Djenairo Daniels looked to have rescued a valuable point for Cork City on Monday night at Sullivan & Lambe Park with a late equaliser but heartbreak followed in stoppage time as City slipped to a 3-2 defeat against Drogheda United Ryan Brennan converted a 94th-minute penalty after City goalkeeper Tein Troost brought down Thomas Oluwa denying Tim Clancy’s side what would have been a hard-earned and morale-boosting point on the road It was a cruel end to a game where City had twice come from behind showing grit and determination despite signs of fatigue from a hectic run of fixtures Daniels was the standout performer for the visitors Clancy made just one change from the team that drew 2-2 with Shamrock Rovers on Friday night with Harry Nevin coming into the starting 11 in place of Rio Shipston That change saw Nevin take up the right-back slot pushing Darragh Crowley into central midfield Picture: INPHO/James LawlorDrogheda began the brighter of the two teams using the wide spaces of Sullivan & Lambe Park to stretch play and put City under pressure from an early flurry of set-pieces The hosts should have gone ahead inside ten minutes when a loose ball fell kindly to George Cooper in the box That early let-off seemed to jolt City into life The breakthrough came midway through the half as Daniels capitalised on hesitation between Drogheda’s centre-backs and clinical – and it gave City a foothold in the game and they looked more composed in and out of possession But just as they appeared ready to take a lead into the interval Shane Farrell lined up a free-kick just outside the box it took a wicked deflection off the wall to leave Troost wrong-footed and helpless as the ball hit the net with both teams clearly feeling the effects of playing just three days earlier Drogheda produced the game’s standout moment midway through the half A slick move down the left led to Owen Lambe drilling a low ball across the box where Warren Davis got across Nevin and finished smartly to restore the hosts' lead City struggled to create much in response but with five minutes to go a cross into the box saw Daniels get across the front post to nudge the ball over the line with an unorthodox but effective finish – a goal that sent the travelling support wild and looked to have secured a point leaving the referee little choice but to point to the spot Brennan stepped up and calmly slotted the winner leaving City deflated and heading back to City empty-handed more Cork Soccer articles Keep up-to-date with the top stories in Cork with our daily newsletter straight to your inbox Please click here for our privacy statement. 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Add Echolive.ie to your home screen - easy access to Cork news Ryan Brennan has long since assumed the role of Drogheda United hero but even he won’t have experienced quite as many magical moments as when his 96th-minute penalty beat Cork City on Bank Holiday Monday The Drogheda native is the fourth of four Brennan brothers to represent the club and he is an FAI Cup and League Cup winner in the claret-and-blue On target - Drogheda Town's Luke Kimmage SoccerDrogheda Town Dragons on fire as they celebrate U12 title in North Dublin LeagueDROGHEDA Town U12 Dragons celebrated their league success on Sunday morning as they were crowned North Dublin Schoolboy League ‘C’ champions for the 2024/25 season Barry Landy reports from Sullivan & Lambe Park NOT for the first time in his long and storied Drogheda United career was the hero as his side broke Cork City hearts with a 96th minute penalty The 33-year-old has well over 200 Drogheda United games under his belt now and is both an FAI Cup and League Cup winner But few moments could possibly have felt as sweet as his late goal to claim all three points at Sullivan & Lambe Park on Bank Holiday Monday Drogheda had trailed and then led before being pegged back by a late Djenairo Daniels goal Drogheda’s propensity for losing points from winning positions could come back to haunt them After four winless matches that suggested Drogheda United’s early season bubble might be about to burst Warren Davis’ second half goal looked to have set them on the path to a first victory in five against Tim Clancy’s team Daniels’ early opener had been cancelled out by Shane Farrell’s deflected free-kick in the first half With St Patrick’s Athletic playing in Bank Holiday Monday’s late game their return to the summit of the Premier Division may be brief depending on the outcome of things on Foyleside That will matter little to Kevin Doherty and his team though Following defeat in Galway and then their squandering of two-goal lead against Sligo Rovers on Friday last victory by any means necessary was all that mattered Former Drogs manager Tim Clancy made just one change from his starting line-up at Turners Cross with Harry Nevin replacing Rio Shipston But Doherty made six changes with goalkeeper Luke Dennison Daniels eighth minute goal was well worked He played in Kitt Nelson and the winger supplied a low cross that after Drogheda failed to clear Cork were the better side in the opening 30 minutes but Drogheda drew level when Farrell’s free-kick hit off a head in the City wall and flew into the net United hit the front after a fine move involving Luke Heeney and Farrell ended with Owen Lambe crossing for Davis to finish from close range It was the in-form 20-year-old’s sixth goal of a very productive season But Brennan sent Tein Troost the wrong way to send the majority the ground into delirium Conor Kane; Shane Farrell; Douglas James-Taylor (Thomas Oluwa Cork City: Tein Troost; Harry Nevin (Alex Nolan Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user Create an email alert based on the current article Drogheda United were knocked off top spot last night after they threw away a two-goal lead in Sligo The visitors suffered an early setback when Paul Doyle - making his first league start for the club - went off injured inside five minutes Conor Keeley’s fourth of the season in the 28th minute had his side in front at the interval and when Thomas Oluwa made it two on 64 minutes it looked like the Drogs were set fair to pick up their first win at The Showgrounds since 2021 But Owen Elding pulled one back almost immediately for the hosts before James Bolger put through his own net on 73 minutes The Boynesiders felt they were denied a late penalty for a handball on the line from Elding but Kevin Doherty’s main concern after the game was his side’s defending Pat’s had 2-0 wins over Shelbourne and Galway United respectively and Cork City snatched a late point at home to Shamrock Rovers Drogheda United are back in action on Monday evening when Tim Clancy’s side visit Sullivan & Lambe Park (5pm) Djenairo Daniels's brace for Cork City was not enough to secure any points against Drogheda United a comeback win for Drogheda United over Cork City all but condemned the Rebels to a relegation playoff A late Ryan Brennan penalty sealed that result in Co Louth and the veteran again rippled the net with a spot-kick to leave City in the identical spot Waterford’s revival being maintained with a 1-0 win at champions Shelbourne compounded a dark day for City Fears of mayday abound from this reverse on the May Bank Holiday generating a six-point distance between the Munster rivals At least star striker Seáni Maguire is expected to return from injury for Friday’s visit of Derry City to Turner’s Cross Recently signed striker Djanairo Daniels appeared to have earned a point by grabbing his second goal with five minutes left but substitute Thomas Oluwa won the spot-kick converted by the 33-year-old veteran “Leaving here with a point would have been a good result,” reflected City boss Tim Clancy ruing the return to the club where he made his name in management “It’s annoying to concede with the last kick of the game We haven’t had many chances but neither did Drogheda City had experienced something of a bounce of late recovering from a five-match losing streak to bolster their points haul from seven to 12 That pattern seemed to be continuing when they sped into an early lead in Co Louth but the only thing to continue was their habit of dropping points from winning positions They withstood an early barrage of pressure including a chance for defender George Cooper which he scooped over the crossbar from six yards Daniels was the starter and finisher of the move initially dropping deep to squirt his layoff wide to Kitt Nelson Once the Preston North End loanee dashed to the endline and squared into a congested penalty area the ball ricocheted off Conor Kane into the path of Daniels to volley it in off the underside of the crossbar was Drogheda’s equivalent up top and he was marginally late in connecting with Owen Lambe’s cross City also squandered opportunities of extending their lead notably Seán Murray hooking the ball wide when sent clear Drogheda’s flow of deep crosses and throws into the box was dealt with by City but they contributed to their downfall for the equaliser five minutes before the break Nelson descended from the architect of the opener to gifting a window for the equaliser by miscontrolling the ball near in his own box The pain of shipping a booking was secondary to seeing Shane Farrell’s free-kick deflect off the wall to wrongfoot Tein Troost “Kitt has been brilliant for me but moments like that you have to see out,” Clancy said of the misstep “All he needed to do there was clear the ball rather than trying to beat their player.” Enthused by that leveller Drogs pushed on in the second half and made it 2-1 on 63 minutes A crunching tackle by Cooper on Daniels set the tone for their attack and when Lambe sprinted down the right his cross was weighted perfectly for Warren Davis to sidefoot his volley home from six yards Evan McLaughlin speared a free-kick for City as they regrouped but it was the presence of Daniels that forced the equaliser with five minutes left Drogs were simply unable to counteract his power in the six yard box as he turned in Cathal O’Sullivan’s left-wing cross from close range they sought a winner and it was supplied when Troost collided with substitute Oluwa inside the box from Conor Keeley’s knockdown It was into the last of five stoppage time minutes when Brennan stepped up coolly sending the Dutchman the wrong way and jumping for joy CORK CITY: T Troost; H Nevin (A Nolan 66) From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? 