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Irish Times
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Malachy Clerkin: Forget burning tricolours and immigrant effigies, Croke Park is where our culture is this weekend
They're burning the tricolour in Tyrone . As the man quoted at the end of Seanín Graham's report from the Moygashel bonfire on Thursday night trumped, 'This is all part of our culture.' And though the week of The Twelfth comes and goes across the six counties every year, it feels as though there's something particularly ghoulish about it this time around. As ever, we are blissfully detached from it all down here. There's an extreme dissonance, a sense of two planets whipping past each other without noticing. In Dublin this weekend, it's All-Ireland semi-final time . The tribes are gathering, from Kerry and Meath and Donegal. And from Tyrone. Moygashel is a small village just outside Dungannon. Four miles to the north is Edendork, home of Niall Morgan, Conn Kilpatrick and Darren McCurry. Drive another five minutes and you're in Coalisland, where Pádraig Hampsey, Michael McKernan and Niall Devlin grew up. In all, 13 of Tyrone's match day 26 are from GAA clubs within a 15-mile radius of Moygashel. READ MORE 'There'll always be people who'll complain about the Moygashel bonfire ... but we love our village. This is all part of our culture.' — The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) Their bonfire this year has caught wider attention not because of the tricolour – that's de rigueur – but because of the 12 dark-faced mannequins in a makeshift dinghy on top. Burn the symbol of the taigs, burn the immigrants in effigy. 'This is all part of our culture.' And normally, you'd be inclined to leave them at it. Irish people in the north have, in the main, long since made their own accommodations with this carry-on. Ignore. Go about your week. Head away somewhere and do your own thing. [ Dean Rock: Tyrone need to try something unexpected to shock Kerry Opens in new window ] For a lot of Tyrone people, Croke Park is this weekend's somewhere. More of them will come than might otherwise have made the trip. Tyrone have been involved in plenty of games played for high stakes in high summer down the years. But an All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park on the 12th of July? Never happened before. Will it matter on the field? Probably not. Certainly, Kerry won't quail at the sight of a bigger crowd coming down from the north. But if Tyrone are going to pull off an upset, they're going to need all the stubbornness and persistence they can muster. Living cheek by jowl with people who delight in burning tricolours tends to foster such qualities in abundance. Tyrone's Michael McKernan celebrates after the game against Donegal. Photograph: John Vitty/Inpho More tangibly, Michael McKernan's return to the panel could be significant. Whether Tyrone selector Colm McCullagh was pulling the old switcheroo during the week when he said McKernan was very unlikely to make it will only become clear if and when he appears. But there's no question Tyrone could do with him. As it stands, the threats in the Kerry forward line probably outnumber the Tyrone bodies needed for matchups. Hampsey on David Clifford, possibly Peter Teague on Seánie O'Shea. A fully-fit McKernan might be a candidate for Paudie Clifford, as well as posing a threat going the other way. But the shoulder injury that had him walking off against Cavan in wincing pain was only a month ago . How ready can he be? [ Meet the Meath footballers who have taken the championship by storm Opens in new window ] Being roundly dismissed will, naturally enough, suit Tyrone. They can reasonably argue that they're arriving in the last four more battle-hardened than Kerry. They've played four Division One teams, Kerry have only played one. They've beaten Dublin in Croke Park and Donegal in Ballybofey . It's only four weeks since Kerry lost to Meath in Tullamore. We all presume that none of these things amount to a ball of wax once the ball is thrown in but the memory of last year's semi-finals is still there, nagging away. Jack O'Connor and Jim McGuinness came in afterwards and pondered aloud why their teams had been so flat down the stretch . Maybe the win over Armagh puts to rest any notion that Kerry are too lightly raced. Or maybe everyone is reading way too much into a 13-minute spell where everything went right. It was a stunning display of power and skill, the best of what the new game has to offer. But it was also the first time all year that Kerry had come with a wet sail. It's not a given that they'll repeat it. [ How Kerry dismantled Armagh in just 15 minutes of ruthless dominance Opens in new window ] Kerry nailed 11 out of 14 of Ethan Rafferty's kick-outs in that killer period – what happens if Morgan flips those numbers? What if Tyrone, flinty and grouchy and sick of being ignored, establish some midfield dominance and feed McCurry and Darragh Canavan inside? What if Peter Harte and Mattie Donnelly refuse to let this be their last game in Croke Park? There could be defiance in them yet. Donegal's Patrick Mc Brearty celebrates after scoring a point against Monaghan. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho The other game this weekend looks a more straightforward kind of deal. Donegal's summer has contained everything – Meath on Sunday will be their 10th game of the championship, with extra-time in the Ulster final thrown in for good measure . They've played four Division One teams and only lost to Tyrone. The one thing they will not worry about is being road-tested. Maybe the most ominous thing about Donegal's second half against Monaghan is that they didn't change very much to turn a seven-point deficit into a six-point win. They just did Plan A better, faster, more Donegal-ier. It was the same against Louth in the preliminary quarter-final. Combine the second halves of their last two games and they've outscored the opposition by 2-31 to 0-10. It's hard to see that roll stopping here. But then, it's precisely that kind of airy dismissal that has made Meath the story of the championship. They are the only unbeaten team in Sam Maguire competition, despite having been the underdogs in each of the four games they've played. They've played three Division One teams since April and beaten them all. And still nobody gives them a prayer. Maybe that says more about us than it does about them. Either way, they'll turn up and give Donegal their bellyful. On both days, we'll watch and wonder what's going to happen. We'll bake in the sun and we'll shield our eyes with match programmes. We'll give out to the ref and roar at the linesman and scream and yap and b***h and moan. We might shake hands when it's over and we might not. But we'll head back the road, ready for the next one. It's like the man said. This is all part of our culture.
