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Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Live GAA updates: Monaghan and Donegal meet in quarter-final before Tyrone take on Dublin
Fixtures: All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals Monaghan v Donegal, Croke Park, 4pm (GAA+) Tyrone v Dublin, Croke Park, 6.15pm (GAA+) All-Ireland Minor Hurling Final Clare v Waterford, Semple Stadium, 5.15pm (TG4) Get an in-depth look at the weekend's action and the best analysis of upcoming fixtures in our weekly newsletter [ Inside Gaelic Games: The weekly GAA newsletter from The Irish Times Opens in new window ] 5 minutes ago Hello and welcome to live coverage of one of the biggest days of the Gaelic football season, an enticing double header of Monaghan against Donegal (throw-in 4pm), followed by Tyrone against Dublin (throw-in 6.15pm) at GAA HQ. It is the most open Championship in many years and it's never been harder to call the winner of the whole thing, or even individual matches. Donegal beat Monaghan in the quarter-finals of the Ulster championship, so that makes them bookies favourites for the first game, but Monaghan have had two weeks off courtesy of topping their group, rather than the controversial six-day turnaround for Donegal . It has been a flawed Dublin so far this year, but they are capable of going on a run with home (or neutral) advantage at Croke Park from here on in, Tyrone will be tough opponents though. There is also the minor hurling final between Clare and Waterford at Semple Stadium.
Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
All-Ireland SFC quarter-final previews: Top teams about to be thinned out with big names in the firing line
All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals Saturday Monaghan v Donegal, Croke Park, 4pm: Attention on this match's challenges has focused on Donegal 's six-day turnaround but there is also a clear and present danger from a Monaghan team flying high after promotion back to Division One and a business-like All-Ireland campaign to date, which has seen them top one of the less demanding groups and in recognition get a two-week break. When the sides clashed in Ulster, Donegal did an effective job on curbing their opponents' strengths. It's a function of the modern game, especially in Ulster that keeping a goalkeeper nearly scoreless is a live concern. Rory Beggan managed just one point, from a 45, but no two-pointers although his team-mates outscored Donegal 10-4 on them and actually missed another seven. Overall though, Donegal were clearly the better team. Michael Murphy has been in superlative form but they need more from Oisín Gallen and Patrick McBrearty, both of whom have been battling underperformance. Their flying back division gives the team a deeper scoring threat: Peadar Mogan, Finbarr Roarty, Ciarán Moore, Ryan McHugh and Eoin Bán Gallagher are all accomplished counter-attackers. READ MORE Monaghan's vulnerability has been concession totals; they are prolific scorers but so too their various opponents. Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O'Hanlon have led a pacy charge up front with Jack McCarron lending less quicksilver but prolific support off the bench. The battle of the goalkeepers at Easter had been eagerly awaited but Shaun Patton had the better of those exchanges, finding his players with dazzling consistency. Jim McGuinness has been able to welcome back Jason McGee in the last couple of weeks, which is good news for their centrefield whereas Gary Mohan, nursing a hamstring injury, is another player whose input is compromised by injury. He may well get a run but how close is he to full fitness? Verdict: Donegal Tyrone v Dublin, Croke Park, 6.15pm: The biggest issue in this match will not be resolved until the ball throws in on Saturday evening. Con O'Callaghan's listing on the bench for this weekend's quarter-final doesn't come with any coded reference to whether the team captain starts or is like last week, to be held back until there is existential threat to the team's prospects of advancement. Either way, it doesn't say anything too convincing about O'Callaghan's readiness to hit the ground running. If so, it's a terrible blow to Dublin who rely so much on the player's leadership and his enhancement of the attack. Tyrone's Mattie Donnelly. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Unfortunately, the very injury that he sustained six weeks ago significantly compromises the forward danger he brings when taking on defences. Wheeling him out for the Derry group match two weeks ago was a reflection on how vital the management saw his presence that day even though it won't have helped long-term recovery. Otherwise, things are coming together nicely for Dessie Farrell. The defence is fully restored with Eoin Murchan, John Small and Lee Gannon all back in the swing of things and Brian Howard rediscovering his scoring touch against Cork. Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne has been thriving at centrefield in very respectable company over the past couple of weeks. That will be tested here, as Brian Kennedy has the size to contest ball with Dublin and his partnership with Conn Kilpatrick is the equal – at least – of any Ó Cofaigh-Byrne and Ciarán Kilkenny have faced. Tyrone have their own problems. Michael McKernan's injury rules him out and weakens their rearguard but can Dublin exploit it in O'Callaghan's absence? Niall Morgan hasn't been at his best at a time when the new rules offer goalkeepers so much whereas the eternal Cluxton has regathered something of his Zen powers. The teams' scoring returns aren't hugely different – all the more creditably for Dublin whose group didn't include a piñata like Cavan became after beating Mayo. Darren McCurry has been excellent for Tyrone and there is more to come from Darragh Canavan as well as the lively option of under-20 supernova Eoin McElholm, who has already appeared for the seniors. Farrell