Post-Match Reaction: SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division – Cork City Manager Frank Kelleher – The Evening Echo – June 24 2025

Posted on June 24, 2025 by admin

Cork City manager Frank Kelleher: We’ve got to give the players time

‘There is a huge amount of improvement. The character is better, but the football we play is much, much better now’

DAIRE WALSH

Cork City manager Frank Kelleher said he was ‘hugely disappointed’ after his side fell short in their bid to claim a share of the spoils against Shamrock Rovers in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division on Saturday evening.

Following a 13th-minute opener from former Republic of Ireland international Aine O’Gorman – a rebounded finish after an Emily Corbet effort had taken a wicked deflection off a City defender – Joy Ralph also found the range to ensure Rovers brought a 2-0 cushion into the interval.

Yet City were much improved in the second half and gave themselves a lifeline when Eva Mangan rattled the opposition net on 76 minutes.

City ultimately suffered a 2-1 reversal in the end and given how well he believes his troops performed upon the resumption, Kelleher was frustrated to come away empty-handed from the Dublin venue.

“I’m hugely disappointed that we didn’t get a draw here today because the second half we dominated for 45 minutes.

“Simple as that.

“What we wanted to do, we changed the formation at half-time because they were getting too much control in the middle.

DISAPPOINTED

“We made a few tactical changes, it worked away. I’m hugely disappointed with that result,” Kelleher explained in the aftermath of Saturday’s game.

“Our season, the luck that we’ve had as a football team this year, I just can’t figure it out. 

“That [O’Gorman’s opener] is a deflected goal. It was an aimless shot, a deflective goal and it goes in. The offside up in Limerick.

“I could go on and on and on. There’s three or four. One of the great things today, we didn’t concede from a corner.

“That’s a huge positive for me, we’ve corrected that again today.”

Despite picking up just one point from their last six league games, Kelleher, who returned for a second spell as City boss in early January, is confident his side are beginning to make significant progress.

The Leesiders will switch their focus to the Women’s FAI Cup and a first-round bout with Peamount United at Turner’s Cross this Saturday.

Ninth-place City will be looking to add to their current points of tally of seven when they subsequently return to Premier Division action against Munster rivals Waterford on July 12.

“There is a huge amount of improvement in this team. The character is better, but the football we play is much, much better now.

“It has taken me six months to get to this stage,” Kelleher added.

“I’m in late in the pre-season, I lose 11 players. What do people expect?

INCHES

“It takes time and it takes players playing to a system that they’re now very familiar with it. They know their roles and responsibilities.

“You’ve got to give them time, but now it’s inches rather than miles.”

 

Posted in League Of Ireland, Women's Soccer | Comments Off on Post-Match Reaction: SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division – Cork City Manager Frank Kelleher – The Evening Echo – June 24 2025

SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division: Bohemians V Shamrock Rovers – The Irish Times – June 24 2025

Posted on June 23, 2025 by admin

Bohs keep title race alive as they earn third Dublin Derby win of season

Goals from Dayle Rooney and James Clarke prove decisive in impressive win

Premier Division: Bohemians 2 (Rooney 2, Clarke 39) Shamrock Rovers 0

First-half goals from Dayle Rooney and James Clarke were decisive as Bohemians earned their third Dublin Derby win of the season over pace-setters Shamrock Rovers in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division at Dalymount Park last night.

Adding to previous victories at the Aviva Stadium and Tallaght Stadium on February 16th and April 21st respectively, Bohs produced an excellent team performance to once again claim the bragging rights over their arch rivals.

The starting line-up Rovers boss Stephen Bradley selected for this game showed no fewer than eight changes from the side that earned a convincing 4-1 victory against Cork City in Tallaght last Friday.

Bohs supremo Alan Reynolds kept faith with much of the team from a 2-1 defeat to his former club Waterford three days earlier, but Liam Smith, John Mountney and Clarke were given a chance to impress. Clarke was operating in a false nine role in the Gypsies attack and he played a crucial part in their blistering opening to the action.

Capitalising on some hesitancy from Rovers defender Roberto Lopes, the outstretched boot of Clarke flicked the ball into the direction of Rooney and he proceeded to drill a powerful strike beyond the reach of Ed McGinty with less than two minutes gone on the clock.

This was a dream start for a Bohs side who were playing with the aid of strong breeze in the first half and they continued to dictate matters against a Rovers outfit who were struggling to get a foothold in the play.

The hosts played with energy and desire throughout the opening period, and were close to doubling their account when a spectacular long-distance drive from Mountney marginally cleared the crossbar inside the second-quarter.

Yet a ravenous Bohs maintained their search for a second goal and ultimately enhanced their lead in the 39th minute. After he had linked up superbly with Dawson Devoy, Ross Tierney crossed enticingly from the right-flank and although Hoops centre-half Daniel Cleary initially got his foot to the ball, it rebounded off the waiting Clarke for a second Gypsies goal.

