NIAMH ROCKETT scored 1-11 to keep her dream of completing a junior, intermediate and senior camogie championship grand slam alive.
Although the final margin was harsh on Clare, Waterford could have had three or four goals in the first half.
That they did not was down to the goalkeeping of Rachael Daly, who saved a Beth Carton penalty, while Abby Flynn was denied by some last-ditch defending from Susan Daly and Clare Hehir.
The Dalys were joined in defence by their triplet sibling Lynda, while younger sister Jennifer chipped in with two points.
The Banner’s Áine O’Loughlin pounced for two goals in the opening half, the first an absolute piledriver on 15 minutes.
Eight minutes later, she grabbed a low ball and fired in off the post.
Waterford’s Annie Fitzgerald and Flynn were clinical, while Flynn and Rockett combined well for a couple of scores.
A turnover in injury time created a two-on-one and Fitzgerald made no mistake to give Waterford a 1-11 to 2-5 lead.
O’Loughlin continued to cause problems but Waterford managed to keep the Banner skipper at bay.
Déise captain Lorraine Bray began to exert more influence and put over a couple of points.
Hehir lofted three frees over from distance for the Banner and it was still all to play for when Rockett exchanged passes with sub Maggie Gostl to score in the 55th minute.
Points from Rockett and Fitzgerald, who blazed just over after working her way in from the endline, made it safe as Waterford’s Croke Park experience told.
But the key for boss Mick Boland was sealing a third semi-final appearance in four seasons.
WATERFORD: B O’Regan; R Walsh, K Lynch, V Falconer; B Bowdren, K Corbett Barry, O Hickey; A McNulty, L Bray 0-2, E O’Neill; B Carton 0-2, A Flynn 0-3, N Rockett 1-11, 7f, 1 45; M O’Brien, A Fitzgerald 1-2. Subs: M Gostl for O’Neill 44mins; T Power for Hickey 57; M Comerford for Flynn 59; I Heffernan for Corbett Barry 60; A O’Sullivan for O’Brien 60+2.
CLARE: R Daly; S O’Keeffe, C Hehir 0-3f, S Daly; L Daly, A Walsh, D Griffin; N Mulqueen, A Andersen; A O’Keeffe 0-2, C Cahill 0-1, J Daly 0-2; R Begley, A O’Loughlin 2-0, Z Spillane 0-2. Subs: C Carmody for Spillane 39mins; E Casey for Andersen 42; G Carmody for A O’Keeffe 57; C Grogan for S Daly, A Cooney for J Daly 58; M Scanlon for Hehir b-s 60.
REFEREE: L Dempsey (Kilkenny).
KATE SLEVIN fired 1-6 to rocket Galway into a second successive TG4 All-Ireland SFC semi-final.
Slevin’s first-half penalty put Daniel Moynihan’s charges nine points clear but Lauren McGregor’s strike early in the second half gave the Déise new life.
Galway got off to the perfect start in Tuam with Eva Noone pointing early. Olivia Divilly, Ailbhe Davoren and a Slevin free added three more and on 12 minutes, Slevin struck a penalty.
McGregor responded for the Munster side before Divilly restored Galway’s seven-point cushion.
The teams shared the next four white flags before the break, leaving it 1-7 to 0-3 at half-time.
Galway maintained the momentum with Divilly adding two. McGregor and Bríd McMaugh reduced arrears to 1-9 to 0-5.
Galway pulled 1-12 to 0-6 clear as Slevin (two) and Davoren tallied against McGregor’s sole response. But the latter brought Waterford back to life when she goaled.
Points for McMaugh (two) and McGregor left the Munster finalists just 1-14 to 1-9 behind.
But scores from Eva Noone, Slevin (two), Divilly, Slevin and sub Roísín Leonard’s brace booked a semi-final with Dublin.
GALWAY: D Gower; B Quinn, S Ní Loingsigh, K Geraghty; H Noone, N Ward, C Trill; L Ward, S Divilly; L Coen 0-1, O Divilly 0-5, A Davoren 0-2; E Noone 0-2, N Divilly, K Slevin 1-6, 1-0pen, 4f. Subs: K Thompson for N Divilly 41 mins, L Noone for Coen 41, R Leonard 0-2 for Davoren 52, A Molloy for Trill 55, M Banek for Slevin 55.
