Cork and Waterford to wear shorts in Munster camogie final
Following on from Dublin and Kilkenny's attempt to highlight the lack of choice regarding skorts by initially wearing shorts in Blanchardstown last Saturday, Cork and Waterford are set to do the same at the Tipperary venue this weekend.
Speaking on Newstalk's Lunchtime show on Tuesday, Cork star Hannah Looney indicated they would be following suit.
'I can't speak on behalf of all our players at the moment, because we haven't sat down and had that vote similar to how Kilkenny and Dublin addressed it last week, but I'm sure we will be looking to take similar action at the weekend,' she said.
Looney added that they too wanted to make their point considering 70% of inter-county players who responded to a GPA survey find wearing skorts uncomfortable and 83% want the choice of donning either skorts or shorts.
'I think it's important that we do shine a light to it again this weekend while it's a hot topic.'
Read More
Kieran Shannon: Camogie stance on skorts is insulting its players and hurting the sport
Meanwhile, Sunday's Leinster SFC final between Louth and Meath in Croke Park is set to attract a bumper crowd in excess of 50,000.
Both counties are reporting significant uptake in tickets ahead of their first provincial decider meeting in 15 years.
That infamous 2010 clash drew a crowd of 48,875 to GAA HQ and the rematch is in line to be the largest for a provincial showdown since the Dublin-Kildare Leinster final of 2017, which recorded an attendance of 66,734.
No provincial final has come close to that figure since then. In 2019, 47,027 watched Dublin trounce Meath to claim a ninth straight Leinster title. The closest to that figure outside Leinster since then was the Tyrone-Down Ulster showdown that same year, which brought 31,912 to Clones before the capacity of the St Tiernach's Park was scaled down following healthy and safety measures.
Saturday evening's Armagh-Donegal Ulster SFC final in the Monaghan town will be a 29,000 sell-out. Tickets for the Clare-Tipperary Munster SHC Round 3 game in Ennis are also in high demand with an anticipated crowd similar to the 20,778 who were in attendance for last month's Cork game.
No tickets are currently available on public sale for Sunday week's Limerick-Cork Munster SHC Round 4 game in TUS Gaelic Grounds, which is expected to reach the stadium's 41,000 capacity.
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Irish Times
28 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Ross Tierney rescues draw for Bohemians away to Derry
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Éamonn Fitzmaurice: Donegal's greatest strength can be their biggest weakness
THERE'S been some amount written and spoken about the All-Ireland football final - and we haven't reached Sunday yet! A common thread running through many discussions, sometimes from people who have never played or managed in one much less won it, that All-Ireland final day is different. It absolutely is, but many of the principles that apply to winning any match also apply on the biggest day. The team that works hardest, makes the best decisions in possession and has the greatest number of players playing to their potential will generally win. That final one can be the hardest one to achieve, because of the enormity of the occasion. It is every player's dream to play in an All-Ireland final and sometimes that can result in them freezing. Victims of this paralysis often speak afterwards of how the game simply passed them by. Having the experience of having played in them previously counts. Ultimately it is a game of football to be won, by constantly doing the simple things well. Kerry have an advantage here. Emphasising this very point, Jack O'Connor spoke this week about the importance of being able to think on their feet, for both players and management during an All-Ireland final. So much thought, visualisation and preparation goes into this game that it can be taken for granted that every angle is covered. It rarely is. There is always some curveball to think through. Some are controllable, more aren't. Think back to last Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final. Uniquely, the pre-game formalities went on for longer than scheduled. At one stage Pat Ryan could be seen glancing anxiously at his watch wondering about this delay. An unnecessary annoyance. The parade, a significant part of the occasion, was considerably shortened as a result. All of this, while not ideal, was not a controllable. Management have to trust the players to navigate through those twists. Many of them probably didn't even notice. What was a controllable was how the Cork management and players reacted to Liam Cahill's surprise move of playing with a sweeper. This is one of the many things they will wrestle with for the winter. Speaking of the parade, it will be interesting to see if Donegal break prematurely Sunday as they did in the semi-final. If they do will Kerry remain in place and go around in front of the Hill, often the most enjoyable and memorable part of the parade? This final is a clash of styles. Whoever wins will provide a template for certain coaches up and down the country for the foreseeable. Donegal will look to limit David Clifford's influence while not