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The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘A week on & it still hurts' – TJ Reid bares his soul over semi-final agony as Kilkenny fans make plea
TJ Reid has reflected on another year in black and amber and how the pain from their All-Ireland semi-final loss still stings. The nature of 3 Reid and Co needlessly chased a goal in the dying moments thinking they were trailing by a bigger margin than they actually were 3 Being consoled by two and a half year old daughter Harper after their loss to Tipp 3 He noted that winning their sixth Leinster title in succession is 'a wonderful achievement' Sharing a powerful image of him crestfallen at the final whistle but being sweetly consoled by his daughter, the 37-year-old wrote: "F it anyway Harper. "A week on and it still hurts. Grateful for another year wearing the black and amber jersey. "Completing six Leinster titles in a row is still a wonderful achievement but it would have been brilliant to get back into an All-Ireland Final and to compete in it. "Thanks to my best supporters Niamh and my little daughter Harper and to all the Kilkenny supporters. Read More On GAA "Thanks to a group of special players. We had a great journey this year, sport is about the process and progress and we enjoyed every moment of it." At this juncture of his emotional Instagram post he then started to quote a viral speech given by Hollywood A-lister The Ballyhale Shamrocks man continued: "I wish I knew that this too shall pass. You feel bad right now? You feel p***ed off? You feel anxious? This too shall pass. "Oh you feel great? You feel like you know all the answers? You feel like everybody finally gets you? This too shall pass. Most read in GAA Hurling "Time is your ally, and if nothing else, just wait. Just wait it out. - Tom Hanks. Up Kilkenny." The upfront nature of his post prompted a tonne of support from Kilkenny fans as well as those from rival counties. 'Easiest interview I've ever had' jokes RTE GAA host after pundits go back and forth before Meath vs Donegal Kieran hailed: "Love this TJ. Great reflection." Similarly, Lauren praised: "Proud of you always, you always give it 100%." Meanwhile Brid noted: "Another amazing year, Harper is so proud." GIVE IT ANOTHER HURL? Despite his advancing years, the seven-time All-Star is still clearly able to be a difference-maker at inter-county level. As such, plenty of followers begged him to continue on with Derek Lyng's side for at least another year. Barry urged: "Congrats on another amazing year with the Cats, than you for all the enjoyment watching you play has been my privilege. Here's to next year." In April Reid It remains to be seen if he will be back for another tilt with the Cats. For now, all eyes of hurling fans can't venture beyond Sunday when Galway referee Liam Gordon
Irish Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Joe Canning: Kilkenny must get big calls right to be successful again
Kilkenny win so many matches every year that everyone has a clear idea of how they do it. It's never a mystery when they win. They're probably the most predictable team in the country. Last Sunday, all of that went out the window. It wasn't just that they lost, but how they lost: conceding four goals; not scoring a goal; not being able to manage the game against 14 men; surrendering a lead going down the stretch. None of that tallies with the way Kilkenny normally do their business. Goals were the theme of the weekend. Over the two semi-finals, 13 goals were scored. Even Dublin managed two and threatened a couple of others. Kilkenny didn't look remotely like scoring a goal until John Donnelly's shot in stoppage time was blocked on the line by Robert Doyle. The last time Kilkenny failed to score a goal in Croke Park was the 2022 Leinster final, a low scoring game that they won. Before that, you must go back another three years. READ MORE TJ Reid has always been a goal threat throughout his career but that didn't materialise on Sunday. The most effective way for Kilkenny to get the ball into his hand now is to drop it on his head, but there wasn't enough high ball going into him. His free taking was terrific on a tricky day, and he picked off his points from play, but Kilkenny needed to do more to get him into the game. Tipperary's Bryan O'Mara and Ronan Maher compete for a high ball with Kilkenny's TJ Reid and Adrian Mullen. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho They also needed a lot more from Eoin Cody and especially Adrian Mullen. He came up with two points just before he was taken off, but that substitution had been on their minds for a good while before they eventually got Stephen Donnelly on to the field. Cody and Mullen need to lead this Kilkenny attack. Not scoring a goal is a much bigger issue when you concede four. Over the years, Kilkenny have been ruthless in defence of their own goal. That wasn't the case on Sunday. Darragh McCarthy and Jason Forde got through much too easily and Oísin O'Donoghue should never have been allowed get his shot away. All three were brilliant finishes but they weren't well defended. In those situations, you would expect someone to give away a foul. You might say that's cynical but every team thinks like that. The black card penalty is obviously a deterrent but if the move gets that close to goal somebody hasn't done their job farther out. The John McGrath goal that gave Tipp a lifeline in the first 15 minutes was different. I thought it was actually well defended but the ball just broke to McGrath and his finish was top class. He used the wall of players in front of him as a shield and Eoin Murphy didn't have a clear sight of McGrath as he was striking the ball. That was pure class. This Kilkenny team are at a crossroads now. The same bunch of core players have been around for the last few years without winning an All-Ireland. In that time, they've won six Leinster titles in a row, but I don't know how much value Kilkenny people would place on that. I'd say it's a bit like Kerry with the Munster football championship; it only matters when they don't win it. In Kilkenny, just like Kerry, the year is only a success if you win the All-Ireland. Of the four teams left last weekend, Kilkenny had by far the most experience of playing big games in Croke Park, and yet they came up short again. Apart from Richie Reid, who was a sub goalie in 2015, Eoin Murphy and TJ Reid were the only players in the Kilkenny set-up last weekend who had All-Ireland medals. The worrying thing for them is that when you looked through the subs it was hard to see players who could change the game. In the last couple of years, Richie Hogan, Walter Walsh, Cillian Buckley and Conor Fogarty have all retired and with them a wealth of experience left the dressingroom. They all did a stint as impact subs before they finished up. Kilkenny had a good under-20 team this year but were well beaten by an exceptional Tipperary team in the final. It is extremely unusual that three players from that team have made a breakthrough with the Tipp seniors this season – McCarthy and Sam O'Farrell starting, O'Donoghue coming on – because it is a huge jump to make. Tipperary's Darragh McCarthy celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Kilkenny last weekend. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho None of the Kilkenny under-20s were able to make that leap, but Kilkenny will have to try to bring some of them through next year. If Derek Lyng stays on as manager he will have some big calls to make. If Kilkenny come back with the same team, it's hard to see them winning the All-Ireland next year. Liam Cahill made a lot of changes since last year. He took a chance on some young players, and his faith has been rewarded. Darragh McCarthy hasn't been scoring much from play in recent games, but he worked very hard last Sunday and held up the ball. His discipline is obviously something that needs to be cleaned up. You'd often hear fellas saying if you're going to get a yellow card or a red card, make sure it's a good one. Neither of his bookings last Sunday were good. The first one was worse than the second, but they were both needless. For a young player, especially a forward, two red cards in the same year is not good. He needs to learn fast. There's going to be a massive buzz around both counties for the next 10 days. I'm sure Tipp and Cork will have A versus B games this weekend and in my experience the B team often wins those matches because those players have nothing to lose. Some of them are only trying to break into the match day 26. At this stage Cork and Tipp don't have any secrets from each other. Coming up with something new on Sunday week could swing it.
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Tactical Analysis: Tipperary's ruthless efficiency and turnovers sank Kilkenny
Tipperary booked their place in the All-Ireland final with a thrilling and controversial two-point win over Kilkenny , sealed by a thunderous 69th-minute goal from Oisín O'Donoghue. Oisín O'Donoghue's late goal for Tipperary was the start of a chaotic end game in Croke Park. However the scoreboard error late in the game – after the umpire had waved Noel McGrath's shot wide – was a big talking point. Kilkenny thought they were four points down at that point, rather than three, potentially influencing their decision to pursue a goal rather than taking points. Jordan Molloy reduced the gap to two, but Kilkenny kept pressing for a goal, unaware they were only two down rather than three. John Donnelly's late effort was repelled by Robbie Doyle, and TJ Reid, with a chance to point, instead looked for goal. READ MORE Adding to the tension was the dismissal of Darragh McCarthy on 59 minutes for a second yellow card, although the numerical disadvantage appeared to galvanise Tipp. First half of