Latest news with #JarlathBurns
Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Turnstiles click for a game transformed and the most open championship in decades
The All-Ireland SFC is down to the last eight. After this weekend there will be four teams and three matches left. So far this has been a brilliant season, showcasing the rule changes introduced by the FRC , which have impacted beyond the wildest and most optimistic imaginings. By Friday teatime, Croke Park were reporting sales of 63,000 for Saturday's double bill of Monaghan -Donegal and Tyrone -Dublin with 74,000 shifted for Meath- Galway and the weekend's box office pairing of All-Ireland champions Armagh and brand leaders, Kerry. If the tickets keep going, these quarter-finals could be the best attended in 16 years. Another 10,000 in sales and the combined attendance for the weekend will surpass 2017 and you would have to go back to 2009 to find a bigger turnout. A game with additional space for forwards and the incentive to move the ball quickly into attack has blossomed into a spectacle that has captivated spectators. READ MORE Providing a two-point scoring option has rendered big leads assailable and plenty of teams have availed of the opportunity to pull matches back into the undecided column. Last weekend GAA president Jarlath Burns , who empanelled the FRC less than 18 months ago, permitted himself a tincture of self-congratulation in the match programme for the Croke Park double bill. GAA president Jarlath Burns speaking at Croke Park last week. Photograph: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 'The FRC and the new rules have had a dramatic and transformative effect on our game. The high quantity of scores in football now is being matched by the high quality of scores in matches and is being backboned by a welcome increase in drama and competitiveness. 'Usually, we urge caution before rushing to conclusions. But what we have seen in the last six months is a game rediscovering itself and is a joy to see.' Vindication wasn't long in re-appearing. The following day, Galway went to Newry and led Down by 10 points at half-time. Within a minute and a half of the restart, the deficit was down to six after two two-pointers and closed to two with 15 minutes left. They survived, drawing this haunted response from manager Pádraic Joyce: 'We were battle-hardened before today but we're battle-hardened again.' Joyce's team, together with All-Ireland champions Armagh and back-to-back Ulster champions Donegal , lead the betting for this year's Sam Maguire. Having lost two of the last three All-Ireland finals, Galway have made a tightrope walk out of the campaign so far. On Sunday they face Meath , rejuvenated under Robbie Brennan's management. This is seen as one of the clearer-cut matches but the Connacht champions will still have to cope with a team that became the first in 17 years to beat both Dublin and Kerry in the same championship campaign. Meath manager Robbie Brennan after their win over Kerry at O'Connor Park. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho They have also adapted really well to the possibilities of the two-point kicks, as have Galway. A rapidly-transitioning contest with orange flags in constant profusion? There could be more battle-hardening on the way for Joyce. It is difficult to think of an All-Ireland denouement with a greater spread of credible candidates. Monaghan, facing Donegal on Saturday – much to Donegal's chagrin, having played their preliminary quarter-final only six days prior – is the only county in action this weekend not to have won the Sam Maguire at some stage. The other seven counties have won every All-Ireland of the past 30 years with only the sole exception of Cork's triumph in 2010. There has been very little between them. Every county has lost at least once this championship. It is unprecedentedly competitive, as Burns also referenced a week ago. 'Already, this 2025 football campaign ranks as one of the most open, exciting and enjoyable championship summers in memory and we are still only now at what some might call the 'business end',' he said. One consequence of this is that virtually every county can have dreams going into this weekend – six of them without having to hallucinate too hard. Dublin's Con O'Callaghan. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho The relentless tempo of the split-season schedule means that injury bites hard and a number of teams are awaiting prognoses on important players. St Januarius maintains his feast day in September, as a good few people would prefer the GAA to do in regard to All-Ireland finals. But not even the crowds that gather in Naples each year to see whether the saint's blood liquefies are as rapt with anxiety as Dublin supporters waiting to see if captain Con O'Callaghan's hamstring miraculously loosens for the fray against Tyrone. Galway await a similarly positive prognosis on Shane Walsh's shoulder. Kerry will hope for Paudie Clifford's full engagement and Monaghan for Gary Mohan's. To name but a few. Eight teams are poised but only four will make it out of this weekend with their hopes intact. At least one will hope to do so with a decisive display that establishes them as the contenders with momentum going into the semi-finals and beyond. On your marks.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
'Cork hurling brings colour' – GAA president praises Cork senior hurlers
Today at 07:45 'Cork hurling brings colour,' declared GAA president Jarlath Burns who was full of praise for this year's Munster hurling champions. The Rebels are scheduled to play Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday, July 5 with Kilkenny and Tipperary due to meet the following day.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Palestinian GAA clubs to visit Dublin on cultural and sporting exchange
