Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 25 2025

Posted on February 25, 2025 by admin

GAA Betting: Race For National Football League Becoming Tight

By Daire Walsh

After another week of compelling fare that saw some of the top players in the country coming to the fore, the best betting sites for GAA are once again examining who the most likely contenders are for this year’s National Football League.

Beginning on Saturday, All-Ireland champions Armagh played out a 1-17 to 1-17 draw with Mayo in a fascinating NFL Division 1 clash at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.

While their western counterparts had recovered from a heavy deficit to lead by two points in the closing minutes of the game, Armagh ultimately secured a share of the spoils courtesy of late scores from Stefan Campbell and Conor Turbitt.

Croke Park also hosted a top-tier fixture on Saturday with Dublin emerging on the right side of a 3-20 to 2-12 scoreline against Derry in the Jones’ Road venue.

Supplementing the point-scoring prowess of Sean Bugler (0-6), Luke Breathnach and the returning Con O’Callaghan (0-4 apiece), Niall Scully, Conor Tyrrell and Lorcan O’Dell all shook the net for Dessie Farrell’s victorious Sky Blues.

Moving onto Sunday and two-time Footballer of the Year David Clifford made a triumphant return to the Kerry starting line-up in their 3-13 to 2-13 success over Tyrone in Pomeroy.

Despite spending 10 minutes on the sidelines after picking up a black card, the Fossa marksman conjured an outstanding tally of 3-3 for the Kingdom.

Galway Defeat Donegal

Although a strong breeze played its part in this game, it was very much central to Galway’s 0-21 to 0-14 victory against Donegal at Pearse Stadium, Salthill, on Sunday afternoon.

No fewer than seven two-pointers propelled the Tribesmen into a 0-17 to 0-1 interval lead and while Donegal did narrow the gap on the resumption, an excellent 0-11 haul from Shane Walsh ensured Galway were full value for the two points on offer.

Having begun the weekend behind Donegal in both the NFL Division 1 table and the outright betting for the competition itself, the Connacht men have now leapfrogged Jim McGuinness’ side on two counts.

Now a point clear of the O’Donnell County and Dublin at the summit of the top-tier, Galway are now joint-favourites for National Football League glory in the eyes of the bookmakers.

Though the absence of Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid and Damien Comer arguably cancelled out the fact that Donegal were missing Ryan McHugh, Patrick McBrearty and Michael Murphy, there is a sense that Galway might be targeting a league title more than their Ulster opponents.

The next few weeks will tell us how ambitious either side truly is for a springtime success, but for the time being the Tribesmen are the top tip for an NFL title at 2/1 with betting apps.

Dublin And Kerry Also In The Reckoning

Aside from their second round loss to Donegal, it has been a highly encouraging league campaign to date for Dublin.

Whilst experienced figures like Ciaran Kilkenny, Niall Scully, Brian Howard, David Byrne and now the aforementioned O’Callaghan have played their part, a number of young players are stepping up to the mark in a bid to fill the void left by the likes of Brian Fenton, James McCarthy and Paul Mannion.

This Saturday night sees them paying a visit to Armagh in the Athletic Grounds – a game that will see former Na Fianna club-mates Dessie Farrell and Kieran McGeeney coming face-to-face.

They remain 2/1 joint-favourites for a 15th NFL crown in their history.

Donegal Remain Major Contenders For League Title

Having last claimed top honours in this competition way back in 1981, manager Padraic Joyce and his selectors might feel this is a good time to add their fifth league crown.

This weekend sees them on home soil once more – albeit in Tuam Stadium rather than Salthill – for a round five encounter with Tyrone and another win in that game could help to strengthen their credentials.

Despite suffering their first defeat of 2025 at Pearse Stadium last weekend, Donegal are 5/2 to win the National Football League with BoyleSports.

Before being on the receiving end of a seven-point defeat to Galway, the O’Donnell men had overcome Dublin, Kerry and Armagh in impressive fashion.

This Sunday’s showdown with Derry in Ballyshannon – a dress rehearsal of sorts for their Ulster senior football championship meeting in early April – offers them an ideal opportunity to get back on track and there is still a league final spot up for grabs for Donegal if they desire it.

Back in the mix following their victory over Tyrone, Kerry are a healthy 11/2 with GAA betting sitesfor a first NFL success since 2022.

The rampant form of David Clifford last weekend is enough to keep any defence on their toes and he has the likes of his brother Paudie, Sean O’Shea and Paul Geaney providing plenty of support at the moment.

Next up for the Munster kingpins is an encounter against Mayo at MacHale Park in Castlebar on Saturday and another win in that game could give them significant momentum heading into the closing two rounds of the regular NFL season.

Armagh And Mayo An Outside Bet For League Success

Even though they are currently just three points off the top-two spots in the Division 1 table, Armagh are seen as an outside bet for a top-tier league title.

Though the 25/1 that is available on them to win the competition is quite similar to the odds you could get on the Orchard to become All-Ireland winners at an advanced stage of the 2024 championship, the Ulster men have a lot of ground to cover if they want to claim another national title.

The same could be said for Mayo, who are currently just behind the fifth-placed Armagh in the Division One table on score difference.

After losing back-to-back games against Dublin and Galway, Kevin McStay’s charges have been much improved in the past couple of rounds.

Supplementing a morale-boosting win over Tyrone, Mayo went toe-to-toe with Armagh and will have felt the game was there to be won.

Yet the Connacht side’s main objective is still to retain their Division One league status and with odds of 33/1 currently available on them, a NFL success seems to be an unlikely prospect for this year.

This is the case to an even greater degree for Tyrone, whose three defeats in four games to date leaves them as rank outsiders for a National Football League title at 66/1.

