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RTÉ News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
2013 and all that - Dublin desire Rebel redemption in All-Ireland hurling semi-final
Sweet and sour. In 2013, Dublin's hurlers beat Wexford, Kilkenny and Galway to end a 52-year wait for a Leinster title. A first All-Ireland crown since 1938 was firmly in their sights but Anthony Daly's men fell at the semi-final hurdle, losing a cracker to Cork by five points after playing the final 20 minutes a man down. The one that got away, as Johnny McCaffrey, the man who lifted the Bob O'Keeffe Cup that July, is regularly reminded. "It's the one that most people remember, to be honest," the former Dublin midfielder tells RTÉ Sport. "The way we won it, then got knocked out in a great game. How close we were. "When people mention winning Leinster, then, nearly the next sentence is 'Geez, the Cork game got away from you'. "It certainly doesn't take away from the Leinster at all, it's still a fantastic achievement to have that, but it would obviously have been nice to go on and compete in an All-Ireland final. Who knows what would happen in a final?" Back when semi-finals were August Sundays, Dublin's Danny Sutcliffe had opened the scoring after just 10 seconds and the teams traded scores freely thereafter at Croke Park. Cork led by the minimum at the break - 0-15 to 1-11 - after David Treacy's kicked goal had edged the Dubs back in front. The Dubs' adopted Tipp man Ryan O'Dwyer had received his first yellow card in the second minute for a shoulder that also hit the chest of Luke O'Farrell just after he released the ball and in the 49th minute, he was shown a second yellow, for a similar offence. Cork inched back ahead but Dublin were level as late as the hour mark – 1-18 to 0-21 – before only scoring once in the final 10 minutes. An opportunist goal from Patrick Horgan in the 66th minute – flicking the ball off goalkeeper Gary Maguire's hurl and to the net – finally gave Cork breathing space and Dublin couldn't find the goal they needed. 1-24 to 1-19 at the final whistle. "We played really well," reflects McCaffrey. "It was a great game for the neutral, obviously not great for us, not winning it, but a really good game of hurling. "We went toe to toe with them and, when we look back at it, maybe we were too open. They got a score, we got a score. Maybe we could have sat off a little bit and defended a bit more. It's easy to say afterwards, but when you're going well and there's not much in it, you just want to keep at it and try to get that extra point more than the opposition. "We had played the seventh defender in other games, and went more 15 on 15 [that day]. We were capable of that, no problem, it was just Cork who got that extra couple of scores in the end that mattered. "We were down to 14 for the last 20 minutes of the game, which probably did have an impact, but Ryan was performing really well on the day itself, so it was him not being there as a presence that was just as hard to take as being down to 14. "These things happen and Cork just came out the right side in the end." Lorcán McLoughlin was the player who took O'Dwyer's second frontal charge that day. Coincidentally, he had also been the player fouled by Henry Shefflin for the first of his two yellows in the three-in-a-row chasing Cats' quarter-final exit to Cork. "The one thing I remember about that year was all those sendings-off," the midfielder, who retired in 2018, tells RTÉ Sport. "The Munster final [Limerick 0-24, Cork 0-15], Patrick Horgan had been sent off. The quarter-final, Henry Shefflin had been sent off. And then the semi-final, Ryan O'Dwyer was sent off. "Henry Shefflin's first one in the quarter-final was a chop on my hurley. It was no yellow card and that was actually rescinded. "In the semi-final, he [O'Dwyer] picked up one early, a chest-high tackle I think. The second one then was a frontal tackle on me as well. I actually had to go off as a blood sub. "He did catch me but it was actually my mistake, I went to pick the ball and it came up a bit high. I was reaching for it and he just came across. I suppose that one was more of a yellow card than the first one. I thought the first yellow card was harsh enough for him. "Dublin were excellent that year. Sutcliffe, O'Dwyer, [Liam] Rushe. They had a lot of good players. It was actually a cracking game of hurling and it's just a pity with the sendings-off when games are so close." Cork went on to lose the All-Ireland final replay to a Shane O'Donnell-inspired