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Irish Independent
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Joe Brolly, Pat Spillane, John Mullane & Eddie Brennan
All-Ireland final memories were the main topic of discussion but there was also time to chat about RTÉ's golden era, Brian Cody's ruthlessness and why Joe Brolly blew kisses to the crowd. Strong language ahead – swearing included (You've been warned!). Our GAA Podcast coverage is with thanks to AIB. If you'd like to come along to the next edition of Indo Sport LIVE, head over to Ticketmaster for information on how you can join us at Vicar Street on August 6. Listen on… Spotify Apple
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Kilkenny must evolve to keep pace with competitors if they're to end Liam MacCarthy drought
It will be a long winter of introspection for Kilkenny hurling, mulling over the county's longest wait. Kilkenny are now officially going through their most protracted Liam MacCarthy Cup drought since they first won an All-Ireland senior hurling title in 1904. They had decade-long gaps without major silverware between 1922-32 and 1947-57, but Sunday's defeat to Tipperary ensures Kilkenny's current barren period will continue until at least 2026. They were last crowned All-Ireland champions in 2015. In the 10 years before that the Cats owned hurling, winning eight All-Ireland titles between 2006 and 2015. A shot of Brian Cody briefly flashed up on the screen during Sunday's semi-final. Cody, the most successful manager in the history of the game, stepped down as Kilkenny boss three years ago. READ MORE Several of his former players were dotted around Croke Park on Sunday – Henry Shefflin was in the press box on duty for RTÉ, Aidan 'Taggy' Fogarty was working for KCLR, David Herity was on the sideline as part of Liam Cahill's management team. Derek Lyng, who had been one of Cody's most trusted lieutenants both as a player and later as a selector, was also on the sideline, trying to manage the Cats to a second All-Ireland final appearance on his watch. At one stage that looked on the cards, until Tipp decided otherwise. When Tipperary were reduced to 14 men and Kilkenny flicked over a couple of points to lead by two with seven minutes remaining, you would have forgiven the PA spin-master if they decided to prepare The Rose of Mooncoin for an airing. Kilkenny, you see, don't lose from there. Or didn't used to. But they do now. Some of Kilkenny's defending on Sunday was careless, bordering on sloppy. They conceded 3-11 in the first half, all from play, and coughed up possession needlessly at times, including a turnover which led to Oisín O'Donoghue's goal. Oisín O'Donoghue scores Tipperary's fourth goal. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho How O'Donoghue was able to get his shot away from within a tangle of Kilkenny defenders is a mystery. Lyng had tried to plug the defensive holes by moving Paddy Deegan into the full-back line during the first half, and at the interval he hauled ashore Shane Murphy to introduce David Blanchfield. But Blanchfield would be one of just three subs used by Kilkenny. The other two – Stephen Donnelly (66 minutes) and Killian Doyle (70) were brought on in the closing stages. With everything on the line, it suggests Lyng didn't quite trust the depth of his squad much beyond those already on the field. Still, for Kilkenny to only manage four points from the moment of Darragh McCarthy's sending off until the final whistle is a stat that will haunt the Cats over the winter. There is no dressing it up – this was a bad defeat for Kilkenny. While there's a sense that Tipperary are coming, nobody seems quite sure where Kilkenny are going. That might sound odd given Kilkenny are six in-a-row Leinster champions. They also won the provincial title at minor and under-20 level this year. So they're still very much the princes of Leinster, but beyond that these are lean times for a county celebrated until recently as the kings of hurling. Their last All-Ireland senior triumph was in 2015. Their last All-Ireland minor triumph was in 2014. Their last All-Ireland under-20/21 triumph was in 2022, before that it was 2008. Of the 18 players who featured in the under-20 decider against Limerick three years ago, none started for the seniors against Tipperary on Sunday. Just one (Doyle) came off the bench. As of now, they haven't kicked on. In this year's final Kilkenny's under-20s were beaten 3-19 to 1-16 by Tipperary at Nowlan Park and the manner of that loss generated plenty of criticism around the county. There does not appear to be a conveyor belt of talent about to whizz off the production line in Kilkenny to bolster the senior team. Kilkenny's TJ Reid with his daughter Harper after Sunday's game. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho So, what happens when they lose the leadership and brilliance of players like TJ Reid and Eoin Murphy? Cork, bolstered by three All-Ireland under-20/21 titles over the last five years, have been threatening a senior breakthrough for several seasons. The Rebels might well realise that ambition in a fortnight. Chances are they'll be around for a while. Limerick have way too much talent to disappear, while Tipp now seem to have rediscovered their mojo. In Leinster, there are promising signs of progress emerging in Dublin and Offaly, and Kilkenny's status as best in the province is likely to be properly stress-tested over the coming seasons. The recriminations for Sunday's championship exit will continue for many weeks in Kilkenny, albeit among most hurling folk in the county there is a belief Lyng has done a decent job with the squad at his disposal. Of Kilkenny's 2015 Liam MacCarthy winning team, Reid and Murphy are the only survivors who played in the All-Ireland final against Galway a decade ago. Richie Reid was an unused sub goalkeeper. It seems probable now that in the near future a Kilkenny team will take to the field without a single remaining All-Ireland senior hurling winner.
