All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Quarter-Final: Meath V Tipperary – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 6 2025

Posted on July 7, 2025 by admin

Meath lay foundation for victory with big opening half display

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final

Meath 2-17

Tipperary 1-6

By Daire Walsh

Meath will face defending champions Kerry at the semi-final stage of the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship after goals from Vikki Wall and Niamh Gallogly helped the Leinster side towards an emphatic triumph over Tipperary at Pairc Tailteann in Navan on Sunday.

While Tipperary opened the scoring in this contest with an Anna Rose Kennedy point just 20 seconds into the play, Meath subsequently squeezed in front thanks to unanswered efforts from Gallogly and midfielder Marion Farrelly. The Royal County subsequently bolstered their prospects on six minutes when Wall rifled an unstoppable strike from a left-hand angle into the far corner of the Tipperary net.

Despite their Munster counterparts initially responding with an Aishling Moloney free, a wind-assisted Meath proceeded to dominate the remainder of the opening period. After Farrelly and Emma Duggan split the posts to move the home team five points clear (1-4 to 0-2) on the first-quarter mark, Gallogly profited from excellent build-up play by Megan Thynne and Ciara Smyth before palming home for a 17th minute goal.

Farrelly swung over another brace of points off her trusty left boot as the action progressed and with Wall, Kerrie Cole and captain Aoibhin Cleary also finding the range, the Royals brought a commanding 2-9 to 0-2 cushion into the break.

Meath stretched their advantage on the resumption with a successful Duggan free and even though substitute Neassa Towey and Kennedy kicked fine points for Tipperary at the opposite end, Ciara Smyth and Cole also raised white flags to leave Shane McCormack’s hosts very much in control of his own destiny.

Skryne attacker Smyth and the always dependable Wall then contributed additional points to ensure the Royals were 16 to the good (2-14 to 0-4) heading into the final-quarter. The strength in depth of the Meath panel was emphasised by the introduction of former team skippers Monica McGuirk and Shauna Ennis as substitutes during this juncture – the latter getting her name on the scoresheet with a 46th minute point.

A spirited Tipperary supplemented white flag scores courtesy of Towey and Aoibhe O’Shea with a fisted goal from Moloney in the closing stages, but with Smyth and Gallogly added to their personal hauls, Meath convincingly returned to the penultimate phase of the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time since 2022.

Scorers – Meath: N Gallogly 1-2, V Wall 1-2 (0-1f), M Farrelly 0-4, C Smyth 0-3, E Duggan 0-2 (1f), K Cole 0-2, A Cleary, S Ennis 0-1 each.

Tipperary: A Moloney 1-1 (0-1f), AR Kennedy, N Towey 0-2 each, A O’Shea 0-1.

MEATH: R Murray; A Sheridan, MK Lynch, K Newe; A Cleary, S Wall, K Kealy; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan, V Wall, K Cole. Subs: S Ennis for Cole (40), K Bermingham for Farrelly (44), C Lawlor for Kealy (47), A Gaffney for Sheehy (51), M McGuirk for Murray (53), N McEntee for Duggan (55, blood).

TIPPERARY: L Fitzpatrick; K Downey, L Spillane, E Cronin; S English, M Curley, H Spillane; L Morrissey, E Morrissey; C English, AR Kennedy, A Ryan; A McGuigan, A Moloney, N Shelly. Subs: N Towey for Shelly (36), A O’Shea for H Spillane (39), K Cashman for Downey (43), C Condon for L Morrissey (44), H Brennan for Ryan (51).

Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Quarter-Final: Meath V Tipperary – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 6 2025

All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Quarter-Final: Dublin V Cork – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 5 2025

Posted on July 7, 2025 by admin

Tyrrell and Sullivan lead way as Dublin power into last four

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final

Dublin 3-15

Cork 0-7

By Daire Walsh

 Hannah Tyrrell struck 1-5 at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon as Dublin booked their place in the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship semi-finals with a convincing victory over Cork.

 Fresh from scoring a hat-trick of goals in their comprehensive group stage win over Leitrim last month, Dublin corner-forward Kate Sullivan got the ball rolling in this contest with a third-minute point.

Their Leeside counterparts twice levelled matters in the opening quarter courtesy of Katie Quirke and Maire O’Callaghan finding the target either side of a Tyrrell effort, but Chloe Darby – drafted into the team to replace captain Carla Rowe – edged the Jackies back in front with a well-taken score.

Hannah McGinnis also split the posts in fine style and after Sullivan was fouled inside the square on 14 minutes, the ever-reliable Tyrrell slotted the resulting penalty beyond the reach of Cork netminder Sarah Murphy. Nicole Owens also raised a white flag inside the second-quarter and despite Laura O’Mahony responding with a fine point at the opposite end, Dublin reasserted their authority with a close-range free from Tyrrell.

While Quirke added her second point in the closing stages of the first half, the hosts ultimately brought a 1-6 to 0-4 lead into the interval.

This left Cork with plenty of ground to cover playing against a breeze on the restart, but Quirke did bring fresh impetus to their play with a quick two-point salvo. Yet Dublin maintained a potent attacking threat and settled back into the action with unanswered contributions from the St Sylvester’s duo of Owens and Sullivan (two).

