadium.
Sean Kelly is one of the young guns who has grasped the opportunity to play for Galway footballers, having been blooded by manager Kevin Walsh in the FBD League in January. Since getting his start, Sean has been a regular in maroon and white and scored the first goal in their Connacht semi-final win over Sligo.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Paul Kelly, is as handy on the basketball court as he is on the football field.
Paul starred in the Ireland U18 basketball squad that won bronze in thrilling fashion at the FIBA European Championship Division C in Kosovo last week.
Though he was side-lined through injury for the semi-final and third place play-off, Paul made a huge contribution to the cause in the earlier games.
The St Mary’s student scored 14 points in Ireland’s 80-71 win over Monaco but it was against Malta that Paul shone brightest as he led by example, finishing the game with 11 rebounds, 16 points and eight assists as Ireland enjoyed an 84-69 win over Malta.
Fellow Galwayman, and St Joseph’s ‘The Bish’ student James Connaire also featured prominently in Kosovo, netting nine points against Malta. Both young men netted six points in Ireland’s 87-70 win over Moldova while James Connaire made a huge contribution in the bronze-medal play-off last Sunday – as well as scoring 13 points, he was involved in a dramatic finish.
Connaire had ice in his veins at the free throw line to send Ireland ahead by one (90-89) with 20 seconds to go, but a turnover by the boys in green led to an easy lay-up for Monaco and they were ahead by one with the clock ticking down rapidly.
Limerick native Nate Moore – who had been one of the sharpshooters for Ireland throughout the tournament – took it in his stride though, and with 2.3 seconds to go, found space and hit the three-pointer to clinch it for Ireland and the stadium erupted.
In Paul Kelly’s absence, the Galway minor footballers beat Clare in the All-Ireland quarter-final last weekend in Tullamore after overcoming an initial scare.
Paul featured in the Connacht final triumph over Roscommon last month and was particularly effective in the second half and in previous round robin games; Galway will be hoping that he recovers from the injury picked up in Kosovo to slot in at midfield again when they take on Meath in the All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park.
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Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
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Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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