Clare and have been beaten in two more deciders since. Dublin lost a tight qualifier with 14 men to the Rebels in 2016 and failed to get back to the last four until this year. Today, they will again face the county that killed the dream 12 years ago. The Boys in Blue got here by pulling off hurling's biggest shock in decades, a 2-24 to 0-28 quarter-final win over a Limerick side fancied to win their sixth Liam MacCarthy Cup in eight years. "The best thing about it was the performance and that it was fully deserved," says McCaffrey. "The work-rate, the want to keep going, and the togetherness of the group. It was great that it wasn't a lucky goal or something like that. It was a proper performance for the full 70 minutes. "When they went down to 14 men, the performance got better. They didn't down tools, they kept at it, and the spirit was fantastic. "Limerick went a point ahead and maybe thought they were going to kick on, but the Dublin lads stuck with it. They didn't put their heads down, they said 'We're here to win this'. Seán Brennan's save was a massive moment and lads getting blocks at the end, throwing bodies on the line. That just shows the will of the group to really put in a performance like that on a big stage. "It's great to have that buzz back again, people talking in a positive light about Dublin hurling. We haven't had a really big win like that in a long time." The most jaw-dropping aspect of the quarter-final triumph was that that red card came just 15 minutes in, Dublin losing captain Chris Crummey, a Lucan Sarsfields clubmate of McCaffrey, for a high tackle on Gearóid Hegarty. "You can see some sort of reasoning with it, but it looked like there was very little force," suggests McCaffrey. "It's very unfortunate for Chris. He was on the panel in '13, but wasn't playing. So to miss out on the big semi-final after being there so long is cruel for him really." McLoughlin sympathises with both Crummey and referee Liam Gordon, who issued the red card, while also being impressed with Dublin's ability to go on and win, having played with 14 men for so long. "I suppose anything head-high you're in dangerous territory," he observes. "You just don't want to see anyone being sent off in any game, unless it's reckless. "But referees have to protect players as well. And if it is head-high and it is an elbow you can have very little complaints. "Dublin, the last day, they bucked that trend of the team a man down losing. Huge credit to them for their work-rate. It was very impressive. Good variety in their play. They went long and direct, they ran the ball and they had shooters from all over the field. "They matched Limerick physically, got great scores and played from start to finish. Fully deserved their win in fairness. "It just goes to show in sport, you have to take your chances and if a team gets any bit of momentum…" McLoughlin hopes that the nature of their opponents' progress "will focus Cork". "The fact that Dublin turned over Limerick, they can't be taken for granted. I don't think Cork will fall into that trap of being complacent. "Cork have just been through the mill too much. Losing the All-Ireland final last year, there was a lot of hype around it. I think Limerick took the edge off Cork as well with the 16-point beating [in the Munster round-robin]. There's been an awful lot of learning in the last two years and awful lot to take from those games. "They're in a great position. This seems like the strongest Cork panel that's been there since the All-Ireland in 2005. Huge credit to Pat Ryan because it seems to be coming together now at the right stage as well. Semi-finals are for winning. It doesn't have to be perfect. Go and get the job done and then there will be stuff to work on. "I'm nearly afraid to say it, but I think they can [win the All-Ireland]. The one thing I would say is that each of the four teams that are left will all fancy their chances. Cork haven't won in 20 years. Kilkenny in 10 years. Tipperary haven't been in the semi-final since 2019 and Dublin are after beating Limerick. So every team will have plenty of hunger and motivation and, probably the big team, Limerick are gone out of it now, very similar to 2013 with ourselves, Dublin, Clare and Limerick. Everyone saw that Kilkenny were gone then, so it was anyone's opportunity. I think that's the case again this year." McLoughlin, still only 35 and a dual player for Kanturk, trained with St Vincent's a few years ago while working in Dublin and was taken by Conor Burke, Riain McBride and big