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

Leinster Schools Senior Cup Quarter-Final: Blackrock College V St Michael’s College – The Irish Examiner – February 15 2025

Posted on February 14, 2025 by admin

Rock roll into Leinster Senior Cup last-four with win over St Michael’s

It’s Cistercian College Roscrea next up for the competition heavyweights. 
DAIRE WALSH, ENERGIA PARK

LEINSTER SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP QUARTÉR-FINAL:   Blackrock College 29 St Michael’s College 13 

Blackrock College will face Cistercian College Roscrea at the semi-final stage of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup after they recorded a 16-point win over St Michael’s College at Energia Park on Friday afternoon.

This game was a repeat of last year’s final, but even though a ‘Rock side containing six players who featured in that decider enjoyed the lion’s share of possession early on, it was Michael’s who broke the deadlock in their latest meeting.

After withstanding attacking pressure from their opponents, Andy Skehan’s side edged in front when Ethan Black (who was a key member of their 2024 squad) knocked over a penalty from distance in the 17th minute. Although this was an early boost for the Ailesbury Road outfit, ‘Rock never panicked and ultimately found themselves in the ascendancy moments after falling behind.

Released through a gap by fly-half Patrick Clancy, Aiden Vetjens – who had replaced Rhys Keogh on the left-wing in the opening quarter – passed out to the right for Johnny O’Sullivan to touch down in the corner. The resulting bonus strike from Clancy was wide of the mark, but with scoring opportunities largely being at a premium, O’Sullivan’s try was enough to give ‘Rock a 5-3 interval lead.

This was a far from unassailable cushion and Michael’s squeezed back ahead four minutes after the resumption when Black knocked over a close-range place kick with minimal fuss. However, an expertly-struck 43rd minute penalty from Clancy ensured this slender Michael’s cushion was short-lived and ‘Rock were very much in the driving seat when Vetjens got on the end of a delicate kick towards the left-flank on the third-quarter mark for a superb converted try.

Despite losing lock Artur Smykovskiy to a yellow card inside the final-quarter, additional tries from Bernard White and O’Sullivan had already assured a last-four spot for ‘Rock before replacement prop Cian Walsh bagged a late consolation five-pointer for Michael’s.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the competition, Terenure College and St Fintan’s High School, Sutton will also face off for a spot in the Senior Cup final at Tallaght Stadium on March 17.

Scorers for Blackrock College: Tries: J O’Sullivan 2, A Vetjens, B White Cons: P Clancy 3. Pens: P Clancy

Scorers for St Michael’s College: Tries: C Walsh Cons: E Black Pens: E Black 2

BLACKROCK COLLEGE: J Reddan; J Brown, J O’Sullivan, B White, R Keogh (A Vetjens 12); P Clancy (D Cadden 66), A Lindner (L Coffey 55); B Guerin (M Cullen 68), H O’Neill (G Eggers 68), S Bishti (L Golden 68); G Wall, A Smykovskiy; M Walsh (C Power 66), M O’Sullivan, B Walsh (R Savage 66).

ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE: D Ryan; C Kenny, C McConnell, E Black, M McCarthy (D Hassett 56-59 & O Richardson 61); C Lydon, L Kilmurray; C Canniffe (C Walsh 66), J Kennedy, D Maguire; C O’Neill, J Elliot (P O’Gorman 51); B Gorman, O Twomey, M Berman.

Referee: A Cole (LRR).

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Leinster Build-Up To Ospreys Away In United Rugby Championship: Scott Penny – The42.ie – February 14 2025

Posted on February 14, 2025 by admin

‘It’s the best club in the world’ – Penny happy at Leinster despite limited game time

Openside flanker wants to stay at the province for the remainder of his career.

THE INTENSE COMPETIRION for places at the province means he often has to bide his time for playing opportunities, but Leinster’s Scott Penny has insisted the idea of seeking pastures new isn’t something he is currently contemplating.

Since making his professional club debut on 23 November 2018 against Ospreys at the age of 19, Penny has accumulated an impressive haul of 33 tries from 79 senior appearances with Leinster. Yet it wasn’t until a pool stage win over Racing 92 at the Aviva Stadium in late January 2023 that the former St Michael’s College student made his European bow for the Blues and his more recent Champions Cup outing arrived a little under three months later in a quarter-final duel with Leicester Tigers.