can argue legitimately that Dublin have timed their run quite well but for their captain's injury. Nonetheless, Tyrone, half of whom have All-Ireland medals already, will come into this with momentum and belief and in a match tantalisingly balanced, they can tilt the scales. Verdict: Tyrone Sunday Meath v Galway, Croke Park, 1.45pm: No other team has been as tempered in the fire as Galway. Having won Connacht, they promptly lost at home to Dublin in the All-Ireland round robin. Then eight points down in the second half in Celtic Park and facing a crushing championship exit, they managed to squeeze a draw – nearly a win – out of Derry and go on to beat champions Armagh to survive. Third seeding sent them to Newry last week where the elements and Down put them under ferocious pressure even with a big half-time lead. But they survived, as they have done for the last few weeks. They have also got a significant return on goals – 10 in four All-Ireland matches. Shane Walsh of Galway. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho This weekend is the signal for Pádraic Joyce's team to step up performance levels. They have got by and the manager has demonstrated a ruthless trigger-happy game management, which has seen decorated All Stars staring glumly of the bench halfway through the second half of matches. Shane Walsh's shoulder injury was a scare last week but he is named on the match panel. It remains to be seen who will wear the goalkeeper's jersey after Conor Flaherty's dark second half of the soul, kicking restarts into the Newry wind but it's a problem none of the other contenders currently have. Meath have been a revelation, beating both Dublin and Kerry despite missing players. They have some back for this weekend, notably Matthew Costello but could also do with Ronan Jones as a counter to Galway's middle-third air force. Robbie Brennan's side have contributors all around the field but their pace could be the greatest threat. The sheer uninhibited assault on Kerry was also impressive – no feeling their way into things – and the ability to twist the knife by kicking two-pointers proved irresistible. Galway have already ridden out something like that last week but this will be a further test. Verdict: Galway Armagh v Kerry, Croke Park, 4pm: By consensus, the match of the round. Kerry find themselves in the unusual position of being underdogs having had a stuttering championship to date. Most startling was getting turned over by Meath to the tune of nine points and there is an argument that such a result must cast grave doubt on the All-Ireland credentials of the defeated team, no matter how riddled with injury the Munster champions were. Armagh have attracted glowing notices for their performances despite losing the Ulster final again – after extra time – and getting touched off by Galway in the final group match when they themselves had already qualified. They have filled a difficult dance card so far – their last five matches have been against Galway, Dublin, Derry, Donegal and Tyrone. David Clifford of Kerry. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Kerry continue to have awful injury problems. Gone from this week's panel are Diarmuid O'Connor and Barry Dan O'Sullivan, two front-rank centrefielders, and key defender Mike Breen. Paudie Clifford and Paul Geaney are on the match-day panel but questions remain about their full readiness. Kerry have been this way before and have exploded into contention at this relatively late stage of the championship. With David Clifford on your team, more or less anything is possible but there isn't a huge pile of evidence to substantiate that prospect. Jack O'Connor will have noticed that Armagh have exhibited opt-out tendencies in all of their matches to date, which have allowed teams get back to the table or establish big leads – which to be fair, the All-Ireland champions generally recover. Armagh may be afloat on slightly overstated virtues but the fact is that Kieran McGeeney's side have been through a hard-knock passage to this stage and have proven their competitive credentials whereas this weekend is Kerry's first brush with a Division One county. Verdict: Armagh All-Ireland MHC final Clare v Waterford, FBD Semple Stadium, Saturday 5.15: The strange thing about this all-Munster final is that neither county won the provincial title. Cork beat both teams, Waterford twice, in the early part of the season before losing to Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final but the All-Ireland semi-finals endorsed their right to be in the final, as they defeated both the Munster and their Leinster counterparts, Kilkenny. Clare manager Ger O'Connell pointed out that the season's mixed fortunes had made them stronger. 'We took massive learnings from the two losses against Cork and Waterford,' he said. 'I think the Cork defeat really exposed some of the areas we needed to work on, especially the second-half of that game.' Waterford won the first match between the sides and backed it up beating Kilkenny with Cormac Spain in lethal form. Paul Rodgers, brother of Clare All Star Mark, racked up 0-13 against Cork with the quality of his dead-ball striking. It should be a great contest. Verdict: Clare
Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Turnstiles click for a game transformed and the most open championship in decades