obsessing over him. As Kevin Cassidy mentioned on the RTÉ podcast this week, Jim McGuinness may accept that David will score a certain amount and they may well to try to negate the rest of the Kerry attack using their zonal system. They will plan that he can't win the game on his own and will try to make sure that the rest don't do enough to make up the difference. From a Kerry perspective they will have to get a lot right, the norm to win a final. Everyone will have to play well, they will need to tie down the Michaels (Murphy and Langan) and the O'Donnells (Shane and Conor) and they will need to get an impact from the bench, including springing a marker for Patrick McBrearty when he is introduced. To win, the Munster champions will also have to excel in attacking against Donegal's zone, defending their runners and breaking even on Shaun Patton's kickouts. Donegal's greatest strength so far can be their biggest weakness - in my opinion. Their zonal defensive setup has worked so far, getting them to an All-Ireland final and winning Ulster. I have long felt it won't win Sam, and I am about to get my answer, one way or the other. They have conceded an average of 19 points per game in the championship (2.5 less than Kerry). They sit deep, marking normally one, and sometimes a second danger man while everyone swaps between opponents on or close to the ball. Ryan McHugh and Eoghan Bán Gallagher sit in and mind the 'D'. Caolan McConagle prior to his injury can also fulfill this role, which he may do again to free up McHugh to possibly track Paudie Clifford in a similar job to the one he did on Rory Grugan in the Ulster final. Joe O'Connor is one of the Kerry players who can punch holes in an opposition defence. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile These twin sweepers are the players that will sprint to the danger and double up to force turnovers. As a team they thrive on these. It energises their supporters as they hare up the field in search of scores. They are mesmerising to watch in full flow. They have got goals from these situations where they are going from turnover to score in between 15 and 20 seconds. Finnbarr Roarty's goal against Cavan and Ciarán Moore's major against Meath are great examples. For Kerry to win they will have to avoid these turnovers, but do it without blunting their attacking edge. They need to avoid being conservative and pedestrian and attack with pace, while being patient. Patience at pace. For Kerry to pull that zone apart, there are a number of considerations. Chief among them will be decision-making in possession. Where that zone thrives is when players take the ball into contact or when a player receives a sloppy pass. The Donegal boys are expertly drilled on this and pounce on their quarry to force those precious turnovers at the most opportune time - when their opponent is in a vulnerable position. Generally this season, when faced with a deep sitting team, Kerry have favoured setting the spare bodies up outside the defensive shield and punching holes when they can. Gavin White, Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Joe O'Connor are especially effective at this. Use this again but don't rely solely on it. Flood the full forward line and create space for those runners to break into and shoot. Alternatively, to mix it up they can push those outside bodies further up the pitch, inside the two point arc to engage the Donegal backs and the create more one-on-ones. Occupy and rob them of their sweepers. Force Donegal's host of converted half forwards to defend. Play through the zone with accuracy and in the direction they are facing. Set up a two-point shooter outside and when the Donegal defence collapses in to deal with a threat feed it back out to that shooter. Monaghan did exactly this to good effect in the first half of their quarter final encounter. Furthermore, Kerry can set up two-point shooters outside the arc and entice the Donegal defence towards them. If they are given space as against Armagh, shoot. If they push too aggressively is there a pop pass inside to set up a possible goal chance, which will be required to win? Use David Clifford when possible but don't force it his way when it's not on. In short, be ruthlessly efficient through a variety of methods. Be a nightmare to defend against. Kerry have the quality but can they execute accurately under pressure? An extension of that area is Donegal's awesome counter-attacking running game. The simple thing for Kerry to do is to rob them of turnovers and the momentum that generates by killing the ball. Armagh limited them to four points from turnovers in the Ulster final because of their efficiency, getting off 42 shots from 47 attacks. Against Meath, Donegal scored 1-5 from turnovers, with the Royals getting 31 shots from 43 attacks. Three of those shots dropped short, a cardinal sin against the Ulster champions. Their huge spread of scorers (generally ten plus players score for them) in part comes from those counter attacks. Reduce those and you reduce that challenging scoring spread. Tyrone were quite effective at exactly this, limiting Donegal to nine scorers, in the one game they have lost in championship this year. The second part of that turnover scenario is that when they do occur Kerry