Irish Examiner
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
All-Ireland quarter-final head-to-head: Dublin v Tyrone
HOW THEY GOT HERE Ty rone (W3 L2) Ulster SFC quarter-final: Tyrone 1-24 Cavan 0-20 Ulster SFC semi-final: Armagh 0-23 Tyrone 0-22 All-Ireland SFC group phase: Tyrone 2-17 Donegal 0-20, Mayo 2-17 Tyrone 1-13, Tyrone 0-31 Cavan 0-18 Dublin (W 4 L2) Leinster SFC quarter-final: Dublin 2-21 Wicklow 0-18 Leinster SFC semi-final: Meath 0-23 Dublin 1-16 All-Ireland SFC group phase: Dublin 1-18 Galway 2-14, Armagh 0-24 Dublin 0-19, Dublin 0-22 Derry 0-20 All-Ireland SFC prelim quarter-final: Dublin 1-19 Cork 1-16 LAST FIVE 2019 All-Ireland Super 8's: Dublin 1-16 Tyrone 0-13 2018 All-Ireland final: Dublin 2-17 Tyrone 1-14 2018 All-Ireland Super 8's: Dublin 1-14 Tyrone 0-14 2017 All-Ireland semi-final: Dublin 2-17 Tyrone 0-11 2011: All-Ireland quarter-final: Dublin 0-22 Tyrone 0-15 DID YOU KNOW *Tyrone defeated Dublin 2-19 to 1-16 in the Allianz NFL but was not enough to avoid relegation. * This is the first time that Dublin have reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals since 2010 not as Leinster champions. * Dublin did not reach the All-Ireland semi-finals last year for the first time since 2010. * Tyrone were last in the All-Ireland semi-finals in 2021 when they defeated Kerry and went on to win the title. MATCH PREVIEW To Con O'Callaghan, Dublin fans will turn their lonely eyes. Listed in the squad the captain will be expected to lead on the field from the outset. Just how effective he can be remains to be seen. Against Derry, he was efficient and discerning with his efforts because of his hamstring issue. He mightn't be allowed to be so à la carte here. If Dublin are as passive out of possession as they were against Cork, they are in trouble. Repeat that and the ingenuity and creative running of the Canavans and Darren McCurry will pole-fork their cover. In Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick, Malachy O'Rourke have a totemic pair who are bound to ask questions of Stephen Cluxton he hasn't been asked up to this point in the championship. If Michael McKernan was fit, they would have not just an exemplary long-range kicker but one of the best breaking ball winners. We don't understand the claims that Dublin's progress in this championship has an ominous look about it. They have lost twice and in other games just done about enough. They will need to be more than adequate here and relying on an O'Callaghan at 75% capacity is risky even if Tyrone have been just as inconsistent. Verdict: Tyrone.
