Month: September 2021

THE GAA HAVE announced that Wexford official James Owens will be the referee for this year’s All-Ireland senior hurling final on Sunday 19 August.

Owens will take charge of the clash between Galway and Limerick in Croke Park, in what will be his second All-Ireland final having previously officiated in 2015 between Galway and Kilkenny.

Askamore club man Owens has previously been referee for the 2007 All-Ireland minor final, the 2008 All-Ireland U21 final and the 2015 All-Ireland club decider.

Owens has been involved in games this summer involving both Galway and Limerick. He took charge of Galway’s drawn semi-final with Clare, along with their Leinster final replay success over Kilkenny. Earlier in the summer, Owens was at the helm for Limerick’s games in Munster against Cork and Clare.

Tipperary’s Fergal Horgan will be the standby referee with Kilkenny’s Sean Cleere the linesman and Carlow’s Patrick Murphy the sideline official.

His umpires on the day will be James Dunbar and David Owens (both Askamore), Joe Kelly (Naomh Éanna) and Ian Plunkett (Marshalstown).

Johnny Murphy from Limerick will officiate in the All-Ireland minor hurling showdown between Galway and Kilkenny. Cork’s Diarmuid Kirwan will be the standby referee, the other linesman is Sean Stack (Dublin) and the sideline ffficial will be Thomas Walsh (Waterford).

His umpires on the day will be Mike Meade, James Hickey, Jimmy Barry-Murphy and
Kieran O’Callaghan (all Ballylanders).

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AFTER A HEAVY defeat in the Munster final to Cork, the Tipperary U21 hurlers welcomed a break to reassess and regroup.

Galway’s Fintan Burke and Tipp’s Mark Kehoe.

Source: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

A 13-point loss on the big stage in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Not exactly ideal.

“After a loss like that you really have to regroup and see where you are,” Tipperary forward Mark Kehoe says.

“It was easier because everyone was in the same mindset. We’re going to learn from our mistakes now from the last day, we don’t want to be flat going into this game. I think we’re just dying to give a real big performance against Galway.”

The evening itself, that loss to the Rebels must be reflected upon though.

“It was a bit demoralising,” he continues. “13 points was a bit of an embarrassment now to be honest.

“After 20 minutes, they were racing ahead of us. That doesn’t usually happen. We just felt like we let Tipperary supporters down — the genuine Tipperary supporters who have followed us all the way through, they know we’re not about that.

“Knowing how we performed against Limerick and then how we performed against Cork, we kind of just let Cork hurl away and didn’t put a hand on them. If it was anyone you’d be thick with yourself.

In action against Cork.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

“The fact that it was a Munster final, we really let the Tipperary supporters down and we really want to put a fight in now the next day and show the spirit. We’re all just dying to get out the next day and put that performance away.

“We all know we’re only as good as our last game. That’s in the back of our mind as well and we really just want to get at Galway now.”

The Tribesmen are coming into the game from a slightly different perspective, full of confidence with the Leinster crown under their belt after a late, late win over Wexford.

That’s no harm though, Kehoe smiles, as he thinks of tonight’s Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U21 All-Ireland championship semi-final (throw-in 7.30pm, Gaelic Grounds, live on TG4).

“Galway are going to be hot favourites after winning the Leinster, after beating Wexford. We’re kind of coming in under the radar. Maybe that’s a good thing, we’ll look at that and look to implement our presence around the field.

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That 2016 All-Ireland minor final.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

“I think a Tipperary team going in as the underdogs is a dangerous animal. It’s not that it usually happens. We’re going to relish it now.”

They’re a young team and most of them have hurled together right up through the ranks so there’s a good sense of unity there.

“We’re used to being in big days with each other,” Kehoe adds. “We trust each other, we all know what we’re about. The trust is there so we just have to go out on the pitch now and trust each other.”

They’ve been through it all together; winning and losing, good days and bad days. The backbone of the team were there in 2016 as they lifted the All-Ireland minor title in Croke Park.

