Raymond Galligan steps aside as Cavan manager
Cavan GAA issued a statement this afternoon thanking All Star goalkeeper Galligan and his backroom team for their commitment to the county.
Their statement praised Galligan as 'a wonderful servant' who always had time for younger fans in his various roles as a player, captain and manager, and labeled him 'a positive role model for all.'
Galligan made 114 appearances for Cavan, scoring 1-122, captaining Cavan from 2019-2023 and lifting the Ulster title in 2020, their first Anglo-Celt Cup victory since 1997.
A Cavan GAA statement said that Galligan sighted work commitments and a young family as his reasons for stepping aside, as he praised the County Board and his players 'huge commitment and effort for the Cavan cause.'
Cavan GAA said 'We wish Raymond, his wife Niamh and their two young children the best in the future and thank you again from all in Cavan GAA.'
Galligan took over from Ulster Championship winning boss Mickey Graham, who was a coach with Galway this year.
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Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Five big questions on David Clifford ahead of final after Tyrone exhibition
The odds on David Clifford winning the Footballer of the Year award for a third time continue to shorten after his barnstorming display in Saturday's All-Ireland semi-final. Clifford shot 1-9 as Kerry cruised past Tyrone and into the All-Ireland final and leads the betting ahead of Donegal's Michael Murphy for the game's most prestigious individual honour. Only one player, fellow Kerryman Jack O'Shea, has been named Footballer of the Year more than twice, with the great midfielder carrying away the Texaco version of the award 1980, '81, '84 and '85. At the very least, Clifford is shoo in for a sixth All Star, regardless of what happens in the final against Donegal. At just 26, he has every chance of setting a new mark in the long-running awards scheme. Another Kerryman, Pat Spillane, has the most All Star awards in football (nine), while former Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin holds the outright record (11). Was it his best ever display? As good as it was, probably not. The 1-9 that he compiled was not even his biggest of this Championship campaign and is four points fewer than the 3-7 tally that he posted against Cavan in the preliminary quarter-final last month, albeit the opposition was stiffer on Saturday. But Clifford might well have surpassed that total as he missed a couple of two-point efforts and fluffed goal chances in either half. So, worryingly for Donegal, there is still room for improvement. And, of course, the RTE panel decided that Clifford wasn't even the best player on the pitch on Saturday, with the official Man of the Match award going to Joe O'Connor after another huge display from the midfield powerhouse. Was it the biggest ever tally in an All-Ireland semi-final? No, that record belongs to Cillian O'Connor, who amassed an incredible 4-9 in Mayo's win over Tipperary in the 2020 semi-final. It's worth nothing that 4-3 of O'Connor's tally came from play, with a further 0-6 from frees. Clifford's total was bloated somewhat by the fact that he hit one two-pointer, a sensational score, which has only been introduced to the game this year, while he scored 0-4 from single-point frees. His 1-9 is also three points fewer than Matt Connor's 2-9 for Offaly in the 1980 All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry. It was his biggest tally at senior level in Croke Park, though short of his 4-4 against Derry in the 2017 All-Ireland minor final. Who will mark him in the All-Ireland final? Jim McGuinness will surely hand that job to Brendan McCole. The Donegal full-back is one of the best man-markers in the game and on Sunday successfully negated the influence of Meath's Jordan Flynn, who was rampant in the Royals' quarter-final win over Galway. However, as numerous observers have pointed out, containing Clifford is far from a one-man task and providing some sort of extra cover for McCole and limiting Kerry's kicking game will be high on McGuinness's priority list coming into the final. Are Kerry over-reliant on him? Probably, but then that's always likely to some degree with a player of his talent. Still though, as difficult as it might be, if Donegal can limit Clifford to manageable proportions then they'll have gone a long way towards winning the All-Ireland final. Of the 15-175 (220) that Kerry have scored in their eight Championship games, Clifford accounts for 8-53 (77). That's 35% of their total - more than one-third. Donegal have a much greater spread having had 12 scorers in their win over Meath, compared to seven for Kerry against Tyrone. Can he be the creator? With Clifford likely to be commanding the attention of not just McCole, but drawing other defenders too, can he exploit the space that will naturally open up elsewhere for his teammates? The Fossa man's vision isn't just limited to where the goalposts are these days and he has matured from his early years, when his shot selection was questionable at times. His playmaking abilities are not to be understated and, in a game of tight margins, it could be crucial.
