Tag Archives: Paul O’Connell

Details of the last conversation former Munster legend, Anthony Foley had with his wife, Olive and son, Tony were revealed during his funeral mass in St Flannan’s Church, Killaloe on Friday. Olive recalled the last time she spoke to her husband was last Saturday week, just hours before he passed away from a heart attack at the Munster team hotel in Paris. “We chatted about the lads and how they were getting on in the athletics, and how Tony was faring in the javelin.” “Tony had a chat with too. It was a lovely conversation… I didn’t know it would be our last,” she said, breaking down. During a heart-rendering tribute, she praised her “soul mate” with whom she had spent “seventeen wonderful years” of marriage. She drew laughter from the packed church of 500 several times, describing life with Anthony, affectionately known as “Axel” and their two boys Tony and Dan. Foley, who wasn’t known as a talker, would …

The University of Limerick will this afternoon award an Honorary Doctor of Science to former Ireland rugby captain Paul O’Connell. Dr Paul O’Connell will be the 100th recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Limerick since 1990. Dr Paul O’Connell has a long association with the University of Limerick from his days training in the original PESS swimming pool as a secondary school student, to the years he spent studying computer engineering at UL. He has been a director of the UL Foundation since 2011. In that role in 2012, he gave generously of his time to front the Paul O’Connell Golf Outing, which raised in excess of €50,000 to fund scholarships for students participating in UL’s Access Programme. The scholarships enabled six students from socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Limerick to study degree programmes at the University. Speaking about Paul O’Connell’s Honorary Doctorate UL President Professor Don Barry said, “The awarding of a University of Limerick Honorary Doctorate …

A moment which represents an iconic day when sport transcended politics – the 2007 victory for Ireland in an unforgettable rugby clash with England in Croke Park – will be unveiled in a stunning sculpture at Shannon Airport on Friday. The 6 metre piece, titled ‘The day That Changed Ireland’ , captures a famous Irish line-out that saw rugby legend Paul O’Connell, raised by teammates John Hayes and Donncha O’Callaghan, in the second half of the treasured game and will stand in the airport terminal building for future generations to savour. The sculpture is a representation of a photograph by Irish Times photographer Cyril Byrne, an image that has already been captured in an official An Post stamp. The 2007 game stands out as one of the great Irish moments of the new millennium, marking a symbolic new chapter in Anglo-Irish relations as Ireland and England met for the first time in any sport at the home of GAA. The …