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SmallTalk with Killarney RFC captain Matt McAuliffe

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4 months ago

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This week Adam Moynihan caught up with Matt McAuliffe to talk rugby, Dire Straits and his dream dinner guests

Hi Matt. Thanks for speaking to me.

No bother, Adam.

How has the season been going so far?

Not too bad. We started off a bit slow but we’re getting going now. We’ve won our last two games so we’re on a bit of a roll.

What are the team’s goals for the rest of the campaign?

Our main goal is to try and get promoted up to Division 2 of the Munster Junior League and if we could pick up a cup along the way that would be a big plus as well.

I have some questions for you about your Killarney RFC teammates… You need one of them to convert a long-range drop-goal to save your life – who are you picking?

I’d have to pick Ciarán O’Brien. He’s a man of many talents.

Which teammate spends the most time in the gym?

Darren Enright.

Who’s the biggest joker in the dressing room?

Either Brendan Fuller or Declan Fuller. It must run in their family.

Which teammate would you want backing you up in a fight?

Alan Mulligan. I’d definitely be confident with him by my side.

Which teammate would you least like to get stuck in an elevator with?

Dion O’Neill. You never know what he’s going to do next.

If you could steal any of your teammates’ attributes, what would it be/from whom?

I’d say Donnchadh Grealy’s speed and his ability to break the line. That would be very useful for me.

Who’s the best player you’ve ever played with?

In Killarney, Dave Howard or Ger Moynihan. I played with UL Bohs in Limerick and I’d have to say Evan O’Connell for them.

And the best player you’ve played against?

When we were under 18 we played Cobh Pirates and Edwin Edogbo of Munster was playing for them. That was not fun.

What was the low point of your sporting life so far?

We had a very good team under 18 but the season was cut short due to Covid. That was disappointing.

What was the highlight?

Any time we’ve won something. The year before Covid the U18s won the West Munster Cup and we have won a couple of Kerry Cups with the seniors as well. With UL Bohs we won the U20 Donal Walsh competition so that was another highlight.

If you had to compare yourself to a current professional rugby player, who would it be?

The Australian loose head prop Angus Bell.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I think it would be my parents saying, “do whatever makes you happy”.

If you could change one rugby rule, what would it be?

Bring back the croc roll.

Are you interested in other sports besides rugby?

Yeah I try to play golf every now and then, obviously Gaelic football, and I like watching the NBA and the darts around this time of year.

How’s the golf going?

Not good. At all.

Are you watching a series at the moment?

I just started watching Say Nothing on Disney+. It’s about the Troubles.

I heard it was good…

Ah it’s brilliant.

Which actor would play you in a movie about your life?

John Travolta when he was a young fella back in the day.

What’s your go-to pre-game song?

I just throw on a Dire Straits playlist. Anything by them.

What would you sing at karaoke?

Crazy World by Aslan.

Great tune. Favourite meal?

Any sort of Asian food.

And your favourite spot in Killarney to eat?

Khao, definitely.

Shout out to Eddie. Final question: if you could invite three people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be?

I’d invite the comedians Shane Gillis and David McSavage. They’d be very funny together. And then I’d throw in Danny Healy-Rae for the craic.

That would certainly be interesting. Matt, thanks a million. All the best for the rest of the season.

Thanks very much, Adam.

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Numbers Game: How Kerry can reach league final – or get relegated for first time in 24 years

Published

2 days ago

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22 March 2025

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by Adam Moynihan

Men’s NFL Division 1

Galway v Kerry

Sunday 3.45pm

Salthill

Live on TG4 YouTube

Kerry travel to Galway on Sunday knowing that defeat could well consign them to relegation for the first time since 2001. Win and they could be Croker-bound. It’s that tight heading into the final day of Division 1 of the National Football League. Anything could happen.

Let’s get the lay of the land before we wade into the murky waters of permutations. We currently have a three-way tie at the top of the table with Galway, Dublin and Donegal all level on eight points. Next up are Mayo on seven, followed by Kerry on six, Armagh and Tyrone on five, and already-relegated Derry on one.

