Latest news with #GerardDonnelly
Irish Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Tyrone's thundering finish secures ninth All-Ireland minor football crown
All-Ireland Minor Football Final: Tyrone 1-16 Kerry 1-15 An hour after full-time in Newbridge, with only the victorious Tyrone players and their families left on the pitch, it was still like a scene from an Oasis concert. Manager Gerard Donnelly was suddenly hoisted up and along the top of a dozen or so players, tossed around like a crowd surfer. When he was eventually let down, Donnelly made a beeline for Pádraig Goodman and caught his full back in a deep embrace. These are memories Donnelly has been trying to create ever since his first season as minor manager ended with a one-point All-Ireland final loss to Meath in 2021. READ MORE It went the other way this time thanks to a remarkable finale from the young Red Hands who, trailing Kerry by four points with 11 minutes to go, outscored the Munster champions by 1-4 to 0-2 from there on. Peter Colton's penalty conversion in the 52nd minute was a vital score but Diarmuid Martin's point three minutes into stoppage time was the eventual winner. Four years ago, Shaun Leonard struck the winner for Meath around the very same time. Diarmuid Martin shoots to score the winning point for Tyrone. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho This time it was Martin who etched his name in the history books, clinching a ninth All-Ireland win at the grade for Tyrone and their first since 2010. Martin only came on in the 59th minute of the semi-final as he recovered from injury. But with Joel Kerr missing the final due to his soccer commitments with West Ham United, Martin got the nod from the start and enjoyed a huge impact, scoring three points. 'I knew that was coming,' smiled manager Donnelly. 'I said, 'Diarmo, you'll come in and you're going to have a big day'. And he scored the winner!' And yet it was only a couple of hours before throw-in that reports of Kerr's apparent availability did the rounds. He had been a key player throughout their campaign, netting against Roscommon. 'No, no, we knew straight away he wasn't available,' said Donnelly. 'We knew from the first of July that he was a West Ham player. Me and his father had constant chats. Joel is a West Ham player, he's away now starting his career. I just chatted to him there. He's the happiest man going.' That's the All-Ireland minor and Under-20 titles tucked away now by Tyrone this year. The seniors will face Kerry in their semi-final next weekend and for minor coach Niall Morgan, the senior goalkeeper, if he's into visualising and projecting forward, this was surely a useful afternoon. Kerry supporters cried foul at the death as Ben Kelliher, their exciting corner forward who scored 1-2, chased a winner and was snuffed out by a combination of two Tyrone defenders and the goalkeeper. Even after a few TV replays, it's hard to see where a foul occurred so referee Thomas Murphy perhaps got it right. Tyrone probably just about deserved it for the manner of their final-quarter display. Aside from the 1-4 they scored, Eoin Long also hit a post during the blitz and, in a separate attack, fired a shot just over. Kerry's Ben Kelliher celebrates after scoring his side's goal. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho Long finished with five points and was another young hero in red and white, just like Goodman, who had a big second half as Tyrone dominated the middle third. Kerry didn't lose any face in defeat. Wayne Quillinan's Munster champions led 1-7 to 0-8 at half-time and pushed Tyrone all the way. In fact, when Kelliher nudged them a point ahead with a brilliant solo score on the hour, which still separated them in the 63rd minute, they were in pole position themselves. Wing back Danny Murphy was a strong performer for Kerry, scoring a first-half point and playing the ball for Kelliher's goal approaching the interval. Alex Tuohy's GPS unit was smoking too as he put in the hard yards, scoring one point and setting up both Murphy and later Tadhg O'Connell. Gearóid White and Kevin Griffin two-pointers in the third quarter nudged Kerry into that 1-13 to 0-12 lead and suggested great gains. But they couldn't hold on for a landmark win, their first since 2018, as Tyrone came with their late rally. 'I am absolutely heartbroken,' said Kerry manager Quillinan. 'But on the flipside, I am so proud of them. That is the overriding feeling I have. Those guys left it all out there. How can you complain about that? You just can't.' TYRONE: R Donnelly; E Kerr, P Goodman, C McCrystal; A Quinn (0-0-1), J Daly, T Meenan; J Mulgrew (0-1-1), P Donaghy; C Farley, P Colton (1-0-2; 1f), D McAnespie (0-0-1; f); D Martin (0-0-3), E Long (0-0-5; 3f), P McDonald. Subs: MF Daly (0-0-1) for McAnespie (44 mins); V Gormley for McDonald (48); M Kennedy for Long (59). KERRY: R Kennedy; E Joy, R Sheridan, T O Slatara; D Murphy (0-0-2), D Sargent, M Clifford; M Ó Sé, J Curtin (0-0-1); M O'Carroll, G White (0-1-2; 1f), A Tuohy (0-0-1); B Kelliher (1-0-2), K Griffin (0-1-1; 1 tpf, 1 45), T O'Connell (0-0-2). Subs: N Lacey for O'Connell (44 mins); J Kissane for Ó Sé (52); P Ó Mainnin for O'Carroll (54). Referee: T Murphy (Galway).