Josh van der Flier and Will Connors have often been the preferred options at openside flanker for some of Leinster’s biggest games in both Europe and the United Rugby Championship, but despite finding his chances limited at various stages in a given season, Penny stressed he is happy to remain at his home province for as long as possible.

“At the moment, I am happy. It’s the best club in the world. You’re playing with British & Irish Lions, Springboks, All Blacks, people in the French national team. You’re learning and growing so much as a player,” Penny remarked at a Leinster media briefing earlier this week.

“I want to stay here for the rest of my career, but if I don’t, I’ve learnt so much here that I wouldn’t have learnt at any other club. At this point in time, I’m pretty happy staying here. You never know what is going to happen down the line. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. You could go into a different system, the training is different.

“You pick up injuries, you pick up niggles. You see it pretty often when lads go to different clubs. It doesn’t always work out the way they wanted it to. I’m happy in my head. I’m sure people think I probably should have left by now.

“In fairness to Leo, he’s very good for rotating the squad. Maybe I haven’t played as much as I wanted this season, but the last few seasons, even when I haven’t been playing in the big games, I’ve been getting loads of other opportunities.”

While his appearances in the 2024/25 season have all been in the URC, Penny has featured in seven of the 10 games that Leinster have played in the competition to date. He is set to line out in the blue jersey for an eighth time this term when Leinster face Ospreys – the team he made his debut against more than six years ago – in Swansea tonight.

Ahead of their visit to Wales, Leinster welcomed back six of Ireland’s Six Nations squad to training this week, five of whom have been named in the starting line-up for today’s game. Nonetheless, the province is still missing a strong contingent of international stars and their absence has led to Penny and a number of others to take on leadership roles within the squad.

“In weeks like these, it’s important lads like me, Max Deegan, Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath, we take charge of these weeks when the internationals are gone. We have Academy guys who have moved up in their first year.

“We have to be the leadership voices teaching them. Helping them through the week. I’m enjoying that role, and it’s important in rugby, but also something that can help later outside rugby as well. For whatever is coming next.”

Whereas it was previously the custom to play a steady number of games at this time of year, the past few seasons has only seen Leinster and the remaining Irish provinces playing fixtures during rest weeks in the Six Nations calendar.

For the third campaign in succession, Leinster will only have two competitive games in the middle of this international window (they are also set to take on Cardiff at the Aviva Stadium on 1 March).

Despite admitting an element of frustration at having such long spells in between games – Leinster last saw competitive action against Stormers on 25 January – Penny can also see a benefit to the way the season is currently scheduled in the spring.

“It’s about three years now since they introduced the break. It can be frustrating. There are opportunities for lads to play AIL if they want. When we’re not playing games, we use training weeks to our advantage to try and improve skills. Those are really good weeks,” Penny added.

“Maybe it’s something outside rugby, leadership skills you want to acquire. It can be frustrating not having games, but there are chances to develop other aspects of your life and sport.”

Posted in European Rugby | Comments Off on Leinster Build-Up To Ospreys Away In United Rugby Championship: Scott Penny – The42.ie – February 14 2025

Leinster Schools Senior Cup Quarter-Final: St Fintan’s High School, Sutton V Castleknock College – The Irish Examiner (Online) – February 13 2025

Posted on February 14, 2025 by admin

Bolger late try helps St Fintan’s High School in dramatic win over Castleknock College

A relentless spell of attacking pressure ended with Bolger crossing over for his second try on 69 minutes to earn Fintan’s an historic spot in the last-four.
DAIRE WALSH, ENERGIA PARK

Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final: St Fintan’s High School 29 Castleknock College 27

Michael Bolger was the match-winner at Energia Park on Thursday with his late try helping a St Fintan’s High School, Sutton side that were competing in a Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final for the first time to pull off a stunning victory over Castleknock College.

The game had begun brightly for Castleknock with number eight Ben O’Toole dotting down from close-range after out-half Matthew Brennan had twice opted to kick attacking penalties to touch.

While Brennan was wide of the mark off the subsequent conversion, Castleknock looked set to double their advantage when he found the right-corner off another penalty in the second-quarter. Yet after surviving this latest onslaught, Fintan’s pounced for an equaliser on 24 minutes.