John Hetherton. "I'm impressed with their full-back line as well," he says. "They're strong. Conor McHugh, since he has come back into the side as well, has been very impressive. "All over the field, they have a lot of good players. The only thing I'd say the loss of Crummey is huge. That's a real setback for them. I know they got over the line against Limerick, but he's pivotal to their defence. "I think the middle third is going to be huge. Conor Burke and [Dublin's] Brian Hayes are brilliant, but Darragh Fitz is back in his natural position of midfield. Tim O'Mahony's form is good. I think the game will be probably won and lost there." "There's going to be nobody outside of Dublin giving them a chance" The Dubs' victory over Limerick demands respect but they are still long odds to make it through to the final. "There's going to be nobody outside of Dublin giving them a chance," says McCaffrey. "Everyone's expecting Cork to win the game, similar to the last day against Limerick. "I'm sure the Dublin lads will just be looking for a performance like they gave against Limerick, in Croke Park on a big day. They'll know they have that in the locker, so it's a matter of just hopefully getting that out of themselves again, and who knows what could happen then if they do. "Dublin will be looking to start well, bring it up to half-time and then reset and go from there again. Maybe get a goal or two, and keep out the Cork goal opportunities. Goals were probably a thing that we haven't been getting over the last so to have that threat is massive. Cork are going to be looking to get goals, they have an inside-forward line that thrive on getting goal opportunities. But our lads inside have got them as well and been able to take them. We're going to need to get a couple of them again. "The hallmark of Dublin's good performances this year has been that the bench has added a great impact. They need that to get them over the line and hopefully they'll get that again." Although former Clare captain Daly is an honorary Dub at this stage - "We'd count him as one of ours" - McCaffrey, a selector with the county Under 20s this year, has been encouraged that it is first-year boss Niall Ó Ceallacháin's home-grown management team that have bridged the semi-final gap. "That's been really pleasing, from my point of view. Dave Curtin, Donal McGovern, all the backroom team, all Dubs. "It's fantastic to see. It shows that the talent is within Dublin, to go and manage and coach at the highest level. You might have said three or four years ago that that wasn't the case, but it's slowly getting there now. You can have Dublin people involved at the highest level and compete. "That has shone through in the lads, the performances have been from the heart and lads playing for jersey and that's obviously coming from the management team as well. It's fantastic to see and long may it continue." "Whatever Dublin crowd is there have followed them for a long time now and will get right behind them" Against Limerick, Dublin were buoyed by fans arriving during the second half ahead of their footballers clash with Cork. Today, the red jerseys are expected to significantly outnumber the blue in a full house, or close to, at Headquarters. "It's a frenzy for tickets," says McLoughlin. "They're exciting, they're going for goals, and that's why they're getting so much support." McCaffrey thinks Dublin will thrive on the bigger stage, regardless. "There probably will be more Cork, but that won't bother the Dublin lads, they'll just be just revelling in it. Whatever Dublin crowd is there have followed them for a long time now and will get right behind them. "In 2013, the atmosphere was something that we hadn't experienced before and that was sixty-odd thousand. It was great to be able to respond to that and put in the performance that we did on the day. "There are going be more there on Saturday. To be at a Dublin hurling game that's close to capacity in Croke Park is fantastic. The atmosphere will be electric." Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Cork v Dublin on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Kilkenny v Tipperary on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
TJ Reid urges Kilkenny to ‘sharpen up' after late Galway scare despite sealing Leinster six-in-a-row