Tyrrell also knocked over a free after a short Cork kick-out had gone astray and thanks to her second score from play moments later, the Jackies were eight points in front (1-11 to 0-6) at the beginning of the final-quarter.

This had all the appearances of an unassailable cushion, but Dublin nevertheless added further efforts through the boots of Hetherton (two) and Tyrrell in advance of Cork attacker Quirke bagged her fifth point of the tie.

Before substitute Laura Grendon kicked a last-minute point, Sullivan and the raiding Sinead Goldrick fired home a goal apiece in the space of 60 seconds to wrap up the win.

Scorers – Dublin: H Tyrrell 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), K Sullivan 1-3, S Goldrick 1-0, N Owens, N Hetherton 0-2 each, H McGinnis, C Darby, L Grendon 0-1 each.

Cork: K Quirke 0-5 (3f), M O’Callaghan, L O’Mahony 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Crowley; S Goldrick, M Byrne, N Donlon; E O’Dowd, H McGinnis; N Owens, C Darby, S McIntyre; H Tyrrell, N Hetherton, K Sullivan. Subs: C O’Connor for Darby (39), O Nolan for Owens (44), R McDonnell for McIntyre (52), L Grendon for Hetherton (55), H Leahy for Crowley (57).

CORK: S Murphy; D Kiniry, S Leahy, M Duggan; A Corcoran, S Cronin, R Corkery; M O’Callaghan, A Healy; A O’Mahony, L O’Mahony, E Cleary; A O’Sullivan, H Looney, K Quirke. Subs: A Ring for Corkery (20), K Horgan for Kiniry (39), S McGoldrick for Healy, L Hallihan for A O’Sullivan (both 44), A Ryan for Corcoran (57).

Referee: Brendan Rice (Down).

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Quarter-Final: Dublin V Cork – Ladiesgaelic.ie – July 5 2025

The Big Interview: Máire O’Callaghan (Cork/Mourneabbey) – Media West Ireland – July 5 2025

Posted on July 7, 2025 by admin

O’Callaghan and Cork adjusting to evolution of group

Experienced Cork player Máire O’Callaghan is hopeful they can push on for glory at the business end of the TG4 All-Ireland championship.
DAIRE WALSH

While she admits it required a slight adjustment on her part, Maire O’Callaghan was ultimately more than happy to pass on the mantle of Cork captain to Sarah Leahy at the beginning of 2025.

When she was announced as skipper of the Leeside footballers in 2022, the Mourneabbey stalwart followed in the footsteps of her first cousins Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan – who both lifted national silverware during their stints as team captain.

While O’Callaghan didn’t get this opportunity in the red of her native county, she did help guide Cork to a TG4 Munster Senior Football Championship crown during her debut campaign as team leader before unfortunately missing their defence of the title through injury in 2023.

She continued in the role up until the end of the 2024 inter-county season, but it was defensive lynchpin Leahy – from county senior champions Aghada – who was tasked with leading Cork into battle this year.

“I suppose it was a slight adjustment, but nothing too crazy. We would have always said that there wasn’t too much difference between any of the leaders on the team and the captain. It has been a slight bit of a change,” O’Callaghan explained.

“The three years was a huge honour. To be honest, that was great for me and I’m happy to see someone else take the reins. Sarah has been a fantastic captain, so you couldn’t have asked for a better person to step in after me.

“It was great to see Ciara and Doireann captain Cork before. Especially also to represent Mourneabbey at that level as well with taking over the captaincy and the three of us being there. It is really nice definitely and it’s a huge honour.”

Given how close she is to the O’Sullivans – as well as their sister Roisin, another former Cork player – there was a certain void left when this influential triumvirate brought a halt to their respective inter-county journeys.

Yet O’Callaghan is one of a number of established figures Cork boss Joe Carroll can rely upon in the current squad as they seek to remain a force at the highest level of ladies football.

“There was a lot of my Mourneabbey club-mates that stepped away at the end of 2023. Definitely there was an adjustment period there with that. When you’re used to playing with a lot of the girls that you play with at club level as well, but everyone can make their decisions on whatever time they are ready to step away.

“It definitely was strange not seeing them three times a week for Cork training, but I get to see them still at Mourneabbey training anyway. We have plenty of players that have been around for a long time.

“The likes of Melissa Duggan. Aine Terry [O’Sullivan] is back this year, who has plenty of experience at inter-county level as well. Shauna Kelly, who I know is injured, would have brought a lot of continuity to that leadership. Which is great.”

O’Callaghan gave the Leesiders a dream start in the pivotal group clash with Mayo in Castlebar when she rattled the net with just 17 seconds gone.

The 3-8 to 1-10 victory sent them into today’s TG4 All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Dublin at Parnell Park.

“Mayo pushed us to the very last minute. A draw would have been enough to see them through. You could really see that fight in them all throughout the game. We were really happy with how we responded to that and how we responded to a lot of things that went wrong in the game.

“I think that is something that we’ll take away and be really happy with how we dealt with it going forward into our next game against Dublin.”

