Green and gold summer as Kerry and Donegal set up football decider
Donegal's 20-point triumph
, Kerry made to work harder by Tyrone, but, writes Gordon Manning, steered home by
David Clifford who was in 'gluttonous form'
.
A year ago, Michael Murphy was working as a TV pundit, having hung up his boots. Then he decided to come back
'to help in every way possible that I could.'
His part in reviving Donegal has, says Malachy Clerkin, been 'immense'. As, of course, has that of Jim McGuinness, Gordon hearing from
the manager and Paddy McBrearty
after the game.
And Seán got the thoughts of
a highly delighted Kerry manager Jack O'Connor
, who's now through to his seventh – seventh! – final. Just as chuffed were
the footballers of Kildare
, Paul Keane reporting on their victory over Limerick in the Tailteann Cup final.
The focus now shifts back to hurling ahead of next Sunday's final, Denis Walsh looking at
the history of the Cork v Tipperary rivalry
. 'On the stairway to eternity, Cork and Tipp matches were forever jostling for favour.'
READ MORE
Gerry Thornley brings us the latest from the Lions tour, Hugo Keenan finally making his debut in the
48-0 win over an AUNZ Invitational XV
. '
Getting off the jacks was an issue
,' he revealed when asked about the bug that laid him low. He was flushed with success, though, Johnny Watterson rewarding him handsomely in his
player ratings
, although no one scored higher than Mack Hansen,
'star quality shining' from the fella
. Andy Farrell is now left to ponder
his selection for the first Test
, Gerry reckoning that at least five starting positions remain up for debate.
Australia, you'd imagine, will prove to be trickier opponents for the Lions than Portugal proved to be for Ireland. John O'Sullivan was at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor to witness
that 'grizzly' 106-7 non-contest
– perhaps fortunately for Portugal, he discovered that there was
scant interest from the Lisbon locals
in the game.
In golf, Philip Reid reports on
Rory McIlroy's tied-for-second finish at the Scottish Open
, his thoughts now turned to this week's Open at Royal Portrush. That's where Shane Lowry's focus is too as
he attempts to replicate his 2019 success
in the tournament. Leona Maguire, meanwhile, will have a 'pep in her step' ahead of next month's Women's Open after
she tied for seventh at the Evian Championship
on Sunday.
There were first-time winners in both the men's and women's singles at Wimbledon at the weekend,
Jannik Sinner coming from a set down
to beat Carlos Alcaraz,
Iga Świątek crushing Amanda Anisimova
6-0 6-0.
And in New York, Keith Duggan saw Katie Taylor 'close the books on her riveting series of fights against Amanda Serrano',
the Bray woman triumphing against the Puerto Rican
once again at Madison Square Garden.
TV Watch:
It's the final day of the third test between England and India at Lord's – England need six wickets and India need 135 runs to go 2-1 up in the series (Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am). It's stage 10 of the Tour de France (TG4, TNT Sports 1 and ITV4, from noon) and at 5pm you can see Ireland take on Scotland at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship (RugbyPass TV).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Meet the former Rebel who makes the hurleys for Cork legend Patrick Horgan
Former Cork senior hurler Aidan Walsh knows more than most about hurling. The Kanturk man, who now makes hurleys in his spare time, also knows that in the hands of a wizard like Cork hurling ace Patrick Horgan, a hurley is not just a piece of wood — it's a tool he can use to write another chapter in the storied history of the GAA. For over a decade, Aidan has been crafting the sticks that have helped the Glen Rovers sharp-shooter, renowned for his trademark accuracy from play and placed balls, become the highest scorer in championship history — three goals and 50 points this season alone to bring his championship total to a staggering 32 goals and 679 points. Cork's Patrick Horgan shoots over a point against Clare. Picture: Eddie O'Hare He has ensured that every curve, every ounce of weight, every grip on every hurley he has crafted for the lethal forward meets his specific requirements — each hurley built for moments when inches matter and split-second reactions decide games. He'll be watching closer than most on Sunday as the Rebels bid to end the 20-year drought, and Hoggie bids to win that elusive All-Ireland medal. 'He'll be playing on Sunday with the hurley I made him before the league final,' Aidan says. 