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The Irish Sun
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘In our minds every time we take the field' – Craig Morgan reveals Tipperary's biggest motivator Dillon Quirke
THE late Dillon Quirke's presence can still be felt in the Tipperary camp ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Kilkenny. Aged 24, Quirke died in 2022 2 Quirke won the All-Ireland at both Under-21 and minor levels 2 Morgan has played a vital role in Tipperary's journey to Croke Park He was being marked on the day by his friend and Tipp team-mate Craig Morgan. The pair, who were members of the side that won the 2018 All-Ireland Under-21 title, also played together for their county at senior level. Morgan and Quirke met for a coffee the day before the tragic passing, which had a profound effect on the GAA community in Tipperary and beyond. Speaking ahead of the clash with the Cats, Morgan said: 'He's still there in his dressing room. Read more on GAA 'He's still running out the tunnel with us. I know he'll be there on Sunday as well. 'He's in our minds every time we take to the field. It's a privilege to go out, wear the jersey and play for him. He's still a huge part for us on this journey.' Morgan was in the defence alongside Quirke when he made his last appearance at inter-county level as Tipp exited the Championship with a Another couple of below-par seasons were to follow. But a resurgent Premier are bracing themselves for a first outing at GAA HQ since the 2019 All-Ireland final victory against Kilkenny. Most read in GAA Hurling Morgan added: 'You'd like to imagine him there being involved as much as we are. 'He's still part of that team that we had at Under-21 and he was there when the lows were there as well. 'Lots of fight' - RTE GAA pundits react to Sean O'Shea's 'very interesting' interview after Kerry dethrone Armagh 'We don't forget that either. Dillon was there when we weren't winning matches so he's definitely there with us as we're heading to Croke Park.' Now just one step away from a shot at the Liam MacCarthy Cup, Tipp have recovered impressively from a dismal 2024 campaign that saw them fail to win a Championship game. Even in the workplace, Morgan could not avoid the subsequent criticism. He laughed: 'I'm a primary school teacher and I suppose children are probably the most honest people out there. They'll tell you on a Monday morning how you went on a Sunday.' Morgan teaches third and fourth class at Kilruane National School. And he admits that the sense of duty to his pupils helps to keep him in check. He explained: 'It does. I suppose they're looking at you and asking about players on the team. They look at a lot of the guys as role models and that's where they want to be. 'That grounds me back to where I am. I suppose it brings me back to being that age and thinking that I am where I am now and I need to enjoy that as well. 'There are going to be lows but you need to take them and learn. They're things you dream of doing, so you need to enjoy it. The kids are good to remind you. 'It's something they look forward to and that's their dream. You're living their dream really.'
The Irish Sun
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Tipperary legend makes confident prediction for county's future as quarter-final vs Galway looms large
THE appearance of green shoots in Tipperary helped to convince Patrick 'Bonner' Maher it was time to bring an end to his days in blue and gold. As a three-time All-Ireland SHC winner, the Lorrha-Dorrha half-forward played a prominent role in Tipp's greatest days of the recent past. Advertisement 2 Maher is an ambassador for the Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Championship Credit: Inpho 2 Oisin O'Donoghue, 15 and Darragh McCarthy, 13, amongst teammates after beating Kilkenny in May's All-Ireland U20 final And Maher, who Three weeks since The All-Ireland Under-21 triumph of 2010 was an important launchpad for what Maher went on to achieve at the highest level. Promising youngsters such as Darragh McCarthy, Oisín O'Donoghue and Sam O'Farrell are already making a similar transition now. Advertisement Read More On GAA Maher said: 'It's great to see and there's huge potential in that Under-20 squad to come up and get into that senior panel. 'From our perspective back in 2010, it was huge for us to get into the senior panel and get involved in senior games, so that will bring them on immensely as well. 'There's a good few of them boys that I think will have a bright future and long careers ahead of them wearing a Tipperary jersey.' For Maher, there was no fairytale ending as his swansong season was utterly wretched. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Liam Cahill's men were dumped out of the Championship with a game to spare in the Munster round robin. Just five years after the county's 28th Liam MacCarthy Cup triumph, it painted a bleak picture for the state of Tipp hurling. Nevertheless, Maher viewed the situation from a different perspective. 'Just in time for Father's Day' - Dublin GAA legends welcome the birth of precious baby daughter He explained: 'Coming to the end of 2024, I know the campaign didn't go well but I could see the green shoots that were in there around the group and I knew Tipperary would do well moving forward. 'Another thing I kind of said to myself was maybe the time for me to step away is now and give some younger player, one of the Under-20s, an opportunity to come into the panel and to take a place and get an opportunity to drive it on from there.' Advertisement COMING GOOD Having come under intense scrutiny following the failure of last season, Cahill has overseen an impressive response in 2025. A victory over Galway in Maher continued: 'It's just one of those things when you train so hard to peak at a certain time and it just doesn't happen for whatever reason. 'But the group got back together. They went hard at it early this year and the fruits of that are showing now. Advertisement 'An awful lot of these younger players, the likes of Jake Morris and these boys, are stepping up, which is huge and it's needed. 'Ronan Maher is always a leader, Mikey Breen, there's an awful lot of these boys putting their hands up to show that they have the leadership quality there that they always potentially had. "But they're really shoving it on this year, which is great to see.' MAGICIAN MCGRATH While the injection of youth is serving Tipperary well, Maher also hailed stalwart Noel McGrath, 34, who is still central to the cause in his 17th season. Advertisement The two-time All-Star said: 'Noel is a generational player. He's always had it since we were playing together at minor and I suppose Under-16 level. "He's always had something special about him. Fair play to him, he's some operator. 'It was a joy to play beside him for so long. You probably don't see half the work that he does away from the field to get himself into the condition. "He looks after himself fierce well to still be able to operate at the level he is. It's great to see that he's still doing the job and it looks like there's plenty left in the tank with him too.' Advertisement PATRICK 'BONNER' MAHER is an ambassador for the Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Championship.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Niall Scully gives definitive answer to whether he considered joining Dublin panel exodus over winter
