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Kerry GAA legend joins Off The Ball 

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Off The Ball boosts GAA coverage with ‘Star’ signing

One of Kerry’s most decorated Gaelic footballer players, Kieran Donaghy, is the latest star signing at Off The Ball.

The former Kingdom full-forward – who played senior football for 14 years, amassing four All-Ireland wins and eight Munster titles – joins the ever-expanding Off The Ball team, to deliver his GAA expertise and analysis.

Kieran’s appointment follows the announcement that Ireland and Munster rugby legend, Ronan O’Gara, has joined the sports media group’s line-up. He is also the latest in a raft of former professional and amateur sports stars, to join the Off The Ball team – which includes sporting greats such as Johnny Sexton, Brian O’Driscoll, Kevin Kilbane, Andy Lee, Keith Wood and Alan Quinlan.

Speaking about the announcement, Ger Gilroy, Off The Ball’s Managing Director, said:

“Kieran is a great asset to the Off The Ball line-up. His GAA record speaks for itself and he has never been afraid to speak his mind, so we know the depth of analysis he will bring to our GAA coverage will be outstanding. Of course, Kieran’s sporting expertise is not limited to GAA – he is a huge NFL fan and is one of the driving forces behind the growth of basketball in Ireland, so he is a great all-rounder to have on the team. We have known and worked with Kieran for the best part of a decade, so I am absolutely delighted to welcome him to Off The Ball.”

As part of his new role with Off The Ball, Kieran will be a regular contributor across all Off The Ball platforms, on-air, online and at Off The Ball’s live events.

Also speaking about his Off The Ball appointment, Kieran Donaghy said:

“I’ve done quite a bit of work with Off The Ball over the years. From sitting alongside Darran O’Sullivan and the late great Graham Taylor, at a live broadcast from Glenbeigh in 2011, to numerous interviews throughout my senior career, I have always enjoyed and respected what the Off The Ball team does. With Championship season just around the corner, I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the coverage and analysis side of the game and also learning from some of the best sports broadcasters in the country.”

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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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