Following a neat delivery into his hands by scrum-half Oisin Kelly, second-row Bolger feigned a pass out wide before driving over the whitewash. This unconverted score meant the sides were now inseparable, but the Fintan’s faithful were daring to dream when a powerful finish from back-row Simon Cantwell propelled the Sutton school into a 12-5 interval buffer.

Castleknock returned for the second half as a highly-motivated outfit and it took some strong defensive work from Fintan’s to initially keep them at bay. However, ‘Knock’s persistence paid off in the form of a second O’Toole try on 44 minutes and they later seized the initiative when Jaydon Carroll touched down off a fast-paced attack.

Yet Fintan’s weren’t prepared to go down without a fight and an outstanding unconverted solo try from Tadhg Young – who had broken forward at electric pace from inside his own half – breathed fresh life into their challenge. Although Castleknock fired back with an Alvaro Moreno Gallardo five-pointer off a Brennan crossfield kick, Fintan’s were on level terms once again when referee Dermot Blake awarded them a penalty try in a tense finale at the Donnybrook venue.

Castleknock flanker Jonathan Ginnety was sin-binned in the wake of this score being awarded and while Castleknock edged back in front with a Brennan penalty, a relentless spell of attacking pressure ended with Bolger crossing over for his second try on 69 minutes to earn Fintan’s an historic spot in the last-four.

Scorers St Fintan’s High School: Tries: M Bolger 2, S Cantwell, T Young, Pen Try Cons: B Barnes, Pen Try Con

Scorers for Castleknock College: Tries: B O’Toole 2, J Carroll, A Moreno Gallardo Cons: M Brennan 2 Pens: M Brennan

CASTLEKNOCK COLLEGE: L Mooney (T Quigley 70); A Moreno Gallardo, A Tilly, F Watt, J Carroll; M Brennan, H Reilly; E Shanahan, PJ Matthews (J Brennan 39), B Fallon; R McEntaggart, F McLoughlin; J Ginnety, O Clinton (J O’Loughlin 62), B O’Toole.

ST FINTAN’S HIGH SCHOOL: R O’Shea; T Young, S O’Leary (M Haas 51), G Nostro, F MacDonald; B Barnes (J Burke 56), O Kelly; T O’Connor O’Hehir, R O’Connor O’Hehir, P Palazzetti; R Harvey, M Bolger; L Sanfey, B Dillon, S Cantwell (L Macari-Kelly 51).

Referee: D Blake (LRR).

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Leinster Schools Senior Cup Quarter-Final: Cistercian College Roscrea V Gonzaga College – The Irish Examiner – February 13 2025

Posted on February 13, 2025 by admin

Cistercian edge out Gonzaga in Leinster Schools Senior cup quarter-final thriller

A Bobby Colbert try for Gonzaga set up a tension-filled finale in the Donnybrook venue, but Roscrea ultimately held out to advance into the last-four
DAIRE WALSH, ENERGIA PARK

Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final: Cistercian College Roscrea 39 Gonzaga College 33

Centres Jack Deegan and Robert Carney helped themselves to a combined tally of 29 points at Energia Park on Wednesday as Cistercian College Roscrea edged out Gonzaga College in a thrilling Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final.

Convincing winners over Presentation College Bray in the opening round, Roscrea edged in front when Deegan slotted a close-range penalty between the posts on six minutes. Gonzaga fired back almost immediately with an opportunistic try from scrum-half James O’Dwyer, but Roscrea responded superbly to the concession of this unconverted effort.

Following an interception deep inside their own half, the boys from the Offaly-Tipperary border broke forward at pace and left-wing Fionn Higgins passed to the onrushing Deegan for a finish to the left of the posts in the 11th minute. The reliable number 12 subsequently added the bonuses to his own score and he went on to enhance his personal haul by splitting the uprights off a second-quarter penalty.

While Gonzaga appeared to have turned the game on its head when Joshua Mulligan and Zachary Mulligan bagged quickfire tries, Roscrea once again displayed their mettle.

Eager to lift the scoring burden off his midfield partner Deegan, Carney got on the end of enterprising attacking moves for a brace of tries towards the end of a compelling opening half.

