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Irish Examiner
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Gritty Royals put Kerry on the back foot
All-Ireland SFC: Meath 1-22 (1-4-18) Kerry 0-16 (0-1-15) A Kerry performance and a result that at any other time would demand a postmortem but there is no time for such an examination. Besides, and the next point is important, they aren't dead. Losing to a team that finished nine places below them in this year's Allianz League with their lowest points total in almost a year should hurt. Even if they began with arguably six, at a push seven first-team players, local Meath journalists rightly pointed out afterwards that their county were missing eight possible starters. That being said, only nine of the Kerry team that began last year's All-Ireland semi-final started in Tullamore. Seán O'Shea's withdrawal with a hamstring issue before the game deprived Kerry of a conduit in the half-forward line but more importantly a viable kick-out option. Necessity has meant Jack O'Connor has had to draw deeper from his resources this year but on the basis of this display there remain shortcomings in the panel. Diarmuid O'Connor's absence is bemoaned but Paudie Clifford's is lamented. Masses will be said for his safe return for the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final. Meath were ravenous, Kerry acted like their bellies were full. The greasy conditions lended to a game of breaking ball and the Munster champions were incredibly laborious in their efforts to retain the ball. 'We couldn't win our own kick-out,' lamented Jack O'Connor. 'That's the bottom line. If you don't have the ball, it doesn't matter what forwards you have. We just couldn't win the breaking ball, and it was mostly breaking ball.' But Kerry's attitude reeked too. 'It's a chastening experience,' O'Connor admitted. 'We were very flat, and lacking energy, so we have to figure out where that came from. 'Compared to the second half above in Cork, this was night and day. Meath had all the energy and the aggression, and we were passive. It's back to the drawing board. We won't be making those excuses. We were just way off it today, and Meath were deserving winners.' Robbie Brennan had no issue with Meath being written off before the game but some of the analysis or lack thereof was galling. On Today FM on Friday, the manner in which this game was dismissed as a foregone conclusion was insulting to Meath and the advances they have made this year. In fairness to Marc Ó Sé, he warned there could be a surprise in store but he was drowned out by claims he was resorting to 'yerra'. Meath sensed there was blood in the water and the performances of Ruairí Kinsella, Conor Duke and Ciarán Caulfield deserved to be winning ones. Minus the regular scoring threats of Matthew Costello and James Conlon, Kinsella and Duke each provided five points from play. 'You take James Conlon who kicked six (points) the last day and he's not in the team and people are saying, 'Where are the scores going to come from?' But they just come from other areas and a testament to the strength in the squad.' Twelve months ago, Meath may as well have rolled out the red carpet for Kerry. County officials acted like sycophants as they looked for selfies with David Clifford and management figures chatted and ambled before throw-in like old friends. Here, Meath, going with seven of the team beaten by 15 points by Kerry in Páirc Tailteann, offered no welcome to Leinster. They were gritty, aggressive and should have been further than six points ahead at half-time, 0-14 to 0-8. They kicked a couple of two-pointers in that period and Kinsella and Duke each landed another after Kerry had narrowed the gap to two points. The coup de grace came as early as the 57th minute when Bryan Menton finally beat Shane Ryan after the Kerry goalkeeper had earlier kept out Cathal Hickey and Adam O'Neill. The conspiracy theorists will make plenty of O'Connor's comment afterwards that an extra fixture next weekend is welcome. 'In many ways, we're glad to have a game next week because, if you were two weeks thinking about that performance, it wouldn't do anyone any good,' he said. 'That's the only road we have left now, so we have to travel on that one. Hopefully, we can lift it for next week, and we will have to lift it, substantially.' With some of their injury concerns alleviating, they should and Killarney should help too. As for Meath, a second two-week break will give Costello a chance of lining out in the county's first All-Ireland quarter-final in 15 years. After adding Kerry to Dublin in their list of scalps, Brennan was asked if his project is ahead of schedule. 'It probably looks that way but as the lads know we've just gone one game at a time or one training. session at a time. 