While Cork would normally have played Dublin at least once in advance of previous TG4 All-Ireland senior football championships, this year was slightly different. After suffering relegation from the top tier in 2024, Cork featured in Division 2 of the Lidl National Football League, with the Jackies in Division 1.

So O’Callaghan and her Cork colleagues haven’t experienced first-hand what Dublin are like in the current season, but having viewed a number of their games to date in 2025, she is acutely aware of the challenge that awaits them in Donnycarney this afternoon.

“They have a fantastic strength in depth in their panel and they’ve a lot of new girls pushing through. A lot of pace and energy. You can see that in how they played against Meath firstly in their Leinster final. They were able to pull that back and finish really strongly. Which also shows their experience,” O’Callaghan added.

“It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s something we’re looking forward to. I think it’s hard to keep an eye on every team in the championship really because it’s quite wide open this year. There have been a lot of surprises even in the group stages.

“Teams bowing out and teams pushing through and things like that. Which is a really good sign of a championship, how unpredictable it is. It is really anyone’s opportunity to take.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Máire O’Callaghan (Cork/Mourneabbey) – Media West Ireland – July 5 2025

World Rugby U20 Championship Pool C: Italy V Ireland – The Irish Times – July 5 2025

Posted on July 4, 2025 by admin

Ireland under-20s suffer hammer blow in world championship bid with defeat to Italy

Pressure is on now ahead of meeting with New Zealand next Wednesday

Daire Walsh

World Rugby Under-20 Championship Pool C: Italy 18 Ireland 16

Ireland suffered a hammer blow in their bid to reach the semi-final stage of the World Rugby under-20 Championship after they fell to an agonising defeat at the hands of Italy in Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana last night.

Added to the bench after Bobby Power was drafted into the starting line-up to replace Michael Foy at the 11th hour, Oisin Minogue crashed over the Italian whitewash in second half stoppage-time to leave Ireland with a last-gasp opportunity to claim a hard-earned draw against the tournament hosts. However, Sam Wisniewski’s resulting conversion was wide of the target and while Ireland remain second in Pool C, the pressure is now on ahead of their meeting with pacesetters New Zealand in Calvisano next Wednesday.

Ireland were seeking to make amends for a 15-12 defeat to Italy at Treviso in the final round of this year’s under-20 Six Nations and they displayed early defensive grit by holding out their opponents as they attempted to cross over from a lineout maul.

Ireland looked set to receive a let-off when opposition outhalf Roberto Fasti couldn’t find touch off an 11th minute penalty, only for errors from both Charlie Molony and Paidi Farrell to immediately provide Italy with another platform inside the ‘22’. The hosts were able to go a step further on this occasion as the ensuing set-piece move found its way into the hands of bustling number 8 Nelson Casartelli, who proceeded to burst over the line in clinical style.

This powerful finish was followed by a badly miscued bonus strike from Fasti and when outhalf Tom Wood (son of legendary former Irish international Keith Wood) was presented with a kickable opportunity on 25 minutes, the Munster prospect drilled the ball between the posts to reduce his side’s deficit to two points.

Try-scoring chances were few and far between in the opening period, but after winning the penalty himself thanks to superb work at the breakdown, Italian fullback Edoardo Todaro was successful off the kicking tee in the 36th minute.

This ensured the Azzurri brought an 8-3 cushion into the second period, but Ireland were back within two on 52 minutes as a result of Wood splitting the uprights off a penalty that was positioned to the right of the posts.

This kept the Eanna McCarthy-led Irish within touching distance, but Italy subsequently put themselves in the driving seat when second row Piero Gritti rounded off a ferocious attacking maul with a converted try.

However, just when it looked like the game was drifting away from Ireland, they were given a lifeline when Casartelli was yellow-carded for a head high tackle on Molony. The 14-man Italians were placed on the back foot straight away and after Billy Corrigan had gathered a lineout delivery, McCarthy and Will Wootton combined to good effect before replacement hooker Mikey Yarr dived over in the right-corner for an unconverted effort.

Momentum appeared to be with Ireland at this stage, but Corrigan was sent to the sinbin on 71 minutes – just as Casartelli was preparing himself for a return to the field of play.

This paved the way for Todaro to slot over his second penalty of the contest and though Minogue bagged a five-pointer at the end of a relentless attacking spell, Wisniewski couldn’t find the range from a right-hand angle as Ireland came up just short.

Scorers – Italy: N Casartelli, P Gritti try each, E Todaro 2 pens, con. Ireland: M Yarr, O Minogue try each, T Wood 2 pen.

ITALY: E Todaro; A Drago, F Zanandrea, R Casarin, J Ducros; R Fasti, N Beni; S Pelliccioli, N Corvasce, N Bolognini; M Midena, P Gritti; G Milano, C Bianchi, N Casartelli.

Replacements: L Trevisan for Bolognini, E Opoku Gyamfi for Midena, A Caiolo-Serra for Corvasce, S Mistrulli for Pelliccioli all 54 mins; A Miranda for Bianchi, 57 mins; R Ioannucci for Drago, 62 mins; G Pietramala for Ducros, 68 mins; M Bellotto for Beni, 74 mins.