TJ REID has called on the Cats to sharpen their claws for the All-Ireland semi-finals. The 2 Kilkenny captain John Donnelly lifts the Bob O'Keeffe Cup after their win against Galway at Croke Park on Sunday 2 TJ Reid of Kilkenny insists the Cats must improve in their hunt for the All-Ireland title Goals from Mossy Keoghan at the end of each half proved vital against the Tribes, as Huw Lawlor starred at full-back. Reid's second half goal helped steer Derek Lyng's men 13 points ahead coming down the stretch. But a stunning Galway revival saw the Tribes get back within four, before Keoghan's second strike sealed their SEVENTH And iconic stalwart Reid, 37, insists they have huge work to do if they want to end their 10-year wait for Liam MacCarthy after letting Galway back into the game and firing 11 wides. read more on gaa He told SunSport: 'We have things to work on for sure. but look, we have a Leinster title, it's what's coming home. "It's time to reset, refocus and take one or two days off and sharpen up for the next four weeks. 'We hurled well, very happy with the outcome, we move on now to four weeks off which is a blessing. 'But look, we weren't efficient - first half especially and there were probably four or five points there that we left behind. Most read in GAA Hurling 'We weren't efficient, we dropped five short there in the second half, we weren't efficient there either, and it makes life a lot easier for the opposition to reset and go after us again. 'We hurled well in the second half but we weren't happy with their goal that they got from the free. RTE GAA pundits argue over who started halftime row as Cork eventually topple Limerick in Munster epic final "It's something that we should look back on now and try to figure out what happened and try to rectify it. 'We were over 10 points up and they got it back to four, and it just put pressure on things and we shouldn't allow that to happen. "But we responded well, and Mossy got the goal at the end to finish the game. 'We targeted the Leinster final of course, it makes life a lot easier instead of going through the back door - and a Leinster final is one you want to win.' Reid scored his fifth championship goal this summer to bag his 14th provincial medal. Croke Park goals are always sweet - and his green flag ended a super team move when Keoghan fed him and Reid did the rest. But he knows team performances are what matter most as they head into the last four along with newly-crowned Munster champions Cork. TIME TO BLOSSOM He said: 'Croke Park is where you want to be blossoming and turned over a ball again, through hard work from Stevie Donnelly. 'I think it was John Donnelly; both of them combined and then Mossie broke onto it and I peed away from Daithí Burke. 'And again, look, it's all about team play and team work. and Mossie saw me inside and popped it to me. 'Every team tries to be efficient and to pick the player in the best position. and if you see it, give it - don't hesitate, if he's ten yards in a better position you always try to feed him. 'I'm around a while so it could be 14 but look, it's all about being present and winning the next one.'
The Irish Sun
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Kilkenny survive late Galway surge to claim sixth straight Leinster hurling title
THE MORNING after the night before is never as fun. Hurling hit Saturday night fever when 2 Kilkenny bagged their sixth Leinster title in a row after the win over Galway on Sunday 2 TJ Reid starred as Kilkenny held off a late fightback from Galway But The Cats romped to their sixth Bob O'Keeffe Cup in a row in a game that lacked intensity and quality at times, but Derek Lyng's men got the It looked all over when TJ Reid's goal and Paddy Deegan's quickfire point sent them 2-19 to 0-12 ahead with 57 minutes on the clock. But a spirited Galway revival reeled them in again - as a blistering final quarter from the Maroon made a game of it from nothing. read more on gaa Cathal Mannion - who scored 0-10 - caused havoc when he was moved to the edge of the square, and his quick free saw Brian Concannon hit the net. Tiernan Killeen's brilliant cameo yielded 0-2 and a team deft of ideas suddenly had plenty. They fired 1-6 without reply to get back within four - but Mossy Keoghan's lucky second goal at the death sealed it when stopper Darragh Walsh missed Luke Hogan's ball and the Tullaroan man stroked home. Stalwart Reid, 37, showed no signs of stopping with 1-4 to bag his 14th Leinster crown. Most read in GAA Hurling Adrian Mullen and Billy Ryan shone and fired 0-3 each as full-back Huw Lawlor starred all day long to make sure Galway's fightback was in vain. Their impressive rally just came too late, as they failed to score from the play for 25 minutes in the second half as