All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final Build-Up Piece: Karen Kennedy (Tipperary) – The Irish Examiner – July 23 2024

Posted on July 23, 2024 by admin

Karen Kennedy: ‘They were toe-to-toe with us for the whole match, I expect no different on Saturday’

Galway and Tipperary won’t be the only teams in action at Nowlan Park on Saturday as reigning All-Ireland champions Cork and Dublin will be fighting it out from 1.15pm for the other spot in the O’Duffy Cup final.
DAIRE WALSH

They may have brought one significant barren spell to an end earlier this year, but there is another major gap Karen Kennedy and her Tipperary camogie team-mates are looking to bridge this weekend.

Back on April 14 in Croke Park, Kennedy struck 1-3 as the Premier County claimed the National Camogie League Division 1A crown with a slender final victory (1-13 to 0-15) over Galway. By getting past the challenge of Cathal Murray’s westerners, Tipperary secured their first national title in the sport since their league and championship double of 2004.

Fast forward a little over three months later and it is Galway who once again provide the opposition to Denis Kelly’s side in an All-Ireland senior camogie championship semi-final encounter at Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park on Saturday (throw-in 3pm). You have to go back 18 years for the last time the Premier competed in an O’Duffy Cup decider – provincial rivals Cork defeated them on that occasion – and making a return to the biggest day in the camogie calendar has been the goal for the squad from the very start of 2024.

“When we set out at the start of the year, it’s the championship that everyone talked about and everyone is going to remember,” Tipperary captain Kennedy remarked at yesterday’s launch for the camogie championship semi-finals in Croke Park.

“It was great to get some silverware back to the county [in the league], but the ultimate goal was to win the championship. We’ll be really focusing on Saturday now.”

Whereas five straight wins helped Tipperary to automatically qualify for this weekend’s penultimate round fixture as Group 1 winners, Galway’s second-place finish in Group 2 saw them moving into the quarter-final stage of the senior camogie championship.

Yet the Tribeswomen subsequently beat Waterford to book a last-four spot and having played out such a close affair with their forthcoming opponents in April’s league showpiece, Kennedy recognises they aren’t a side that can be taken for granted.

“They’re a top class team and they’re always going very well at this stage of the year. They obviously had a great win over Waterford. I suppose we probably got lucky in the league final, so we’re under no illusions that we had the upper hand there or anything. They were toe-to-toe with us for the whole match and I expect no different on Saturday.”

Galway and Tipperary won’t be the only teams in action at Nowlan Park on Saturday as reigning All-Ireland champions Cork and Dublin will be fighting it out from 1.15pm for the other spot in the O’Duffy Cup final. Both of these games are also set to be broadcast live on RTÉ One and Kennedy believes this will give camogie the best possible exposure this weekend.

“That’s what you want, you want more eyes on the game and bringing it to a venue like that probably brings a better atmosphere to the game. Hopefully we can get a good crowd there and just get two great games for the crowd coming,” Kennedy added.

Posted in Camogie | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Semi-Final Build-Up Piece: Karen Kennedy (Tipperary) – The Irish Examiner – July 23 2024

All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final Follow-Up: Kerry V Armagh – Media West Ireland – July 22 2024

Posted on July 23, 2024 by admin
Kerry 1-8
 
Armagh 0-7
 
By Daire Walsh
Kerry joint manager Declan Quill said their greater experience was key as they saw off the challenge of an Armagh side bidding to reach the TG4 All-Ireland final for the first time since their sole appearance back in 2006 when they went down to Cork.
This will be Kerry’s third appearance in the final in a row as they bid to lift the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time since they won it for the eleventh time in 1993 — they are top of the roll of honour with Cork — and Quill believes the trials and tribulations of the last couple of seasons has strengthened their resolve.
“I think we just used all our experience. This is a very experienced bunch, it’s their third All-Ireland final in-a-row going to now. We’ve been in Croke Park a few times with Division 2 and Division 1 titles. They used all their experience in the second half. Just cool heads and bringing on the likes of Lorraine Scanlon there and Hannah O’Donoghue, it just really drove it home.”
This will be a first ever TG4 All-Ireland final between the counties — it will be Kerry’s 15th appearance in the decider — and Quill is hoping the Kingdom will come out in force as they bid to end their famine.
“It’s going to make for one great final. There’s nothing between the teams. There is a massive scramble in Galway for tickets for the men’s final and I’m sure it will be the same for the ladies.
“They always bring great support. We’ve no men’s final to go to, so I hope that the Kerry public will get behind the ladies and turn up in huge numbers for the All-Ireland final.”
Niamh Ní Chonchúir’s 16th minute goal was the key score at Glenisk O’Connor Park on Saturday evening as Kerry advanced to the final where they will hope to make amends for final defeats to Dublin and Meath in the past two seasons.
During a lively start to the contest, Armagh popped over points via the boots of Eva Lavery (two), Blaithin Mackin and Dearbhla Coleman. While Kerry attacker Siofra O’Shea added a score to compliment an earlier free from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Niamh Henderson split the posts on the run to give the Ulster side a 0-5 to 0-2 cushion on the first-quarter mark.
Yet team captain Clodagh McCambridge was temporarily replaced with a blood injury around this juncture following a clash with Kerry’s Aishling O’Connell, who was also forced off for a five-minute period, and in her absence Ní Chonchúir got on the end of an excellent move to drill a fierce strike past Armagh netminder Anna Carr.
This added a spark to the Kerry challenge and with Danielle O’Leary, Ní Mhuircheartaigh (free) and the returning O’Connell finding the target to supplement a 0-2 salvo from skipper Niamh Carmody, the Munster champions were 1-7 to 0-5 in front at the break.
Armagh rallied after the break but were unable to catch Kerry during a low-scoring the second half.
“We have to give great credit to the girls,” said Armagh manager Greg McGonigle after a season where they captured their Lidl National League title for the first time after being promoted, and continued that great form into the TG4 All-Ireland championship.
“Obviously when we came in Armagh were in Division 1 for the first time since 2017. To go and win seven out of eight games and to win their first ever national league final, you’d be happy enough with that.
“Obviously winning back an Ulster title, which they’d lost the previous year after extra-time, and getting over the quarter-final stage. There’s three ones, but at the same time, I didn’t come into Armagh to be beaten in a semi-final. I came in to try and get them to an All-Ireland final and see where we go from there.”
Scorers – Kerry: N Ní Chonchúir 1-0, D O’Leary 0-2 (1f), N Carmody 0-2, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-2 (2f), A O’Connell, S O’Shea 0-1 each.
Armagh: E Lavery 0-2, B Mackin 0-2 (1f), D Coleman, N Coleman, N Henderson 0-1 each.
 