Having accumulated a single point from their four games thus far in Division 1, defending champions Derry are effectively out of the reckoning for another NFL crown and are currently the favourites for relegation at odds of 1/5.

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 25 2025

LIDL National Football League Division One: Dublin V Waterford – Ladiesgaelic.ie – February 23 2025

Posted on February 24, 2025 by admin

Sullivan rescues draw for Dublin with late point from free against Waterford

Lidl National Football League

Dublin 2-7

Waterford 0-13

By Daire Walsh

Kate Sullivan came to the rescue of Dublin as her late free helped the home side to claim a hard-earned draw against Waterford at Parnell Park in an entertaining Division 1 clash in the Lidl National Football League.

After enjoying the lion’s share of possession during the early moments of the contest, Waterford eventually opened the scoring in the Donnycarney venue with a ninth-minute pointed free from wing-forward Kellyann Hogan. This was supplemented by a fine score courtesy of raiding corner-back Áine O’Neill at the end of a patient attack, before the reliable Hogan doubled her tally with another place-ball effort to leave the Deise three in front on the first-quarter mark.

Yet Dublin eventually got up and running with a 16th-minute point from Rebecca McDonnell and following a quick interchange with Niamh Hetherton, Chloe Darby also split the posts to reduce the Jackies’ deficit to the bare minimum. While Waterford fired back with three unanswered points from Hogan (two) and Lauren McGregor, the hosts reignited their challenge when substitute Caoimhe O’Connor hammered the ball to the net on the half-hour.

Maeve Ryan did find the target in stoppage-time to ensure Waterford brought a 0-7 to 1-2 cushion into the interval, however, and the Munster visitors reinforced their authority on the restart with additional contributions from McGregor and O’Neill. Although Dublin responded at the opposite end through Sullivan and Darby, the combined forces of Katie Murray and Hogan raised white flags to keep the Deise in the driving seat.

That was before Dublin bagged their second goal via the boot of Niamh Hetherton on 43 minutes and with Darby knocking over a close-range free moments later, the sides were suddenly inseparable (2-5 to 0-11) moving into the final-quarter.

The tie remained delicately poised after Hogan and Sullivan traded scores, and while Hogan looked set to offer Waterford a decisive edge when she slotted over yet another free, Sullivan (who also had an opportunity to win the game for Dublin in the final seconds) converted a place-ball strike of her own to give the Metropolitan outfit a share of the spoils.

After recording one win from their opening three games, this result leaves both Dublin and Waterford on four points apiece moving into round five of the NFL top-tier.

 Scorers – Dublin: K Sullivan 0-3 (1f), N Hetherton, C O’Connor 1-0 each, C Darby 0-3 (2f), R McDonnell 0-1.

Waterford: K Hogan 0-7 (6f), Á O’Neill 0-2, L McGregor 0-2 (1f), M Ryan, K Murray 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, A Curran; N Donlon, M Byrne, A Nyhan; H McGinnis, G Kós; K Sullivan, N Hetherton, R McDonnell; E O’Dowd, C Darby, C Fox. Subs: C O’Connor for Kós (27), A Kane for Fox (39), A Timothy for McDonnell, J Egan for Darby (both 53).

WATERFORD: G Corcoran; Á O’Neill, R Casey, M Ryan; H Power, K McGrath, C Murray; E Power, E Murray; K Hogan, B McMaugh, A Hahesy; L McGregor, K Murray, C McCarthy. Subs: C Walsh for Hogan (30+3-36), C Walsh for McCarthy, C Fennell for Hahesy (both 53), N Power for O’Neill (56).

Referee: Gavin Finnegan (Down).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on LIDL National Football League Division One: Dublin V Waterford – Ladiesgaelic.ie – February 23 2025

The Big Interview: Annie Crozier (Derry/Ballymaguigan) – Media West Ireland – February 22 2025