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
O'Rourke pleased with 'efficient' Tyrone display
Tyrone boss Malachy O'Rourke praised his side's efficiency in their 0-31 to 0-18 win over Cavan which booked their place in the All-Ireland Red Hands bounced back well from defeat against Mayo last time out as they swept away Cavan at Brewster had 11 different scorers as Darren McCurry top scored with 0-9 while Darragh Canavan finished with 0-5 and O'Rourke was content with their attacking display."We are delighted, I thought we were efficient up front when we did get the chances, we took a lot of them and I think in the first half our shot to score ratio was maybe 80% which was really high, so very pleased with that," he told BBC Sport NI."I thought early on we were conceding a bit of space, and they could have been closer to us but as the game went on, we got a stranglehold round the middle we won a lot of breaking ball, and we used the ball really well going forward." McKernan an injury worry for Red Hands Tyrone finished top of Group Four with the win, beating Donegal on the head-to-head rule and it means they go straight through to the last gives them an extra week's rest over their opponent, who will play in the preliminary quarter-finals next weekend.O'Rourke hopes they can use the additional week's rest to their advantage, although he admitted they may be without forward Michael McKernan for their next game after he went off holding his left arm just two minutes into the Cavan game."We were disappointed with the Mayo defeat, so we wanted to make sure we had a better performance today to give us our best chance of topping the group and getting through to the quarter-final so delighted with that and it's a case of recovering and focusing on what's ahead," he added."There's no doubt after high intensity games like these boys will be sore, so it gives you a bit of time to recover."Unfortunately, Micheal McKernan picked up a bad injury, he's away to hospital we don't know exactly what it is but we're hoping it is not as serious as it might be, and he'll have a chance to be there in two weeks' time."
Irish Examiner
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tyrone rout Cavan to clinch quarter-final spot
All Ireland SFC group 1: Tyrone 0-31 Cavan 0-18 Tyrone routed Cavan at Brewster Park to clinch top spot in group 1 and go straight through to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals. It's 42 years since the Breffni Blues have got the better of the Red Hands in championship football, and there was never any suggestion that sequence of results was about to change in Enniskillen. Malachy O'Rourke's side claimed control of the middle third in the second half to pound their opponents, with Darren McCurry helping himself to a 0-9 haul. And they got former All-Star Conor Meyler back on the field as he ended an injury nightmare with a first appearance since the All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Kerry in 2023, but an injury to Michael McKernan could cause some concern as they look to push on with their bid for Sam. Now they have a two-week break ahead of their return to Croke Park for the first time since 2023, avoiding the need to play three weekends in a row to keep their challenge going. Peter Harte came in as a replacement for the injured McKernan after just three minutes to play an influential role in his side's positive first half display as they quickly built up a substantial lead. Another veteran, Mattie Donnelly, cut through holes in the Breffni rearguard to pick off a handful of scores and create scoring chances as the Red Hands established control of the contest. They were seven points clear by the end of the opening quarter, and gaining control of their own kick-out after losing a couple of early restarts, establishing a strong platform in the middle third. An emotional Conor Meyler of Tyrone meets his mother Paula. The game marked his return from two years of injury hell. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile Darragh Canavan also landed a delightful score, with goalkeeper Niall Morgan and Harte both raising orange flags. Cavan put an effective press on Morgan's kick-outs, with Cormac O'Reilly hitting the target twice. But the Red Hands reeled off 0-7 without reply to lead by 0-9 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter. Dara McVeety's industry helped the Breffni men recover to narrow the gap through O'Reilly and Paddy Lynch, who kicked 0-4, including a two-point free. And they almost had a goal when McVeety intercepted a Morgan restart to fire in a shot but the goalkeeper redeeming himself with a fine save. The Red Hands finished the half with another run of scores, Cavan, Darren McCurry, Donnelly and Kieran McGeary all on target for a 0-17 to 0-8 interval lead. Lynch closed the gap with a two-point free, but the Red Hands pressed aggressively on Cavan's kick-outs, with Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick and Kieran McGeary winning the battle for possession to keep their side going