Author: Cian McGibney

My name is Cian Mc Gibney , I have worked in Community Radio for the last 5 years as part of a sports team - I am the main rugby correspondent. My ultimate aim is to become a leading sport journalist/broadcaster. I have spent the last few years honing my craft with a qualification in Radio Production and Presentation from Tralee Community College.   

ROG In La Rochelle Till 2031

Cian McGibneyRugby

Ronan O Gara’s new deal with La Rochelle has been confirmed after he put pen to paper on a 5 year deal that will take him to 2031. He has had good success since taking the job back in 2019 that has seen them win two Champions Cup titles and get to a Top 14 Final.

There is great security in the length of the deal and you can be sure winning a Top 14 will be a priority for ROG and his coaching staff that still has Donnacha Ryan on its books.

Ben Healy is part of the playing squad this season after his time in Scotland with Edinburgh didn’t work out too well, yes he was capped by Scotland at senior level but did not make a major breakthrough to compete with Finn Russell, Adam Hastings to get a regular spot in the Scotland squad.

He was also in and out of the Edinburgh side during his time in Scotland where others got ahead of him in the pecking order and he spent the latter part of last season on loan with Newcastle Red Bull. He has signed a two year deal and will have to work hard to get into the 23 regularly but with the amount of games in the Top 14 as well as Europe he will get his chance and will want to take it on the first go.

ROG’s decision to throw his lot in with La Rochelle will open the door for plenty of talk about him still succeeding Andy Farrell in 2031 even though loads of water has still to pass under those bridges and who is to say that either man will still be in said jobs by the time 2031 does roll around.

It will ease any anxious Leinster supporters who may have feared that ROG was in any conversations to succeed Leo Cullen at the end of the season. His track record as a coach should have been the only thing that counted for those in charge at Leinster if he had been interested in the job.

Certain ex Leinster players were very quick to dismiss the notion that Ronan O Gara would be suitable for the top job. His association with Munster seemed to rule him out straight off the bat which is ridiculous given his coaching career has gone from strength to strength since his first job with Racing 92 back in 2013.

It will be interesting over the next period of time how he gets on with La Rochelle, they have started the current Top 14 campaign on a strong footing and will look to continue to build on that strong start as the weeks go by.

ROG has achieved plenty so far in his career and will want to keep that up over the next few years with La Rochelle and of course the idea of International coaching will stay hidden away in the background with both France and Ireland keeping a close eye on his progress in particular….

Listowel Harvest Festival 2026

Cian McGibneyLocal News

Listowel Races are fast approaching over the horizon, 7 days where the North Kerry town is brought to a standstill for the world famous festival. Can local trainer Eoin Mc Carthy pick up from last year when he won several races and kept the local punters happy as well as his owners.

Listowel is a sight to behold over the 7 days and brings everyone together and all business owners are all singing from the same hymn sheet which makes things work well. You get people coming to Listowel from all walks of life.

Many people return year on year and stay in the same place, do the same thing, eat the same food and that familiarity is what makes the Harvest Festival so special.

The Race Company works hard for the year leading into the Whit meeting in June and then the big one over the week in September.

Pat “Cash” Healy is a massive driver as the spokesperson for the Race Company and he does his bit to put in the reminders of the famed Festival when he appears at other meetings like Galway in the months preceding Listowel on TV.

Gerry Hannon the famed commentator who is another Listowel local who learned his trade in Listowel as well as other tracks is another local man who will be on home soil for the week to bring his dulcet tones to the commentary box on the “Island”.

Ger Mulvihill, who is the social media man for the Race Company will ramp up his preparations and keep the Festival visible on all of the social media sites as he has done over the past year.

He does this through interviews, features on local yards, the people behind the scenes who make it all happen. He will be up the walls in the build-up as well as race week.

It is a special week for this author as I can see another Race week fast approaching. I really enjoy the week and will go racing from Monday to the Friday. Good walking shoes will be required as I will be on my feet and moving for the 5 days I hope to travel.

It is great to be reacquainted with those I meet on a yearly basis as well as meeting new people who are down for a few days or the whole week from different places all over Ireland and further afield as is the case most years.