Irish Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Tyrone's thundering finish secures ninth All-Ireland Under-20 football crown
All-Ireland Minor Football Final: Tyrone 1-16 Kerry 1-15 An hour after full-time in Newbridge, with only the victorious Tyrone players and their families left on the pitch, it was still like a scene from an Oasis concert. Manager Gerard Donnelly was suddenly hoisted up and along the top of a dozen or so players, tossed around like a crowd surfer. When he was eventually let down, Donnelly made a beeline for Pádraig Goodman and caught his full back in a deep embrace. These are memories Donnelly has been trying to create ever since his first season as minor manager ended with a one-point All-Ireland final loss to Meath in 2021. READ MORE It went the other way this time thanks to a remarkable finale from the young Red Hands who, trailing Kerry by four points with 11 minutes to go, outscored the Munster champions by 1-4 to 0-2 from there on. Peter Colton's penalty conversion in the 52nd minute was a vital score but Diarmuid Martin's point three minutes into stoppage time was the eventual winner. Four years ago, Shaun Leonard struck the winner for Meath around the very same time. Diarmuid Martin shoots to score the winning point for Tyrone. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho This time it was Martin who etched his name in the history books, clinching a ninth All-Ireland win at the grade for Tyrone and their first since 2010. Martin only came on in the 59th minute of the semi-final as he recovered from injury. But with Joel Kerr missing the final due to his soccer commitments with West Ham United, Martin got the nod from the start and enjoyed a huge impact, scoring three points. 'I knew that was coming,' smiled manager Donnelly. 'I said, 'Diarmo, you'll come in and you're going to have a big day'. And he scored the winner!' And yet it was only a couple of hours before throw-in that reports of Kerr's apparent availability did the rounds. He had been a key player throughout their campaign, netting against Roscommon. 'No, no, we knew straight away he wasn't available,' said Donnelly. 'We knew from the first of July that he was a West Ham player. Me and his father had constant chats. Joel is a West Ham player, he's away now starting his career. I just chatted to him there. He's the happiest man going.' That's the All-Ireland minor and Under-20 titles tucked away now by Tyrone this year. The seniors will face Kerry in their semi-final next weekend and for minor coach Niall Morgan, the senior goalkeeper, if he's into visualising and projecting forward, this was surely a useful afternoon. Kerry supporters cried foul at the death as Ben Kelliher, their exciting corner forward who scored 1-2, chased a winner and was snuffed out by a combination of two Tyrone defenders and the goalkeeper. Even after a few TV replays, it's hard to see where a foul occurred so referee Thomas Murphy perhaps got it right. Tyrone probably just about deserved it for the manner of their final-quarter display. Aside from the 1-4 they scored, Eoin Long also hit a post during the blitz and, in a separate attack, fired a shot just over. Kerry's Ben Kelliher celebrates after scoring his side's goal. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho Long finished with five points and was another young hero in red and white, just like Goodman, who had a big second half as Tyrone dominated the middle third. Kerry didn't lose any face in defeat. Wayne Quillinan's Munster champions led 1-7 to 0-8 at half-time and pushed Tyrone all the way. In fact, when Kelliher nudged them a point ahead with a brilliant solo score on the hour, which still separated them in the 63rd minute, they were in pole position themselves. Wing back Danny Murphy was a strong performer for Kerry, scoring a first-half point and playing the ball for Kelliher's goal approaching the interval. Alex Tuohy's GPS unit was smoking too as he put in the hard yards, scoring one point and setting up both Murphy and later Tadhg O'Connell. Gearóid White and Kevin Griffin two-pointers in the third quarter nudged Kerry into that 1-13 to 0-12 lead and suggested great gains. But they couldn't hold on for a landmark win, their first since 2018, as Tyrone came with their late rally. 'I am absolutely heartbroken,' said Kerry manager Quillinan. 'But on the flipside, I am so proud of them. That is the overriding feeling I have. Those guys left it all out there. How can you complain about that? You just can't.' TYRONE: R Donnelly; E Kerr, P Goodman, C McCrystal; A Quinn (0-0-1), J Daly, T Meenan; J Mulgrew (0-1-1), P Donaghy; C Farley, P Colton (1-0-2; 1f), D McAnespie (0-0-1; f); D Martin (0-0-3), E Long (0-0-5; 3f), P McDonald. Subs: MF Daly (0-0-1) for McAnespie (44 mins); V Gormley for McDonald (48); M Kennedy for Long (59). KERRY: R Kennedy; E Joy, R Sheridan, T O Slatara; D Murphy (0-0-2), D Sargent, M Clifford; M Ó Sé, J Curtin (0-0-1); M O'Carroll, G White (0-1-2; 1f), A Tuohy (0-0-1); B Kelliher (1-0-2), K Griffin (0-1-1; 1 tpf, 1 45), T O'Connell (0-0-2). Subs: N Lacey for O'Connell (44 mins); J Kissane for Ó Sé (52); P Ó Mainnin for O'Carroll (54). Referee: T Murphy (Galway).