IRELAND: C Molony; P Farrell, C Mangan, E Smyth, D Moloney; T Wood, W Wootton; A Usanov, H Walker, A Mullan; M Ronan, B Corrigan; B Power, E McCarthy, L Murphy.

Replacements: C Kennelly for Ronan, 49 mins; M Yarr for Walker, B Bohan for Usanov, T McAllister for Mullan, all 53 mins; S Wisniewski for Wood, 60 mins; O Minogue for Power, 62 mins; C Logan for Wootton, 64 mins; Walker for Yarr, 79 mins.

Referee: B Breakspear (Wales).

Posted in International Rugby, U20 Rugby World Cup, U20 World Cup Rugby | Comments Off on World Rugby U20 Championship Pool C: Italy V Ireland – The Irish Times – July 5 2025

All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Quarter-Final Launch: Mairead Eviston (Tipperary) – Nenagh Guardian – July 5 2025

Posted on July 4, 2025 by admin

Family Affair at Croke Park

By Daire Walsh

IT is set to be a family affair for Tipperary camogie star Mairead Eviston this Sunday when she takes part in a unique double header at Croke Park.

Eviston and her Premier County team-mates will face off against Kilkenny at the quarter-final stage of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship in GAA HQ at 1.30pm, before at 4.00pm, Tipperary and the Cats are also set to clash at the penultimate phase of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship.

Three of Eviston’s cousins – Loughmore-Castleiney stalwarts John, Noel and Brian McGrath – could have crucial roles to play in the latter game and she is hopeful it will prove to be a day to remember for her extended clan. 

“I’m living with Brian now at the moment,” she revealed, speaking at the launch of the All-Ireland Championship quarter-finals at Croke Park on Monday.

“It’s great to be living with like-minded people and living the same lifestyle as well. We’ve a good buzz in the house now.

“That’s exciting as well, both of us going up on Sunday and playing in Croke Park. You just hope then that Sunday night sitting on the couch that we’ll both have come out the winning side.”

She added: “It couldn’t have worked out any better really. Playing Kilkenny in Croke Park and then being able to watch Tipp and Kilkenny play in the hurling as well. It’s a special day for both counties and there’s no reason why both counties can’t get in early for the camogie match.”

When it comes to quarter-final bouts in the All-Ireland senior camogie championship, Tipperary have a strong recent pedigree. In their last five games at this stage of the competition – stretching back to 2018 – the Premier have come out on top on each occasion.

Overcoming a semi-final hurdle has been something of a challenge for Tipp, however, with the county’s last showpiece appearance in camogie’s top-tier being all the way back in 2006.

The past two seasons has seen them suffering one-point reversals in the penultimate rounds of the senior championship, including in 2024 when they advanced straight to the final-four from the group stages.

Securing a return to All-Ireland finals day remains a burning ambition for this Tipperary side, but Eviston acknowledged they can’t afford to look too far beyond the challenge of Kilkenny on Sunday.

“We’re not going to look too far ahead of Sunday,” she added.

“It’s a game in front of us that is going to be a fierce battle. It’s going to take everything to get over the line to Kilkenny and we’ll see what comes after that.

“There has been heartbreak there the last two years, getting to semi-finals and losing out marginally. We feel it’s kind of nearly a mental thing now, just finishing out games. We’ve missed opportunities there to be in All-Ireland finals.

“We have that hurt coming through. We have that pain still in the locker. We’re going to use it here on Sunday and hopefully we’ll be focusing then into a semi-final.”

Posted in Camogie | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Quarter-Final Launch: Mairead Eviston (Tipperary) – Nenagh Guardian – July 5 2025

British & Irish Lions Player Ratings V Queensland Reds: Independent.ie – July 2 2025

Posted on July 2, 2025 by admin

Lions player ratings – Two Irish stars shine in 40-point victory over Queensland Reds

Daire Walsh

Here’s how the British and Irish Lions rated in their 52-12 victory over Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

Elliot Daly – 7

Drafted in at the 11th hour to replace Hugo Keenan, Daly (who was withdrawn with an injury inside the final-quarter) was a dependable presence once again in the Lions back-three.

Tommy Freeman – 8

Crossed the whitewash for tries in each half and with an excellent tally of 74 metres off 13 carries, he bolstered his claims for Test match selection against the Wallabies.

Huw Jones – 7

Aiming to build on his lively showing off the bench against Western Force on Saturday, Jones displayed plenty of intent throughout and bagged an exceptional breakaway try on 65 minutes.

Bundee Aki – 7

Tried to force passes in the opening half as the Lions sought to break down the Reds defence, before carrying with purpose as the tourists seized control on the resumption.

Duhan van der Merwe – 7

A mixed bag from the Scottish winger. Some shaky defensive moments, but also rounded off an intricate Lions attack for a first half try and carried for 95 metres overall.

Finn Russell – 7

Another solid outing from the experienced fly-half, who was successful with all four of his kicks at goal – including a tricky touchline conversion to supplement van der Merwe’s try.

Jamison Gibson-Park – 8

An impressive 51-minute shift from Ireland’s influential number nine. Delivered some crisp passes in attack and offloaded to good effect for Maro Itoje to cross over in the second half.

