Baile Dubh Tíre make history by capturing first-ever LGFA Division 1 title
THE RAPID rise of Baile Dubh Tíre isn't likely to falter any time soon, with the Enniscorthy District club completing a marvellous treble when they collected the Roban Financial LGFA Division 1 league title for the first time on a gloomy night weather-wise in McCauley Park, Bellefield on Thursday.
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Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Derek Lyng: Kilkenny will need to manage discipline against Tipperary
Derek Lyng says both his Kilkenny team and Tipperary will have to be diligent about their discipline in Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final. In the second half of the counties's Division 1 meeting in March, Kilkenny lost three players and Tipperary one to red cards largely because of a crackdown on head-high fouls. While Lyng was exasperated with the decisions at the time, he later accepted it was an area his team had to work on. 'There was a lot of frustration there,' he admitted. 'I think that common sense approach is important but I also think the responsibility is on the two teams as well. 'It's not an easy job, refereeing, and I know what they've been asked to do but I think since then, we've had to look at our own discipline – and you have to. You can point the finger at everybody else but it's something we've looked at as well. 'At the same time, I do feel sorry for incidents where a collision is unavoidable. It's just the pace of the game. I don't think any players out there go out with the intent to hurt anybody. I just think sometimes that needs to be taken into account. 'It's easy to say that from where I am but I think we'll get a really good game. There's experienced officials there. They have a job to do and we respect how they go about it and we'll just have to manage our own discipline and make sure we come out the right side of that.' Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng is interviewed during a Kilkenny Hurling Media Conference at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile. Lyng looks back on that game where David Blanchfield, Mikey Carey, Jordan Molloy (second yellow) and Alan Tynan were dismissed in the space of 10 minutes and feels there was an onus on referee Seán Stack to take a sterner approach. 'There were a few incidents that weekend. Unfortunately, there was an added focus to it. When you're looking at the game, in other games they wouldn't have been red cards, it's as simple as that. 'But we have to take into account that's how it's going to be refereed now. Take it on the chin and learn from it. And that's what we've tried to do. That doesn't mean you're not going to get a red card or yellow cards down the road.' Lyng continued: 'I do think all teams have appreciated how it's going to be refereed now and tried to work on keeping the head high contact to a minimum if at all possible.' While forwards Harry Shine (cruciate) and Marty Murphy (hamstring) are unavailable this weekend, Eoin Cody is back to full fitness following his hamstring injury. Cody missed four provincial games. "Eoin is available for selection now again,' Lyng reported. 'He's come through the last few weeks and he's done very well. He's worked hard. Even in the run-up to the Leinster final, he was pushing hard. He was just kind of a week off at that stage and we didn't take the chance with him.' Kilkenny supporters face their second All-Ireland semi-final ticket increase in as many years. While a stand ticket for their 2023 game against Clare cost €50, the same admission is €60 on Sunday after another €5 jump. Lyng believes more ticket incentives are required for supporters as there is a lot of pressure on them. "It definitely does and I think it's been reflected in attendances all year. Families probably have to pick and choose. A lot of people will wait and hope their team gets further in the competition, so I definitely think it could be looked at. We want to get as many young people to these games as possible. We need to make that attractive. 'I'll be honest as well, I'm not sure of the packages for the weekend and things like that, but certainly for provincial and things like that, I thought what happened for the Leinster final (making 20,000 free tickets available for underage teams) was an excellent move from Derek Kent in trying to get more people into the stadium. "I think that was an excellent move to try and promote the game and to get as many people in. I think we need to be looking at that as well."
Irish Independent
21 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Baile Dubh Tíre make history by capturing first-ever LGFA Division 1 title
THE RAPID rise of Baile Dubh Tíre isn't likely to falter any time soon, with the Enniscorthy District club completing a marvellous treble when they collected the Roban Financial LGFA Division 1 league title for the first time on a gloomy night weather-wise in McCauley Park, Bellefield on Thursday.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Thickness and conviction? Can Kerry lean on parallels with 2006?