This left Rovers staring into a 2-0 interval deficit and having scored a brace as a starter in that comfortable triumph against Cork City on Friday, Michael Noonan was introduced upon the resumption as the visitors desperately sought a way back into contention.

Former Bohs duo Dylan Watts and Daniel Mandroiu were also added to the mix on 53 minutes, but despite Watts forcing a fine save out of custodian Kacpet Chorazka not long after he had replaced Jack Byrne, the Gypsies’ two-goal cushion remained intact on the hour mark.

While there had been a noticeable increase in tempo from the Rovers, they were nevertheless finding it difficult to create clear-cut opportunities against their long-time rivals. In fact, Lopes had to come to the rescue of the Hoops on 73 minutes with his goal-line clearance preventing Devoy from securing what would have been an insurance goal.

Yet even though there were six additional minutes played, Bohs held firm to move nine points adrift of Rovers in the Premier Division standings with two games in hand.

The Gypsies now find themselves second in the top-flight table after a goal deep into stoppage-time by Cork City’s Djenairo Daniels ensured Drogheda United had to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Leesiders at Turner’s Cross.

Goals from Jad Hakiki and Francely Lomboto helped Sligo Rovers to record a 2-1 Connacht derby win at the expense of Galway United, while a 29th minute effort by Liam Boyce earned Derry City a 1-0 triumph over St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park.

BOHEMIANS: Chorazka; Smith, Cornwall, Morahan, Mountney; Flores, McDonnell (Buckley, 64 mins); Tierney, Devoy, Rooney; Clarke.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty; Cleary (Ozhianvuna, 81 mins), Lopes, Grace (Kovalevskis, 88 mins); McEneff (Mandroiu, 53 mins), Grant, Healy, Honohan; Byrne (Watts, 53 mins), Burke; Greene (Noonan, 46 mins).

Referee: K O’Sullivan (Cork).

Posted in League Of Ireland | Comments Off on SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division: Bohemians V Shamrock Rovers – The Irish Times – June 24 2025

SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division: Shamrock Rovers V Cork City – The Evening Echo – June 23 2025

Posted on June 23, 2025 by admin

City fall just short to Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght

Battling performance from the Rebel Army didn’t yield a reward

DAIRE WALSH

Shamrock Rovers 2 Cork City 1

Despite producing a commendable second-half performance, Cork City fell to a narrow defeat at the hands of Shamrock Rovers in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday evening.

Seeking to bounce back from a 4-2 league defeat at home to Galway United seven days earlier, City went close to breaking the deadlock as Christina Dring fired wide off a Fiana Bradley delivery on the right wing in the 11th minute.

Yet Joy Ralph and Ella Kelly had previously gone close for the Rovers at the opposite end and the hosts ultimately opened the scoring on 13 minutes. After an Emily Corbet strike was deflected onto the post by a City defender, former Republic of Ireland women’s international Aine O’Gorman was on hand to comfortably sweep home the rebound.

This was a setback for the Leesiders and while a long-distance effort from Lauren Homan forced a low save out of Rovers netminder Summer Lawless, the City defence breathed a sigh of relief when Ralph headed a Kelly cross agonisingly past the target.

The Hoops continued to pose an attacking threat as the play progressed and when she was picked out inside the area by O’Gorman on the half-hour mark, Ralph turned sharply before unleashing a powerful shot to the back of the City net.

This left City staring into a 2-0 deficit at the interval, albeit matters could have been worse for Frank Kelleher’s side if Clodagh Fitzgerald hadn’t made a brace of fine stops towards the end of the opening period.

The Cork back-four were also battling to good effect and with skipper Ciara McNamara bringing her experience to bear, the visitors largely restricted Rovers to half-chances during the third quarter.

Although City only named four players on their substitutes’ bench, the youthful Amy McCarthy was introduced for Fiana Bradley on 62 minutes and she was perilously to getting a goal-bound shot away from inside the penalty area moments later.

Shaunagh McCarthy also fired over the crossbar from a tight angle inside the final quarter and when Eva Mangan capitalised on the hard work of Sophia Redmond to superbly rattle the net on 76 minutes, a grandstand conclusion to the contest suddenly lay in store.

They ultimately fell to a fifth loss in their last six Women’s Premier Division games, but City can nevertheless bring a number of positives from this tie into their FAI Cup clash against Peamount United at Turner’s Cross next weekend.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Summer Lawless; Fiona Owens, Scarlett Herron, Maria Reynolds, Keelin Comiskey; Ella Kelly, Melissa O’Kane; Aine O’Gorman, Claire O’Reilly (Katie O’Reilly 62), Emily Corbet (Anna Butler 83); Joy Ralph.

