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Page 17 - O'Neills Blog
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In the GAA | September 21, 2017There’s nothing like a bit of Samba. If Gaelic football ever takes off in Brazil, we might have one person to thank. Amy Challoner is originally from Ireland and now lives in Hong Kong where she is involved with the GAA playing and coaching our games.
This summer, Amy visited Sao Paulo, Brazil, as part of a volunteer sports coaching project through an organization in Brazil called ACER. There, she coached Gaelic football to underprivileged children aged 7 - 15 from the surrounding areas.
Ahead of the trip, Amy got in touch with our export team at O’Neills to ask if we could provide some O’Neills children’s sized footballs to teach the children all about GAA.
Here at O’Neills we are huge supporters of the development of GAA abroad and particularly seeing the impact it can have on such an underprivileged area. The thought of a group of Brazilian children taking up the game and showing off their legendary skills with the famous O’Neills football caught our imagination.
So, to help Amy on her
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In the Rugby | August 18, 2017Rugby League Ireland will run out in Barlow Park, Cairns for their first Rugby League World Cup match wearing their new jersey designed by O’Neills. The World Cup kicks off in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in late October and Ireland have three group games with a real chance of qualifying for the Quarter finals stage.
Rugby League Ireland fly out to the Southern Hemisphere towards the end of October to take part in the Rugby League World Cup which is being staged in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Head Coach Mark Aston is putting together the final touches of his squad. Rugby League Ireland have high hopes of making it through the initial group games and through to the latter stages of the competition. If they can achieve that it would be a massive boost for the game here.
Aston expressed his delight at the new kit arrangement with O’Neills: “Once Rugby League Ireland were made aware of O’Neill’s International Sportswear’s interest it was an easy decision for
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In the GAA | August 15, 2017With the growth of the GAA across every continent, the sight of an O’Neills jersey and our famous O’Neills All Ireland football in more and more exotic and unusual locations worldwide is increasingly common. The fact is that Irish people living overseas export their love of all things GAA to their host communities, and this spreads the gospel of Gaelic Games into all sorts of new environments.
Kerry Mortimer is Chairperson of the Ottawa Gaels Gaelic Football Club based in Canada's capital and she’s involved in Project North, a non-for-profit with a focus on improving literacy skills and providing recreational opportunities to Inuit children in remote Northern Canadian communities.
O’Neills Balls
Kerry’s expedition was delivering hockey equipment to seven arctic communities in three days, and being a passionate Gael with a love for Gaelic football, she brought some O’Neills balls with her to introduce the children she met to the Irish game.
She carried a few O’Neills balls up to the Arctic
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In the Gym | July 28, 2017Introducing the new O’Neills Koolite Grip Socks. Made in Ireland, these non-slip socks are game changers.
Our traction technology means more grip so you don’t slip. Made with specialist woven yarn from our state of the art knitting facility, our non-slip socks have been trialled and tested by a number of leading GAA and rugby teams.
Players want anti-slip football socks with grip for boots to improve their performance, comfort and safety, both on the pitch and in training. When you kick a football, grip socks give the foot and ankle greater stability within the shoe.
O’Neills Grip Sock combines cutting edge traction technology with our signature Koolite and cushioning systems, offering ventilation and foot support while ensuring your foot stays steady in your boots.
We’ve compiled research, player feedback and input from podiatrists to ensure that with our grip socks, players can be sure of their footwork.
O’Neills Koolite Grip Socks – Enhanced control on every kick and turn.
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In the News | June 23, 2017Huge congratulations to Cricket Ireland on another momentous day for the sport that has gone from strength to strength here in recent years. Yes, Ireland has been granted Full Test status and has finally taken her place among the top cricket nations of the earth.
Following their meeting yesterday at the Oval in London, the International Cricket Council (ICC) made the historic decision to upgrade the status of Ireland and Afghanistan from associate to full member. This means Ireland can play Test matches against the world’s best cricketing countries. A mouthwatering prospect.