Irish Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Evolving Tipperary can upset experienced Kilkenny
All-Ireland SHC semi-final: Kilkenny v Tipperary, Croke Park, Sunday, 4pm – Live on RTÉ 2 One of the GAA 's principal rivalries – if not its most bitter – has been reimagined for the 2020s. The counties have not met in championship since 2019 having been all but perennial antagonists for the previous decade, so the friction levels are turned down a bit. Not that you would have known it in the Nowlan Park league encounter in March when four red cards were brandished in the space of a few minutes. On that occasion, Tipp were easy winners, as befitted a team with a two-man advantage. This weekend it comes down to a choice between the experience of Kilkenny and the youthful reinvigoration of their opponents. The Leinster champions are fresh from their sixth straight title after a low-stress provincial canter but this has been the way the county has generally presented in recent years – their place in the final rarely threatened and, apart from the last-gasp win over Galway two years ago, the actual deciders not especially taxing either. READ MORE It has still been enough for more than competitive displays in All-Ireland semi-finals, two wins over Clare and last year's failure to finish off the same opponents. In 2022, Brian Cody's last year as manager, he gave an insight into how Kilkenny had approached the semi-final with Clare. Kilkenny's Martin Keoghan and Mikey Butler. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho 'Up to the Leinster final we were playing more or less every week, which gives limited time – no time, really – for training.' It is easy to see why Limerick prized the direct access to the last four and the month free of distractions for training and coaching purposes. Derek Lyng's preparations have shown few signs of deviation from this approach. In what is his third year, he is able to bring a full-bore selection to this weekend. There are some rumblings of disquiet over Martin Keoghan's hamstring but he is named to start. He would be a stark loss, as even if he hasn't quite maintained his spectacular league form, his uninhibited ability to take on defenders is a major item in the team's weaponry. Eoin Cody is back in the team as well after a long absence but presumably he has got back up to speed in recent weeks. Kilkenny retain just two players form the last team to win an All-Ireland, Eoin Murphy and the eternal TJ Reid. The latter's dead ball striking remains a primary source for the Leinster champions but in play he is also still a handful even if his trademark ball-winning ability is less of a threat to Tipperary's defence than the speed of an attack such as Cork's. TJ Reid scoring for Kilkenny, which is what he tends to do. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Lyng has named the same forwards as started against Clare last year, a testament to their consistency but also evidence of a standing concern in the county – that panellists aren't exerting enough pressure on first-team players. His counterpart, Liam Cahill, is in the happy position of having hit his obvious targets for the year, progress in both league and championship while incorporating younger talent from the under-21/20 generation that he himself cultivated. The backs have stalwart pillars in Ronan Maher and Michael Breen and for all their new generation dynamic, half of the 2019 All-Ireland winners are still involved either starting or on the bench. Jake Morris and Andrew Ormond have been exceptional up front, with experienced backup in the reborn John McGrath and Jason Forde. If centrefield looks less settled, it's not Kilkenny's strongest sector either. The lack of reference points makes this a hard call. There is every reason to trust Kilkenny's remarkably consistent delivery at this level more than the Tipperary rebuild and to be wary of one of those blazing phases when they go to town on a team. But Tipp have had the lessons of two incinerations in Pairc Uí Chaoimh when they chased a lost cause regardless. In the league final they actually outscored Cork in the second half, and with 14 men in Munster they still managed to create goal chances. Kilkenny won't present them with the tracts of space they got from Galway but in a coin-toss decision, maybe their hard-won momentum can carry them a little farther. Verdict: Tipperary
RTÉ News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Feeling Blue: A Corkman in exile looks forward to the All-Ireland semi-final as the Dublin hurling melting pot comes to the boil
There was a large smattering of red jerseys in the crowd for the Dublin-Limerick hurling quarter-final two weeks ago. Sure, the Rebel big-ballers were playing later that evening. But given their well-documented difficulties in filling the hall, it's unlikely that so many would have made the long journey early for what was presumed would be a one-sided affair. For those that were there, you'd be forgiven for guessing they were just taking another look at Limerick – the script said they'd be seeing them again this summer. As the game progressed, the Cork crowd were clearly roaring on the Dubs – a fact that didn't go without negative comment from those in green. But it was, I suppose, firstly a mark of respect. Clearly, Cork people were aware that beating Limerick for a fourth time in two years (when it really mattered) would be a tall order. Anyone that helped them avoid that would be encouraged. And there was the simple motive of cheering for the underdog – particularly a plucky, one-dog-short underdog. But there's another reason for the red support for Dublin that day and it's something unique about hurling in the capital. An unscientific poll of the red jerseys revealed many exiles involved in club hurling in the city for decades. They were there from Ballinteer St Johns and Castleknock and Crokes. They were there from Olafs and Boden, from Lucan and Judes. Men and women, no different from thousands of others from other hurling counties, who for generations have brought their own childhood sport and then their own children, to Dublin clubs, helping nourish what has always been the second game in the city. It's