The All-Ireland SFC is down to the last eight. After this weekend there will be four teams and three matches left. So far this has been a brilliant season, showcasing the rule changes introduced by the FRC , which have impacted beyond the wildest and most optimistic imaginings. By Friday teatime, Croke Park were reporting sales of 63,000 for Saturday's double bill of Monaghan -Donegal and Tyrone -Dublin with 74,000 shifted for Meath- Galway and the weekend's box office pairing of All-Ireland champions Armagh and brand leaders, Kerry. If the tickets keep going, these quarter-finals could be the best attended in 16 years. Another 10,000 in sales and the combined attendance for the weekend will surpass 2017 and you would have to go back to 2009 to find a bigger turnout. A game with additional space for forwards and the incentive to move the ball quickly into attack has blossomed into a spectacle that has captivated spectators. READ MORE Providing a two-point scoring option has rendered big leads assailable and plenty of teams have availed of the opportunity to pull matches back into the undecided column. Last weekend GAA president Jarlath Burns , who empanelled the FRC less than 18 months ago, permitted himself a tincture of self-congratulation in the match programme for the Croke Park double bill. GAA president Jarlath Burns speaking at Croke Park last week. Photograph: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 'The FRC and the new rules have had a dramatic and transformative effect on our game. The high quantity of scores in football now is being matched by the high quality of scores in matches and is being backboned by a welcome increase in drama and competitiveness. 'Usually, we urge caution before rushing to conclusions. But what we have seen in the last six months is a game rediscovering itself and is a joy to see.' Vindication wasn't long in re-appearing. The following day, Galway went to Newry and led Down by 10 points at half-time. Within a minute and a half of the restart, the deficit was down to six after two two-pointers and closed to two with 15 minutes left. They survived, drawing this haunted response from manager Pádraic Joyce: 'We were battle-hardened before today but we're battle-hardened again.' Joyce's team, together with All-Ireland champions Armagh and back-to-back Ulster champions Donegal , lead the betting for this year's Sam Maguire. Having lost two of the last three All-Ireland finals, Galway have made a tightrope walk out of the campaign so far. On Sunday they face Meath , rejuvenated under Robbie Brennan's management. This is seen as one of the clearer-cut matches but the Connacht champions will still have to cope with a team that became the first in 17 years to beat both Dublin and Kerry in the same championship campaign. Meath manager Robbie Brennan after their win over Kerry at O'Connor Park. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho They have also adapted really well to the possibilities of the two-point kicks, as have Galway. A rapidly-transitioning contest with orange flags in constant profusion? There could be more battle-hardening on the way for Joyce. It is difficult to think of an All-Ireland denouement with a greater spread of credible candidates. Monaghan, facing Donegal on Saturday – much to Donegal's chagrin, having played their preliminary quarter-final only six days prior – is the only county in action this weekend not to have won the Sam Maguire at some stage. The other seven counties have won every All-Ireland of the past 30 years with only the sole exception of Cork's triumph in 2010. There has been very little between them. Every county has lost at least once this championship. It is unprecedentedly competitive, as Burns also referenced a week ago. 'Already, this 2025 football campaign ranks as one of the most open, exciting and enjoyable championship summers in memory and we are still only now at what some might call the 'business end',' he said. One consequence of this is that virtually every county can have dreams going into this weekend – six of them without having to hallucinate too hard. Dublin's Con O'Callaghan. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho The relentless tempo of the split-season schedule means that injury bites hard and a number of teams are awaiting prognoses on important players. St Januarius maintains his feast day in September, as a good few people would prefer the GAA to do in regard to All-Ireland finals. But not even the crowds that gather in Naples each year to see whether the saint's blood liquefies are as rapt with anxiety as Dublin supporters waiting to see if captain Con O'Callaghan's hamstring miraculously loosens for the fray against Tyrone. Galway await a similarly positive prognosis on Shane Walsh's shoulder. Kerry will hope for Paudie Clifford's full engagement and Monaghan for Gary Mohan's. To name but a few. Eight teams are poised but only four will make it out of this weekend with their hopes intact. At least one will hope to do so with a decisive display that establishes them as the contenders with momentum going into the semi-finals and beyond. On your marks.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
McStay relieved of role as Mayo manager
Kevin McStay has been relieved of his role as Mayo manager after a meeting of the county's board on former Roscommon boss succeeded James Horan as boss in 2022 and led his native county to the Division One title in his first term at the had been given a four-year term which has now been cut short with his backroom team that includes former Mayo boss Stephen Rochford, Donie Buckley and Damien Mulligan also leaving with immediate May, the 63-year-old stepped back from his role for the immediate future to deal with some personal health issues, with Rochford taking over in the interim and McStay stating his intent to return to his role when he had were eliminated from the All-Ireland SFC at the group stage after a late defeat against Donegal a fortnight won two Connacht titles and an All-Star with the county as a player."We would like to sincerely thank Kevin and his management team for their time, effort, and commitment to the Mayo Senior Football Team during their tenure. Their dedication to the players and the jersey has been greatly appreciated by all involved with Mayo GAA," a statement from Mayo GAA said."We wish Kevin and his management team every success in the future, both on and off the field."An update regarding the future management of the Senior Football Team will be provided in due course."
