
Five contenders to take Mayo hot seat
Mayo county board announced on Wednesday night that it had 'relieved' Kevin McStay and his management team of their duties.
The news came less than two weeks after Mayo's championship hopes were ended by a defeat to Donegal.
Attention now turns to possible successors: Andy Moran. Pic: INPHO/James Lawlor
He is a folk hero to supporters for his exploits as a player, and managed Leitrim for three years before joining Gabriel Bannigan's Monaghan set-up this season.
Would be the popular choice with many in the county, but there are questions around his experience for what is a relentlessly scrutinised role. Austin O'Malley. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
A native of Louisburgh, O'Malley was a classy forward who played for the county in the 2000s. However, it was his achievement in managing Cuala to the All-Ireland club title in January that propelled him to national attention. Very well regarded by the Dublin champions, but experience a potential issue again. Stephen Rochford. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
When the final whistle went against Donegal, there was a reasonable case to be made for Rochford's return given how the team had performed while under his care. If a coronation was never likely, he did seem a strong contender. That looks impossible now given the manner in which the management was dismissed this week. James Horan. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
A third term is considered unlikely, even if there are plenty of Mayo fans who would welcome it. Horan's second tenure ended in some recrimination following the flaccid loss to Tyrone in the 2021 final. But supporters remember it was he who transformed the county in the 2010s, turning them from a punchline into contenders over four thrilling seasons. Oisín McConville. Pic: INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon
If the county board looks outside its own resources, there isn't a glut of contenders. McConville has been mentioned in dispatches, and was part of a proposed management team under Ray Dempsey when McStay got the role in 2022. Has worked tirelessly at Wicklow, but he looks a distant prospect.

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Irish Daily Mirror
41 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kerry v Armagh player ratings as 'different level' leadership hailed
Jack O'Connor hailed Sean O'Shea's "different level" leadership after the Kenmare star kicked Kerry past Armagh and into an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Tyrone in a fortnight. O'Shea hit 12 points at Croke Park in Sunday's All-Ireland quarter-final as the Kingdom emphatically avenged last year's defeat in the final four by Kieran McGeeney's men. A stunning 10 of those 12 points came from play, with O'Shea nailing three two pointers - all from play - and not having a single miss from nine shots. Astonishing figures. Beyond a statistician's wildest dreams. What the stats don't show is O'Shea's response after Rory Grugan crashed to the Kerry net on 28 minutes to put Armagh ahead for the first time, after Dylan Casey erred in backed off a Shane Ryan short kickout, which was dribbling out of the arc. Ryan immediately put the ball down and seconds later, up at the other end, O'Shea kicked for one point. Soon afterwards, he launched over a two pointer, meaning he'd effectively wiped out the goal in less than three minutes. Armagh gave O'Shea far too much space, probably preoccupied with closing off David Clifford's goal threat, and he took full advantage, shooting the lights out, while goalkeeper Ryan was superb, making an incredible fingertip save from Tiernan Kelly in the first half. "He's (O'Shea) just such a genuine young fella,' said O'Connor. 'Just the way he speaks and the way he commands the dressing room. David (Clifford) is a one-off and he's just a massive talent. "But Seánie is just a very mature young fella who commands the room and commands the group. 'We missed him more than anyone in the Meath game when he wasn't there. Not alone does he play well himself, he just commands the boys around him. "He's the leader on the field. Taking nothing away from any of the rest of them, Gavin White (Kerry captain) or anything, Gavin was fantastic today, but Seánie is on a different level as regards leadership. He's the spiritual leader of that group. "The game Seán O'Shea had there, when that was a game in the first half and halfway through the second half, that man put in some display.' Paudie Clifford didn't start, but his introduction at half-time was a game changer as he shot two points and handled an amount of ball. Joe O'Connor was immense after moving to midfield after Mark