Credits to RTE for the clips.
Author: Kelsey Doogan
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What will D.J. Carey’s fraud case mean for people who have genuine cancer cases?
Photo Credit: Bing Search
By Kelsey Doogan
The news that former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for faking a cancer diagnosis broke on Monday November 3 and has left many people in shock and wondering what it may mean for future fundraising appeals from genuine patients who desperately need people’s help.
Carey was once one of the country’s most admired GAA stars has recently admitted to deceiving people into giving him money by claiming he needed funds for life-saving cancer treatment abroad. His case was described by the judge as a “serious abuse of trust”. It has also raised questions about how we respond when someone says they’re sick, are they being honest or not?
For years, Irish people have been known for their generosity. When a family member, neighbour, or teammate falls ill, communities tend to rally without hesitation. Holding raffles, online fundraisers and vigils are some of the many ways they show their support. But many now fear this case could have a lasting impact on their trust in people’s honesty.
“It’s such a shame,” says Mary McCabe, a resident in the northeast of Ireland who helps her local cancer fundraising group. “When someone lies about something as serious as cancer, it makes you wonder what else people are comfortable lying about. How can people be expected to trust charity organisations when things like this happen?”
Others argue that this shouldn’t affect how we respond to illness and how we choose to express our empathy.
“People shouldn’t stop helping others just because of one bad cookie.” said Nicole Kieran, a resident in County Monaghan who commented on the case, who spoke to us about the topic. “Instead, it should show just how transparent charities or people who set up fundraising pages need to be about exactly how they’re spending the money people donate.”
Online platforms like GoFundMe have systems in place to help verify campaigns and encourage transparency but smaller community-based organisations still rely on trust from those organising it.
In cases such as Carey’s, that trust was betrayed on a massive scale, but it also highlighted the importance of accountability of funds when collecting donations.
For people battling cancer, the fallout of this lie is more personal and the emotional toll of being doubted can be severe when these people are already in a vulnerable state. Advocacy groups have spoken out since the sentencing, reminding the public that most people who seek help are genuine and really in need of help from a wider community.
The DJ Carey case is a harsh reminder of how easily trust can be broken and how hard it is to rebuild. While his actions may cause some to second guess future charity organisations and appeals, they should not allow the countless genuine stories of people fighting real battles every day to go unsupported. Most fundraisers come from a place of honesty, desperation and hardship, not one of deception. As Ireland grapples with the fallout of this scandal, the challenge will be to stay compassionate while also being cautious. Remember to question, when necessary, but never lose our caring and compassionate side.
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Ashling Nyhan- Balancing Studies and Sports
By Kelsey Doogan
Photo Credit: Paul Lundy Sports Photography
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.” said Nyhan.Hailing from Castleknock in Dublin, near Phoenix Park, Ashling told TheCity how she got into sport and what drove her to play at such a high level.
“I was kind of nearly forced into GAA when I was younger. I have three older sisters who all play sports and I use to kick around with them in the garden, my oldest sister played underage for Dublin as well. My dad also coached a few underage Dublin teams, and I loved going out to watch their games, that definitely sparked my hopes to play for Dublin.”
As children we often brush off memories as our minds are so busy with different thoughts and it’s hard to remember things, but certain memories will live with us forever. Ashling told us about her earliest childhood memories.
“My earliest memory is probably playing the Go Games for both the girls and boys teams, I played with my cousin on the boys team which was quite funny as we were very competitive.”
The sports stars of today are expected to take on so much in their younger years between representing their school or college, to working a part time job. Playing for their club and doing it all while pulling on the Dublin jersey, and Nyhan is no exception to this trend.
“I do find it quite hard to juggle both college and training. Sometimes one has to give for the other to progress. Especially around exam time, I could have a very long training session the night before an exam. Some nights I’
id be up late trying to get everything done but it all balances out in the end, so far anyway. I love what I study and the high intensity environment, so it’s worth the balance.”For many of those who are lucky enough to succeed in their sport, it comes at a great sacrifice to their free time. Events and social gatherings often take a back seat as a result.
“I don’t really have much free time, but when I do I like to spend it with my family, friends and my boyfriend. I like to try switch my brain off from football the days I have off. I think it’s important to try separate the environments and basically have a life outside of football. I think it helps keep a good mental space for the long season we do end up having.”
Photo Credit: Maurice Grehan
The days are long for students like Ashling as they aim to squeeze their busy schedules into a short space of time that comes in a day. Athletes balance more than most adults do in their day-
“Typically if I am in season during college, In the morning at 5:45 I work in a gym as a PT so it’s early hours ( I am so bad for early mornings
Reeping the rewards of a busy life is an amazing incentive to keep going and word through the hard times.