Both of these scores were supplemented by inch-perfect Deegan bonus strikes to propel Roscrea into a 27-19 interval lead, but this cushion was reduced to the bare minimum 12 minutes after the resumption when a second Zachary Mulligan try was followed by a touchline conversion from Daragh O’Dwyer.

Although this offered Gonzaga momentum, Roscrea reinforced their authority when hooker Eoin Naughton touched down off a line-out maul for his side’s fourth try of the game. Mark Butler’s charges then found themselves a step closer to making the penultimate round after scrum-half Fionn Carney took a quick ‘tap and go’ penalty and proceeded to race over the whitewash in fine style.

A Bobby Colbert try for Gonzaga (complimented by a fourth Daragh O’Dwyer conversion) set up a tension-filled finale in the Donnybrook venue, but Roscrea ultimately held out to advance into the last-four.

Scorers for Cistercian College, Roscrea: Tries: R Carney 2, J Deegan, E Naughton, F Carney Cons: J Deegan 4 Pens: J Deegan 2.

Scorers for Gonzaga College: Tries: Z Mulligan 2, J O’Dwyer, J Mulligan, B Colbert Cons: D O’Dwyer 4.

CISTERCIAN COLLEGE ROSCREA: S Cusack; K Dunne (H Finlay 53), R Carney, J Deegan, F Higgins; A Moloney, F Carney; O Doody, E Naughton, H Maher; J Walsh, J Finn; S Killeen, J Miller (E Brophy 43), W Hayes.

GONZAGA COLLEGE: P Coleman (D Keane 63); E O’Donovan, P Masterson, B Colbert, Z Mulligan; D O’Dwyer, J O’Dwyer; J Sheil, J Brophy, M O’Herlihy; M Wall (P Dockery 67), R Crowe (T Noone 67); J Mulligan, B Salto-Galdon, C Kennedy.

Referee: C Hogan (LRR).

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Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 12 2025

Posted on February 13, 2025 by admin

GAA Betting: Who Are The Favourites To Win The National Football League?

By Daire Walsh

Ahead of another action-packed weekend of competitive football, betting sites are once again exploring who the primary challengers are for this year’s National Football League.

While last weekend was initially due to be a rest period for the competition, January’s inclement weather ensured that a number of refixed encounters across the NFL were held throughout Saturday and Sunday.

The clash of Donegal and Kerry at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney on Saturday was the sole offering in Division One, but it proved to be an enthralling game.

Neck and neck with the Kingdom coming down the final stretch, Donegal ultimately came away with the points on offer thanks to late scores from Jamie Brennan and Conor O’Donnell.

This helped them record a 0-23 to 1-18 triumph, and when you also factor in their 0-20 to 0-16 win at home to Dublin seven days earlier, Jim McGuinness’ charges appear to be in fine shape at the moment.

Donegal New Favourites After Important Win

It is still early days, of course, and Donegal have a tough game on the horizon this Sunday against reigning All-Ireland champions Armagh in Ballybofey.

Having avoided defeat to the Orchard County on three occasions in 2024, there is every chance the O’Donnell men could come out on top in this fixture.

You have to go back to 2007 for Donegal’s sole National Football League success to date, but this hasn’t stopped some betting apps from making them favourites for the competition after their impressive victories over Dublin and Kerry.

Heading into this weekend’s games, Boylesports have Donegal at odds of 15/8 to supplement their Division Two triumph in 2024 by claiming top-tier glory this spring.

The experienced duo of Ryan McHugh and Paddy McBrearty showed in the Kerry game that they are more than capable of taking advantage of the new rules for Gaelic football.

The imminent return of Michael Murphy to the field of play should also add an extra dimension to their game.

Galway Still Very Much In The Running

Following their 0-26 to 0-16 win at the expense of provincial rivals Mayo last Sunday week, Galway were installed as the new favourites for the 2025 edition of the National Football League.

They have been usurped by Donegal since then, but the Tribesmen remain a strong option at 5/2.

Whereas last year saw Galway narrowly avoid relegation after playing most of the league with a massive injury list, Padraic Joyce’s men look far stronger in this year’s NFL because most of their star performers are currently fit and available.

One of the four league defeats they suffered in 2024 was at the hands of Derry.