Posted on February 22, 2025 by admin

Crozier continues Ballymauigan’s Derry influence

By Daire Walsh
IT might be almost eight years since she donned the colours of her native Derry in an All-Ireland final at Croke Park, but Annie Crozier remains hopeful of once again featuring on the biggest day in the LGFA’s annual calendar.
Back on September 24, 2017, Crozier scored a point from right corner-forward as the Oakleaf County drew with provincial rivals Fermanagh in a TG4 All-Ireland junior football championship final in the north Dublin venue.
The Ballymaguigan star also raised a white flag when Derry lost out to the Erne women in a replayed encounter held at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones a fortnight later and this is to date the most recent appearance by the county in an adult championship decider.
Yet while there are a lot of new faces to the panel this year, Oakleaf captain Crozier is optimistic they can develop the right blend that is needed to seriously challenge for the West County Hotel Cup later on this year.
“Obviously we’re using national league as that building process and getting to know each other as a team. Hopefully come championship we’ll be able to tighten up on all that and push on. We don’t want to just go and to just make up games. We want to be competing,” Crozier said.
“It [making the junior final in 2017] just shows what is possible, whenever you get a good squad of girls together and you’re all working towards one target. Obviously that would be the main aim, to get back there. That was us against Fermanagh in 2017 and you see what they have done since that. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be pushing on to achieve the same.”
Although he had stepped away from the set-up by the time they made it to the All-Ireland junior final, Derry had begun the 2017 season with Crozier’s father Paul in charge of the team. He would later return to the managerial post for the start of the following year – by which point Annie had opted to spend a gap year in Australia.
Paul Crozier was far from being the first member of the St Trea’s Ballymaguigan club to manage Derry at inter-county level as the late duo of Jim McKeever and Eamonn Coleman (an All-Ireland winning boss in 1993) were both in charge of the men’s team on more than one occasion.
Additionally, Paul’s brother (and Annie’s uncle) Paddy Crozier also enjoyed a stint as Derry senior men’s football manager. After leading the Oak Leaf to an All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-final in 2007, he went on to guide his county to a National Football League Division One title a year later.
“We were Derry die-hards coming up through the years. Used to be going out to support him [Paddy]. We would have been only eight or nine at the time. I remember us all going as a family. Full Derry kits, red and white headbands. You were die-hards from day dot. It was always running through the family,” Annie said of her uncle’s time as Derry supremo.
After she eventually returned home from her journey to the southern hemisphere, Crozier opted to apply for an apprenticeship as an engineer with Heron Bros – an award-winning project development and construction company that operates across Ireland, the UK and Europe.
Following two years as an apprentice, she became fully qualified with Heron Bros and is currently working as a site engineer in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim. In one of the biggest projects they have ever taken on, Heron are building a shared education campus between Cross & Passion College and Ballycastle High School.
The combination of early working hours and a sizeable commute means it can be tricky for her to achieve a perfect balance between her professional and sporting pursuits, but Crozier believes she has found a way to make it sustainable.
“That was always something that you had to consider because to try and balance it, obviously you’re up early in the morning. Six o’clock leaving the house and then having your full day on site. 7.30 to 4.30 is the hours and then obviously Ballycastle, it’s an hour drive for me.
“Trying to balance that, having your early mornings and then you’re not home until late from training. It’s just hard getting the perfect balance sometimes, but I know no different at this point. That’s the routine. It’s busy nights, long days, but you just get used to it.”
However, Crozier recently managed to get away from the demands of both work and football for at least a little while as she spent some time in France on a skiing trip.
“That was my fourth time skiing. It was the first year I did it without lessons, so it was nice getting a bit of freedom and going on the slopes. Towards the end of the week we were feeling a bit leggy and we were ready for home!”
This overseas sojourn saw her missing out on Derry’s Lidl National Football League Division 4 clash with 2024 TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship winners Leitrim in Kiltubrid on February 2, but she was back in harness when the Ulster outfit took on Sligo last Sunday at Owenbeg.
Though there were only four points between the teams in the end (0-11 to 1-4), the Sligo game represented Derry’s fourth straight reversal in this year’s league.
Yet this was also their first home fixture of the year with their round two bout against Fermanagh – squeezed in between trips to Longford and Leitrim – having been moved from Owenbeg to Lifford in Donegal due to the inclement weather conditions brought about by Storm Éowyn.
Tomorrow’s clash with Wicklow in Owenbeg will be followed by games against Kilkenny (away) and Antrim (home) in the coming weeks and Crozier is confident that getting a win under their belts will help them to start moving steadily in the right direction ahead of their campaigns in the TG4 Ulster and All-Ireland championships.
“It would be nice to push on, get a win under our belt and try and get a few points on the board. Obviously we’ll be keeping the heads down and trying to push on for that,” Crozier added.
Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Annie Crozier (Derry/Ballymaguigan) – Media West Ireland – February 22 2025

Ireland U20s Build-Up To Wales Away In Six Nations Championship: Michael Foy – The Irish Examiner – February 21 2025

Posted on February 22, 2025 by admin

From hurling opponents to Ireland U20s for former CBC stars Foy and McCarthy

Aside from their time together in Christians, the Cork duo had also previously played with each other on a variety of provincial and international age grade sides.
DAIRE WALSH

While they are currently contracted academy players in rival provinces, Michael Foy and team captain Eanna McCarthy have arguably the closest bond within the Ireland U20s squad.

A native of Ballygarvan in Cork, McCarthy initially stood out as skipper of the Christian Brothers College senior cup side in 2023 before he secured a spot in the Connacht Academy last summer. Although McCarthy was ruled out of their Munster schools final defeat to Presentation Brothers College two years ago because of injury, his fellow Leesider Foy featured for Christians in that game and returned 12 months later when they lost out to PBC in another senior decider.

Foy was subsequently accepted into the Munster Academy a number months after the latter showpiece and now finds himself alongside McCarthy in the Irish squad for the 2025 edition of the U20 Six Nations.

Aside from their time together in Christians, the Cork duo had also previously played with each other on a variety of provincial and international age grade sides. Yet as Foy explained in a video call to the Irish media on Wednesday, he first came to know McCarthy as an opponent in a completely different sport several years earlier.

“I was marking him in a hurling game. I played with Shamrocks and he was with Ballygarvan. I could see this big huge fella came down on top of me and I was really scared for the game! I went to Christians with him then after for fourth, fifth and sixth year,” Foy revealed.

“The two of us bounce off each other so well, because I played Munster schools, Ireland schools, Munster U19s and Ireland U19s with him along with Christians. I know we’re not exactly out-halves, but you can bounce ideas off each other and you can do extras. We make each other play better, I think, it’s fair to say. We bring out the best in each other.”

Like his fellow Munster Academy star Ben O’Connor – who he also faced on a GAA pitch in the past – Foy lined out for Cork at underage level in hurling. However, having sensed that he might have a brighter future in his preferred sport of rugby, Foy opted to place his full focus on the oval ball game and is currently reaping the rewards of that decision.

After helping Neil Doak’s outfit to bounce back from an opening round loss at home to England with a bonus point victory against Scotland last Saturday week, Foy is set to make his third consecutive start in this year’s U20 Six Nations when Ireland face Wales in Newport tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

“I was with the Cork U16s development and all that, but I just came to a decision where I wasn’t going to be a nailed on starter for minor and I probably would be lucky to make the panel. I thought I could really back myself in rugby and that’s how the decision came along. Since I was young, I always just enjoyed rugby more,” Foy added.

