Latest news with #DonalÓgCusack
RTÉ News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Tipping back to big time after spell in wilderness
Only a year after their demoralised manager officially declared them to be in midst of a 'rebuild job', Tipperary are back on the big stage, far sooner than anyone imagined. Last summer, the talk was of how they had displaced Waterford as the sick man of the Munster hurling championship. Perennially aggrieved Leinster hurling folk were demanding to know why they weren't forced to partake in a relegation play-off with Carlow. Liam Cahill's first campaign had tailed off badly and the second was adjudged to be a full disaster. Even in real time, their annihilation at home to Cork last May felt like one of those landmark beatings that would be etched in the memory for a long time. Worse again, the supporters had more or less abandoned the team. "You'd have to wonder - is the fight gone out of Tipp?" Donal Óg Cusack said on that evening's Sunday Game. "Even their supporters. Where were all their supporters today? Tipp's a hurling county. Cork outnumbered them, it looked like 10 to 1." Things had gotten so bad that when Pat Horgan had a perfectly good goal - Cork's fifth - mysteriously disallowed late in the game, the instinctive suspicion of many watching at home was that it was done out of sympathy (Cusack bluntly labelled it a "sympathy vote"). And yet, a year later, here they are, the only team standing in the way of Horgan and Cork's long-awaited All-Ireland title. Tipp have had lulls before, most infamously the nine championship campaigns without a win from 1974 to 1982. They mustered just one Munster title between 1994 and 2007, albeit that came accompanied with an All-Ireland title during Nicky English's stint in charge in 2001. They previously became the first team to reach an All-Ireland final via the backdoor in 1997 but lost to Clare. The early 2020s weren't as drawn out as the 70s slump but there were plenty of bitter days, with just two Munster championship wins in five years. This included those two winless round robin campaigns in 2022 and 2024. It was a lean time, not least for the many Tipp-owned and managed hostelries in the capital. During the first half of the 2020s, the only place you could watch Tipperary play in Croke Park was in Ryan's on Camden Street where they've been showing the 2010, 2016 and 2019 All-Ireland finals on a more or less constant loop for some years now. Ireland could be playing in a World Cup semi-final and the game could have gone to penalties but in Ryan's, you'd still be watching Lar whip in his hat-trick goal or Bubbles declaring that "we're the champions of f****n' Ireland!" GAA HQ no longer resounded to a staccato drumbeat of 'TIPP! TIPP! TIPP!', a familiar soundtrack for the previous decade and a bit. Tipperary had been a mainstay at the latter stages of the All-Ireland for most of the 2010s. After Babs Keating's turbulent and ill-fated second stint in charge ended in 2007, Liam Sheedy stepped into the senior job, with Eamon O'Shea arriving in as coach. It was a propitious time, with an infusion of talent coming from the underage ranks. In retrospect, Tipp's All-Ireland winning minor team of 2006, who halted Joe Canning's bid for a three-in-a row at the grade, has to be considered one of the most successful minor teams of all time. It provided no fewer than eight players who would go on to win senior All-Irelands, including Padraic Maher, Brendan Maher, Seamus Callanan and Noel McGrath. They featured in six All-Ireland finals in 11 years, winning three and losing three. The trio of finals between 2009 and 2011 was the bluebloods' nirvana, a time when the traditionalists still ruled the roost and the term 'sweeper' put people in mind of Franz Beckenbauer rather than Tadhg de Burca. In 2009, they fell just short against a Kilkenny side operating at close to their peak, the 'Did ya think it was a penalty yourself, Marty' final. The following year, Corbett rifled home his famous hat-trick in the teeming rain as they halted the five-in-a-row, claiming a first All-Ireland in nine years. Then Kilkenny got their own back in 2011, aka the John Mulhall final. After a two-year hiatus, the drawn 2014 decider provided us with what most neutrals regarded as the greatest final of all. Brian Cody, unsurprisingly, was far more enamoured of the comparatively dour replay when his defenders succeeded in putting manners on the stylish Tipp forward line. At the All-Stars night that year, Bubbles Dwyer was still inclined to call into question the infallibility of Hawkeye and he had his reasons. This take would age better than people thought at the time. As Kilkenny's imperial phase finally drew to a close, Tipperary beat them comfortably in All-Ireland deciders in '16 and '19, Callanan delivering one of the great final displays in the former. As usual in those years, Tipp were rarely content to win a game by three or four points when the chance was there to stretch the margin out towards double digits. Tipp's bitter rivals, a grouping which incorporates almost every other serious hurling county, taunted them about their 'one-in-a-rows' and failure to defend an All-Ireland title since 1965. Only being able to win periodic 'one-in-a-rows' is an exceptionally first-world hurling problem, though their erstwhile privileged compadres in the 'Big Three' don't tend to let them forget it. But the recession, when it finally came, hit hard. Ger Loughnane prematurely called time on the 2010s generation during their unsuccessful 2018 Munster round-robin campaign. Though like many a doom-mongering economist before him, he was right eventually. In his second spell in charge, Sheedy delivered an All-Ireland title