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BBC News
10-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
All-Ireland finals could move to August in 2027
GAA president Jarlath Burns says the All-Ireland Senior Football and Hurling finals could be pushed back to August from 2027. While the two showpieces games were traditionally played in September, they have been staged in July since 2022 as part of the split-season model. Earlier this year, Burns said the finals would not be moved to August in 2026, but a proposal to tweak the calendars could now be considered at Special Congress in at the launch of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship on Tuesday, Burns said: "Croke Park operates with regard to its priorities and how it does its business a year in advance. So, already, because we hadn't made a decision on that, August 2026 is taken up. That puts August 2027 into the mix."I'm around the country all the time, in clubs and counties every single day of the week, and the thing that I get most debate on are the timings of the All-Ireland finals. "And there is a school of thought that is saying that first and third weeks in August, leaving everything as it is, okay, first and third weeks in August."Burns, whose term as president ends in February 2027, also said he favours provincial finals being decided by replays. Cork beat Limerick on penalties in last weekend's Munster Hurling decider while Burns' native Armagh lost Ulster Football final shootouts in 2023 and 2024."I suppose that brings that into focus as well," added Burns."There are people who are very favourable towards the preliminary quarter-finals, but we will always be led by what the counties want. We decided that we would hold that particular one back."You don't have to talk to me above anybody else about replays and provincial finals. We've (Armagh) lost three now, two quarter-finals, on penalties. I would be very much in favour of replays where at all possible."
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Conor McManus: Everyone stands behind their penalty takers but you are ultimately on your own
It was hurling finals weekend with Munster unusually scheduled on Saturday for the first time. It made no difference to the crowds, who filled out the Gaelic Grounds. I was attending a function that evening and so missed the live drama. The round-robin championship has been great but it's a bit unfair on teams who keep running into each other. Cork and Limerick are already expected to be sorting out the All-Ireland in July's final. Ulster football is closest to Munster hurling when it comes to generating interest and local rivalry. I never liked playing the same team twice, let alone the prospect of three times in eight to 10 weeks. We faced Tyrone as Ulster champions, having beaten them in the province – almost double the stress! – but at least there was a decent few weeks between the games. [ Cork crowned Munster champions after penalty shoot-out victory over Limerick – as it happened Opens in new window ] Cork turned around a 16-point margin in the final but narrower margins cause even more anxiety for both teams. The losers are almost expected to turn it around the next day and the winners can feel a bit like sitting ducks. READ MORE From Limerick's point of view, it would have been quite difficult to reproduce the form of three weeks ago. You play so well and then have to go and do it all over again. The penalties brought me back. I understand the need for them, given the nature of the calendar and everything else. But for two teams like Cork and Limerick to have to finish a game like that doesn't sit well with the prestige of a Munster final. When you have two teams as well matched as they are – the game was level 17 times – for us not to be fit to say, 'right, we'll come back next week to do that all over again', I think is wrong. I remember the penalty shoot-out two years ago, against Armagh. It's funny that taking a penalty during a match is so routine. Unless you get one right at the end, it's usually relatively relaxed. Because if you miss, it's not great, but it's probably not going to be life or death either. When the outcome of an All-Ireland quarter-final depends on these kicks, it's a different scenario. You know the pressure is on you and you have to score because there's a strong chance that if you don't, the team is going to suffer. They're not something we practised on a collective basis. I used to take a few at training, but there was no organised session. That was for a reason. Some people might be really good penalty takers on a given evening and nail all of them. Then, when there's a pressure moment, they don't deal as well with it. England at the 2006 World Cup brought on Jamie Carragher late in extra-time because he had been banging in the penalties at training. He didn't wait for the ref's whistle, scored and had to retake it. I don't think anyone in the global TV audience of millions expected him to do it again, and sure enough, he missed. Anybody can miss a penalty; that's the reality of it, but another reason for not making it part of the collective preparation is that you don't know who's going to be on the field at any given time. Monaghan's Conor McManus at the final whistle with Seán Jones after the penalty shoot-out win over Armagh in the 2023 All-Ireland quarter-final in Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho By the time you get through 70 or 80 minutes and then you have your two 10-minute periods of extra-time, you actually don't know who's going to be left on the pitch. So, it's very hard to say, 'yes, we have practised penalties, but we don't know who is going to be there to take them'. There's a certain element of luck attached to it in that sense. I saw Limerick bring on Diarmaid Byrnes just before the end of extra-time on Saturday, but teams have often used all of their bench options by then. You also need people who want to do it. You can't be putting any man under pressure and in that particular game against Armagh, it was a case of who's going to hit these? Look around and, hopefully, there are five hands up. If a man sticks his hand up, he's going to have the backing and the trust of all the other players. That goes without saying, but he's still on his own when the time comes. At that point, there's nothing else happening, only you and the goalkeeper and trying to see who comes out best. So, there is a fair bit of pressure attached to it, but at the same time, it's a strangely enjoyable experience to be in the middle of it all. The focal point. I suppose, though, that's strictly the experience of a winning shoot-out. On that day, we had done such little preparation that we weren't even aware that teams could change the order of their penalty takers. Although the idea is borrowed from soccer, there are variations. You can use the same five players if the teams are level after the first five penalties and shuffle them around. Armagh knew, and they changed the order of their kickers. If you take and score the penalty, there's a little hint of smugness as you head back to the huddle. At least that's me done for today. But both teams got four out of five, so I was up again and the second time, the pressure's rising. I had huge respect for Gary Mohan because he didn't score his first and it must have been a nervous walk-up for his second, but he nailed it. Football is back this weekend and the most striking thing about the fixtures is the jeopardy for some top teams. In Group 4, Dublin, Derry and Galway are all battling for their lives in this year's championship. A year ago, these teams were All-Ireland champions, league holders and three-in-a-row Connacht winners, also regarded as Sam Maguire front runners. Come Sunday evening, one of them will be gone. And in Group 1, there's a strong chance that Mayo will be joining them. Next week's landscape will be very interesting.
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Cork boss Pat Ryan warns Munster glory is just the start as All-Ireland tilt takes priority
WHILE basking in the glory of guiding Cork to their 55th Munster SHC title, Pat Ryan already had one eye on the bigger picture. 2 Cork captain Robert Downey lifts the Mick Mackey Cup after his side' victory in the Munster Hurling final over Limerick 2 Cork manager Pat Ryan says Cork have now turned their attention to the All-Ireland title Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston and Alan Connolly netted in the Gaelic Grounds penalty shootout that sent the Mick Mackey Cup to Leeside for the first time since 2018. That it occurred just 20 days after For Ryan, the satisfaction came from seeing his players deliver a performance that was a much truer reflection of their capabilities. But the Cork gaffer said: "This is just the start. This is just one thing. We move on to the All-Ireland series, the semi-finals. read more on gaa "We know we're a really good team. We saw what we were like when we weren't at it three weeks ago. It's all to play for." While the remaining two places in the last four of the Liam MacCarthy Cup race will be up for grabs over the next fortnight, Cork can rest assured that their ticket to a semi-final on July 5 has already been punched. Having played six games in nine weeks – including National League and Munster final victories – the Rebels are now facing into a four-week lay-off. Ryan said: "It's probably going to take a bit of managing now. That's something that we haven't accounted for before. Most read in GAA Hurling 'Limerick have plenty of experience of how they deal with that. That's your four weeks off to manage properly and probably get a bit of advice from fellas that have done it before." The intermission should also give Cork a chance to ease their injury issues after Niall O'Leary (groin) and captain Rob Downey (hamstring) were restricted to roles off the bench against Limerick. RTE GAA pundits argue over who started halftime row as Cork eventually topple Limerick in Munster epic final Declan Dalton (hamstring) played no part at all, while Ger Millerick also missed out due to fracturing his finger in the win over Waterford a fortnight ago. Ryan declared: 'I'd say everybody will be OK. We'll be in a good position. "Ger Millerick is three weeks in a brace, whatever length of time that is from the Waterford game, to try and get him back into it. But he should be OK.' Cork suffered extra-time heartbreak in last year's All-Ireland final. But Ryan felt his charges were better equipped to deal with the challenge this time. He added: 'We were definitely calmer. We had no injuries. "The last day against Clare in the All-Ireland final, there were three or four fellas with cramps and injuries and you were saying, 'Will we bring them off or will we stick with it?' 'That made life a bit easier.'