RTE GAA pundits argue over who started halftime row as Cork eventually topple Limerick in Munster epic final But Micheál Donoghue's men were right in the game until Keoghan's first goal on the break. Paddy Deegan's runs up the left flank were causing problems, and his wonderful crossfield ball was fetched by TJ Reid. The stalwart eyeballed the bottom corner and Eanna Murphy wonderfully saved - but Keoghan pounced to lash in the rebound to open up a four-point cushion at the interval. It should have been more, but they racked up eight wides. It was a triple whammy for Galway, as stand-in stopper Murphy was injured by Keoghan in the process and was replaced by third-choice Walsh at the break. Key defender Fintan Burke was marking TJ - and also had to go off when he sustained an injury in the lead-up to the green flag. The Tribes started brilliantly, and exploded from the blocks when Johnny Murphy threw in the ball, and hassled and harried the Cats relentlessly. Skipper Conor Whelan reverted to the half-forward line once more and was tracked by Deegan as they went 0-3 to 0-1 ahead thanks to Kevin Cooney, Cathal Mannion and TJ Brennan. But Kilkenny soon found rhythm, as every long Galway ball was mopped up by the brilliant Lawlor and the Tribe's efficiency started to wander. Lyng's men fired 0-3 on the bounce thanks to some slick forward movement, as John Donnelly fed Keoghan to fire a beauty over the shoulder. John Donnelly fired over thanks to selfless work from TJ Reid and Jordan Molloy followed suit a minute later when Lawlor fetched another high ball and raced forward like a train. But Galway just about stayed afloat in the Kilkenny storm, as Mannion started coming into his own and fired over two rockets from play, the second of which he had no right to score before the killer blow. Deegan's ball was far from simple for Reid to gather, but he composed himself and eyed up his target, before Murphy saved it and Keoghan made no mistake from close range. With Darach Fahy suspended and Murphy injured, Walsh came out to mind the sticks after the restart but his outfield players totally lost their way. Workmanlike Kilkenny could sense it, and thrived on it without even hitting top gear. Aimless ball was gathered by Lawlor and Richie Reid and each failed Galway delivery seemed to result in a Cats score. Mikey Carey, TJ and Billy Ryan turned the screw as Cathal Mannion began to do it all himself for Galway, and planted over a free from his own 45'. But their lack of scoring threat outside their star forward was stark, as Kilkenny kept the board ticking over from all over the pitch. Cian Kenny sparked a flurry of 1-5 without reply that left Galway on life support. Keoghan and Stephen Donnelly turned the screw before Reid's fifth goal of the championship, when Keoghan selflessly played him in and the finish was never in doubt. But Donoghue's men produced a stunning revival out of nowhere, but they should have rallied earlier. The Cats nodded off this time, and the Maroon fired 1-6 without reply as their bench gave them a new lease of life. Killeen injected badly needed pace into their attack, Mannion moved closer to goal and Ronan Glennon started to settle the ship in the middle. Mannion got the ball rolling before Killeen's super double, and Mannion was the man again when he gambled and took a scorable free short. Brian Concannon had his thinking cap on too - and raced towards Hill 16 to fire past a furious Eoin Murphy. Mullen and Mannion swapped screamers to set up a grandstand finish - as the Ahascrahg-Fohenagh man somehow stayed on his feet under the Cusack Stand to fire over the bar with Deegan breathing down his throat. With four in it, and as many minutes to go, the Cats deservedly survived. Lawlor fetched another Whelan ball inside and Billy Ryan finished the move. Luke Hogan fired a similar effort inside at the other end, and Walsh was left red-faced for Keoghan to lash home and that was that, before the brilliant Mullen sealed it. The last four beckons once more, but it remains to be seen if Kilkenny can end their 10-year wait for the big one. GALWAY 1-20 KILKENNY 3-22 GALWAY: E Murphy; P Mannion, Daithí Burke, F Burke; C Fahy, G Lee, TJ Brennan 0-1; S Linnane 0-1, David Burke; J Fleming 0-1, C Mannion 0-10, 7f, T Monaghan 0-2; C Whelan, B Concannon 1-0, K Cooney 0-3. Subs: D Morrissey for F Burke 37mims; D Walsh for Murphy HT, R Glennon for David Burke 44, T Killeen 0-2 for Fleming 54, A Burns for Monaghan 67, KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; M Carey 0-2, R Reid, P Deegan 0-1; C Kenny 0-2, J Molloy 0-1; J Donnelly 0-1, A Mullen 0-4, B Ryan 0-3; S Donnelly 0-2, TJ Reid 1-4, 4f, M Keoghan 2-2. Subs: L Hogan for S Donnelly 59mins; D Blanchfield for Walsh 59, S Murphy for Butler 67, K Doyle for Molloy 71, H Shine for Ryan 73 REFEREE: J Murphy (Limerick)
