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SmallTalk with Killarney RFC captain Matt McAuliffe

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1 year 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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Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic

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4 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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Paudie O’Connor National Cup (Round 1)

Utility Trust St Paul’s v GCU Brunell

Saturday 7.30pm

Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre

The St Paul’s women’s team will be hoping to get their National Cup adventure off the ground on Saturday when they welcome 2024 champions Brunell to Killarney. Tip-off in the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre is at 7.30pm.

Paul’s have displayed some fine early season form, although their unbeaten start in the Super League came to an abrupt end last weekend when they lost to the Trinity Meteors in Dublin. James Fleming’s side weren’t at their best on the day but they were well in contention heading into the final quarter with the scores at 47-45 in favour of the hosts. The Meteors pushed on in the fourth, however, eventually running out 63-53 winners.

St Paul’s scorers on the night were Maisie Burnham (13), Tara Cousins (12), Lorraine Scanlon (12), Lovisa Hevinder (9), Denise Dunlea (5) and Leah McMahon (2).

The Killarney club are now joint second in the table alongside the Meteors with both teams holding a 4-1 record. Killester are top having won each of their first five games.

Paul’s opponents on Saturday, Brunell, have won three out of five league matches so far.

LAKERS

The Utility Trust St Paul’s Lakers have now won three of their last four games in Division 1 of the Men’s National League following an impressive home victory over Moycullen in Killarney.

Eoin Carroll and Jack O’Sullivan made significant contributions of the Boys in Black; Carroll hit 17 points and collected 13 rebounds while O’Sullivan had 14 points, 12 rebounds and some spectacular blocks.

Steve Kelly posted 30 points and the durable Sam Grant played every second, adding 21 points along the way.

The Lakers started well before the visitors found their footing and the sides went in level at the half-time break after scores by home captain Carroll. There was still nothing to separate the teams entering the fourth quarter (68-65) but buckets by Carroll, Pablo Murcia and Grant opened up a nine-point lead. Moycullen fought back admirably, however, cutting the deficit to just four, but Luke O’Hea’s charges held firm to prevail by eight (88-80).

Next up is a cup tie against the Tipperary Talons, a side they defeated by 30 points just a couple of weeks ago. The cup can be very different to the league, though, and they will need another solid performance to advance to the next round. Tip-off in in Killenaule is at 6.30pm on Saturday.

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Chances of Kerry v Cork Munster final in 2026 decrease as Munster GAA delay seeding plan

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4 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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After facing a backlash from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary players, Munster GAA have postponed their plan to keep Cork and Kerry separate in the 2026 Munster Football Championship.

The new seeding system – which gives the two highest ranked Munster teams in the National League byes to separate semi-finals – will now come into play in 2027, twelve months later than initially planned.

This will give Clare and Limerick a chance to earn promotion to Division 2 of the league, potentially overtaking Cork if the Rebels were to get relegated to Division 3.

Despite traditionally being the two main contenders for Munster football honours, Kerry and Cork haven’t met in a provincial decider since 2021. The Kingdom have won each of the finals since then (one versus Limerick and three versus Clare) by an average margin of 15.75 points.

More high-profile Kerry v Cork finals might be desirable for fans of those teams, businesses in Killarney and Cork, and neutrals alike but Munster GAA’s plans to effectively keep the great rivals on opposite sides of the draw understandably drew criticism from the other participating counties. A statement by the GPA confirmed that players from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipp had met via Zoom to discuss the matter. They were said to be “deeply disappointed and concerned” by the decision.

The 12-month delay will at least give two of those disaffected teams an opportunity to benefit from the new seeding process.

The draw for the 2026 Munster Football Championship will take place on November 27 under the old rules. As 2025 finalists, Kerry and Clare will get byes to the last four (but they will not necessarily be kept apart).

Nine members of Kerry’s squad are up for All-Stars at tonight’s awards ceremony in Dublin with Joe O’Connor and David Clifford also in contention for the prestigious Footballer of the Year award.

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