Cork All-Ireland opener could define Meath Senior footballers' season
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Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland come from behind to take late win over Scotland in World Cup warm-up
World Cup warm-up: Ireland 27 Scotland 21 If Ireland showed some pre-World Cup rust, they quickly shook it off to overturn a 14-point deficit in a five-try victory over Scotland in Cork. First international tries from props Sadhbh McGrath and Niamh O'Dowd, plus Exeter Chiefs debutant Nancy McGillivray, were highlight moments from the six-point success. After the double sickener of losing backrowers Erin King and Dorothy Wall for the World Cup, the form of Grace Moore to earn player-of-the-match honours was most welcome. Head coach Scott Bemand was also boosted by the returns of captain Sam Monaghan and Béibhinn Parsons for their first caps in 15 months. READ MORE Ireland's Béibhinn Parsons is tackled by Scotland's Lucia Scott and Elis Martin. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho With gaps to fill in the pack, Bemand handed debuts to Connacht flankers Ivana Kiripati from the start and Ailish Quinn off the bench. Amid early nerves, Kiripati knocked on from a lineout and Lisa Thomson pounced for the opening touchdown before also converting. Within six minutes Scotland unleashed a set-piece power play as Lucia Scott sliced through untouched to score. Thomson's conversion made it 14-0. But a serious injury to Lana Skeldon seemed to take the wind out of their sails. Ireland made that momentum swing count as 20-year-old prop McGrath barged over for her first international try. Dannah O'Brien's conversion hit the post. It was two tries in four minutes when Moore's break led to a quick-passing move which saw Méabh Deely race home. O'Brien nailed the touchline conversion to trail 14-12 at half-time. Ireland's Ivana Kiripati and Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald in action against Scotland. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho It took six second-half minutes before Ireland grabbed their first lead. Kiripati was initially held up over the line, but once Scotland kicked the restart out on the full, Ireland punished them with McGillivray's memorable debut try. The lead remained at three as O'Brien missed off the tee. Scottish discipline continued to erode. A deliberate knock-on saw winger Coreen Grant sinbinned as they coughed up 11 consecutive penalties either side of half-time. Out of nothing, the visitors got back ahead in their last play with 14 players. Poor defending allowed Emma Orr to sprint through a gap to touch down before Thomson's kick made it 21-17. But Ireland dug deep to edge ahead after 67 minutes. O'Dowd ripped possession out of Scottish hands before the Wexford native found herself at the end of the move to dive over. Enya Breen's conversion came up short. They earned a late cushion when Deirbhile Nic a Bháird dashed over from an advancing lineout maul. Breen became the second home kicker to strike the post, but their lead was never threatened. Scoring sequence – 15 mins: Thomson try, con 0-7; 21: Scott try, Thomson con 0-14; 34: McGrath try 5-14; 37: Deely try, O'Brien con 12-14; Half-time 12-14 ; 45: McGillivray try 17-14; 63: Orr try, Thomson con 17-21; 67: O'Dowd try 22-21; 76: Nic a Bháird try 27-21 IRELAND: M Deely (Blackrock College/Connacht); B Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht), N McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs), E Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster), A-L Costigan (Railway Union/Munster); D O'Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), M Scuffil-McCabe (Manawatū/Leinster); S McCarthy (Railway Union/Munster), C Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), S McGrath (Cooke/Ulster); E Corri-Fallon (Blackrock College/Leinster), S Monaghan (Gloucester Hartpury/IQ Rugby, capt); G Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), I Kiripati (Creggs/Connacht), B Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster). Replacements: D Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere/Munster) for Moore (temp, 2-13 mins); F Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster) for Monaghan (34); N O'Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster) for McCarthy, L Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster) for McGrath (both 49); Nic a Bháird for Hogan, E Lane (Blackrock College) for Scuffil-McCabe, E Breen (Blackrock College/Munster) for O'Brien (all 59); N Jones (Gloucester Hartpury) for Moloney-MacDonald, A Quinn (Galwegians/Connacht) for Kiripati (both 68). SCOTLAND: C Rollie; C Grant, E Orr, L Thomson, L Scott; H Ramsay, C Mattinson; A Young, L Skeldon, E Clarke; E Wassell, R Malcolm (capt); R McLachlan, A Stewart, E Gallagher. Replacements: E Martin for Skeldon (31 mins); L Bartlett for Young (40); L Brebner-Holden for Mattinson (51); M Poolman for Clarke (54); B Blacklock for Ramsay (56); A Ferrie for Wassell, E Donaldson for Malcolm (both 64); E Wills for Brebner-Holden (70). Yellow card: C Grant (51 mins). Referee: C Munarini (Italy).
