JULIE-Ann Russell completed the comeback of all comebacks when she was chosen as the PFA Ireland Women’s Player of the Year 2024 on Friday night.

The Galway United star came out of over three years in the international wilderness to show that sporting fairytales do happen.

Fearuring for the Republic of Ireland for the first since time since March of 2020, Russell ended a nine-hour scoring drought for the women in green when finding the net late on against England at Carrow Road in the Euro 2025 Women’s Qualifiers last July.

And to underline that the Moycullen native had lost none of her predator’s instincts, she also hit the target in Ireland’s subsequent European qualifier 3-1 triumph over France at Pairc Ui Chaoimh and in their 3-nil second leg play-off win over Georgia at Tallaght Stadium.

On the club scene, Russell inspired Galway United to retain the All-Island Cup by defeating Shamrock Rovers in a penalty shoot-out at Tallaght Stadium in August.

Highlighting Russell’s class and durability, she was also chosen as the Senior Women’s International Player of the Year and the National League of the Year in 2014.

Russell’s Galway United teammate Eve Dossen has also been selected on the 2024 PFA Ireland Women’s Premier Division Team of the Year .

Pictured: Julie-Ann Russell of Galway United with the PFA Ireland Women’s Player of the Year 2024 award during the PFA Ireland presentation night at the College Green Hotel in Dublin. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.

IFA branches across the county have been invited to consider nominations for a number of commodity representation positions in Galway.

Five vacancies in the commodities committee now await to be filled, mostly due to the fact that the incumbents have completed their full four year stint in the positions.

Branches have been asked to consider nominations for the vacancies in the Dairy; Environmental and Rural Affairs; Farm Business; Potato; and Sheep committees.

Noel Murphy, Ballymacward (Dairy); Henry Walsh, Oranmore (Environmental and Rural Affairs); John Stephens, Corofin (Potato); and David Harney, Ahascragh (Sheep) have all completed their maximum six-year terms [3 x2 consecutive years] while Deirde Mongan, Kinvara (Farm Business) is not standing this time around.

Galway-Mayo IFA Regional Executive Roy O’Brien told the Farming Tribune that all branches across the county had been written to last week and supplied with nomination forms for the different positions.

He said that nominations should be completed following a branch meeting and returned to the County Secretary [Rosemary McDonagh], IFA Office, Athenry, no later than 12 noon Monday, December 9.

Elections for positions – if necessary – will take place at the County Executive meeting due to be held in the Raheen Woods Hotel, Athenry, on Thursday, December 12.

“We would encouraging branches to consider nominations from any of their members who may be interested in filling any of those positions.

“The commodity representatives for the county play an important role in policy direction and in highlighting issues of importance across a range of farming enterprises,” Roy O’Brien told the Farming Tribune.

The seven IFA Commodity Representatives whose maximum terms are not up are: Maura Canning, Mullagh (Animal Health); Anne Mitchell, Menlough (Farm Family); Pat Lyons, Looscaune-Woodford (Farm Forestry); Mervyn Cooke, Aughrim (Grain); Patrick O’Rourke, Ballinakill (Hill Farming); Michael Havery, Clonberne (Livestock); and PJ Conroy, Looscaune-Woodford (Rural Development).

Pictured: Roy O’Brien: Encouraging nominations. 

Motor Distributors Limited has announced the appointment of prominent motor retailers Cunningham Autopoint as the main dealers in Galway for the BYD range of passenger cars.

Expanding the BYD network to seven outlets overall, with further appointments yet to follow, Cunningham Autopoint will market itself as ‘BYD Galway’.

Welcoming their appointment, MDL sales director, Ciaran Allen said: “It is an honour for BYD and the entire BYD team in Ireland to welcome Cunningham Autopoint to the BYD network. We look forward to working with them and creating a strong presence for BYD in this region and we are confident the highly specified and competitively-priced BYD models will have an attractive customer appeal.”

A leading name for motoring in County Galway for more than 30 years, Cunningham Autopoint operates from a high-profile premises, located just off exit 19 of the M6 motorway at Carnmore West, north of Oranmore, on the eastern approach to Galway city.

Currently four models make up the BYD range to be sold by Cunningham Autopoint. First to arrive in Ireland some 18 months ago was the BYD ATTO 3 SUV.

Since then, three additional models have been added the BYD DOLPHIN compact C-segment hatchback, the ‘strikingly sporty’ 4-door D-segment sedan, BYD SEAL and the BYD SEAL U Super Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid SUV launched just weeks ago. Five additional models are expected to be introduced in Ireland in 2025.

Niall Cunningham, managing director at Cunningham Autopoint, said they were thrilled with their appointment – and the opportunity it brings to offer customers a new and exciting product range.