Sunday to Tuesday will be when most locals will venture to the track and then from Tuesday evening to Saturday it will be locals and many others who will be there for Kerry National Day on the Wednesday and Ladies Day on Friday.

John B Keane was spot on when he summed up Listowel Race week as a “State of Mind” because the few days take on a world of their own and best laid plans are often changed to fit in around a day at the Races.

To those who will go to the Races this year, enjoy yourselves and to those who may be in two minds and waiting for the weather reports I would urge you to pencil it in and then just let yourself go and take your day at the Races in your stride.

A word for TG4 who will broadcast the Festival on TV and that will bring the festivities to a broader audience as well as those here at home.

I wish all in the Race Company the very best for the Harvest Festival of 2026 taking place from Sunday the 20th to Saturday 26th of September…..

Katie Taylor Career Ends in Croke Park

Cian McGibneyMMA / Boxing

Katie Taylor’s storied career ended on Saturday evening in Croke Park in front of 83,000 on Jones Road. She fought Flora Pili of France who had not fought outside of France until Saturday. A number of other bouts happened on the card with guys like Paddy Donovan boxing and the card also included Molly Mc Cann who is related to Katie also adding to the family affair at Croker.

For Katie, this is the end of the road that began back in 2001 and was neatly rounded off in front of the record crowd. Taylor has won multiple National, European and World titles along with Olympic gold in 2012.

Eddie Hearn and Brian Peters have guided her professional career since 2016, Brian Peters was the man in the corner of Bernard Dunne when he won European and World titles in the mid-2000s. They have worked well over her 25 bouts as a professional to allow her flourish and achieve some big feats in the last 10 years.

Of course, there have been a number of close calls against a few fighters with Chantelle Cameron inflicting her only professional defeat and then in the 2nd fight between the pair she won back the belts she had lost previously alas there was to be no trilogy fight and from Chantelle Cameron’s point of view she will most likely view it as a missed chance.

Katie Taylor can now begin the long and winding process of reflection and looking back her career as she settles back into civilian life for want of a better turn of phrase. She will be inundated with opportunities and interview requests you can be certain. A book can’t be too far off either although one suspects, one is already in the works.

Her next move outside of family commitments will be interesting, does she want to get involved in training or punditry or will it be a clean break away from the sport for a period of time to allow her breathe and assess her options.

The event on Saturday was very special and showcased the best of what can be achieved with joined up thinking and team work. Yes money will also talk and will continue to dominate the world of professional sport.

Aoife Scott and Roisin O were asked to sing the Irish anthem and also gave the crowd a rendition of “Grace” a song made famous by Jim Mc Cann.

I think it was stroke of genius to have two women sing the anthem and you also had the haunting voice of Dolores O Riordan to add to the occasion not forgetting Westlife who also sang a few tunes.

They built up the suspense and that worked well as the other bouts ticked along and it steadily built toward the big moment which arrived and Taylor and Pili were greeted with load roars of approval as they entered the ring.

Boxing has struggled in Ireland to regain the lost ground since 2016 owing to events at the Regency Hotel in earlier that year Thankfully for boxing fans, slowly over the past few years smaller shows have happened at the 3 Arena in particular and that has shown those in charge that there still an appetite for combat sports in Ireland be that MMA or Boxing.

Let’s see now into the future can Ireland now sustain the small bit of momentum garnered from the shows of the last few years. Will more promoters be willing to put up the money to have more shows in Ireland and give the next generation of fighters a chance to shine on a decent stage.

For Katie Taylor her long career as an amateur and professional has ended after many success and one or two disappointments over the years too of course. She spoke of her family in loving terms and also thanked her father Pete for his contribution to her career. They have had well-documented issues in recent times but Katie made sure in her final moments in a ring to recognise his efforts.

The talk of the greatest Irish sports person again reared its head immediately after on social media which of course is the 21st century version of judge, jury and in some cases executioner. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but can we leave the greatest of all time chatter until another time and allow each event have its moment before we tear it to pieces.

