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GALWAY forward Cillian Ó Curraoin was licking his lips at the prospect of feasting on Armagh under football’s new rules.

The Mícheál Breathnach clubman was man of the match against the Orchard on Saturday — scoring five points — in a 1-12 to 0-9 win in terrible conditions at Pearse Stadium.

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David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Ó Curraoin nailed a superb two-pointer from outside the new scoring arc in the 53rd minute.

And last season’s Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy and Shane Walsh followed up with two-pointers to get Galway’s NFL Division 1 campaign off to a flying start.

Hitman Ó Curraoin is loving the rules, which came into effect for the first time in competitive inter-county football last weekend.

The Galway starlet said: “They’re unbelievable for an inside forward. I was looking forward to it for a long time.

“I watched the interpros and was really licking my lips. It was great to come out in front of a crowd and play.

“Everyone is sussing each other out and we saw that in the first half.

“What are they going to do with kick-outs? What are they going to do with the press?

“It will take a while for everyone to kind of bring their own spin and dynamic to it. It’s exciting.”

With Conroy, Walsh, Ó Curraoin, Rob Finnerty and Damien Comer all capable of monster kicks, two-pointers will be a big target in the Galway camp ahead of the second-round clash with Mayo on Sunday in Castlebar.

And he hopes the Tribesmen can repeat the dose against their Connacht arch rivals.

But Ó Curraoin knows the lure of a double score could mean fewer goals.

He said: “I suppose we’re blessed with kickers in Galway. We always were.

“In the last few years with blanket defences, it was hard to use kickers and skilful players.

“This is a really good chance for the likes of Conroy, Shane Walsh or any of the other forwards in that dressing room to really express themselves and use that two-point arc.

“But if everyone is so focused on the two-point arc, they kind of forget about a goal.

“It’s gas as well because if you keep going for those two-pointers, it leaves an acre of space inside for a goal. It’s just trying to grasp the two.

“We played to the elements in the second half. In the first half, we focused on getting two points instead of bringing it in. There’s this kind of pocket in the D that we weren’t using. Armagh were pressing out and we were taking on crazy shots, including one I took myself.

“But we played the elements in the second half.

“We were bringing it in, bringing it out, working scores and getting it to the kickers. That was the difference in the end.”

BALANCING ACT

Ó Curraoin has juggled college and inter-county football this month as he lined out in the Sigerson Cup for the University of Galway.

His side failed to make the quarter-finals but the attacker was frustrated that the college competitions are being played under the old rules.

He said: “It’s interesting. I was saying to one of the lads that we went from the old rules last Wednesday night to the new rules.

“Even in the last few weeks of Sigerson, we’ve been going from the old rules to the new rules and it’s a big contrast.

“You love coming back to Galway training sometimes because you’re so frustrated playing in the Sigerson because of the old rules.”

The Orchard pipped Galway in last July’s All-Ireland final, leaving Pádraic Joyce’s men still searching for a first Sam Maguire Cup since 2001.

And Ó Curraoin insists beating Kieran McGeeney’s charges on Saturday was not about revenge, but winning a first Division 1 crown since 1981.

He added: “Winning it, yeah — 100 per cent. We really wanted to start off the league with two points and we have Mayo next. We weren’t planning on avenging anything. That wasn’t our focus in the Armagh game. We worked hard throughout November, December and January.

“We’re here now, we got the win and we got the first two points.”

Joyce’s backroom team underwent a shake-up after last year’s decider defeat.

Coach Cian O’Neill rejoined the Kerry backroom team but Mickey Graham arrived — performing a U-turn just two months after taking the Leitrim manager’s job.

David Morris has come aboard from Corofin and Ó Curraoin is loving the new dynamic in training as the 2022 and 2024 All-Ireland finalists look to keep challenging for top honours.

He said: “It’s great. Mickey and Dave are unreal.

“They’ve brought their own kind of spin to it and it’s great to hear their opinions on the new rules and a new fresh voice coming in.

“It’s great to have them. We don’t have a set coach and I suppose everyone does their own bit. It’s great to have.”

CORONATION Street actor Jack P Shepherd has revealed he was in shock when a fan left him money in their will.

The ITV actor has played his on-screen character David Platt for the past 25 years in Coronation Street, but he never expected the role to come with an added benefit.

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Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd revealed a devoted soap fan left him £5,000 in his will[/caption]

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The actor opened up to co-stars Ben price and Colson Smith as he explained how he was included in a fan’s last testament, with the fan giving him £5,000.

Jack initially revealed the fan, who was a postman from New Zealand, left him the tidy sum when he opened up in an Instagram Q&A alongside his on-screen wife Shona (played by Julia Goulding).

Jack said: “(He) gave me five grand in their will. From New Zealand, a fan. Died, and gave me 10 per cent of his estate, which was five grand. So cheers.”

The star later revealed the money had been used to take his family to Florida, with the unexpected windfall helping cover the costs.

Discussing the windfall again with co-stars on a podcast, Ben – who play’s Jack’s on-screen brother Nick Platt – added: “I was convinced that it was a scam and I said ‘that’s a scam, you’re getting f*****g scammed, I hope you’re getting scammed because I’ll be so f****d off if you’re not’.”