“It also gives us the chance to share in the value and enjoyment that BYD has brought to Ireland with their award-winning ATTO 3, compact DOLPHIN, stunning SEAL, and all-new SEAL U Super Hybrid, all of which will be available to view in our showrooms,” he said.

“Our experienced and professional team look forward to representing the BYD brand in Galway,” he added.

Approaching 30 years in business, BYD has its manufacturing base in China and has announced plans to construct a European plant in Hungary.

Since its arrival, BYD has been warmly welcomed by motor industry commentators and by its growing community of owners – a fact recognised by its success as one of Ireland’s top-selling EV model ranges, and by the achievement of BYD ATTO 3 in winning the coveted ‘Continental Irish Small Compact SUV 2024’ award and the success of the BYD SEAL winning the ‘Continental Irish Large Car of the Year 2025’ award, presented by members of the Motoring Media Association of Ireland only last week.

Hallmarks of BYD models are its wide range of all-inclusive standard features, highly competitive price offering and the appeal its range has for eco-friendly Irish motorists keen to embrace lower cost motoring. In addition, all components are manufactured by BYD in-house, including its unique cobalt-free Blade Battery, ePlatform 3.0 and intelligent Super DM (Dual Mode) technology.

For more information visit: www.bydauto.ie

Pictured: BYD SEAL U Super Hybrid – a plug-in hybrid SUV with intelligent BYD Super DM technology, and latest arrival to be sold by Cunningham Autopoint under their appointment as BYD main dealers in Galway.

Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry 0-19

Tooreen 1-14

By DARREN KELLY AT DR HYDE PARK

TYNAGH/Abbey-Duniry’s 2024 journey will extend to the All-Ireland series before Christmas as they were crowned Connacht intermediate hurling champions on Saturday, ending Tooreen’s unbeaten streak that extended all the way back to 2018.

That was the Mayo club’s last defeat on the provincial stage when they went down to Oranmore/Maree. Ray Larkin’s side had won five out of six titles beating Ballinderreen (2), Kinvara, Moycullen and Killimor.

And at half-time here, they looked in control as Eoin Delaney’s goal gave the Blue Devils a 1-10 to 0-9 interval lead.  Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry had been sloppy during the second quarter but tightened up afterwards to outscore their opponents by 0-10 to 0-4.

While Storm Bert laid its mark throughout Galway, Roscommon’s Dr. Hyde Park looked in good condition after coming through three pitch inspections. And supporters were treated to a quality game.

Shane Boland’s free got Tooreen off the mark but the Galway champions replied almost immediately with Niall Moloney pointing from play.

Mattie Kenny’s team added the next three points through a Shane Moloney ’65, Thomas Murphy and Ben Moran.  Johnny Conroy and Padraig Breheny were already putting in the work to create chances.

Momentum changed regularly during the first 30 minutes and Tooreen settled with the next four scores. Fergal Boland was influential and a major loss to injury when substituted at half-time. Kenny Feeney was afforded the freedom of. Dr. Hyde Park.

Feeney and Ciaran Finn reduced arrears to the minimum before Delaney’s strike out right levelled on 12 minutes.  And they weren’t wasting time as Bobby Douglas’ puck out two minutes later was plucked by Feeney who made it 0-5 to 0-4.

Due to a colour clash, the sides played in their respective county jerseys creating the unusual scenario of Galway and Mayo going head-to-head in the small ball game. Hooks and blocks were in abundance throughout the contest. Old school hurling to keep the purists happy.

Pictured: Shane Moloney of Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry eyes up his options against Tooreen’s Shane Boland during the Connacht Intermediate Hurling Final at Hyde Park on Saturday. Photos: Joe Keane.

Arts Week with Judy Murphy

Five years ago, when Rod Goodall, formerly of Footsbarn and Macnas theatre companies, wrote a Christmas story for his grandson Juno who lives in France, he never expected it would become a stage show. However, when Rod’s stepdaughter Petal Pilley read it, she knew it had potential for more. Petal is Artistic Director of Blue Teapot Theatre Company for people with intellectual disabilities and she realised it could be developed into a perfect Christmas show for the ensemble, which is based in Galway City.

Next week, Fairy Tree will have its premiere at Blue Teapot’s Theatre’s space on Munster Avenue.

A 40-minute show for children, young and old, aged 6+, tells a story of fairies in winter, who are so cold they are freezing to the trees. Two young girls see this and ask people to take the fairies into their houses to warm them up. Some householders object at first but eventually agree, on condition that the visitors don’t overstay their welcome – 12 days is the time agreed.

The fairies are reluctant to go indoors initially but when they do, they get comfortable and negotiations are needed to ensure they return to the great outdoors once the allotted time is up. The show has a cast of seven Blue Teapot members as well as Rod, who also directs. And there’s music, song and puppetry, as well as a giant spruce tree – the fairy tree of the title.