They face the Oak Leaf County in Celtic Park this Saturday, and a reversal of last year’s fixture would certainly help to bolster their title credentials.

Kerry And Armagh Also In Contention

Before falling short to Donegal, Kerry struck three late goals to earn a comeback victory against Derry in the second round of the league.

Sean O’Shea, Dylan Geaney and Paudie Clifford shone brightly in defeat to Jack O’Connor’s men last Saturday and with David Clifford still to make his seasonal return, there could well be some life left in the Kingdom.

Ahead of their bout with Dublin at Austin Stack Park in Tralee on Saturday evening, Kerry are available at 7/2 with Boylesports for an eventual NFL final triumph.

Their 23 titles make them the most successful team in the competition, and this is one of several reasons why you can never rule them out of the running for a national crown.

It would also be foolish to dismiss Armagh’s claims, as they secured an All-Ireland title against all odds in 2024.

This year’s league began with them losing to Galway in Salthill – the team they defeated in last July’s championship decider – but they got themselves back on track with an impressive second-round win against Tyrone.

Not that it was much of a concern when they climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand in Croke Park at the end of the inter-county season, but Donegal were something of a bogey team for Armagh in 2024.

Kieran McGeeney’s men lost an NFL Division Two final to them by a single point, before suffering the agony of a penalty shootout loss to the same side in the Ulster senior football championship showpiece.

A win may well be required this weekend if the Orchard want to add a league success to their All-Ireland final victory.

The odds on them doing so currently stand at 7/1 with 10bet.

Dublin And Tyrone Outsiders For Top-Tier Win

Most GAA betting sites are offering odds of 8/1 on both Dublin and Tyrone for this year’s league.

Thus far in Division One, this duo have amassed one win and one defeat apiece. Despite winning All-Irelands within the past four years, both counties are rebuilding.

Dublin have lost a huge amount of experience in the past few months, and Tyrone are looking to make up for three disappointing championship campaigns on the bounce.

While Dublin have the aforementioned meeting with Kerry in Tralee, Tyrone are taking on Mayo in Castlebar on Sunday.

If either team were to register their second win of the season, it could very well shorten their odds for league glory.

Mayo And Derry Out Of The Running?

Due, in part, to losing both of their league games to date in 2025, Mayo and Derry are seen as outsiders at best for an NFL title in the current term.

This is in spite of the fact that they are the last two winners of the competition, but there were some question marks surrounding both camps coming into the new season.

Wins this weekend could quickly lift the mood around the counties, but for the time being, Derry and Mayo are rated as 50/1 prospects.

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated National Football League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 12 2025

Updated Six Nations Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 12 2025

Posted on February 13, 2025 by admin

Six Nations Betting: Ireland New Favourites After France Falter At Twickenham

By Daire Walsh

Following another big weekend of action, there are new favourites on the best betting sites to win the Six Nations Championship.

In the first game of round two in Rome, Italy recorded their second consecutive win over Wales in the Six Nations thanks in no small part to 17 points from the boot of the experienced Tommaso Allan.

Much like their meeting in Cardiff last year, the Welsh produced a spirited surge in the closing moments, but were ultimately defeated 22-15 at the Stadio Olimpico.

Commonly known as ‘Le Crunch’, the clash between England and France at Twickenham certainly lived up to its billing.

The lead changed hands on a couple of occasions in a frantic second half, but it was Steve Borthwick’s English side who squeezed home by a single point (26-25) courtesy of a late converted try from Elliot Daly.

It was then left for Scotland and Ireland to complete the weekend’s action at Murrayfield.

Having gone into the game with 10 consecutive wins against the Scots across a number of different tournaments, Ireland once again put their Celtic counterparts to the sword with a 32-18 bonus-point triumph.

Ireland Clear Favourites For Six Nations Title

A fallow weekend follows in the Six Nations, but heading into their showdown with Wales in Cardiff on March 22, Ireland are top of the Championship table – four points clear of France and England.

Given they are now the only unbeaten side left in the tournament, having won both games, Ireland will be daring to dream of pulling off a second Six Nations Grand Slam in the space of three years.