Jack has played his on-screen role of David since 2000, when he first took over from Thomas Ormson.

The actor, from Pudsey in West Yorkshire, has also made a name for himself outside of the ITV soap with stage performances including adaptations of West Side Story and Oliver!

The star also revealed with his co-stars how he nearly fell out with them over plans for his upcoming marriage this year, as Jack is reluctant to have a stag do.

Colson, who is due to leave the soap this year, broached the subject as he told his friend: “There is something that I need to broach with you on this subject and I don’t quite know when the right time to do this is.

“Now is the right time, but you’re very very against it.

“But I just need to tell you that it’s happening, that there is a small group of us, which is only four people and then including yourself, that’s five, but we have to tell you now that you are having a stag do.”

A reluctant Jack then responded that he hadn’t been told, as Colson explained they’d discussed it during a gym session.

Colson then reassured Jack it would be low key, with the pair agreeing the stag do plans could mean they “go for a bit of food and then go out.”

LOVE Island’s Ronnie Vint and Harriett Blackmore have been hit by accusations they’re trying to be the next Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague.

The exes are hurtling towards a full-blown reunion just days after Harriett’s bombshell arrival.

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It reminded viewers of Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae’s Ellie-Belly[/caption]

And it appears glamorous Brighton beauty Harriett has been inspired by 2019 winner Molly and her love of a sentimental cuddly toy.

Molly’s elephant Ellie-Belly was a constant fixture of her series, endearing her to the public who fell for the down-to-earth innocence.

The toy even had a starring role as Tommy returned from Casa Amor holding it for their reunion, and it even made it to the final when they were declared winners.

Last night viewers were introduced to Harriett’s rabbit, Flopsy, but it hasn’t had the same effect.

“The teddy is so calculated,” wrote one viewer. “Ronnie we see right through this Mollie-May and Tommy move

Another said: “Not Ronnie and Harriet recycling the whole Molly Mae, Tommy Fury and Ellie Bellie trio with ‘flopsy’.”

There were mixed emotions last night as Ronnie found out a difficult truth.

When Harriett admitted she had been with someone else since their split, Ronnie was seen storming out of the bedroom leaving her to sleep alone.

He later returned and asked Elma Pazar if he could sleep in the bed next to her, as they are still in a couple.

The next morning, Harriett told Catherine Agbaje and best friend Grace Jackson that Ronnie’s overreaction was not justified.

She said: “He’s been with people when he was with me, I’ve got the ‘hey girl’ 100 times on Instagram. Two… I’ve been watching him kiss two different girls on TV.”

Grace added: “You’re not his property, if something has happened with someone else.”

Harriett explained: “What did he think was going to happen. He was just going to really hurt me, do what he wants when we were together and when we broke up and went our separate ways, he was going to be galivating around and doing whatever he wants and I was just sat at home with Flopsy, like no.”

Ronnie told Harriett: “I’ll take it like a man and I just want to know and I’ll move on from that. I don’t want it to be a big thing.”

He continued: “I just want it to be between me and you – a yes or no. And we move on.”

Harriett replied: “It’s just annoying because it just all got blown out of proportion.

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“I didn’t like the way you acted after, you should have just waited till the morning and said ‘hey, can I speak to you?’

“But you were acting a little bit entitled last night.”

Ronnie explained: “It just hurts still because I look at you and ‘you’re mine’ type of thing,” which provoked Harriett to say: “But I’m not.”

He went on to say: “You were mine and there’s feelings there.”

She told him: “Yeah but Ronnie, I felt like that and I had to watch you crack on and do all these things.”

Ronnie insisted that he wanted to “squash” it and have a conversation to “learn from his mistakes”.

“I feel like communication we didn’t have last time,” he said.

“The communication, trust, honesty is all I want with you.”

Eroteme

  Карти Таро відкривають енергетику цього дня для кожного знака зодіаку, допомагаючи зрозуміти, на що звернути увагу. Довіртесь мудрості карт і дозвольте їхньому посланню направити вас у потрібному напрямку. Більше гороскопів читайте у розділі Астрологія Час-Дій. Овен (21 березня – 19 квітня) Карта дня: Колесо Фортуни Сьогодні у вашому житті можуть відбутися несподівані повороти. Зміни […]

THIS is the hilarious moment Conor McGregor size up 7ft 1in NBA star Brook Lopez DURING a game.

The brilliant incident came as Lopez’s Milwaukee Bucks beat the Utah Jazz 125-110 on Monday.

The victory saw the Bucks soar to fourth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Standings.

But the highlight of the game came when UFC legend McGregor announced himself on the court during a free throw.

The Irishman got the attention of the crowd as he made his way to the Bucks’ bench.

He then made his way along the entire team before coming to a stop opposite Lopez.

The NBA was sat down with a towel over his head.

Yet he was hilariously still taller than McGregor, who stands at 5ft 7in.

‘Notorious’ saw the funny side too as he engaged Lopez in a quick chat.