CORK CITY: Clodagh Fitzgerald; Zoe Finnerty, Ciara O’Driscoll, Ciara McNamara, Shaunagh McCarthy (Sophia Redmond 74); Lauren Homan, Heidi Mackin; Fiana Bradley (Amy McCarthy 62), Eva Mangan, Christina Dring; Ellie O’Brien.

Referee: Glen Geraghty.

Posted in League Of Ireland, Women's Soccer | Comments Off on SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division: Shamrock Rovers V Cork City – The Evening Echo – June 23 2025

British & Irish Lions Community Engagement Event: Finn Russell – The Irish Sun On Sunday – June 22 2025

Posted on June 23, 2025 by admin
ALL FRIENDS

‘We had a laugh about it’ – Finn Russell reveals Johnny Sexton rivalry was ‘put to bed’ by Andy Farrell after book jabs

The Scotland international reacted to the strong Irish presence in the Lions squad
Daire Walsh

FINN RUSSELL is glad to be in the same corner as his former out-half rival Johnny Sexton in the Lions’ quest for a series triumph in Australia.

When the Lions toured South Africa four years ago, Ireland legend Sextonmissed out on selection as Warren Gatland looked to Russell, Dan Biggarand Owen Farrell as his fly-half options.

The Kiwi also drafted Marcus Smith into the set-up as injury cover.

Addressing this topic in his autobiography ‘Obsessed’, Sexton said Scottish place-kicker Russell had been ‘the darling of the media’ during the 2021 Six Nations in the build-up to the tour.

Last October, Sexton called Russell ‘flashy’ and stated he would choose Farrell as Lions No  10.

Sexton is now working with Russell in his capacity as an assistant coach to Andy Farrell, Owen’s dad.

Yet the pair stressed in recent interviews that there was no bad blood and Russell reiterated the point after the 28-24 defeat by Argentina on Friday.

Posted in European Rugby, International Rugby | Comments Off on British & Irish Lions Community Engagement Event: Finn Russell – The Irish Sun On Sunday – June 22 2025

British & Irish Lions Community Engagement Event: Jack Conan – The Irish Sun – June 21 2025

Posted on June 21, 2025 by admin

LION HEART

Jack Conan solely focused on British and Irish Lions duty just days after URC glory with Leinster

Fresh from lifting the URC trophy with Leinster, Jack Conan had little time to soak it in before packing his bags for an eight-week Lions tour
Daire Walsh

WITH precious little time between lifting the URC trophy and linking up with the Lions, Jack Conan made sure to worry more about care of the dog than the hair of the dog.

Along with the retiring Cian Healy and the injured Caelan Doris — for whom he stood in as team captain — Conan raised Leinster’s long-awaited latest piece of silverware last Saturday at Croke Park after the 32-7 final victory over the Bulls.

This was cause for celebration but with Conan being one of 12 Blues players selected in the Lions squad for the upcoming trip to Australia, there was never going to be a huge amount of time for him to bask in URC glory.

While he did not feature against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium last night, he was in UCD yesterday morning as a number of Lions players hosted a training session for 90 schoolchildren from right across Ireland.

And pressed on how much time he had to enjoy his province’s success, the back-row ace said: “The afterglow went pretty quickly on Monday morning when you had to pack up for the next eight weeks of your life.

“We had a great few days, it was nice. A few pints on Sunday as well early doors, which was good. I felt fresh enough on Monday morning.

“I had to go down to Bray at seven in the morning to get the dog. I was home early, so I was being wise.

“Monday was good. We didn’t have much to do. We just came in, met everyone and got our gear.

“We had a proper runout here on Tuesday, which was soul-searching stuff. We had to run out the demons.

“You’d love to be playing against Argentina, but it is what it is. Everyone has been training away for the last week without us, so hopefully get a run out soon.”

Just a few short months before starting all three Tests that the Lions played during their tour of South Africa in 2021, Wicklow native Conan was in the Leinster side for their PRO14 final win over arch rivals Munster at the RDS.

That was the last major title the Blues got their hands on until they collected the URC crown last weekend so Conan, 32, will hope for the same again as he looks to follow up a trophy in blue with a big summer in red.

There are still some question marks over whether the 2024-25 season will be deemed a success or a failure for Leinster given their latest Champions Cup bid ended in a shock semi-final loss to Northampton Saints at the Aviva Stadium.

Yet even though he acknowledges their defeat to the English Premiership outfit was a difficult one to take, Conan stressed any campaign that sees a team winning a trophy ought to be regarded as a satisfactory one.

He added: “I think any season where you win something can never be deemed a failure.

“Obviously we want to go well in both competitions. I think if it hadn’t been for the performance against Northampton . . . even if we had lost that game but we performed really well, I don’t think people would have said much about it.

“The problem is when you are winning most of the time, it papers over cracks a little bit, so we had to have a good hard look at ourselves.

“You get to win a trophy in Croke Park with all your mates.

