
GAA Championship: All today's Gaelic football action as it happened
Donegal and Galway progressed into tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final draw, while the Tailteann Cup semi-finals at Croke Park saw Kildare and Limerick win through to the final on July 12.
Here's how the action unfolded.
Live scores:
All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-finals
Galway 2-26 Down 3-21 (full-time)
Donegal 2-22 Louth 0-12 (full-time)
Tailteann Cup semi-finals
Limerick 2-18 Wicklow 1-17 Croke Park (full-time)Kildare 1-13 Fermanagh 0-9 (full-time)
All-Ireland MFC semi-finals
Tyrone 2-12 Roscommon 1-8 (full-time)Kerry 1-19 Mayo 3-10 (full-time)
6 minutes ago
'Brian McLoughlin makes the difference off the bench as Kildare book Tailteann Cup final date with Limerick'
Read More:
Brian McLoughlin makes the difference off the bench as Kildare book Tailteann Cup final date with Limerick
Brian McLoughlin changed the course of a dire Tailteann Cup semi-final with his impressive 0-4 contribution off the bench booking Kildare's place in the final.
www.independent.ie
7 minutes ago
'Galway weather Down storm to advance to All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals'
Galway weather Down storm to advance to All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals
Galway survived so many second-half scares from Down in Newry's Páirc Esler as they put their name in the drum for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final draw.
www.independent.ie
7 minutes ago
'Late first-half Tyrone goals rock Roscommon in All-Ireland MFC semi-final'
Late first-half Tyrone goals rock Roscommon in All-Ireland MFC semi-final
Goals from Joel Kerr and Peter Colton just before half time swung this All-Ireland MFC semi-final decisively in Tyrone's favour at Kingspan Breffni on Sunday afternoon.
www.independent.ie
8 minutes ago
'Tailteann Cup final beckons for Limerick as second-half onslaught puts Wicklow to the sword'
Tailteann Cup final beckons for Limerick as second-half onslaught puts Wicklow to the sword
A devastating 1-9 without reply in the final 20 minutes saw Limerick overturn a seven-point deficit into a scarcely believable five-point win in their Tailteann Cup semi-final clash at Croke Park.
www.independent.ie
10 minutes ago
Watch Ciaran Thompson's second half goal here.
70'+5
Point
Donegal
Scorer
Hugh McFadden
Sub McFadden scores on the hooter, increasing Donegal's lead to sixteen on the hooter.
70'+4
Point
Donegal
Scorer
Caolan McColgan
McColgan moves McGuinness' men fifteen points clear.
70'+4
Michael Verney in Croke Park:
Brian McLoughlin makes the difference off the bench as Kildare book Tailteann Cup final place
Kildare 1-13 Fermanagh 0-9
Brian McLoughlin changed the course of a dire Tailteann Cup semi-final with his impressive 0-4 contribution off the bench booking Kildare's place in the final.
Conditions were far from ideal in Croke Park with a couple of torrential downpours throughout the game but the action between the white lines was anything but inspiring in a forgettable encounter.
McLoughlin was only on the field for 20 minutes but he still walked away with the man-of-the-match award after a crucial two-pointer helped to turn to the tide with four points scored within a five-minute period while James McGrath put the game to bed with a late goal for the Lilies.
Victory for Brian Flanagan's side also helped to bury a Kildare hoodoo at the Jones' Road venue with just their fourth win from 24 games there dating all the way back to 2014.
For Fermanagh, Kieran Donnelly's side lacked the necessary punch in attack but they could have left just one point in it with eight minutes to play only for Josh Largo Elis' goal chance to be scrambled out on the line.
Kildare will head back to GAA HQ in three weeks where they meet surprise packets Limerick with the Tailteann Cup, and a place in the 2026 All-Ireland SFC, up for grabs.
70'+3
Point
Louth
Scorer
Ciarán Downey
Ciaran Downey with another consolation for Louth.
70'
Point
Scorer
Sam Mulroy
Mulroy with a consolation score for Louth.
69'
Point
Donegal
Scorer
Niall O'Donnell
Sub O'Donnell gets in on the scoring act.
68'
Point
Louth
Scorer
Peter Lynch
Peter Lynch kicks a point not long after returning from his black card. But it will be just a consolation.
64'
Point
Donegal
Scorer
Shane O'Donnell
Shane O'Donnell with another for Donegal as they make hay against Louth's 14 men.