Rod hadn’t been thinking about a stage show when he first wrote the story for Juno who was then six years old, but he’s delighted at the way the play is unfolding.

It all took a while though, he says. As happened with so many other companies, Blue Teapot had started working on it in 2020 but Covid meant it had to be deferred. Now, its time has come.

The group began focusing on it properly in September, rehearsing three days a week, with breaks for mid-term and Baboró.

Casting was completed earlier this year but there were a couple of changes since then, which required Rod to do a bit of rewriting so that the script suited the new performers.

It’s clear he’s having fun as the elder lemon of the cast, guiding the story along and playing a grumpy old man, who isn’t happy about the fairies being allowed indoors.

Rod himself, meanwhile, clearly relishes the connection between humans and the natural world we inhabit. He lights up as he explains why he wrote Fairy Tree for Juno initially.

“It’s to do with notion of the Christmas tree and the 12 days of Christmas. Why do we bring in trees in the first place and then throw them out after 12 days?”

Curious to answer this question, he began looking at the origins of the tradition.

Pictured: Rod Goodall and Kieran Coppinger in Fairy Tree, Blue Teapot’s first children’s show, which will run from next Wednesday to Saturday, December 4-7. Photo: Andrew Downes, xposure.

Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

If you’re in the business of buying and asking things to be bought for you this Black Friday, here are the best of the beauty deals that tick this columnist’s boxes. The Dyson Airwrap™ multi-styler and dryer currently has €80 off so costs €470. While it has an eye-watering price tag, it is a gamechanger for those of us who are useless at styling – I pay €35 a pop for a curly blow-dry, so it will have paid for itself in 13 visits.

There are online tutorials on how to use this beautiful machine, which comes in a beautiful box that fits all the accoutrements for the different style curls or waves.

It doesn’t ruin your hair with heat like other styling products, instead using air to achieve volume in the curl. It keeps the temperature below 150°C, which helps protect hair from heat damage and maintains shine across all hair types.

For my medium length hair, I can get a whole head of waves done in about 25 minutes. Somebody who’s more used to styling would have it done in 15 minutes. If you could bribe your daughter to do it, I’d say 10 minutes flat.

Blast-dry the hair first until it is about 80% dry and then section and put the Airwrap to a single strand, allowing it to catch it and curl. Finish by using a serum to add shine and definition.

And the waves last, something that doesn’t always happen with a salon blow-dry as I have very fine hair. If you have any kind of thickness, this will be a dream tool for speed and result.

If you want to give the gift of a spa but can’t quite stretch to pay for a visit, Ground Wellbeing have currently 25% off. They have 100% natural plant-based ingredients, are all handmade in Ireland and are beautifully packaged with a red ribbon for Christmas.

Used in the Mount Juliet Estate spa and the K Club in Wicklow, the Glasson Lakehouse spa outside Athlone and Hayfield Manor in Cork – as well as top international hotels such as the Four Seasons and the Waldorf Astoria – the Pride & Joy giftbox (€90) has its signature products Fortify Face & Body Oil, Recovery Hair Oil, Sleep Pillow Spray, Recovery Hand Balm, Night Body Balm and Restorative Cleansing Balm while The Minding (€69) suitable for cancer care has Fortify Super Seed Face & Body Oil, Support Hand & Foot Balm, Protect Fortify Nail & Cuticle Oil and Support Scalp Oil.

Pictured: The Dyson Airwrap is a gamechanger for curly blow-drys at home.

Ten of the city and county’s finest groups and individuals were recognised for their commitment over a huge range of areas when they were revealed as Galway’s People of the Year 2024 at a Gala Banquet in the Galway Bay Hotel last weekend.

This year’s Galway People of the Year include Kilbeacanty native and New York based Eamon Shiel; Sean Nee from Ballyconnelly; Building for Children Volunteers; Moanbaun Sports Development Committee; Joe Collins from Lackagh; publican Sean O’Donohoe from Abbeyknockmoy; Mary O’Connor and the Tome Chanters; Joe Kennelly and Dermot O’Neill of Gentle Swimmers; Caroline Downey, founder of Charlotte’s Vision, and the Oranmore camogie team of the 1970’s.

Over 400 guests were in attendance on the night, led by the City Mayor Cllr Peter Keane and Galway City Council CEO Leonard Cleary.

All recipients were interviewed on stage by MC Ollie Turner of Galway Bay FM before being presented with their awards by sponsor Basil Holian of Watchman Holdings.

Speaking at the function, organiser Ollie Robinson said the awards recognised those who had done their county and community proud at home or abroad.