“At the end of the day, I would have taken that.

“I definitely wouldn’t say it was a failure but there’s definitely more in this club and in the lads.

“Hopefully a big few years still now ahead of us.”

Posted in European Rugby, International Rugby | Comments Off on British & Irish Lions Community Engagement Event: Jack Conan – The Irish Sun – June 21 2025

The Big Interview: Aoife McCoy (Armagh/St Patrick’s Dromintee/Shane O’Neills) – Media West Ireland – June 21 2025

Posted on June 21, 2025 by admin

Aoife McCoy hoping Armagh’s rising tide can push them on to ultimate All-Ireland glory

By Daire Walsh

When it comes to searching for inspiration in their pursuit of TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship glory, Aoife McCoy and the Armagh ladies footballers have the ideal guiding forces.

Back on 28 July of last year, the Armagh men’s team edged out Galway to claim their second All-Ireland title – and the first since a breakthrough success in 2002. In the 1-11 to 0-13 triumph at Croke Park, defensive duo Barry McCambridge and Connaire Mackin played crucial roles in getting the Orchard County over the line.

Eight days earlier, McCambridge’s sisters Clodagh and Meabh featured alongside Mackin’s sibling Blaithin (his other sister Aimee was missing through injury) as Armagh lost out to Kerry at the penultimate stage of the LGFA’s top-tier championship at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

The aforementioned McCoy lined out at centre-half forward in that game and as Armagh aim to go a couple of steps further in this year’s Brendan Martin Cup, she acknowledges the achievements of their male counterparts could help to spur them on.

“I think plenty of people have said it. The boys winning the All-Ireland last year, not really realising it, but it has maybe been a good push for ourselves as well. It has just brought a lot of happiness and stuff to the county. I think for ourselves it probably has pushed us on,” McCoy explained.

“We have a lot of girls that have siblings that are involved in that panel. The likes of Clodagh and the Mackins and stuff like that. Definitely you’re trying to emulate that success. Even without knowing it, it probably has pushed us on that bit more too.”

Despite losing out to Galway on the same margin that they defeated them by in that 2024 decider, the Armagh men had already qualified for the quarter-final phase of the All-Ireland senior championship prior to their group stage meeting last weekend.

McCoy and her Orchard colleagues will also be hoping to have booked a spot in the last eight of the Brendan Martin Cup by the time the final whistle sounds in their Group 3 clash with Kildare at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds today (throw-in 2pm).

Should Armagh get the better of the Lilywhites, they will join Meath – who they have drawn with in their sole group fixture to date – in the All-Ireland quarter-finals on the weekend of 5/6 July.

The Orchard women could also potentially claim top spot ahead of a Meath side that secured a three-point victory against provincial rivals Kildare last weekend, but McCoy stressed the main focus will be on trying to get the better of the latter side on home soil.

“At the end of the day, we’re going out to get a win first of all. A win will basically secure us a spot in the quarter-final and then after that, obviously we’d love to finish first in the group. To get that home quarter-final, that would be great. We’ll be focusing really on a win first and then just take it from there to see how it goes.

“They [Kildare] have obviously come into Division One this year and they’ve maintained their status there. In 2023 they won the intermediate, so they’re a very good side. We played them earlier in the year down in Silverbridge.

“That was a home game for us. We had a very good performance that day, we were going pretty well in the league at the time, but they’re a very good team and they have some quality players.”

While McCoy has played in no fewer than six Lidl National Football League finals since breaking onto the Armagh panel in 2014 – winning a brace of Division 2 crowns to go alongside victories in Division 1 and Division 3 – her sole All-Ireland final appearance to date at adult level has been on the club scene.

Although she hails from St Patrick’s Dromintee GAC, McCoy had a previous spell with Shane O’Neills in Camlough at a point when her home club weren’t in a position to field a team. Joining her on this adopted side were fellow Dromintee footballers Shauna Grey and Katie Daly, and it proved to be a productive time for this triumvirate.

After helping them to secure county and provincial honours earlier in the year, McCoy, Grey and Daly featured for Shane O’Neills in an All-Ireland intermediate club final against Galway’s Annaghdown at Parnell Park in December 2016.

A superb 2-04 haul from Aimee Mackin wasn’t enough to get the Ulster champions past their Connacht opponents, but McCoy admitted reaching this showpiece was part of a great adventure with the Camlough outfit.

“It was really nice. I think momentum just grew with Shane O’Neills that year. They had a very good team, but momentum just seemed to build each game. A great experience to say that you played in an All-Ireland club final and unfortunately we just couldn’t get the result.

“I have to say, it was a really enjoyable couple of years with Shane O’Neills. Obviously Dromintee is my club and I absolutely love it, but we probably couldn’t have asked for a better club to be transferred to. It was a brilliant experience with a great group of girls.”