63'
Kildare, meanwhile, look bound for a Tailteann Cup final against Limerick, with a James McGrath goal moving them seven clear with just a minute to play.
Second half sub Brian McLoughlin is the MOTM after making a huge impact off the bench for the Lilywhites.
59'
Point
Donegal
Scorer
Daire O'Baoil
58'
Point
Donegal
Scorer
Oisin Gallen
Gallen kicks his fifth of the day.
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The Irish Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Drilled into me' – Robbie Brennan may have been born in Dublin but Meath blood pumps through his veins
ROBBIE BRENNAN was born in Dublin — but Royal blood pumps through his veins. He was lifted over the Croke Park turnstiles as a youngster for the 1984 Centenary Cup when Meath beat Monaghan and he became a fan for life. Brennan played for Kilmacud Crokes and would later return to the southside giants to He transferred to the Meath club in 2002, winning a Meath SFC title with them in 2005. His Crokes stint yielded three county and Leinster titles in a row while the Royals slept in Dublin's shadow at county level. This year, Meath ended the Sky Blues' 15-year grip on the province but Read More On GAA But they have since scalped Cork, Kerry and Galway and a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009 Brennan's first summer in charge has been the stuff of dreams. He said: 'Going back to my dad's roots, it's always been very close to the heart. I've been living in Meath a long time and I've been lucky to win a championship in Meath. 'I clearly remember being lifted over the stiles back in the day and that was the start of it. Most read in GAA Football "You're brought, and at that age you don't know who you're supporting — but he's Meath and it was drilled into me. 'The first one I can remember was the Centenary Cup in 1984. I remember being on dad's shoulders on the pitch after that game. That was the real, real start of it. Watch RTE pundits' contrasting reaction to full-time whistle of Tipperary's epic win over Kilkenny 'But there were a lot of dark days when you're living in Dublin in Kilmacud — and Meath aren't winning and Dublin are starting to win.' As for why he took the job, he added: 'I certainly knew the talent was there and that was the most exciting part of it. It was a case of, could you get in and awaken the sleeping giant? So far we have.' And Brennan has always used pain to drive himself and his players. Losing the 2022 All-Ireland club final to Kilcoo was one of his toughest days, when Jerome Johnston's 81st-minute goal sank Kilmacud. 1 Sunday will see his side take on Donegal in an All-Ireland semi-final Brennan selected a photo of the Magpies lifting the cup as the wallpaper screen on his phone as a reminder. Pictures from their Leinster final loss were used as motivators this time, including one of a dejected Donal Keogan. He said: 'We've had a couple of Louth pictures on it during the year. Sometimes something might just hit you — the Kilcoo one was heartbreaking at the time and was something we used. 'This year I've had one of Keoghie. There's a brilliant one of Keoghie on his knees in front of the Hill after the final whistle in the Leinster final. "Just little things that just keep you motivated, keep you pushing.'


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Meath's run reminds me of our 1996 team, hopefully Donegal don't burst our bubble at Croke Park
THE flags are out, the weather is good and the whole county is hitting Croke Park — it's 1996 all over again in Meath. Advertisement 2 Meath icon Graham Geraghty writes for SunSport 2 Graham is visible on the very far left here of the famous brawl in the 1996 All-Ireland final That summer, Meath beat Ulster champions Tyrone in the last four and tomorrow, And I'm not saying Robbie Brennan will deliver Sam Maguire, but there's no reason we can't beat Donegal and get back to our first decider since 2001. There's a huge buzz around the county — we have waited such a long time for this level of excitement. Tomorrow is extra special closer to home too as my best mate Gary's son, Ben, will be a flag-bearer on the pitch when the teams run out — a dream come true as he is football-daft. Advertisement Read More On GAA It's fantastic — having missed out on promotion from Division 2 in the league, to be 70 minutes from an All-Ireland final is such a contrast. Seeing off Dublin was a huge result and even though Louth won the Leinster final, Meath are here on merit after beating Kerry in the All-Ireland series to top the group, then Last year, a lot of people in Meath, never mind across the country, didn't know who Jordan Morris, Eoghan Frayne and Ciarán Caulfield were but they are household names now. Meath's summer looked over before it had even begun when coaches Joe McMahon and Martin Corey Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Nobody knew what was going on, it was all doom and gloom but huge credit has to go to Brennan, he rallied the troops and I believe the players took much of the responsibility on themselves too. It's all well and good having a good manager but you need the players to drive it on and Meath have grown with every