Latest news with #Anglo-CeltCup
Irish Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Raymond Galligan steps aside as Cavan manager
Raymond Galligan has stepped down as Cavan manager after two years at the helm. Cavan GAA issued a statement this afternoon thanking All Star goalkeeper Galligan and his backroom team for their commitment to the county. Their statement praised Galligan as 'a wonderful servant' who always had time for younger fans in his various roles as a player, captain and manager, and labeled him 'a positive role model for all.' Galligan made 114 appearances for Cavan, scoring 1-122, captaining Cavan from 2019-2023 and lifting the Ulster title in 2020, their first Anglo-Celt Cup victory since 1997. A Cavan GAA statement said that Galligan sighted work commitments and a young family as his reasons for stepping aside, as he praised the County Board and his players 'huge commitment and effort for the Cavan cause.' Cavan GAA said 'We wish Raymond, his wife Niamh and their two young children the best in the future and thank you again from all in Cavan GAA.' Galligan took over from Ulster Championship winning boss Mickey Graham, who was a coach with Galway this year.
Irish Examiner
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Shaun Patton admits current All-Ireland format is 'intense'
Shaun Patton admitted the gruelling schedule of the current All-Ireland format is 'intense' as Donegal reached the quarter-finals following a seventh championship win this season. Donegal had to go the hard way to win Ulster as they were drawn in the preliminary round, but won all four games to retain the Anglo-Celt Cup. Patton, who had been a huge weapon for Jim McGuinness' side, picked up an injury in the final, which saw him miss the first two games of the All-Ireland group stages, a loss to Tyrone and a win over Cavan as Gavin Mulreany deputised. He was back for the Mayo game as Donegal secured second in the group and a home tie with Louth seven days later, the 2-22 to 0-12 win over the Leinster champions secures a spot in the last eight of the competition, where they will face either Meath or Monaghan next weekend. 'It is an intense schedule,' Patton said after the game. 'For myself, I'm not running the legs off myself like the other boys are, but it's intense and you can't afford to be picking up knocks when it's week on week. 'But that's the structure of the championship, and there's no point complaining about it. 'I had a wee break to myself, so I'm feeling quite good and I'm delighted to be back in. 'It's tough to watch on from the sidelines but Gavin stepped in and, in my opinion, did really well. You look at the Tyrone game and it was a tough game to go into. The game was flat in general from our perspective so I'm delighted to get back in but we have a fantastic goalkeeper in Gavin behind me.' On the game itself, Donegal failed to flatter in a first half that still saw them lead by 1-6 to 0-7 but they really got going after the restart and it was job done for the St Eunan's goalkeeper. 'The whole point of today was getting the result and getting to Croke Park for the quarter-final next week, so we're happy to get that box ticked. 'Obviously, it's the performances we'll have to look at, that first half we wouldn't be too happy with, but the job is done and we'll go on to next week and get the bodies right from now until then. 'We started reasonably well, but I don't really know what the cause of it was, whether it was poor shot selection, which cost us at the other end and we can't really let that happen. 'We were happy to get into half-time and we're happy with the second half performance but moving on we can't really allow a first half like that to happen.'
