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Let’s get behind our Paralympic stars

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1 year ago

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LEFT: Members of Team Ireland ahead of the 2024 Paralympics. Pictured are (back row) Mitchell McLaughlin, Eve McCrystal and Eoin Mullen, (middle row) Linda Kelly, Josephine Healion, Katie-George Dunlevy and Richael Timothy, and (front row) Ronan Grimes, Juno the Dog and Damien Vereker. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile. RIGHT: Swimmer Nicole Turner is considered a medal prospect at the Paris Games after winning silver in Tokyo in 2021. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.

Eamonn Fitzgerald previews the 2024 Paralympic Games, which get underway in Paris this week

The 2024 Olympics in Paris shone brightly for the Irish team of 134 athletes participating across various sports. All were Olympians and that is memorable when you think of the personal sacrifices involved in reaching Olympic qualification standards. Ireland performed admirably, securing seven medals (four gold and three bronze).

So that’s it for another four years, the Olympics are all over.

Not so. The Paralympics began on Wednesday in Paris and will continue until September 28. While the memories of the able-bodied Irish athletes continue, let’s not forget the Irish team competing in Paris over the next week or so, those athletes who have had to overcome huge disadvantages not just in sport but in their adopted and adapted lives.

4,000 athletes from 160 countries will be bidding for 549 medals across 22 events. Let us get behind those wearing the Irish singlets and cheer them all on. Winning a medal of any colour will be a bonus. In truth, they are all winners. Team Ireland abú.

TALENT

The Paralympics have grown to become one of the world's largest and most celebrated sporting events, showcasing the resilience, determination, and talent of athletes with disabilities.

The 2024 Paralympics will be hosted in Paris, marking the first time the French capital has held the event. Paris previously hosted the Olympics in 1900 and 1924, but this will be the first Paralympics held there. The city has made significant efforts to ensure that the 2024 Games are inclusive, accessible, and inspiring for both athletes and spectators alike. The venues for the games will be spread across the city. By the time you get to read this column, the opening ceremony will have taken place on the splendid Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde, creating a truly unique and memorable start to the event.

The Paris Paralympics will also be historic in its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. The organisers have pledged to reduce the carbon footprint of the Games by 50% compared to previous editions, with a focus on using existing venues and infrastructure. Additionally, the Paris Games will see a significant emphasis on gender equality with equal numbers of male and female athletes participating, and a balanced number of events for men and women.

IRELAND’S HISTORY

Ireland has a proud history in the Paralympics, dating back to the inaugural Games in Rome in 1960, when the nation won its first medals. Since then, Irish athletes have consistently performed well, winning a total of 123 medals, including 31 golds. Ireland's success has spanned multiple sports with particularly strong performances in athletics, swimming, and cycling.

One of the stars of Irish Paralympic history is swimmer Darragh McDonald who won gold in the 400m freestyle at the 2012 London Games and silver in the same event at Beijing 2008. Another standout athlete is Jason Smyth, often referred to as the fastest Paralympian on the planet. Smyth, who is visually impaired, dominated the T13 sprints throughout his career, winning gold in both the 100m and 200m at every Paralympics since 2008. His consistency and speed made him a household name, not just in Ireland, but globally.

Ireland’s achievements in cycling are also notable with athletes like Mark Rohan, who won two gold medals in hand cycling at the 2012 London Paralympics, and Katie-George Dunlevy, who, alongside her pilot Eve McCrystal, secured two golds and a silver at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

AMHRÁN NA BHFIANN

There is a sense of optimism and excitement surrounding this Irish team. The nation will be represented by a mix of seasoned Paralympians and promising newcomers, all of whom are eager to leave their mark on the global stage. Won’t it be special if we hear Amhrán na bhFiann as the tricolour rises to mark a golden moment?

A standout Irish athlete is Nicole Turner, a swimmer who made her Paralympic debut at the age of 14 in Rio 2016. Turner, who has a condition called hypochondroplasia, competes in the S6 classification and has already secured a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in the 50m butterfly. Turner’s dedication and drive have seen her improve consistently, and she will be aiming for gold in Paris.