KERRY: C Butler; E Lynch, K Cronin, C Murphy; A O’Connell, D Kearney, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, D O’Leary, N Ní Chonchúir; S O’Shea, E Dineen, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh. Subs: A Harrington for A O’Connell (13-18), H O’Donoghue for Ní Mhuircheartaigh (46), L Scanlon for Carmody (49), K Brosnan for Ní Chonchúir (58).
 
ARMAGH: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, B Mackin; E Lavery, N Henderson, M McCambridge. Subs: L Kenny for C McCambridge (13-18), K Mallon for Lavery (38), N Reel for Henderson (50), L Kenny for Druse (54), M Feehan for O’Hanlon (58).
 
Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).
Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final Follow-Up: Kerry V Armagh – Media West Ireland – July 22 2024

All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final Follow-Up: Galway V Cork – Media West Ireland – July 22 2024

Posted on July 23, 2024 by admin
Galway 2-7 
Cork 0-10
 
By Daire Walsh
Galway forward Róisín Leonard said they will embrace the football fever which has engulfed the county as both the ladies’ and men’s teams reach their All-Ireland finals for the first time ever in the same year.
This will be Galway’s fifth appearance in the TG4 All-Ireland final as they bid for their first title since their sole success in 2004 and Leonard, who hit 1-5 in Saturday’s win over Cork at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore, said it is a special time for the county.
“We’ll jump on the buzz of the boys and hopefully everyone can bring home some silverware,” she said.
“It’s a credit to all the girls here. They fought tooth and nail for everything out on the pitch today and I think, in fairness, we were the better team.
“We saw from Cork in the first half how hard it was against the breeze. Frees were hard, everything was hard. You had to bring the ball a lot closer to goal, but I think we did fairly well with that and we controlled the ball around the middle-third.”
Both of these teams were relegated from Division One in the Lidl National League earlier in the season but regrouped to mount serious championship campaigns and Leonard said they learned a lot from a clash with Cork in the group stages of the title race.
“We were very disappointed with that performance against Cork. That was the first game in championship and we really weren’t happy with it. We knew we had a load of room for improvement and we felt that if we could improve ourselves and forget about worrying about the opposition, that it might go better for us. Thankfully it did.”
Leonard and Ailbhe Davoren struck the crucial first half goals as Galway returned to a TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship decider for the first time since 2019.
Despite the impressive Katie Quirke amassing a personal tally of 0-7 for their Munster counterparts, clinical finishes from Leonard and Davoren in the 14th and 27th minutes helped Daniel Moynihan’s charges to match their male counterparts in reaching an All-Ireland SFC final.
Playing with the aid of a breeze in the first half, Galway led by 2-4 to 0-5 at the break, with Leonard converting a penalty before captain Davoren also found the net.
Cork brought the gap down to three on 38 minutes thanks to two exceptional points from play by Bride Rovers attacker Quirke.
Olivia Divilly and Cork wing-forward Emma Cleary then proceeded to trade points, before Leonard knocked over another free off the ground to give Galway a four-point advantage inside the final quarter.
The reliable Leonard then brought her tally up to 1-5 with yet another place-ball effort nine minutes from time and while Quirke and Laura O’Mahony kicked points for Cork in a tense finale, they were unable to close the gap.
“We were in a very good position just coming into half-time, only a point down with the wind coming in the second half, and we just switched off a bit,” said Cork manager Shane Ronayne.
“Galway got in and stuck their goal. I just thought we played with a bit of fear. There are a lot of young players out there playing their first All-Ireland semi-final and I think Galway’s experience shone through there. We didn’t create the goal chances we had been in previous games.
“When you look back on it, considering everyone we have lost and everything, I think it’s very disappointing but overall a lot of progress is being made with the girls that are there. It’s just disappointing, we probably put in our worst performance since the National League. Hats off to Galway. They were very clinical in their chances, knew what they were doing and set up very well. Fair play to them.”
 