Kehoe’s also a talented footballer. He had success with both Clonmel and Rockwell in schools’ football, and he helped the Tipperary minor team to an All-Ireland final.

“I love hurling and it kind of just took over then,” he explains.

“When you’re winning, it’s easier to throw your hand at something. We play senior football with the club and it’s still massive but the focus is Tipp hurling at the moment anyway.”

At the Bord Gáis Energy U21 All-Ireland semi-final media day.

Source: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

He’s in around the senior panel, but aspires to reach that mark on a more regular basis. To make that full breakthrough — and the sooner the better.

“When you’re in training with the likes of Seamie Callanan, Paudie Maher and Brendan Maher, you see the standard they set and one day you want to get to that standard,” he says.

“You want to get to it as soon as possible. You see they reap the rewards. They do it day in, day out. Maybe some of us, we do it one day but maybe not the next day. We see what it takes to become a top-quality player.We definitely look up to those older players, and want to be in their footsteps.

“Hopefully the management can put trust in us. We have to show them at U21 obviously first and we’ll all just stay training and put our heads down and hopefully once we all get our bodies right, mentally right and we’re mentally tough enough for senior, maybe the shot will come.”

But that’s to the back of his mind at the minute. All focus is on Galway tonight, and the game of hurling between his side and a coveted All-Ireland final spot against Cork.

Redemption.

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MONAGHAN MANAGER MALACHY O’Rourke has relayed his fears that the restructuring of the All-Ireland football Championship has made it doubly difficult for teams with the lack of recovery time between games.

Both themselves and Tyrone have played eight games in eleven weeks since they met in the Ulster quarter-final on May 20th, with just a week to get ready for a semi-final following the concluding round of Super 8s games.

“I think it is. I think when you are preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final and when the other teams are the same,” said the native of Fermanagh.

“For Monaghan’s case, to wait thirty years to get to an All-Ireland semi-final and you saw the scenes after it, it would be nice for the supporters and the players to sit back and take it all in, to have plenty of time to recover and then plan ahead,” he said.

“So a week is very tight, but we are not complaining. We are delighted to be in the position we are in, we would gladly have taken it earlier on in the year so we will just make the best of it.”

The chequered history of these two neighbours has rendered the narrative surrounding this game that Tyrone have a distinct psychological edge, having beaten them in Croke Park quarter-finals in 2013 and 2015.

O’Rourke responds that their wins over Tyrone in the 2014 and 2018 Ulster Championship evens up that score.

“We can’t do anything about that or worry about that. One thing I do know is that people say Tyrone are Monaghan’s bogey team,” said O’Rourke at a press briefing at the Entekra Monaghan GAA Centre of Excellence.

“I was just looking the other night, since we’ve been here since 2013 on, we’ve played Tyrone four times in the Championship and both of us have won two games each.

“We’ve played three times in the National League, we’ve won twice and they’ve won once. There’s been nothing between the teams, so we don’t see Tyrone as our bogey team in any way. We know they’re a really tough team, a really good team and all the games are nip and tuck. You’re right that they’ve beaten us twice in Croke Park, so that’s another challenge we face.”

Monaghan can also point to their convincing league win this year in Castleblayney, when they left Conor McManus on the bench until the 48th minute.

They have a clean bill of health going into this weekend with Kieran Hughes making good progress in his ongoing recovery from a hamstring strain.

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CONOR McMANUS AND PETER Duggan have been announced as the July winners of the PWC GAA/GPA Player of the Month awards.

McManus saw off competition from Galway’s Ian Burke and David Clifford of Kerry to win the football award, while Duggan took the hurling prize at the expense of Cathal Mannion of Galway and Limerick’s Aaron Gillane.

The performances of McManus were vital for Monaghan as they eventually sealed their passage to a first All-Ireland senior football semi-final in 30 years last weekend.

In their July games against Laois, Kildare and Kerry, the 31-year-old forward chipped in with a personal contribution of 1-18.

