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Pat Ryan plays opening hand ahead of Cork's semi vs Dublin as Rebels aim to handle favourites tag

Pat Ryan plays opening hand ahead of Cork's semi vs Dublin as Rebels aim to handle favourites tag

The Irish Sun11 hours ago
CORK boss Pat Ryan has made three changes for Saturday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Dublin.
Niall O'Leary comes back into the defence after coming off the bench in the
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Earlier this week Ryan hit out at the practice of naming 'dummy teams'
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Captain Robert Downey is fit to start
Robert Downey replaces the injured Cormac O'Brien (quad) at centre-back and Declan Dalton comes into the firing line for Séamus Harnedy, who is
Ger Millerick returns to the bench after
CORK (SHC v Dublin): P Collins; N O'Leary, E Downey, S O'Donoghue; C Joyce, R Downey, M Coleman; T O'Mahony, D Fitzgibbon; D Healy, S Barrett, D Dalton; P Horgan, A Connnolly, B Hayes.
The Rebels are hot favourites to land their first All-Ireland in 20 years this summer.
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Ryan's men won their first Munster title since 2018 when
The Treaty were stunned by Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-finals and the Sky Blues are huge underdogs again for Saturday's semi-final clash with Cork.
Tipp boss Liam Cahill has already
Meanwhile Derek Lyng insists Kilkenny's 10-year famine
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The Cats have been starved of success in the last decade, and have not won Liam MacCarthy since 2015.
TJ Reid, Richie Reid and stopper Eoin Murphy are the only survivors from their last title when Lyng was a selector under Brian Cody.
'Lots of fight' - RTE GAA pundits react to Sean O'Shea's 'very interesting' interview after Kerry dethrone Armagh
But their boss says there is no 10-year cloud over the dressing room ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary.
He said: 'None whatsoever, none whatsoever. That's not on this group. That's sport. Anytime you get through and win something you have to earn it. That's what we've been trying to do.
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'What I'm looking for from the team is a really good attitude and application in terms of how they go about the games. I've been really pleased with how we've done that so far.
'We think we have a bit to go yet and we know we need to up it again this weekend. That's all we're looking for.'
BORDER FEELING
Sunday's clash is one of hurling's great rivalries, and Lyng grew up in Urlingford where that edge was felt the most.
The border with Tipperary was only a couple of kilometres away, so he was no stranger to what these games meant as a child.
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He sat in the Hogan stand when Tipp prevailed in the 1991 All-Ireland before facing his neighbours in four championship games as a player, winning three and losing one.
Lyng prevailed in back to back semi-finals in 2003, as well as the 2009 All-Ireland final before Liam Sheedy's men halted their drive for five a year later.
Sunday's clash will be their first championship showdown since Tipp won the 2019 All-Ireland, and blew the Cats away 3-25 to 0-20.
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I hurl, therefore I am: Dublin's quiet hurling manager tearing up the script
I hurl, therefore I am: Dublin's quiet hurling manager tearing up the script

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I hurl, therefore I am: Dublin's quiet hurling manager tearing up the script

WHEN NIALL Ó CEALLACHÁIN was 36 years of age, he had a decision to make. He loved hurling in a way that wasn't fashionable. He had been good enough as a young player to make the very first Dublin Development Squad. In 2001, he featured alongside Conal Keaney and David 'Dotsy' O'Callaghan on a combined Dublin Colleges team that secured a Leinster SHC 'A' title, beating the famed and fabled St Kieran's Kilkenny in the semi-final before polishing off Wexford's Good Counsel in the final. At club level, he was a midfield stalwart with Na Fianna, known as 'Nelly' within Na Fianna. The issue was as he was nearing the end of his playing days, there weren't enough Ó Ceallacháin's to go around, says then-manager Declan Feeney. 'He was a real leader on the pitch. Our problem was we hadn't enough hurlers. The reality is we had about 12 on the senior panel. We were struggling to field,' he says. 'Probably had a panel of about 20 but we were running three teams. 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He didn't get to keep him with the small ball, but Eoin Murchan showed promise as a hurler. Perhaps his multiple Sam Maguire medals bring some small comfort. Ó Ceallacháin with Paul O'Dea after winning the All-Ireland club title. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO As Feeney recalls, they were a funny team by the time they reached U16 level. Around half a dozen players were absolute units and around six foot four inches. There were another half-dozen or so that were tidy stickmen, but just tipping around five foot five inches tall. But they all could hurl. Then came The Decision. When those players came of age, Feeney was finishing up. In his three years in charge – the latest spell having done it a few times before then – they had gone from a team in Senior B to Senior A. He had established the team in that company and they even topped a qualifying group. Even with a promising team coming, nobody was joining a race to become manager. 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'That would have been my own feeling on it. They needed a Dublin fella to take it. Niall was flying at the time and he was perfect. You come off winning your second senior championship, you're in a Leinster final, the job presents itself, I would think it would be very hard to say no. It might not be there for you in three or four years' time.' After a day or two celebrating that famous win over Sarsfields on 19 January, he was straight into the Dublin job, exclusively. That weekend they put 14 points on Antrim in a game that the Saffrons, under new management of Davy Fitzgerald, had put a red circle around as their first supposed statement of intent. The Dublin management team celebrate after beating Limerick in the All-Ireland quarter-final. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO The only games they lost were by a single point to Offaly, and two points away to Waterford. 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'He was able to push the right buttons at right times with certain fellas. If the right competition came along, he knew how to put the right fella into the team ahead of someone that might have been there regularly. And then explain to the fella he was leaving out, the reasons for him being left out and how to respond. It was up to them, then. 'Communication is his key.' It has taken until an All-Ireland semi-final against Cork for the general public to wake up to the Dublin hurling story. Whatever about this weekend, there are a few more chapters coming in good time. Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here