PWDLPDPts
1Galway6321178
2Dublin640288
3Donegal640248
4Mayo6312-37
5Kerry6303116
6Tyrone621305
7Armagh6213-85
8Derry6015-291

In the seventh and final round of the league, Galway play Kerry, Mayo are at home to Donegal, Armagh host Derry, and Tyrone welcome Dublin to Healy Park, Omagh. All four matches are being played simultaneously at 3.45pm on Sunday.

So, who will be joining the Oak Leafers in Division 2 in 2026?

If Kerry lose they will remain on six points, which means that if Armagh and Tyrone both win, they will move onto seven points, relegating the Kingdom. However, if Kerry lose they will stay up if one or both of Armagh or Tyrone lose.

If Kerry lose and either Armagh or Tyrone draw and the other win, Kerry are safe on the head-to-head rule. If Kerry lose and both Armagh and Tyrone draw, there will be a three-way tie on six points. In this event, points difference will come into play, and Kerry will survive if they lose to Galway by less than 20.

If Kerry draw with Galway, they will almost certainly be safe. Such a result would move them up to seven points, and even if Armagh and Tyrone both win, Kerry’s superior points difference would, barring an incredible set of results, see them over the line. Kerry are currently on +11 with Armagh on -8 and Tyrone breaking even on zero. So Armagh would need to beat Derry by 20 points and Tyrone would need to beat Dublin by 12 for them both to overtake Kerry.

Now, let’s fix our gaze upwards rather than down. A place in the league final is also on the cards – if all those cards fall kindly.

If Kerry win, they will wind up on eight points, guaranteeing their status as a Division 1 team for the 24th year in a row. If they win by three points (or more), that’s where things get interesting. Such a margin of victory would see them overtake their direct opponents, Galway, on ‘points for’ (if they win by three) or ‘overall points difference’ (if they win by more than three).

It would also guarantee that they would slip in between Mayo and Donegal, with the winner of that game moving into first, and the loser missing out on the league final. (A draw would be enough for Donegal, but not enough for Mayo.)

Kerry’s fate (again, if they win) would then depend on the result in the Tyrone v Dublin game. If Dublin win, they will advance to the league final. If Dublin draw, they will advance to the league final. But if Dublin lose, they will be passed out by Kerry, and Jack O’Connor’s men will sneak into the Croke Park decider via the side entrance.

That would be a remarkable turn of events considering the team’s spotty form up to this point, but the main priority will simply be to win and ensure survival. Anything on top of that would be a hard-earned bonus.

Tyrone v Dublin will be shown on TG4 with all other Division 1 and Division 2 games available live on the TG4 YouTube channel.

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Sport

Spa GAA Club unveil hi-tech solar panels

Published

3 days ago

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22 March 2025

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This week has seen Spa GAA swap their traditional blue and gold colours to go green, all for the sake of climate change and the environment.

In partnership with solar energy specialist REC Ireland they have just installed a 28.5 kW Solar PV system at their club grounds in Tullig.

The system, comprising 60 PV panels and supported by 10 kW battery storage, is mounted on the south-facing roof of their multi-purpose sports hall. It represents a state-of-the-art installation and it comes on foot of the club being one of the first GAA club recipients of Kerry County Council’s Climate Action Grant Scheme, launched in 2024.

“This is a hugely positive initiative in terms of reducing our on-site carbon footprint, promoting renewable energy and reducing our dependency on oil and gas,” club chairman Tadhg Hickey said.

In a further sign of Spa’s commitment to the green agenda, the club have recently been shortlisted as the only GAA club in Kerry in the Shared Island Sports Club Electrical Vehicle charging scheme, under which funding is provided to install a network of publicly accessible chargers for communities through local sports clubs.

Along with ramping up public EV charging facilities in local communities, the scheme offers significant potential for clubs to generate income, and is another example of the positive contribution of sports clubs in their locality.

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