Andrew Porter – 7

Promoted to the starting line-up after a cameo appearance against Western Force, Porter was a busy presence in the Lions front-row and took his 29th minute try with considerable aplomb. 

Ronan Kelleher – 6

Put under pressure by the Reds with his first line-out throw, Kelleher subsequently dug in effectively and executed 15 successful tackles in his 51 minutes on the field of play.

Will Stuart – 6

Conceded three of the nine penalties that the Lions gave away in the contest, but the English tighthead nevertheless played a crucial role in setting his side up for victory.

Maro Itoje – 8

An assured performance from the captain on his return to the side. A second half try-scorer, he missed just one tackle from 19 and was an effective line-out operator throughout.

Ollie Chessum – 7

Perhaps not as eye-catching as his second-row partner Itoje, but Chessum played his part in a successful Lions outing and was involved in the build-up to van der Merwe’s try.

Tom Curry – 7

Starting his second game of the Tour – he also featured from the starting against Argentina in Dublin – England’s Curry linked up nicely with Morgan and Conan in the Lions back-row.

Jac Morgan – 8

The sole Welsh player in the Lions set-up after Tomos Williams suffered a tour-ending injury against Western Force, Morgan rounded off an excellent individual display with the Lions’ fifth try. 

Jack Conan – 8

Bringing physicality to the Lions pack, Conan came away with 11 successful tackles in the first half and also displayed his attacking prowess by making 36 metres off 12 carries.

Head Coach: Andy Farrell – 7

Wouldn’t have been pleased with nine handling errors in the first half, but much like against Western Force, he got a greater tune out of his charges on the restart.

Replacements – 7

The Lions established a 28-12 lead by the time Farrell looked towards his bench on 51 minutes, but Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith and try-scorer Garry Ringrose brought plenty of energy.

Posted in International Rugby | Comments Off on British & Irish Lions Player Ratings V Queensland Reds: Independent.ie – July 2 2025

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – July 2 2025

Posted on July 2, 2025 by admin

GAA Hurling Betting Tips: Best Three Bets For This Weekend

By Daire Walsh

Now that we are down to the penultimate stage of the competition, betting sites have updated their All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship odds.

As a result of winning titles in their respective provinces, Cork (Munster) and Kilkenny (Leinster) have enjoyed a four-week break going into this weekend’s Liam MacCarthy Cup semi-finals.

Their opponents, on the other hand, both had to come through knockout bouts before advancing to the last-four of the championship.

Tipperary And Dublin Provide Challenge To Provincial Winners

While Tipperary enjoyed an impressive 1-28 to 2-17 triumph over Galway, the other quarter-final garnered the biggest headlines.

Despite being reduced to 14 men during the early stages of the game, Dublin produced one of the biggest shocks in modern hurling history when they overcame a star-studded Limerick team by two points (2-24 to 0-28) at Croke Park.

Whereas Cork might have been expecting the winners of the Tipperary and Galway game to be their opponents this weekend, it is instead the surprise package of Dublin that Pat Ryan’s men will lock horns with on Saturday.

In Croke Park on Sunday at 4pm, Tipp will aim to become the latest Munster side – following Waterford (2020), Cork (2021) and Clare (2024) – to deny Kilkenny a spot in a Liam MacCarthy decider.

This year’s All-Ireland SHC has been somewhat overshadowed by its footballing equivalent, but there should be great excitement this weekend as the closing stage of the competition starts to appear on the horizon.

There are some great offers up for grabs for the forthcoming semi-finals, and we have selected what we believe are three of the best bets for punters to consider.

Dublin Looking To Cause Another Shock

For the first time since 2013, Dublin will contest an All-Ireland senior hurling championship semi-final in what is anticipated to be a sold-out Croke Park this Saturday.

Back then, Cork also provided the opposition to the Sky Blues, and while Ryan O’Dwyer’s sending off left them hamstrung, a late goal from Patrick Horgan propelled the Leesiders to a 1-24 to 1-19 victory.

Although their defeat of Limerick is undoubtedly the talk of the hurling championship to date, Dublin remain outsiders this weekend as they seek to bridge a 64-year gap to their last Liam MacCarthy Cup final appearance.

Cork appear hell-bent on making amends for their agonising showpiece loss to Clare after extra time in 2024, but this is, of course, easier said than done.

Determined to show that their victory against Limerick wasn’t a one-off, Dublin will be determined to leave an indelible mark on Saturday’s game.

Cork might well prevail in the end, but you can expect the Dubs to make life extremely difficult for them.

That is why the 11/2 that GAA betting sites are offering for Dublin to lead at half-time, before eventually succumbing to defeat, is a decent price.

GAA Hurling Tip 1: HT/FT Dublin/Cork – 11/2 With BoyleSports

Keoghan One To Watch In Kilkenny Attack

Although it has been a while since their last meeting in the All-Ireland senior hurling championship, there have been a host of blockbuster clashes between Kilkenny and Tipperary in recent times.

If you include a replayed encounter in 2014, these two counties met in no fewer than seven Liam MacCarthy Cup finals from 2009 to 2019.