WATERFORD: K Gardiner; C Murray, R Casey, L Mulcahy; A Murray, E Murray, K McGrath; H Power, E Power; B McMaugh 0-4, K Murray, Á O’Neill; L McGregor 1-7, 2f, C Walsh 0-1, C Fennell. Subs: A Wall for O’Neill 19 mins, Á Power for A Murray 50, L Ní hArta for Fennell 50, O’Neill for Walsh 54, M Dunford for K Murray 55.
REFEREE: J Murphy (Carlow).
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD’S promising start to life at Real Madrid continued as Xabi Alonso’s side survived some sensational stoppage-time drama.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a brilliant late save from Marcel Sabitzer to seal the win.
Without it, Dortmund would have grabbed a miraculous equaliser despite falling 3-1 behind in the fourth minute of added time when Kylian Mbappe scored with a spectacular overhead volley.
The Spanish giants seemed to be cruising to a repeat of their victory over the German team in the 2024 Champions League final.
Stand-in striker Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the tournament.
Then Alexander-Arnold crossed for fellow wing-back Fran Garcia to make it two with less than a quarter of the game gone.
If Vinicius Junior had shown more composure with two chances, Real would have been out of sight at the break.
Dortmund boss Niko Kovac made a triple change at the break and his side improved.
But Courtois did not have a meaningful save to make until Maximilian Beier’s effort on the hour.
Mbappe and Federico Valverde forced saves from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and it was still 2-0 going into six minutes of stoppage time.
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Beier’s strike seemed to be a mere consolation.
Then Mbappe produced an acrobatic finish from close range to make it 3-1.
Yet moments later former Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen was sent off for pulling back Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy in the box.
Guirassy scored from the spot and there was still time for Dortmund to come again.
Sabitzer fired a shot goalwards but Courtois threw himself to his right to ensure that Real would face Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster semi-final on Wednesday.
Alexander-Arnold dedicated his performance in the Club World Cup win to former Liverpool team-mate Diogo Jota.
TAA took to the field for the first time since Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident on Thursday.
Alexander-Arnold said: “No matter how difficult it was and how difficult it is, I still have a job to do do.
“As hard as it was, I had to try to push it to the back of my mind. It was difficult, I’m not going to lie about that. I’ve done it in honour of my close friend.
“That’s what I’m sure he would have wanted me to do and we would have had a laugh and a joke about the assist.
“That was in some way in memory of him. He was there with me today I’m sure.”
Alexander-Arnold bravely decided to speak in public about Jota after previously paying tribute via social media.
Visibly emotional, the England star told DAZN: “First and foremost I want to send my condolences, my love, my thoughts and prayers to the family of a close friend of mine.
“It’s been very very difficult for me and all the ones that knew him – not just team-mates, friends and family, but the footballing world.
“It’s been very emotional and heartwarming to see the football world unite and come together to show their love and support to him and his family and his brother as well.
“Although it’s been difficult, it’s been a nice showing out from everyone, all clubs and all people uniting to show love and support in what must be a mind-blowingly hard time for the family.
“I’ve been in and around him and his brother, his family, his amazing wife, his parents, his amazing three children, so it’s truly truly heartbreaking to wake up to news like that. It’s something you would never ever expect.
“He was a very close friend, someone who lit up a room when he was in it. I shared a dressing room with him for five years, amazing memories on and off the pitch with him.
“He will never be forgotten by anyone. He will live long in our memories for the man and player he was.”
A 16-year-old girl has tragically died after being hit by a car while crossing the road.
The horror incident unfolded on Cambridge Street, Cleethorpes with emergency services scrambling to the scene on June 28.
The young teen was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries but sadly passed away yesterday, July 5.
Humberside Police have again asked anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage from the area around the time has been asked to contact the police.
A spokesperson for the force said: “We are continuing to appeal for anyone who may have witnessed the collision, or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage from the area around the time of the incident, to contact us.
“Anyone with information is asked to call our non-emergency number 101 quoting log 532 of 28 June.”
