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Irish Times
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
The hurling year in review: Ronan Maher leads the way for Tipperary's stunning triumph
Seán Moran Hurler of the year: Tipperary have a couple of candidates in the nuclear winter of Cork's All-Ireland fallout. Ronan Maher gets it here for leadership and his defensive performances, taking on and dismantling key opposition threats, in the team's gravity-defying phase, culminating in Sunday's final. Match of the year: Tipperary 3-27 Cork 1-18. More recency bias but this was the most extraordinary All-Ireland final. An underdog has never reared up with such ferocity, driven by such an abundance of outstanding performances. Devastatingly perfect timing. Memorable moment: The neutrino of 2025's universe, Croke Park on May 21st: The 34 seconds in which 14-man Dublin beat Limerick with goals by John Hetherton and Cian O'Sullivan. 'What is happening here?' cried Darragh Moloney. Answer: the reshaping of the whole championship. Biggest disappointment: The disparity between the provinces and not just in terms of All-Ireland domination. Leinster needs less predictability and better atmosphere. This year, even the reliable Wexford-Kilkenny fixture turned into a dead rubber. Despite a sixth title, Kilkenny ended the year in gloomy introspection. READ MORE In 2026 I would like to see... The end of the McDonagh Cup anomaly, which sees preliminary quarter-finals needlessly extending the season. Promotion should mean for the following year. Jarlath Burns is pushing the idea and the hope is that it will be implemented in time for next summer. Cork's Diarmuid Healy celebrates after the Munster final, which was filled with tension right through. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Denis Walsh Hurler of the year: Ronan Maher 's performance in the final on Brian Hayes may have tilted it in his favour ahead of Jake Morris, who was good in the final without reaching the heights of other performances this season. Best game: Unlike recent seasons there were no stone cold classics but the Munster final was compelling and dramatic with a heady mix of brilliance and mistakes and razor like tension. Memorable moment: Sean Brennan's point blank save from Aaron Gillane was the pivotal moment in Dublin's sensational victory over Limerick. A goal for Limerick then and the jig was up. Biggest disappointment: The Leinster championship, with it's glut of Saturday afternoon/teatime fixtures, its small crowds and predictable results was downbeat from start to finish. In 2026 I would like to see… Just an extra week in the schedule to give the provincial championships more room to breathe and to avoid attractive fixtures crawling all over each other. Tipperary's John McGrath celebrates scoring his side's third goal - with his finishing Tipp would not be champions. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Malachy Clerkin Hurler of the year: John McGrath . Scored 7-16 from play and did it in the biggest games – two goals against Limerick on the opening day, two against Clare in Munster, one in the All-Ireland semi-final, two in the final. Without his class, composure and deadly finishing, Tipp wouldn't be champions. Best game: Dublin v Limerick, All-Ireland quarter-final. Even now, a month later, it still seems so improbable. Dublin putting it up to Limerick wasn't on anyone's radar. Dublin doing so with such a key figure as Chris Crummey sent off in the first half is an outlandish notion. Yet they did it, in the shock of the summer. Memorable Moment: Darragh McCarthy standing his ground as Damien Cahalane bullocked towards him in the final, getting poleaxed by a frontal charge before bouncing to his feet and giving a double fist-pump when he knew he'd won his free. And then slotting said free. Summed up his defiance on the biggest day of his young life. Biggest disappointment: Clare's defence of the All-Ireland never got going. Unable to shake off a bad league, their only win came in the final game of Munster against a weakened Limerick team. It was all too late by then. In 2026 I would like to see... Dublin win Leinster. They have the players, they have the manager, the Limerick win shows they can keep pace with the big boys. So why should they have anything to fear from Kilkenny and Galway? Kilkenny's TJ Reid with his daughter Harper after the semi-final loss to Tipperary - hopefully we see him back in action for Kilkenny again next year. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho Gordon Manning Hurler of the year: Cork would have had more leading contenders for this award ahead of the final but Ronan Maher 's display of leadership in the decider capped off what had been a brilliant season by the Thurles man. His versatility to move between the full and half-back lines was key to keeping Tipp's defence organised, with the team captain providing a solid platform from which the Premier embarked on a six-game winning streak. Best game: The Munster final was a madcap, epic game of hurling at the Gaelic Grounds. Finishing level after extra time before Cork won out on penalties, it started in sunlight and it ended in twilight. As a sporting spectacle this contest had everything – skill, drama, excitement, controversy. Both teams were out on their feet at the end, but they had truly hoisted the game of hurling upon their shoulders that day. Memorable moment: It will be a long time before any poll of the top five hurling shocks doesn't include Dublin's 2025 All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Limerick. Dublin were reduced to 14 men when Chris Crummey was sent off after quarter of an hour but the Dubs still somehow managed to produce a stunning performance to beat one of the greatest hurling teams of all time. In terms of memorable moments, Kildare's Joe McDonagh Cup final win over Laois is a close second to Dublin's triumph over Limerick. Biggest disappointment: The All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals have become a needless blight on the championship. Kildare's season was so positive but nobody benefited from the Lilywhites losing to Dublin by 21 points. Tipp beat Laois 3-32 to 0-18 in the other prelim. It was, predictably, a wasted weekend for hurling. And only a tad more disappointing than Galway's lacklustre season. In 2026 I would like to see... TJ Reid in black and amber, Noel McGrath in blue and gold, Patrick Horgan in the blood and bandages. To paraphrase a popular advertisement phrase – when they're gone, they're gone. We have all been fortunate to watch three of the greats display their talents for well over a decade now but there are doubts as to whether any of the trio will remain intercounty hurlers in 2026. For all fans of hurling, let's hope they give it one more year. Dublin's Cian O'Sullivan wheels away celebrating his goal against Limerick in the quarter-final, a result that will stand as one of the great upsets of all time. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Ian O'Riordan Hurler of the year: The seismic shift of second-half momentum in Sunday's final showdown had the last word on this, when Ronan Maher spear-headed Tipperary's ruthless surge for glory. At the same time as the Cork contenders dropped off, Maher's leadership only added to his already all-round superb season. Best game: For all the unease about the Munster hurling final being decided on penalties, who could forget the longest game of the summer as it seemed to stretch forever into the first Saturday evening in June? Countless times, both teams had their opportunity to win, but Cork held their nerve when it mattered most – in the penalty shoot-out. Memorable moment: Any one of John McGrath's goals for Tipperary over the course of the summer could lay claim on this one, but there was something about his movement on Sunday which will live long in the memory. The way he read the ball for his second goal was pure magic. Biggest disappointment: More of the colour and competitiveness appears to be going out of the Leinster hurling championship, and there is no quick or easy solution. Dublin's quarter-final revolution against Limerick offers some hope for next year, but the province needs Wexford to be shining more consistently again, and for Galway to start standing up again for real. In 2026 I would like to see... There has been mention (whisper it Jarlath Burns) of getting rid of the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, which have become something of an annual mismatch. Either way, there is unquestionably a need and want to stretch out the championship summer by at least another week or two, to give us all more time to breathe. And finally At the start of the year, we asked a selection of pundits and writers to gaze into their crystal balls for the year ahead . Suffice to say, given the season they had endured in 2024 no one plumped for Tipperary getting their hands on the Liam MacCarthy, with Cork being tipped to finally end their drought while Limerick and Clare also featured prominently. What do we know, eh…
The Sun
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Unsung Cork GAA hero backed for Hurler of the Year gong after ‘stepping up in a big way' on road to All-Ireland final
ONE of the unsung heroes of Cork's run to the All-Ireland final has been branded a Hurler-of-the-Year contender by Rebels great Diarmuid O'Sullivan. As skipper in 2024, Seán O'Donoghue narrowly missed out on leading Cork up the steps of the Hogan Stand after an extra-time defeat to Clare in the decider. 2 But the form of the Inniscarra corner-back, who was replaced as captain by Rob Downey, has been superb as Pat Ryan's side earned another shot at landing Liam MacCarthy. Ahead of Sunday's showpiece against Tipperary, Cork selector Wayne Sherlock said of O'Donoghue: 'I think this year he has really stepped up in a big way. 'He probably ends up marking very, very good players all the time. He stepped up again in the Munster final against Limerick . . . marking Aaron Gillane. Seánie was giving out to himself because he gave up two points but Gillane is one of the best players to have played hurling. For him to get two points off you is not the end of the world. 'But Seánie's attitude has been excellent. He comes in and trains hard and he's a pleasure to be involved with. He's one of those fellas I just love to see doing well.' Brian Hayes is currently the bookies' favourite to be named Hurler of the Year. But O'Sullivan feels O'Donoghue is also in contention to be Cork's first winner of the award since Jerry O'Connor in 2005. The Rock told The Southern Star: 'Not only is he kind of nailed-on for an All-Star, I think Seán deserves to be in the conversation for Hurler of the Year. 'Seán's performances have been outstanding.' Limerick during the victory that saved Cork's season. Eoin Cadogan played alongside the 29-year-old before retiring from inter-county hurling in 2021 and told SunSport: 'In Seán's role, he's generally picking up the best inter-county forwards. 'Forwards of that calibre are going to get on a lot of ball and cause you to make a mistake. 'Some of that was over-emphasised when it came to Seán last year.'
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Clare buoyed by return of Shane O'Donnell and Tony Kelly for Tipperary clash
Hurler of the Year Shane O'Donnell is back on the panel for Clare 's crucial Munster championship match against Tipperary in Ennis this weekend. The 30-year-old had originally been ruled out for this season after a shoulder operation in January. His return is on course with the player's most optimistic projection in mid-April of 'four to eight weeks' but maybe not surprising given what's at stake in this weekend's encounter. Both teams are looking for a first win, having taken just a point from the opening two fixtures. Whoever loses in Ennis is effectively out of the championship. READ MORE Captain Tony Kelly is listed to start after the recent illness that kept him out of Clare's defeat by Waterford a fortnight ago. Otherwise, the news isn't great for the All-Ireland champions' manager Brian Lohan. Key defence players, full back Conor Cleary and wing back Diarmuid Ryan are still out with injury and forward Aidan McCarthy is another not listed on the match-day panel. Clare (Munster SHC v Tipperary): E Quilligan; A Hogan, Darragh Lohan, C Leen; C Galvin, J Conlon, D McInerney; S Rynne, C Malone; T Kelly, M Rodgers, S Meehan; R Taylor, P Duggan, D Reidy. Subs: E Foudy, Daithi Lohan, Ross Hayes, Rory Hayes, P Donnellan, A Shanagher, D Fitzgerald, J O'Neill, I Galvin, S O'Donnell, S Woods.