game they've played. Watch RTE pundits' contrasting reaction to full-time whistle of Tipperary's epic win over Kilkenny They're in bonus territory already, they have nothing to lose and they are probably in the same position as they were against Dublin, against Kerry and against Galway. Nobody gave them a chance of winning except themselves. But now the Meath public are starting to believe too. Advertisement We have a lot of good young players there that don't fear the top teams — and the year is not yet over. From speaking to a few of the lads and reading interviews with players over the last week or two, they have huge belief in their ability and they won't be found wanting tomorrow. They have no fear but they have a a never-say-die attitude and will keep going. They could have rolled over when Galway came back at them with two quick second-half goals, but captain Frayne responded with a vital score before Morris found the net. Advertisement They fought back and pushed for home. Supporters were looking for the qualities of the famous old Meath teams — that the game was never over until the final whistle. And we've seen that from this side. They're not a physically massive team, but they're full of guts and they get stuck in. They are particularly good with breaking ball around the middle area, which provides a platform for attack. Advertisement PAY NO HEED They've been written off against the Dubs, against the Kingdom and against the Tribe but have gone from strength to strength. And hopefully, that continues, because tomorrow all the pressure is on Donegal. Jim McGuinness' men were dumped out by Galway at this stage last year. And in year two of his second stint, the Glenties man will be looking to go at least one step further. Obviously they want to win an All-Ireland, but Meath have a lot of very good young players. Advertisement Michael Murphy has shown he has lost none of his sparkle, but Seán Rafferty has been outstanding all year at full-back for the Royals and has handled anything — or anyone — thrown his way. I think he's going to relish marking Murphy — what aspiring young player wouldn't? Donegal duo Michael Langan and Ciarán Thompson are playing good football too and if Donegal get a run on us early doors, the game could quickly get away from us so a good start is key. Coming down the stretch, if it's close, Donegal will really start to feel the heat but I reckons our young cubs have what it takes to win. Advertisement RISING STARS Yes, McGuinness has oodles of talent, but Meath are not wanting on that front either, with Frayne and Morris the real standouts. Morris scored 1-6 against Galway and Frayne is such a leader, at the tender age of 22. Both of them will need to be tuned in tomorrow, but the Meath lads seem to have a great bond, they are all good mates and there's no ego. They remind me of a club team in the way they are all in it for each other and the cause and never stop working. Advertisement It will be such a wonderful occasion, with more than 70,000 tickets already sold. And overall it's been a brilliant Championship for football, but especially for Meath football. And just like in 1996, something about this journey tells me it's not over yet.

The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
A tale of two warriors: The devotion of Mattie Donnelly and Peter Harte
LET'S GO BACK to December 2023. We are in the sun room of Mattie Donnelly's home outside Trillick. Himself and Megan are coming to terms with being first-time parents to little Senan which involves the usual rigmarole of no sleep. But when he does go to bed, Donnelly is strapped into a knee brace from his upper thigh to lower shin. It's cumbersome and bulky and desperately uncomfortable looking. Not conducive to a quick cat-nap or even dozing in front of Netflix. He injured his knee playing for Trillick in the Kilmacud Sevens a few months earlier. Afterwards, he went out for dinner with his brother Richie and brother in law, Paul Courtney. Once dinner was over, he went straight back to the hotel. His recovery had already began. For twelve weeks, he slept in that brace. The injury was a rupture of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament. It required no operation. He researched the injury and found Steve Adams in the NBA, a star for the Memphis Grizzlies that had it. Adams treated it with a mixture of rest and rehab, but the knee developed an instability and he had to go for an operation. Two seasons were wiped out. Donnelly had to make sure that didn't happen to him. He couldn't afford it. 'After the first few nights in it, I was thinking, 'there's no way I will do twelve weeks in this,'' he told us. 'For the first twelve weeks I had to sleep in it. 24/7. But you get acclimatised to it. There's not that much discomfort to it. When you are trying to do stuff in the gym with it on it's an inconvenience. 'The brace from the start was at a certain angle and you could do most things within that range of movement. It's down to 90 degrees now and we are about to increase that. 