Scorers – Galway: R Leonard 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), A Davoren 1-0, O Divilly 0-2 (2f).
Cork: K Quirke 0-7 (4f), E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McAuliffe 0-1 each.
 
GALWAY: D Gower; M Jordan, S Lynch, K Geraghty; A Ní Cheallaigh, N Ward, C Cooney; M Glynn, A Davoren; O Divilly, L Ward, N Divilly; A Morrissey, L Coen, R Leonard. Subs: E Reaney for Morrissey (44), S Hynes for Ní Cheallaigh (47), M Walsh for Glynn, A Trill for Leonard (both 53).
 
CORK: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Kelly, S Leahy; A Healy, S Cronin, D Kiely; M O’Callaghan, A O’Mahony; E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McDonagh; A McAuliffe, K Quirke, R Leahy.Subs: H Looney for R Leahy (24), E Kiely for McAuliffe (37), A Ryan for A O’Mahony (44), L McDonagh for A McDonagh (47), S McGoldrick for Healy (50).
 
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final Follow-Up: Galway V Cork – Media West Ireland – July 22 2024

All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final: Kerry V Armagh – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 20 2024

Posted on July 20, 2024 by admin

Kerry take step closer to ending famine as they reach third TG4 All-Ireland final in a row

TG4 All-Ireland SFC semi-final

Kerry 1-8

Armagh 0-7

By Daire Walsh

Niamh Ní Chonchúir grabbed a 16th minute goal at Glenisk O’Connor Park as Kerry advanced to a third consecutive TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final with a triumph against Armagh.

Five points to the good at the midway stage in this penultimate round contest, the Kingdom did enough in a low-scoring second half to seal their place in a top-tier championship decider alongside Galway — where they will hope to make amends for final defeats to Dublin and Meath in the past two seasons.

During a lively start to the contest, Armagh popped over points via the boots of Eva Lavery (two), Blaithin Mackin and Dearbhla Coleman. While Kerry attacker Siofra O’Shea added a score to compliment an earlier free from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Niamh Henderson split the posts on the run to give the Ulster side a 0-5 to 0-2 cushion on the first-quarter mark.

Yet team captain Clodagh McCambridge was temporarily replaced with a blood injury around this juncture following a clash with Kerry’s Aishling O’Connell, who was also forced off for a five-minute period, and in her absence Ní Chonchúir got on the end of an excellent move to drill a fierce strike past Armagh netminder Anna Carr.

This added a spark to the Kerry challenge and with Danielle O’Leary, Ní Mhuircheartaigh (free) and the returning O’Connell finding the target to supplement a 0-2 salvo from skipper Niamh Carmody, the Munster champions were 1-7 to 0-5 in front at the break.

However, the Kingdom had suffered a blow a little under two minutes before the interval when Carmody was sent to the sin-bin. Even though their five-point cushion remained intact upon her re-emergence, Armagh added swift scores courtesy of Niamh Coleman and Mackin (free) to ramp up the pressure on Kerry.

The Kingdom, bidding for their first TG4 All-Ireland crown since 1993, were able to maintain possession for large stretches of the play, but it wasn’t until the 49th minute that Kerry got their second half account up and running with a pointed free from centre-forward O’Leary.

Nonetheless, this established a four-point advantage for the 11-time winners and with Mackin receiving a 51st minute yellow card for a tackle on substitute Lorraine Scanlon, they ultimately eased their way into another Brendan Martin Cup showpiece.

 Scorers – Kerry: N Ní Chonchúir 1-0, D O’Leary 0-2 (1f), N Carmody 0-2, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-2 (2f), A O’Connell, S O’Shea 0-1 each.

Armagh: E Lavery 0-2, B Mackin 0-2 (1f), D Coleman, N Coleman, N Henderson 0-1 each.

 KERRY: C Butler; E Lynch, K Cronin, C Murphy; A O’Connell, D Kearney, A Dillane; M O’Connell, A Galvin; N Carmody, D O’Leary, N Ní Chonchúir; S O’Shea, E Dineen, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh. Subs: A Harrington for A O’Connell (13-18), H O’Donoghue for Ní Mhuircheartaigh (46), L Scanlon for Carmody (49), K Brosnan for Ní Chonchúir (58).

ARMAGH: A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge, R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, B Mackin; E Lavery, N Henderson, M McCambridge. Subs: L Kenny for C McCambridge (13-18), K Mallon for Lavery (38), N Reel for Henderson (50), L Kenny for Druse (54), M Feehan for O’Hanlon (58).

Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final: Kerry V Armagh – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 20 2024

All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final: Galway V Cork – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 20 2024

Posted on July 20, 2024 by admin

Goals prove decisive as Galway book place in TG4 All-Ireland final

TG4 All-Ireland SFC semi-final

Galway 2-7 

Cork 0-10 

By Daire Walsh

Róisín Leonard and Ailbhe Davoren struck the crucial first half goals at Glenisk O’Connor Park as Galway returned to a TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship decider for the first time since 2019 with a semi-final victory over Cork.

Despite the impressive Katie Quirke amassing a personal tally of 0-7 for their Munster counterparts, clinical finishes from Leonard and Davoren in the 14th and 27th minutes helped Daniel Moynihan’s charges to match their male counterparts in reaching an All-Ireland SFC final — which in their case will be against the winners of today’s second game between Kerry and Armagh in the Tullamore venue.

Playing with the aid of a breeze in the first half, Galway raced two points clear inside the opening five minutes courtesy of points from Olivia Divilly (free) and Leonard. Yet Cork found themselves back on level terms with a brace of place-ball strikes from Quirke and subsequently edged in front when corner-forward Ava McAuliffe pointed at a tight angle on 10 minutes.

However, having gone agonisingly close to raising a green flag moments earlier, Corofin ace Leonard bagged a goal off a penalty after the raiding Charlotte Cooney had been fouled by Cork defender Aoife Healy.

Shane Ronayne’s Leesiders responded to this set-back with another two-point salvo by dead-ball specialist Quirke, but following a majestic point from Leonard, Leanne Coen picked out Galway skipper Davoren for a smooth finish to the opposition net.

Although Leonard converted a tricky free on the stroke of half-time to offer the Tribeswomen a 2-4 to 0-5 interval lead, Cork brought the gap down to three on 38 minutes thanks to two exceptional points from play by Bride Rovers attacker Quirke.

Divilly and Cork wing-forward Emma Cleary then proceeded to trade points, before Leonard knocked over another free off the ground to give Galway, who were measured and composed in possession throughout the second period, a four-point advantage inside the final quarter.

The reliable Leonard then brought her tally up to 1-5 with yet another place-ball effort nine minutes from time and while Quirke and Laura O’Mahony kicked points for Cork in a tense finale, Galway held out for a hard-earned triumph in the end.

Scorers – Galway: R Leonard 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), A Davoren 1-0, O Divilly 0-2 (2f).

Cork: K Quirke 0-7 (4f), E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McAuliffe 0-1 each.

GALWAY: D Gower; M Jordan, S Lynch, K Geraghty; A Ní Cheallaigh, N Ward, C Cooney; M Glynn, A Davoren; O Divilly, L Ward, N Divilly; A Morrissey, L Coen, R Leonard. Subs: E Reaney for Morrissey (44), S Hynes for Ní Cheallaigh (47), M Walsh for Glynn, A Trill for Leonard (both 53).

 CORK: S Murphy; M Duggan, S Kelly, S Leahy; A Healy, S Cronin, D Kiely; M O’Callaghan, A O’Mahony; E Cleary, L O’Mahony, A McDonagh; A McAuliffe, K Quirke, R Leahy. Subs: H Looney for R Leahy (24), E Kiely for McAuliffe (37), A Ryan for A O’Mahony (44), L McDonagh for A McDonagh (47), S McGoldrick for Healy (50).

Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final: Galway V Cork – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 20 2024

The Big Interview: Aishling O’Connell (Kerry/Eire Og/Scartaglen) – Media West Ireland – July 20 2024

Posted on July 20, 2024 by admin

‘It’s because of them that I’m wearing the Kerry jersey’ – O’Connell windy route back home

Having represented Éire Óg in Cork for the past few years, O’Connell will soon be back in the colours of her previous club Scartaglen.
DAIRE WALSH

When it comes to achieving a suitable balance between work and sport, Kerry footballer Aishling O’Connell has a tougher task than most within the inter-county game.

A Garda based in the West Cork town of Bandon – located all of 83 kilometres from her home village of Cordal – O’Connell has often found herself working 12-hour night shifts either before or after collective training sessions with the Kingdom’s senior squad.

While O’Connell recognises this was always going to be part of the bargain when she decided to pursue a career with An Garda Siochána, she freely acknowledges it can take its toll even at the best of times.

“It is tough, I won’t lie. We trained last Friday week and I drove straight to work after down in West Cork. It does take its toll. It is hard enough going into nights after a tough training, but the two hour drive down hasn’t helped,” O’Connell explained.

“You start a night shift at 7pm and you finish at 7am. You could be working on a Saturday night and you’ve training on Sunday morning. There have been times that I’ve driven down to Kerry, you might get half an hour in the bed and you’re going straight to training.

“You want to train, but you’re not able to do as much as you’d like because there is obviously an injury risk factor there. In a way it’s good that I’m around this long, but it’s hard if you were trying to make an impact because you’re not going to be training as well as you should be. It’s tough, but it’s the job I signed up for.”

However, things are set to become that little bit easier for O’Connell in the long run as she is due to take up a post at Killarney Garda Station inside the next few weeks.

This will leave the 2022 TG4 All-Star with a much shorter commute to Kerry training and it also changes where the 27-year-old defender will be playing her club football once the Kingdom’s championship campaign reaches a conclusion.