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tyrone 'never said die' in All-Ireland win
Tyrone manager Gerard Donnelly says he can't put the Red Hands' All-Ireland Minor Football Championship title into words. Diarmuid Martin struck the winning point in the last minute on additional time as Tyrone ran out 1-16 to 1-15 winners at Kelliher's first-half goal had helped Kerry into a four-point lead in the final quarter, but Peter Colton netted a penalty with nine minutes to play to set up a dramatic said it was "fine margins" in a match that "went back and forth"."I can't put it into words, to be honest with you," Donnelly told TG4."That Kerry team are unbelievable, what about our boys though? "Four down with 12 minutes to play in the wind, they never say die."Donnelly was manager when Tyrone lost the 2021 final to Meath, and he admitted "if it will ever come back again"."That final whistle going will be a memory I will remember for the rest of my life."It hasn't sunk in yet to be honest with you."The build-up to the final was dominated by the unavailability of Joel Kerr, who had played a key role in Tyrone's progress to the final but had joined Premier League club West Ham on 1 said the 16-year-old was "some lad" and Tyrone had "no issues" with West Ham over the decision."We knew from the start that it could be problematic and we've no problems with West Ham, they've put investment in the kid. "It's unbelievable that it was Diarmuid Martin, who came in for him, got the winning point to win Joel his All-Ireland medal."
Belfast Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Tyrone Minors out to boost All-Ireland bid by overcoming tricky Quarter-Final test
The Red Hands looked composed and confident in winning the Ulster title under manager Gerard Donnelly, but they are aware that they will face a tough assignment against a Cork side that lost to Kerry in the Munster decider. While Tyrone have gained in confidence and style, they will certainly know to be on their guard against a Cork outfit that never quite managed to unveil their fluency against the Kingdom. Cork will be missing the services of the influential Cathal McCarthy for this contest because of suspension, but they possess other talismen in the form of Eoin Maguire, Ben Corkery Delaney and Tom Whooley. Tyrone have been looking confident of late and this is scarcely surprising given that they have won three Ulster titles on the trot. Manager Donnelly is aware that his team can impose themselves on opponents and is hoping that they can get into their stride quickly. In Cathal Farley, Eoin Long, James Mulgrew and Padraig Donaghy, the Red Hands boast a number of players who will be capable of taking the game to their opponents. Peter Garrity and Peter Colton are two players who are capable of taking scores from distance, while the tight marking of the Tyrone defence has also thwarted several sides to date. Indeed, Donnelly's side play with great intensity but they may find scores hard to come by on this occasion. Still, if their attack sees enough of the ball anything is possible. Meanwhile, Cavan will confront Kerry in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship as part of the double bill on Saturday at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise (12.00 noon). The Cavan Minor side have crept to the fore recently, although they will be tested to the full by a Kerry outfit that have looked formidable to date. Harry McMullen, Sam Maguire, Faolan Graham, Nathan Quigley and Jake Brady have shown that they can underpin the Cavan outfit.
The 42
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Tyrone beat Cavan in Ulster minor final
TYRONE BEAT Cavan 2-11 to 1-8 in this evening's Ulster Minor Football Championship final at Brewster Park, Enniskillen. Gerard Donnelly's side started strongly as they raced into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead in the early stages. Advertisement But Cavan recovered well after a slow start, and Nathan Quigley's goal put them into the lead for the first time on the brink of half-time. Tyrone, however, produced a perfect response early in the second half, as Cathal Farley's goal restored their advantage. It was tight for a period thereafter, with Nathan Quigley's point from a free levelling the scores at 1-8 apiece. But it was to prove Cavan's final score of the game. Tyrone finished much the stronger, with Joel Kerr's goal 11 minutes from time giving them the momentum they needed to see the game out convincingly. The Red Hands will now face Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, while Cavan come up against Kerry.