'I make about three or four whenever he needs them, but he doesn't break many of them.' Aidan, who makes hurleys in his spare time in a small workshop in Kanturk, prefers to get his ash from England, Scotland or Wales, because the ash grown further east is of a lesser quality. 'It's a little lighter, so at the moment English ash is about the best,' he says. 'When I get a delivery in, I can see which planks look best, which have the best grain to suit Hoggie and I will pick those out and set them aside for him for when he needs a hurley.' Wood chippings fly as Aidan works on a new hurley in his workshop. Picture: Howard Crowdy And he makes a batch while Hoggie stands watching. It means that tweaks can be made at every stage of the production process to ensure the bespoke handcrafted product is just what Hoggie needs. 'The days of throwing a bag of hurleys on the ground and telling players to pick one are long gone,' he says. 'Most players at this elite intercounty level, especially if they are passionate about the sport, know exactly what style of hurley and what weight of hurley they want. Aidan cutting out the shape of the hurley. Picture: Howard Crowdy 'They will have a number one hurley that they will always try to use and number two, three and four as well. 'And to be honest, of all the hurleys I make, this one takes the longest time. 'I am fairly familiar with what he wants in a hurley, but we're able to make the small changes as we go to make sure that he's 100% happy with it.' A former intercounty footballer and hurler with Cork, Aidan won an U21 All-Ireland football medal in 2009 and went on to play senior under Conor Counihan. He played both codes during the 2014 season, winning a Munster Championship medal that year but focused on inter-county hurling only for 2015. He rejoined the Cork senior football team in the summer of 2016, and committed to the football team for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, before committing to the senior hurling squad from 2019 onwards. Aidan seen checking on a hurley during the sanding process in his workshop in Kanturk. Picture: Howard Crowdy However, later that year, he was told he would not be part of the management team's plans, and that spelled the end of his intercounty career. But he's played at that level, he knows the players, and what they need. So what is it about a Hoggie hurley that's so special? 'It's heavier than a normal hurley, it's almost the weight of a goalkeeper's hurley and it has a very big or thick bás,' Aidan says. 'The grip is more rounded than square and the champfer on the bás all the way down to the heel is deeper on one side than the other; it's the side that faces the ground when he's lifting the ball for a free. 'That makes it easier for him to get the bás closer to the ground and easier to pick the ball. 'It's the small details like that that are so important to get right.' He feels a certain amount of pressure but more so a sense of responsibility to make sure that Hoggie has the right hurley to do the job on the pitch. 'But I certainly have the easier job of the two of us. I just have to make the right hurley. He has to go out and perform on the pitch,' he says. 'Of course, I always want him to do well — they say if Hoggie's doing well, Cork is doing well. Aidan with his nearly completed hurley. Picture: Howard Crowdy 'There was panic stations the week before last year's All Ireland final when he broke his number one hurley and I had to drop everything to make a replacement. 'So I'll be a bit nervous alright this week hoping that he doesn't crack his number one hurley. 'He could go a whole year without breaking a hurley but anything can happen in a training session — one flick, one block here, or one clash there. Ash is very unforgiving that way. 'But rest assured, if he does break a hurley over the coming days, I will drop everything to make sure we will get it sorted.' Fanzone Meanwhile, as the scramble for All-Ireland tickets continues, free tickets to the Rebels' Fanzone event in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday are set to be released for booking on Thursday morning. The free, family-friendly, alcohol-free event will be fully ticketed, and u16s must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets will be made available from 7.30am on Thursday via Cork GAA's website Cork City Council's website and from Tickets will be limited to a maximum of five per person, and capacity is limited. Organisers have appealed to fans to only apply for tickets if they are certain they will use them A ticket transfer and cancellation window, including the ability to cancel or transfer some of your tickets, will be open until midnight on Saturday.