'We've had no targets, we've had no 'let's get to here', 'let's get to there', so it doesn't feel like it for us because that's the way we approach it.' Scorers for Meath: E Frayne (3 frees, 1tp), C Duke (1 tp), R Kinsella (2 tps) (0-5 each); B Menton (1-0); J Morris (0-2, 1 free); K Curtis, B Hogan (45), D Keogan, S Coffey, C Caulfield (0-1 each). Scorers for Kerry: D Clifford (0-5, 1 tp, 1 free); D Geaney (0-4); K Spillane (0-3, 1 free); T Brosnan (0-2); M Burns, P Murphy (0-1 each). MEATH: B Hogan; S Lavin, S Rafferty, R Ryan; D Keogan, S Coffey, C Caulfield; B Menton, A O'Neill; C Duke, R Kinsella, C Hickey; J Morris, E Frayne (c), K Curtis. Subs for Meath: C McBride for O'Neill (h-t); E Harkin for Hickey (54); S Walsh for Frayne (59); J McEntee for Kinsella (68); D Moriarty for Rafferty (68). Black card: C Hickey (36-46). KERRY: S Ryan; J Foley, P Murphy, T O'Sullivan; T Morley, M Breen, G White (c); J O'Connor, M O'Shea; G O'Sullivan, T Brosnan, M Burns; D Clifford, K Spillane, D Geaney. Subs for Kerry: D Casey for Breen, R Murphy for Burns (both 48); S O'Brien for O'Shea, C Geaney for O'Sullivan (both 58); D Moynihan for Spillane (66). Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
Irish Times
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Hungry Meath give Kerry a chasing to book Croke Park quarter-final
All-Ireland SFC: Meath 1-22 Kerry 0-16 An All-Ireland quarter-final in Croke Park for Meath , a preliminary quarter-final in Killarney for Kerry , and a whole week of soul-searching for the latter after this nine-point trouncing in Tullamore. That neither Meath nor Kerry were in danger of going out of the championship in this game took nothing from how Meath approached it: the Royals playing like their very existence depended on it. Kerry have, in mitigation, the painful fact that they were missing six first-choice players – Seán O'Shea the latest to join Paudie Clifford, Paul Geaney, Diarmuid O'Connor, Barry Dan O'Sullivan and Brian Ó Beaglaoich on the treatment table – but that can't be offered as an excuse for the paucity of their performance. If this is what the back-up are capable of, Jack O'Connor has as much remedial work to do this week on his fit players as his medical team have on the wounded. READ MORE Meath weren't without their personnel issues either, but even without their ace forward James Conlon, Meath went after Kerry from the very start. And in Eoghan Freyne, Ruairí Kinsella and Conor Duke they had a trio that scored 15 points between them, which included four two-pointers. Whatever about Kerry's woes, though, for Meath this game was about redemption of sorts. Exactly a year ago they were mugged by 15 points by Kerry in Navan; in Tullamore they were once bitten, twice shy and very much the hunter rather than the hunted. Despite missing James Conlon from their attack, Freyne, Kinsella and Duke more than compensated, with Bryan Menton icing the win with a second-half goal, and wing back Ciarán Caulfield putting in a tour de force display. Kerry kicked two early wides before Meath goalkeeper Billy Hogan converted a 45 and that seemed to set the tone: Kerry scraggly and loose, Meath crisp and on point. Meath led by three points but quickly fell 0-5 to 0-3 behind with Micheál Burns, Dylan Geaney and Brosnan and a two-pointer from David Clifford getting Kerry in front. That should have been the platform for Kerry to kick on but they couldn't. Or Meath wouldn't allow it. Kerry's David Clifford is challenged by Meath's Seán Rafferty and Seán Coffey during the game in Tullamore. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho Kerry were still ahead by two, 0-7 to 0-5, after 20 minutes but then Freyne and Kinsella converted a two-pointer each, with Duke, Jordan Morris and a couple of Freyne frees giving Meath a fully deserved 0-14 to 0-8 half-time lead. Meath had Cathal Hickey sinbinned 30 seconds into the second half but Kerry only took a point off Meath's lead by the time he returned. By the 50th minute Kerry were within two points, 0-16 to 0-14, but not exactly pulling up trees, while Meath never flinched as Kerry breathed down their necks. Kinsella pointed from play, then within two minutes Kinsella and Duke scored two-pointers, and then Menton raised the game's only green flag – Meath ahead by 10 points with 13 minutes left to play. The Meath supporters in the 8,265 crowd didn't want it to end; the Kerry players were on their knees by the time the final hooter sounded. MEATH: Billy Hogan (0-0-1, a 45); Séamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty, Ronan Ryan; Donal Keogan (0-0-1), Seán Coffey (0-0-1), Ciarán Caulfield (0-0-1); Bryan Menton (1-0-0), Adam O'Neill; Conor Duke (0-1-3), Ruairí Kinsella (0-2-1), Cathal Hickey; Jordan Morris (0-0-2, 1f), Keith Curtis (0-0-1), Eoghan Freyne (0-1-3, 2f). Subs: Cian McBride for A O'Neill (h-t); Eoin Harkin for C Hickey (53 mins); Shane Walsh for E Freyne (58); James McEntee for R Kinsella, Diarmuid Moriarty for S Rafferty (both 68). Black card: C Hickey (35-45 mins). KERRY: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy (0-0-1), Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Tadhg Morley, Mike Breen, Gavin White; Joe O'Connor, Mark O'Shea; Graham O'Sullivan, Tony Brosnan (0-0-2), Micheal Burns (0-0-1); David Clifford 0-1-3, 1f), Killian Spillane (0-0-3, 2f), Dylan Geaney (0-0-4). Subs: Dylan Casey for M Breen, Ruairí Murphy for M Burns (both 48 mins); Conor Geaney for G O'Sullivan, Seán O'Brien for M O'Shea (both 58); Dara Moynihan for K Spillane (66). Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).