Even though she has been working from home for the past few years in her role as a software engineer with Liberty IT, McCoy currently lives in Lisburn – a place just outside of Belfast that forms the boundary between Antrim and Down. This leaves her with a slightly longer journey to inter-county training than those who are based within Armagh, but the 2024 TG4 All Star winner doesn’t see this as a major burden.

“It’s about 50 minutes up and down to training. There are people who travel far worse than that. I can’t really complain too much,” McCoy added.

“It’s my only job that I’ve had since I graduated out of university. I’m in the company probably coming up to 10 years now, which is mental, but it’s a great company. I’m very lucky since the Covid pandemic that I’ve been working from home. It suits with the football as well. It gives me that bit of flexibility.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Aoife McCoy (Armagh/St Patrick’s Dromintee/Shane O’Neills) – Media West Ireland – June 21 2025

Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 18 2025

Posted on June 18, 2025 by admin

GAA Hurling Betting Tips: 3 Bets For This Weekend Including Limerick Vs Dublin

Article By Daire Walsh

With six teams remaining, leading GAA betting sites are gearing up for a thrilling conclusion to this year’s All-Ireland senior hurling championship.

Dublin and Tipperary eased past Kildare and Laois respectively, securing dominant 20+ point wins in the previous round.

While it’s debatable how much they learned from such one-sided clashes, both counties have at least earned another week in the competition, and a shot at shaking things up in the quarter-finals.

Two Quarter-Finals Down For Decision This Weekend

This Saturday at Croke Park, Limerick will face Dublin in the first of two All-Ireland senior hurling championship quarter-finals.

Later that day, Leinster finalists Galway and Tipperary will continue their compelling championship saga.

The winners of these matches will join provincial champions Cork and Kilkenny in the penultimate stage of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, taking place over the weekend of July 5 and 6.

Though plenty has already been at stake this year, Saturday’s games carry huge significance, and we’ve highlighted what we believe are the three best bets for this latest instalment of the hurling championship quarter-finals.

Dublin Vs Limerick: Lynch To Shine

Limerick last featured in an All-Ireland SHC quarter-final back in 2018.

That year, their 0-27 to 1-22 win over Kilkenny proved the springboard for their first Liam MacCarthy Cup triumph since 1973.

In 2018, they entered the quarter-finals via a preliminary clash, so coming in now as beaten Munster finalists is a new experience for several players in this squad.

Dublin find themselves in a similar situation, having fallen to Cork by five points in this year’s quarter-final at Thurles.

Dublin possess players capable of troubling Limerick, but Treaty manager John Kiely commands a side with some of the finest hurlers in the country.

Chief among them is captain Cian Lynch, a driving creative force in many of Limerick’s standout displays.

While Aaron Gillane is a shorter-priced option, punters may find value in the 9/2 offered by BoyleSports on Lynch being named RTE Man of the Match on Saturday.

GAA Hurling Tip 1: Dublin Vs Limerick: Cian Lynch To Be Named RTE Man Of The Match  – 9/2 With BoyleSports

Tipperary Vs Galway: Tight Contest Expected

Since their 2010 quarter-final at Croke Park, these sides have met seven times in the championship – six of which were decided by one or two points.

The sole exception came in 2014, when Tipp ran out nine-point winners after trailing by six early in the second half.

Galway dominated a trio of All-Ireland semi-finals from 2015 to 2017, winning two of three, and also overcame Tipperary in the 2020 and 2023 quarter-finals.

The Tribesmen come into this clash after a disappointing Leinster final defeat to Kilkenny back on June 8.

However, a late burst of 1-6 without reply showed their attacking potential, cutting the margin from 13 to just four.

Tipperary’s firepower may prove decisive, but given the narrow margins in recent games, 4/1 with betting apps on a Tipp win by between one and three points look tempting for what should be another tight contest.

GAA Hurling Tip 2: Tipperary Vs Galway: Tipperary To Win By 1-3 Points  – 4/1 With BoyleSports

Tipperary Vs Galway: McGrath Has The Midas Touch

Goals could prove decisive in Saturday’s clash between Tipperary and Galway.

Tipp have netted 10 goals in five championship matches so far in 2025, while Galway have matched that total in six games.

Defensively, both teams have been vulnerable. Tipperary have conceded nine goals, and Galway – albeit with one more game played – have let in 13.

While outscoring your opponent in goals doesn’t guarantee victory, both sides will look to gain momentum from any green flags raised.

John McGrath has been particularly effective in this regard.

The forward struck twice in Tipperary’s 2-23 to 2-23 draw with Limerick in the Munster championship opener, and repeated the feat in their 4-18 to 2-21 win over Clare.

Though he hasn’t scored in his last two outings, McGrath remains a potent attacking threat.

With that in mind, odds of 6/1 with GAA betting sites on him to score two or more goals for a third time this season could prove irresistible for punters seeking value in what promises to be a high-scoring affair.