'There will be a huge appetite to go again' - Galway's recovery from shock All-Ireland exit
'There will be a huge appetite to go again' - Galway's recovery from shock All-Ireland exit

The 42

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  • The 42

'There will be a huge appetite to go again' - Galway's recovery from shock All-Ireland exit

FORMER GALWAY FOOTBALLER Michael Meehan is confident that Pádraic Joyce's squad will recover from their shock All-Ireland exit and be competitive in 2026. Galway, who contested last year's All-Ireland final, were dumped out of the championship by Meath at the weekend after an error-strewn performance. Poor handling, decision-making, and shot selection contributed to Galway's demise in Croke Pa But despite the manner of their quarter-final defeat, Meehan still believes Galway can reload for another charge at Sam Maguire next year, having reached the finals in 2022 and 2024. 'I think there will be a huge appetite and desire to go at it again. There's still the bones of a very strong squad there. It's that initial getting over the losses and moving on. When things start being lined up again, probably next October or November, that's when it all has to start in earnest, straight back into it in the league next year.' A disappointed Damien Comer after Galway's All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Meath. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Meehan pointed to players like Céin D'Arcy and John Maher who have reignited their inter-county careers under Joyce's watch. D'Arcy has been particularly effective in the air at kickout time while Maher has continued to maintain his high standards after winning an All-Star last year. Advertisement Rising star Matthew Thompson has also impressed Meehan this year. After captaining the Galway U20s last year, Thompson broke through to the senior team in 2025, bringing a big boost to the forward line in the absence of the injured Damien Comer. 'He's been fantastic,' says Meehan. 'A breath of fresh air. An amazing player for his age and how he grew into the role.' Meehan continued by drawing a comparison between Thompson and former Galway forward, Paul Clancy, who was part of the squad who won two All-Irelands in 1998 and 2001. 'He just reminds me a little bit of Paul Clancy. He had a similar left foot where he could just find a pass and maybe no one else could find or see. He's a hugely exciting prospect for Galway. 'From game one all the way on, he just brought a little bit more each day to get him to the stage there. In the last few games where he probably has one of the most touches on the ball, he's trusted to carry ball, to link up play, to make the right decisions. We saw his pass for Shane's goal in the last game against Down as an example. He's done umpteen of those passes.' Michael Meehan was speaking as part of Solgar's Golden Moments campaign. Solgar, a leading provider of high-quality nutritional supplements is the official vitamin partner of the GAA/GPA and partner of the GAA Museum. Meehan can relate to Comer's injury frustrations having suffered with ankle, knee and shoulder issues throughout his own career with Galway. The Annaghdown forward made a notable contribution off the bench against Meath on Sunday, but Meehan laments the disruptions that Comer has suffered again this season. 'You'd be disappointed for Damien because he'd be a senior player in that group. He's one of the leaders of the group. It hasn't been straightforward for a number of years now. 'This year has been very difficult for him. I know from personal experience, [that] it's a difficult time when you're sidelined at length. You just can't get involved. 'I was delighted that he did make a big impact in the game with scores and assists and turnovers. He got fouled for a free as well. He contributed an awful lot. 'You'd love to have seen him for longer on Sunday and all the other days. But it's been difficult for him managing the injuries. He has played so little this year, I'd say, probably more than any year.' Joyce has completed his sixth season as manager of the Galway footballers but has firmly said he will not be making 'any rash decisions' about his future. The role of veteran midfielder Paul Conroy has also changed this year, coming on as an impact sub at times including the Meath game. Meehan declined to speculate on what either might do for next season but says the entire group will use the club championship to reset before making any calls on the 2026 campaign. 'I suppose the hardest days are the few straight after a tough loss like that. 'But they'll all go back playing club championship. You just don't know what people will do and what they're prepared to sign up to when everything settles down. There's a bit of time off now or certainly time away from the county scene for the Galway players.'

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