forward. Another run of six unanswered points saw the gap stretch out to 13 by the 49th minute, and Raymond Galligan's men needed something special to kick-start their challenge. McCurry swung over a couple of gems, with Ciaran Daly and McGeary also nailing points, with a Sean McEvoy point the only Cavan reply during a difficult 17-minute spell. But they threw caution to the wind moving into the final quarter, substitute Ryan O'Neill claiming a two-pointer, with Lynch and Ruairi Curran also raising flags. The introduction of former All-Star Conor Meyler following a two-year injury hell raised the biggest cheer of the day from Tyrone fans, and the procession towards the Cavan goal continued, with McCurry unerring from placed balls as he brought his tally to 0-9 for the day. U20 Footballer of the Year Eoin McElholm also came off the bench to become the eleventh Tyrone scorer, with Canavan bringing his total to five, and news of Donegal's win over Mayo confirmed Tyrone's top of the table round robin finish. Scorers for Tyrone: D McCurry 0-9 (3f, 1tpf), D Canavan 0-5 (1f), M Donnelly 0-4, R Brennan 0-3 (1tp), K McGeary, P Harte (1tp), N Morgan (1tpf) (1tp) 0-2 each, C Daly, N Devlin, S O'Donnell, E McElholm 0-1 each. Scorers for Cavan: P Lynch 0-9 (3f, 2tpf, 1 '45), C O'Reilly 0-4, R O'Neill 0-2 (tp), O Brady, S McEvoy, R Curran 0-1 each. TYRONE: N Morgan; C Quinn, P Hampsey, N Devlin; M McKernan, R Brennan, P Teague; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O'Donnell, K McGeary, C Daly, D McCurry, M Donnelly, D Canavan. Subs: P Harte for McKernan (3), A Clarke for Devlin (29), E McElholm for Donnelly (47), C Meyler for McGeary (54), B McDonnell for Kilpatrick (66) CAVAN: L Brady; N Carolan, K Brady, C Reilly; B O'Connell, C Madden, P Faulkner; O Kiernan, E Crowe; G Smith, D McVeety, C Brady; C O'Reilly, P Lynch, C Madden. Subs; S McEvoy for K Brady (31), R O'Neill for Smith (49), R Curran for Kiernan (53), K Clarke for C Brady (60), L Fortune for Reilly (65) Referee: P Neilan (Roscommon).
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tyrone into All-Ireland quarters with big Cavan win
Tyrone cruised into the last-eight of the All-Ireland series by beating Cavan by 0-31 to 0-18 to top Group Four at Brewster Park. The Red Hands were rampant in attack and gave a resounding reaction to their defeat by Mayo at Healy Park a fortnight ago with 11 different McCurry top scored with 0-9 while Darragh Canavan finished with 0-5. Tyrone finish top of the group beating Donegal on the head to head rule after the Tir Chonaill beat Mayo in Roscommon, and it means they go straight through to the O'Rourke's side led 0-18 to 0-7 at the break and hit seven unanswered points in a row including two, two pointers, first from Niall Morgan from a free before Peter Harte raised an orange flag to establish a seven point lead. Rory Brennan and Paddy Lynch who finished with nine points of his own traded two pointers but it was the speed and flair of the Red Hand attack that really was the story of the half despite seeming to struggle early on with their own kick-out as Cavan brought a physicality that was lacking in their Ulster defeat to the same opposition in April. The one blemish on the Tyrone first-half was losing Michael McKernan to injury after just two minutes with the Coalisland attacker exiting the field holding his left arm. Raymond Galligan's side needed a spark in the second half and got it through another Lynch two pointer. McCurry and Cormac O'Reilly traded scores before Tyrone hit six unanswered scores to lead 0-24 to 0-12 with twenty left to play. Arguably the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for Conor Meyler, who returned to be play for Tyrone for the first time in almost two years after a horrific run with injury. His last appearance came against Kerry at Croke Park in the last-eight of the All-Ireland in 2023. The Red Hands finished with a flourish as McCurry landed another two pointer while Under 20 footballer of the year Eoin McElholm came off the bench to put the icing on the cake and seal a thirteen point win for his county. Tyrone: Niall Morgan (0-2 2ptf); Cormac Quinn, Padraig Hampsey, Niall Devlin (0-1); Michael McKernan, Rory Brennan (0-3 1 2pt), Kieran McGeary (0-2); Brian Kennedy, Peter Teague; Seanie O'Donnell (0-1), Conn Kilpatrick, Ciaran Daly (0-1); Darren McCurry (0-9 3f, 1 2ptf), Mattie Donnelly (0-4), Darragh Canavan (0-5 1f).Subs: Peter Harte (0-2) for M McKernan (3), Aidan Clarke for N Devlin (30), Eoin McElholm (0-1) for M Donnelly (47), Ben McDonnell for C Kilpatrick (67)Cavan: Liam Brady; Niall Carolan, Killian Brady, Cian Reilly; Brian O'Connell, Ciaran Brady, Padraig Faulkner; Oisin Kiernan, Evan Crowe; Gerard Smith, Dara McVeety, Oisin Brady (0-1); Cormac O'Reilly (0-4), Paddy Lynch (0-9 1 45 3f 2 2ptf), Cian Sean McEvoy (0-1) for K Brady (32), Ryan O'Neill (0-2 1 2pt) for O Brady (50), Ruairi Curran (0-1) for O Kiernan (54), Killian Clarke for C Brady (61), Luke Fortune for C Reilly (66)Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