Time will tell if the Green Army have it within them to pull off this feat in 2025, but in the eyes of practically every bookmaker on the market, they are the new favourites to claim the Championship crown for an unprecedented third time in succession.

Just behind France in the betting for the Six Nations before the second round, Ireland are now seen as the most likely winners of the tournament this year.

That is the case despite Simon Easterby being in charge of the team on an interim basis while Andy Farrell focuses his attention on being head coach of the British & Irish Lions.

Several betting apps have Ireland as 1/2 favourites for the Six Nations.

After waiting until 2009 for their first triumph in the tournament since it became the Six Nations nine years earlier, the Irish are seemingly now in line for their seventh title triumph under the current format.

France Still In The Running

Although the Grand Slam is now out of reach, France are certainly not out of the running for the Championship and will believe that a consistent run could see them reclaim the Six Nations for the first time since 2022.

The round four showdown with Ireland in Dublin on March 8 could be their chance to reinforce their authority in the tournament, but before then they will hope for a return to winning ways against Italy in Rome.

There remains an abundance of talent spread throughout this French team – not least in the shape of team captain Antoine Dupont, Damian Penaud and Gregory Alldritt.

Les Bleus are 7/2 second favourites for the Championship with rugby betting sites.

England Still In With An Outside Chance

Despite overcoming France at Twickenham, England are currently rated as third favourites for the Six Nations – though the general odds of 5/1 that are available on the English only puts them marginally behind France in the race for the Championship title.

There have been some concerns over England’s ability to deliver a consistent run of results and next up for them is another home game on Saturday week against Scotland, who have beaten their arch rivals in each of the past four Six Nations tournaments.

Yet if England manage to turn over the Scots on this occasion, it will give them a fighting chance of claiming the Championship going into their duels with Italy and Wales in the final two rounds.

Inconsistency Makes Scotland Six Nations Victory Unlikely

Scotland have also struggled for consistency in recent years and after claiming a bonus-point win over Italy in the opening round, they fell to a disappointing 32-18 defeat at the hands of Ireland.

The clash of heads that led to both Finn Russell and Darcy Graham being withdrawn was extremely unfortunate for head coach Gregor Townsend, but there were already warning signs before their withdrawals in the 22nd minute.

Without a title since it became the Six Nations Championship in 2000 (they were the last winners of the Five Nations a year earlier), it once again seems highly improbable that the Scots will make a breakthrough in the next few weeks.

At odds of 50/1 with William Hill, Scotland are viewed as outsiders for the Championship.

Italy And Wales Out Of The Picture

These odds are far more favourable than the ones being offered for Italy and Wales, however, with both of these nations out of the running.

Italy are making considerable strides, but are 500/1 with BoyleSports for a shock Championship success.

The situation is even bleaker for Wales, whose coach Warren Gatland left his role by mutual consent three days after the defeat by Italy – their second loss of the tournament.

Previously regarded as one of the most feared sides in the Six Nations – particularly during the first tenure of Gatland between 2007-19 – they are now an astonishing 2500/1 with Spreadex to come away with the top prize.

Posted in International Rugby | Comments Off on Updated Six Nations Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 12 2025

Leinster Schools Senior Cup Quarter-Final: Terenure College V Wesley College – The Irish Examiner – February 12 2025

Posted on February 11, 2025 by admin

Four-try Terenure progress to Leinster Schools Senior Cup semis with routine win against Wesley

With Gareth Morgan also contributing 15 points off the kicking to supplement clinical finishes over the whitewash by Ethan Balamash, Ben Blaney, Geoff O’Sullivan and Josh Mooney, ‘Nure are now just 70 minutes away from reaching a first final at this grade since 2009
DAIRE WALSH, ENERGIA PARK

Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final: Terenure College 35 Wesley College 7 

Terenure College registered four tries at Energia Park on Wednesday afternoon to comfortably book their place in the semi-finals of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup at the expense of south Dublin rivals Wesley College.

With Gareth Morgan also contributing 15 points off the kicking to supplement clinical finishes over the whitewash by Ethan Balamash, Ben Blaney, Geoff O’Sullivan and Josh Mooney, ‘Nure are now just 70 minutes away from reaching a first final at this grade since 2009.