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The campaign ended for the Clare hurlers with Sunday’s semi-final replay defeat to Galway, but Duggan played a crucial role in the Banner County’s journey to the last four.

The Clooney-Quin ace hit a combined tally of 1-28 in Clare’s three games in July against Cork, Wexford and Galway.

Speaking on behalf of the GPA, Executive Committee member Ronan Sheehan said: “Congratulations to Peter Duggan and Conor McManus on their respective July Player of the Month awards.

“The two players have performed brilliantly in July among a series of stellar outings. Well done to both very deserving winners.”

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ÉAMONN FITZMAURICE HAS revealed that a player in the Kerry senior football panel received a letter telling them to “jump off a cliff”.

The Finuge clubman stepped down as Kerry manager at the weekend following his side’s exit from the All-Ireland SFC, and alluded to an air of “negativity that was coming at the team” in his parting statement.

He also referred to “anonymous letters” that he has received during his six-years in charge of the Kingdom.

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Speaking on Off The Ball AM, Fitzmaurice expanded on that point and explained that managers are somewhat accustomed to getting this kind of mail in their position, but he stressed that targeting a player in a similar way was going “too far”.

“I’ve never taken any notice of that stuff because as I said, it goes with the territory,” Fitzmaurice began.

“Jack O’Connor got it, Pat O’Shea got it, Páidí [Ó Sé] got it. Mick O’Dwyer won eight All-Irelands and he got it, so it’s not something that I was ever precious about but something that changed this summer was players, and one player in particular, that got a letter.

“And it was more what was in the letter that annoyed me and I felt it was gone too far.

The player was told to jump off a cliff and take three or four other players with him that were named in the letter. I felt that was going way too far.

“As I said, when it’s coming at a manager and the selectors got a few [letters] this summer as well which was no harm for them to get a touch of it,” he laughs, “but when it goes to a player, really it’s gone too far.”

Source: Off The Ball/YouTube

He continued: “The lads are amateurs. I’ve been in the dressing with a lot of those lads for six years, some of the younger lads for two or three years and there’s a good a bunch as you can meet.

“They’re so dedicated and they’re so committed to the Kerry jersey it’s unbelievable. They were a fantastic bunch to work with so I’d always defend them to the hilt and I didn’t like that, I think that’s going too far really.”

When it was put to him that this kind of communication is a form of “hate mail”, Fitzmaurice agreed and while he said that the letter, which was sent during the summer, “didn’t bother” the player in question, the now former Kerry boss added:

“It is [hate mail] and I think with regard to the letters I’ve got myself and the anonymous letters, I wouldn’t go so far as to call them hate mail.

There have been some that have been fairly vitriolic but a lot of them wouldn’t and were in the harmless variety of things to be fair. They are anonymous letters and you wouldn’t take any notice of them but that one crossed the line that one that got the player.

“That’s probably where that came from on Saturday night, I hadn’t planned to say that but it came out.

“I know it’s taken a bit of a life of its own since. From the management perspective, I’d say there isn’t a manager in the country that doesn’t get some kind of a letter at some stage and that’s even club managers so as a Kerry manager you’re not going to be precious about that.

I think it’s definitely time to shout stop when players are getting very strongly worded letters like that.”

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OVER 40% of Irish TV viewers tuned in to watch Ireland win an historic silver medal at the 2018 Hockey World Cup.

Figures released from RTÉ show that World Cup final between Ireland and the Netherlands on Sunday drew an average audience of 381,500 with a one minute peak audience of 439,100.

This accounts for a 41% share of the available audience as Ireland finished as runners-up in the tournament, with Ayiesah McFerran collecting the goalkeeper of the tournament after their defeat to the Dutch.

Outside GAA, rugby and soccer, these are RTÉ Sport’s highest viewing figures since Katie Taylor’s gold medal triumph at the 2012 Olympics.

Source: Elaine Buckley Twitter Page.

They also eclipse the average 191,300 viewers who watched the Ireland women’s rugby team take on Australia in the 2017 Rugby World Cup.