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If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here The St Mary’s Drogheda Girls team who have reached the Leinster Finals in the FAI Primary 5s competition for the first time l to r) John Donohue (Drogheda United Academy Director) coach Colm Hanlon and Mick Neville (FAI Louth) and (front) Graham Kane from FAI Meath Louth champions St Mary’s Drogheda Girls have now reached their first-ever Leinster Finals in the Large Schools section of the FAI Primary 5s following their success at the North Leinsters in the MDL Grounds in Navan last Thursday Along the way Colm Hanlon’s charges topped their group ahead of their counterparts from Meath Westmeath and Longford and then a superb volley from Veronica Jhuboo secured victory in the decider against Holy Family (Westmeath) The Drogheda Town Dragons team after being presented with the trophy and their medals as winners of the North Dublin League U12 'C' division DROGHEDA Town U12 Dragons celebrated their league success on Sunday morning as they were crowned North Dublin Schoolboy League ‘C’ champions for the 2024/25 season They youngsters won seven of their 10 league games and wrapped up the title with a game to spare as a 2-2 draw the week previous away to Ayrfield United It proved to be a tough game in Dublin as the Boynesiders came from 2-1 behind to snatch a draw and bring that crucial point back up the M1 Jack Wall opened the scoring for the visitors before Ayrfield replied twice to go ahead Town battered the Ayrfield goal as they went in search of a precious equaliser and Jace Byrne proved to be the hero as he found the net to make it 2-2 Drogheda Town then wrapped up their season with a home match against Swords Manor on Sunday The Dublin side are still chasing a second-place finish and they ran out 4-0 winners on the day that failed to dampen down the celebrations when the final whistle blew and the Town team got their hands on the league trophy Their coach Ciaran Kelly praised the skill and determination that his side showed across the season as they finished at the summit in the league table A crucial aspect of their success was their mean defence as they only conceded 14 goals Town really set the tone with a five-game winning streak at the start of the campaign which included a thoroughly convincing 7-1 victory away to Kinsealy United Sunday’s reverse - which was only their second defeat of the entire season - came in a match that was effectively a dead rubber for the league champions Cian Kavanagh of Sligo Rovers in action against Conor Keeley of Drogheda United during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match at The Showgrounds Will Fitzgerald of Sligo Rovers reacts after a missed chance late in injury time against Drogheda United Douglas James-Taylor of Drogheda United in action against Jake Doyle-Hayes of Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds MARCUS CAVAROLIDrogheda IndependentSun 4 May 2025 at 03:30SLIGO ROVERS 2 IT was in May last year that Drogheda United coughed up leads against Galway United and Waterford in successive games and lost both - and history almost repeated itself in The Showgrounds last Friday night Still smarting from their reverse in Eamonn Deacy Park seven days earlier the Boynesiders were well on their way to three points when leading the bottom side 2-0 at the end of the third quarter but having conceded two goals in as many minutes in Galway to suffer a defeat they coughed up another brace - this time in a five-minute spell - and ultimately had to settle for a disappointing draw Drogheda boss Kevin Doherty put the result down to ‘really and his mood wouldn’t have been helped by the sight of three of his players limping off with injuries The first of those saw the luckless Paul Doyle replaced by Ryan Brennan after only five minutes but moments later Thomas Oluwa cut in from the left touchline with pace and power and bore down on goal before a crunching last-ditch tackle by John Mahon prevented him testing Sligo keeper Sam Sargeant It was Sligo who had the next three decent chances of the game as Owen Elding twice missed the target and Drogs netminder Luke Dennison had to parry away a cross-shot from wide on the right But the visitors quickly settled and James Bolger’s header from an assist by his centre-half colleague Conor Keeley grazed the crossbar before Darragh Markey went close with an 18-yard effort The breakthrough duly arrived on 28 minutes when Conor Kane was fouled and Shane Farrell angled the free kick towards the back post from where Andrew Quinn headed goalwards and Keeley arrived bang on cue to find the net with a cushioned close-range volley Moments later Oluwa went off on another powerful run only to be foiled at the last moment as his cross from the byeline was deflected into the grateful arms of Sargeant Then Warren Davis and Oluwa combined with Markey whose cross was sliced wide by Kane Dennison pushed away Connor Malley’s hooked cross-shot on the hour mark before Drogheda doubled their advantage on 63 minutes Kane and Markey were involved in the move initially before Davis took possession and whipped a superb cross into the box At full stretch Mahon just failed to cut it out and Oluwa stole in behind him before slotting a composed finished past Sargeant on 67 minutes there was fresh hope for Sligo when Will Fitzgerald skipped past a clearly injured Elicha Ahui and crossed towards Elding who got in front of Bolger to convert from close range Four minutes later Elding headed over from another Fitzgerald cross but it was the briefest of reprieves as Fitzgerald linked up with Francely Lomboto who stole a yard on Keeley before his cross struck the boot of the unfortunate Bolger and ricocheted into the net for 2-2 There were chances at either end after that as both teams chased a winner with a Bolger effort striking the upright before being cleared off the line and then Fitzgerald nearly winning it for Sligo deep into stoppage time with a long-range effort that almost crept inside the post James Bolger 7; Elicha Ahui 7 (Owen Lambe 69 Conor Kane 8; Darragh Markey 7 (Luke Heeney 76 7); Warren Davis 7 (Douglas James-Taylor 69 JOHN RUSSELL will accept any criticism that comes Sligo Rovers’ way due to their “criminal” defensive record Not for the first time this season, the Bit O’Red found themselves chasing a two-goal deficit after cheaply allowing Conor Keeley and Thomas Oluwa to put Drogheda United 2-0 up after 63 minutes on Friday night But Rovers rallied and forced a way back into the game courtesy of two goals in five minutes the first a close-range Owen Elding strike and the second a calamitous James Bolger own goal The 2-2 home draw means Sligo have won just two of their first 13 games this season despite being the Premier Division’s joint-top scorers But they have by far the leakiest defence and the Showgrounds supremo claims they are conceding too many “stupid” goals the team — we’re not in a position we want to be in and we’re the architects of our own downfall “We showed character to come back into it against Drogs, but the killer is conceding two goals again. “It’s criminal because we have such ability in this group. “We can score goals and could have had another two on Friday night, but it’s such a challenge to score goals when you go two down. The players know how good we are and what we can do. RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Drogheda\u0027s Douglas James\u002DTaylor under pressure from Cork\u0027s Sean Murray Buses from Dublin City Centre are dropping passengers at the last stop on the current route on Drogheda’s Ballymakenny Road and then passing them by as they walk the rest of the way home Cllr Eric Donovan highlighted the issue at last week’s council meeting as he called for bus stops to be installed along the new PANCR road “I’m calling on the council to urgently implement the long overdue bus extension on the PANCR road where there are up to five new estates including Linenfield the Bus Éireann D4 bus route from Dublin City Centre has its final passenger stop at Gort Buí which is 1.5km short of up to 1,500 residents “I appreciate the council’s response to this issue and understand the need to adhere to and comply with the National Transport Authority (NTA) judging from the correspondence I have had with the residents committee in these locations for the past year it seems that all stakeholders are in agreement and support the D4 extension down to the end of the PANCR where the new housing developments are and approximately 1,500 residents live and I know It has been confirmed that the extension will come into operation