TWO first-half goals from Síofra O’Shea gave Kerry the platform to sweep Kildare aside in their TG4 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final.
The Lilywhites got off to a strong start at Austin Stack Park, notching four points in the first nine minutes, but the Southern Gaels star’s goals — she added a third after the break — were the hammer blow.
With Alannah Prizeman — who hit two frees — Aoife Rattigan and Gillian Wheeler all finding the target for the Leinster side, the Kingdom were slower out of the blocks.
But in the tenth minute, a cross-field kick found Emma Costello and after her shot was parried by goalkeeper Mary Hulgraine, O’Shea scored the rebound.
Danielle O’Leary was also getting into her stride and the Rathmore attacker fired over two points, with a Rachel Dwyer effort sandwiched in between. Ciara Wheeler and Prizeman responded at the other end, with the sides level at 1-3 to 0-6 with 22 minutes on the clock.
Two minutes later, the Kingdom were awarded a penalty when O’Shea was fouled by Lauren Murtagh.
The Kerry full-forward took the spot-kick herself and there was little Hulgraine could do to stop the low shot fizzing into her bottom-right corner.
And, despite Prizeman’s Trojan work, a superb Anna Galvin point put the defending champions four up at the break, 2-5 to 0-7.
The game was over as a contest in the 39th minute when O’Shea completed her hat-trick and the hosts remained in control until the end.
KERRY: ME Bolger; E Lynch, D Kearney, C Lynch; A O’Connell, E Costello, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin 0-1; N Carmody 0-1, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1, C Evans 0-1; R Dwyer 0-1, S O’Shea 3-2, 1f, D O’Leary 0-4. Subs: R Rahilly for Galvin 46mins, K Brosnan 0-1 for Dwyer 46, F O’Donoghue for Kearney 51, K O’Connor for E Lynch 54, N Quinn for Carmody 58.
KILDARE: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, M Doherty; L Shaw, L Murtagh, M Aspel; L Reilly, C Moran; C Wheeler 0-1, A Rattigan 0-1, L Curran; G Wheeler 0-1, A Prizeman 0-7, 5f, R Byrne 0-1. Subs: M Ryan for Moran 37mins, A Mahon for Murtagh 41, E Dowling for Rattigan 48, S Galvin for G Wheeler 51, C Sullivan for Shaw 53.
REFEREE: K Phelan (Laois).
INSURANCE premiums are another rising cost in Ireland’s affordability crisis, with prices outpacing those in many other European countries.
The average cost of insuring a vehicle is up nine per cent, or €49, in the first half of this year, to roughly €616.
That’s almost double the price of the average European insurance premium, which is approximately €315.
And there are fears they could shoot up even more, as the proposed personal injury award guidelines are to be increased by almost 17 per cent.
These rises can cause real world problems for many people. It could mean driving less or taking financial risks by under-insuring.
Small businesses and community organisations can also feel the pinch.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan is to bring a memo to the Cabinet on Tuesday to give the hike the green light.
Brian Hanley of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, says the timing of an increase in personal injury awards couldn’t be worse for policyholders.
IF you are a motorist, small business owner, sports coach, or someone who volunteers in your local community, chances are you’ve been feeling the financial squeeze.
The cost of living continues to climb, energy bills are high, and insurance premiums — they just keep rising.
Now, in the middle of this affordability crisis, the Government is preparing to quietly make things even worse.
A proposal is set to be brought to Cabinet to increase personal injury awards by nearly 17 per cent, reversing much of the progress made over the past three years to bring a degree of balance and consistency to injury compensation in Ireland.
Nobody disputes that people who suffer injuries deserve fair compensation, but Irish awards are already among the highest in Europe.
A 2019 analysis by the Personal Injuries Commission showed personal injury awards here were 440 per cent higher than those in England.
That kind of disparity isn’t fair — it’s unsustainable.
The move comes as the latest Central Bank figures show that motor claim costs rose by almost a quarter in just the first half of last year.
More claims and rising repair costs — driven by inflation — have already pushed up the cost of cover. The one factor helping to contain those costs was a reduction in injury awards. Now, that progress risks being undone.