but was accused by some critics of postponing a necessary transitional period too long. After successive quarter-final losses to Galway and Waterford in the Covid years, Sheedy departed and the lean times had really begun. What changed this year? There seems to be no magic formula anyway, no sudden discovery. The players from Cahill's back-to-back U21 winning teams in 2018 and 2019 have come of age, the likes of Robert Doyle, Bryan O'Mara, Andrew Ormond, Eoghan Connolly and Conor Stakelum. Jake Morris had already had done so. Added to that, they've had an infusion from the present Under-20 side, with Darragh McCarthy the most celebrated graduate but Sam O'Farrell and Oisín O'Donoghue nailing down their place in the team/squad. Cahill is a subscriber to the Cody philosophy of management, at all times stressing the importance of "honesty", "fight" and "workrate". He evidently has also adopted the Cody tactic of only firing back at critics from a position of strength. In the same way that the Kikenny manager used to wait until after the All-Ireland final was won to get stuff off his chest, Cahill had largely held his tongue regarding his critics until Tipperary's recovery was officially complete. Speaking since the semi-final win over Kilkenny, Cahill spoke of the "hurt" he felt at the criticism that was levied during his first two seasons in charge. "The ones that Cahill flogs his teams, his excruciating training sessions. I felt it was disingenuous," The Tipp manager said, when asked to expand. "Liam Cahill doesn't make it up as he goes along." That narrative had gained traction largely due to the recent trend of Cahill's teams over-performing in the league relative to the championship, which also explained why few were initially persuaded by their appearance in the league final. During the last two summers, the tendency was for pundits to stress his disappointing last championship campaign with Waterford, rather than the first two seasons, in which he led them to an All-Ireland final and then a semi-final. Early in this year's league, Cahill drew a pointed distinction between the "knowledgeable" Tipp fans who understood it was a transitional phase and the "less knowledgeable" ones for whom that message wouldn't resonate. At least now, the less knowledgeable Tipperary crowd must like what they're seeing. They go into Sunday as clear underdogs though given where they started, the season will be counted as a success anyway. And Cahill has delighted in proving people wrong. "The reality of it is at the time I came in in 2023 most people in Tipperary knew that there was a big change coming. We had a number of really top-class players for the last decade who were just coming towards the end of their inter-county careers. "Unfortunately, when you're in a county as demanding as Tipperary not everybody sees that and understands that, and expectedly so. "In fairness to the county board as well they stood by me... They had patience, look, we find ourselves where we are, thank God."
Extra.ie
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Donal Óg questions hurling rule after controversial Dublin-Limerick incident
Donal Óg Cusack has questioned a controversial decision made during the Limerick and Dublin All Ireland quarter-final as he stated an offence from Dublin 'should have been a black card.' The Treaty City were the heavy favourites entering the game on Saturday evening at Croke Park, with many thinking a red card for Dublin captain Chris Crummey within the first 15 minutes was the game done and dusted. However, Limerick were unable to use the extra player to their advantage with two second-half goals within seconds of each other resulting in the Dubs pulling off a shock win. Donal Óg Cusack has questioned a controversial decision made during the Limerick and Dublin All Ireland quarter-final as he stated an offence from Dublin 'should have been a black card.' Pic: RTÉ Sport/ X Former Cork hurler Donal Óg was on commentating duties with RTÉ and, although he admitted the Dubs deserved their win, he was aggrieved by one decision that went in the capital's favour. The final minutes of the game saw Limerick centre-forward Cathal O'Neill breaking Dublin's line of defence only to be taken down. While the offence appeared to be a blatant black card offence, which would have seen a Dublin player sent off for ten minutes and a penalty to Limerick, a free was instead awarded. Limerick were unable to use the extra player to their advantage with two second-half goals within seconds of each other resulting in the Dubs pulling off a shock win against Limerick. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie 'What's the black card about?' Donal Óg questioned following the game, 'Why was it brought in? 'We talked a lot about the tackles before the game, there was no question here. Cathal O'Neill just loses his man. Dublin get drawn in. One of the mistakes that Burke made during the day, he wasn't conscious of what was behind him, Lynch doing what Lynch does so well and picks him. 'Then Dublin are scrambling to make the cover. No question, it should have been a black card.' 'It's the second time we have said it, why was the rule brought in at all then? Donal Óg reiterated his confusion as to why the rule was brought in if it isn't being used. Pic: RTÉ Sport/ X After 70 minutes of play, along with injury time, Dublin advanced into the semi-finals with a victory of 2-24 to 0-28. The boys in blue will now face Cork on Saturday, July 5 with the other semi-final between Kilkenny and Tipperary on Sunday, July 6. Both semi-finals will take place at Croke Park with teams vying for a spot in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final scheduled for Sunday, July 20.
