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Paska and St Paul’s are playoff ready

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2 years ago

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Canadian centre Sofia Paska has led St Paul's to the brink of the playoffs.

This week Adam Moynihan caught up with Sofia Paska, the 6’4” Toronto native who is hoping to lead St Paul’s to National League glory

Hi Sofia. Thanks for speaking to me today.

No problem. Thanks for asking.

How have you found Killarney since arriving last year?

Killarney is a refreshing change of scenery, especially for myself coming from a big city back home.

You were in Limerick before you came to Kerry?

Yes, I played for the Limerick Celtics for two years.

Tell me about your background in basketball before coming to Ireland. Has the game always been part of your life?

I started playing basketball when I was 10 years old. Once the doctor told my parents I was going to be quite tall they decided to put me into basketball. Growing up I played on club teams, school teams, and summer travel teams. I played five years of college ball at Ryerson University (Toronto Metropolitan University) in Canada, where I got my degree in Early Childhood Education and a certificate in Human Resources.

Then I went on to play professionally in Denmark before I came to Ireland.

Was a professional career always on the cards?

I only saw myself playing professionally when I was near the end of my university career. My mom and dad and coaches back home really pushed me to play overseas because it’s an experience and an opportunity that not everyone gets.

What do you think of the standard of basketball here, and the style of play?

I think the standard of play in Ireland is comparable in some aspects to how it is at home. It’s very physical and can be fast-paced at times.

What attracted you to the St Paul’s project?

I wanted to sign for St Paul’s because they were a new team in the National League and I thought that being part of a new club in a different part of Ireland would be good for me. Especially teaming up with Yuleska Ramirez Tejeda (my rival last season), I knew playing together would bring a new level of competitiveness and talent to the team.

I was also coached by James Fleming last season in Limerick and we have built a good relationship over the last couple years.

How would you sum up this season so far?

This season has been very rewarding. Coming in as a new team after not having a women's team in years, we have really showcased the talent that we have. We’re finishing the season as one of the top teams in the National League and I think that’s really great for the club.

Tell me about your teammates and your coach. What kind of relationship have you developed?

James has played a pivotal role in the team’s success. If you don’t know who he is, he’s usually the loudest coach on the sideline! He’s tough on us but he knows what we need to do to win games.

And my teammates this year have been great. We have all built a good relationship with each other and I think the relationship has gotten stronger as the season has gone on. I think we have all learned something from each other and that has helped the team to be successful.

What’s the mood like in the camp as the regular season draws to a close?

We’re all very tuned in during trainings. This Saturday we play our last game of the regular season before playoffs. It’s a big game for us - with a win Saturday we place top in the Southern Conference.

Then with playoffs around the corner we really need to improve on our strengths as a team and dial in on what we need to work on.

As it’s Women in Sport Week, I wanted to ask you about the issues facing female athletes today. What do you think is the biggest challenge for women in sport?

I would say the lack of exposure, financial support, and lack of confidence women have compared to male athletes. Female athletes at any level really go under the radar or get overlooked because they’re not advertised or acknowledged for their achievements as much as male athletes are.

I know this has been circulating the internet recently too about the wage gap between female and male athletes at any level which makes it harder for female athletes to make a living just off of playing a sport.

I also feel from my own experience that female athletes lack confidence and self-esteem when talking about themselves or comparing themselves to others. A big message to all female athletes is to believe in yourself and know your worth!

That’s great. Thanks for your time and good luck on Saturday.

Thanks Adam!

National League Division 1

St Paul’s v Moy Tolka Rovers

Saturday at 7.30pm

Pres Gym

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

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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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Spa GAA Club unveil hi-tech solar panels

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2 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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