Galway Pulse • 14th May 2021

Fitzgerald, Conor, Connacht, Jack Carty, Ulster, Shannon, All Ireland,

IT’S been an eventful year for Conor Fitzgerald, mirroring the ups and downs of his career so far. The 2020/2021 season has been full of highs and lows for Connacht’s young fly half from the shock of learning he had Covid-19 on Christmas Eve to playing a pivotal role in the late Rainbow Cup victory over Ulster at the end of last month. “I woke up on Christmas Eve and I had a message on my phone from our Covid-19 officer. It said to give them a bell when I woke up and I thought to myself, ‘oh t

Galway Pulse • 14th May 2021

We're in this league to win it

On the eve of Galway’s Allianz National League football opener, boss Padraic Joyce has insisted his team are “in it to win it”. Galway’s league campaign kicks off tomorrow with a trip to Kerry, and Joyce is setting high standards for his team. “We are in it to win it .I said to the lads from day one when they came in that every competition we enter, we try to win. So, we’ll be pushing to win it,” said Joyce. “We’ve a real tough opener in Kerry. Kerry are difficult anyway but the fact that we’

Galway Pulse • 20th April 2021

Connacht set sights on Rainbow cup clash with Ulster

Connacht head coach Andy Friend has called on his players to show up with their A-Game this weekend in the provinces inaugural Rainbow Cup match away to Ulster. Having given up six tries in a demoralising 48-32 loss last time out, prop forward Finlay Bealham said that there had been “proper conversations about where things went wrong” against Leicester in the European Challenge Cup last week. “It was embarrassing, and we don’t want to be embarrassed again,” said Friend. “Credit to Leicester,

Galway Pulse • 16th April 2021

Muldoon may not be coming home

Connacht legend John Muldoon is the province’s most decorated player with 327 caps but he says it’s not a given that he will someday return to coach the westerners. “I don’t know if I’ll come back to Connacht as a coach. I know when I say that, people will laugh and say it has to be your plan but I can resonate with Ronan O’Gara’s situation where people are saying ‘of course that’s his end goal’, but actually it may not be. There’s a lot of pressure if you’re a home-grown coach,” said Muldoon.

Galway Pulse • 1st April 2021

Jimmy Duffy to leave Connacht Rugby at the end of the season

Connacht Rugby has confirmed the shock news that forwards coach Jimmy Duffy will be leaving the province at the end of the season along with Nigel Carolan who’s departure was announced last week. In a statement, Jimmy Duffy, who was instrumental in Connacht’s Pro12 winning campaign of 2015/2016 said: “This has been a tough decision for me and my family, but I feel it’s the right one as I look to progress my coaching career. Connacht Rugby has been a major part of my life stretching over 25 year

Galway Pulse • 19th March 2021

Scoil Fhursa opens with new extension

The principal of a City primary school has described the re-opening of their new school building this week as a “dream come true”. Bríd Ní Neachtain of Scoil Fhursa has said that this week has been the happy end of a six-year journey as the new school opened. The school at Nile Lodge originally opened as an All-Irish model school in 1933, and the landmark traditional style school house, which is a listed building has been preserved as part of the new build. It was a day of double celebration

Galway Pulse • 10th March 2021

Connacht set their sights on European Challenge Cup

Connacht head coach Andy Friend has said Connacht will be aiming to win the European Challenge Cup after yesterday’s round of 16 draw. “It’s a brilliant opportunity for us. We started out the year in the Champions Cup but as the year has fallen we’ve moved back into the Challenge Cup. We now know we’re not going to be competing for silverware in the Pro14, and silverware and podium finishes is where we want to be so we’re looking at this challenge cup as a real opportunity to go and win somethi

Galway Pulse • 25th February 2021

Disappointment for Galway golfers as courses remain closed

The decision to keep golf courses across Ireland closed under the Government’s new “Covid-19: Resilience and Recovery” plan has been called “crazy” by a leading member of Galway’s golfing fraternity. “It seems a bit crazy really, there are about 120 acres there of a golf course without a hundred people allowed on and every weekend there’s thousands of people on the prom,” said Galway Golf Club captain Gerry Cox. Golfers in Galway are particularly frustrated. In the past two months the Salthill

Galway Pulse • 18th February 2021

Retailers and council clash over new city centre traffic system

Opinion is divided on the accessibility of a new one-way traffic system in Galway city centre. While Galway City Council claim that feedback from businesses and the public has been positive, Galway Pulse has spoken to retailers in the area who are not happy with the new system. Margret Madden of Madden’s Florists on Flood Street said there was no consultation. “Someone came around from the council about six months ago and said they were considering changes. The next thing we heard about it wa