Irish Times
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Dublin win over Limerick may be the greatest upset in championship history
Predictably, X was aflame from Saturday evening on, with hurling fans from Leinster revelling in a side from their province beating one from Munster – and hurling fans from Munster (outside Limerick ) not shy about rubbing it in either. Kilkenny's four-time All-Ireland winner Paul Murphy probably said it best when he tweeted: 'That is one of the greatest victories I've ever seen! Commiserations to Limerick but this day belongs to Dublin! Incredible!!!!' That is one of the greatest victories I've ever seen! Commiserations to Limerick but this day belongs to Dublin! Incredible!!!! — Paul Murphy (@PaulMurphykk) As for where the win ranks, it may be the greatest upset in the history of the championship. Some will point to Antrim's victory over Offaly in the 1989 All-Ireland semi-final but the Ulster side had beaten Offaly twice in that year's National League and were given a reasonable chance by the press ('Antrim on the brink – Grafters ready to pounce on unsuspecting giants' read the headline in the Irish Press on the day before that game). Dublin were available at odds of 16/1 with one bookmaker, and not a single columnist or pundit called the upset. READ MORE 'Limerick always come back. They're seldom surprised, rarely ambushed and they'll roll on tomorrow,' was Donal Óg Cusack's prediction – and it was hard to blame him. On RTÉ television, former Dublin hurler Liam Rushe put the result in context: 'To think this morning I was at training and people were asking me would we cover the 12-point handicap.' McShane will soon be back, just not for Tyrone Cathal McShane (29) has linked up with Strabane Athletic. Photograph: Andrew Paton/Inpho Cathal McShane, the 2019 All-Star and 2021 All-Ireland SFC medallist, who opted out of the Tyrone panel back in May having actually started their championship opener, will soon be back in action – but in a different code. McShane (29) has linked up with Strabane Athletic, who will play in the third-tier Premier Intermediate league for the first time in 2025/26 after gaining promotion from the Ballymena & Provincial Football League. 'Cathal will add to the already strong team of forwards at the club,' Strabane Athletic said in a social media post, with McShane adding: 'I'm delighted to be signing with Strabane Athletic, a club I've played with in the past and always kept a close eye on, it was brilliant to see the recent success, a real credit to everyone involved.' 'From a personal note I'm really excited to get back playing and do whatever it takes to help drive the club forward and to reach the heights it's capable of,' McShane said. Five years ago, McShane was offered a two-year contract with Australian Football League side Adelaide Crows but turned it down to focus on his Tyrone career. Unlucky for Derry, 13 Division 1 teams proves too many Donegal's Oisín Gallen scores a point despite the efforts of Louth's Tommy Durnin and Dan Corcoran. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho Derry , as manager Paddy Tally pointed out after their group stage exit, have played 13 matches this season and all were against Division 1 sides. That seems particularly tough when one considers Louth's run , which ended on Sunday at the hands of Donegal in Ballybofey. The Wee County were in Division 2 of the National League, so naturally didn't play any top-flight opposition there. In the Leinster Championship, which they won, they defeated Division 3 sides Laois and Kildare before seeing off Meath , who were third in Division 2, in the final. [ Football prelims had a whiff of predictability, but it's anyone's guess from here to the final Opens in new window ] Louth's All-Ireland journey saw them take on Monaghan , Down and Roscommon , all of whom played Division 2 football this Spring, with Donegal the first Division 1 side they met all year. Another example came with Cavan versus Kerry – the match was the Breffnimen's fifth in this championship against Division 1 opponents while the Kingdom are through to the quarter-finals without having faced any. The 'Donegal Piper' The Donegal Piper is a permanent fixture at the county's matches. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho At half-time in the Donegal and Louth game, 'the Donegal Piper' made an appearance, with footage of him chatting with GAA+ pundits Pádraig O'Hora and Michael Meehan. The 'famous' Donegal Piper was going around hyping up the crowd shouting 'Up Donegal', host Gráinne McElwain explained. The unnamed piper is, of course, Christy Murray, a native of Raphoe and a permanent fixture at the county's matches. Murray, who wears full green and gold garb to matches, retired earlier this year after many years teaching music to children. 'It was around the 2000 period when Donegal were starting to go well, I started off and I didn't have the uniform at that stage. It was just the pipes and a bandanna; I was almost like Rambo,' Murray told Donegal Live. Word of Mouth 'What a finish by Galway because a lot of their leaders [are absent] – Shane Walsh is not on the pitch, [Cillian] McDaid is not on the pitch, [John] Maher is not on the pitch, Paul Conroy is not on the pitch and [Damien] Comer.' Peter Canavan, on RTÉ radio, was impressed with how Galway closed it out against Down. By the Numbers: 188 Senior appearances Michael Murphy has made for Donegal.