Posted in International Rugby, U20 Six Nations Rugby | Comments Off on Ireland U20s Build-Up To Wales Away In Six Nations Championship: Michael Foy – The Irish Examiner – February 21 2025

U20 Six Nations Championship Build-Up To Wales Away: Andrew Browne – The Irish Examiner – February 20 2025

Posted on February 20, 2025 by admin

Session with senior squad has Ireland U20s in good fettle

The underage international side were put through their paces alongside Simon Easterby’s men at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre in Blanchardstown last Friday. 
DAIRE WALSH

It may have represented a significant step up in intensity, but assistant coach Andrew Browne believes the Ireland U20s have ultimately reaped the benefits of training against the Ireland senior squad.

Fresh from their 33-15 bonus point victory against Scotland in Edinburgh on February 8, the underage international side were put through their paces alongside Simon Easterby’s men at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre in Blanchardstown last Friday.

It has become a common occurrence in recent years for both set-ups to hold a joint session during a Six Nations window and Browne feels it has put the Ireland U20s in a healthy position ahead of their third-round Championship encounter with Wales at Rodney Parade in Newport tomorrow night (kick-off 7.45pm).

“We were delighted to get the win against Scotland after a tough night in Cork the week before that against England. That kind of gave us a little bit of a boost and then we trained against the Irish senior team last Friday, which was brilliant. It was honestly one of our best sessions of the year so far,” Browne remarked.

“Just going against quality players, a quality team. A different pace. Lads came out of it saying it was obviously really fast and really tough, but they belong there. Which was the real positive thing.

“I think going into this week then, obviously the confidence from the win against Scotland, but then also confidence with that training session against Ireland [has helped]. We’re in a pretty good place.”

While head coach Neil Doak has largely kept faith with the side that secured maximum points in a second-round clash with Scotland last Saturday week, Eoghan Smyth and Tom McAllister have been introduced to the Irish starting line-up for tomorrow’s game in place of Gene O’Leary Kareem and Alex Mullan respectively.

Elsewhere, Mikey Yarr, Conor Kennelly and Tom Wood (son of legendary former Munster and Ireland hooker Keith Wood) have been added to the replacements with Connor Magee, Oisin Minogue and Dylan Hicks all missing out on the match day 23 on this occasion.

Although an ankle injury sustained playing club rugby for Shannon has ruled Minogue out of contention, Browne explained the remaining changes are simply about giving players a chance to impress at this level.

“It’s not like the other lads that are dropping out of the starting team or dropping out of the squad deserve to be dropped, they don’t. We’ve always talked in the past with the 20s about strength in depth and especially when you get to the World Cup in June/July and not having lads exposed to a high level of rugby,” Browne added.

“You have Tom McAllister coming in at tighthead, who has done really well when he did come on in games and then you have Mikey Yarr coming onto the bench in the hooker position.

“Tom Wood coming onto the bench. There’s a few changes there, a few lads in line to get their first cap as well, which will be a nice thing.”

Posted in International Rugby, U20 Six Nations Rugby | Comments Off on U20 Six Nations Championship Build-Up To Wales Away: Andrew Browne – The Irish Examiner – February 20 2025

U20 Six Nations Championship Build-Up To Wales Away: Andrew Browne – The42.ie – February 20 2025

Posted on February 20, 2025 by admin

U20s enjoy ‘one of our best sessions’ up against Irish senior counterparts

Assistant boss and ex-Connacht players Andrew Browne reconnected with some familiar faces this week.

IRELAND U20S assistant coach Andrew Browne found himself reconnecting with some familiar faces when the underage international side trained against their senior counterparts at the IRFU’s High-Performance Centre last week.

During 12 years (2006-2018) as a professional player with Connacht — for whom he is currently employed as an elite player development officer — the Galway native lined out alongside current Ireland squad members Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, Finlay Bealham and Caolin Blade.

Yet Browne also donned the green jersey at a number of levels throughout his career and some of his former team-mates from those teams were also active participants for that joint session at the HPC.

“There’s a lot of young fellas as well that I don’t know. I obviously would have played with Bundee, would have played with Finlay and still we’re fully integrated in the academy in Connacht. You’re nearly working with them day-to-day. Then even going back to as far as Emerging Ireland in 2015 with Jack Conan and a few other lads,” Browne remarked on a video call yesterday.

“Myself and Keats [Ian Keatley, his fellow Ireland U20s assistant coach] were on the U20 team with Cian Healy back in 2007 and it’s just amazing that he’s still going. It was good to catch up with a few of those lads as well.”

As for the workout itself, Browne — the younger brother of former rugby player and extreme adventurer Damian Browne — felt it was the best session the Ireland U20s have enjoyed thus far in 2025.

When you couple it with a morale-boosting win over Scotland in Edinburgh on the previous weekend, he believes the Irish squad are in fine shape ahead of their round three bout away to Wales in this year’s U20 Six Nations tomorrow evening (kick-off 7.45pm).

“It was honestly one of our best sessions of the year so far. Just going against quality players, a quality team. A different pace. Lads came out of it saying it was obviously really fast and really tough, but they belong there. Which was the real positive thing.

“I think going into this week then, obviously the confidence from the win against Scotland, but also the confidence with that training session against Ireland [has helped]. So we’re in a pretty good place.”

While head coach Neil Doak has largely kept faith with the side that secured a 33-15 victory against Scotland last Saturday week, Eoghan Smyth and Tom McAllister have been introduced to the Irish starting line-up for tomorrow’s game in place of Gene O’Leary Kareem and Alex Mullan respectively.

Elsewhere, Mikey Yarr, Conor Kennelly and Tom Wood (son of legendary former Munster and Ireland hooker Keith Wood) have been added to the replacements with Connor Magee, Oisin Minogue and Dylan Hicks all missing out on the match day 23 on this occasion.