In cycling, Katie-George Dunlevy and her pilot Eve McCrystal are returning as one of Ireland's strongest medal contenders. The duo has a proven track record, having won multiple medals across the last two Paralympics. Dunlevy, who is visually impaired, has found incredible success with McCrystal, a former national cycling champion, as her pilot. Their synchronization, trust and teamwork have been key to their success, and they will be aiming to replicate their past performances in Paris. Think about what they have to overcome - so much more than the thousands heading up to Coomakista in the annual Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle.

Wheelchair racer Patrick Monahan is another athlete to watch. Monahan competes in the T53 category and has represented Ireland in marathons around the world, including the Paralympics. His endurance and strategic racing have earned him a place among the world’s best, and he will be looking to make a significant impact in Paris.

RISING STARS

While the veterans bring experience, the 2024 team will also feature several newcomers who have shown great promise in their respective sports. Look out for some new stars in the making. Shot-putter Mary Fitzgerald competes in the F40 classification. She has been steadily improving her performance on the international stage and is seen as a strong contender for a medal in Paris. No relation to this writer, by the way.

Another rising star is Róisín Ní Ríain, a visually impaired swimmer who competed in her first Paralympics in Tokyo at just 16 years of age. Róisín delivered impressive performances, reaching multiple finals, and she will be looking to build on that experience in Paris.

The road to Paris 2024 has been marked by intense preparation and challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the usual training routines and qualification events, but Irish athletes have adapted remarkably well. The Paralympic Federation of Ireland has provided support through virtual training sessions and mental health resources, and by ensuring that athletes have access to the necessary facilities and equipment.

Funding has always been a critical issue for Paralympic sports, and the Irish government, along with various sponsors, have stepped up to provide increased financial support for the athletes' preparations. This funding is crucial for training camps, international competitions and the development of young athletes who are the future of Irish Paralympic sports.

The Paralympics are more than just a sporting event; they are a powerful platform for raising awareness about disability, promoting inclusion and challenging perceptions. The success of Irish Paralympians has had a profound impact on society, inspiring countless individuals and highlighting the importance of accessibility and equal opportunities in sports. In Ireland, Paralympians are celebrated not just for their athletic achievements, but for their role in advancing the conversation around disability rights and inclusion. Their stories of overcoming adversity resonate with people from all walks of life, and their successes on the global stage bring immense pride to the nation.

The journey to Paris has been challenging but the Irish Paralympians are ready to take on the world, aiming to bring home medals and inspire a new generation of athletes. The local Kerry Stars may yet produce some Paralympians and earlier this week I was delighted to meet someone closely involved in the new shared facility at Ballydribbeen. Hats off to the many helpers and coaches who have developed the sporting pursuits of so many Kerry Stars athletes over many years.

JORDAN LEE

Spare a thought for the great Jordan Lee from Killarney Valley Athletics Club whom we have seen clearing the high jump with consummate ease at the athletics facility near St Brendan’s College on the New Road.

In his teens, he was the first one-handed player in the world to represent his country when he played for Ireland at the age 15.

He switched to the high jump and is coached by Tomás Griffin (Bishop Moynihan Crescent), himself a notable former sprinter and long jumper. Jordan competed in an Irish athletics vest in 2017 after just four months of training for the high jump and, within a year, he had won a bronze medal at the 2018 European Championships.

His personal best of 1.95m dates from the Irish National Championships (able-bodied) in 2019 and the European record in his event was 1.97m so he is not far off it. He is also one of very few Para Athletes to have won a National Championship in able-bodied competition.

He was the flag-bearer leading Team Ireland out into the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo and he had high hopes for Paris, but injury, the bugbear of all sportspeople, left him with no choice but to pull out of the games in Paris.

Typical of the man, he says he will bounce back for the next Paralympics in four years’ time. Now that is heroism at its best in the true Olympic spirit. Similarly, our Irish Team will focus on ability over disability.

Let’s get behind these stars - and they are all stars. Let’s hope RTÉ will provide decent coverage. The athletes deserve it, and so do we.

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Lakers aiming to secure first win at home to Malahide

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17 October 2025

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The Utility Trust St Paul’s Lakers will be hoping for a turn of fortunes this weekend after suffering a defeat in Week 2 of the 2025/26 National League season.

The club’s men’s team came up short in Jordanstown against the University of Ulster (91-70) having trailed by just four points heading into the final quarter. There were some positives – mainly the form of Steve Kelly, Sam Grant and Mark Sheehan – but head coach Luke O’Hea will be eager to pick up his first win of the Division 1 campaign at home to Malahide on Saturday. Tip-off at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre is at 7.30pm.