GAA Hurling Tip 3: Tipperary Vs Galway: John McGrath To Score 2+ Goals – 6/1 With BoyleSpots

Posted in Gaelic Games, Hurling | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 18 2025

Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 17 2025

Posted on June 17, 2025 by admin

GAA Football Betting Tips: 3 Bets For This Weekend’s Action

Article By Daire Walsh

Now that we have finally reached the knockout stages of the competition, betting sites are taking an even greater interest in this year’s All-Ireland senior football championship.

Following the conclusion of the Sam Maguire Cup group stages last weekend, reigning champions Armagh, Monaghan, Tyrone and surprise package Meath have safely advanced to the quarter-final stages of the All-Ireland SFC.

Their last-eight encounters are set to take place on the weekend of June 28/29, but this weekend will determine who joins them at this phase of the championship.

Eight Teams Still Fighting For Quarter-Final Spots

After defeat to Meath saw them finish second in Group Two of the All-Ireland series, Kerry will take on Cavan in the first of two preliminary quarter-finals on Saturday.

The other fixture is the meeting of Dublin and Cork at Croke Park, fresh from their respective victories over Derry and Roscommon last weekend.

On Sunday, Galway will hope to build on their much-needed group stage win against Armagh when they face a vastly improving Down.

Completing the weekend’s action will be the clash of provincial champions Donegal and Louth at Ballybofey – their first meeting since last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final showdown.

Thanks in no small part to the new rules introduced to Gaelic football in 2025, this is proving to be one of the most exciting championships for a number of years.

It isn’t easy to pick out three tips for this weekend, but we have included below what we believe to be some of the best markets available for the preliminary quarter-finals.

Dublin And Cork Set For Another Duel

This Saturday evening, Dublin and Cork will face off for the 18th time in the All-Ireland senior football championship.

When the sides last met in the race for the Sam Maguire Cup back in June 2022, Dublin recorded a convincing 0-21 to 0-10 quarter-final win over their Leeside counterparts at Croke Park.

Four of the Dublin players who started that victory have since brought their inter-county careers to an end, and there are others who have also slipped away from the limelight in the past three years.

Cork have recorded some impressive triumphs during that period, but have also displayed a level of inconsistency that has prevented them from becoming serious challengers for All-Ireland honours.

The Leesiders can cause problems for Dublin this weekend, but their opponents are expected to win.

Yet, whereas the Sky Blues were capable of winning these types of games with a degree of comfort in the recent past, the three wins they have mustered to date in this year’s championship have been by a combined margin of 12 points.

It is also a little under three weeks since Dublin lost to defending All-Ireland champions Armagh in Croke Park.

Dublin should still come out on top, and the 15/4 that BoyleSports is offering on them winning the game by between four and six points could prove to be a good bet.

GAA Football Betting Tip 1: Dublin To Win By 4-6 Points – 15/4 With BoyleSports

Down Vs Galway Could Be High-Scoring Affair

A major feature of last weekend’s action – and of the championship thus far – was how high-scoring so many games were.

From the 16 teams that took to the field across Saturday and Sunday, 10 of them recorded a cumulative tally of 20 points or more.

The aforementioned new rules for Gaelic football have helped significantly in this regard, with two-pointers now becoming the norm in competitive encounters, as Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty and Derry attacker Shane McGuigan displayed in their group stage games last weekend.

A high-octane affair could well be in store in Newry on Sunday with home team Down coming into the game off the back of ending the All-Ireland group stages as top scorers with an outstanding haul of 4-78 from just three games.

Galway weren’t quite as prolific in their triumvirate of Group Four encounters, but they registered a handsome total of 8-50 nonetheless.

Quite often, the expectation is that the first half of games can be quite cagey affairs before the play inevitably opens up on the resumption.

Yet it is just as likely in the current climate that both halves can be every bit as exciting, with no sign of let-up from two teams who are desperately seeking victories.

With this in mind, it might be worth looking into the 10/1 that Betway is offering on the first and second half this weekend producing an equal amount of scores.

GAA Football Betting Tip 2: Highest Scoring Half Tie – 10/1 With Betway

Provincial Winners Donegal And Louth Set To Face Off

After narrowly winning their final group games last weekend, Donegal and Louth will hope to maintain their momentum this Sunday at 4pm.

Seen as one of the favourites for the All-Ireland championship for much of the year, Donegal find themselves in the preliminary quarter-finals as a result of losing their opening game of the All-Ireland SFC Group One to Tyrone.

For their part, Louth were understandably on cloud nine in the aftermath of winning their first Leinster senior football championship title in 68 years.

They subsequently suffered back-to-back group stage defeats against Monaghan and Down before eventually beating Clare at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise last Sunday.

It was a relief for Ger Brennan to see his troops booking their spot in the knockout rounds of the Sam Maguire Cup.