later this year as part of the Co possibly in the final quarter of this year but that’s nearly two years since the PANCR opened and over two years for many of the residents living in the area we’re not talking about building hospitals or health centres And a real bug bear for many residents is that on several occasions when passengers alight at the final stop and begin their 1.5km hike to home the same bus passes them and drives up to the exact area they live in and stops briefly to rest or to await the restart of the next bus journey “On one occasion a couple asked the driver to bring them to the end of the route because it was lashing rain their pleas were unsuccessful and to add insult to injury on their wet walk home the same bus drove past them and pulled up in the lay-by just outside the entrance of their estate I understand the drivers have a job to do and must work within the parameters of the designated stops But in a time where we are encouraging people to use public transport to reduce the carbon footprint in the environment we are certainly not making it easy on ourselves and we really need to learn from this and improve on service implementations to avoid similar situations and public dissatisfaction in the future.” Derry City's Mark Connolly and St Patrick's Athletic midfielder Chris Forrester shaking hands before a meeting earlier this season Roberto Lopes of Shamrock Rovers in action against Jad Hakiki of Sligo Rovers Ultan CorcoranYesterday at 17:30It’s another action-packed evening in the League of Ireland with all ten Premier Division teams involved You can follow all the action as it unfolds in our liveblog below Four people have been taken to hospital following a two car collision on the southside of Drogheda It happened at the entrance to the Glenside hotel on the Dublin Road shortly before 2pm Fire and rescue personnel from Drogheda and Dublin attended the scene along with the ambulance service and gardaí Four people have been taken to hospital following a two car collision in County Louth On the 17th and 18th of May you will get the chance to travel back in time and see life as it was 1000 years ago myths and legends and spend a full day in a makeshift medieval settlement in the grounds of Slane Castle The Boyne Valley Viking Experience is Ireland’s largest historic festival and aims to enchant and capture visitors with an array of medieval displays and interactive demonstrations created by several hundred Viking reenactors from all over Europe Some of the most skilled medieval craftsmen and women will demonstrate their skills in blacksmithing nalbinding (an ancient textile craft that predates both knitting and crochet) The living history displays of the different traders and groups will give you a glimpse into how people lived and capture all your senses with the smells of cooking fires medieval instruments and the clashing of swords on shields Over 100 fully armed medieval warriors will take part in the large battles These skilled warriors train on a regular basis and are among the best in Europe Come and see who will take the crown as Champion The highlight of the day is the Boat landing at 12.30 pm both days with two full-size Viking longboats on the river Boyne Watch this majestic display and talk to the Viking crew about their adventure in the Viking TV series Several medieval musicians will play their instruments and enchant with sounds of the past and historic experts will hold talks on medieval cooking Medieval storytellers Stefan and Skald Olaf will take the kids on a Viking treasure hunt at 1.00 pm both days while interactive games ensure the smallest visitors are having fun The Wolfshead Company of Archers will once again be part of the event again and give interested visitors the opportunity to “have a go on the bow” If all of the above are not enough and you want a lasting memory of the day you can get a Viking style Handpoke tattoo by famous and skilled Viking tattoo artists of Sacred Knot tattoos in Wales The organisers are looking forward to welcome you this May in our medieval camp at the Boyne Valley Viking Experience To book a ticket, go to https://www.boynevalleyevents.com/slane-castle-viking-festival For more details and updates see Boyne Valley Viking Experience on Facebook or Instagram The latest news from the Drogheda area updated every day Atish Anandan Srinivasan from St Oliver’s Community College Drogheda winner of the SciFest Best Project Award with his teachers a student from St Oliver’s Community College has emerged as the overall winner of Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) SciFest@DkIT 2025 which attracted entries from over 300 students from 26 schools across North Leinster and South Ulster SciFest is a national event which aims to encourage a love of science and provide an opportunity for students to display their scientific discoveries. Categories included the Dawn Meats Agricultural Science Award SciFest Maths in Science Award and Business Excellence Institute Award 145 innovative projects were on display throughout the competition Students competing in the event can complete projects from a broad span of areas including physical sciences technology/engineering and health sciences Atish Anandan Srinivasan won the SciFest Best Project Award for his project entitled EEG based BCI He was also winner of the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award  His project explored whether it’s possible to create a more affordable EEG (electroencephalogram) kit that can still be used effectively for brain-computer interface (BCI) applications and hardware control and investigated how the performance of his kit compared to scientific and professional EEG devices Atish will now go on to participate in the SciFest National Final Competition in November in Dublin to compete for the SciFest STEM Champion 2025 Award the winner of which will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in America in May 2026 Second Prize was presented to Krysztof Kazimierczak from Colaiste Dun an Rí Krystof was also awarded the SciFest Physics Award His project addressed the critical lack of safe drinking water in sub-Saharan Africa aiming to develop a solution that targets the root of the problem and delivers clean There were two additional prize winners from St Oliver’s Community College; The Intel Technology Award was presented to Mason Carroll for his project The Consciousness Paradox: Simulating Self-Awareness in AI and the Question of Reality while Andra Barlescu won the SciFest Maths in Science Award for her project How Sleep Impacts Academic Performance St Mary’s Diocesan School also claimed two prizes The Mallinckrodt STEM Excellence Award was presented to Rory O’Grainne Conor Dolan for their project SleepBoosting Seán O'Shea claimed the SciFest Chemistry Student Award for their project What teas and sugar does a Kombucha Biofilm prefer Finn Blackmore and Anthony Becton from Laytown and Drogheda Educate Together Secondary School were awarded the SciFest Communications Award for their project How do the different types of music affect the heart rate Other Drogheda students were also among the DkIT Award winners Best Senior Life Sciences Project went to St Oliver’s Community College Drogheda students Deizija sinta zaharevska and Jakub kopczak for their project Can waste fish tank water be used as an alternative to the chemical fertiliser urea from St Oliver’s Community College won her second award winning the Runner-up Senior Life Sciences Project in addition to the SciFest Maths in Science Award Greenhills students Clodagh Gaynor and Noelle Ndubi won the Best Intermediate Physical Science or Technology Project for their entry PlantPulse - Optimising Plant Health The event was made possible by sponsors and supporters from industry and academia including; Intel ESERO Ireland and the Business Excellence Institute Presenters of the SciFest awards included; George Porter member of DkIT’s Executive Board; Darragh O’Connor To find out more about SciFest visit: SciFest Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council and Chairperson of DIFE Board of Management joined representatives of local employers and DIFE to launch the new course Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE) has launched a new Advanced Electrical & Engineering Technology (Level 6) programme developed in close collaboration with leading local and regional companies including Hanley Energy The programme is designed to prepare aspiring technicians for immediate entry into the engineering and manufacturing sectors with a strong emphasis on industry-based training with partnering companies The new programme will equip prospective students with the skills and knowledge required to contribute directly to the production of essential systems such as Switchgear Systems Electrical Power Distribution Systems and Air Handling Units Developed in direct response to growing industry demand the course blends academic learning with hands-on training giving students a strong competitive advantage in the job market “We’re proud to be offering a course that is both forward-thinking and deeply connected to local industry,” said Davy McDonnell “This partnership model ensures students are developing the exact skills employers are seeking.” A key feature of the exciting new programme is a 7-week structured industry placement where students will work directly with one of the partner companies This hands-on experience will allow learners to apply and develop their skills in the workplace