Malahide have also lost both of their opening two matches, to Drogheda and Portlaoise.

Meanwhile, James Fleming’s women’s team maintained their 100% Super League record by beating the Panthers in Portlaoise on a scoreline of 62-72. The Killarney girls raced into an early lead but they had to weather a storm in the second half as the Panthers rallied admirably.

Maisie Burnham led the St Paul’s charge early doors with Lovisa Hevinder, Lorraine Scanlon and Leah McMahon making important contributions as the game wore on, but it was Tara Cousins who really made her mark in the fourth quarter, racking up 16 crucial points. Each one was significant as Paul’s tried to keep the Panthers at bay – in fact, the American guard registered her team’s final 10 points of the game to help secure a hard-fought 10-point victory.

“It was a good win on the road,” Hevinder told club PRO Enda Walshe. “Portlaoise is always a tough place to play and a difficult team to play against. I think we did a great job defensively, and at times we had really good flow on offence.”

Like their male counterparts, the St Paul’s women have a home game at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre tomorrow. They host Munster rivals Fr Mathews with the tie tipping off at 4pm. Mathews are seeking their first win of the season.

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Killarney Athletic stalwart Donie does it for the love of the game

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11 hours ago

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17 October 2025

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Ahead of Killarney Athletic’s 60th anniversary, Adam Moynihan spoke to club stalwart and current chairman Donie Murphy about his passion for soccer (and the Blues)

Donie, Athletic have a big milestone coming up. Sixty years in existence. How and when did you first come to be involved with the club?

I joined the club in the 1974/75 season as an 18-year-old, so I have 50 years done. People think I didn’t play with anyone else but I joined from Woodlawn Rovers, which was a team made up of a group of friends who used to play down in Billy Doyle’s place at the back of Woodlawn. When that team disbanded, 90% of the boys joined Killarney Athletic. The rest is history, as they say. I didn’t move anywhere else after that.

What sort of footballer were you?

I would consider myself a whole-hearted player. I had a bit of pace. Not an awful lot of skill, but good in the air. I was committed and I expected much the same from everybody else. I played centre back all my career except for one game when I was coming back from injury and I was thrown up centre forward for the B team.

And? How did it go?

One game, one goal [laughs]. I had a 100% record.

Who were some of Athletic’s best players that you lined out with?

You had the likes of Brian McCarthy Senior, Denny Hayes, Pat Moynihan, Connie Doc, Pat Shea… You could throw Mikey Sullivan in there as well. He was a whole-hearted player.

What was the highlight of your playing career?

Well, we were runners-up and beaten finalists in a lot of things, but the one thing we did win was the Munster Junior Cup Kerry Area. It was a big thing at the time. We beat Tralee United 1-0. On the other end of the scale we had a relegation battle over in Castleisland. We had to win and we did, 1-0. We were mean enough in defence. Other than that, I played with the Kerry District League in the Oscar Traynor Cup for a couple of seasons, which was nice as well.

When did you hang up the boots?
I stopped playing with Athletic in 1990. But, of course, there was the Killarney Athletic 7-a-side then as well and I played in the over 35s for a few years after that.

You must have fond memories of the 7-a-side, going all the way back to the start in 1976?

The memories are great. Well, for the first tournament in 1976, Brian McCarthy refereed all the games and I was his sidekick. So I didn’t play, I was running the show while he was reffing. But I played with Killarney Hardware for many years alongside Connie Doc, Pat Shea, Seánie Shea… And DD Mulcahy and Dan Leary from Rathmore.

It would have been staged in the Áras Phádraig at the time. What was that like, for those who weren’t around back then?

Ah, it was unbelievable. We had 74 teams one year with every game being played on the one pitch. So it went on for nearly three months of the summer, because it had to. Everyone who was there saw every game. It is handier in Woodlawn, it takes half the time, but up in the Áras, you could see everything. You couldn’t replicate that atmosphere anywhere else. It was like a cauldron.

When did you first coach an underage team? Do you know how many teams you have trained down through the years?

I couldn’t tell you how many but I’ve been involved with a team every year since I started. I took a Community Games team in 1976 and I did that for a few years. And after that it was Killarney Athletic underage teams. I’m not training a team now but I am involved with the U5s and U6s. Now that is tough going [laughs].