Although an ankle injury sustained playing club rugby for Shannon has ruled Minogue — who scored a try off the bench in the Scotland game — out of contention, Browne explained the remaining changes are about giving players a chance to impress at this level.

“It’s not like the other lads that are dropping out of the starting team or dropping out of the squad deserve to be dropped, they don’t. We’ve always talked in the past with 20s about strength in depth and especially, when you get to the World Cup in June/July and not having lads exposed to a high level of rugby.

“You have Tom McAllister coming in at tighthead, who has done really well when he did come on in games and then you have Mikey Yarr come onto the bench in the hooker position. Tom Wood coming onto the bench. There are a few changes there, a few lads in line to get their first cap as well, which will be a nice thing.”

Whereas Ireland bounced back from an opening-round defeat to England by getting the better of the Scots, Wales responded to a heavy reversal against France on 1 February by claiming a 20-18 triumph against Italy in Treviso six days later.

After examining their performances to date in the 2025 edition of the U20 Six Nations, Browne is acutely aware of the threats the Welsh are capable of posing in their backyard tomorrow night.

“We previewed their maul this week and they’ve got a number of tries from their maul against France and Italy. That’s going to be a big weapon for them. Then some really good outside backs,” Browne added.

“You’ve got the likes of Tom Bowen, who has got a number of Cardiff caps and you have [Aidan] Boshoff as well. They like to get the ball in their hands as much as they can. We’re previewing from that point of view.”

Posted in International Rugby, U20 Six Nations Rugby | Comments Off on U20 Six Nations Championship Build-Up To Wales Away: Andrew Browne – The42.ie – February 20 2025

Ladies Football Feature Interview: Alannah Prizeman (Kildare) – The Kildare Nationalist – February 18 2025

Posted on February 20, 2025 by admin

Prizeman enjoying her GAA role

 Daire Walsh

 She has already fulfilled a dream in a different sport and now Alannah Prizeman is living out another one as part of the Kildare senior ladies football panel.

Having first played soccer at the tender age of eight in her hometown of Naas, Prizeman had aspirations of representing the Republic of Ireland at international level. This is something she managed to do as recently as April 11 2023, when she featured off the bench for the Ireland U19s in a European Championship qualification game against Croatia at the Gjemselund Stadion in Norway.

Yet just under four months later she featured for Kildare in a ZuCar All-Ireland U18 ‘A’ Football Championship final defeat to Galway at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park and this further fuelled a long-held ambition to line out for the Lilywhites at senior level. This dream was realised at Manguard Park on January 26 of this year, when she was handed a competitive debut in her side’s Lidl National Football League Division 1 opener at home to Waterford.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play for Kildare and wear the white jersey. Now that I’m getting the chance to do that at the moment, it’s a dream come true in that sense,” Prizeman explained.

“I had dreams in Gaelic football and with soccer as well to play for Ireland. I did play underage for Ireland, so that dream came true and then I always wanted to play senior for Kildare. Now that I’m getting to do that, it’s great.”

Another big personal milestone that Prizeman achieved during 2023 was a first-team debut for Shamrock Rovers against Treaty United in the Women’s Premier Division – three years after she joined the Dublin club as an U17 player. She went on to make a total of 18 senior appearances for the Hoops, before officially departing at the beginning of this year.

While the fact she received a sports scholarship from DCU as a soccer player means she continues to play the sport within the college, Prizeman’s primary focus for now is on establishing herself as a Kildare senior player. Although she is more than content to have chosen Gaelic football over association football for 2025, the 19-year-old reflects fondly on her time with Shamrock Rovers.

“I loved my time at Shamrock Rovers, to be fair. Even underage, it was probably the best years of my life. Obviously playing with players like [former Ireland internationals] Aine O’Gorman and Stephanie Zambra last year and the year before, was incredible. I always tried to do both, play Gaelic and soccer.

“Gaelic was kind of kicked to the side for the last however many years I was with Shamrock Rovers, so I just decided to give it a change for the year and just see how it goes. I’m really happy with my decision at the moment, because obviously we’re doing well with Kildare and I’m really enjoying it.”

She has certainly joined the panel at an exciting period for the Lilywhites as they find themselves in the top-tier of the NFL for the time since 2012. The Leinster side have lost out to Waterford and Kerry thus far in the league, but also recorded an excellent win over Dublin in round two at Manguard Park on February 2.

In their 1-8 to 0-8 victory at the expense of the Jackies, a 10th minute goal from Prizeman proved crucial in getting the Lilies over the line. The former St Mary’s College, Naas student also rattled the net in Kildare’s 1-13 to 2-7 reversal to Waterford on the opening weekend of the league, but after the frustration of falling short in that game, she was thrilled to pick up some much-needed points against Dublin.

“I think we were quite disappointed after the Waterford game, that we could have given more. When we went to training, we obviously trained hard and we weren’t scared or anything going into the Dublin game. We knew we could put up a fight and we were delighted then that we got the win by a goal and nipped it.

“Obviously I’m delighted to help the team in any way. The goal against Dublin, it kind of just fell to me. I kind of just swung my leg at it and delighted that it went in, in the end.”

Though Kildare will be on the road for their next three games in NFL Division 1, their regular league campaign concludes on March 29 with a round seven duel against Tyrone at Cedral St Conleth’s Park. Whereas this will be the first time that the Lilies ladies will have played there since it was revamped as a ground that can now host approximately 15,000 spectators, togging out at the Newbridge venue will be an entirely new experience for Prizeman.