I was also thinking of the late great Jimmy Magee on Saturday evening as Katie stepped into the ring and could hear his words in my ears from 2012 when he said “Katie Taylor champion of the Olympic Games” after her win in the Olympic Final.  He would have really enjoyed Saturday in Croke Park no doubt.

Enjoy whatever is next Katie with the family on both sides of the Atlantic….

Mam’s 10th Anniversary

Cian McGibneyLife

I have written a few pieces this year as my Mam’s 10th anniversary will fall next Thursday.  It will make it 10 years exactly since Mam suffered a brain haemorrhage and then died 4 days later in University Hospital Kerry.

For those who have lost a parent or parents, this will be familiar and for those who have not lost anyone of importance, don’t take those relationships for granted. The events of that evening are still fresh but have begun to fade as the years have ticked by.

I have grown as a person in that time and although I was 26 when Mam died and in the opinions of people, “how was I going to cope” well I can tell you I have coped quite well and manged not to crack up although I was close to doing so a few times.

I learned plenty over the past few years, who I could count on and those you couldn’t count on in any circumstance. That group of people is very small and that was another lesson I learned very quickly.

I am also well aware that my Mam wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea because she spoke her mind and that particular asset is not really appreciated in Ireland as we don’t like hearing the truth and not a version of the truth.

I have done my best to improve myself and move on from that period but it still comes to mind on occasion depending on what’s going on in life. The amount of regrets I have since Mam died are small in number and I have also done my utmost to show her that I was able to move out and on with life.

3 years on from my move and I am still here, I did the adult thing and left home. I probably spent the first few months proving myself to those who kept telling me to go out and experience life. Yes the move has been the single best thing I have done or did in my now 36 years on this planet.

My reason for writing this piece is to mark Mam’s death but also it’s another reminder to those who questioned me and my ambitions to keep your opinions to yourselves which has become the norm now thankfully. I now just laugh or bite back at anyone who has something to say….

As I say, my mother wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea but she also did so much for many people in a quiet manner when it came to glasses in particular. Her final act of organ donation proved the type of woman my mother was and is.

In death, she was thinking of other people and her selfless act allowed a number of people to restart their lives thanks to her organ donation. Next Thursday at 12pm I will mark the moment my life changed forever.

Mam missed out on Fionn’s wedding earlier this year but she was remembered in the speeches and her presence was also at the top table unfortunately in picture form and not there in her full form. It is those moments you truly miss the loved ones that are gone.

If I seem distracted or grumpier than usual in the next week, I can only apologise to those who may encounter me. I will be steeling myself for the anniversary next Thursday the 10th of September…..

ROG, Fresh deal at La Rochelle Might Be In the Offing

Cian McGibneyRugby

Ronan O Gara looks set to sign a new 4 year deal with La Rochelle to continue as there head coach until 2031. He has won two European Cups but has yet to deliver the Top 14 title and if he does sign this extension, he will hope to get over the line and secure the Top 14 title in the next few years.

 His new deal would end at the same time as Andy Farrell’s latest contract with the IRFU. Time will tell whether both men will be in those respective jobs depending on results over the next year or so. For ROG, he has been linked with a return to Ireland regularly over the past 13 years since his coaching journey began with Racing 92.

Leinster will be in the market for a new head coach from the summer of 2027 with Leo Cullen stepping down after 11 years with Leinster.

ROG has been quick to put it out there in his regular weekly paper column that no decisions had been made about his future even though his name was linked to Leinster as soon as Leo Cullen intimated his intention to step away.

The question of ROG to Leinster seemed to stir up several people who very quickly stated on record that he would not be a good fit for the job given his playing days were spent with Munster. That is amazing, straight away his playing days were the restriction to him possibly being involved in the conversation for one of club rugby’s big jobs.

By the look of it, La Rochelle look set to announce ROG’s 4 year extension in the coming days. Felipe Contepomi is another name linked to the Leinster job after his time with them as both a player and coach. He is currently coaching Argentina in a miniseries with Australia in place of this year’s Rugby Championship.