Graham Shaw’s side went into the tournament ranked 16th in the world before going on to enjoy an incredible campaign which captured the imagination of the country. They scored impressive wins over the USA and India in the group stages to book their place in the quarter-finals as the winners of Pool B.

An average audience of 121,700 watched Ireland overcome India again in a thrilling shootout along with a one minute peak audience of 228,000.

Their semi-final showdown with Spain also went to a shootout, drawing an average audience of 205,200 and a one minute peak of 346,200 which amounted to a 37% share of the available audience.

Ireland’s success at the World Cup has propelled them up to eighth place in the FIH Hero World rankings and they were treated to a hero’s welcome upon their return to Dublin on Monday.

Minister for Tourism and Sports Shane Ross has also announced that an additional €1.5 million in funding will go to Irish teams preparing to go to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and world championships.

He said that hockey “will enjoy a significant share of that particular funding”.

Hockey World Cup RTÉ Figures:

Final – Average 381,500
One Minute Peak 439,100 (16.43)
Share 41% of the available audience

Semi-final – Average 205,200
One Minute Peak 346,200 (15.38)
Share 37%

Quarter-final – Average 121,700
One Minute Peak 228,000 (19.30)
Share 13%

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HURLING REFEREE JAMES McGrath has announced his resignation after missing out on officiating in this year’s All-Ireland senior final.

Wexford’s James Owens will take charge on Sunday, 19 August as Limerick face Galway at Croke Park, with Tipperary’s Fergal Horgan on standby referee duty and Kilkenny’s Sean Cleere the linesman, while Carlow’s Patrick Murphy has been named sideline official.

McGrath, who refereed the 2012 and 2013 All-Ireland final replays, is not involved at all on match day, and he therefore has opted to hang up his whistle.

“I’m not your second choice nor your backup plan,” McGrath wrote on Facebook. “Either choose me or lose me if I’m not your first choice.

“It is with a heavy heart that I make this decision but I feel my decision has ultimately been made by CRAC [Central Referee Appointment Committee] for me to resign from the national referees panel with immediate effect.

It is final and irreversible given the lack of trust, confidence and integrity by CRAC and I feel betrayed by the association as a consequence given my 18 years of unbroken volunteerism to the association on the national referee’s panel.

“I wish to place on record my thanks to all my umpires, David Hennessy, David Clune, Tom McNicholas, Johnny Fitzpatrick, Alan Coyne, Paul Reville, Jimmy Weldon, among others, and thank all the loyal GAA diehards that I became friends with since I commenced refereeing back in 1996 [Maynooth University], Leinster panel ‘98 and the national panel in 2000.

“Wishing James Owens and Johnny Murphy, referees and all officials the very best of luck in the minor and senior finals on Sunday, 19 August next.

“God Bless a chairde, thanks again for all your loyal support and good wishes.”

James McGrath speaks to RTE Sport about his decision to retire from the inter-county referee panel in the light of the appointments committee not appointing him as one the match officials for the 2018 final pic.twitter.com/eHrGrkU2wQ

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) August 8, 2018

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McGrath also spoke to RTÉ Sport‘s Marty Morrissey, where he re-iterated the reasons behind his decision. He added:

“In light of the central referees appointment committee’s decision not to include me on the team of officials for the All-Ireland senior hurling final… “I have had a brilliant 18 years refereeing at the top level. It is not a decision I take lightly, it is a decision that has been made for me.

The general feeling among a lot of the public — friends and indeed members of own club, county and community — would have said I had a very good chance of refereeing the final.

“It is hugely disappointing not to be involved because the All-Ireland final is a special occasion for every match official. I wish James Owens and his team the best of luck. James is a very capable referee and no doubt he will have a brilliant game on the 19th.”

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JOHN KIELY HAS expressed his gratitude to Ireland and Munster star Keith Earls for coming in to have an ‘informal chat’ with the Limerick hurlers during their All-Ireland SHC championship campaign.