Honours were evenly shared across those fixtures, with three wins apiece for both sides being complemented by a thrilling draw in the 2014 All-Ireland decider.

There have also been showdowns at different stages of the championship, although the rise of Limerick – as well as the resurgence of Cork and Clare – means they haven’t necessarily been regarded as the country’s top two sides over the past few years.

If Kilkenny are to advance to the All-Ireland final on July 20, they will more than likely need their forward line to be firing on all cylinders when they face Tipperary this Sunday.

One man who has been displaying a midas touch in front of the posts this year has been Martin Keoghan.

In the five games he has played thus far in the 2025 championship, the Tullaroan ace has found the net in each of them.

He scored a brace of goals in the Leinster final against Galway in early June, and he will hope to raise at least one green flag in Croker this weekend.

GAA Hurling Tip 2: Martin Keoghan Anytime Goalscorer – 13/8 With BoyleSports

Tight Contest Expected Between Kilkenny And Tipperary

Kilkenny may be favourites to progress from Sunday’s semi-final, but there isn’t a huge amount to separate them with betting apps.

While most have the Cats at 10/11, the odds of 6/5 available on Tipperary suggest that many believe the Premier have a realistic shot at making it back to an All-Ireland decider.

After a couple of difficult seasons at the helm, Tipp boss Liam Cahill has his side in good shape this year, and he can also draw on the fact that he guided Waterford to an All-Ireland SHC semi-final win over Kilkenny in 2020.

Yet their Noreside counterparts were in a Liam MacCarthy Cup showpiece as recently as 2023 under current manager Derek Lyng and might well have a decisive edge over their Munster rivals.

However, if they are to overcome Tipperary’s challenge, it is likely to be by a very small margin.

Betway is offering 15/4 on Kilkenny to win their semi-final bout by a margin of between one and three points.

GAA Hurling Tip 3: Kilkenny To Win By 1-3 Points – 15/4 With Betway

Posted in Gaelic Games, Hurling | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – July 2 2025

British & Irish Lions Player Ratings V Western Force: Independent.ie – June 28 2025

Posted on June 28, 2025 by admin

How the Lions rated: Joe McCarthy best of Ireland players as Henry Pollock shines despite sin binning

Daire Walsh

 

Elliot Daly – 8

An impressive showing from the three-time tourist, who bagged tries in each half and made a grand total of 94 metres off 12 carries over the course of the action.

Mack Hansen – 7

The Australian-born winger worked tirelessly throughout the contest in Perth and also provided eye-catching assists for second half tries from his Irish colleague Garry Ringrose and replacement scrum-half Alex Mitchell.

Garry Ringrose – 7

Before claiming a 52nd minute try, Ringrose came out of the line to execute robust tackles as the Lions found themselves on the back-foot for much of the first half.

Sione Tuipulotu – 7

Was one of a number of Lions players who gave away penalties during a tentative opening quarter, but the dependable Scottish international displayed plenty of industry for the touring side. 

James Lowe – 7

Donning the Lions colours after previously playing against them back in 2017, Lowe showed his class in the build-up to tries from Dan Sheehan and Tomos Williams (for his second).

Finn Russell – 7

Aside from a crossfield kick that paved the way for Sheehan’s breakthrough try, Russell effectively controlled the Lions attack and was successful with five of his six shots at goal.

Tomos Williams – 8

Will hope the hamstring injury that forced him off early in the second half isn’t serious. Took his brace of tries with considerable aplomb and produced an accomplished display overall.

Pierre Schoeman – 6

Was under pressure from a Western Force side that had plenty of set-piece joy in the opening period, but helped to ensure the hosts were restricted to a single try. 

Dan Sheehan – 7

A dream occasion for the stand-in skipper became even sweeter when he crossed over in the second minute and he can be happy with his contribution to the Lions victory. 

Tadhg Furlong – 6 

Starting his first game since the beginning of May, the Wexford man got 49 minutes under his belt and managed to make eight tackles during his time on the pitch. 

Scott Cummings – 6 

Didn’t have the same impact as his partner McCarthy, but the Scottish lock still produced 12 successful tackles and an offload before being replaced by Ollie Chessum in the third-quarter.

Joe McCarthy – 8

The bustling Leinster and Irish lock was excellent on both sides of the ball with his 17 successful tackles being complimented by 15 carries and a richly-deserved second half try.

Tadhg Beirne – 6

Had limited opportunities in possession, but the versatile Munster forward was generally solid from a defensive perspective after switching from the second row to the back row for this game. 

Josh van der Flier – 7 

Made an impressive 15 tackles to help keep Western Force at bay for large stretches of the opening half and also produced excellent build-up play for Tomos Williams’ maiden try. 

Henry Pollock – 8

Although he spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin, Pollock enhanced his ever-building reputation with a series of powerful surges into the opposition ‘22’ – two of which led to Lions tries. 

Head Coach: Andy Farrell – 7

Wouldn’t have been happy with aspects of his side’s first half play, but credit must go to Farrell and his coaches for how the Lions seized control on the restart.

Replacements – 7 

While the Lions were 19 points clear when Farrell started to unload his bench, there were fine cameos from the likes of Huw Jones, Ronan Kelleher and try-scorer Alex Mitchell.