After coming under some initial pressure, Terenure – who defeated Clongowes Wood College in the opening round – broke the deadlock courtesy of a fourth-minute penalty from fly-half Morgan. This helped them to settle into the contest and after flanker Mooney had carried powerfully inside the Wesley half on six minutes, Terenure spread the ball out wide for Balamash to race on the right-wing.

Morgan followed up his successful conversion to this score with a routine penalty and in the wake of Wesley back-row Louis L’Estrange being sent to the sin-bin, Terenure broke through for a second try from No 8 Blaney on the stroke of 20 minutes.

‘Nure did suffer a minor set-back when their lock Frank Maher was yellow carded, but the 10-time champions ultimately held firm in his temporary absence to bring a 20-0 cushion into the interval.

While Morgan fired a place-kick past the posts at the very end of the opening period, he made amends a little over five minutes into the second half to enhance an already comfortable Terenure lead.

The Templeogue Road outfit continued to dominate possession and territory as the action progressed and after full-back O’Sullivan had bagged their third try on 48 minutes, the impressive Mooney rounded off another enterprising attack with his own five-pointer inside the final-quarter.

To their credit, Wesley persevered with their challenge and out-half Charlie Hempenstall finally opened their account with a late try off a well-worked move that he also converted. Yet this proved to be a mere consolation for the Ballinteer school on a day when Terenure convincingly became the first side to reach the penultimate rounds of this year’s Senior Cup.

Scorers for Terenure College: Tries: E Balamash, B Blaney, G O’Sullivan, J Mooney Cons: G Morgan 3 Pens: G Morgan 3.

Scorers for Wesley College: Tries: C Hempenstall Cons: C Hempenstall.

TERENURE COLLEGE: G O’Sullivan (W O’Leary 55); E Balmash, M Kennedy, A Swords, B Dohnal (N Fallon 52); G Morgan, J Coleman (A Boehm 61); P Kelly (L Zelman 52), C Hyland (R O’Brien 35), A Cooper (E McMonagle 61); L McNiff (M Candon 61), F Maher; J Mooney (S Gavin 54), M Smyth, B Blaney.

WESLEY COLLEGE: M Colbert; M Wystepek, D Gilmore (R Fox 63), N Heatley, J Duffy; C Hempenstall, J Freyne (S Ryan 65); E Caddow (R Neill 65), T Burke (J Cullen 69), J Cullen (J Mulhall 54); A Gordon, I Reid (H Jones 70); L L’Estrange (C Whelan 58), S McMullin (H Shannon 54), T Campbell.

Referee: R Jenkinson (LRR).

Posted in Schools Rugby | Comments Off on Leinster Schools Senior Cup Quarter-Final: Terenure College V Wesley College – The Irish Examiner – February 12 2025

Updated National Hurling League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 11 2025

Posted on February 11, 2025 by admin

GAA Betting: Who Are The Contenders For 2025 National Hurling League Title?

By Daire Walsh

The competition is set to take a momentary pause before resuming the weekend after next, but after three intense rounds of competitive fare, the betting sites are once again examining who the main contenders are for this year’s National Hurling League.

While it was Cork’s turn to take a break last weekend, the remaining six sides in Division 1A were in action across Saturday and Sunday in three different provinces.

On Saturday at Chadwicks Wexford Park, two goals from Mossy Keoghan and an eight-point haul by Eoin Cody helped Kilkenny to record a 2-17 to 0-15 triumph at the expense of Wexford.

Later on the same day at Pearse Stadium in Salthill, Anthony Burns amassed an impressive tally of 2-3 as Galway got the better of near rivals and defending champions Clare on a final score of 2-21 to 0-20.

The TUS Gaelic Grounds was the setting for a thrilling encounter between Limerick and Tipperary on Sunday.

Although their opponents had a number of fine performers throughout the game, the scoring prowess of Diarmaid Byrnes (0-7), Aidan O’Connor (0-5) and Aaron Gillane (0-4) helped Limerick to earn a 0-30 to 1-23 success over their provincial adversaries.

Limerick Favourites For League Success

As a consequence of these results, it is very tight at the summit of the NHL top-tier table with Tipperary, Kilkenny and Galway all on four points each after recording two wins and one defeat to date.

It should be noted that Cork and Limerick both have a game in hand and are just a point adrift of the aforementioned trio, so these league standings could change very quickly.