O'Shea went off, and the man who replaced O'Shea, Micheal Burns, was also instrumental in the win. O'Connor and Burns kicked two points from play apiece in the second half, with O'Connor also fielding ball and making big turnovers. At one stage Kerry didn't miss with 11 shots on the bounce. It looked like they might levitate, they were in such a state of flow. And David Clifford, who had been held to one point from play in the first half by Barry McCambridge suddenly came alive after missing a two point effort, to launch over six points - including two two pointers from play - to finish with seven points. It's probably no coincidence that David Clifford started to tick with his older brother on the field. Gavin White was immense too, showing for short kickouts, an area Kerry were far better in than Armagh when it came to the pressure points in the second half. White hit two points from play and his half back colleague, Brian Ó Beaglaoich hit two more Jack O'Connor could hardly have anticipated they would win nine of 10 Armagh kickouts at one point, to set the platform for their flowing attacking play as Ethan Rafferty and his regular targets struggled to gain a foothold in the game. 'David was really good again,' said O'Connor. 'Paudie coming in at half-time. He's a high-calibre player and it just gave everybody a lift. 'Once he got the ball in his hands, you knew he was going to do something with it. It's funny the way things happen. "But we were fairly sure leaving the hotel this morning that we were going to give this a real rattle. 'We just need to steady up now and get our feet back on the ground. It's a big performance and a big Kerry support came up and backed the team, which is great. We love seeing that because a lot of people had us written off during the week. "But obviously the supporters felt there was another kick in the team. They've seen it happen before. 'They saw it happen in 2006. They saw it happen in 2009. Kerry is a proud county and we weren't going to fizzle out of the Championship without a hell of a fight. We saw that fight out there today. "We were fairly sure that the performance above in Tullamore (loss to Meath) was not us. We were missing some key players that day and things just went awry on us and the game slipped away. "Plus, Meath are a good team. They showed that out there (against Galway). I think it was a combination of us not being up to scratch and Meath playing very well and showing the calibre of a team they are. "But we were fairly sure that wasn't the real Kerry. Maybe we were trying to lull ye all into a false sense of whatever. It worked anyway." "I don't think too many people outside the camp saw that performance there. But we were very, very determined. 'There was ferocious determination in the camp that we weren't going to let the season fizzle out after the Meath game. "It may have been difficult for Armagh not to listen to the outside noise where we were being written off and they were being written up." And Kerry did it without Diarmuid O'Connor, Paul Geaney, Mike Breen, Tadhg Morley and Tony Brosnan, while they also lost Tom O'Sullivan after 24 minutes. Armagh never fired, bar the superb Oisin Conaty, who carried the fight with six points from play and might well land an All Star for his heroics this summer. Jarlath Óg Burns was next best and his 10 minutes on the sideline with a blood injury coincided with Kerry's spell of utter dominance. We wondered what Kerry would be like in the open spaces of Croke Park with the new rules in a knockout championship game where they were written off. The answer was emphatic. They already have the League title and the Munster Championship. They'll fancy themselves to add the big one to their already impressive 2025 haul. Ethan RAFFERTY 0-2 (2pf) 6 Paddy BURNS 6 Barry MCCAMBRIDGE 6 Peter MCGRANE 6 Ross MCQUILLAN 5 Tiernan KELLY 0-1 6 Jarlath Og BURNS 0-2 (tp) 7 Niall GRIMLEY 5 Ben CREALEY 5 Darragh MCMULLAN 0-1 6 Rory GRUGAN 1-0 5 Joe MCELROY 0-2 7 Oisin CONATY 0-6 (1tp) 8 Andrew MURNIN 6 Rian O'NEILL 0-6 (1tpf, 1 45) 7 SUBS: Jason Duffy 6 for Grimley 50mins, Conor Turbitt 6 for McQuillan 50mins, Aidan Forker 6 for Kelly 53mins, Cian McConville 6 for Crealey 56mins, Shane McPartlan for Grugan 66mins. Shane RYAN 8 Paul MURPHY 7 Jason FOLEY 7 Dylan CASEY 5 Brian Ó BEAGLAOICH 0-2 8 Gavin WHITE 0-2 8 Tom O'SULLIVAN 6 Seán O'BRIEN 6 Mark O'SHEA 6 Joe O'CONNOR 0-2 8 Seán O'SHEA 0-12 (3tp, 2fs) 9 Graham O'SULLIVAN 0-2 7 David CLIFFORD 0-7 (2tp) 8 Conor GEANEY 5 Dylan GEANEY 0-1 7 SUBS: Evan Looney 6 for T O'Sullivan (inj) 24mins, Paudie Clifford (0-2) 8 for C Geaney ht, Micheál Burns (0-2) 8 for O'Shea 50mins, Killian Spillane for D Geaney 62mins, Tomás Kennedy for G O'Sullivan 69mins.