The basketball player seemed to love the banter though and eventually stood up to completely tower over McGregor before the pair jokingly sized up.

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Lopez later lifted the lid on his chat with the MMA icon.

He said: “McGregor asked me how tall I was. I let him know. He asked me to stand up and I did.

“I knew at that point, once I got up, I had to size him up, I had to do a little something. I’ve seen face-offs before so I knew I had to do my part.

“Now, if something’s going to happen, maybe Dame (Damian Lillard) can be my promoter or manager, teach me to fight.

“I’ve got nothing. So I’m really going to rely on Dame for that.”

Fans certainly enjoyed the hilarious clash between Lopez and McGregor.

One said: “Notorious only dude to get away with that s**t.”

Another declared: “Conor can’t reach that height.”

One noted: “McGregor wanted to meet the GOAT.”

Another added: “Should start training.”

CORK goalkeeper Micheál Aodh Martin has called for the return of football’s short kick-out to speed up the game.

While the Rebels stopper feels the sport’s rule changes are “more positive than negative”, he sees the requirement for kick-outs to travel beyond the 40-metre arc as a backward step.

Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Cork defeated Meath 2-19 to 0-21 in Division 2 on Saturday and Martin said: “There were three short kick-outs in the whole game. We had two, they had one.

“Nearly everything’s going long, there’s a lot of bodies out there and that’s one, I don’t know will they look at it again.

“Because of the other rule changes, the quick kick-out isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world if they brought that back in. You can’t go back to your keeper, which means it has to go forward.

“It’s nearly slowing the game down at the moment, but look, that’s just an opinion. Some people love the contest. I get that as well.”

Martin had worried about a lack of goals under the new rules but the numbers of one-on-one scenarios in games and training have eased those concerns.

He added: “I would have had a fear a couple of months ago that maybe goals would be gone, with the difference between a two-pointer and a three-pointer.

“But actually what we’re finding so far is that because you don’t really have an option to develop a sweeper, it’s quite a lot of goal chances in every game. There’s a lot more one-v-one battles.

“And the three up means that there’s ten to 15 seconds where lads have themselves versus their man, so lots of goal chances.

“That’s what people ultimately pay in for, to see exciting forwards run at their men and go for goal. There’s more space for forwards, more scores, which is only positive.”

Cork head to Down on Sunday but Martin hopes the opening win over the Royals at Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a sign of things to come on home turf if the Rebels are to mount a promotion push.

He added: “It’s such a tight division. You really have to have a good home record. We haven’t had a good enough home record over the last few years.”

TYSON FURY and wife Paris enjoyed a romantic weekend away as the boxer settled into retirement.

The Gypsy King, 35, announced he would be stepping away from the ring yet again following his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last month.

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Paris dazzled in a smart pink outfit[/caption]

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The pair enjoyed afternoon tea[/caption]

It is not the first time Fury has declared he is retired – having done so atfer beating Dillian Whyte in April 2022 – but it is still welcome news for Paris and his family.

The couple enjoyed a weekend getaway to Ayrshire, Scotland and visited Trump Turnberry Golf Resort.

They enjoyed afternoon tea and Paris dressed for the occasion, wearing a stunning pink suit jacket with a matching skirt.

Paris, 35, shared some photos and videos from their trip on social media, where she professed her love for Scotland.

Fury appeared very relaxed and gave the camera a big smile in one photo with his wife.

He announced his retirement last month, saying: “Hey everybody, I am going to make it short and sweet. I would like to announce my retirement from boxing.

“It has been a blast and I have loved every single minute of it.

“I’m going to end with this – Dick Turpin wore a mask.

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“God bless everybody and see you on the other side.”

Fury hanging up the gloves means he will give up an eye-watering payday against Anthony Joshua.

SunSport understands a two fight deal with AJ would be worth around £500m, meaning Fury is effectively giving up a staggering £250m pay cheque by retiring.

Донька Ілона Маска Вівіан Вілсон висловилася після звинувачень у тому, що її батько зробив “нацистське вітання” на мітингу, присвяченому інавгурації Дональда Трампа, пише The Independent. Вівіан Вілсон, яка офіційно змінила своє ім’я після досягнення 18 років, щоб дистанціюватися від батька, не згадала Маска напряму, проте натякнула на інцидент під час мітингу в Capitol One Arena. “Давайте називати речі […]

  Відмова від молока є однією з актуальних тем в області харчування, все більше людей сьогодні приймають таке рішення. Але якщо ви теж вирішили відмовитися від молока, подумайте як слід про цей вибор, оскільки він може приносити не тільки користь, але і шкоду. Позитивні ефекти. Хоча багато медичних експертів називають молочні продукти дуже важливою частиною […]

Ветеринари під час медичного огляду навіть не змогли провести належне ультразвукове обстеження через надлишкову вагу товстуна. Бездомний кіт Крошик, якого працівники притулку для тварин витягли з підвалу лікарні у Пермі (РФ), може позмагатися за статус “найтовстішого у світі”. Він настільки огрядний, що розучився ходити. Ймовірно, персонал медичного закладу загодував улюбленця до такої міри, що це […]