Latest news with #LeeKeegan
Irish Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mayo legend astounded at Galway's lack of creativity in Meath defeat
Lee Keegan lamented the lack of effort and attacking quality in Galway's defeat to Meath in the All-Ireland quarter-finals last weekend. The former Mayo wing-back, writing for RTÉ, argued that Galway were a team waiting to be eliminated. He said: "In retrospect, Galway had been teetering on the brink for a few weeks. Only waiting to be nudged over. They were blessed to survive in Derry, dug out a decent win over an Armagh side already in the quarters, and then got over Down in a shootout in Newry." He was shocked by the lack of impetus in the first half, saying: "Their passivity in the first half was baffling. They had plenty of possession in the opening quarter but again fell back into these slow, ponderous, lateral patterns of play. "And the movement of the inside forwards was incredibly poor and borderline non-existent. "Several times, Mathew Thompson would pause in possession waiting for someone inside to make a dart or show for it. And nothing was happening. It probably contributed to the couple of fumbles in possession that he had in the early stages." Although Galway improved with a goalscoring sequence in the third quarter, Keegan still felt that there was not enough sharpness up top. He explained: "The lack of bite and penetration over the first 50 minutes was only highlighted when Damien Comer was introduced and he terrorised the Meath full-back line in a five-minute spell which turned the game on its head. And then they went and surrendered the momentum again. "For a team with that talent and creativity in attack, it must be so frustrating. "Added to that, they were blown out of it for aggression and intensity under kickouts and in the tackle zone. "Conor Grey came on for Meath and started smashing into them at kickouts, properly using his size and physicality and out-competing the Galway midfield. Sean Rafferty thundered into John Maher and generated a couple of big turnovers." Meath now move on to a clash with Donegal next weekend in the semi-final, while Galway have another winter without silverware ahead of them.
RTÉ News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Donegal have plenty in the tank, says Lee Keegan
Lee Keegan believes that Donegal still have plenty in the tank heading into the business end of the All-Ireland senior football championships, despite some of the protestations of their manager. Donegal turned in a stirring second-half display in their quarter-final victory over Monaghan as they overcame a seven-point half-time deficit to defeat their provincial 1-26 to 1-20. Manager Jim McGuinness has spoken about against the "gruelling schedule" his side have been handed and was particularly unhappy with the amount of travelling his side have had to do so far in the championship, along with the quick turn around in terms of their fixtures. The victory over Monaghan was their ninth game of the season, having won the Ulster title from the preliminary round and they had to face their Ulster rivals just six days after beating Louth. However, speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Keegan insisted that Donegal looked fresh and he was particularly impressed with their second-half fightback in Croke Park. "That 1-15 was a huge score in the second-half," Keegan said. "I think it was just down to their mindset when they came out, you wouldn't think Donegal had a six day turn around. "Michael Langan was as quiet as I'd seen him in the first half of that game, I though Monaghan did a great job on him but when the penny dropped and he hit that goal, he went on a tear. "I think Donegal will be delighted with their response. "One player for me and he doesn't get half the credit he deserves is Shane O'Donnell. I think the shift he puts in is huge. He's a guy who doesn't back himself to score but he seemed to just turn the dial up at the weekend, he kicked four brilliant points and I thought he ran the show really well. "Their biggest question mark moving on is Oisin Gallen. He started red hot and hit a point but then he goes out of the game for 15 minutes and he might hit another one. It's trying to get that consistency with him because he has the talent, he has the pedigree and he has the accuracy." Keegan believes that McGuinness will be pleased by what he saw against Monaghan, while still finding room for improvement. "I think Donegal will be delighted, they have plenty to work on and they're in a really good position in terms of what their gameplan is about," he said. "They probably do need to kick it a little more but when you have a team that can run as hard and direct as they do, that is still hard to stop. "This six day turn-around, you have Ciaran Moore who is 22, you have Finnbarr Roarty who is 19, these players are flying." RTÉ Radio Player: Watch the All-Ireland Camogie Championship quarter-finals with RTÉ Sport. Waterford v Clare on Saturday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Tipperary v Kilkenny on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Cork v Dublin on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Kilkenny v Tipperary on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow live blogs on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