Defeating Donegal might be a bridge too far, but it is reasonable to expect that the Wee County will be doing their utmost to leave a mark on this weekend’s game.

Therefore, the 13/2 that betting apps are offering on Louth to lead at half-time, before ultimately being turned over by Donegal, could be worth exploring.

GAA Football Betting Tip 3: HT/FT Louth/Donegal – 13/2 With BoyleSports

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 17 2025

All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Group Four: Dublin V Leitrim – Ladiesgaelic.ie – June 15 2025

Posted on June 15, 2025 by admin

Dublin go on goal spree to secure quarter-final place

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Dublin 8-18

Leitrim 0-7

By Daire Walsh

Hannah Tyrrell and Kate Sullivan both grabbed three goals apiece at Clann Mhuire GFC on Sunday as Dublin booked their spot in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-finals with an emphatic Group 4 victory over Leitrim.

On a day when her Na Fianna club-mate Eilish O’Dowd was coming face-to-face with her sister Laura – as well as their cousin Dearbhaile Beirne, a star of domestic women’s soccer with Peamount United – Tyrrell helped herself to an outstanding tally of 3-7 for the Jackies.

In a game that was due to take place on Saturday before the original venue of Parnell Park was deemed unplayable, Dublin hit the ground running with early points from Tyrrell and Chloe Darby. Leitrim subsequently opened their account with a successful free courtesy of marauding goalkeeper Michelle Guckian, only for Dublin to immediately respond with Sullivan’s maiden goal of the contest on eight minutes.

Aiming to improve on last weekend’s draw with Waterford, the Jackies created further daylight between themselves and their Connacht counterparts with unanswered points by Tyrrell (two), Sullivan and Niamh Hetherton. While Leitrim registered back-to-back points through Leah Fox and Muireann Devaney (free), Dublin continued to attack with extreme confidence.

After Sullivan completed an opening period hat-trick with goals in the 27th and 29th minutes, Hetherton also rattled the net to guide Dublin towards an unassailable 4-12 to 0-4 interval cushion.

Although Leitrim were playing with the aid of a breeze on the resumption, their Leinster rivals maintained a ruthless streak in front of the posts. Supplementing points from Hetherton and Carla Rowe – who was playing on her home club pitch – Tyrrell fired home two goals in the space of four minutes to further underline Dublin’s supremacy.

Fox found the range for Leitrim on a brace of occasions during the third-quarter, but with Rowe bagging an impressive 1-1 salvo, Dublin remained in the driving seat.

Vivienne Egan did contribute Leitrim’s seventh point as the final whistle approached, but with just over three minutes of normal time to play, Tyrrell completed a hat-trick of her own by converting her second penalty of the second half.

As a result of this win, Waterford will need to record an even more comprehensive triumph at the expense of Leitrim next weekend in order to finish at the Group 4 summit. From a Leitrim perspective, a victory is required from that home encounter with the Deise to avoid the spectre of a relegation play-off.

Scorers – Dublin: H Tyrrell 3-7 (2-0 pen, 0-1f), K Sullivan 3-1, N Hetherton 1-4, C Rowe 1-3 (0-1f), J Tobin, S McIntyre, C Darby 0-1 each.

Leitrim: L Fox 0-3, M Guckian 0-1 (f), M Devaney 0-1 (f), A Gilmartin 0-1, V Egan 0-1.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Crowley; S Goldrick, H Leahy, A Curran; E O’Dowd, H McGinnis; C Darby, C Rowe, S McIntyre; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K Sullivan. Subs: N Owens for Curran (35), A Timothy for McIntyre (45), J Egan for Rowe (50), C Fox for Goldrick (57), A Nyhan for Hetherton (60).

LEITRIM: M Guckian; J Maye, C Tyrell, E Quigley; D Beirne, C Owens, R McIntyre; N Tighe, A Quinn; A Gilmartin, V Egan, S Quinn; L Fox, M Devaney, L O’Dowd. Subs: A Clancy for S Quinn (h-t), S Ward for A Quinn, S Reynolds for Beirne (both 49), E Shanley for Quigley (58).

Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Group Four: Dublin V Leitrim – Ladiesgaelic.ie – June 15 2025

The Big Interview: Leah Fox (Leitrim/Glencar-Manorhamilton) – Media West Ireland – June 14 2025

Posted on June 15, 2025 by admin

‘I think we can hurt a few teams in championship’ – Leitrim’s Leah Fox

By Daire Walsh

Leitrim’s Leah Fox is confident they can make an impact as they return to the TG4 All-Ireland SFC title race for the first time since 2010.

It isn’t every day that you come up against your former inter-county colleague, but that is set to be the case for Leah Fox and a host of her Leitrim team-mates this afternoon.

Back in the early months of 2020 – before the competition was ultimately cancelled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic – Glencar Manorhamilton attacker Fox played alongside Eilish O’Dowd in three of Leitrim’s games in Division 4 of the Lidl National Football League.