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Kildare referee Brendan Cawley to take charge of All-Ireland senior football final
It will be the Sarsfields club man's first time taking charge of an All-Ireland senior football final, having made his senior inter-county debut as a referee six years ago. He officiated Kerry's All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Armagh last month as well as the Ulster final between Donegal and Armagh, which Jim McGuinness' side won after extra-time. He was also the man-in-the-middle for their provincial first-round victory over Derry. Monaghan's Martin McNally is his stand-by referee on the day, which will be Cawley's 30th championship game as referee. Kildare GAA lauded Cawley's 'dedication, consistency and composure' in a statement on X saying it was a matter of when rather than if he'd get the top job, having previously taken charge of the All-Ireland club football final in 2024 when Derry's Glen defeated Roscommon's St Brigid's. 'His dedication, consistency, and composure have long marked him out as one of the very best in the game, and it is fitting that he now takes charge of this prestigious fixture,' wrote Kildare GAA. Cawley follows in the footsteps of Sean Hurson who threw the ball-in for last year's decider between Armagh and Galway. He'll be the first Kildare man to referee the final since 2005 when Michael Monaghan took charge of Kerry's victory over Tyrone.
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Reward on offer provides necessary motivation, not pressure, for Shels veteran Gannon
An hour up the road hosts an All-Ireland clash between Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry but Windsor Park stages the gateway to European riches for Linfield and Shelbourne. Only at full-time will Shels know if their glut of squandered chances at Tolka Park costs them the guarantee of three more rounds within UEFA's competition structures. Linfield boss David Healy seemed relieved coming away from the first leg hunting a single-goal deficit. The former Northern Ireland striker refused to countenance the phrase chase in the context of being at home for the second half of the Champions League tie. Both sides were probably glad when the draw pitted the respective title holders of the two leagues in the island of Ireland together but the evidence of the first leg posits the Reds as overwhelming favourites. That wasn't reflected on the scoreboard but with a carpet of a pitch for their attackers to gorge on and the 18,500-capacity venue, these days entitled the Clearer Twist National Stadium, expected to be no more than half full, they've reason to be confident. Whoever emerges through the tie – which allows for extra-time and penalties if needed – will be within one game of ensuring participation in the league phase of the Conference League. Neither club has passed that threshold but they each have a player returning from suspension who has. Chris Shields was part of the Dundalk team which made the 2011 Europa League group and his return will bolster the hosts' prospects. He was immersed in conversation at Tolka with his former Lilywhites teammate Seán Gannon. Both veterans were put up for pre-match media duties by their clubs and it's likely Gannon will sample his 58th European game, lurking to within five of Ronan Finn's record for a League of Ireland player. 'The rewards to players for getting through the tie are huge,' noted Gannon, who turned 34 last week. 'That's not pressure for us, only motivation. I've been lucky enough to have played in these games previously and every player wants to be part of the Champions League games. 'We're representing our league so it's a chance to showcase your talent and something to look back on.' Shelbourne's superior conditioning last week from being in-season won't be so decisive as Linfield are another week into their preparations for the traditional campaign kicking off next month. 'To be honest we could have played better,' said Shels boss Joey O'Brien, just three games into his permanent residency having stepped up to succeed his boss, Damien Duff. 'We were wasteful in possession, our touch in the final third wasn't as sharp and clean as what I'd have expected from the players. We've to tidy up on that but this is a completely different game. We were overall happy with the win but it's all to play for.' The prize awaiting them is a second-round tie next week against Azerbaijani champions Qarabağ and a spiking of their minimum €1m in earnings. Elimination of the supreme competition doesn't mean the end of their European adventure, only cascades them into a Conference League clash against the loser of Lithuanians Zalgiris or Hamrun Spartans of Malta. Healy has spoken calmly and confidently approaching the midway juncture of this tie, adamant his team can mark his milestone of 500 games at the helm with its high point. 'I've had the privilege of enjoying success,' he observed. 'We have won the league six times in nine seasons and I am coming up to 10 years here. "A second goal for Shels in the first leg would have made it really difficult but with the performance levels, the attitude, and most importantly speaking to the players after the game, and over the last few days, there is huge belief that we can build on that performance. "It would be brilliant if we did score in the first 10, 15 minutes and the tie is level but we don't need to. The most important thing is we build into the game. "I have no doubt, if and when we do take the lead, then the electricity and energy around this place becomes important as the players will be fuelled by the belief they can win the tie." No Claret Jug at stake but the rewards in this sport are about more than silverware.