So you’re coming up on 50 years of coaching underage teams? That’s a lot of players…

It’s a lot of players, and it’s a lot of names and faces to remember. Christmas in Killarney is a disaster. There are so many fellas away and they come back for Christmas and they’re saying, “Hey, Donie, how’re things?” I probably didn’t change a lot in the last 30 years, but they did!

What’s your coaching philosophy?

My philosophy is that communication is very important. Everybody should have a voice. I don’t like talking down to anybody. Once I can communicate my ideas to the kids and they buy into it, that’s the big thing. It’s fine going down training and doing the drills but sometimes they just need to be spoken to.

What is it about working with kids that you enjoy?

First of all, it’s the love of the game. But I do prefer to take – I won’t say underdogs – but maybe a B team, and see can I get them better than what they were. Rather than taking a team of stars who are going to be pretty good anyway, I like to bring on the next category of players. That’s what I measure myself against. Within a season, are we better against an opponent in the reverse fixture than we were the first time we played them? I like to see players that are maybe ‘middle of the road’ improving.

Do you find the kids easy or difficult to manage? Do many of them have long-term aspirations of playing professional football?

In general I’ve always found the kids to be great. Boys and girls. I think the girls listen a bit more than the boys [laughs]. Diarmuid O’Carroll and Brendan Moloney have shown that it is possible to go pro. And now Luke Doolan is with Kerry FC. He’s a man who might make it, and he came all the way up along through the ranks. So it is possible.

Do you watch a lot of soccer in your free time?

I do. My wife (Marie) will probably tell me I watch too much soccer. I’m an avid Spurs fan. But I do like to watch other sports as well to switch off.

How would you describe Killarney Athletic’s rivalry with Killarney Celtic?

In the early days it used to be a kind of friendly rivalry. But I think it’s more than friendship now! I would say it’s fierce. We both have so many teams, we’re playing each other at some age grade nearly every single weekend. You always want to win those games. But even going back to my playing days, if you never won another game, the Celtic game was the one you wanted to win. You have to win the derby game for bragging rights. Unfortunately they’ve have had a little bit more bragging rights than us lately but, you know yourself, the wheel might turn, hopefully.

How different is the soccer scene in Kerry today compared to when you first became involved?

There’s no comparison, really. It’s the pitches and the facilities that are the big thing. When I started playing, it was below in the Half Moon field (near Killarney House). It was a case of: jump the wall, put up the goals, line the pitch, play the game, take down the goals… Everything had to be put away. No dressing rooms or anything like that. But now with the facilities we have at the moment, if you haven’t everything in order for them, they’re not happy [laughs].

But the facilities and the all-weather training pitch help the club grow. We have a lot more teams now, going all down the ages, and obviously there’s a lot more coaching going on as well. The kids get into a system of playing, which is good.

Looking back over all your time at the club, what are your fondest Killarney Athletic memories?

For me it’s the people and the players you meet, and the friends you make. My involvement with Athletic has given me lifelong friends. That’s the best thing about it.

You must be looking forward to the club’s 60th celebration dinner?

I am. It’s a big night for the club and it’s a great opportunity to catch up with people you might not have met for a while. There will definitely be a bit of nostalgia. It’s also a great way for people to support the club. We’re developing a new pitch on a piece of land adjacent to our current pitch, so a percentage of ticket sales is going towards that project. Our 50th was a big celebration and a lot of things have happened since then. We have doubled in size membership-wise and girls now make up around 33% of the club. We’re hoping to go from strength to strength.

And, sadly, some of our club members have passed away since the last anniversary so they’ll be remembered on the night as well.

What are your hopes for the future of Killarney Athletic?

There are a lot of great people volunteering in the club so I don’t have any worries about the future. They will take the club onto the next level. Of course I hope we continue to win trophies, but most of all I hope the people involved, be they players or coaches or officers, will enjoy the experience. Everything else will follow after that.

The Killarney Athletic 60th Celebration Dinner takes place in the Gleneagle Hotel Ballroom on Friday, November 14 at 6.30pm. Tickets available via Audrey (087 4585697), Lisa (087 9365322) and Rose (087 6765064).

They can also be purchased from Colette at the Dromhall Hotel, Brian James, O’Neills and the Blackthorn.

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