a unique - unwelcome - distinction for those trying to grow the game. Every other county that considers itself a genuine contender has, at least, large areas where hurling is top dog. In most, hurling is unquestionably number one. Once, at a Dublin hurling function, Brian Cody, in his pomp, was asked to analyse the state of both Dublin hurling and Kilkenny football. Cody spoke at length about hurling in the capital, its strengths and weaknesses at both inter-county and club level. His answer revealed a deep knowledge. He referenced demographic changes and how they might affect the Dublin clubs into the future. It was an impressive analysis. Kilkenny football, he said… "was just fine." Not being top dog is not to say that Dublin hurling doesn't have its own proud tradition. There are parts of the inner city where inward migration mightn't be a big factor. Hurling has survived, even sometimes thrived in clubs like Kevins in the Liberties and Dolphin's Barn. There are other clubs like Kevins - Commercials and Faughs - where hurling (and camogie) are also the main, or only, tradition. But no one can argue that the big ball isn't the bigger sport in the capital. Without the blow-ins it would be even more so. This current crop of young men who hurl for Dublin have the usual mix of eclectic backgrounds you'd get in any capital city. There's the exotic – the Currie brothers' father is from New Zealand, Paddy Dunleavy's grandfather from the Blaskets. To coin a phrase used for another island chain, "neither a hurling stronghold". But there's real GAA pedigree on the Cork side of that family, and there are others as well. Donal Burke traces back to Offaly and Cork. The Hayes' brothers grandfather hurled for Mount Sion. Throughout the team there are roots – some distant – from Galway, and even Kerry hurling country, uprooted, but replanted and flourishing all over Dublin. But the magnetic pull of success has always been strong for young dual players in the city. Eoghan O'Donnell's decision to go with the footballers this year robbed the hurlers of one of their best. He joined his own clubmate Lee Gannon – who also hurled for Dublin underage. It's a well-worn path – particularly through the glory years for Dublin football. O'Callaghan, Kilkenny, Costello to name a few, back to Ryan and Keaney in their prime before All-Ireland football medals were an almost inevitable consequence of wearing blue. Through the good years for the footballers, you'd be forgiven for wondering if they'd have given the hurlers a run for their money at their own game as well. This is the first year since forever that the Dublin hurlers have been in the championship after the footballers are gone. Until now, even when hurling in the capital threatened real success, football has always been there to overshadow them. The last Dublin hurling team to get this far – in 2013 – had been building for a few years. A league title in 2011 was a real achievement. That was the year football fever swept the city to a first All-Ireland in 16 years. The hurlers contested four Leinster finals in six years. The footballers won something like 19 out of 20. Was anyone even counting anymore? When the hurlers finally won Leinster in 2013 and made it to a semi-final, the footballers outdid them again and laid the foundation for a decade of national dominance. So what happens now? No one is writing Dublin football off but clearly the Gavin years of dominance are over. What if the Dublin hurlers could make it to an All-Ireland final? What if they could win one with the footballers off the pitch? Would it be enough to lessen the slope on the Dublin playing fields? Might the hurlers play with wind and hill for once? Might more of the young club players on Mobhi Road, the Firhouse Road and the 12th Lock vote with their 'hurls'? Might they even learn the right name for them? The foundations are there. In the past ten years, Dublin teams have won the same number of club All-Irelands in both codes. No other county has won more club hurling titles in that time. Could just one visit from Liam MacCarthy be a tipping point? Enough that even some of the next generation with the option would go small rather than large? Meanwhile, Cork hurling has its own demons. Twenty years without an All-Ireland means Cork can't afford any complacency or superiority. The county's standing as one of the 'big three' is on life-support. Cork hurling cannot afford another winter renewing their dreams of past glory. Four losses from four appearances in finals mean they can't take anything for granted. No one who loves Cork hurling – no matter how invested in the Dublin scene – can afford to be generous or sentimental towards this weekend's opponent. But if Dublin do the unthinkable – again – and make it to the final, there'll be a cohort of Cork people watching in three weeks' time, in Phibsboro and Rathfarnham, from Dalkey to Portmarnock, who'll have to put the disappointment of another year of waiting behind them. They'll be cheering for Dublin in their own right, but it'll help a lot that it's Tipp or Kilkenny they'll be playing.
Irish Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kilkenny v Tipp TV info, throw-in time, date and more for All-Ireland semi-final
Kilkenny meet Tipperary in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals this weekend. The winner will face either Dublin or Cork in the All-Ireland final in a fortnight's time. Kilkenny take to the pitch after a three-week break following their Leinster final victory, winning by eight points in Croker last month. Brian Cody returns for the Cats in what is a major boost to the Leinster winners. Tipp have been in something of a rebuild so far this year, and to reach a semi-final despite this - doing so convincingly with a big win against Galway - augurs well for the 29-time All-Ireland champions. The sides have met in the league this year, with the Premier county taking a nine-point win away from home in March. Here's what you need to know: The match takes place in Croke Park in Drumcondra, on Sunday July 6. The action is scheduled to get under way at 4pm. The match is being shown live on RTÉ 2 and BBC One NI. Kilkenny: Evens Draw: 7/1 Tipperary: 11/10