Congratulations
It is the culmination of a combination of hard work by the players in a series of inspiring results over the years, the dedication of coaches on the ground to promote the game, and the leadership of Cricket Ireland, not least by Warren Deutrom, the Chief Executive.
The news of Ireland’s was welcomed by Mr Deutrom: “It’s fantastic news for all involved with Irish cricket and I’d like to thank ICC and
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In the GAA | June 01, 2017Dublin GAA take on Carlow on Saturday on what is billed as David against Goliath. Few pundits give Carlow GAA a chance, but every Carlow player will relish the task ahead and will be dreaming of Championship glory. In truth, it’s hard for a so called ‘weaker’ county to hang on against one of the superpowers, even they get ahead on the scoreboard there is usually an air of inevitability before they are reeled in. Favourites usually have more steel, skill and a stronger bench. Still, this week the Carlow men will be preparing themselves for their clash with All Ireland champions, testing themselves against the best. Isn’t that what the championship is about?
Down the years there have been a few big shocks that have had the bookies reaching for their satchels.
Clare v Kerry 1992
Jack O'Shea's last ever inter-county game for Kerry GAA and Seamus Moynihan's first, two weeks after finishing his leaving cert… Clare’s only provincial football title. The Munster Final in 1992 was surely just a
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In the News | May 16, 2017Monday 15th May
Players who scored a new Guinness World Record for the longest Gaelic 15-a-side football match in history have been honoured in a special presentation ceremony at the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast.
The Marathon Match raised an amazing £73,565 for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland and Michaela Foundation.
The event, in partnership with O’Neill’s International Sportswear Ltd, was held on January 7th/8th in the Tyrone GAA Garvaghey Centre. The record setting match saw players kick ball for an amazing 24 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds.
At the presentation last weekend, the players received their Guinness World Record medals and certificates from Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and Roisin Foster, Chief Executive of Cancer Focus NI.
Mrs Foster said: “We are delighted to come together to celebrate this magnificent achievement which will help even more cancer patients and their families thanks to the generosity of those who made donations or were involved in this amazing event.”
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In the Zone | March 16, 2017Yes, we all know that the Irish male loves his sport. But how far do you take it in your pursuit of sport? Do you own an O'Neills Ireland Retro jersey that pays homage to Chippy Brady, John Giles and Kevin Moran? Do you know the answer to the perennial question ‘Who put the ball in English net?’ If you're of an older vintage, do you remember where you were when Packie Bonnar saved that penalty. We’ve constructed five easy questions to see just how fanatical an Irish sports fan you are.
1. On St Patrick's Day, do you:
A Plan your entire day around sport, making sure if you cannot get to Croke Park you synchronise all activities to ensure you can watch all the action live. You'll even slot in the MacRory cup final on the BBC player.
B You'll be out and about having the craic and sure if you find yourself in a bar when the game is on you'll probably watch it.
C Nothing captures the passion of the Irish and their love of sport. You'll stick on Sky+ or watch the highlights if you remember.
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In the GAA | February 17, 2017It is not just in the Model County that the famous Yellow Belly Wexford jersey is spoken of with reverence and respect. It is surprising how a few short words or a generous action from a famous hurler can fire the spirit of a young player.
The year was 1985 and it was a group of intrepid hurlers from the North headed almost as far south as they could go to compete in the Féile na nGael in Wexford.
The manager, a scholar of the game, who would refer to players and feats in training sessions that had his young players looking at him mystified and confused, decided if they were going to Wexford they had to learn about Wexford. And so each player was given obair bhaile – homework on top of their weekly skills to do on a spare gable wall. They approached it with relish.
The mere mention of the county's name had the lads talking in hushed tones of the famous Wexford jersey, worn by Tony Doran in the seventies. One lad asked his grandad what he knew of the Yellow Belllies and his reply was two