“We’ve three tough away games there coming up. Obviously it’s going to be wonderful to get back home, never mind playing in St Conleth’s Park. I’ve actually never played there, even before it was done up. It’s going to be a big occasion for a lot of us. Only delighted to be playing there and really looking forward to the last game of the league against Tyrone.”

There are some tough tests ahead for Kildare between now and the end of March, however, starting with a trip to face Meath in St Peter’s, Dunboyne on Sunday week (February 23). As things stand, the Royals – who are managed by ex-Kildare men’s goalkeeper Shane McCormack – are at the summit of NFL Division 1, just ahead of Armagh on score difference.

After missing out on last Sunday’s defeat to Kerry due to a bout of tonsilitis, Prizeman is hoping to be back involved for an enticing showdown between two provincial rivals.

“Meath have been doing very well, they’ve won every game so far. Obviously it will be a tough challenge, but we’re up to playing anyone and we’re working hard towards Meath for the next week and hopefully we can get a good result next Sunday,” Prizeman added.

“We trained hard before the first round of the league and having three games in-a-row obviously is tough on the legs and on the body. We’re actually still training, but the week off from a match should be good and we’ll get back into the swing of things then.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on Ladies Football Feature Interview: Alannah Prizeman (Kildare) – The Kildare Nationalist – February 18 2025

Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 18 2025

Posted on February 19, 2025 by admin

GAA Betting: Donegal Favourites To Win The National Football League

By Daire Walsh

It was another weekend of enthralling action and with the next round of fixtures almost upon us, the best betting sites for GAA are once again considering who the main contenders are for this year’s National Football League title.

After registering back-to-back victories over Dublin and Kerry, Donegal continued their impressive start to 2025 with a 0-21 to 1-10 success against All-Ireland champions Armagh in Ballybofey last Sunday.

In addition to his long-standing attacking partner Patrick McBrearty amassing six points for the O’Donnell County, Michael Murphy kicked 0-3 as a substitute in his first competitive appearance since ending his inter-county retirement.

Also on Sunday, Mayo finally earned their opening win of NFL Division One this year with a 0-12 to 0-10 triumph over Tyrone at MacHale Park in Castlebar – Frank Irwin and Jordan Flynn were amongst those to pick off crucial scores for Kevin McStay’s men.

While they are still searching for their maiden victory of the season, Derry finally picked up their first point of the 2025 league at home to Galway on Saturday.

Despite being nine points adrift at the interval, Lachlan Murray produced a strong display off the bench to help the Oak Leaf side to claim a 0-16 to 1-13 draw with the unbeaten Tribesmen.

In terms of major second-half comebacks, Dublin went even further against Kerry at Austin Stack Park in Tralee on Saturday.

Trailing 1-12 to 0-4 at half-time, the Sky Blues rallied on the resumption with two-pointers from Lorcan O’Dell (two), Lee Gannon and Ciaran Kilkenny proving pivotal in securing a 0-19 to 1-15 win for Dessie Farrell’s charges over the Kingdom.

Donegal Remain Favourites For NFL Crown

This leaves matters incredibly tight in the Division One table, but it is Donegal and Galway who currently occupy first and second spot respectively in the top-tier standings.

These sides last met in an All-Ireland senior football championship semi-final at Croke Park last July and will now renew acquaintances at Pearse Stadium in Salthill this Sunday (3.45pm).

Before last weekend’s fare, Donegal had overtaken Galway as NFL favourites on betting apps, thanks to their excellent win against Kerry in a rearranged encounter.

This remains the case heading into this weekend’s round four action with odds of 6/5 currently on offer on Jim McGuinness’ side to come away with their first top level league crown since 2007.

Galway Still In Contention After Derry Stalemate

Galway will probably feel they should be joining Donegal on three successive wins after a goal from Dylan McHugh and a series of outstanding points from Shane Walsh had left them in such a good position midway through their clash against Derry.

Although their second half display fell well short of what had preceded it, the Connacht champions were shooting into a strong breeze on the resumption and this was undoubtedly a factor in how the game was flipped on its head in the final 35 minutes.

Should the result this weekend go their way, the Tribesmen’s current odds of 11/4 could be significantly shortened.

Yet if the 2024 All-Ireland finalists were to be on the receiving end of a first defeat in this year’s league, their status as second favourites for the 2025 edition of the NFL could be affected.

Dublin Back In The Running Following Kerry Win

Just behind them at 10/3 in the race for football league glory are Dublin, who responded to a defeat to Donegal with their aforementioned win over Kerry on the road.

Sean Bugler maintained his excellent start to 2025 with a 0-4 haul and he was ably-assisted by experienced performers such as Ciaran Kilkenny, Niall Scully, David Byrne and Brian Howard.

Sky Blues boss Farrell will be reasonably happy that his side have achieved two wins from three games to date in this year’s league.

Next up for the Dubs is a Croke Park date against Derry this Saturday (7.30pm), in a repeat of the 2024 NFL decider.

Dublin know that another victory would keep them very much in the reckoning for top honours.

Odds Lengthen On Kingdom After Second Straight Defeat

A second consecutive defeat on their home patch last weekend has seen Kerry drop down to odds of 8/1 with BoyleSports.

If the Kingdom have designs on challenging for this year’s NFL crown, then their meeting with Tyrone at Healy Park in Omagh this Sunday is a must-win affair.

The shooting of Sean O’Shea was one of a number of positive elements from their opening half showing against Dublin last Saturday.

However, Kerry boss Jack O’Connor will be concerned by their fall off on the resumption.

You have to once again take into account that the wind was against them in the second period of the game and with David Clifford making his seasonal return as a substitute, there is no reason for the Munster kingpins to push the panic button just yet.