Having represented Éire Óg in Cork for the past few years – she narrowly lost out to Mourneabbey in a senior championship decider on Leeside in 2023 – O’Connell will soon be back in the colours of her previous club Scartaglen.

“It will take a bit of pressure off the body and less driving as well. It might make things a little bit easier. I made the decision at the end of this year that I was going to try and get home for work. That in turn did lead me to wanting to go back and play with my home club. It was a natural progression.

“I’ve had great times there at Éire Óg, but I want to go back playing for Scart. I felt like I had given everything I could to Éire Óg. My partner, he’s actually a Cork man, so once I was able to convince him to move to Kerry, it was just the next step to make.

“I started with the boys’ club in Cordal, where I’m from, but then at U14s I joined Scart and played with them up until seniors. It’s because of them that I’m wearing the Kerry jersey. They’ve gotten to the intermediate final in the last two years and following the end of the championship this year with Kerry, I’d love to be able to contribute to a win with Scart as well.”

Yet as she alludes to, O’Connell does have some unfinished business with The Kingdom before she contemplates a return to the local club championship. Having recently overcome Meath at the quarter-final stage of the competition, Kerry are now just 60 minutes away from sealing a TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship decider spot for the third year in succession.

Standing in their way at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore later on Saturday evening (throw-in 7.15pm) will be Greg McGonigle’s Armagh, who defeated the Kingdom in a Lidl National Football League Division 1 final at Croke Park last April.

Although their male compatriots losing out to the Orchard County at HQ last weekend adds intrigue to the contest, it is that spring time clash (as well as an earlier league reversal to Armagh at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in March) that will have O’Connell and her Kerry colleagues on high alert.

Despite losing Aimee Mackin to an anterior cruciate ligament injury since that NFL showpiece victory, the return to fitness of Mackin’s sister Blaithín has served as a welcome boost for Armagh.

“I suppose Aimee gets maybe more of the headlines, but Blaithín does some amount of unseen work. She covers from the 21 to the 21, and you saw it last week (a quarter-final win against Mayo), she’s getting on the scoreboard as well. She’s class.

“We’ve kind of followed in the footsteps of Meath in the way that we won Division Two, went to One and won Division One. Meath did it first, ourselves and Armagh have done it.

“That momentum really helps going into championship. They’re just playing superb football, they’re going to be tough to play.”

Whereas Kerry’s showdown with Armagh is a meeting of the top two teams in this year’s NFL Division 1, the first All-Ireland senior semi-final in Tullamore features a brace of sides that were on the opposite end of the spectrum.

After suffering relegation to Division 2 of the NFL at the end of difficult springtime campaigns, Galway and Cork will lock horns at 5pm in O’Connor Park for the right to compete in the Brendan Martin Cup decider on August 4.

Having kept a close eye on their respective developments in recent months, O’Connell is expecting a ding-dong battle between the Tribeswomen and Kerry’s long-standing provincial rivals.

“Galway and Cork, for both of them to be relegated and to be getting into an All-Ireland semi-final, it’s unbelievable really. It’s credit to them and to the management,” added O’Connell, who has already made 15 appearances for Kerry in 2024.

“It’s a huge opportunity for them as well as it is for ourselves and Armagh to get to a final. I wouldn’t be surprised if it went to extra-time. They’re the kind of teams that they seem to be playing each other a lot over the years and it’s always very close.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Aishling O’Connell (Kerry/Eire Og/Scartaglen) – Media West Ireland – July 20 2024

World Rugby U20 Championship Third Place Play-Off: Ireland V New Zealand – The Irish Times – July 20 2024

Posted on July 19, 2024 by admin

New Zealand too strong for Ireland under-20s in third-place playoff

Irish team had a 12-point lead at one point before 38 points unanswered from the All Blacks

Daire Walsh

World Rugby Under-20 Championship third-place playoff: New Zealand 38 Ireland 24

Despite initially finding themselves in a promising position, the Ireland under-20s ultimately fell short to an impressive New Zealand in a World Rugby Under-20 Championship third-place playoff at Cape Town Stadium earlier today.

Tries from Oliver Coffey and Jack Murphy had the Irish 12 points in front by the 33rd minute of the action, but with their southern hemisphere counterparts amassing an unanswered haul of 38 points either side of half-time, Ireland – who did eventually end the game with a flourish – had to settle for fourth spot in the tournament’s final standings.

After announcing five changes from last weekend’s semi-final defeat to England, Ireland head coach Willie Faloon was forced into a late alteration to his starting line-up for this game. Following the withdrawal of Finn Treacy from the match day 23, Sean Naughton was promoted from the bench to inside centre – which in turn saw Hugh Gavin moving into the outside channel.

While Ireland struggled with their set-piece during a 31-20 reversal at the hands of the English, they managed to hold firm when New Zealand opted for an attacking scrum inside their “22″ during the early stages of this contest.

This was an encouraging moment for Faloon’s men and after going close off a series of five-metre drives, the Irish ultimately broke the deadlock on 11 minutes with a Coffey try that was supplemented by a conversion from his halfback partner Murphy.