RTÉ News
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Enigmatic Galway seek to prevent Kilkenny sextet
Kilkenny v Galway in the Leinster final. Think up something new to say about this one. Not easy. It's the ninth time that the pair have met in a provincial decider since Galway were welcomed into Leinster back in 2009. Or, to put it more precisely, since Mammy and Daddy on Central Council insisted that the other Leinster counties were going to have to let Galway play with them. Kilkenny, with their masterful self-confidence, were the only Leinster hurling county to signal their approval for Galway's entrance into the province. Although past comments from 'Taggy' Fogarty suggest that Brian Cody may not have been consulted on this. "Brian would be a traditionalist," 'Taggy' said on Newstalk a few years ago, before indicating that the notion of Galway winning the Bob O'Keeffe Cup sat about as well with Cody as the prospect of a new Casement Park sits with the publicans of Clones. This latest edition of the fixture isn't thrumming with as much back-story as when Henry Shefflin wore the Galway manager's shirt. The Leinster hurling championship became the unlikely home of soap-opera melodrama back in the summer of 2022. Cody's post-match handshake with his greatest ever player after the Salthill round-robin game had all the warmth of the Bull McCabe's initial interaction with the Yank at auction. The many super slo-mos could have been overlain with the Eastenders outro sequence. If this were the States, 'The Handshake' would be a blockbuster ESPN documentary. But Shefflin is gone from Galway now after three seasons in charge. Two of his campaigns consisted of respectable runs to the All-Ireland semi-final - in which they managed to soften the cough of the Munster supremacists in successive quarter-finals. His third and final season, however, was damningly abject. Galway's 2017 All-Ireland winning manager Micheál Donoghue has returned, as one always envisioned he would at some stage. The big regret for most of their supporters is that he was ever gone from the role. Kilkenny are leading 6-2 on the head-to-head on those Leinster finals. Galway's victories came in 2012, after that stunning first-half blitz which left people rubbing their eyes at the scoreline, and the 2018 replay in Thurles, when Taylor Swift and her fans were occupying Croke Park. A couple of those Kilkenny victories were pure larceny. The 2020 Covid final belongs up there with the 1990 All-Ireland final in the Tribesmen's 'how-the-hell-did-we-lose-that?' hall of fame. Richie Hogan's genius is one reason. Even more sickening for Galway was the 2023 decider when Padraic Mannion's booted clearance off the ground somehow managed to fly straight into Cillian Buckley's paw. The 2022 Leinster final, Cody's last as manager, was more stop-start than an NFL game and probably the dullest televised hurling match of the 21st century. These two have traditionally not brought a great following to provincial final day, none more so than in '12 when a tiny crowd from the west were there to witness their historic ambush. Only 24,483 were there for the last Leinster final between them in '23. A perusal of the Leinster final attendances over the past 15 years indicates the two biggest by a distance were in 2017 and 2019, which were also the only two in that span to involve Wexford. While the Munster Council are cranking up the price to capitalise on demand, the Leinster Council are in outreach mode, with 20,000 free tickets made available to Under-16s. Galway seem to have finally recovered their standing among their public after the insipid opening day display in Nowlan Park. No assessment was gloomy enough after that particular no-show. Remarkably, it was Galway's fourth 12-point defeat of the year, all three of their league losses coming by that margin. (So far in 2025, Galway have either won... or lost by 12 points). Worst of all, they were devoured by a Kilkenny side without TJ Reid and who lost Adrian Mullen to injury after 15 minutes. The fallout was ugly from that one. Galway hurling supporters, never averse to bouts of cosmic negativity, were consoling themselves that they might at least beat Antrim to stay in Leinster. Coming on top of