have to react instantly. It is a code red situation, with all hands to the pump. Track runners and get back in shape. Delay their attack and slow them down. If necessary give away a point but never a goal. Speaking of slowing Donegal down, when they do enter established 11 v 11 attacks they are excellent at opening up the right opportunity. They constantly run angles and wrap around each other to make sure they are probing while not over-committing. They wait for the opposition to switch off and pounce. The simple answer - harder at a human level - for the Kerry defence is never switch off, especially against this quality of opposition on the biggest day. Finally we come to Shaun Patton's kickout which will, as always, be a concern for Kerry. As well as his accuracy and distance, his unique trajectory off a couple of steps is a formidable weapon. This is his first All-Ireland though, and he has come under pressure in big games in the past. Kerry will need to press it when they can, after frees and established attacks, as giving kickouts up to Donegal is akin to giving a shot away, most of the time. When pressing they will be hyper-aware of the long one over the top and flick ons. They were extremely alert on this against Niall Morgan in the semi-final. Mark O'Shea competed manfully in the air and as soon as the ball was kicked, Joe O'Connor, Gavin White and others sprinted from their zones and anticipated the destination of the flick on. The Kingdom defenders will have to be ready for Michael Murphy's late move from the top of the traditional 'D' for this kickout and be ready to disrupt him on the ground and in the air. Up to this point they haven't used it as often as one would expect, but they may on Sunday. Similarly, the number of balls kicked into Murphy in the full forward line could be counted on one hand so far in championship but we may see an attempted 2012 reprise early in the match. All of this is only scratching the surface of what the teams have prepared for and what they are planning for. My wish for both sets of players is that they play to their potential and perform on one of the most special days of their sporting lives. Two great groups of players going at it will make for a fascinating contest, and a potentially cracking final, particularly the second half. We may need a second day to separate them, but Kerry to prevail. Eventually.
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
'Outsider' Jack O'Connor looks to firmly cement place amongst footballing royalty
Donegal and Kerry lie at opposite ends of the country. Both share a picturesque countryside, made up of rugged headlands and imposing mountains, a vista that for centuries has stood up against the ravages of Atlantic storms. Different forms of the Irish language are spoken in each county, both possessing a lyrical lilt, a soothing quality. Two proud counties. In a sporting context, Kerry are certainly the standard-bearers when it comes to Gaelic football. Donegal's emergence, you would have to say, is a more latter-day occurrence. It was 1963 before Tír Chonaill contested a first Ulster final. A maiden title arrived in 1972, with a second success coming in 1974. Brian McEniff, a revered figure well before silverware was landed, was now directing operations as player-manager. A successful hotelier, McEniff was, quite simply, 'Mr Football' in Donegal. With his playing days over, he would eventually oversee Donegal's first All-Ireland triumph in 1992. His place in the annals of GAA within the county and beyond was assured. All told, McEniff had six spells guiding the fortunes of the green and gold. In 2003, he reluctantly took on the role for what would be the last time. He started the year as county chairman and was tasked with finding a replacement for Mickey Moran, who stood down after Donegal's loss to Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final replay the previous August amid rumours of player misbehaviour following the draw. McEniff wanted Martin McHugh to take on the job, but the Kilcar clubman could not be persuaded. Other names were also touted but in the end it was a case of McEniff being the last one standing. Donegal's championship campaign started slowly but they found renewed oxygen through the qualifiers. They would eventually reach the All-Ireland semi-final, where they lost narrowly to the reigning champions Armagh. No shame in that. McEniff was still having an impact, still sprinkling the gold dust. Footballing royalty. Jim McGuinness's arrival as coach would add a new layer to the Donegal story. In 2003, Kerry could not cope with the Tyrone swarm in the All-Ireland semi-final. Páidí Ó Sé's time as manager was up, the loss to the Red Hand following on from an ignominious defeat to Meath and the frustration of being pipped by Armagh in the previous year's decider. Yes, Páidí did oversee two All-Ireland wins but he had run out of road after Tyrone left him and his players in a daze on that August Sunday. The previous autumn, while on a team holiday in Cape Town, Ó Sé told journalist Paul Kimmage: "Being a Kerry manager is probably the hardest job in the world because Kerry people, I'd say, are the roughest type of f****** animals you could ever deal with". A subsequent interview with RTÉ's Marty Morrissey, who