“Some supported others in their darkest hours and brought joy and light to the lives of others – but all were ordinary people who had worked incredibly hard to enrich the lives of others,” he said.

Caption: Pictured t the Galway People of the Year Awards were (front – from left) Caroline Downey, Tommy Fahy of the Moanbaun Sports Committee, Eamon Shiel, Mayor of Galway Cllr Peter Keane, Basil Holian of Watchman Holdings, Bridgie Hanley and Nono McHugh of Oranmore Camogie Joe Collins, Sean O’Donohoe, with (back) Ollie Turner MC, Brendan McDonnell and Padraig Conlon of Building for Children, Bernice Forde Carolan, Sean Nee, Mary O’Connor of Tome Chanters, Joe Kennelly and Dermot O’Neill of Gentle Swimmers, and Awards Organiser Ollie Robinson. Photos Sean Lydon

Read the full report with two pages of photographs in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.

World of Politics with Harry McGee

It’s the little things that trip you up, as the late Albert Reynolds put it ruefully after his resignation in 1994. Simon Harris also found this out to his cost last weekend.

Following an impossible schedule of incessant visits, and hand-shaking and travelling, he arrived in the North Cork village of Kanturk on Friday night.

There he met Charlotte Fallon in a supermarket. As he shook her hand, she told him that the disabilities sector was being forgotten. He murmured something and turned away, but she called him back to tell him that she was passionate about her job and felt that her sector – the Section 39 organisations – had been left behind.

Many of these voluntary organisations – there are 1,100 of them – care for people with disabilities and additional needs.

Those who work in them do the exact same work as their equivalents in the public sector – as in, the HSE – but do not get equivalent pay. In fact, there is a huge gap between them.

That was the issue that Charlotte Fallon wanted to bring up. Harris has made a big issue of disability issues since becoming Taoiseach and, indeed, has given Hildegarde Naughton special responsibilities in this area.

The complaint clearly irked him and he treated the woman in a snippy manner, turned and just ignored her.

It was all captured on video and it looked terrible. By Monday morning, the viral video had been viewed 3.5 million times.

Harris and his advisers knew immediately that those moments had really cost him. By the following morning, he had contacted Fallon and had had a really long conversation with her with which he apologised.

He also posted videos on his social media platforms making profuse apologies and saying that what he had said the previous night was not him.

But the damage was done – and it was going to take more than a video and a phone call for Harris to draw a line under it.

The exchange could not have come at a worse moment for the Taoiseach.

Pictured: Judgement day…Upfront presenter Katie Hannon with Micheál Martin, Simon Harris, Roderic O’Gorman and Peadar Tóibín during last week’s Party Leaders’ debate.

IT was a packed weekend of basketball action for Galway teams as all four in senior national competition had home fixtures over last Saturday and Sunday.

The most dramatic moment of the weekend came in the Men’s National League, where Titans secured a sensational 75-72 win over Malahide in a nail-biting encounter. Trailing by three points with less than a minute to play, Titans kept their composure when it mattered most. Former Irish U-18 captain Declan Gbignie drained a crucial three-pointer to tie the game, silencing the traveling Malahide supporters.

Malahide had a chance to respond, but their star player Romonn Nelson missed on the next possession. Titans’ Michael Paul Hayes grabbed the rebound, was fouled, and stepped up to the free-throw line under immense pressure. Hayes delivered, converting both free throws to put Titans ahead.

A technical foul on Malahide for referee complaints added to their woes, giving Hayes an additional free throw, which he also made. Malahide’s last-gasp final three-point attempt fell short, and Titans celebrated a hard-fought victory, demonstrating their mettle in the tightest of contests.

The win leaves the sides sitting third in the table with a 6-2 win-loss record ahead of this Saturday’s game, which see them host Tipp Talons in Ballinfoile in the city (7pm).

In the Men’s Super League, Maree steadied the ship after a tough loss the weekend before in Cork to UCC Demons with a solid 78-73 home win over UCD Marian. Playing in front of their fans in Calasanctius College in Oranmore, Maree were led by a stellar performance from their American guard Jarret Haines, who poured in 32 points.

Support came from Bernat Vanaclocha and new US important Joshua McGettigan, who combined for 36 points, keeping Maree’s season ticking along with a 4-4 record. They are on the road this weekend, facing the long trek to the north to take on Belfast Star on Saturday (6.30pm).

Meanwhile, Maigh Cuilinn had a tougher outing in their Men’s National League clash against Drogheda Wolves. Playing at the University of Galway Kingfisher, Maigh Cuilinn started brightly, edging into a 20-17 lead after the first quarter behind the scoring efforts of Grant Olsson and James Loughnane. However, their struggles to control the boards against a physical Wolves side soon became apparent.

Pictured: James Loughnane who was on the scoresheet for Maigh Cuilinn.