Although New Zealand had them on the backfoot for extended periods, Ireland continued to have bright moments in attack and pounced for a second try. Had he remained with the small ball game, Ireland fullback Ben O’Connor could well have been part of the Cork panel for Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final against Clare.

Instead, O’Connor pursued a career in rugby and he showcased why he is regarded as such an exciting prospect with a memorable run and pass that paved the way for Murphy to squeeze over in the left-corner for an unconverted five-pointer.

This put Ireland into an extremely promising position, but they did suffer a setback when flanker Bryn Ward (son of the New Zealand-born former Irish international Andy Ward) was sinbinned in the closing minutes of the first half.

In his absence, New Zealand skipper Vernon Bason was awarded a try at the end of a lengthy TMO check and while the resulting bonus strike from Dylan Pledger drifted past the target, the Irish lead was reduced to seven points (12-5) in time for the interval.

The Baby Blacks’ numerical advantage was wiped out when Frank Vaenuku was yellow carded just four minutes after the resumption, but in advance of Ireland being restored to their full complement of players, Jono Gibbes’ charges assumed control of this encounter.

New Zealand were back on level terms when centre Xavi Taele burst through underneath the posts for a score that was converted by replacement Rico Simpson and with 47 minutes gone in the proceedings, Bason slid over amid torrential rain for his second try of the game.

Ireland were now coming under constant pressure from a rejuvenated New Zealand and moments after Vaenuku’s return to the fray, Jeremiah Collins powered over to the right of the posts for a fourth Kiwi try on 56 minutes.

This left the Irish in a precarious position and the final outcome was effectively placed beyond doubt when Vaenuku made amends for his earlier sinbinning with a brace of tries. Yet Ireland persevered with their challenge in the closing moments and added a more respectable reflection to the final scoreline courtesy of quick-fire finishes from Ethan Graham and Naughton.

Scorers – Ireland: J Murphy try, 2 cons, O Coffey, E Graham, S Naughton try each. New Zealand: V Bason, F Vaenuku 2 tries each, X Taele, J Collins try each; R Simpson 4 cons.

Ireland: B O’Connor; D Colbert, H Gavin, S Naughton, H McLaughlin; J Murphy, O Coffey; E Calvey, S Smyth, A Mullan; A Spicer, L Murphy; J McKillop, B Ward, B Gleeson. Replacements: B Corrigan for Spicer, half-time; M Yarr for Smyth, 44 mins; B Howard for Calvey, A Sparrow for Mullan, M Flynn for Ward, all 48 mins; S Edogbo for Gleeson, 61 mins; E Graham for Colbert, 63 mins; J O’Riordan for Coffey, 68 mins.

New Zealand: S Coles; K Maxwell, A Tuivailala, X Taele, F Vaenuku; C Grant, D Pledger; S Sanele, V Bason, J Smith; T Allen, C Christie; A Smith, M Lowe, J Lee. Replacements: R Simpson for Grant, 43 mins; S Pole for Sanele, 48 mins; J Collins for Lowe, 52 mins; A-O Lolofie for Bason, 62 mins; X Tito-Harris for Tuivailala, 63 mins; T Cribb for Lee, 68 mins; W Martin for J Smith, B O’Donovan for Pledger, both 69 mins.

Referee: S Abulashvili (Georgia).

Posted in International Rugby, U20 Rugby World Cup, U20 World Cup Rugby | Comments Off on World Rugby U20 Championship Third Place Play-Off: Ireland V New Zealand – The Irish Times – July 20 2024

World Rugby U20 Championship Third Place Play-Off Preview: Ireland V New Zealand – The Irish Times – July 19 2024

Posted on July 19, 2024 by admin

Ireland look to finish on a high against New Zealand in Cape Town

Willie Faloon’s side take on the Baby Blacks in Friday’s third-place playoff

Daire Walsh

World Rugby Under-20 Championship 3rd place playoff: Ireland v New Zealand, DHL Stadium, Cape Town, Friday, 3.30 Irish time

Ireland will be looking to finish their World Rugby Under-20 Championship campaign on a high when they take on New Zealand in the third place playoff in Cape Town on Friday afternoon.

Having reached the final of this tournament in South Africa 12 months ago – eventually losing out to France in comprehensive fashion – Ireland were hoping for yet another showpiece appearance this time around. A 31-20 semi-final reversal at the hands of England last Sunday ultimately put paid to those plans, but there is an opportunity for Willie Faloon’s side to sign off on a positive note in the southern hemisphere.

After previously working alongside Richie Murphy during his successful reign at the helm, former Ulster and Connacht flanker Faloon is still in the early stages of his spell as head coach of the under-20s. Getting the better of New Zealand won’t be an easy task, albeit they will be coming into this game on the back of a heavy 55-31 defeat against defending champions France in the penultimate round of the tournament.

Still with the highly-experienced Jono Gibbes – who enjoyed coaching stints at both Leinster and Ulster – in charge of the team, the Baby Blacks will also believe that a bronze finish is well within their grasp.

Of those who will take to the field for Ireland in Cape Town, only Hugh Gavin and stand-in skipper Brian Gleeson featured in last year’s decider against France. Regular captain Evan O’Connell was among the replacements for that game, but missed out on both the semi-final last weekend and Friday’s third-place playoff due to injury.