Armagh And Tyrone Outside Bets For League Title

Defending All-Ireland champions Armagh also sit on just two points after their loss to Donegal last Sunday and they will now have to contend with a rejuvenated Mayo side at the Athletic Grounds this Saturday (5pm).

The Orchard County were firmly in contention early into the second half of their showdown with Donegal, before Aidan Forker’s dismissal left them severely hamstrung.

Defeats to date at the hands of Galway and the O’Donnell men cast some doubt over their NFL credentials, but Armagh are still a decent outside bet at 20/1 on GAA betting sites for Division One glory.

Despite losing out to Mayo last weekend, Tyrone are still ahead of the westerners as sixth favourites for this year’s NFL.

One of four teams currently on two points in the NFL, the Red Hand – for whom goalkeeper Niall Morgan chipped in with 0-3 last Sunday in Castlebar – are available at 25/1 for a league title in 2025.

Mayo And Derry Seen As Unlikely NFL Winners

Winners of this competition as recently as 2019 and 2023, Mayo were boosted last weekend by the return of veteran star Aidan O’Shea.

They will feel they are in a much better position to take on Sam Maguire Cup holders Armagh following their two-point win over Tyrone.

Yet there is still a lot of ground for the green and red to make up and this is reflected in the odds of 25/1 to secure a Division One crown in the current term.

While their draw against Galway represented a step in the right direction, Derry remain at the foot of the Division One table in advance of their upcoming meeting with Dublin in GAA HQ.

Paul Cassidy, Shane McGuigan and Conor Glass all joined Lachlan Murray in standing tall for the defending league champions last Saturday.

They are 40/1 to retain their NFL title, but it seems that the main concern for the Ulster side at the moment is staying free of relegation.

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 18 2025

The Big Interview: Alannah Prizeman (Kildare/Naas) – Media West Ireland – February 15 2025

Posted on February 15, 2025 by admin
FIRST PRIZE

‘I’m a former soccer star who played for Ireland and Shamrock Rovers – but my dream was always Kildare LGFA’

Prizeman revealed why she chose Kildare over Shamrock Rovers
Daire Walsh

ALANNAH PRIZEMAN looked the part as one of the Girls in Green — but she also always wanted to be all white on the night.

And having already fulfilled a dream in a different sport, Prizeman is now living one out in another as part of the Kildare senior ladies football panel.

Having first played soccer as an eight-year-old in her home town of Naas, Prizeman had aspirations of representing Ireland at international level.

And she did just that as recently as April 2023 when she featured off the bench for the Irish Under-19s in a European Championship qualification game against Croatia in Norway.

Then, just under four months later, she featured for Kildare in a ZuCar All-Ireland Under-18 ‘A’ Football Championship final defeat to Galway at Pearse Park.

The experience only served to further fuel a long-held ambition to line out for the Lilywhites at senior level.

And that dream was realised at Manguard Park on January 26 this year when she was handed a competitive debut for the Lidl National Football League Division 1 opener at home to Waterford.

Prizeman, 19, said: “It has always been a dream of mine to play for Kildare and wear the white jersey. Now that I’m getting the chance to do that at the moment, it’s a dream come true.

“I had dreams in Gaelic football and with soccer as well to play for Ireland. I did play underage for Ireland so that dream came true and then I always wanted to play senior for Kildare.”

Another big personal milestone that Prizeman achieved back in 2023 was a first-team debut for Shamrock Rovers against Treaty United in the Women’s Premier Division, three years after she joined the Dublin club as an Under-17 player.

She went on to make a total of 18 senior appearances for the Hoops before leaving at the beginning of this year.

While receiving a sports scholarship from DCU as a soccer player means she continues to play the sport within the college, Prizeman’s primary focus for now is on establishing herself as a Kildare senior.

But she harbours that ambition while holding on to happy memories of playing alongside a couple of Ireland legends with the Hoops.

She said: “I loved my time at Shamrock Rovers. Even underage, it was probably the best years of my life.

“Obviously playing with players like Áine O’Gorman and Stephanie Zambra last year and the year before was incredible.

“I always tried to do both, play Gaelic and soccer.

“Gaelic was kind of kicked to the side for the last however many years. I was with Shamrock Rovers, so I just decided to give it a change for the year and just see how it goes.

“I’m really happy with my decision at the moment because obviously we’re doing well with Kildare and I’m really enjoying it.”

She has certainly joined the panel at an exciting period for the Lilywhites as they find themselves in the top tier of the NFL for the first time since 2012.

The Leinster side have lost out to Waterford and Kerry so far in the league but also recorded a famous win over Dublin at Manguard Park on February 2, with Prizeman the goalscoring hero of the 1-8 to 0-8 victory.

The former St Mary’s College, Naas student also rattled the net in Kildare’s 1-13 to 2-7 loss to Waterford on the opening weekend.

And after the frustration of falling short that day, she was thrilled to pick up some much-needed points against the Jackies.

She added: “When we went to training, we trained hard and we weren’t scared or anything going into the Dublin game.

“We knew we could put up a fight and we were delighted then that we got the win by a goal. Obviously I’m delighted to help the team in any way. The goal against Dublin, it kind of just fell to me, I kind of just swung my leg at it and delighted that it went in in the end.”

NEW ERA

Kildare will be on the road for their next three games in Division 1 before their regular league campaign concludes on March 29 at home to Tyroneat Cedral St Conleth’s Park.

It will be the first time the Lilies ladies will have played at the Newbridge venue since it was revamped to host 15,000 spectators.

So togging out there will be an entirely new experience for Prizeman, who said: “It’s going to be wonderful to get back home, never mind playing in St Conleth’s Park.

“I’ve actually never played there, even before it was done up. It’s going to be a big occasion. Only delighted to be playing there!”

