The Irish hopes in the Rugby Sevens at the Paris 2024 Olympics have been quashed even before the opening ceremony, crushed by a powerful Fiji team during the quarter-finals, according to Johnny Watterson of the Stade de France. Despite their potential, a flurry of tries by the Fijians in the second half resulted in a disappointing early departure for Ireland. As Johnny points out, it’s a premature end to the medal dreams and no ‘Irish luck’ for these games. Nevertheless, anticipation remains for potential surprises in the next two weeks.
Based on the accounts shared by Johnny and Ian O’Riordan, Paris is eager for the Olympics to conclude due to the major disruption to everyday life from heightened security and traffic. The safety measures implemented across the city have even reached the extent of transforming Pont d’Austerlitz and other bridges over the Seine into armed checkpoints, hampering even a simple jog.
Parallel to the Olympic action, the post-victory festivities from the All Ireland Gaelic games also seems to have caused a stir in Clare, as analysed by Joe Canning. In his account, he captures the stark contrast of perceptions that are entirely dependent on whether a one-point game is won or lost.
With the All-Ireland football final approaching, Aidan Forker, the captain, aims for a flawless performance as he leads his team, Armagh, against Galway. In contrast, Dylan McHugh from Galway, a strong candidate for the 2024 Footballer of the Year, has plans to celebrate a win in grand style. His views were shared with John Fallon.
A Galway victory would elevate the excitement at the forthcoming Galway festival, which Brian O’Connor describes as a unique gem in Ireland’s racing landscape.
Philip Reid provides hopeful updates from Carnoustie, reporting that Pádraig Harrington and Peter Lawrie fall only three strokes behind the lead after their first round in the Senior Open Championship. On the football scene, there’s a variety of luck for Irish teams. Gavin Cummiskey reports that St Patrick’s Athletic outperformed FC Vaduz in the initial leg of their Europa Conference League qualifier. However, Shelbourne faces a huge challenge following a 3-0 loss to FC Zurich.
On TV today, it’s the launch of the Olympics (BBC One at 5.45pm, RTÉ 2 at 6pm, Eurosport at 4.30pm). The three-and-a-half hour event will occur on the Seine, rather than a traditional stadium, and is planned to kick off at 6.30pm.