RTÉ News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
RTÉ GAA Podcast: Kerry haven't gone away, you know
Éamonn Fitzmaurice and Lee Keegan join special guest presenter Marty Morrissey and Rory O'Neill to look back on the weekend when eight became four in the All-Ireland football championship. Kerry looked incredibly impressive as they dethroned Armagh, while Meath surprised everyone but themselves as they saw off Galway. Donegal and Tyrone kept up hopes of an all-Ulster final as they saw off Monaghan and Dublin respectively, with the latter defeat spelling the end of the Dessie Farrell era. Watch the All-Ireland Camogie Championship quarter-finals with RTÉ Sport. Waterford v Clare on Saturday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Tipperary v Kilkenny on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Cork v Dublin on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Kilkenny v Tipperary on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow live blogs on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Irish Daily Mirror
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Joe Brolly among contenders to be next Mayo manager as odds released
Mayo GAA announced the departure of Kevin McStay as the county's senior manager 'with immediate effect' on Wednesday. The decision comes after Mayo failed to reach the knockout stages of the All-Ireland after two defeats in the round robin. McStay was appointed in August 2022, with Stephen Rochford, Donie Buckley and Liam McHale as part of his staff. He took over from James Horan, who stepped away from the job after Mayo exited the 2022 championship in a quarter-final loss to Kerry. The lifelong Mayo man was dismissed somewhat curtly by the powers that be, with a 126-word statement confirming the departure of him and his staff. Many fans and key figures alike were outraged with the decision and the way in which it was undertaken, with Lee Keegan taking to X to say that "Kevin & his backroom deserved better than that s*** statement." Joe Brolly has appeared as a contender for the Mayo Senior Football manager job, according to Ladbrokes. With experience in a backroom team with Antrim and more recently with Knockmore GAA club in Mayo, Joe Brolly could be the one to replace Kevin McStay. Often critical of the Green and Red, Brolly has since relocated to the West and is 5/1 to pick up the coveted manager role. Frontrunner to take over from Kevin McStay is former Offaly manager John Maughan. Maughan has had a crack of whip at McHale Park before, reaching three All-Ireland finals in two separate stints as Mayo manager. The Castlebar native is 2/1 to take the reins again. Mayo legend Cora Staunton is also being considered at 4/1, having played a pivotal role on the pitch to lead the Mayo Ladies team to four All-Ireland titles. This appointment would mark a historical feat as Staunton would be the first woman to manage the team. Other GAA legends in the mix are former players Andy Moran who recently managed Leitrim (7/2), Conor Mortimer, twice All-Ireland finalist with Mayo (9/2), Lee Keegan, who won five All-stars while playing for Mayo (5/1) and current TD Alan Dillon (10/1) who might just give up his political career to go back to his beloved GAA. Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes commented: 'Brolly may not be a popular choice with the locals following some scathing reviews of the team in the past. However, his newfound love for the county may give him some leeway with punters. John Maughan is fan-favourite to answer the call once more, but there are plenty of Mayo GAA legends in the mix!' Ladbrokes Latest Odds Next Mayo Senior Football manager John Maughan – 2/1 Andy Moran – 7/2 Conor Mortimer – 9/2 Cora Staunton – 4/1 Joe Brolly – 5/1 Lee Keegan – 5/1 Alan Dillon – 10/1
Irish Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Fans hail new GAA documentary that took five years to make
Monday night saw a new Gaelic football documentary series begin on RTÉ One, with Hell for Leather premiering at 9:35pm. The series, which took half a decade to produce, includes musings from some of the biggest voices in Gaelic football, including Joe Brolly, Lee Keegan and Michael Murphy. The pilot episode went down well with viewers across the country, with many voicing their praise online. Even those involved in the game were quick to laud the production, with Down's Darragh O'Hanlon joining in. A lot of the positive reaction centred around the inclusion of the late Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh in the series, with this being his last TV appearance before his death last June. Many praised the timing of the series being broadcast - whether it was intentional or not - to have the episodes air in the midst of what is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing championships we have seen in big ball. The show's first and second episodes can be watched on the RTÉ Player. Let's hope the rest of the series continues on this trajectory set by the opening two episodes.