Nevertheless, bookmakers have to form a view based on the evidence to date in 2025 and due to the nature of the result and their performance, Limerick are now the favourites for NHL glory in the wake of that win over Tipperary.

The fact that Cork weren’t involved in the recent round of fixtures might help matters, but the Treaty County looked like they meant business last weekend.

Some players will return to the team soon, but ahead of their visit to Kilkenny on February 23, John Kiely’s men are 13/8 with betting apps for a league final victory at the beginning of April.

Cork Firmly In The Reckoning For NHL Glory

Although it will have been three weeks since their last competitive game when they face Tipperary at Semple Stadium on February 22, Cork remain second favourites for a league title triumph – which would be their first in 27 years.

Despite the disappointment of losing out to Clare in last July’s All-Ireland final after extra-time, the Leesiders set out their stall in the opening round of this year’s league by securing a 15-point win against Wexford.

A knee injury has unfortunately ruled Padraig Power out for the rest of the season – he contributed 1-4 in the Wexford game – but the Rebels showed in their draw with Limerick at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on February 1 that they can mix it with the very best teams in the country.

At 2/1 with 10bet, Pat Ryan’s side remain very strong candidates for a springtime league success.

Kilkenny And Tipperary Also In The Running

Even though they lost to Galway on their home patch of Nowlan Park in round three, Kilkenny – beaten NHL finalists in the past two years – are still in a very strong position due to wins over Clare and Wexford on either side of the match.

Cian Kenny and Billy Ryan joined the aforementioned duo of Keoghan and Cody in delivering strong performances against the latter. This was a much-needed win ahead of hosting Limerick on Sunday.

While he has won a brace of Leinster senior hurling championship titles since replacing his former manager Brian Cody in the hot seat, Cats boss Derek Lyng could see winning a league title as a confidence boost ahead of the championship.

As it stands, Boylesports view this prospect as a 5/1 possibility.

Coming in just behind them at 7/1 are Tipperary, who enjoyed a whirlwind start to the year with back-to-back wins against Galway and Wexford.

There was certainly no shame in losing to Limerick by four points last weekend, and Seanie Kenneally’s majestic 48th-minute goal lit up the contest and gave the Premier County a fighting chance of success before Limerick ultimately claimed the spoils.

This is a big year for Liam Cahill after a couple of underwhelming championship campaigns and he is clearly doing his utmost to lay the groundwork in the spring for what he hopes will be a profitable summer.

Galway And Clare Given Outside Chances

In the aftermath of a 12-point loss to Tipperary in the opening round of the league at Pearse Stadium, things looked rather bleak for Galway.

However, the Tribesmen have picked things up considerably over the past fortnight with victories at the expense of Kilkenny and Clare.

It may be dangerous to read too much into either their defeat to Tipp or the wins that followed it, but Micheal Donoghue has had a good look at several players in the early stages of his second term as Galway boss.

He will be hopeful of developing a settled team by the end of their league campaign.

He previously guided them to an NHL title in 2017, and the westerners are currently rated at 9/1 to add to that this year.

Strange as it might seem, Clare, the reigning league and championship winners, are well down the pecking order when it comes to defending their crown.

This is perhaps understandable when you consider that the Banner lost their opening two games of this year’s league and are still without a number of regular starters.

The inspirational Tony Kelly did appear off the bench against Galway and he will need to be firing on all cylinders if Clare are to pull off another league success from their current position.

It shouldn’t be completely ruled out of the equation, but their odds of 12/1 ahead of their home outing with Wexford on February 23 suggests there is only an outside chance of this happening.

Avoiding Relegation The Main Aim For Wexford

Realistically, after three straight defeats, Wexford will need to win that game against Clare to have any chance of avoiding relegation to Division 1B of the NHL for 2026.

There were some positives in the second-half performance against Kilkenny last Saturday, but Keith Rossiter’s side had left themselves with far too much to do following a lacklustre opening period.

They remain without a substantial amount of experience and know-how in their team and are currently rated at 200/1 with GAA betting sites for a shock National Hurling League success.

Posted in Gaelic Games, Hurling | Comments Off on Updated National Hurling League Odds Piece: Gambling.com – February 11 2025