toing and froing The first half was defined tactically by how Kilkenny offered the short puckout to Tipp. The puckout map below highlights below how Tipperary gained more distance and secured cleaner possession off their restarts, pushing Kilkenny on to the back foot. Tipperary went short with the majority of their puckouts in the first half, with Rhys Shelly often taking the return pass and launching the ball onto the Tipp full-forward line Tipp's forwards showed intent all day, though it took them 15 minutes to settle into the game – their only score during that opening period being John McGrath's sublime finish, a goal created by clever movement that pulled Huw Lawlor out of position. For Tipperary's first goal, Rhys Shelly took a return pass and launched a long ball down to where Huw Lawlor has been dragged out of position by good movement Andrew Ormond had a similar chance moment earlier but opted for a shot when he might have passed to John McGrath, as we can see below. Tipperary created other goal chances - here we see Andrew Ormond choosing to shoot when he could have passed to John McGrath The shot map above reveals how Tipp were clinical with their goal chances, netting three times from inside positions despite registering 12 first-half wides. Darragh McCarthy's goal came from direct running and Jason Forde's strike – set up by McCarthy's sublime handpass – was a sensational one-handed flick finish, improvising under pressure and deceiving Eoin Murphy. Kilkenny looked dominant in those first 15 minutes, as Tipp struggled with the dimensions of Croke Park. Kilkenny dominated the start of the match but Tipperary gradually forced their way into the game. Kilkenny led by five at one stage in the first half, but Tipperary's ability to score in bursts proved critical. The turning point of the first half came in the five-minute spell from the 18th minute. With Kilkenny leading 0-10 to 1-2, the momentum shifted dramatically. Eoghan Connolly sparked the revival with a point, stemming from a hard-earned turnover on a Kilkenny puckout by Conor Stakelum. Jake Morris followed that with a point after a mis-hit sideline ball by Forde. Tipp then struck with goals from McCarthy and Forde, propelling them into the lead by the 23rd minute. Kilkenny's composure began to fray as they conceded a string of chances, while Rhys Shelly's precise deliveries into the inside line continued to cause chaos. The sharp movement of John McGrath and McCarthy consistently disrupted Kilkenny's full-back line, culminating in 2-2 from the Tipp full-forward trio during that blistering spell. Tipp hold firm The second half began with Kilkenny edging their way back into contention, but Tipperary remained composed and clinical in key moments. The game's dynamic shifted dramatically when McCarthy was shown a second yellow card, reducing Tipp to 14 men with over 10 minutes left to play. But Kilkenny failed to exploit the numerical advantage. Rather than creating space or working the extra man to stretch Tipp's defensive shape, Kilkenny defaulted to hitting hopeful 50/50 balls – particularly from Paddy Deegan and Richie Reid – into a well-drilled Tipp defence. Their ball handling and decision-making deteriorated, and instead of using the width of Croke Park, their attack became narrow and predictable. Tipp, looking compact and disciplined, protected the scoring zone effectively. While they conceded frees that TJ Reid converted, they gave up no clear goal chances – a testament to their structure, tracking, and sheer workrate in the closing stages. While Kilkenny scored well in the second half, they didn't create many goal chances. Meanwhile, Tipperary's resets remained sharp, with Mikey Breen repeatedly available from short puckouts, helping Tipp retain control. Kilkenny's own puckout strategy stuttered – Eoin Murphy was slow to restart when options were available. More importantly, Tipp punished Kilkenny mistakes with 1-10 from turnovers. This was evident in the last 10 minutes when Reid, Deegan and Carey were each caught in possession. Tipperary regularly managed to get short puckouts away in the second half. A crucial moment came when Jordan Molloy's effort − with Kilkenny two points up − was floating just over the bar, and goalkeeper Shelly reached high with his hurl and took the ball down from going over the crossbar. Soon after, O'Donoghue's brilliant solo goal off an Alan Tynan turnover below, extended Tipp's lead and deflated Kilkenny. Tipperary worked hard to create turnovers and were clinical in converting the chances they created. Tipp's full-forward line ended with 3-3 from play, plus O'Donoghue's goal, while Kilkenny, despite hurling well in patches, failed to land a knockout blow when it counted most. Jeffrey Lynskey managed Galway to three All-Ireland minor hurling titles. He is also a former Galway under-20 manager and is currently an MSc student in Sports Performance Analysis at Setu Carlow.