The Irish Sun
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Michael Murphy is ‘best player ever' but needs Donegal teammates to step up more, says All-Ireland winner
MARTIN McELHINNEY believes Michael Murphy is the GOAT — but says the Donegal veteran still needs the help of the herd around him. Tír Chonaill icon Murphy made a sensational return to Jim McGuinness' squad this year after retiring from inter-county football in November of 2022. Advertisement 2 Murphy got his hands on the Anglo-Celt Cup again this year 2 McElhinney helped his county lift Sam Maguire in 2012 And at the age of 35, the 2012 All-Ireland-winning captain has picked up where he left off, terrorising opponents and leading the charge as his county made it back-to-back Ulster titles His former team-mate McElhinney was a winner with him on that famous day at Croke Park in 2012 and he rates Murphy as the greatest the game has ever seen. He told SunSport: 'He's phenomenal, and he's a phenomenal character first of all. I know you can harp on about it all the time but he's such a proud Donegal man and he always puts the team first. 'A lot of people thought he was just going to stand inside and kick a couple of points and help out, but he's putting everything he can into making sure Donegal win. Advertisement Read More On GAA "It is unbelievable. He's the best player that's ever played, just from playing with him and watching him play the whole way up through underage.' Donegal shone in the early stages of the this year's league before taking the foot off the gas. They then saw off four opponents to keep their hands on the Anglo-Celt Cup. An assault on Sam looked very much on at that stage but Even then, Murphy was still Donegal's standout performer with 0-8. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football The Glenswilly star fired another 0-7 in the Donegal sit top on scoring difference but can still finish in any of the group's four positions. GAA fans 'loved seeing and hearing' the late Micheal O Muircheartaigh as he features in RTE documentary Hell for Leather Avoiding defeat against Mayo at Dr Hyde Park tomorrow will ensure passage to the knockout stages and they would still go through in third place if they lose but Tyrone beat Cavan in Enniskillen. But they would take first place and go straight to the All-Ireland quarter-finals if they win and the Red Hands do not or if both games are draws. Advertisement Donegal won their group last year and made it to the All-Ireland semi-finals for the first time since 2014, only for Galway to end their summer at Croker. Four-time Ulster champion McElhinney can see the potential in McGuinness' squad to go even further but says it is crucial that every player steps up to the plate, not just talisman Murphy. McElhinney added: 'He's phenomenal and he brings everyone else on about five or ten per cent just by being there. 'I'd say that was probably Jim and the backroom team's biggest thing — but he's matching it up with performances. Advertisement "He's putting his body on the line and he's trying to make other people better players. On the downside, other players are probably taking a back seat hoping that Murphy is going to do it, you know? 'Last year, everyone was flying without Murphy and you're thinking, Michael is back now to add in that extra bit you need. "But you just hope other boys don't shy away from the task, letting Michael do it all, and just come up and try and deliver performances with him.' LAST MEN STANDING Murphy and skipper Paddy McBrearty, 31, are the only survivors from Donegal's class of 2012, who claimed Sam for just the second time in the county's history. Advertisement McElhinney was shocked when Murphy walked away two years ago but was even more stunned when he was lured back. The St Michael's man said: 'I'm surprised Michael came back first of all, but I always thought he retired too early and he had the ability to keep going for another couple of years. 'People think Paddy is older because he's been around for so long but Paddy and Michael are obsessed with football and have unbelievable attitudes, so I'm not surprised they're still going.' Former stars Neil McGee, Colm McFadden and Marty Boyle are all part of McGuinness' backroom team and McElhinney is thrilled his old pals are delivering the goods on and off the pitch. Advertisement He added: 'You always knew the likes of Colm would go into management in a way, because he's a calculated person. He's a deep thinker, you ask him a question, he thinks about it before he really answers you. 'But it's great to see them boys involved and they all bring different things to the backroom team, and not just because they were successful in 2012. 'They all have different attributes that Jim would want. Neil, Marty and Colm are very different people. "That's one thing Jim was always good at, he always had different characters in the backroom team and it wasn't all the same type of personality, and I think you need that.' Advertisement 'SERIOUS CHALLENGE' Now they need another performance. McElhinney replaced McBrearty in the final stages of the 2012 All-Ireland final win over Mayo but both squads have changed dramatically since. Aidan O'Shea is Mayo's sole survivor from 13 years ago when first-half goals from Murphy and McFadden were decisive in an edgy 2-11 to 0-13 win. Murphy was man of the match. And McElhinney expects another Donegal victory tomorrow. He said: 'Mayo are a serious challenge. People thought they were finished and all that, but no way. Advertisement 'Paddy Durcan is probably as good a player as you'll get in Ireland. "He came back from a torn cruciate and played one game against Tyrone and he was man of the match, and Aidan O'Shea has caused Donegal a lot of problems down through the years. 'The harder the task for Mayo, the more they seem to rise up and take it. 'Sometimes when they play against the so-called lesser counties they end up nearly getting caught, but when they're against the bigger teams, they'll always put in a performance. Advertisement 'They're very proud down there and they're always confident. "They're kind of a bit like Tyrone in a way, that they feel they can win an All-Ireland every single year, and that's a great thing to have. 'But this Donegal team are well experienced now under Jim, they've a lot of very good players and I think they can be good enough to come out on top.'