BBC News
08-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Limerick's reign ended as Cork win Munster final classic on penalties
Cork ended Limerick's long reign in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship in the most dramatic fashion, winning 3-2 in the competition's first penalty shootout after an extraordinary final ended in a draw after extra-time. Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston and Alan Connolly netted penalties for Cork, and while Diarmuid Byrnes and Aaron Gillane converted for Limerick, misses by Barry Murphy and Declan Hannon either side of Patrick Collins' save from Tom Morrissey handed the Rebels their first provincial triumph since front of a crowd of 43,580, Cork midfielder Darragh Fitzgibbon drilled over a '65 in added time at the end of extra-time to force penalties after 90-plus minutes in the Gaelic Grounds ended 1-30 to O'Connor and Shane O'Brien scored goals in either half in regulation for Limerick, with Shane Barrett raising Cork's green flag. Limerick, who were chasing a seventh consecutive title, now drop into the All-Ireland quarter-finals while last season's beaten finalists Cork progress to the last four. "Our fellas really dug in. It took an awful lot of effort over the last three weeks," Cork boss Pat Ryan told RTE. "We were embarrassed when we came up here the last time [losing by 16 points in the round-robin stage]. We had to get over Waterford [in the last game], which was a really tough game."I knew the lads were going to fight on their backs today."
Irish Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Cork end Limerick's Munster dominance after epic battle at the Gaelic Grounds
Munster Hurling Final: Cork 2-27 Limerick 1-30 AET (Cork win 3-2 on penalties) Cork are the new Munster hurling champions, an unexpected outcome that sent hordes of their delirious supporters, in a crowd of 43,580, on to the pitch at the Gaelic Grounds, as Robert Downey accepted the Mick Mackey Cup. Dismissed as having no more realistic ambitions than making inroads into the 16-point mauling suffered at the hands of Limerick less than three weeks previously, their understrength team rallied magnificently to confound the serial champions. It took penalties, a first ever shoot-out in a provincial final, to separate the teams at the end but by hanging on when it looked as if the champions had irresistible momentum in the second half and indeed after Darragh Fitzgibbon had seen their first penalty saved by Nickie Quaid, the new champions were well deserving of their 55th Munster title. The final was a smouldering, frantic affair, loosely refereed by Thomas Walsh, who went down with cramp in extra time and was replaced by James Owens. READ MORE It included an ill-tempered confrontation between the backroom teams at half-time, which will presumably attract the attention of the disciplinary authorities. Cork's goalkeeper Patrick Collins saves a penalty to win the game. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho After the near humiliation of the group match, Cork were viewed by many as akin to a political party, having suffered a landslide defeat and needing two more elections to catch up. Happily, hurling isn't politics and this match was completely different in its dynamic, respective performances and crucially, outcome. Although their bench appeared to compare unfavourably with the multiple All-Ireland winning opponents' reserves, it was the Cork auxiliaries who proved decisive, providing 0-6 of their extra-time scores, the lion's share from Shane Kingston (0-3) and Conor Lehane (0-2), who also hit penalties in the shoot-out. For John Kiely, it was a first defeat in 14 senior finals, spanning leagues, provincial championships and All-Irelands. Having posted a powerfully authoritative display in the group match, which matched their best efforts of recent years, this was a more fallible performance. They hit crucial wides when faced with the prospect of pulling away and winning a seventh successive Munster title, particularly in extra time when they looked a tired collective and even in the penalty shoot-out when their last three efforts were weary strikes. Limerick's Gearoid Hegarty with Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Cork brought a greater urgency to their efforts both in defence and in attack, getting pressure on Limerick and disrupting the smooth patterns that had effectively monopolised the previous meeting. They started with intent, opening a three-point lead in the first