The tour, running from July 18 to August 1, will see 47 participants travelling to Dublin, this includes 33 children aged between 9 and 16. The initiative is organised by GAA Palestine, a grassroots movement founded just over a year ago and supported by a number of Irish GAA clubs and volunteers. The itinerary includes matches, sightseeing and shared cultural experiences with local clubs. In Dublin, the group will begin with a four-night stay hosted by families from Fingallians GAA and Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels. Highlights include a VIP tour of Croke Park with GAA President Jarlath Burns, a visit to Dublin Zoo, and a trip to the beach—many for the first time. Fingallians GAA Club chairman Charlie Rogan said the idea of welcoming the group 'just made sense'. 'Everyone belongs, no matter where you're from,' he told the Irish Independent. 'We've had lots of members coming behind this. These young lads and girls are travelling from the West Bank to Egypt, then on to Ireland. 'Most won't have met their host families before, but they'll be well looked after, coached by our club and introduced to a packed few days,' he added. After Dublin, the group will travel through Carlow to Thurles, Co Tipperary—the birthplace of the GAA—where they'll tour Semple Stadium and take part in a blitz at Dr Morris Park alongside clubs like Burgess, Drom & Inch and Borris-Ileigh. They'll then head to Cork, where activities include a boat tour of Bantry Bay and a train ride to Cobh—both firsts for many of the children. They'll also visit Páirc Uí Chaoimh and take part in a Palestinian solidarity march on July 26, led by local children and the touring party. Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels are also playing host and will welcome the group around the time of the All-Ireland final. Hughie Cullen a member of organising committee in the club said that hosting the GAA clubs from the West Bank was something everyone in the community was excited about. 'A lot of our members had been going to the national marches, calling for peace,' he said. 'When GAA Palestine reached out, we were only too happy to jump in. For us, it's a humanitarian thing.' Mr Cullen said the club is preparing a warm welcome that includes a mix of Irish and Palestinian food. He added: 'We've got spice boxes, fish and chips—and hopefully a local Palestinian chef cooking a traditional dish.' The club have also set up a fundraiser to help support the GAA Palestine Summer Tour with some of the funds helping to buy equipment such as hurls and helmets for the Palestinian GAA clubs. The group also plans to visit County Clare with host club Éire Óg before a final potential leg north to Belfast and Derry—though that leg depends on visa approvals. GAA Palestine founder Stephen Redmond thanked volunteers and donors who have supported the effort. 'I want to express my deepest thanks to every volunteer who has given their time and heart to support GAA Palestine, and to each and every person who has generously donated to our fundraiser—your solidarity means the world,' he said. 'We're also truly grateful to our amazing partners: Paddywagon, Forsa, O'Neills. Their support has helped turn our vision into reality.' He's also calling on political representatives to support what he describes as a 'common-sense approach' to allowing access to the North for Palestinian athletes. 'It's not safe or right to ask children to travel dangerous roads in the West Bank just to attend interviews and then pay around £10,000 for visas for a two-night stay. We need solutions that prioritise care and safety.' The first Palestinian GAA club, Moataz Sarsour GAA, was formed in Ramallah in 2023 and named after a 17-year-old player who was killed by Israeli forces shortly after his first training session. Since then, the movement has grown steadily, with four clubs now operating in the West Bank. The visa applications are currently with the Department of Justice, which GAA Palestine says is a welcome development. The department contacted GAA officials last week seeking further information, suggesting that the process is under way. However, organisers remain uncertain about how long it will take, with growing concern that the necessary approvals may not be issued in time. They are now appealing to anyone with connections in the department to help expedite the process ahead of the group's planned arrival on July 18.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
All-Ireland quarterfinals ticket flying with €4 million gate receipts expected
Over 140,000 fans are expected to pour into Croke Park this weekend for the All-Ireland football quarter-finals, as a bumper season for GAA ticket sales rolls on. The crowd could even crash through the 150,000 barrier for Saturday and Sunday's double headers at GAA HQ. Over 90,000 tickets were sold within a matter of hours, after they went on sale this morning, with gate receipts likely to exceed €4 million for the weekend. Saturday's double header opens with Donegal versus Monaghan, while Dublin and Tyrone top the bill. On Sunday's it's Galway versus Meath first up, with Armagh and Kerry meeting in the main event. Last week GAA President Jarlath Burns revealed that crowds for the All-Ireland series were up 21percent on last year, with the format set to be binned at the end of this year. This could be down to the new game being more attractive to fans, or the draw which threw up two highly competitive groups, one of them featuring Dublin, Galway, Derry and Armagh. Stand tickets for both days are priced at €45, with Hill 16 €35. Juveniles are €5 with OAP and student stand tickets €40
The Journal
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Journal
Tyrone to face Dublin, Meath to take on Galway in All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals
THE DRAW FOR the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals was made live on RTÉ's Morning Ireland by GAA President Jarlath Burns this morning. The four preliminary quarter-final winners were drawn against the winners of the four round-robin groups. Armagh, Monaghan, Tyrone and Meath were in one pot, with Dublin, Galway, Donegal and Kerry in the second. With repeat pairings avoided, Armagh were automatically pitted against Kerry. Advertisement Tyrone will play Dessie Farrell's Dublin, who overcame Cork in their preliminary quarter-final clash on Saturday. Beaten Leinster finalists Meath have been pitted against Galway, who edged Down in a thrilling clash at Páirc Esler yesterday. Monaghan will face Donegal in an all-Ulster clash. Jim McGuinness' Donegal head into the last eight after recording a comfortable win over Leinster champions Louth. Fixture details for the four games are due to be confirmed by the CCCC this afternoon. All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals: Tyrone v Dublin Meath v Galway Monaghan v Donegal Armagh v Kerry Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here Written by Ciarán Kennedy and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