coincidentally happened to be in South Africa at the same team, was an attempt to smooth things over. The autumn of 2003 saw Jack O'Connor take over. Unlike Ó Sé and McEniff, O'Connor would not have been perceived as football royalty. The Dromid native saw himself as the 'outsider' in the Kingdom fraternity. He never got to wear the county jersey and never played for one of the county's top clubs. Yet he was always an astute observer of the game. He made his name coaching schools and colleges, before working alongside Ó Sé as Kerry ended an 11-year-wait, a famine in the Kingdom, when winning back Sam Maguire in 1997. Not many of the revered squad that conquered all under Mick O'Dwyer were on hand to wish Jack well. And as for the now departed Waterville maestro, O'Connor, when writing in his autobiography 'Keys to the Kingdom' spoke of how O'Dwyer "blanked" him prior to a match when he was Kerry selector. Also highlighted was when Páidí Ó Sé, via one of his newspaper columns, criticised the style of football Kerry were playing under O'Connor's stewardship. At an awards dinner attended by former Kerry greats, Jimmy Deenihan told the assembled crowd that he hoped Mick O'Dwyer would have another go at managing Kerry. That certainly angered O'Connor, who was present with his wife and family. Perhaps it was no surprise that O'Connor's late mother Sheila pleaded with him not to take the Kerry job. She passed away on the day he was appointed in October 2003. She told him: "Don't take it John". But it was something her son felt he had to do. His first year at the helm yielded a league and All-Ireland double, so starting a trend. After a similar haul was netted in 2006, O'Connor was told by some of the natives that he managed the team to "soft" All-Irelands. Mayo were cast aside easily on both occasions. There were some players on the panel that O'Connor felt he couldn't get through to; and others, like Darragh Ó Sé, who would question the manager's new-found methods. Some others were not prepared to give that little bit more in training. And there was one player, Tom O'Sullivan, who skipped training one night. He did not return O'Connor's text as to his whereabouts. Thick skin is required. And O'Connor does not lack confidence. He can be stubborn, has fallen out with many, yet is steadfast in believing his methods are right. There was talk of mid-season disharmony in the Kerry camp in '06, as was the case in 2009, with O'Connor into his second coming as manager at that point. Come the end of it all Kerry were champions, the manager basking in the glory again, while having a pop at the "supposed aura of this great Armagh side" and the "phoney and orchestrated" way Dublin march down to the Hill before the start of their games. In 2012, O'Connor ended his second spell at the helm, this after defeat to Donegal in an All-Ireland quarter-final. That reverse came after the Dubs struck late, by way of that Cluxton kick into the Hill, to land the ultimate prize a year previously and a surprise defeat to Down in the season before that. We thought that would be it. But within a year O'Connor was back on the sideline, overseeing the Kerry minors. Successive All-Irelands would follow under his stewardship before he took over the U-21s. And then a call came from beyond the Kingdom. The wheels of the car pointed towards Kildare. In a tenure interrupted by Covid, O'Connor oversaw promotion to Division 1 for the Lilies and a Leinster final appearance. It was the autumn of 2021 and much anger was being vented in Kerry by the manner in which they lost the All-Ireland semi-final to Tyrone. Then boss Peter Keane was under pressure. O'Connor, speaking on a podcast, admitted to "an allure" to taking the Kerry role once again. A case of Jack jumping the gun! "Who doesn't want to coach Man United?," he added. Keane was still manager of Kerry, however, while O'Connor had not yet vacated the Kildare hotseat. It was all a bit messy, an unsatisfactory crossover in the way O'Connor's third stint would come about. "A bit of a public grab" and "a little bit ugly" was how Kevin McStay described it at the time. On the back of Kerry's phenomenal run of minor success and with David Clifford standing out as a generational talent, the omens were looking good for the Kingdom again. And in his first year back, O'Connor duly delivered league and All-Ireland triumphs. Tyrone man Paddy Tally was part of the set-up; a Kerry ticket that welcomed some Ulster influence. Winning back-to-back Sam Maguires has so far eluded the manager, a blot that does standout on O'Connor's CV. The nature of the defeats to Dublin and Armagh in '23 and '24 respectively underlined a brittleness in the Kerry psyche at the business end of both games. This Sunday's showdown with Donegal is likely to be just as tight, the first All-Ireland final played under new rules where players can really express themselves. In a campaign where Kerry certainly hit the high note in that second half against Armagh and O'Connor subsequently faced down the critics, this would be a sweet All-Ireland for the 'outsider' to win. There won't be anything soft won at Croker. The chance then for Jack O'Connor to finally discard the self-styled outsider tag. Time then to take your place amongst the footballing royalty.