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Kiely’s charges booked their place in a first All-Ireland senior final since 2007 following an incredible extra-time victory over provincial rivals Cork last month, and will face the reigning champions Galway in the decider.

Earls’ teammate Conor Murray recently revealed that the Moyross native had dropped in to offer a helping hand to the Limerick hurlers as they seek to win a first All-Ireland crown since 1973.

And while Kiely insists it was a ‘brief encounter,’ he says that it gave his players the chance to take some lessons from someone who played a pivotal role in Ireland’s Grand Slam success earlier this year.

“He only called in to say hello and give us a bit of support,” says Kiely.

“It wasn’t a big deal at all. He had a chat with the lads, a very informal chat really. He just sat down and had a chat, maybe told us a few experiences that he had along the way in his career.

“We’ve a lot of young players, so if they can listen to another player from another code then it’s a nice opportunity for them. But it was only a very brief encounter, and he’s just been following us since. It was nice of him to call in and support the lads.

It was just nice to meet him and for the lads to meet him and for them to hear his experiences. For him to drop in and say hello and to offer his support, it was a nice thing for him to do.”

Limerick will face Galway in the All-Ireland final on Sunday 19 August at Croke Park [throw-in, 3.30] after the Tribesmen overcame Clare in a thrilling semi-final replay last weekend.

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Tipperary 3-17
Galway 1-17

By Daragh Small

TIPPERARY HAVE DASHED Galway’s treble dreams after Ger Browne’s late goal secured an All-Ireland U-21 semi-final victory at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.

Liam Cahill’s side were hammered 2-23 to 1-13 in the Munster final by Cork last time out but in a feisty encounter where three players were sent-off, goals from Browne, Mark Kehoe and Jake Morris helped Tipperary to victory.

Tipperary have not even featured in an All-Ireland final at this level since they dished out a 25-point beating to Galway in 2010. And they will renew rivalries with Cork in the decider.

Tipperary held a 2-13 to 0-9 lead at half-time after goals from Mark Kehoe and Jake Morris, while Galway senior star Brian Concannon was sent off just before the interval.

But Kehoe was sent off just afterwards. Galway came with a great comeback and Jack Grealish’s long ball when straight to the net but Browne’s goal ended it.

This game was re-scheduled from last Saturday after the Galway seniors had to replay their All-Ireland semi-final against Clare. And then throw-in was put back a further 15 minutes when the Galway team bus was delayed.

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And Tipperary made the fast start with a couple of points from Jake Morris, his first arrived in the second minute. And they held a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute.

Tipperary’s Colin English and Sean Loftus of Galway.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

Evan Niland scored Galway’s only point of the first nine minutes, but that was cancelled out by Cian Darcy and Robert Byrne. The Clarinbridge clubman hit back to double his tally but Darcy did likewise and Tipperary were 0-5 to 0-2 in front by the tenth minute.

Galway were too reliant on Niland’s free-taking and he drew them back within two at the end of the first quarter, before Morris and Ger Browne pushed Tipperary further clear.

Sean Loftus scored an inspirational effort for Galway but it was all Tipperary and they pulled clear with Browne on target for the second time. Morris scored his fourth and Kehoe grabbed his first for a 0-10 to 0-7 lead.

The first goal arrived in the 26th minute when Kehoe latched onto a pass from Browne and drove his effort low to Éanna Murphy’s bottom left corner.

Morris closed out the half with the last two points for Tipperary, but Concannon was sent-off for an off-the-ball incident in the 33rd minute and Galway were on the back foot heading into half-time.

Morris made that worse when he squeezed a shot into the Galway goal and Tipperary were 2-13 to 0-9 ahead at the break.

The teams traded scored after half-time but Tipperary still held all of the momentum, until Kehoe got red for a clash with Galway goalkeeper Murphy in the 40th minute.

Galway drove on after that and after Dillon Quirke scored to put Tipperary 2-16 to 0-11 up in the 43rd minute, Galway hit an unanswered 1-4.