last year, it was confirmation that Galway were in the depths of 'transition' with no quick fix on the horizon. The Offaly game in Tullamore - viewed with rare trepidation beforehand - panned out roughly like every other Offaly-Galway game has since 2012. An imperious Cathal Mannion floated over 0-17 as they beat Wexford to at least ensure progression from Leinster. The Antrim game was a turkey shoot which doesn't warrant much analysis. It was hard to find a pundit beforehand who was tipping Galway in Parnell Park. Partly this was due to their spotty and careless record in that fixture. Niall Ó Ceallachain's team appeared to hold far greater allure to the punditry class than a Galway side still harbouring many of the same old faces from the mid-to-late 2010s. In the end, the five-point margin over Dublin in the finish grossly understated their superiority. One echo of Donoghue's triumphant 2017 season is the dearth of a Galway goal-scoring threat. They scored just one goal in the three relevant fixtures, which arrived very late against Wexford with the result already more or less settled. In the second half in Parnell Park, a couple of serious goal opportunities went completely unexplored in favour of tap-over points. In the context of the game, it probably made sense. With the backing of a big wind, the shoot-on-sight policy was a wild success and the remorseless rat-a-tat of points was killing Dublin in the third quarter. Amid all the talk of transition, the Galway team has a time-stood-still aspect to it. Micheál Donoghue seemed to give every able-bodied twenty-something male in south Galway a run during the league. John Fleming is one newcomer to nail down a starting spot but the team has a familiar feel. The Mannions remain prominent. Five-time All-Star Daithí Burke - who "could play full-back without a hurl," as Cyril Farrell is wont to say - is still relied upon in defence. Conor Whelan, struggling for form earlier in the season, embraced his blue-collar side with a scoreless but workmanlike display against Wexford, in which he turned over ball repeatedly. The scoring touch returned in the second half in Donnycarney when he looked to be motoring again. The venerable David Burke, indisputably one of the county's all-time greats, was superb against the Dubs, a model of awareness and game-intelligence. The Cats' heavy win over Galway in Nowlan Park in April was in fact their first round-robin victory in the fixture in six attempts, a detail that might trigger a double-take given Derek Lyng's side are pursuing a sixth Leinster title on the trot. Hogan previously suggested that they were a tad lukewarm about the whole round-robin business. Perhaps given that Kilkenny, more than any other county, know they will be in the All-Ireland series, giving to the provincial league process the air of an extended preamble. This might explain why they have yet to muster a 100% record in the group stages, despite hogging Bob O'Keeffe for the past half-decade. In 2025, they probably would have done so had they not put out an experimental side in the dead rubber against Wexford. Typically, they've shaken off any round-robin listlessness in time for Leinster final day in Croke Park, last year's frightful demolition of Dublin being a prime example. The busy midfield duo of Jordan Molloy and Cian Kenny were especially effective against Galway, hitting 0-05 from play between them. Mossy Keoghan, Kilkenny's designated scorer from play for parts of the league, has hit a goal a game in his four appearances so far, with 1-02 each against Galway, Dublin and Antrim. Significantly, he took TJ Brennan for 0-07 from play in the Nowlan Park league game. Mullen, recovered from his injury in the opening round, started the Wexford game in the odd location of centre-back though that's been written off as consequence-free experimentation. However, the absence of the still-injured Eoin Cody is a major loss for the defending champions. We're up on a decade since Kilkenny last claimed Liam MacCarthy, their longest barren run since 1947-57. The irritation at tossing away last year's semi-final against Clare may still rankle, especially in light of Limerick's exit the following week. In the eyes of the traditionalists, backing against Kilkenny in a Leinster final would be deemed as attention-seeking nonsense. Logically, they look like the more secure shout. But would be entirely in keeping with the enigmatic beast that is Galway hurling for them to turn up and win having taken a pasting in the fixture two months earlier.