“Captaining Dublin at U14 was a really special moment because it was the first time I realised how much I loved leading and being part of something bigger than myself. Making the step up to the Senior panel and pulling on the Dublin jersey at that level was another proud moment ,it’s something I dreamt of as a kid, and to live it is unbelievable and play with some of the girls I looked up to growing up as well was surreal. But I think my proudest was winning the All-Ireland Final this year, I have been to watch the All-Ireland Finals every year, dreaming of doing it myself I never thought it would be possible so to do that with girls I have grown up playing with from u13 was a dream come true.”
Photo Credit: Maurice Grehan
Ashling as achieved so much already in her playing career so we asked her what helped to keep her going and the best piece of advice she ever received from a coach over the years that has stuck with her all this time.
“One thing that has stuck to me that coaches have said are “Control the Controllables” – there’s so much you can’t control in a game or training, but your attitude, your effort, and how you respond to things are always in your hands. I think that helps keep my head when going through the highs and lows of the game.”
Life is filled with goals and ambitions. There is life after college and we all take different paths, whether that is continue our studies in another field or gaining a job.
“After college I want to do a masters in physiotherapy. Any components of my course that relate slightly to physiotherapy I love and actually understand so well. It has always been an area of interest for me even outside of sports.”
Ashling is just one of the thousands of student athletes up and down the country balancing their busy lives and they are an inspiration to us all.
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Kilmainham Gaol: Prison turned Museum
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
By Kelsey Doogan
Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison located in Kilmainham, Dublin just south of Phoenix Park. Now it is a museum run by the Office of Public Works in Ireland. The admission fee is certainly cheap compared to similar museums in other countries.
While it did cater as a prison for even the most common of prisoners, it is primarily known for the imprisonment of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising such as Patrick Pearse, Seán Mac Diarmada, and Joseph Plunkett. All were executed within the walls of the prison byy order of the British Government at the time.
“One of the aspects of the site I find most interesting is the fact that it was often used to imprison the most marginalised groups in Irish society in the 19th and early 20th century,” said Brian Crowley, Curator of Collections at Kilmainham Gaol.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
It serves as a bleak reminder of a dark period of Irish history and a time of oppression and suffering in our past and this can very much be felt as you walk through the doors.
“Kilmainham was more or less abandoned after 1924 and was semi-
The Gaol is only accessible through guided tours and is definitely worth a visit. Even if you aren’t a history fanatic, there is something about standing where some of our greatest heroes stood that will live with you forever.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
As you wait for your tour guide and the tour itself to begin you are invited to wait within the old courtroom located within the Gaol, where many of these historic prisoners would have received their damning sentences.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
Within the walls of the Gaol, there were two chapels, for both protestants and Catholics. Now however, only the Catholic chapel is open to the public. You are invited to sit where the prisoners would have sat during mass.
The room is most notable for its red walls, a design used to distinguish the Catholic cells from the blue Protestant cells. Hours before his execution, Joseph Plunkett married the love of his life, Grace Gifford in this very room.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
The oldest section of the Gaol is called the West Wing. This part of the Gaol is dark, dull and downright gloomy.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
When first built, there was no glass in the windows, and no heating or light and the original stone walls still standing only adds to the sense of eeriness.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
The most recognisable part of Kilmainham Gaol is the East Wing, known for its huge glass roof letting in lots of natural light. During the Irish Civil War, many of the prisoners in this wing went on hunger strike.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
The East Wing has featured in many films on Irish history such as ‘Michael Collins’.
Photo Credit: Kelsey Doogan
The Tour ends in Stonebreaker’s Yard, which got its name due to the fact it was mainly used by men who had been sentenced to hard labour where they would have to manually break up stones.
It was in this very yard where the leaders of the Easter Rising were executed and you can stand where they stood next to the two crosses which were placed in their memory.
As time goes on it is easy to forget about our history as a country but places like Kilmainham are striving to not let their stories and sacrifices be forgotten.
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Winter Price Freezes- The People React
Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash
By Kelsey Doogan
Over the last couple of weeks both Electric Ireland and PrePay Power, two major energy and gas suppliers in Ireland, announced they would freeze their gas and electricity prices as we head into the winter months.
As temperatures drop and the evenings get darker, we tend to use more energy in the later months of the year, which also makes it the most expensive time of year to heat and light homes.
This is not a government-driven initiative and while there is pressure being put on them to introduce a nationwide freeze, one has not yet been agreed or announced.
Because this is an individual business decision, not a government-
Energia, Bord Gáis, FloGas and others have raised their prices, further increasing the burden on their customers in Ireland.