The Irish Sun
31-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Dare to Dream' – Seanie Johnston says Cavan's Mayo shock has Breffni dreaming big again
FORMER Cavan attacker Seánie Johnston believes his county can dare to dream again after shocking Mayo. The Advertisement 2 Cavan icon Seanie Johnston reckons the Breffni can dare to dream after their shock win over Mayo 2 Cavan face Donegal tomorrow as they look to add another major scalp The last time Cavan beat Mayo in Championship football had been 1948 — in the All-Ireland final. Breffni icon John Joe O'Reilly lifted Sam Maguire for the second year in a row, having first done so in the Polo Grounds in New York. Memories of those glory days were stirred a fortnight ago at MacHale Park as Ray Galligan's men sank All of the focus had been on Mayo in the build-up to the sensational victory. Advertisement read more on gaa Former free-scoring forward Johnston told SunSport: 'To go to Mayo and win was huge. If that was one of the big guns who went to Castlebar and won, people would be raving about it. 'I think the talk around the country has been more about the demise of Mayo rather than Cavan having a very good win.' Johnston was a selector under boss Mickey Graham when Cavan reached the 2022 Tailteann Cup final. Now, Galligan's men top Group 1 and have a free shot when Donegal come to town tomorrow. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Fellow group toppers Tyrone beat Jim McGuinness' men last weekend in Ballybofey, blowing open the race for the last eight. And Cavan's destiny is in their own hands. Johnston said: 'Ultimately for us, it was a huge win in terms of maybe progressing to an All-Ireland quarter-final or preliminary quarter-final. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - 'Then you just don't know what's going to happen or what a win like that will give in terms of the boost of confidence to the players. 'We have a big one coming this weekend, but there's very little pressure on Cavan. There's probably huge pressure coming from the Donegal side of things after their result last week. Advertisement 'The first game is ultimately so important because you know generally that one win will get you into that preliminary quarter-final. 'So I think their goal has got to be, if they get through the group, 'Can we make an All-Ireland semi-final?' That means you have to go and win two knockout games but that, to me, would be an incredible season.' Five years have passed since Cavan toppled tomorrow's opponents in an Ulster final that was played behind closed doors due to Covid lockdown restrictions. Advertisement Their journey to the Anglo-Celt Cup lit up a dark summer as Galligan lifted the trophy. Cavan proceeded directly to an All-Ireland semi-final, losing to a Dublin side that became six-in-a-row champions. Five years on, they went to Castlebar quietly confident. And Cormac O'Reilly, Oisín Kiernan, Dara McVeety, Gerard Smith, Cian Reilly, Brian O'Connell and Cian Madden stood up to the mark as star forward Paddy Lynch made a scoring comeback off the bench after the cruciate ligament injury victim spent more than a year on the sidelines. Advertisement Johnston admits the buzz is back in the Breffni County and he believes the return of Crosserlough forward Lynch is a huge boost, though clubmate James Smith has not yet come back from injury. Gearóid McKiernan — who returned to the panel this season — also missed the Mayo game, having lined out in the Ulster quarter-final defeat by Tyrone on April 13. The Cavan Gaels man said: 'One thing I wouldn't like to see is Cavan putting limits on themselves. 'They're after taking out Mayo in Mayo and ultimately, people will criticise where Mayo are at. Advertisement 'Paddy Lynch's return is huge. You know, even for that point he comes on and scored, we have to put it into perspective that this lad hasn't played in nearly 14 months. 'He gets that pop-hand pass and he spins on to his supposedly weaker side, and he pings it over from 35 metres. 'He has that quality in abundance, but you'd be conscious of the fact that we can't be expecting miracles off him too. 'The Cavan forward line now looks a lot better. Oisín Brady, who's probably Cavan's second best forward when Paddy was away, is back too. Advertisement 'Cormac O'Reilly is playing really well and you're hoping to see James and Gearóid McKiernan added into the fold and that makes your forward line look a lot more formidable than it has looked. 