But the next major focus for Kildare is their clash with league leaders Meath in Dunboyne tomorrow week.

After missing out on last Sunday’s defeat to Kerry due to a bout of tonsilitis, Prizeman is hoping to be back involved for the all-Leinster showdown.

She said: “Meath have been doing very well. It will be a tough challenge but we’re up to playing anyone and we’re working hard towards Meath for the next week and hopefully we can get a good result next Sunday.

“We’re still training but the week off from a match should be good for us and we’ll get back into the swing of things then.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Alannah Prizeman (Kildare/Naas) – Media West Ireland – February 15 2025

United Rugby Championship: Ospreys V Leinster – The Irish Times – February 15 2025

Posted on February 14, 2025 by admin

Leinster hold off strong challenge from Ospreys for 11th win in a row in URC

Irish province move 15 points clear at the top of the table

Daire Walsh

URC: Ospreys 19 Leinster 22

Luke McGrath, Charlie Tector and Rabah Slimani grabbed a try apiece at Swansea.comStadium last night as table-toppers Leinster held off a strong challenge from Ospreys to earn their 11th win from 11 in this season’s United Rugby Championship.

Although they were still missing a whole host of internationals for this fixture, Leinster were bolstered by the return of six players from Ireland’s Six Nations squad to their UCD base last Monday. While Joe McCarthy ended the week back at national squad training in the IRFU High Performance Centre in Blanchardstown, the remaining quintet of Irish players were named in Leo Cullen’s starting line-up for their latest trip to Wales.

Jamie Osborne and Jimmy O’Brien were amongst those hoping to leave a lasting impression on Ireland head coach Simon Easterby, who was watching from the stands alongside his brother Guy, Leinster Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer. Kildare duo Osborne and O’Brien have featured in some big Test games within the past couple of years and they were heavily involved in their side’s breakthrough try on 13 minutes.

After their excellent approach work got Max Deegan on the ball inside the Ospreys ‘22′, the industrious backrow subsequently released scrumhalf McGrath for a simple score over the whitewash. Like Osborne and O’Brien, Ciaran Frawley has his sights set on being involved at some point in the closing three rounds of the Six Nations.

Despite firing wide of the mark from the conversion that followed McGrath’s try, the Skerries man made no mistake off a 17th minute penalty to give Leinster a strong platform in Swansea. Yet the form of Ospreys has improved since Mark Jones took over as head coach in December of last year and the hosts grew in stature as the action progressed.

After outhalf Owen Williams kicked to touch on 36 minutes, former Wales international Justin Tipuric rose highest to claim a lineout and the ensuing maul was finished off by the latter’s backrow partner Harri Deaves.

This left the bare minimum between the teams approaching the interval, but it was Leinster who ultimately ended the opening period in brighter fashion. Following another entry into the Ospreys 22, inside centre Tector raced onto a McGrath pass before driving over the line in clinical style.

Frawley supplied the extras to this effort and the eastern province brought a 15-7 cushion into the second half as a result.

There was still plenty of work to do on the resumption, however, and Ospreys displayed their mettle once again by bagging a second try on 48 minutes. After another attacking penalty had been kicked to touch by the Welsh region, hooker Ethan Lewis – a late addition to the Ospreys’ first 15 – was on hand to apply the finishing touches to a powerful lineout maul.

A bonus strike from fullback Jack Walsh drifted past the posts, but with just three points separating the sides, this game was finely balanced moving into the closing quarter.

However, Leinster head coach Cullen did have the luxury of introducing South African international RG Snyman off the bench and the two-time World Cup winner made his presence felt in typically eye-catching fashion.

With the line in sight, the Springbok star unleashed an offload into the path of Slimani and the bustling prop – who recently earned a surprise recall to the French squad – burst over the line for his first try in a Leinster jersey.

Despite Frawley still being on the pitch, Snyman’s fellow replacement Ross Byrne was entrusted with kicking responsibilities and he expertly split the uprights from a conversion to propel Leinster into a 10-point lead on 66 minutes.

Ospreys set the game up for a tense finale when Cameron Jones dotted down in the 74th minute to round off an extended spell of attacking pressure, but even though they returned home without a bonus score to their name, Leinster have moved 15 points clear at the URC summit for the time being.

Scorers – Ospreys: H Deaves, E Lewis, C Jones try each, O Williams con, J Walsh con.Leinster: L McGrath, C Tector, R Slimani try each, C Frawley pen, con, R Byrne con.

OSPREYS: J Walsh; D Kasende, E Boshoff, K Williams, K Giles; O Williams, R Morgan-Williams; G Phillips, E Lewis, T Botha; J Ratti, J Fender; H Deaves, J Tipuric, M Morris. Replacements: K Hardy for Morgan-Williams, 30 mins; I Hopkins for O Williams, 45 mins; W Spencer for Ratti, 54 mins; B Warren for Botha, 56 mins; M Morse for Morris, 62 mins; T Florence for Giles, 66 mins; C Jones for Phillips, 67 mins; W Austin for Lewis, 75 mins; Giles for Florence, 77 mins; Florence for Walsh, 78 mins.

LEINSTER: J Osborne; T O’Brien, H Cooney, C Tector, J O’Brien; C Frawley, L McGrath; J Boyle, G McCarthy, R Slimani; D Mangan, B Deeny; M Deegan, S Penny, J Culhane.

Replacements: RG Snyman for Deeny, 47 mins; P McCarthy for Boyle, R Byrne for Tector, F Gunne for McGrath, all 54 mins; A Soroka for Deegan, J McKee for McCarthy, both 63 mins; R McGuire for Slimani, 67 mins.

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on United Rugby Championship: Ospreys V Leinster – The Irish Times – February 15 2025