six minutes and even though they were reeled back in on many occasions, always responded either to equalise or nudge back in front. An attack that managed just 0-3 from play in the entire 70 minutes on the last day out had 1-10 from play by half-time, at which point they led by four, 1-14 to 1-10. The goals had spiced up exchanges, first Aidan O'Connor equalising 1-5 to 0-8 in the 20th minute after a pinpoint ball from Cian Lynch had given him a run at Eoin Downey. His batted effort beat Patrick Collins at the near post. Seven minutes later, a Cork attack ended with Brian Hayes, under real pressure, slipping the ball out to Shane Barrett, who whipped it sharply into the net, putting his team 1-9 to 1-7 ahead. Having regained the initiative, they pulled away by half-time. There had been fine individual moments, especially from debutant Diarmuid Healy, who would finish with 0-3 from play. Referee Thomas Walsh receives assistance from Limerick's Adam English after suffering cramp during extra time. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Limerick were unable to establish the same puck-out domination even with the wind in the second half, but with the half-forward line of Tom Morrissey, Cian Lynch and Gearóid Hegarty, the Shannonsiders had their go-getters. It was Hegarty, who launched a quick free into the forwards, which Gillane got to and cleverly kicked the ball into Shane O'Brien. The replacement finished emphatically and tied the match at 2-13 to 1-16 after Cork had largely protected the lead in the third quarter. It went point for point for most of the remainder of the contest. When Limerick appeared to be making good the momentum of their goal, Cork kept hitting back. It was all hands on deck with points on the evening for two of their full-back line, veteran Damien Cahalane and Eoin Downey. Limerick lost the better chances. Aaron Gillane had a free before the end of normal time to win it but Horgan also was ready to fire a point when blocked by Kyle Hayes, who was less imposing on this occasion than he had been in May. It was the wides in extra time that really cost the champions. They managed six, some of them really poor shot selection, whereas Cork had just one, a free attempt from Fitzgibbon, who nonetheless had a storming match at centrefield, making up for his subdued outing at centre forward three weeks previously. Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon celebrates scoring a late point to take the game to penalties. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho It was who took on the final act of extra time, a 65, awarded when the usually flawless Nickie Quaid spilled a long-range free from the same player and it went out of play. It cleared the bar, wiping out Gillane's free for a foul on Cathal O'Neill, which briefly looked to have taken the champions home. Their manager, John Kiely, was unhappy at James Owens playing well over the allotted one minute of injury-time at the end but there had been stoppages within time added on. Finally, the dice were rolled with the first penalty shoot-out in MacCarthy Cup history. Diarmuid Byrnes scored first and Fitzgibbon fired his straight at Quaid before Gillane made it 2-0. But from then on the champions were curiously lacking in conviction and Cork seemingly energised, as they seized the day. LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, M Casey; D Byrnes (0-1f), K Hayes, B Nash; A English (0-3), W O'Donoghue; G Hegarty (0-2), C Lynch, T Morrissey (0-2); A Gillane (0-9, 7f), A O'Connor (1-1), D Reidy (0-3). Subs: S O'Brien (1-2) for O'Connor (42 mins), P Casey (0-1) for Reidy, C O'Neill for T Morrissey (both 55), D O'Donovan (0-1) for O'Donoghue (65), B Murphy for M Casey, D Hannon (0-1) for Byrnes (both e-t), D Morrissey for Hegarty (79), D Byrnes for Lynch (90). Penalties: Byrnes, Gillane, Murphy (wide), T Morrissey (saved), Hannon (wide). CORK: P Collins; D Cahalane (0-1), E Downey (0-1), S O'Donoghue; M Coleman, C Joyce, C O'Brien; T O'Mahony (0-1), D Fitzgibbon (0-4, 1f, 65); D Healy (0-3), S Barrett (1-3), S Harnedy (0-2); P Horgan (0-7, 4f, B Hayes (0-1), A Connolly (0-1). Subs: R Downey for O'Brien, T O'Connell (0-1) for O'Mahony (both 59 mins), S Kingston (0-3) for Connolly, R O'Flynn for Harnedy (both 65), C Lehane (0-2) for Horgan (70), N O'Leary for O'Donoghue (73), B Roche for Healy (80), A Connolly for Coleman (84). Penalties: Fitzgibbon (saved), Lehane, Kingston, Connolly. Referee: T Walsh (Waterford) replaced by J Owens (Wexford) from 73rd minute.