The Irish Sun
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Always proud' – TJ Reid's wife shares heartbreaking photo of him cradling daughter after painful loss
TJ Reid's wife Niamh De Brún-Reid shared a photo of the heartbroken ace being consoled by daughter Harper after Sunday's painful loss. Kilkenny came up just short of making the All-Ireland final in Advertisement 2 Niamh captioned this snap 'Always a proud day for us seeing you play' 2 A happier moment for all three after the Leinster final victory over Galway Credit: @niamhdebrun Despite turning 37 in November, Reid still remains a force to be reckoned with as evidenced by his haul of 0-11 yesterday. While eight of those points did come frees he still demonstrated an ability to win ball out in front of his marker whenever he was supplied with decent passes to work with. The Ballyhale Shamrocks icon did look particularly devastated at However, Advertisement Read More On GAA Derek Lyng's oldest Cat joined the senior panel in 2007 when he was only 19, and is one of the all-time greats. Plenty of global sporting icons have continued to perform no matter how old they are. Portuguese icon Italian AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini played until he was 41, and the NBA's all-time scorer Lebron James is still lighting it up for the LA Lakers at 40. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Comment Dublin stopper Stephen Cluxton is 43, and Cork great Christy Ring hurled for his beloved Cloyne Glen Rovers club until he was 46. Speculation over RTE pundits weigh in on scoreboard controversy that marred Tipperary's dramatic win over Kilkenny He said in April: 'It's mind over matter. If you allow age to dictate your life, you're on a losing battlefield straight away. 'I never think of my age, I always think of how am I performing, how am I moving, how am I feeling, what's my mindset like, do I want this anymore? Advertisement 'Do I want to be going training three or four nights a week? That's the big thing. If that want isn't there, that willingness isn't there, then that's the time to go. 'Most of those guys who are over 35, prolonging their career, they still have that willingness to give it everything. That's the big thing. You look at the likes of Maldini from AC Milan, Lebron, Ronaldo, Messi. "I look at all those top, top class players, they're still dedicating their life to it, and you have to. If you want to reach those barriers, you have to be willing to put in the effort. 'Most people think that psychologically you have to get older to reduce things, but you don't. The time you do reduce it, that's when you get left behind.' Advertisement GYM LIFE A lot has changed for inter-county hurlers since Reid joined Brian Cody's squad 18 years ago. Recovery and nutrition are huge, science around athletic performance has developed hugely and gyms have replaced the pub. Reid runs his own fitness centre on the outskirts of Kilkenny city and admits owning business in the sector has been a massive help. He said: 'I'm whatever age I am, I'm still doing as much as I was 10 years ago, or even more. Obviously, my job is to inspire people to be fitter and healthier. So look, that's a given for myself. Advertisement 'And look, it is easier when you know the industry and you're a professional in that regard. So look, you're tipping away yourself anyway. "And the way modern hurling is, the majority of people have access to gyms now. I know years ago, going back, we used to come back and we used to be two or three stone overweight back in January. 'Now lads are coming back in better shape than they were when they were hurling, because just in modern life, the gym is more of a social thing now, which is great. 'That's where they go and meet instead of going drinking, they go into the gym together. The modern day GAA players, they're looking after themselves way better than they were.' Advertisement
The 42
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Scoreboard malfunction colours the close of remarkable Tipperary victory
WE MIGHT NEVER get to the bottom of The Great Scoreline Mystery of the All-Ireland hurling semi-final of 2025. Shortly after the end of the game, GAA officials were adamant that Tipperary had scored 4-21 to Kilkenny's 0-30. The press box in Croke Park, those that weren't lost in nose-picking distraction, had a late Noel McGrath shot marked down as a wide. No white flag was raised. A few eagle-eyed observers insist that an umpire waved it wide. However, the scoreboard in Croke Park ticked it up. What odds, you might say? But there is a very important principle at play here. Because the margin was three points, that meant Kilkenny had to go looking for a goal in a game in which they barely got a sniff of one. With four minutes added on, Kilkenny could have gone hunting for two points to level the game and bring it to extra-time. As it happens, they did get a sight of goal. A few wriggles here from TJ Reid, a shimmy there and John Donnelly was handed the ball in enough space to get a good slap at it. He caught the ball right on the meat and it flew past Tipperary goalkeeper Rhys Shelly. But not past Robert Doyle of Clonoulty Rossmore, who had retreated to a yard off the line and controlled a rocket of a shot. The whistle blew shortly after. Tipperary's first game in Croke Park in six years brought victory. It's only a little thing, granted, but the panic spread to the press box where reporters desperately beseeched each other on what the Tipperary score was. In the media centre, GAA employee Jamie Ó Tuama confirmed that the score would remain as 4-21 to Tipperary. Advertisement It's an unsatisfactory end to a game that falls slightly short of a classic – there was too much loose play – but one that was typically packed with incident between these two. The shorthand version first; the underdogs, who were priced 13/8 before the ball was thrown in, hadn't played on this pitch since the 2019 All-Ireland final when they beat Kilkenny by 14 points. We dredge up someone else's phrase here, but there has always been something of the Old Testament about Tipperary and Kilkenny that makes those involved nervous of each other. Huw Lawlor catches. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO That seemed to spread pitchside prior to the game. As the Artane Band led the teams around in the pre-match parade, Kilkenny's Shane Murphy and Adrian Mullen emerged out of the tunnel to belatedly take up their spots, followed later again by TJ Reid. Given these players are lorrying water into themselves for days prior to a game, we hereby launch a campaign for a comfort break for all players in the space between warm-up and parade. These lads aren't camels. The first three scores arrived from Reid, Billy Ryan and Martin Keogan. It took eight minutes for 0-3; in today's money that's slow scoring. Jake Morris charged through the centre of the Cats defence to offload a shot that was blocked. The ball squirted out to John McGrath who placed it in the roof of the Kilkenny net. That was answered by five Kilkenny points. Tipperary were being pegged back. The full-forward line of Keogan, Reid and Eoin Cody was functioning well against a full-back line that many in Tipp were saying Novenas for. But they got to grips with it. Conor Stakelum got their second score on 14 minutes. He got their third two minutes later. Eoghan Connolly produced a burst of three points from play from full-back. Then, a long ball into the corner evaded Jason Forde and Mikey Carey. It broke for Darragh McCarthy who made for goal with Huw Lawlor flaking away, but he squeezed his shot to the net on 22 minutes. Three minutes later, another break in that corner of the Canal End and Cusack Stand. This time McCarthy was able to scoop a handpass towards Jason Forde on his way to goal and he produced a delicate flick over Eoin Murphy to the net. For the first quarter, there was an element of 'After the Lord Mayor's Show' to the game. Now it was alive. The crowd were invested. A block anywhere near the stands always gets a good reaction, but when Alan Tynan came on for two minutes as a temporary sub for Andrew Ormond, he got a full-length block on Paddy Deegan that put the Premier support delirious. Kilkenny kept chipping away but the Tipp attack still looked lethal. Shelly worked a give and go from a puckout that he landed in front of John McGrath and Lawlor. A good old-fashioned wrestle played out but once McGrath got free he got his head down to drive the ball, but it flew over the bar. Now to Darragh McCarthy. The promising young man from Toomevara is a rare talent and reminiscent of Noel McGrath in his senior infancy. He converted Tipp's first free on 38 minutes. But free-taking is a merciless business and on a wet and windy Croke Park it's brutal. That was becoming apparent as McCarthy, followed by full-back Eoghan Connolly, put frees wide. Putting a free wide is one thing. Doing so with an elaborate free-taking routine such as McCarthy's feels like missing two in one go. Standing side on to the ball, then approaching it face-on. Throwing up a few blades of grass, all that stuff just serves to produce a louder guffaw of mockery from the opposition support if and when it drifts wide. Four wides from Tipp from the 40th to 42nd minutes felt like a mini-meltdown. McCarthy missing another one on 47th minutes was self-harm. After 50 minutes, a Reid free drew Kilkenny level. Another put them ahead. Instant surgery was required and Tipp manager Liam Cahill put Jason Forde on the frees. He knocked over two that were high up on the difficulty scale. But it was Kilkenny in the lead when McCarthy was sent off for his second yellow card on 59 minutes. A tap on the hand of Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy. A yellow by the book. But the sort of offence that would cause no alarm in the middle of a crowded midfield. Liam Cahill meets Darragh McCarthy after being sent off. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Tipp would go on to outscored Kilkenny 1-5 to 0-4 for the remainder of the game. Jake Morris hit a special. Forde converted a free that should have brought a second yellow for Paddy Deegan but instead Mikey Carey got it. Another free from Forde after Ormond was fouled brought them level. Oisín O'Donoghue entered the fray on 63 minutes. The Cashel man had a spectacular impact as he disposed Richie Reid who was making a rather, well, 'relaxed' clearance and the play ended with a bullet of a point from Forde to take the lead. It's all subjective whims and thoughts of course. But if it had been Brian Cody on the nearby sideline, you'd be tempted to think that ball might have been launched by Reid. The climax was fitting and maybe unexpected as O'Donoghue picked up a scrap of possession and, despite being surrounded by Kilkenny defenders, got a shot off that hit the top corner of Eoin Murphy's net. Related Reads 'There's a lot of drive in them' - The North Tipperary attacking stars pointing the way Absolute warfare: The return of Kilkenny and Tipperary after six years 'We won't be sitting back admiring them' - Clare plotting Déise downfall to reach semi-finals It wasn't quite a knockout blow. But the next 'score' from Noel McGrath felt it as it was chalked up on the scoreboard. Jordon Molloy got a point for Kilkenny. If the scoreboard at that point was right, then Kilkenny might have gone about things differently. Long after the game, Michael Verney of the Irish Independent texted the referee James Owens to enquire about the scoreline. '4-20 to 30 points' was his reply. Some calls were put through to the GAA media department. The same calls rang out. Eventually, Cian Murphy of the Communications Department appeared to inform all left in the Micheál O'Hehir suite that the scoreline, as suspected, was 4-20 to 0-30. The excitement and fervour of a Cork-Tipperary All-Ireland final will drown out any controversy from today. Lucky for some. * Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