Gleeson was absent for four of the five games that Ireland played during the Under-20 Six Nations championship with an ankle issue, but has since regained full fitness and a big performance from the Munster backrow would go a long way towards ensuring that his country claims third spot in the tournament’s final standings.

Due to the five-day turnaround from the England game, it is unsurprising that Faloon has opted for a fresh look to his starting line-up on this occasion. A completely new frontrow combination of Emmet Calvey, Stephen Smyth and Alex Mullan are joined in the side by winger Davy Colbert and lock Luke Murphy, all of whom will be hoping to take the game to their New Zealand counterparts.

IRELAND: B O’Connor; D Colbert, F Treacy, H Gavin, H McLaughlin; J Murphy, O Coffey; E Calvey, S Smyth, A Mullan; A Spicer, L Murphy; J McKillop, B Ward, B Gleeson (capt).

Replacements: M Yarr, B Howard, A Sparrow, B Corrigan, M Flynn, J O’Riordan, S Naughton, E Graham.

NEW ZEALAND: S Coles; K Maxwell, A Tuivailala, X Taele, F Vaenuku; C Grant, D Pledger; S Sanele, V Bason, J Smith; T Allen, C Christie; A Smith, M Lowe, J Lee.

Replacements: A-O Lolofie, S Uamaki, W Martin, T Cribb, J Collins, B O’Donovan, R Simpson, X Tito-Harris.

Posted in International Rugby, U20 Rugby World Cup, U20 World Cup Rugby | Comments Off on World Rugby U20 Championship Third Place Play-Off Preview: Ireland V New Zealand – The Irish Times – July 19 2024

Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – July 16 2024

Posted on July 16, 2024 by admin

The All-Ireland Hurling 2024 Championship Odds: Cork Shake Things Up

Daire Walsh

Following a memorable weekend at the penultimate stage of the competition, the best betting sites are having one final look at who is most likely to come out on top in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

After locking horns in the 2022 and 2023 showpiece deciders, the expectation was that Kilkenny and defending champions Limerick would come through their respective last-four encounters to set up another final meeting at Croke Park on Sunday.

In addition to being winners of the Leinster and Munster championships for several years on the bounce, the two teams have shown in the recent past that they know how to negotiate a semi-final fixture at GAA HQ.

However, Cork and Clare didn’t read the script.

Clare Finally Get The Better Of Kilkenny In The Semis

Kilkenny certainly appeared to be on course for another Liam MacCarthy decider spot when Billy Ryan’s 47th-minute goal moved them six points clear of Clare last Saturday at Croke Park.

However, the Banner County had other ideas. Brian Lohan’s men had come up short against The Cats in previous years and were clearly determined to avoid a repeat of those disappointing defeats.

Having found the target during an impressive blitz that helped their side to get back on level terms, Aidan McCarthy and Tony Kelly added late points to push Clare over the line with a final score of 0-24 to 2-16.

This result guaranteed that this year’s Liam MacCarthy Cup final would be an all-Munster affair.

Given they were chasing a record-breaking fifth successive All-Ireland Senior Hurling crown, the expectation was that Limerick would prevail from their last-four showdown with Cork on Sunday and face Clare for the third time this summer.

Cork Dethrone Limerick For Second Time

Even though their Rebel County rivals stormed into the contest at a sold-out Croke Park, Aaron Gillane and David Reidy started to hit their attacking stride as the opening half wore on and John Kiely’s Treaty outfit entered the interval with a 0-16 to 1-11 lead.

Yet Cork overcame Limerick in the round-robin series of the Munster championship at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in May and followed up that victory with further successes at the expense of Tipperary, Offaly and Dublin.

Their performances in the latter two games were regarded as below the standard shown in that earlier clash with Limerick, but they arguably surpassed it in the second half of Sunday’s game.

With their forward line in sparkling form, Cork raced into a seven-point cushion by the 52nd minute.

There were some nervous moments for the Rebel faithful in the dying moments of the game as Limerick staged a brave attempt to force the tie into extra-time, but Cork ultimately returned to the All-Ireland final with a magnificent 1-28 to 0-29 win.

Cork The New Favourites For All-Ireland Hurling Glory

While it might be tempting to think that betting apps are now looking at Cork as the most likely winners as a result of toppling Limerick, the fact is that Pat Ryan’s charges have been attracting attention for quite some time.

Back-to-back defeats against Waterford and Clare had them on the brink of championship elimination, but that aforementioned triumph over Limerick on their home patch suddenly had Cork right back in the mix for ultimate glory.

Although they were still a fair distance behind the defending champions, Cork were second favourites for the All-Ireland at 4/1 in advance of last weekend’s semi-final action.

Their monumental display and result in Croker on Sunday has now made them 8/11 favourites on new betting sites to win a 31st All-Ireland Senior Hurling success.

That said, if Cork were able to take confidence from beating Limerick in the round-robin phase of the Munster championship when preparing for last weekend’s final-four encounter with the Treaty, then the same could be true for Clare in advance of their reunion against the Rebels on Sunday week.