“Makes you wonder how one company can do it but others can’t. We all know the winter months are expensive enough without energy suppliers increasing prices.” said Melissa McCabe, a Pinergia customer from the north east Region.
The government also announced that there would be no energy credits as part of this year’s budget, unlike in past years where a €250 credit was available.
This, paired with rising general cost of living pressures, could lead to an especially costly winter for many low and middle income households across the country.
For those select few companies choosing to freeze their prices, that freeze is due to stay in place until the 1t of March at the earliest.
“It is a relief to get word of the price freezes. It means that we can focus more money on other bills like food. In the winter months, everyone is home more often than during the summer,” said Frances Kieran, a PrePay Power customer who chose to comment on the recent news.
PrepayPower has had two price decreases since the start of 2023 and they also haven’t had any increases in that time frame either.
Photo by Henning Wiekhorst on Unsplash
PrePay Power serves around 240,000 customers, which represents approximately 4.5% of the Irish population. Electric Ireland, another company announcing a price freeze, has over 1.1 million customers — about 20.8% of the population.
While those two companies together cover about one quarter of all households in Ireland, the remaining 75% of consumers now face the possibility of price hikes in the coming months.
“When providers like Electric Ireland knock on the door offering their services, I may actually consider it now. I need to do what’s best for my family and while energy costs are going up, my wages certainly aren’t,” said Thomas Burns in reaction to the news of the price increases imposed by some companies over the month of October.
Reactions to the announcements have been mixed. People benefiting from the freezes are relieved and grateful for the financial breathing space, especially as winter bills rise. But for those with other suppliers, frustration is growing — some say they may be forced to switch providers or reduce usage, while others warn of longer-term uncertainty costs remain high.
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England and Canada advance to final stage to battle for Women’s Rugby World Cup Glory
Photo by Sergey Omelchenko on Unsplash
It was heartbreak for France and New Zealand over the weekend as they saw their hopes of Women’s World Cup glory slip away.
France were without Axelle Berthoumieu following her 12 match ban for biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer during their quarter-final clash. The flanker was a huge loss for ‘Les Bleues’ in the semi-final clash vs England.
England’s Ellie Kildunne was a crucial asset to her side, returning to the squad, following a quarter‑final exemption due to a concussion.
Kildunne’s killer impact came in the form of two tries that proved vital to the shift in the game.
“Ellie is absolutely electric; she can make something out of nothing,” said English Captain, Zoe Aldcroft following her teams victory on Saturday
France ebbed and flowed throughout the game, with an inconsistency that betrayed the magnitude of the occasion. Tries from Kelly Arbey and Nassira Konde just weren’t enough to close the gap.
It was clear that the strength of England’s bench, fitness and overall physicality in the latter stages were paramount on their road to victory.
In the other semi final, Canada produced a dominant first half, scoring several tries and securing themselves a strong lead going in to the 2nd half. New Zealand fought back, but couldn’t manage to overturn the lead their opposition had built.
Justine Pelletier and Asia Hogan‑Rochester were just some of the power houses at Canada’s disposal on Friday, the pair could have a pivotal impact in their Final clash with England on Saturday the 27th of September at 4pm in Twickenham.
Photo by Billy Brodzinski on Unsplash
This is Canada’s first-ever Women’s Rugby World Cup final, making this a historic moment for the team and for their country. They also had the honour of knocking out the reigning champions on their road to the final.
England return to the final following the heartbreak of 2022, where they narrowly lost to New Zealand. The Red Roses will certainly be seeking redemption and a chance at reclaiming a title that hasn’t been theirs since 2014.
Women’s sport has never been as important as it is right now. We live in a generation of social media, news coverage and an ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’ mentality.
This Women’s Rugby World Cup has seen more coverage, larger attendances and greater investment than ever before. It is just a stepping stone on the long road to equality.
“We’ve seen more than 300,000 fans inside the stadiums, more than double the attendance we had in the last World Cup in New Zealand-” said Alan Gilpin, CEO, World Rugby, in an address to the media to discuss the four-year vision for the women’s game.
Those who pull on their national jersey represent their country with pride and carry their nation’s hopes on their shoulders. This is a chance for both teams to inspire a new generation of young women to play rugby.
So will England’s experience and depth carry them to victory on the day, or will Canada’s momentum and belief see them emerge victorious for the first time?
Statistically, the odds are very much in England’s favour but fans can rest assured that Canada won’t take this opportunity for granted.
Stats from Rugby World Cup Website https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2025/en/match/winner-sf1-v-winner-sf2-final#info
Either way, the 2025 final promises to be a physical, determined and down to the wire final!
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