Posted in International Rugby | Comments Off on British & Irish Lions Player Ratings V Western Force: Independent.ie – June 28 2025

The Big Interview: Sarah Murphy (Westmeath/Moate/Rathmore) – Media West Ireland – June 28 2025

Posted on June 28, 2025 by admin

Big weekend for Murphy clan as Westmeath benefit from Kerry import

By Daire Walsh

Tomorrow (Sunday) is set to be a hectic day for the Murphys of Rathmore in Kerry with two members of the family expected to see action in venues that are just under 90 minutes apart — for two different counties.

A two-time Sam Maguire Cup winner, Paul Murphy will have a crucial role to play as the Kerry men’s team take on defending champions Armagh at the quarter-final stage of the All-Ireland senior football championship at 4pm in Croke Park. At the earlier time of 2pm in Kingspan Breffni, Murphy’s sister Sarah is looking to help her adopted county of Westmeath get past the challenge of Cavan in the last eight of the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship.

These games being on the same day makes it difficult for their parents to see both of them in the flesh, but this has been possible for much of the summer to date. After watching Paul line out for the Kingdom in their All-Ireland SFC group stage clash against Meath in Tullamore on June 14, the Murphys made sure they were in Stewartstown the following day to see Sarah’s Westmeath take on Tyrone in a group phase encounter of their own.

“Some of the girls in Westmeath would think my family are a bit mad. My parents have actually been to a lot of the matches recently. It has worked out that Kerry have been playing on Saturdays and we’ve been playing on the Sundays, so they’ve been travelling the length and breadth of the country getting to both matches,” Sarah explained.

“It worked out very well two weekends ago. Kerry were playing in Tullamore and then they drove on up. They stayed in Monaghan and they went up to the Tyrone match then on Sunday. I feel like they’re definitely delighted that I’m staying involved and trying something new here playing with Westmeath.”

When her brother first broke onto the Kerry senior panel in 2014, Sarah was an underage player with aspirations of donning the green and gold jersey at adult level herself. This is something she managed to achieve as she was a regular presence on the Kerry senior ladies panel from 2017 to 2021.

Murphy eventually stepped away from the set-up after she took a decision to go travelling (she had a stint playing with the St Kevin’s club in Australia) and upon her return to Irish soil, the secondary school teacher relocated to Westmeath.

Although she represented Rathmore for a couple more years in the Kerry club championship, the commute up and down from the Lake County was beginning to take its toll. This led to her officially transferring to Moate in January and she went on to make her debut for Westmeath in the same month against Cork in the opening round of their Lidl National Football League Division 2 campaign.

“Coming in, I knew no one. I hadn’t played club games. I know the girls from my club, but none of them were in with Westmeath at the time either. It was a bit daunting going into a brand new situation, but then Ayesha Roche is actually a Kerry native as well. I had played with her, I think it was back in 2018 with Kerry,” Murphy acknowledged.

“When she came in, it was just a bit of a relief to have someone else to know. I got in and built up relationships with the girls and the management. It’s actually fine now and it’s very similar to Kerry. It’s the same amount of commitment, the same amount of time. Just a different county.”

Murphy has certainly settled nicely into the Westmeath squad this year as she has started all 11 games the county have played thus far in 2025 across the NFL, the TG4 Leinster intermediate football championship and the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate football championship.

In their provincial final win over Laois at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar on May 18, Murphy delivered a player of the match performance from full-back.

There was disappointment in Stewartstown when Westmeath suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Tyrone, but an earlier triumph at home to Down was enough to earn them a spot at the quarter-final phase of the All-Ireland intermediate championship.

This has led to the Midlanders being on the road this weekend, but with their opponents Cavan having lost out to arch rivals Monaghan in their own group, this year’s Mary Quinn Memorial Cup is proving to be unpredictable.

“Cavan’s group, each of them actually came away with a win. Then for it just to be down to points difference, it really is a very, very close championship. You couldn’t really call who is going to be in the final, not to mind who is going to win it.

“Obviously we went up to Tyrone and we were hoping to get a win because you get the home advantage if you got the win. It’s not the end of the world to have to play an away game in your quarter-final. We’re still in the quarter-final, which is where we want to be.”

Since her departure from their panel, Kerry have enjoyed a remarkable resurgence. In addition to winning a brace of Lidl NFL Division 1 titles and a Division 2 league crown, the Kingdom eventually claimed the TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship in 2024 after losing finals in the two previous years.

While she wasn’t able to make it to Croke Park on the day, Murphy was thrilled that a number of her former team-mates were able to get over the line against Galway in last August’s Brendan Martin Cup showpiece.

“I was absolutely delighted. I played with a good load of them and Danielle O’Leary as well would be from my club, so I was absolutely over the moon for her as well. She has been such a massive part of the Rathmore club since she joined us. She was 16 or 17 when she started playing with us first with the seniors,” Murphy added.