Galway’s Jack Canning congratulates Cian Darcy of Tipperary after the game.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

It was a stunning comeback and when Grealish drove in a high ball it was deflected to his own net by Brian McGrath in the 49th minute.

Galway almost got right back into the game and only trailed by three deep into the seven minutes of added-time, but Browne’s late goal sealed it for Tipperary.

Scorers for Tipperary: Jake Morris 1-9 (0-6f), Ger Browne 1-2, Mark Kehoe 1-1, Cian Darcy 0-2, Robert Byrne 0-1, Colin English 0-1, Dillon Quirke 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Evan Niland 0-6 (0-6f), Jack Grealish 1-0, Tom Monaghan 0-3, Brian Concannon 0-2, Sean Loftus 0-2, Seán Bleahene 0-1, Andrew Greaney 0-1, Cian Salmon 0-1, Jack Coyne 0-1.

Tipperary

16. Barry Hogan (Kiladangan)

19. Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs)
3. Brian McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
4. Killian O’Dwyer (Killenaule)

2. Podge Campion (Drom-Inch)
20. Robert Byrne (Portroe)
7. Dillon Quirke (Clonoulty-Rossmore)

8. Ger Browne (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams)
21. Stephen Nolan (Drom-Inch)

9. Colin English (Fr Sheehy’s)
10. Jerome Cahill (Kilruane MacDonaghs)
11. Paudie Feehan (Killenaule)

14. Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg)
12. Mark Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash)
18. Cian Darcy (Kilruane MacDonaghs).

Substitutes:

17. Conor Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for Nolan (47)
6. Paddy Cadell (JK Brackens) for Connolly (49)
13. David Gleeson (Ballinahinch) for Darcy (54)
24. Ray McCormack (Borris-Ileigh) for English (60).

Galway

1. Eanna Murphy (Tommie Larkins)

2. Shane Bannon (Clarinbridge)
3. Jack Fitzpatrick (Killimordaly)
4. Ian O’Shea (Athenry)

5. Fintan Burke (captain) (St Thomas)
6. Andrew Greaney (Craughwell)
7. Jack Grealish (Gort)

8. Sean Loftus (Turloughmore)
9. Thomas Monaghan (Craughwell)

10. Cianan Fahy (Ardrahan)
11. Patrick Foley (Clarinbridge)
12. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)

13. Kevin Cooney (Sarsfields)
14. Seán Bleahene (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
15. Evan Niland (Clarinbridge)

Substitutes:

20. Cian Salmon (Clarinbridge) for Foley (half-time)
22. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields) for O’Shea (half-time)
23. Jack Coyne (Castlegar) for Cooney (39)
16. Darragh Gilligan (Craughwell) for Murphy (42)
18. Jack Canning (Portumna) for Bleahene (45).

Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny).

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EIGHT-TIME ALL-IRELAND WINNER Eddie Brennan is in line to become the new Laois senior hurling manager after being proposed by the selection committee.

“Senior Hurling Selection committee has proposed Eddie Brennan as the new Laois Senior Hurling Manager,” Laois GAA confirmed this evening.

“The Laois GAA Executive committee will now be putting his name forward at the next county committee meeting.”

The former All-Star managed Kilkenny to the All-Ireland U21 final last year — their first at that grade in five years — but stepped down in September after two campaigns at the helm.

If ratified, Brennan will fill the void left by Eamonn Kelly in Laois. He’s been in charge for the past two years, but failed to steer them to the Joe McDonagh Cup final in a disappointing 2018.

Kilkenny man Brennan was the choice of the three-man selection committee, which consisted of Niall Rigney, Declan Conroy and Eamon Jackson.

Senior Hurling Selection committee has proposed Eddie Brennan as the new Laois Senior Hurling Manager. The Laois GAA Executive committee will now be putting his name forward at the next county committee meeting. pic.twitter.com/9xciFuvM6Z

— Laois GAA (@CLGLaois) August 8, 2018

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