NIALL SCULLY gave no consideration to joining the winter exodus from the Dublin panel. When the Sky Blues Brian Fenton, James McCarthy, Paul Mannion, Mick Fitzsimons and Jack McCaffrey — who all started the one-point loss to Pádraic Joyce's men in the 2024 quarter-final — have stepped away. But Scully, who recently turned 31, said: 'I could understand why anyone would but I had a couple of years on the panel where I wasn't making it. 'It wouldn't have felt right for me. 'I worked incredibly hard to get to where I am. I wouldn't be able to give it up this season.' Read More On GAA Scully played alongside Fenton, Mannion and McCaffrey on the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland Under-21 title back in 2014. But he had to bide his time before establishing himself at senior level, with the Templeogue Synge Street man eventually making his Championship debut against Carlow in 2017. He added: 'The biggest factor was when I sat down to think about it, you work so hard to get yourself into that position and it just wouldn't have felt comfortable to just walk away.' The number of key players who exited the set-up in one fell swoop left a gaping hole in the Dublin team. Most read in GAA Football And that was exposed by Meath in last month's stunning semi-final win that ruined the Dubs' hopes of a 15th Leinster title on the bounce. The setback has also forced Dessie Farrell's side to survive a daunting group that also includes Derry and Armagh if they are to remain Sam Maguire contenders. Gardai investigating as GAA fans engage in brawl in shop Yet Scully did not feel an added sense of duty to return for another season of inter-county football after seeing so many of his former team-mates opting out. The 2020 All-Star wing-forward said: 'Not really, to be honest. 'I haven't been to that stage where I felt like I wanted to walk away and could potentially feel guilty about doing so. 'I didn't have anything like that. 'Again, I'd be hoping to play for three or four seasons, or more, if I can. I'm fortunate enough that I haven't had to think in terms of that.' Scully admits that his role has changed now that he is one of the elder statesmen in the Dublin team. On the side that was stunned by the Royals, the five-time All-Ireland winner was the third-oldest outfield player behind John Small and Ciarán Kilkenny. He said: 'Previously you would have fitted into the squad and gone along with everything. 1 Scully never really considered calling time on his inter-county career 'Now there are lads on the panel who were born in 2002 and 2003 and it's just, 'What?' and in terms of my own, absolutely. 'There's a group of eight or nine of us that are senior and the senior part of the group. 'We like to think that we're in a position to lead by example by sharing the knowledge that we have. 'You're looking for these younger lads to fit into it and set their own tempo and identity on the squad as well.'
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Padraic Joyce and Galway's All-Ireland chances receive huge boost before Dublin game with talisman's return
SHANE WALSH is back in the Galway team for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC opener against Dublin. The Kilmacud Crokes forward has yet to feature in this year's Championship due to a back injury. Advertisement 2 While Walsh is back, fellow star attacker Damien Comer remains absent 2 Padraic Joyce's men have still looked formidable without them But his inclusion for the clash with the Dubs in Salthill is the only change to Pádraic Joyce's side from Skipper Seán Kelly reverts to the defence, with Seán Fitzgerald dropping to the bench. Damien Comer remains absent. Stephen Cluxton is set to retain his place in goal for Dublin. The only change to the Blues team Advertisement Read More On GAA GALWAY: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Ó Maoilchiaráin, J Glynn; D McHugh, S Kelly, L Silke; P Conroy, J Maher; C Darcy, S Walsh, C McDaid; M Tierney, R Finnerty, M Thompson. Subs: C Flaherty, D O'Flaherty, C Hernon, K Molloy, S Fitzgerald, J Daly, S O'Neill, C Sweeney, L Ó Conghaile, T Culhane, P Cooke. DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Byrne, T Clancy, C Tyrrell; C Murphy, J Small, B Howard; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, T Lahiff; N Scully, L O'Dell, C Kilkenny; P Small, C O'Callaghan, C Basquel. Subs: E Comerford, L Breathnach, C Costello, N Doran, A Gavin, D Keogh, S MacMahon, G McEnaney, K McGinnis, B O'Leary, D O'Leary. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Ahead of the match-up Niall Scully has clarified that he gave no consideration to joining the winter exodus from the Dublin panel. When the Sky Blues begin their All-Ireland SFC campaign in Salthill, they will do so without several members of the side who faced the Tribe last summer. Gardai investigating as GAA fans engage in brawl in shop Brian Fenton, James McCarthy, Paul Mannion, Mick Fitzsimons and Jack McCaffrey — who all started the one-point loss to Pádraic Joyce's men in the 2024 quarter-final — have stepped away. But Scully, who recently turned 31, said: 'I could understand why anyone would but I had a couple of years on the panel where I wasn't making it. Advertisement 'It wouldn't have felt right for me. I worked incredibly hard to get to where I am. I wouldn't be able to give it up this season.' Scully played alongside Fenton, Mannion and McCaffrey on the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland Under-21 title back in 2014. But he had to bide his time before establishing himself at senior level, with the Templeogue Synge Street man eventually making his Championship debut against Carlow in 2017.