'You expect Donegal to come to town and win, but Cavan are going in with a free shot at another big gun who, if they lose, are in serious bother because you just don't know what you're going to get from Mayo in that last game for Donegal.' Johnston will be a keen spectator tomorrow, but has stepped back from football for now. Having made his debut in 2003, Johnston hung up his inter-county boots in 2019, after a long career that included a well-publicised switch to Kildare. Advertisement Coaching led him to join the Cavan backroom team in 2022. He took the reins of his beloved Cavan Gaels last summer, but stood down after the county semi-final loss to Crosserlough. FAMILY FIRST Johnston won ten county titles between 2001 and 2017 but times have been leaner since and for now, family comes first. He said: 'We have four young kids and it was just causing havoc in the house here. Advertisement 'I'm all-consuming. If I'm in, it takes over your whole life and you're away probably five, six nights a week. 'Even when you're here, you're not here, so I just said I was going to take a full break and I'm enjoying it. 'I went back and took our own club last year because the players asked me to do it. 'I didn't want to because it's very hard to do your own club. Advertisement 'They'd been at such a kind of low ebb over the last number of years. We lost the semi-final to Crosserlough by a point and we should have beaten them. "It was probably more annoying that I had to step back from that, because I know they were pretty disappointed that I did. But then, it's just so taxing on time. 'It's also very hard not to be in something that's competitive because you kind of live for that competitive element when you're not playing anymore. 'But it's a lot harder than playing, because you've very little control when that ball is thrown in. You're reliant on all the work that has been done on the training field. Advertisement 'And then sometimes you're tearing your hair out at some of the things players are doing. You're like, 'Have I taught these boys absolutely nothing?' 'It's very enjoyable too but just probably not that conducive to having four young kids.'
The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Eoin McHugh cherishes Donegal return as Ulster glory makes couch comeback all the sweeter
EOIN MCHUGH went from couch to Ulster champion again with Donegal. McHugh, 31, made his SFC debut for 2 Peadar Mogan and Eoin McHugh of Donegal with the Anglo-Celt Cup after the Ulster final win over Armagh 2 McHugh is relishing his return to the fold ahead of clash vs Tyrone He looked on from the sofa when McHugh was vital when they retained their crown against the Orchard a fortnight ago when he replaced Ciarán Moore after 55 minutes. His fresh legs were crucial coming down the stretch as they held on to win 2-23 to 0-28, as Moore returned to score their second goal in extra-time. McHugh is relishing his return to the fold ahead of Tyrone's round 1 group stage visit to Ballybofey tonight. read more on football Speaking after their 'To be honest I can't watch games, I struggle on the bench watching games, I'd rather be on (the pitch) or just not at it. 'Myself and the girlfriend sat last year and watched it, and you know, what the boys did last year was amazing and I'm just delighted that I'm back here and be a part of it. 'I don't know how to put it into words, it's something so special, I think the older you get the more special it gets and the more emotional you feel about things like this. Most read in GAA Football 'I'm walking into the dressing room here with my friends and people who've done so well for the county and I'm just delighted to be here.' McHugh is on the bench for the visit of their neighbours, and McGuinness has kept faith with the same team that began against Armagh. Limerick GAA fans troll RTE pundit Donal Og Cusack after win over Cork But their squad depth is growing all the time, as Eoghan Bán Gallagher (hamstring) returns to the panel for the first time in the championship today. Stopper Shaun Patton has recovered from an ankle injury to start against the Red Hands. And McHugh says days like a fortnight ago are why he came back as they gear up for the All-Ireland series. He said: 'You always dream of winning Ulster and you know I'm lucky enough to have won it before. But there's something special about it and it doesn't lose the buzz or the rush. 'This is why I'm here, this is why I came back and I'm blessed to be allowed to be back and to get the opportunity and I'll not forget that.' DONEGAL (SFC v Tyrone): S Patton; F Roarty, B McCole, P Mogan; R McHugh, C McGonagle, C Moore; H McFadden, M Langan; D Ó Baoill, C Thompson, S O'Donnell; P McBrearty, M Murphy, O Gallen. TYRONE (SFC v Donegal): N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan, R Brennan, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; A Donaghy, M Donnelly, C Daly; D McCurry, P Harte, D Canavan.