gaining valuable insights into current industry practices and building connections with potential future employers Partnering companies will also provide students with a bursary during their placement to help support them while they develop their technical and professional capabilities Each of the partner companies; Hanley Energy has actively contributed to the course design and will play an ongoing role through placements mentoring and employment pathways for successful graduates Councillor and Chairperson of DIFE Board of Management welcomed the initiative: “This is a fantastic example of what’s possible when education and industry work hand in hand The support shown by these local companies is a testament to their commitment to the region’s future and this course represents a truly forward-thinking approach to developing talent and retaining skills in our community.” Applications for the Advanced Electrical & Engineering Technology (Level 6) programme are now open with the course commencing in September 2025 This full-time programme will run until June 2026 and applications are invited from school leavers as well as mature students seeking a career change Early application is advisable as places are limited with course interviews scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 27th May. For more information and to apply, visit: www.dife.ie The latest news from the Drogheda area updated every day, delivered to your mobile, laptop, desktop or tablet. First with the news, best for advertising! St Pats’ Kian Leavy and Cian Byrne of Galway battle for the ball. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne The attacking midfielder has been instrumental in St Patrick’s Athletic rising to the top of the Premier Division opening the scoring in Friday’s 2-0 win over Galway United His absence may have contributed to their slow start in the opening pair of matches but he’s back on form and ready to be unleashed against Derry City in Monday’s May day series had two stress fractures in my back and a stress fracture in the top of my shin,” the Ardee man explained about his rap sheet of setbacks before his latest in pre-season “I was over in England for five years but missed three years of it so I’m well used to injuries.”  As the campaign moves towards the halfway mark no team has made a breakaway at the summit Stephen Kenny was headhunted by Garrett Kelleher last summer on a five-and-a-half-year contract with the express target of bringing the first league title back to Inchicore since 2013 “When everybody is getting draws and teams are beating each other if you can put a run together you can see how quickly we climbed the table last year,” Leavy said referencing a belated title charge from eight straight wins in the run-in you just don’t know where it can take you.”  Saints took ownership of the summit from Drogheda United on foot of the Louthmen losing a two-goal advantage at Sligo Rovers to be left with a point One consolation from their trip to the Showgrounds was the return of last season’s top scorer as a substitute and he could be handed his first start of the season when they host Cork City Josh Thomas continues his recovery from injury while Paul Doyle misses out after an injury picked up early on in Sligo Defender Elicha Ahui and midfielder Darragh Markey are also both doubtful after being substituted with injuries on Friday while Friday’s late equaliser against Shamrock Rovers was welcome manager Tim Clancy outlines he’s “massively down bodies” Milan Mbeng was the latest addition to the casualty list ahead of the Hoops visit but Kitt Nelson was fortunate to be involved after sustaining a knock in the warm-up City remain three points ahead of basement side Sligo Rovers who head to Tallaght to face their fellow Rovers "There simply just aren't any games that aren't tough and Monday will be the same,” said Sligo boss John Russell “Our record up there isn't great but we're using that as motivation to go and give a good account of ourselves "We've been the architects of our own downfall at times this season and have given other teams headstarts creating chances and scoring goals and I'm really happy with that But what's been killing us is the concession of silly goals "If you make it easy for the opposition somewhere like Tallaght then chances are you're not coming back from it so we need to be on our game from the start.”  You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here. © Examiner Echo Group Limited, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712. MU20 vs St Patrick’s Athletic MU20s drew 1-1 with St Pats at home. Drogs started brightly & we’re unlucky not to go one up when Cian Cleary’s shot just went past the keepers far post. Cian Wilson then went close with a great strike on the edge of the 18 that looked like it was […] MU20s drew 1-1 with St Pats at home. Drogs started brightly & we’re unlucky not to go one up when Cian Cleary’s shot just went past the keepers far post. Cian Wilson then went close with a great strike on the edge of the 18 that looked like it was going in but the keeper made a great save tipping the ball out for a corner. St pats took the lead when a ball over the top caught out the Drogheda defence & took their chance with a good finish passed Theo Hennessy. We went in 1-0 down. Drogs started the 2nd half like the first, on the front foot again & scored early with a cross by Cian Cleary just missing Taylor Mooney but Ultan McLaughlin reacted brilliantly to pull the ball back to Cameron Feehan who finished a low shot drive passed the keeper. Final game of the phase is away to Dundalk next Saturday in Oriel Park. The MU17s travelled to Blanchardstown this afternoon to take on St. Patrick’s Athletic in their penultimate game of their phase one group campaign. The visitors had good opportunities to go ahead in the game with Gary Comiskey/Gallaghef hitting the post and Tunde Anunlopo putting one just wide of the post. However, despite a positive first half performance the hosts scored just on the stroke of half-time meaning Drogheda went in 1-0 down at the break. Again in the second half the visitors had clear opportunities to score with Matthew McCloskey having the best chance with a one-v-one that the St Pat’s goalkeeper saved. With the visitors pushing for an equaliser the hosts scored on the break in the 95th minute meeting meaning the game ended in a 2-0 defeat for our MU17s. The MU17s host Dundalk FC in their final game of phase one of their league campaign next Sunday. Drogheda United WU17 lost 3-1 away to Dundalk in Oriel Park on Saturday. Ruby Broderick Kinsella scored for Drogs, tapping in after Isabel Hetherton’s free-kick came back off the crossbar. Drogheda United WU17 have one remaining league game in this phase against Peamount at home next Saturday. Carlow's Roisin Bailey with Shannen McLoughlin of Louth  Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile A late comeback came up just short as Louth advanced to the Leinster final in this thrilling encounter at Integral Park, Drogheda on Sunday. Carlow’s propensity to conceding goals cost them. The Wee County got off to a great start with Mischa Rooney scoring two goals in three minutes. Even with the wind, Carlow struggled with Bronagh Nolan raising a white flag. A third home goal scored by Aine Breen suggested a route was on the card but the visitors enjoyed a good spell with points from Clíodhna Ní Shé (3fs), Elaine Ware, Ella Molloy and Tara Lyons. The attempted comeback was stifled by another goal for Louth through Shannen McLaughlin as the home side went in leading 4-5 to 0-7 at the break. Carlow were a different side from there as they took the game to the home side. The introduction of Aibha Kiernan saw the dual intercounty player score 1-1 in a matter of minutes but that three-pointer was cancelling out Rooney’s third goal. Just as it looked as if Louth had done enough, Carlow swooped for a second goal via Kate Burke and now the away side came in waves. With Louth supporters looking for the full-time whistle in over seven minutes injury time, a Megan Townsend flashed across the goal from right to left. An outstretched foot could have made all the difference. It wasn’t to be as Louth survived but it was oh so close. Assuming Louth beat Kilkenny, Carlow take on Longford on Saturday next in Carlow with the winners progressing. The 2025 Drogheda 10km takes place on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 4th. The following roads will have restrictions on the day, between 1.30pm and 5pm. Sligo Rovers get our May bank holiday weekend underway against league leaders Drogheda United this Friday evening at the Showgrounds, kick-off 7.45pm. Amid one of the busiest periods of the season, this will be the men’s senior team’s sixth game in four weeks and the first of two games in four days ahead of Monday’s trip to face Shamrock Rovers.  Table-toppers Drogheda are the opposition on Friday night and the Bit O’Red are boosted by the return of striker Wilson Waweru who is available for selection for the first time since he sustained a serious achilles injury, last September.  In further team news, manager John Russell will prepare for Drogs without centre half Ollie Denham and utility man Oskar Van Hattum, both of whom are injured.  Rovers hold a strong record against United at the Showgrounds. You need to go back to summer 2021 to find the Louth side’s last win in Sligo. While Rovers twice beat Kevin Doherty’s charges at home in 2024.  