Clare Still An Enticing Option For Croker Glory

When the teams met in Pairc Ui Chaoimh back on April 28, the superb scoring hauls of Aidan McCarthy (0-10) and Mark Rodgers (1-6) proved crucial as Clare claimed a 3-26 to 3-24 victory over Cork.

Though the personnel has changed dramatically in both teams, Clare might well be able to draw inspiration from their All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final replay win against Cork back in 2013.

This was the county’s last success and just their fourth showpiece victory in the history of the competition.

They have also consistently been up there as one of the top hurling teams in the country for the past three years.

The Banner are available at the enticing odds of 5/4 with Bet365 on Tony Kelly and his team-mates pulling a final win out of the bag.

As well as the outright betting for the Liam MacCarthy Cup, it is also interesting to see what is on offer for the game itself.

Cork are 8/11 favourites with GAA betting sites to come out on top at the end of normal time, while many betting sites regard Clare as a 6/4 prospect to emerge victorious over the course of 70 minutes.

Either way, it is set to be a compelling contest that will hopefully provide a worthy ending to a championship that has produced many spectacular moments and incidents to date.

Clare Still In The Running For Hurling Crown

After emerging as winners of the National Hurling League Division One title in the spring, it seemed that Clare were primed for a big championship in 2024.

Their general performances in Munster this year may not have been at the same standard Brian Lohan’s men produced in 2022 and 2023, but the fact remains that the Banner have once again returned to the business end of the All-Ireland championship.

Following their semi-final losses to Kilkenny in the past two years – one of them being quite heavy in nature – people are perhaps wary of placing big expectations on Clare ahead of their latest duel with the Cats.

Still, with odds on the Banner ranging from 5/1 to 6/1, they remain an enticing bet for a first All-Ireland title since 2013.

Posted in Gaelic Games, Hurling | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – July 16 2024

All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final: Louth V Carlow – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 14 2024

Posted on July 14, 2024 by admin

Louth finish strongly to book place in junior final

TG4 All-Ireland JFC semi-final

Louth 2-11

Carlow 0-11

By Daire Walsh

Louth produced a late surge against Carlow at Parnell Park to advance to the TG4 All-Ireland junior championship final against Fermanagh.

A single point adrift inside the final-quarter of an intense tussle, Louth outscored their provincial rivals by 1-5 to 0-1 in the closing moments to ensure their place in the West County Hotel Cup decider.

While it was Louth who broke the deadlock in this game with a point on the run from team captain Aine Breen, Carlow raced three points clear with unanswered scores from Cliodhna Ní Shé (two), Rachel Sawyer and Megan Townsend.

Yet after Aoife Russell added to their tally with a white flag effort, the Wee County regained the ascendancy when former Republic of Ireland underage international Kate Flood displayed her soccer skills to poke a loose ball to the opposition net in the 23rd minute.

This was a blow for Carlow, but despite temporarily losing Townsend to a yellow card, another two-point salvo by Ní Shé had the Barrowsiders 0-6 to 1-2 in front at the interval.

This slender lead remained intact when Townsend returned to the fray on 34 minutes, but Louth ultimately restored parity courtesy of Niamh Rice’s outstanding point off the outside of her right boot. The Cooley Kickhams attacker was becoming increasingly prominent and she also found the range to cancel out Carlow points from Sawyer and Ní Shé.

Swapped frees between dead-ball specialists Ní Shé and Flood kept the tie delicately poised moving into the closing quarter, but Carlow were once again in the driving seat when the excellent Sawyer bagged her third point of the contest.

Yet the turning point of the game arrived in the 55th minute as centre half-back Breen got on the end of a sweeping Louth move to fire her side’s second goal of the game.

This was just the tonic that the Wee County needed and whereas Carlow’s sole contribution from that juncture onwards was a seventh Ní Shé point, Russell complimented a brace of efforts from the influential duo of Rice and Flood to offer Paul Hanlon’s side a passage to the junior showpiece alongside Fermanagh  — who they defeated in the competition’s 2019 final.

Scorers – Louth: K Flood 1-3 (0-3f), N Rice 0-5, A Breen 1-1, A Russell 0-2.

Carlow: C Ní Shé 0-7 (7f), R Sawyer 0-3, M Townsend 0-1.

LOUTH: R Lambe Fagan; A Whyte, E Murray, E Hand; L Byrne, A Breen, C Nolan; A Halligan, E Byrne; M Rooney, A Russell, S Matthews; N Rice, K Flood, C McDonald. Subs: L White for Matthews (39), H Lambe Sally for McDonald (42), C O’Reilly for Whyte (44), R O’Connor Leonard for Rooney (59), C Boyle for Murray (60).

CARLOW: N Hanley; A Carroll, A Roche, L Mullins; N Forde, R Bermingham, E Molloy; E Hayden, R Bailey; M Townsend, R Sawyer, S Doyle; S O’Neill, T Lyons, C Ní Shé. Subs: S McCullagh for Lyons (39), N Murphy for Townsend (54), E Ware for Hayden (56), M O’Neill for Muilins (59).

Referee: Ciara Gilroy (Down).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final: Louth V Carlow – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 14 2024