'You do most things within that range. The only thing you are told to avoid is anything hamstring-related. And that's down to the mechanics of the thing. Any time you are pulling on the hamstring, you are pulling on the tibia. Advertisement 'But I can do most things. Even bike and things like that, which keeps me sane in terms of getting a sweat up. We have a gym at the homeplace and a gym at the pitch. So between the two is where we spend most of our time.' ***** 'He's incredibly driven,' says Mark Bradley now of his Red Hands team mate. 'The whole chat at the time was that Mattie might not play again. But the character he is, he is so detailed and you would not have doubted them. 'I don't think any of those men have anything to prove. They have done it for years and continue to do so.' 17 years ago, Bradley was in Hill 16 for the All-Ireland final. Tyrone and Mayo played out a draw in the minor, before Tyrone seniors won their decider against Kerry. A week later, Tyrone became the first Ulster county to nail a senior-minor double in the same year, on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-15. Kyle Coney was the undoubted star of that game with 0-5. 15,056 were packed into Pearse Park in Longford for the replay, among them was Bradley again. At centre-back was Peter Harte. Lining out in the half-forward line, Mattie Donnelly. Donnelly competing against Paul Galvin in his debut season, 2012. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO 'Mattie' and 'Petey' are still trucking, still doing whatever it takes. In the All-Ireland quarter-final win over Dublin, Harte gave all he could and more before being withdrawn for his brother-in-law, Ruairí Canavan. In the final plays, Donnelly was still going hard. He won a break from a kickout to set up Eoin McElholm for a point and later provided an assist for Ben McDonnell to punch over. 'They were the ones you looked up to, and you still do,' says Bradley. 'You look at the big moments, they continue to step up and lead from the front.' Later this year within three weeks of each other, both will celebrate their 35th birthdays. While the Footballer of the Year last year was won by a 35-year-old Paul Conroy, it takes an insane drive to still play intercounty at this age. It requires total buy-in from everyone around their wider circle. Both come from a heritage that never compromises on that. Donnelly's father Liam had a career of playing for Tyrone before later managing the county to underage success. His mother Clare is the secretary of their club, Trillick. Harte's name explains everything. That, and being married to Aine Canavan, daughter of Peter, explains a lot. The numbers, according to former Tyrone PRO Eunan Lindsay, are staggering. Donnelly has played 189 games for Tyrone; 77 in the league. 77 games in championship and 37 times in the Dr McKenna Cup. He will overtake Conor Gormley this Saturday in overall championship appearances and move to fourth in league and championship. He has scored 5-183 in total, with 1-92 in championship. Donnelly and Harte hunt down Eoghan Ban Gallagher of Donegal. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Donnelly only arrived in 2012, after turning down Mickey Harte's request to join a year before in order to prepare his body better. Harte made his debut in 2010 and immediately took on a leadership role. He has been the freetaker and he has played a great deal of his football in the half-back line. There are few more creative than him in the game. He has played a mind-boggling 222 times for Tyrone; 84 championship, 93 league, and 45 times he hauled himself out to play in the muck and gutters of the Dr McKenna Cup. Only Sean Cavanagh has played more for Tyrone, but Harte has scored 36-285 altogether with 14-119 in championship, making him the record goal scorer for Tyrone. Of those goals, there are some, as they might say in Tyrone, absolute clinkers. Related Reads Tyrone take major step, dominant Donegal, Monaghan's second-half struggles Dessie Farrell steps down as manager of Dublin footballers 'What a goal. That is one of the great goals we've seen in Croke Park. Magic, magic Mulligan!' Both players have proved themselves in many facets of the game. There are few that can match Donnelly's power or Harte's inventiveness though. For present selector, Colm McCullagh, he sees similarities with the two veterans and a fellow selector in Chris Lawn, and the example that everyone in Tyrone reaches for when the quality of leadership is mentioned; Brian Dooher. 'You'd have to give those boys serious credit for how they look after themselves in the off seasons – if they get any off seasons. Because those boys are involved in clubs that are going to the later ends of championships and winning championships,' he says. The key to it all though, is that they love football in a way that most mortals could not comprehend. Bradley recalls a Saturday night when Tyrone played Galway a few years back. It wasn't until well past midnight when the bus rolled back into the county. While everyone else was talking about a lazy Sunday ahead, perhaps a round of golf and a dip in the pool, Peter Harte had other plans. He was out first thing in the morning to coach the Errigal Ciarán U8 girls team. ***** Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here