This is especially concerning for drivers, who are already struggling to keep their cars on the road between rising fuel prices, tolls, maintenance costs and steep annual premiums. For younger drivers and those living in rural areas, affordable insurance is becoming more of a luxury.
Tracy Sheridan, who runs Kidspace play centres in Rathfarnham and Rathcoole and is a board member of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, sees the effect first-hand.
She says: “Every month we’re hearing about premiums going up. The only bright spot had been that awards had come down. If Government raises them now, there’ll be no brake on rising insurance costs. It’s just not sustainable.”
And it’s not just businesses feeling the strain.
Across the country, voluntary groups, sports clubs and community organisations — many operating on a shoestring — are finding it harder and harder to keep going.
They’re doing everything right: improving safety, reducing risk, keeping clean records. Yet when the insurance renewal comes around, the premium has risen again.
Here’s the kicker: for liability insurance, which covers injuries that happen in places like community centres or sports pitches, the cost of claims has actually gone down — by ten per cent in the same six-month period.
In a properly functioning market, that should lead to lower premiums, but that hasn’t happened. What’s worrying is how little public discussion there’s been about this planned increase.
The Government has been virtually silent for six months, even though this change affects every single policyholder in the country.
There’s been no proper scrutiny from the Oireachtas, no serious public debate, and no clear explanation as to why this is being pushed forward now.
In 2021, new Personal Injuries Guidelines were introduced to bring more consistency and fairness. They helped align Irish awards more closely with international norms.
Those reforms were a step in the right direction — but they are now at risk of being reversed before they’ve had a chance to deliver lasting impact.
The Central Bank’s report makes another key point: legal costs blow up when claims are settled through litigation instead of the Injuries Resolution Board.
For liability claims under €100,000 — which account for 94 per cent of all personal injury cases — legal fees go from just €597 at the Injuries Board to over €24,000 for claims settled in litigation.
The average award for claimants is actually the same, so you’re left asking who really benefits from almost 70 per cent of cases going into litigation? Not claimants and certainly not policyholders.
It’s the public — motorists, business owners, charities, volunteers — who are ultimately left to foot the bill. And in an affordability crisis, that cannot be justified.
The Government must now pause this proposal and refer it to the relevant Oireachtas committee. We need transparency, data, and evidence — not quiet decisions made behind closed doors. Let’s debate the facts, consult the experts and hear from the people who are paying the premiums.
Because if insurance keeps going the way it is going, the damage won’t just be financial — it will be social and structural. Ireland needs a personal injury system that is fair for claimants, and affordable for everyone else.
TWO warring gangs have come to a “truce” to halt a bitter feud that had spiralled out of control.
One faction involved associates of notorious gangster Brian ‘King Ratt’ Rattigan.
The violence in south Dublin escalated to new heights in a four-week period of mayhem in May, with a spate of shootings, assaults and petrol bombs attacks.
Gardai feared it would lead to murder.
It’s understood phone calls were made by senior associates of both sides, which has led to the end of the violence for now.
A source told The Irish Sun on Sunday: “The whole feud was literally spiralling out of control and there was a lot of activity over a short period recently. But it came to a sudden stop.
“The Gardai have information that there were conversations between both sides and they seem to have come to a truce. Whether that holds or not, it remains to be seen.”
Convicted killer Rattigan, 44, has not had a hands-on role in the feud, but has a huge influence over young thugs involved.
It’s unknown if the gangster was involved in the peace talks. However, cops suspect the truce would not have happened without his say so.
The feud began in a row over a woman but had become deeply personal, with innocent associates of the criminals being targeted.
Another source said: “It could just take one small incident to kick it all off again because of how bitter it had gotten.
“On the other hand, feuds are bad for those involved in the drugs business, so it might hold off.”
SYNTHETIC cannabis is being smuggled into lags on hand-written letters sent by post.
And the ‘spice’ is making it past security measures.
Most mail being sent into prisons is swabbed.
However, according to a source, a new synthetic drug soaked into letters is extremely hard to detect.
The source added that once the prisoner has received the letter, they rip it into small pieces and eat it or roll it up and smoke it.