The Irish Sun
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Fintan Burke ready to spark Galway revival in Leinster SHC final showdown against Kilkenny
FINTAN BURKE knows Galway short-circuited last summer and the defender revealed that his side 'bottled that up' into winter fuel. This time last year, 2 Fintan Burke of Galway 2 Fintan Burke and Galway face Kilkenny in the Leinster final on Sunday afternoon To add insult to injury, Micheál Donoghue was in the alternate dugout that day. Shortly afterwards, That exit paved the way for the return of 2017 But the positive charge supporters had been hoping for was grounded in their Leinster opener, when an amped-up read more on gaa However, Burke and Co have transformed their fortunes since that April 19 defeat, surging into today's Leinster final rematch with the Cats on the back of four consecutive wins. Electrician Burke reckons the memories of last season can spark his side as they chase a first Bob O'Keeffe Cup since 2018. He told SunSport: 'After last year it's nice, it makes it that much sweeter to be back in it. "It was bitterly disappointing, the fact we didn't really show up and do ourselves justice in a number of matches, more so than the Dublin game. Most read in GAA Hurling 'I think lads kind of bottled it over the winter and used it as motivation. 'It didn't really need to be said. It was in everyone's head. Lads didn't want it to be brought up — they didn't want to be reminded of it — but they were thinking about it at the same time.' Having tasted All-Ireland minor glory — in the forwards — in 2015, Burke made his SHC debut in 2020. And the St Thomas' man never had to look too far for inspiration. His cousin David captained the Tribe to Liam MacCarthy Cup glory in 2017, with their debuts coming a decade apart. The pair claimed All-Ireland club honours together in 2024, but sharing inter-county silverware can become a reality if they do the business today. Now Fintan, 28, is one of Galway's older statesmen but David's presence as a conductor in the dressing room remains as key as ever. Fintan said: 'He would have been a massive influence. 'He's seven years older than me, he would have been on the county team a few years ahead of me and he would have always been good to me. 'When you go in training he'd be giving you words of advice. It's fairly easy to look past it, but it is very helpful to have someone like that leading the way. 'I suppose a lad of his age and experience is . . . you can't have enough of them. "Even when you go through stages of games where younger lads might panic or you might be under a bit of pressure or something, he's always there with a wise word or a set-play or something just to control the game or the next play. 'His hurling alone is more than enough to have him in there — not to mention his knowledge.' TITLE TILT Winning a fourth Leinster title for the county would be a huge achievement for this group given the influx of youth. Donoghue cannot call upon Joe Canning, Aidan Harte, Gearóid McInerney, Johnny Coen as he could when Galway won their last provincial crown in 2018. But stalwarts Daithí Burke, 32, and David Burke are still leading the charge. Fintan has never won Leinster honours but Pádraic Mannion, Cathal Mannion, Conor Cooney, Jason Flynn, Tom Monaghan, Jack Grealish and Conor Whelan also remain. However, after last season a reset was required and a player overload during the league yielded fresh energy in the form of John Fleming, Joshua Ryan, Anthony Burns and Rory Burke — who made their senior bows this season — along with Gavin Lee and TJ Brennan. Fintan Burke revealed: 'It's been good so far, lads are buying in, you see by the amount of lads Micheál brought in, there were 70-something lads in at the start — it's refreshing.' And the ace feels the current is flowing again with all the bright sparks. He said: 'I consider it almost successful the way it is now, when you look at the number of bodies we've used. 'We've used 40-something lads in the league and touching on 30 in the Championship, so it's a case of building for the future while trying to be successful. 'It is probably a hard question to put a solid answer on, but I'd be happy enough with the amount of young lads that are coming through and getting experience and building for the next few years. 'They are pushing hard and there's a serious competitive nature to every training session. 'We've definitely improved bit by bit, slowly but surely we've probably improved. "Whether it's enough to get over the line against Kilkenny is hard to tell, but we're going to need to improve another good bit to get there.'