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Sean Cavanagh believes ‘the sight of a Dublin jersey' can inspire Tyrone to come of age
If Tyrone fail to beat Dublin in Saturday evening's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final, that'll be just nine wins in the championship from 21 outings since they won the All-Ireland four years ago . Dig down into that poor record and it reveals three seasons that ended early: at the qualifier stage in 2022, at the quarter-final stage in 2023 when they were heavily beaten by Kerry, and at the preliminary quarter-final stage last year, when Roscommon dumped them out. Only once have they won two championship games in a row in that period, while they were dumped out of Division One earlier this season . Seán Cavanagh understands that if Tyrone lose to Dublin at Croke Park on Saturday, it's going to be another long winter. READ MORE He is in an optimistic mood, though, when speaking at a promotion to highlight the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor championship finals. For starters, he feels Dublin are in the same boat; needing to win to avoid the season being a failure but knowing that, if they do win, anything is then possible. Having viewed the last few years since that 2021 All-Ireland final defeat of Mayo as 'rebuild territory', he reckons the foundations are now in place for a new era of Tyrone success. 'What a chance this is to re-announce ourselves back at the top table of football,' said Cavanagh, who won three All-Irelands in his playing days with the Red Hand County. 'I said this to the boys when I was leaving [in 2017], when Dublin beat us well, that there was an All-Ireland in this team,' he recalled. 'It almost felt that 2021, when they did win it, was the work of a seven-, eight- or nine-year period. 'A lot of those lads, the Mattie Donnellys, Petey Hartes, Conor Meyler, all those lads, Paudie Hampsey, they'd been building and had been the backbone of our 2015 All-Ireland Under-21 winning team. Kieran McGeary obviously as well. 'So I almost felt that was the pinnacle of that group, 2021. It felt like we were in a bit of rebuild territory after that and there were a lot of guys that left the year after. 'It's only really now that we feel we're kind of back where Tyrone football should be. But equally, and this kind of goes back to needing to win on Saturday evening, would beating Cavan and beating Donegal represent a great championship season for Tyrone? I don't think so. Former Tyrone footballer Seán Cavanagh at a preview event for the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor finals at Croke Park. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho 'And look, the Donegal game was brilliant, a good performance, but I think we need more this year. So where we find ourselves is that if we want to get more, then we have to take out the Dubs in Croke Park. You can flip that around very quickly and say to the lads, 'look, what an opportunity this is for that team to really go and announce themselves'. 'I think if we were to come to Croke Park and beat the Dubs, that would be as good a performance as we had in the All-Ireland in '21.' Asked if the rebuild in Tyrone is complete, or if it will take another couple of years to fully integrate players from the All-Ireland winning Under-20 teams of 2022, 2024 and 2025, Cavanagh was again optimistic. 'I think the balance we have across the team, the age profile we have, it's really good,' said the five-time All Star. 'You have Petey Harte and Mattie Donnelly and these lads who are absolutely at the top end of their careers. The experience they can give is huge. 'We have a lovely bunch of players in the mid-to-late 20s category then. Then we have an incredible array of underage lads that are all going to drop into the mix and have dropped into the mix already. Just look at Eoin McElholm from the 20s and what he can bring. 'You get the feeling there's a big opportunity in the next few years in Tyrone to go back to being in All-Ireland semi-finals and finals, and expecting to be there. 'I think watching our near neighbours Armagh win last year and seeing where they're at at the minute, that will have stoked the fires enough for us to say, 'yeah, we have to get back there and we have the talent to get back there and we have the management to get back there'. It feels like all the building blocks are there for us to do it. It's just about time now that we have to arrive.' That vital consistency is the final missing piece for Tyrone. Their results so far in this year's championship sums things up for them; beat Cavan, lose to Armagh, beat Donegal, lose to Mayo, beat Cavan again. Cavanagh expects the sight of the Dublin jersey to inspire their best form. 'I think the sight of Croke Park and the sight of the Dubs and the sky blue jersey will definitely bring out whatever's in those players right now,' he said. 'As a supporter, I do feel there's a big performance in the team. I think the players all see it in that way. They'll all see it as an opportunity to bring it on Saturday night. 'Any time Tyrone has a good year, it usually takes a big game and the sight of something that will energise and excite the team to get it out of themselves. So I'm cautiously optimistic that the sight of a Dublin jersey on a Saturday night in Croke Park will do that.'