O’Dowd’s older sister Laura also featured for the O’Rourke County during this period, but they will now find themselves in opposite camps for today’s TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship Group 4 clash between Dublin and Leitrim at Parnell Park (throw-in 2pm).

After completing an inter-county transfer to Dublin in January 2023, Eilish helped the Jackies to claim the top-tier Brendan Martin Cup with a superb final victory over Kerry at Croke Park in August of the same year. The elder O’Dowd, Fox, team skipper Michelle Guckian and a host of others from her time in the Leitrim set-up went on to win a TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship title 12 months later, which helped to make today’s group meeting with Dublin possible.

“I suppose it will be a unique experience for Laura and Eilish. Two great players and I’m sure hopefully they’ll both be going as hard as they can, and whichever team plays best is going to win. Definitely it’s a special occasion for Laura and Eilish, and their whole family. It’s just unique. Something that they’ll look back on in years to come,” Fox acknowledged.

“She [Eilish] was there for the first year I joined. She’s an unbelievable player, a serious athlete and she’s absolutely thriving up in Dublin now. We’ll have our work cut out to keep tabs on her, along with the rest of the Dublin girls. It will be something different and a good occasion.”

Whereas Dublin kick-started their All-Ireland campaign for 2025 with a draw (1-13 apiece) against Waterford in Dungarvan last Sunday, today’s game will see Leitrim beginning their Brendan Martin Cup odyssey in earnest. A home encounter with the Deise is also pencilled in for June 21 at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon as the O’Rourke women embark on their first season in the All-Ireland senior championship since 2010.

The Jackies ended that year by winning the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time in their history and with six crowns now to their name, they have established themselves as one of the top ladies football sides in the country. A third place finish in Division 1 of the Lidl NFL and a TG4 Munster senior football championship final appearance has also shown that Waterford mean business in 2025, but Fox is extremely optimistic Leitrim can leave their imprint on this year’s competition.

“Dublin are a serious team, they’re always there or thereabouts. They’ve got very good players all across the pitch. It will be nice to test yourself against one of the top two or three. I suppose we just need to focus on our own performance, we’ve our own goals.

“We have a tough group, Waterford and Dublin. Especially Waterford are going really well this year, but I think we can hurt a few teams in the championship. It’s just waiting and hoping that we get a performance in every game we play. There is no reason why we can’t pick up a win or two.”

While Fox has started the last five games Leitrim have played this year – including TG4 Connacht senior football championship duels with Mayo and Galway – injury curtailed her involvement to a certain extent in 2024. After registering an outstanding haul of 9-13 in eight games during the county’s NFL Division 4 campaign, a knee issue restricted Fox to a substitutes’ role in their TG4 Connacht intermediate football championship final success over Roscommon in May.

She later missed All-Ireland group stage games against Tyrone and Wicklow, before returning to score a goal off the bench when Leitrim defeated Roscommon for a second time in an All-Ireland intermediate quarter-final. Fox was then used as a substitute when Jonny Garrity’s side overcame Wexford at the penultimate phase of the competition at Parnell Park and she played the final 23 minutes when Leitrim secured the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup with an outstanding 3-11 to 3-10 win over Tyrone at Croke Park on August 4, 2024.

“It was such an amazing day. I got injured last year after the league semi-final and I missed most of the championship. It was really special, but just really grateful that I could play some part in it. It wasn’t looking like I could for a lot of the year.

“I was only four I think when they won it last [2007], but it gives you people to look up to. When you’ve the likes of Michelle Guckian and Charlene Tyrrell on our team, Clare Owens. All these younger girls now are looking up to them and hopefully it won’t be too long until Leitrim are back in Croke Park again.”

Even leaving aside her achievements with Leitrim, Fox has become accustomed to success in recent years. In addition to winning five senior county championship titles on the bounce with Glencar Manorhamilton (2020-2024), she also won the 2020 Connacht intermediate championship title with her club – albeit their final victory against Geevagh actually took place in June 2021.

Fox has also been part of some memorable triumphs at colleges level with DCU Dochas Eireann, winning three AIG O’Connor Cup titles in succession from 2023 to 2025. Although she has now finished up in DCU (where she was studying secondary school teaching), she reflects fondly on her time in the capital-based institution.

“I’ve four years done in DCU, but it’s a time I really look back on with fond memories. It’s an amazing college with really good people involved in the GAA sector of it. They look after you really well and it was amazing. Never mind win three in-a-row, but one O’Connor Cup was so special,” Fox added.

“It’s just such a unique opportunity, college football, and you make so many great friends. I had a great few years in DCU and definitely three O’Connor Cups is something that is very special.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Leah Fox (Leitrim/Glencar-Manorhamilton) – Media West Ireland – June 14 2025