However, our visitors have already beaten Rovers this term. Goals from Josh Thomas, Darragh Markey and Luke Heeney saw the hosts overcome Rovers at the newly named Sullivan and Lambe Park back in February. Since then Drogheda have soared and are currently joint top of the Premier Division along with our Connacht neighbours Galway.  Acknowledging their achievements so far this season, Rovers boss Russell says Friday’s encounter with the FAI Cup holders will be a test as tough as his team have come up against this year. “Drogheda are on the up at the moment and will be our hardest opponent yet this season”, he says. “They’re really on form right now, despite their result against Galway last week.They have goals all over their team and we saw that up there back in February.  “Kevin has done an amazing job and they’ll be looking to recapture that momentum they had straight away after last week. But we’ve had a very positive week in training and we’ve spoken about how we’ll deal with the game.  “It was encouraging for us to be able to bring the likes of Stephen Mallon and Francely Lomboto from the bench last weekend and to see the impact they made. However, we don’t want to be in the position of having to chase a game and we’ve been working hard the last few days on being the team in control.” Speaking on the impending return of goal-scorer Waweru, the Rovers boss had praise for his backroom staff given the early return of his fellow Galway native.  “Our medical team did a great job getting Wilson back so early”, he said. “We had thought it might be a midsummer return for him but he was back running and striking a ball ahead of schedule and that’s down to both the work of the medical staff and the player. “Wilson has all the ingredients of a top striker and we’re delighted to have him back. Of course, we won’t rush him but it does almost feel like having a new player in. He gives us something different and provides further competition with Francely, Cian Kavanagh and Owen Elding.”  We have recently redesigned our website and some URLs have changed. Please see a list of pages below that might help you find what you’re looking for: Freddie Anderson of Cork City celebrates with teammates after scoring against Shamrock Rovers at Turner's Cross. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Clancy acknowledged Rovers' dominance in possession but was proud of his team’s discipline energy and effort to chase a result rather than settle for the draw after equalising He reserved special praise for Freddie Anderson who scored the equaliser and delivered what Clancy described as his “best performance” for the club “I think we have to be delighted with a point I thought second-half the energy levels showed Cork City manager Tim Clancy after Friday's game Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile"They got ahead in the game They do dominate possession in a lot of games and you have to be disciplined and comfortable not having the ball When you do win it back you have to carry a threat I thought second half we had to shoot more around the edge of the box "The goal comes from a shot that takes a deflection and I think Harry Nevin keeps it alive and Freddie Anderson gets a great strike on it and we got the point and I spoke to him last night about how we need more aggression from him “If you look at the chances in the game I would say their expected goals is going to be a lot higher than ours TT (Teint Troost) made a good few saves in the second half but the pleasing thing was after we scored we didn’t just shut up shop we went for it.”  City face another stern test on Monday night as they travel to Weavers Park to take on Drogheda United City may find it difficult to freshen up the squad — especially in key areas — and the short turnaround leaves little time for recovery Cork City's Alex Nolan shakes hands with Lee Grace of the Shamrock Rovers Picture: INPHO/Laszlo GeczoDjenairo Daniels impressed with his hold-up play and gave City a much-needed outlet having played so little football prior this season there’s a real concern about whether he can handle two games in four days continuing that link-up play will be vital to helping City get up the pitch and cause Drogheda problems Kitt Nelson is another player who continues to impress quietly The young attacker has been a consistent performer in recent weeks offering intelligent movement and work rate often going under the radar with how effective he’s been Sean Murray is starting to look much sharper He has added energy and control to the side especially in terms of picking up second balls and driving City forward in transition — attributes that will be important in what’s likely to be a scrappy and physical contest in Drogheda Despite Drogheda being winless in their last four they are still arguably the best side City have faced this season building on the Rovers performance and getting a result here would mark another positive step forward Jessica Farry reports from The Showgrounds SLIGO ROVERS CAME from 2-0 down to rescue a point against Drogheda United at The Showgrounds on Friday night Owen Elding’s sixth of the season and an own goal gave the Bit O’Red a valuable point after Conor Keeley and Thomas Oluwa had given the visitors the lead The hosts have struggled to really get going this season winning just two games in their opening 12 games John Russell’s side had just one win in their last eight games coming into Friday night’s meeting with the table toppers in Sligo Kevin Doherty’s side have been in sensational form this season losing just twice in their opening 12 games The Louth side started brightly on Friday night with Thomas Oluwa forcing John Mahon into a last ditch tackle after just six minutes inside the six yard box Andrew Quinn’s header from a corner was saved by Sam Sargeant in the Sligo goals before the hosts had their first chance of the game Jake Doyle-Hayes’ free-kick from the left came to Owen Elding but the 19-year-old misjudged the flight of the ball and skewed his attempt at getting control of it A brilliant ball from Elding seconds later just needed a touch at the far post but Will Fitzgerald couldn’t get there in time Keeley headed over on 24 minutes from a corner Shane Farrell’s free-kick got a touch inside the box and came to Keeley who poked in past Sargeant to put the visitors ahead Sligo were given a lifeline when Elding netted his sixth of the season Fantastic work from Fitzgerald on the left set this goal up as the Limerick native shook off three Drogs players to get the cross in to the perfect area Francely Lomboto’s cross was turned into his own net by James Bolger with all to play for for the final 17 minutes Drogs thought they had snatched a late winner with two minutes to go but somehow the hosts cleared it from inside the six yard box on three occasions in the one attack with the Showgrounds breathing a collective sigh of relief as it was cleared eventually but Fitzgerald’s shot from distance was pulled just wide of the post AN "attractive" three-bed pad 45 minutes from Dublin has just hit the market for €225,000 - and it's in a major town The bargain property is a short walk from Drogheda, Co Louth one-bathroom house that has been kept in fantastic condition by its current owners The house listing reads: "Thomas Byrne Auctioneers are delighted to present to the market this attractive terraced townhouse located close to the town centre It includes a substantial modern kitchen with access to the rear garden and is perfect for first-time buyers. This stunning kitchen has tiled flooring and is fully fitted with wooden cabinets The family home is in an excellent location, with cafes, restaurants, public transport and a host of other amenities nearby Along with being a short walk from Drogheda, Dublin and Dundalk are each within a 45-minute drive of this fabulous property The area also includes a choice of primary and secondary schools, perfect for families. the family home has gas fired central heating viewers are greeted by a fabulous hallway with wooden flooring A spacious living room is situated at the front of the home and it features a fireplace along with lots of storage space and wooden flooring This comfortable area is filled with natural light and space There is one bathroom in this family home; it is fully tiled and includes a wash hand basin there is a spacious and modern landing with carpet flooring including a master bedroom with wooden flooring The second bedroom is spacious and features views overlooking the garden The third bedroom is a modern single room with plenty of storage space and natural light The property is listed by Thomas Byrne Auctioneers and on Daft.ie. Drogheda Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne.  