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Nigel Dunne: Reliance on David Clifford doesn't bode well for Kerry's All-Ireland chances
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Irish Examiner
a day ago
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Maurice Brosnan: McCole's masterclass sets up a heavyweight showdown with Clifford
At the final whistle, Brendan McCole let it all go. There was no longer a need for his unwavering focus. Arms up, head to the sky, rejoice right in front of the Hogan Stand. They are through. His reward is the ultimate test. Jordan Morris came into this semi-final with 2-12 to his name. The Meath forward scorched Croke Park in the quarter-final with 1-6 against Galway from 11 shots. On Sunday, he fired at the posts five times for one point. That raging fire met a cold unforgiving tide. The tide won out. From the moment they lined out for the throw-in, Donegal having opted to play against the wind into the Hill, McCole made his way out of his full-back refuge and over to the foreign wing. This new era of Gaelic football has made it almost impossible for defenders to thrive. Almost. The Ulster champions have a set structure that sees defenders switch and pass over freely. McCole exists outside of that. He is consistently given the task of tackling the opposition's biggest threat. He is consistently delivering. Morris joined the hitlist along with Sam Mulroy, Ryan O'Donoghue, Conor Turbitt and Darragh Canavan. In this championship, McCole has bested every one of them. 'The first thing to say about Brendan is that he has climbed the ladder,' said Jim McGuinness afterwards as he reflected on a 20-point mauling. They kept what was an immense attacking unit to 13 scores from 31 shots. 'For any young defender out there, he has climbed the ladder. I remember when he made his debut he got a very rough introduction to intercounty football.' The boy who was born in New York and didn't play Gaelic football until he was nine years old and back in St Naul's endured a testing debut campaign in 2019. The same ground. The same opposition. McCole lasted 14 minutes in the Division 2 league final against Meath before Neil McGee replaced him. He is now the spit of the current Donegal selector. 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McCole stayed eyeballing him, even as attackers gained possession right behind his back. Morris' next touch was way out at the halfway line. Left foot solo, right foot, goose step and rapid break onto the left, McCole matching him stride for stride. The ball was recycled back out, Eoghan Freyne tried to pick a pass inside and it bounced harmlessly over the endline. Sharp cuts and side steps are effective because they leave defenders legless. They twist and compromise, ultimately turning their back. For any attacker with pace, that is an invitation. McCole does not do that. Midway through the first half he sized up his marker and showed him down the right. Morris has only scored once on that side in the championship. As the number 13 jinked back onto his left to attempt a two, McCole drop-stepped, never losing sight of his target and maintaining pressure throughout. The shot was forced and dropped at the near post. Pressure is the most defining component in the cauldron that is Gaelic football. Fundamental skills look simple until that game-changing squeeze is applied. It makes a hurried handpass miss and a Mathew Costello goal chance slips away. A short kick to Bryan Menton drops too short with the resulting collision ultimately forcing his withdrawal. In the decider, Donegal will be the first team ever to play 11 championship games. 720 competitive minutes. McCole has played in 713 of them. But he hasn't faced a weapon like the one he will face in two weeks' time. David Clifford is an animal of epic proportions. THE FINAL TEST: Kerry's David Clifford celebrates scoring the first goal against Tyrone. Pic: Ryan Byrne/Inpho The Kerry star has hit over 50 shots in this championship. McCole hasn't attempted one. Unstoppable force meets immovable object. The introduction of the two-pointer has brought a new equation and scoring system into the sport. Now, players can complete a special kind of hat-trick. A one, a two, a three. Outside of Kerry, three players have done this since the Sam Maguire series began with the group stages. Saturday was the third time Clifford has done it, having hit similar hat-tricks against Cork and Cavan. Croke Park has proved to be a fitting stage for his repertoire to unfold. That sweeping stride, speed of execution and force of strike will test the nerve of most defenders. Not this one. Two sides of a heavyweight bout that will relish the clash. The satisfaction that will come from this victory for either of them will be immeasurable. Donegal and McCole have come through a gruelling route. Should they triumph, Kerry and Clifford will have overcome the neighbours twice, Armagh, Tyrone, Donegal and a stint on McCole island. What a decider we have in store. Two awesome teams, a rejuvenated game and one glorious matchup. The Ali and Frazier of our times.