The 42
44 minutes ago
- The 42
Tomos Williams ruled out of Lions tour as Farrell names side to face Reds
THE BRITISH AND Irish Lions suffered a 'shocking' setback Monday with experienced scrum-half Tomos Williams ruled out of the rest of the Australia tour with a hamstring injury. Williams, a veteran of 65 Tests for Wales, clutched at the back of his left leg early in the second half after scoring the second of his two tries against Western Force in the tour opener on Saturday. He limped out and will play no further part in the nine-match tour. 'Unfortunately, shocking news for us all,' said Lions head coach Andy Farrell. 'Tomos has got a slightly worse injury than we first thought, so it's going to be medium to long term. 'So unfortunately, he got some sad news this morning, and he'll be leaving camp later on this evening.' Toulon and Scotland's Ben White, who was deemed unlucky to miss out on the 38-man squad, has been called up to replace Williams. 'He's trying to get here as quick as he can,' Farrell said of White, who was in New Zealand with the Scotland team preparing to face the Maori All Blacks in Whangarei on Saturday. 'He'll be devastated for Tomos, like we all are. At the same time, he's super excited.' Ben White of Scotland has been drafted into Farrell's squad, while Jamison Gibson-Park will start at scrum-half against the Reds. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park will be on scrum-half duties for their clash against Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday after missing the Force game with a glute injury. Lions captain Maro Itoje returns to the second row after being stood down for the 54-7 victory over the Force, forming an engine room partnership with Ollie Chessum. Fullback Hugo Keenan makes his first appearance of the tour after recovering from a calf injury, with James Ryan also involved for the first time from the bench. Andrew Porter and Jack Conan make their first starts, while Bundee Aki returns to the midfield in place of Sione Tuipulotu. Finn Russell continues at out-half having impressed at Optus Stadium against the Force. While the Lions were dominant winners in Perth, Farrell is expecting a tougher assignment from an albeit under-strength Reds team coached by Les Kiss, who will take over as Wallabies boss from Joe Schmidt next year. 'They're a great side. I mean, that's obvious if you've watched the games, not just this year, but last year as well,' he said. 'Les has done a fantastic job with them to play a great brand of rugby and are able to play in many different ways. 'So this will be 100% a big step up for us on Wednesday night. Any side that Les coaches, he's always going to be very well prepared.' Reds boss Kiss, meanwhile, called on his side to dominate the breakdown and 'rip in' against the British and Irish Lions after on Monday naming a team missing a host of key players. Advertisement Reds boss Les Kiss. Photosport / John Davidson/INPHO Photosport / John Davidson/INPHO / John Davidson/INPHO 'In this match, we have to be very good at the breakdown and aerially. They've shown their attacking side too,' said Kiss, who will take over from Joe Schmidt as Wallabies boss next year 'We have to meet those challenges but we'll put our brand of rugby out there as well. We'll keep backing ourselves. Why can't we put our best foot forward, rip in and see what happens?' The Reds' job has been made harder by the absence of six players who remain with the extended Australia squad as they prepare for a one-off Test against Fiji on Saturday. While Schmidt released hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami, the likes of Tate McDermott, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson remain in camp. Kiss was still able to name a squad boasting nine Wallabies and two All Blacks, with experienced fullback Jock Campbell captaining the side. The pack has been stiffened by the inclusion of prop Aidan Ross, who signed for the Reds after playing for the Waikato Chiefs in the recent Super Rugby final. Ross, who played a Test for the All Blacks in 2022, will form a front-row with Faessler and former New Zealand prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen. Both Ross and Toomaga-Allen have previous experience packing against the Lions in 2017 for Super Rugby clubs. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto partners Josh Canham in the second row, with Seru Uru and John Bryant as the flankers with Joe Brial at number eight. Kalani Thomas at No.9 and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips form the half-back pairing with Paisami and Josh Flook together in the centres. 'Excitement is high that's for sure,' Kiss said. 'This is a great opportunity for our Reds players.' When the two sides met in 2013, the Lions won 22-12. Reds 15. Jock Campbell (Captain) 14. Lachie Anderson 13. Josh Flook 12. Hunter Paisami 11. Tim Ryan 10. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips 9. Kalani Thomas 1. Aidan Ross 2. Matt Faessler 3. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen 4. Josh Canham 5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 6. Seru Uru 7. John Bryant 8. Joe Brial Replacements: 16. Josh Nasser 17. George Blake 18. Sef Fa'agase 19. Ryan Smith 20. Angus Blyth 21. Connor Vest, 22. Louis Werchon 23. Isaac Henry Lions 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) 13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) 12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) 11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) 10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 1. Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) 4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (Captain) 5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) 6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) 7. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) 8. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Replacements: 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) 17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/ England) 18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) 19. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 20. Ben Earl (Saracens/England) 21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) 22. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) 23. Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) – © AFP 2025


Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Wicklow face relegation threat after defeat to Roscommon
LGFA ALL-IRELAND INTERMEDIATE RELEGATION PLAY-OFF Roscommon 3-13 Wicklow 1-9 Crettyard, County Laois Wicklow's ladies lost out to a strong Roscommon side by 10 points on Sunday, and now have only one game left to secure their Intermediate status for 2026.