Sinn Féin in Drogheda will hold its annual Easter commemoration to remember those who fought in 1916 and all those who gave their lives in the pursuit of Irish Freedom The parade will assemble at 12 o’clock on Easter Sunday Peters Church on West Street before marching to the republican monument on the Marsh Road The main oration will be delivered this year by Joanna Byrne TD There will be a function afterwards in the Marcy Hotel local TD Joanna Byrne said “It is important we pay tribute to all of the brave men and women who gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom “I want to invite everyone to attend the commemoration celebrate 1916 and also ultimately help us achieve Irish unity I would encourage people to honour Ireland's patriot dead by wearing an Easter lily" Other Sinn Féin commemorations in County Louth are taking place in Ardee and Dundalk TWO runaway brothers wanted over the deadly Drogheda drugs feud have secretly met their lovers in Austria It is understood the pair flew from their separate hideouts to Vienna to link up with the ladies But Gardai are powerless to stop the romantic trysts given no international arrest warrants have been issued for the Louth brothers The siblings fled their home-town of Drogheda weeks after the horrific murder of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods in January 2020 Two of their gang cronies are currently caged for their role in the crime Keane was killed by another of their drug-dealing associates, Robbie Lawlor The brothers, in their late 20s, were standing trial for other serious offences when they legged it from Ireland. One is believed to be in Thailand while the other moves between Dubai and Turkey. An insider said: “The two boys are as bold as brass, they flew to Vienna to link up with the two girls. was no object and they stayed in the finest hotels.” Top meets bottom in tonight's SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division matches but perhaps it’s the clash of Stephen Kenny and John Caulfield’s teams that is the highlight With two sets of matches to come over the Bank Holiday weekend we have never seen a table like it one-third the way through the season The top seven sides are separated by three points with one of the strugglers early on in the year in Bohemians now the team with the most victories As Drogheda United make the long trip to Sligo while proudly at the summit they will take on the highest scores in the league despite the Bit O’ Red being in tenth That sums the unconventional season so far in which any result seems possible United have picked up just two points from their last three matches yet the draws against Shelbourne and St Patrick’s Athletic were very credible Defeat in Galway last week when leading did hurt Kevin Doherty as Moses Dyer struck twice in quick succession but they remained on top due to the results below The game in Sligo is a good opportunity to return to winning ways and prove they can handle the heat in leading the league Behind them comes Galway United and St Patrick's Athletic with the Tribesmen buoyed by their last victory and the Saints struggling to find a groove Pat's had been picking up points without playing well until a late capitulation in north Dublin last week It had been coming with the loss of Aidan Keena one of the reason they have struggled The Tribesmen have the in-form striker in the league now with Dyer on seven goals and looking for more here Shamrock Rovers will fancy the job in Cork City having put them to the sword just a few weeks ago in Tallaght Stadium The Hoops have had their own issues with leaking goals and could do with three points in the ultra competitive league City have had more injury woes this week with Benny Couto out until later in the summer Avoiding defeat would be a major fillip for them Shelbourne will make a return to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium with that famous Harry Wood goal still fresh in their memory Damien Duff will not be dwelling on it tonight It looked like Derry City were coming to the party after successive wins The Blues are heading for Phibsborough to take on a Bohemians side with a much more different outlook after their super end of April Alan Reynolds' will take on his hometown club in search of a fourth victory on the spin After all the pressure they have felt this year Bohs could find themselves just off top spot if they do come away with three points It was a new feeling in Stephen Kenny's 25-year managerial career in club football as he watched a victory turn to defeat in stoppage time in Dalymount Park St Pat's failed to keep hold of the game against Bohs after leading at half-time and for most of the second half Kenny said: "We were very disappointed to lose it In the 89th minute we knew we were two points clear top of the table in my whole career in league games it hasn't happened before "We have to regroup now and it's all about Friday." The return to Dublin 8 will be welcome for Pat's as they look to extend a 13-match unbeaten run in the Premier Division at the venue "It's last summer since we've been beaten at home "Galway have had an excellent start to the season "It's a real tough challenge and one we must rise to as an occasion." Anto Breslin is suspended after a red card last week a decision Kenny described as ridiculous by the referee The same matchday squad that featured against Bohemians last Friday is available Pat's have not given a timeline on Aidan Keena's return Tiernan Lynch feels the Derry City players owe supporters a response after a limp display in Waterford last week Perhaps it's not that only on the mind of the Brandywell faithful They had to watch on as Shels lifted the league trophy in Derry It was a moment of hurt for the club as their season fell apart at the worst possible time The new stand at the Brandywell will see it's first major fixture as the Reds come to town Lynch feels it could bring the best out of City "The games just keep getting bigger and bigger," he claimed I think we've got an element of a point to prove now to ourselves "We felt like we let ourselves down on Friday night We felt like we let the fans down on Friday night And it was a below par performance that we can't shy away from We have to take squarely on the chin and try and put it right "And it's a game that we're actually really looking forward to It's a good opportunity for us to measure where we are compared to the first game of the season So it's something we're looking forward to "I continue to say that they are an honest bunch of boys And then we just got to keep trying to improve with bodies coming back and with numbers coming back and we'll be in a better place when those double headers come around." Ben Doherty and Sadou Diallo will miss out but will return to training in the next fortnight to put a different look on the Candystripes squad Stephen Bradley is expecting a much sterner test in this clash with Cork City compared to their previous meeting in April The Hoops were impressive in strolling to three points Bradley said: "It will be a different game; there's no doubt about that Cork have brought in one or two players since then and are coming off the back of a big win over Waterford so we know it will be a different game and a difficult game." The Hoops boss is keen to see his side improve in both attack and defence after leading a lead slip against Shelbourne last week "What I felt after the game against Shelbourne is what we feel having reviewed the game and gone through all the numbers It's definitely a game we should win and again we feel large parts of what we did were really good We just need to be more ruthless in both boxes." Danny Mandroiu and Gary O'Neill miss out for the Hoops due to injury Tim Clancy admits City will be more defensive for this encounter compared to the Tallaght mauled "We were probably too brave in how we pressed and were too open," Clancy said "There’s no real good time to play a team of that quality It was a harsh lesson in the second half and we’ll have to have to be better." Returning strikers is the theme of tonight's game in The Showgrounds as Wilson Waweru returns to the Sligo Rovers squad while Douglas James-Taylor could make his first start of the campaign A First Division player for the majority of the year John Russell took a gamble on Waweru after his loan spell at Cobh Ramblers from Galway United yielded some goal Waweru repaid the faith with seven goals before tearing his Achillies tendon to end his season in September Sligo will be thrilled to have more ammunition in attack Scoring hasn't been the issue the Bit O' Red They scrambled a draw against Cork City last week but risk being cut adrift if the likes of the Rebels and Waterford pick up more wins United have been a tricky opponent for Russell's side The Sligo boss has been quick to praise Kevin Doherty's lside as they lead the division Drogheda are on the up at the moment and will be our hardest opponent yet this season" despite their result against Galway last week.They have goals all over their team and we saw that up there back in February "Kevin has done an amazing job and they'll be looking to recapture that momentum they had straight away after last week But we've had a very positive week in training and we've spoken about how we'll deal with the game." The return of Waweru has given Russell a lift and he may opt to make changes after the below par performance last week "Our medical team did a great job getting Wilson back so early" "We had thought it might be a midsummer return for him but he was back running and striking a ball ahead of schedule and that's down to both the work of the medical staff and the player "Wilson has all the ingredients of a top striker and we're delighted to have him back we won't rush him but it does almost feel like having a new player in." James-Taylor was key to United's remarkable 2024 season but an injury in pre-season ruled him out of the opening quarter of the campaign Doherty has not revealed what role he will play here "We will have to wait and see," he told the Drogheda Independent "There's no physical way Dougie can be 100% yet but he did well and was involved in a number of incidents where he came close to getting shots away and he’s been training properly for the last week "With the run of games we are on there will be changes at times but I want to emphasise how happy I am with the two lads (Warren Davis and Thomas Oluwa) It almost went under the radar that Waterford registered their shock win over Derry City as late drama elsewhere grabbed the headlines It was a massive win for the Blues and interim boss Matt Lawlor With Ruaidhri Higgins strongly linked with the Coleraine job this week Lawlor's chances of getting the job on a permanent basis were down no harm He may have to put together a run of wins to land the post knowing it would be a giant leap towards safety securing three on the bounce and now on the cusp of the the top half Bohs boss Alan Reynolds is not getting carried away Bohemians are without Leigh Kavanagh (hamstring) Connor Parsons (hamstring) and Alex Lacey (hamstring) but Dawson Devoy returns from suspension and Lys Mousset (Achilles) is back in contention Waterford will be without Andy Boyle (calf) and Trae Coyle (hamstring) whilst Matty Smith continues his rehab following his long-term injury Lawlor is plotting a performance filled with passion He explained: "We are looking forwards to the trip to Dalymount Friday Bohemians are in fine form at the moment but we will travel with a plan "We have two games in four days over the Bank Holiday and we look forward to seeing all our supporters cheering us on." Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts Stephen Kenny\u0027s side are looking to return to winning ways \u003Cp\u003EMoses Dyer has been an inspired signing by John Caulfield\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThe Brandywell may see the biggest attendance since the opening of the new stand\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EShamrock Rovers made light work of Cork City in a recent meeting\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003ETop meets bottom as Drogheda United head to The Showgrounds\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s all smiles at Dalymount Park once again\u003C/p\u003E While most Leaving Cert students are busy with study schedules and exam stress 18-year-old Emily Grifferty from Drogheda is already making strides in one of the toughest sports around – horse racing Speaking to both Emily and her mother Catriona it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary teenager Emily secured a second-place finish at Naas Racecourse on Eric Lock – her first placing as an apprentice jockey and her debut ride on turf Allegations of discuss unsafe working conditions at the ambulance station in Drogheda are back under the spotlight Local Sinn Féin Deputy Joanna Byrne raised the issue in the Dáil this morning and outlined concerns including subsidence  the lack of security on site and paramedics having no space to rest on their breaks responded on behalf of the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: HSE Estates began a separate assessment of the ambulance station to determine the cause and severity of a number of building cracks This progress is ongoing and should the cracks prove to be structural in nature the intention is that funding will be provided this year for remedial works Deputy Byrne says action is urgently needed on behalf of the 14 personnel currently based there: "I've asked for the Minister to undertake an inspection of this station herself and I'd appreciate if that's brought back to her I'd ask for her to personally keep an eye on whether these works will be carried out as soon as necessary.  I don't understand why we're waiting on a report that was initiated four years ago to decide if remedial works are needed on a roof this year when it has been falling down for four years and there's evident signs of major subsidence with cracks in the walls SOME 3,000-plus years after Moses led his people out of Egypt Galway United fans are starting to dream that his namesake can lead their tribe to the promised land of European football Moses Dyer scored twice in the space of 78 chaotic seconds in the second-half of this clash last Friday night to see the Tribesmen come from a goal down to inflict just a second defeat of the season on the visitors and join them on the top of the table The New Zealand striker is making a hell of a case for a call-up to his country’s squad for next year’s World Cup in the USA – he won the last of his 11 caps in 2018 – as he made it four goals in two games with his previous strikes having come away at Derry City to see United bounce back from successive home defeats to guide the Tribesmen to their fifth win of the season There were two changes to the side which twice came from behind to draw 2-2 in Tolka Park the previous Bank Holiday Monday with Cian Byrne returning after a one-match ban and Jeannot Esua coming back into the side after recovering from a knock playing positive heads-up football and pressing the visitors back towards the goal at the clubhouse end of the ground which they were defending in the opening half Dave Hurley – who continues to extend his own club record of consecutive appearances this being his 129th game on the trot for United – had the first couple of chances but while the first was as unlikely as it was audacious when attempting to lob visiting goalkeeper Luke Dennison straight from the kick-off the second five minutes later was much more realistic Dyer rolling a free-kick to him on the edge of the box but he drilled his effort wide of the near post Dyer himself had a pop from a somewhat narrow angle within two minutes of that second Hurley effort when Pat Hickey chested-down Esua’s cross into his path The visitors rode out that early storm to slowly ease their way into the game and looked dangerous every time they poured forward looking to use the pace of Thomas Oluwa – one of a trio formerly of this parish along with Dennison and James Bolger – to get in behind the three United centre-backs Bolger and Shane Farrell were pulling the strings in midfield while Ryan Brennan used his footballing smarts to often pop-up in the right place at the right time firing a 20-yard volley just over Brendan Clarke’s crossbar after the home side failed to clear their lines from a corner They went more direct midway through the half Dennison picking out Oluwa on half-way with an inch-perfect throw The pacey frontman turned and raced for goal but Esua is no slouch either and got back to get a crucial block on Oluwa’s eventual shot Pictured: Galway United’s Robert Burns in a race for possession with Owen Lambe of  Drogheda United during Friday night’s Premier Division tie at Eamonn Deacy Park This article first appeared in the print edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism by subscribing to the Galway City Tribune HERE A one-year digital subscription costs just €89.00 The print edition is in shops every Friday © Copyright 2023 - Ourside Agency in Drogheda took to the pitch at the Aviva Stadium as part of the 2024 ALDI Play Rugby The event brought together over 300 primary school children from 17 schools across Ireland offering a unique chance to play in the home of Irish Rugby and followed in the footsteps of their rugby heroes by taking part in the blitz The festival was part of the ALDI Play Rugby programme a non-contact primary schools rugby initiative run by the IRFU and supported by ALDI aimed at introducing young children to rugby in a fun Pupils from the Drogheda school joined their peers in a day of matches all designed to encourage physical activity Schools are provided with access to invaluable resources including sessions with Community Rugby Officers Irish rugby legends and ALDI Play Rugby ambassadors Linda Djougang and Beibhinn Parsons were in attendance to lend their support and inspire challenge and cheer on the students as they took to the hallowed turf and stepped into the boots of their rugby heroes The programme has been a huge success with hundreds of schools across Ireland taking part As Official Fresh Food Partner to the IRFU until 2028 ALDI will continue to offer meaningful investment and support to ALDI Play Rugby ensuring that children all over Ireland are given the opportunity to get involved in rugby and encouraged to embrace healthy habits ALDI Play Rugby Ambassador and former Ireland captain said: “The ALDI Play Rugby Festival is always a wonderful event It was a joy to share the pitch with the future stars of tomorrow and experience their energy and enthusiasm for the sport Programmes like ALDI Play Rugby are vital in building the future of Irish rugby and it’s fantastic to see ALDI continuing to invest in the sport at grassroots level For more information on ALDI Play Rugby and how your school can get involved https://www.aldi.ie/irish-rugby-partnership Gardaí are appealing for witnesses following a dangerous driving incident in which a van was driven at a Garda in Ardee in the early hours of this morning Gardaí were on patrol in the Clonmore Estate at around 4:20am and approached a van that was parked up The van was driven at Gardai and hit a Garda who had left the patrol car to investigate He sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda The scene has been held for a technical examination to be carried out and Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in Clonmore Estate area between 4:00am and 4:40am are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ardee Garda Station on 041 6871330 the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 Garda welfare services have been put in place for the injured Garda member and his colleagues We are a nation of dog lovers but they do poo a lot and are unable clean up after themselves and some dog owners don’t bother