Leinster have begun there recruitment process for their next head coach and have said through Shane Nolan, chief executive that they will take their time in announcing the next person to take Leinster forward from next season and beyond.

With Ronan O Gara seemingly about to be ruled out of the reckoning with his supposed La Rochelle extension in the offing, it will be an interesting period as the new campaign approaches as to who Leinster have in their sights for the big job…

Katie Taylor, Croke Park Farewell and Finale…

Cian McGibneyMMA / Boxing

Katie Taylor will end her professional boxing career on Saturday, 10 years after her debut in November 2016. She was Olympic Champion in 2012 guided by her father Pete and Zaur Antia. She has been a trail blazer for women’s boxing over the past 25 years.

Many of today’s stars in female boxing have spoken about Katie in glowing terms, Clarissa Shields, Terri Harper, Chantelle Cameron and on a domestic front Christina Desmond has spoken of her admiration for Katie.

Much will be written in the coming days about her farewell in Croker, thankfully she will get the send-off and to box in Croke Park which for the latter part of her professional career was a stated aim.

 I am thinking of Jimmy Magee as I type, who was the man in 2012 who commentated on her Olympic Final, he was the voice of Irish boxing along with Dave “boy” Mc Auley and Mick Dowling among others.

Boxing has long since disappeared from television screen in this country owing to outside factors that have been well documented so I won’t be going over old ground. Slowly though in recent times, that seems to be changing and we have had a number of shows involving plenty of Irish talent.

At amateur level, TG4 has carried the can and given the National Championships in boxing their time in the spot light. RTE has left well enough alone and will re-enter the boxing sphere on Saturday evening for the first time in many years and let’s hope it will be not be a 1 and done scenario by those in RTE who have shown in recent times that they can get it right covering sport outside of the usual namely GAA, Rugby and Football in particular.

The recent coverage of the European Swimming and Athletics Championships was evidence of how well they can do things on occasion. The great and the good will be out in force on Saturday for what does promise to be a truly special occasion that most likely will transcend sport given all that Katie has achieved in multiple sports over the past 20 + years.

For Katie, who will no doubt treat Saturday as if is her first day out, It will be a special one with family and friends out in force to support her on the big stage one last time. She will box Flora Pili of France to try and become a 3 time undisputed World Champion on home soil.

Brian Peters and Eddie Hearn deserve credit for making this happen and those at GAA HQ for allowing this event take place. It certainly will be one of those “where were you when moments”. I am grateful for the fact I have seen Katie box locally twice at amateur level and although I didn’t see her box live as a pro, I have continued like so many to follow her career on the World stage.

She could well have ended her career a few years ago but has continued into 40th year in the hope of this final chance to end it on home soil in Croke Park which lasted hosted a boxing event in 1972 when Muhammed Ali fought Al “Blue” Lewis.

It’s a great bookend for Taylor as the “Greatest” Muhammed Ali was the last to box there and now one of women’s greatest Katie Taylor will pick up the torch on Saturday evening.

A number of good quality bouts will support the Taylor vs Pili fight, with people like Molly Mc Cann, ex UFC fighter and cousin of Taylor continue her fledgling boxing career while Paddy Donovan will go up against Tyrone Mc Kenna from Belfast.

 A number of other bouts will support the main event on the evening and it promises to be a good evening of boxing in the home of the GAA for the first time since 1972.

Taylor herself has come a hell of a long way since having to pretend to be a boy just to allow her to box in an event all those years ago. She has done so much for women’s boxing including fighting in a bout in front of Olympic officials that helped sway them to allow boxing have a place at the 2012 games where she won Gold.

To those travelling on Saturday, enjoy watching a genuine Irish sporting hero and legend in action on last time.

Katie, it’s been a pleasure and honour to see you fight and achieve all you have over the years….

Season 2026/2027 On the Horizon

Cian McGibneyRugby

The new season for the 4 provinces is about to kick into gear as pre-season games begin this weekend. The 4 teams have been back in pre-season with the Irish internationals staggering there return over the opening weeks of the new campaign.