'I find myself in an unfamiliar position today as I've never tipped anything other than a Kerry victory,' wrote Kerry great John O'Keeffe in his Irish Times column the morning of their 2006 All-Ireland quarter-final against Armagh. 'I can't remember a time when they arrived at this stage of the championship as outsiders. Yet, on merit alone, I must be true to the evidence in front of us all.' Save for his great mentor Mick O'Dwyer in this newspaper and one or two other hardy annuals who predicted Kerry would come good, O'Keeffe wasn't alone. Jack O'Connor's side were being written off as they were ahead of the same stage three years later against Dublin. Didn't anybody learn? Up to a point, the parallels between this All-Ireland quarter-final and their previous one against Armagh 19 years ago are tantalising for Kerry: unfancied, Division 1 champions, O'Connor at the helm, and coming off a goal-drenched win in Killarney the previous weekend. The disparities are the current yawning injury list, which is hardly comparable to Declan O'Sullivan's middling form which was of chief concern to Kerry in 2006, and the fact that Kieran Donaghy, the pearl they shucked in that victorious championship, is now a charm for the opposition. In Fitzgerald Stadium last weekend, there was no lightning in a bottle moment as there was there in 2006 when Donaghy was stationed at the edge of the square against Longford and laid off two of Eoin Brosnan's three goals. 'Jack's eyes lit up,' recalled Seán O'Sullivan, who started against Armagh the next day with the intention of maintaining the supply to Donaghy. 'I came on late in the Longford game and in training the following Tuesday, Jack called me and Galvin over. 'Seánín, I want you on that side there, Galvin, or Galavin as he used to call him, you go over to that side. I want you to start sending every second ball as a floater into Donaghy.' 'I didn't read anything into it but after training he called me over and said they were going to give me a shot on Saturday. They wanted that type of ball going into Donaghy, not all the time but that type. We didn't have much time to practice it; it was just like 'this is it, we're going with it.' But we did have a good feeling about it. 'It came at a time when we were being a little dismissed, not only by the rest of the country but our own gang as well because we were just not going well. Even though we'd won the league, very similar to this year, and in the championship we just couldn't get going.' Close to the end of the first half against Armagh, Donaghy touched down O'Sullivan's delivery to Colm Cooper whose shot was saved by Paul Hearty. However, a goal came from his 39th-minute kick into Donaghy when the Austin Stacks man rounded Francie Bellew, blasted to the net and then asked Hearty what did he think of that. O'Sullivan recognises the similarities between then and now. There was a thickness and a conviction among his crew even when the chips were down. He wonders if the same exists in the camp now. 'The only worry I have at the moment for this current group is that as iffy as we were going, you could look around the dressing room and Jesus, you just felt, 'Fuck, there's a big one in us today.' Seamo [Moynihan] and Darragh [Ó Sé], Galvin, Donaghy, Mike Frank, Gooch… there had to be a big performance in us somewhere and it came out. There were huge leaders in there. 'Are the leaders in this group? I really believe they are. Is there a big performance in the group? I think there is. You just hope it comes out Sunday. The worry I have is off the pitch. I think 15 against 15, we go toe-to-toe with anyone left. That's including Armagh. But I just feel from 15 to 20, 21, they have the edge. And you've got to give great credit to [Kieran] McGeeney for that. He's really built a panel.' As for Donaghy, O'Sullivan reckons he will be forgiven whatever happens. 'Kieran is a Kerry legend and always will be. The guy was given an opportunity and it's just so happened he's gone in with a county who beat us last year, and will fancy themselves to do it again and that's not Kieran Donaghy's fault. 'I certainly think that if they were to beat Kerry, it's another little feather in his cap and he would definitely be on the radar for a role in Kerry football and I think he'd jump at it. 'Last year, I think I left it to the Monday or Tuesday, and I sent him a text congratulating him. If he beats us again Sunday, I'll be doing the same because look he went to further his coaching career. He knew at some stage he was probably going to meet Kerry and I think Kerry people will recognise that he's doing a good job up there.'