to clean up after their pets either and it’s disgusting especially if you walk in it or push your wheelchair through it To try to put an end to this situation Louth County Council organised an art and design competition for schoolchildren as part of their ongoing campaign to raise awareness about Dog Fouling so schoolchildren throughout County Louth have created artwork encouraging dog owners to bag it and dispose of it in a civilised manner The competition was aimed at school children around the county whose winning designs will feature on litter bins and community spaces throughout County Louth and this week they announced the winners Entrants were tasked with designing a fun and humorous A4 sticker to be displayed on litter bins across County Louth and a fun and engaging A3 poster to raise awareness The winners and their respective schools are below: Your creativity will help spread an important message and will be used to help raise awareness and remind everyone to clean up after their dogs Drogheda Brass Band members celebrate after the results in the Bohemian Centre Some Members of the Ardee Senior Band with their winnings after the awards presentation Finn Murphy and Ryan Finnegan of Drogheda Brass Band celebrate the result Luke Murphy and his father Anthony with the trophies won by Drogheda Brass Band on Saturday Drogheda Brass Band following their performance of Philip Sparke's 'Evolution' Adjudicator Dr Jonathon Corry presenting the trophy for the best instrumentalist (Section 1 Brass) to Drogheda Brass Band soprano coronet player Luke Murphy Luke's father Anthony had won the award the previous year Ardee Concert Band Musical Director Ronan O'Reilly with the prize Silverware The Ardee Concert Band taking applause after the Winning Performance drogheda Lourdes Brass Band at the National Band Championships in Ardee Drogheda Lourdes Brass Band at the National Band Championships in Ardee Ardee was alive with excitement last Saturday as the town hosted the 57th National Band Championships for the first time in its history Bands from all over Ireland gathered at the Bohemian Centre on Jervis Street for a day packed with music Ardee Concert Band not only successfully hosted the national event while the Drogheda Brass Band secured a historic 16th National Title Ardee Concert Band’s Senior Band topped Section 1 Concert claiming First Prize in their first-ever home victory They also earned Best Supporting Section for their Double Reed Players – Betty Roddy Gerry Farrell and Wendel Frietas – and Best Brass Award for their outstanding brass ensemble Ardee was named Best Band of the Championships under the baton of Musical Director Mr Musical Director of the 1st Old Boys Brass Band praised the community band for “a fine performance with great technique,” noting that it was “well directed.” The celebrations continued for Ardee as their Intermezzo Ensemble achieved Second Place in Section 3 Concert just behind winners St Mary’s Brass and Reed Band of Kingscourt The Ardee Ensemble featured 40 young musicians many performing in competition for the first time under the direction of Mr James MacCafferty “This is a huge experience for these young musicians and coming away with a win in their first competitive Session is an added Bonus,” said Band PRO Sinéad Behan "Musicianship in Ardee Concert Band is in a strong position and the future is well and truly secure for many years to come.” history was also made in the Brass Band competitions as Drogheda Brass Band won a record-breaking 16th National Band Championship title surpassing the previous record of 15 titles jointly held with Arklow Silver Band Performing Philip Sparke’s “Evolution” as their test piece under the expert baton of conductor Stephen Murray delivered a stunning performance that earned the a top score of 188 points in Section 1 Brass Lourdes Brass Band secured third place with 185 points This victory not only underscores Drogheda Brass Band’s dedication and excellence in the brass band community but also sets a new benchmark in the history of the championships was awarded Best Instrumentalist in Section 1 Brass for his outstanding performance Band Vice-Chair Brian Murphy expressed the band’s delight at the achievement saying: “The level of competition this was exceptional Every band brought their best and it was an honour to come out as winners in a great contest." “I’d also like to congratulate Ardee Concert Band not only for hosting such a brilliant event but for winning their own grade in the Concert Band Section 1 beating off stiff competition from Dublin Concert Band,” added Murphy showcased their talents and competed across various Brass and Concert sections organised by the Irish Association of Brass and Concert Bands (IABCB) and the strength of community music in Louth and across Ireland Drogheda Comhaltas Musicians & Dancers & Member of the Leinster Fleadh Executive Committee By John MulliganDrogheda IndependentSat 29 Mar 2025 at 08:00Drogheda has been selected to host the Leinster Fleadh 2025 which will run from July 11-13 Allowing us to welcome thousands of Irish traditional musicians and Irish music enthusiasts from across the province to our beautiful county for a weekend of concerts Fleadh competitions and street entertainment for all to enjoy Orla Brannigan said “As Chairperson of the Leinster Fleadh Executive Committee it is with great pride that we welcome the Leinster Fleadh to our vibrant town in 2025 This prestigious event celebrates our rich musical heritage and brings together communities from across Leinster We look forward to a week of unforgettable performances and the true spirit of traditional Irish music.” It is a huge honour to be chosen as the host town and to bring this prestigious event to Drogheda and County Louth The Fleadh committee is working tirelessly to organise the event which is anticipated to bring approximately 6,000+ visitors into the town again over the weekend which includes over 2,000 musicians and competitors Trevor Connolly said “We are hugely excited and looking forward to welcoming the unique and vibrant cultural event that is the Leinster Fleadh to Drogheda during the summer It will be 6 years since the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann was hosted in Drogheda and people still talk about the positive impact and renewed sense of pride and community that it brought to the area.” Tourism Officer welcomed the event saying: “Louth County Council warmly welcomes the Leinster Fleadh to Drogheda this summer This festival is a wonderful celebration of our vibrant traditional music and rich culture in Louth and we are proud to support an event that unites communities through the power of music Táimid ag tnúth le deireadh seachtaine iontach lán le ceol which see two representatives from each county in Leinster compete across 50+ disciplines we are hoping to secure a gig rig billed with popular Irish musical acts who have expressed interest to provide daily street entertainment as well as traditional Irish music pub sessions Hubert Murphy CEO of Drogheda & District Chamber said: “Drogheda needs events like the Leinster Fleadh to show off what we have to offer From quality venues to our vibrant range of food and drink offerings Drogheda is a prime spot to host Ireland’s top events Let the Leinster Fleadh be a real showcase affair for everyone” Updated timetables will become operational from Sunday 13 April updated timetables will become operational on Routes 101 & 101X to reflect changes in traffic conditions The frequency of service on these routes will remain as at present however the departure times from individual stops along routes may have changed to reflect traffic volumes New stops have been added at Mosney Cross ‘132761’ and Drogheda (St Marys Church) ‘1035801’ serving outbound services and Bellewstown Cross (Southbound) ‘1006801’ serving inbound services ‘126121’ serving outbound has been removed from route Detailed route timetables, showing the departure times for each stop are available online at www.buseireann.ie The Drogheda Civic Trust it is organising a Festival of Drogheda History — a new series of public history seminars to take place throughout 2025 celebrating the rich and diverse heritage of Drogheda and its wider historical context which is being supported by Louth County Council beginning with “Oliver Plunkett in Historical Context” on Saturday Peter’s Church of Ireland Parish Hall The event will open with a welcome from the Mayor of Drogheda and will feature a distinguished panel of speakers including Fr Paul Smith (Trinity College), Dr Eoghan Darcy (Maynooth University), Dr Annaleigh Margey (Dundalk Institute of Technology) and Sean Collins of the Drogheda Civic Trust Admission is free and the event begins at 10am will explore “The Role of the Fenians in the 1860s” and will include a special site visit to the John Boyle O’Reilly monument at Dowth Full details and registration information will be announced closer to the date The final seminar of the year will take place on Friday commemorating the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of Drogheda’s World War I Cenotaph on Mary Street A powerful line-up of contributors will include Professor Brian Hanley (Trinity College), Lynn McDonnell, Dr “We are thrilled to present this Festival of Drogheda History which highlights our town’s place in the wider story of Ireland These events are about fostering local pride and creating connections between community and heritage we are proud to offer these events free to the public.”