We will also see the end of the Women’s Interprovincial Championship this weekend in the Dexcom Stadium. That Championship has certainly wetted the appetite as it has progressed over the past 3 weeks.

Ireland’s season ended with defeat against New Zealand who themselves are going into the 2nd game of 4 against South Africa in the tour being tagged as “The Greatest Rivalry”.

It’s being an ok tour and yes while the rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand is going strong and the opening test was a great game between both sides and you can be sure the next 3 games will produce the same level of quality, to tag it as the “Greatest Rivalry Tour” is misguided as they are doing it purely from a financial stand point and in turn cutting both Australia and Argentina a drift for a season.  

This will come back to bite them in the future you can be sure. It may also be a power play to try and entice the South African club sides back towards Super Rugby which has become poorer for their absence over recent years.

Back to Ireland and the 4 provinces who begin there on field quest for the 2026/2027 season. Plenty of business has been conducted in the off season. Leinster have announced they have begun there recruitment process to see who will succeed Leo Cullen at the end of the coming campaign.

Munster have revamped there coaching ticket again with Jimmy Duffy and Jared Payne coming on board to replace Alex Codling and Mike Prendergast as forwards and backs coach. It is another period of upheaval but at least both men are in the building and have been working through pre-season.

They will want to hit the ground running on what they have worked on over the summer against La Rochelle tomorrow evening in the first of 2 games with Leicester Tigers coming to play in Cork a week before Glasgow Warriors come to Thomond Park in URC round 1.

Munster ended last year at the quarter final stage after being defeated by the Bulls in the URC and went out at the group phase of the Champions Cup. This campaign will need to be different and you would hope that Clayton Mc Millen will have managed to get his message across as the Pool in Europe won’t be easy as Munster are at home to Racing 92 and Gloucester and on their travels to Bristol Bears and Bordeaux Begles.

Irish rugby continues to battle for hearts and minds as well as trying to put more bums on seats beyond season ticket holders. It is a never ending battle that will continue into the new season.

A World Cup in Australia is just over 13 months away and Andy Farrell will also want to have his ducks in a row for the end of the Nations Championship before the 2027 6 Nations campaign begins on home soil against England.

There is plenty to look forward to as the new season begins to loom large on the horizon. Decisions on new coaches will need to be made, fresh faces will hopefully take any chances they get. Let’s hope we see Ireland settle on a style of play as they try to evolve. 3 of the 4 provinces will want to kick on and try to narrow the gap to Leinster in domestic competition.  The season starts tomorrow and over this weekend, just under 4 weeks before the URC begins on Friday September 25th….

Medal Glory in the Pool and Track at the 2026 European Championships

Cian McGibneyOther Sport

Medal glory is so special for Irish sports supporters, over the past number of days in Paris at the European Aquatic Championships and in Birmingham for the European Athletics Championship where a number of medals have been won in the pool and on the track with a few more to maybe be added in the next few hours and days.

Irish athletes have won medals with Mark English in the 800m Final last night and then to cap another special hour in Irish Athletics, Rhasidat Adeleke finished 2nd in the 200m, Mark English won another European medal by winning Gold to add to his impressive haul at European level and Adeleke winning Silver.

In the pool, Mona Mc Sharry and Ellen Walshe won medals with Mc Sharry winning Silver in the 100m breastroke and Walshe winning Gold in the 400m individual medley. Both ladies will take part in the 200m breastroke final that will take place this evening and both will feel they can double up and aim for more medal glory.

It has been great to see the coverage that both Championships have received this week and to see the support that all athletes in both the pool and track have received is always special to see. The team across both Championships has been quite big in numbers and also to see the effort that goes in to see how many of these athletes can make semi-finals or finals in their chosen disciplines are always a sight to behold.

This week has also educated yours truly in certain ways as both athletics and swimming would play second fiddle to a number of other sports in Ireland. The time and effort that goes into getting an athlete into the right frame of mind as well as trying to be in peak fitness for the key events is an education in itself.

This week, everyone is an expert of course and I’ll defiantly hear the old chestnut of, I could do that blindfolded etc and I could swim quicker than that. Having watched a fair amount of the action this week, I highly doubt that majority could do what has been done this week contrary to the usual bar stool experts that I hear on a regular basis.