“I actually wasn’t up at the final myself, but I wish I had just to see the whole thing. Playing in Croke Park, seeing them going out and winning in Croke Park. It was just an unbelievable achievement for all of them.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Sarah Murphy (Westmeath/Moate/Rathmore) – Media West Ireland – June 28 2025

Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 24 2025

Posted on June 24, 2025 by admin

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

By Daire Walsh

Following a weekend that saw four more sides drifting out of the race, betting sites are once again casting an eye upon the All-Ireland senior football championship.

On the same day Kerry recorded a 3-20 to 1-17 victory over Cavan, Dublin were made to work for a 1-19 to 1-16 triumph against Cork at Croke Park last Saturday in an All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final.

In a clash between this year’s Ulster and Leinster champions, Donegal earned a comfortable 2-22 to 0-12 success at the expense of Louth on Sunday.

In what proved to be the closest game of the weekend, Galway had two points to spare over Down (2-26 to 3-21), becoming the only away side to win a preliminary quarter-final in the process.

Last Eight Standing Back In Action This Weekend

The four victors from the above-mentioned games found themselves in the hat for the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final draw.

They now join the Sam Maguire Cup group winners, and the draw has thrown up a series of compelling encounters for the coming weekend at Croke Park.

On Saturday, Donegal and Monaghan will meet at 4pm in an all-Ulster clash, before their provincial rivals Tyrone take on Dublin in what promises to be a mouthwatering affair at 6.15pm.

Galway and Meath get the action underway in GAA HQ on Sunday at 1.45pm, while Armagh and Kerry conclude the quarter-final drama at 4pm.

Picking out three bets from this weekend’s action isn’t an easy task, but we have included below what we feel are some of the best markets to be found in this latest phase of the All-Ireland senior football championship.

Tight Battle Expected Between Donegal And Monaghan

When they met earlier this year at the quarter-final stage of the Ulster senior football championship, Donegal had to hold off a strong second-half fightback from Monaghan to claim a 0-23 to 0-21 victory.

Whereas Donegal went on to defend their Ulster crown, an All-Ireland group stage defeat to Tyrone was a big reason why Jim McGuinness’ side ended up in the preliminary quarter-finals rather than going straight through to the last eight.

Monaghan, on the other hand, took all the positives from that earlier tussle with the O’Donnell men and made it through to the quarter-finals with successive wins over Louth, Clare and Down.

Though Donegal are favourites to prevail this Saturday, McGuinness’ outfit are the only team from last weekend who have been faced with a six-day turnaround from their preliminary quarter-final win.

While Donegal may well make it through to the semi-finals, don’t be surprised if Monaghan are in the driving seat at the midway point of this tussle.

GAA betting sites are offering 5/1 on the underdogs to lead at the break, only to eventually come up short.

GAA Football Betting Tip 1: HT/FT Monaghan/Donegal – 5/1 With BoyleSports

Dublin And Tyrone Rekindle Old Rivalry

They have had plenty of intriguing battles in the recent past, and there is hope that Dublin and Tyrone could produce the goods once again at Croke Park on Saturday evening.

If you include a replayed encounter from 2005, this is set to be Dublin’s sixth All-Ireland quarter-final meeting with the Red Hand.

The Ulster men came out on top at the second attempt 20 years ago, before defeating the Sky Blues in the last eight en route to another All-Ireland title in 2008.

Two years later, Dublin ultimately turned them over in the quarter-final phase of the All-Ireland championship, and it was at this point that they started to gain the upper hand in this fixture.

Dublin have won the last six summer meetings between these two sides, including the 2018 All-Ireland SFC final.

Yet the Blues had to fight for a number of these victories, and with their form proving to be inconsistent thus far in 2025, this is one that could go right down to the wire.

Although there have been goals aplenty across the past few weekends of the championship, the games could become more cagey as the finishing line in the Sam Maguire Cup approaches.

With this in mind, it might be worth exploring Boylesports’ odds of 13/2 on no goalscorer in Saturday’s game.

GAA Football Betting Tip 2: No Goalscorer – 13/2 With BoyleSports

Kerry And Armagh Rematch Set To Produce Compelling Spectacle

Due to the avoidance of repeat clashes from the All-Ireland group stages and the provincial finals, it was already determined before Monday morning’s quarter-final draw that Kerry and Armagh were to meet in the last eight.

This brings back memories of the showdown between the two teams at the penultimate stage of last year’s championship when the Ulster side recovered from a five-point deficit in the 47th minute to eventually overcome the Kingdom after extra time.

From there, Armagh went on to win the Sam Maguire Cup for just the second time in their history, and Kerry were left with the feeling that they had blown an excellent opportunity to make another All-Ireland decider.

This helps to make Sunday’s game all the more compelling, and with several players on both teams seemingly thriving under the new rules for Gaelic football, this is a game that could be remembered come the end of this year’s championship – if not beyond it.

Due largely to their surprise nine-point group-stage defeat to Meath (and injuries to some key players), Kerry are regarded as outsiders for this game.

Defending champions Armagh can more than justify being favourites for a spot in the last four, but underestimating the Kingdom can often be a dangerous game.

It is a contest that could go either way, but the odds of 4/1 with betting apps on Kerry to win by a margin of one to three points could be a tough one to resist.

GAA Football Betting Tip 3: Kerry To Win By 1-3 Points – 4/1 With Betway

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 24 2025