County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 2022 census.
Philip Bennett was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a fly-half for Llanelli RFC and the Wales national team. He began his career in 1966, and a year later he had taken over from Barry John as Llanelli's first-choice fly-half. He made 414 appearances for the Scarlets over the course of a 15-year career he scored 131 tries, 43 drop goals, 293 pens and 523 convs. He made his Wales debut in 1969, but it was not until John's retirement from rugby in 1972 that Bennett became a regular starter for his country. He led Wales to the Five Nations Championship title, including the Grand Slam in 1978, which culminated with his retirement from Wales duty.
The England men's national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.
In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs. In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16–23. Players are not restricted to a single position, although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types. Players that play multiple positions are called "utility players".
Keith Wood is an Irish former rugby union player who played as a hooker at international level for Ireland, and the British & Irish Lions. He also played at club level for Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster. He was nicknamed 'The Raging Potato' because of his bald head, and as 'Uncle Fester' due to his resemblance to the character in The Addams Family. Wood is considered by many to have been the best hooker in rugby union during his era, winning the inaugural World Rugby Player of the Year award, and to be among the best hookers in the history of the game.
The Ireland national rugby union team is the men's representative national team for the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and in the Rugby World Cup. Ireland is one of the four unions that make up the British & Irish Lions – players eligible to play for Ireland are also eligible for the Lions.
Connacht Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. Connacht competes in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Connacht Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Connacht.
Ballinasloe is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway in Connacht. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-century castle, which defended the fording point, the modern town of Ballinasloe was "founded" in the early 13th century. As of the 2016 census, it was one of the largest towns in County Galway, with a population of 6,662 people.
Supermac's is an Irish fast food restaurant chain first opened in 1978. The first restaurant was located in Ballinasloe, County Galway, in Ireland. As of 2019, the chain consists of a total of 118 restaurants spread throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It operates a number of franchise outlets with many also privately owned. Supermac's serves an average of 320,000 customers per week and had annual revenues of €79.9 million and a profit of €7.4 million according to its 2013 closing report.
Noel Treacy was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway East constituency from 1982 to 2011. He served as Minister of State in a number of departments over his career.
Cameron Michael Henderson GibsonMBE is a former rugby union international player who represented Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.
Nicholas Campbell Farr-Jones AM is a former Australian rugby union footballer. His position was scrum-half. Farr-Jones debuted for the Australia national rugby union team during the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland, during which the Australia won the grand slam of rugby union when they defeated all four Home Nations. He was voted "Player of the Series" for the 1986 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand, during which Australia became the sixth team in history to win a rugby Test series in New Zealand. He was appointed captain of the Wallabies prior to the commencement of their 1988 international season. He is probably best remembered for captaining Australia to their the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Farr-Jones retired as captain of Australia after a victory against South Africa in 1992 and temporarily ceased playing international rugby. He came out of retirement in 1993 for the single Bledisloe Cup Test and a three-Test home series against South Africa, following which he retired from international rugby. He now works at Taurus Funds Management, appears as a TV rugby commentator on UK Sky Sports and is the chairman of the New South Wales Rugby Union.
St. Joseph's College, Garbally Park is an Irish voluntary Catholic secondary school situated in Garbally Park, the former seat of the Earl of Clancarty, near Ballinasloe in County Galway. It is a single-sex boys day school which has previously served as a boarding school. It is more commonly known as Garbally College.
Noel Mary Joseph Purcell was a water polo player who represented both Great Britain and Ireland at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics respectively. He was also an Ireland rugby union international and rugby union referee. He was the first Olympic athlete to represent two different nations. He is also the only Ireland rugby union international to ever win an Olympic Gold medal. In 2012 his collection of medals and international caps were donated to Belvedere College by his daughter Rosemary and son Noel.
Mark Kerry Graham is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer and coach. A back-rower and former captain of the New Zealand national rugby league team, he has been named as the greatest player the country has produced in the century from 1907 to 2006.
Galway Corinthians Rugby Football Club is a rugby club in Galway, Ireland and the largest rugby union club in the province of Connaught. The club was founded in 1932 and plays in Division 2B of the Irish domestic club competition the All-Ireland League. The club's home ground is at Corinthian Park, Cloonacauneen, County Galway.
Noel Tierney is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for his local club Milltown and at senior level for the Galway county team that won three consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championships from 1964 until 1966 inclusive.
University of Galway RFC is the rugby team of the University of Galway. Their colours are maroon and white.
Cathal Mannion is an Irish hurler who plays for Galway Senior Championship club Ahascragh-Fohenagh and at inter-county level with the Galway senior hurling team. He usually lines out as a left corner-forward.
Shane Jennings is an Irish rugby union player, currently playing for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Connacht. His preferred position is centre.