The source said: “It used to be done with puzzles and inmates were stopped from getting them as gifts.
“Now they have moved on to letters which have been written on paper that has been soaked in a solution of synthetic drugs. The drug is like no other seen and is very hard to detect.
“It has also been suggested that some are getting the drug sent into them on fake solicitors letters or formal letters which tend not to be opened like others by staff.”
At Castlerea Prison, letters are now opened, swabbed and photocopied and the inmate receives the copied version.
The Irish Prison Service said it is committed to preventing contraband getting into jails.
THE state of the UK’s crumbling roads is driving residents around the bend, with motorists in major cities growing increasingly frustrated by the deteriorating conditions.
Motoring experts have unveiled the cities where frustration with potholes and congestion is at its peak – revealing that these issues are playing a significant role in one in three Brits losing their passion for driving.
As it’s the summer, many motorists are preparing to pack up their cars and head off on their family holidays.
But according to a new report from car finance giant Carmoola, millions are simply dreading getting behind the wheel – due to the country’s worsening roads and traffic.
A particular issue is the UK’s so-called “pothole plague”, contributing to a third of drivers (32%) saying they no longer enjoy driving.
Hot-headed road users – described as “aggressive or impatient drivers” – are the main reason half (49%) of Brits have become disillusioned, while 46% claim the stress of driving has taken all the joy out of it.
Aidan Rushby, chief executive of Carmoola, said: “We have uncovered a very human truth.
“That driving, once a symbol of freedom and adventure, has become something many people now dread.”
Belfast drivers are the most ticked off when it comes to the conditions of their roads, with 26% saying they’re overly frustrated with the state of potholes.
Meanwhile, when it comes to congestion, 38% of Glaswegians say bumper-to-bumper congestion is what riles them up the most.
These statistics highlight why only a quarter of road users view driving as a source of escape, while 34% see it merely as a practical means to get from A to B.
Indeed, many say they simply find driving boring and would choose almost anything else above getting behind the wheel.
To that end, 20% would rather organise their sock drawer and 15% say they would sit through a three-hour meeting instead.
13% would prefer to watch paint dry and 9% would opt to do a tax return.
Back in March, it was found that our pothole-plagued roads will take 12 years and nearly £17billion to fix, according to a report.
More than half of local streets have less than 15 years of life left, says a survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance.
But, on average, they are re-surfaced only once every 93 years.
AIA boss David Giles laid bare the scale of the problem, explaining how, despite £20billion being thrown at road maintenance in the past decade, the short-term approach has failed.
He said: “There have been no significant improvements in structural road conditions.”
The AIA claims getting roads back to ideal condition would take 12 years and cost a corking £16.81 billion.
Its survey also found 94 per cent of local authority highway teams believe there has been no improvement to their roads over the past year, with two thirds saying they have got worse.
And despite councils spending £137.4million filling 1.9million potholes last year, the repair backlog continues to balloon.
The Department for Transport said: “We’re investing £1.6billion to help councils resurface local roads and fix the equivalent of up to seven million extra potholes over the next financial year.”
With 60% of lapsed drivers saying they wish they could rediscover the joy of driving, Carmoola has launched its ‘Joy Ride’ service – an initiative designed to inject some much-needed cheer back into everyday journeys.
A series of Joys – women joyful by name and nature (pic attached) – took over one of Britain’s dullest-sounding streets: Mundania Road in East Dulwich (pic of them there attached), London, joining real drivers for their daily routes, dancing, chatting and singing along the way, transforming routine trips into unexpectedly uplifting experiences.
“We believe driving can and should be something people look forward to – not something that adds stress to their day,” adds Carmoola’s Rushby.
“That’s why we created Joy Rides: to remind people what driving can feel like when it’s filled with laughter, company, and a bit of unexpected delight. Sometimes, a little joy is all it takes to make driving feel fun again.
“And for 3.26 million Brits, the thing that’s reduced their enjoyment of driving is not owning the car they really want. We’ve seen first hand the joy that a dream car can bring – which is exactly why we’re on a mission to make car ownership simpler, more empowering, and more joyful for everyone.”