Irish Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Second-half Roscommon revival salvages a draw against Meath
All-Ireland SFC: Roscommon 2-15 Meath 0-21 Enda Smith spearheaded Roscommon's revival as Davy Burke's men overturned a five-point interval deficit to keep their chances of progression from Group 2 alive. A pulsating game between two evenly-matched teams saw both sides spurn chances to win it after Ruairí Kinsella brought the sides level with six minutes remaining. All of Roscommon's five second-half scores with the wind at their backs came from two-pointers, with Smith kicking three of them, while top scorer Diarmuid Murtagh added another brace. James Conlon was superb for the visitors in the opening half with 0-6, including a two-pointer, but Smith was his side's hero after the break. READ MORE Ruairí Kinsella raised his side's first orange flag with the outside of his right boot in the fifth minute before Eoghan Frayne opened up a three-point gap after the visitors capitalised on a Roscommon turnover But Roscommon wiped out that deficit when Senan Lambe set up Diarmuid Murtagh for a well-taken goal after seven minutes. Dylan Ruane nudged his side in front after Roscommon worked the ball upfield from goalkeeper Conor Carroll but the excellent James Conlon – who scored 0-5 from play during a productive opening 35 minutes – got off the mark to bring the sides level. Meath's Jordan Morris and Roscommon's Senan Lambe. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho In the 15th minute, Roscommon struck for a second goal when Shane Cunnane found Ben O'Carroll raiding in behind the Meath rearguard, and the St Brigid's forward produced an assured finish past Billy Hogan. Meath began to win the midfield battle, and Roscommon's cause wasn't helped by the loss of Niall Higgins to injury. Conlon added a couple of rapid-fire points before Daire Cregg replied for the Rossies after Lambe grabbed primary possession in the middle of the park. But Meath began to flex their muscles, mostly off Roscommon turnovers and their dominance around the middle. Conlon and Conor Duke sent over a couple of two-pointers in jig time, while Jordan Morris also found the range to open up a 0-12 to 2-3 gap. Menton arced over the Royals' fourth two-pointer of the half, and Conlon soon added to his tally to stretch his side's buffer to six points. Cregg grabbed a much-needed score for Roscommon before Morris and Ciaráin Murtagh – a free on the hooter – left it 0-16 to 2-5 in favour of Meath at the change of ends. Meath's Bryan Menton and Roscommon's Pearse Frost. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho The second half was laden with drama as Smith put a missed 41st-minute penalty behind him to lead his side's charge. Billy Hogan's 46th-minute two-point free from 45 metres, following earlier points from Seán Coffey and Frayne, left Meath 0-20 to 2-9 ahead, but Robbie Brennan's side would only trouble the scoreboard once more. Diarmuid Murtagh kicked a couple of two-pointers, while Smith added another to leave the Rossies ahead by the bare minimum with nine minutes remaining. Kinsella restored parity, and it took a last-ditch block from Seán Rafferty to deny Ben O'Carroll after Mathew Costello had hit the post at the other end. ROSCOMMON: C Carroll, N Higgins, C Neary, D Murray; R Daly, B Stack, S Lambe (0-0-1); E Nolan, S Cunnane; D Ruane (0-0-1), C Murtagh (0-0-1, 1f), E Smith (0-3-0); D Murtagh (1-2-0), D Cregg (0-0-2), B O'Carroll (1-0-0). Subs: P Frost for Higgins (14), D Smith for C Murtagh (49), C McKeon for Ruane (49), K Doyle for Nolan (57), R Fallon for Lambe (64). MEATH: B Hogan (0-1-0, 1tpf); S Lavin, S Rafferty, B O'Halloran; D Keogan, S Coffey (0-0-1), C Caulfield; A O'Neill, B Menton (0-1-0); C Duke (0-1-0), R Kinsella (0-1-1), M Costello (0-0-1, 1f); J Morris (0-0-2), J Conlon (0-1-4), E Frayne (0-0-2). Subs: C Hickey for Duke (55), K Curtis for Frayne (59), C Gray for Menton (64), J McEntee for Lavin (65), E Harkin for O'Neill (67). Referee: P Faloon (Down).