There is still plenty of action to come over the next few days and Ireland will be hoping to add to the medal haul in the pool and on the track before both Championships end.

When Irish athletes win medals it is to be celebrated because even now in 2026 what is seldom is still wonderful. Congratulations to those medal winners and maybe with a bit of luck we might just add to the medal total in the next few hours and days….

Standards in Broadcasting Continue To Drop in 2026

Cian McGibneyOther Sport

The standard of sport broadcasting has dropped over the past 11 years since I finished with Radio Kerry and there famed course. We were warned that podcasting would take over and that fact has been proven correct. Nearly every topic is now covered and has its own podcast. In certain instances this is helpful and useful but in other ways, this can just be painful.

I have done my own interviewing since 2015/2016 and while I am probably cutting my own throat by saying the internet is saturated by podcasts, I stick by it.

The line between podcasting and working in the commercial sector has been blurred big time and many instances now you see certain pundits giving their own personal views which has no place in most circumstances but would be far better served on a club podcast and not on national radio.

The last time I checked, you were asked to give an informed opinion and not tell us of your love for a particular club or player and it doesn’t matter the code either. Standards have dropped and organisations need to rain in there “talent” and I also use that word loosely as the quality of pundit has gone by the wayside.  

You are now treated to hour long build ups in most sports and the majority of that time in innate rubbish with only 10 or 15 minutes of quality punditry before a game or event kicks off and this is across a lot of sport and is not just in one or two areas. “ keep it to the point and concise” a mantra I have stuck by in the 11 years since I finished up that Radio Kerry course.

It is a bugbear of many people, get to the point and stop waffling, yes I get the irony of yours truly saying that in certain circumstances.

Podcasting is big business and continues to grow week on week nearly, but there is a still a difference between commercial broadcasting and podcasting and let’s hope that line starts to become clearer and those who are working into new season in a number of sports will remember to be clear and concise and to the point.

The need for knowledgeable pundits is crucial also and hopefully certain companies will bring in recently retired people rather than people who haven’t been involved for various lengths of time in their chosen sports.

Having done a small bit of that work, I will tell you it isn’t as easy or a cosy as it looks and you have to do your own homework so you can make clear and relevant points, my hope for the new season across many sports is that we slowly begin to return to punditry that works and is short, sharp and to the point…..

We have had a feast of European athletics and swimming over the past few days and that will continue for another couple of days and it has been great to see pundits who know exactly what they are talking about and use their expertise to take us through each event on the track and pool. It is clear and to the point and a joy to listen to.

Let’s hope the new season is the start where standards begin to improve and we are treated to some quality pundits and punditary.    

Jerry Kiernan Memorial Weekend

Cian McGibneyLocal News

The Weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of August is gearing up to be a special one for Listowel as the Jerry Kiernan Memorial Weekend will take place hosted by Lios Tuathail Athletics Club in conjunction with the Bon Secours Hospital Tralee.

On Saturday in Listowel Arms Hotel at 7.30pm there will be a talk given by Dr Derek Griffin of the Bons Secours Tralee about injury prevention through structured training.

He will be joined by Eamon Coughlan who was World Champion in 1983 at 5k. He will speak about his friendship with Jerry as well as athletics back in the 80s. This will be a fascinating evening to hear about injury prevention and then to hear from Eamon Coughlan one of Ireland’s best athletes.

On Sunday the Bon Secours Jerry Kiernan Memorial 5k road race will take place with all levels of runners, walkers from the age of 13 upwards are welcome to take part in the race, it’s one of Ireland’s quickest 5k races.

There is a €2,000 prize fund with 1st place winning €400, 2nd place winning €200 and 3rd spot winning €100. There are lots of other prizes up for grabs along with a legacy key chain and an A tech t shirt for the first 500 entries.

The race takes place on Sunday August 23rd with the starting pistol being fired at 1pm. All are welcome for what promises to be a great weekend where we remember Jerry Kiernan, one of Ireland’s best athletes and a son of Listowel….