Associated Press
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Domingo Hindoyan to become music director of LA Opera for 2026-27 season
NEW YORK (AP) — Domingo Hindoyan will succeed James Conlon as music director of the LA Opera and start a five-year contract on July 1, 2026. The appointment of the 45-year-old Venezuelan-Armenian, the husband of soprano Sonya Yoncheva, was announced Friday night. Conlon has been music director since 2006-07 and said in March 2024 that he will retire after after the 2025-26 season. 'LA is a city that is known by innovation, taking risks in productions and musically,' Hindoyan said in New York, where his wife is currently singing at the Metropolitan Opera. 'The idea is to do new pieces, commissions and modern pieces, something to really have a balance between what is classic and go further as much as we can.' Hindoyan will conduct two productions in 2026-27 and three in each of the following four seasons, LA Opera President Christopher Koelsch said. Koelsch hopes Hindoyan can lead works with Yoncheva, who has not sung a staged production at the LA Opera. Like other companies, the LA Opera has struggled with increased costs following the pandemic and scrapped a planned pair of world premieres over finances. Tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo was a key figure in fundraising for the company as general director from 2003-19. 'Part of my job as a music director and the job of any musician is to really take care of the art form as much as we can,' Hindoyan said, 'not only on stage, not only studying at home (but also) the connection with the community and the connection to the donors.' Hindoyan was born in Caracas, played violin and is a product of El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education system that was instrumental in the careers of Gustavo Dudamel and Rafael Payare. He was an assistant to Daniel Barenboim at Berlin's Staatsoper unter den Linden. 'Given Barenboim's extremely exacting standards, I was impressed that he had that job and held onto that job,' Koelsch said. 'And then I saw a performance of 'Tosca' and was kind of immediately struck by the elegance of the baton technique and just the sort of the absolute clarity of what he was conveying.' Hindoyan has been chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic since the 2021-22 season. He first conducted the LA Opera last November in Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette.' 'There's a kind of a natural warmth and charisma to him. In my experience, he almost always coaxes the best out of people,' Koelsch said. 'The 'Roméo' run for me was kind of a test run of how those qualities resonated inside our building, how it worked with the orchestra and the chorus and the administration and the audiences.'
Irish Examiner
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'They wanted him to play': James Conlon misses grandfather's funeral to help Meath beat Cork
Robbie Brennan praised James Conlon as he missed his grandfather's funeral to line out for Meath in this opening All-Ireland SFC, Group 2 victory over Cork. With the wishes of his family, Conlon lined out and scored two points as The Royals bounced back from their Leinster SFC final loss to Louth 13 days's earlier. Brennan gushed: 'For James Conlon, obviously to miss his grandfather's funeral today to play the match, I don't know how he did it, but I was so proud of him, and I know his family are a big footballing family and they really wanted him to play, and they should all be very, very proud of him today. 'You wouldn't have known, his preparation was phenomenal. Obviously, we knew earlier during the week, but there was never a doubt that he wasn't going to play, and that's what you get I suppose when you have a football family. To actually go out and perform like he did, he got a brilliant score at one stage there in the second half, so absolutely delighted for him.' Read More John Cleary rues Cork losing midfield battle to Meath The hangover from the Leinster final was certainly evident in the first 27 minutes as Meath scored twice from 12 scoring opportunities. That disappointment took several days to get over, Brennan conceded. 'I think you're never sure coming off a defeat, the occasion and Croke Park and all that kind of stuff. It was, apart from the result, it was brilliant and a great experience, but you're never sure. "If you'd been honest, training mightn't have been as good as we would have liked. There was a little bit of sloppiness and stuff like that, so the first half probably wasn't a surprise maybe, because there was definitely some signs of that in training. "However, we were creating the chances, which was still also encouraging, and then the end of the first half, that bit of magic from Jordie (Morris's goal) I think just gave us that bit of confidence again to go at it again and reset.' Only three up at half-time despite enjoying the strong wind, Brennan was concerned. 'Not too dissimilar to Dublin, only that we didn't take our chances obviously, but we still had the same gameplan coming out of the second half. 'Second half then, with the wind in your face, I think it faded a little bit with that rain, but it was a real dirty battle, a lot of loose ball, a lot of scrappy ball.'