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Crowley and Hurley give Munster the perfect start at Keady-Tassagh
Wins for Shane Crowley and Emma Hurley gave Munster the perfect start to the All-Ireland series at Keady-Tassagh on Saturday. Crowley's power gave him the edge over Tyrone's Eogan McVeigh in the boys U18 final. Twice he led by close to two bowls, but McVeigh rallied strongly in the final third. It was not enough to derail Crowley who is really maturing in his score management. Emma Hurley was tested too by Ellie-May Carr in the girls U18 final. She took a while to stamp her authority on the score, but once she did, she looked awesome at times. Carr kept pressing down to a brilliant purlicue around the last bend, which put Hurley in a sticky spot. She dealt with that with total calm, with two calculated perfect bowls. Crowley's temperament was put under the microscope from the off as his first bowl was called. He didn't flinch, he responded with an equally good effort. McVeigh beat that by three metres, in what would be his only lead. He was too wide with his next two and found himself a bowl down to Crowley's third. Crowley was close to two ahead after his fifth past Twyman's corner. McVeigh brought the lead under a bowl with a brilliant bowl up Gallogly's height. This became the narrative for much of the score, McVeigh knocking the bowl, Crowley raising it again and threatening to push clear. Crowley was almost two in front again after ten over McGeown's height. McVeigh closed the gap and saw it extend, till he finally got serious traction with a great 16th bowl past McKee's wall. He followed with another good bowl to the bridge. Crowley now had just 58m odds facing up the hill towards the line. McVeigh's gains were squandered when he got a poor shot up the hill. Crowley hit back with a monster bowl that beat the line and gave him victory by a bowl of odds. In the girls U18 final, Carr took the battle to Hurley winning the first three shots. Hurley won her first lead with a great fourth shot over McGeown's height. She pushed her lead out to 50m with her next one, but she could not break clear of a very tenacious Carr. She finally gained a big lead with her ninth past Twynam's cottage. Carr was back in it after her bowl past Twynam's corner. Hurley moved up the gears and raised a bowl at the bus stop. Carr made a valiant effort to turn the tide with a beautifully measured purlicue around the last bend. Hurley closed with two perfectly measured bowls, the first out under the hedge to full light, which kept her lead close to a bowl. She then sent a sizzling bowl down the hill past the line to seal it.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Limerick boss Lee says county board 'knifed players in the back' on seeding issue
Limerick football manager Jimmy Lee has said his players have been 'knifed in the back' by the county board and its decision to support seeding the Munster SFC on League standings. With Lee and his players having expressed open opposition to the proposed change in advance of Thursday's Munster Council meeting, the Treaty boss said the decision of the county board executive to go against their wishes and support the motion was 'a vote of no confidence' in him, the rest of the Limerick football management, the Limerick players, and everyone working at all levels to better Limerick football. In a county where player turnover has been a constant problem for their flagship team, Lee was adamant that the decision of the executive to vote against what the players wanted will not encourage them to sign up again in 2026. On Thursday night a proposal that Cork and Kerry be seeded in separate semi-finals for the 2026 Munster SFC draw was voted through. That seeding is determined by Kerry and Cork having the two highest League finishing positions in 2025 of the six Munster counties. Clare, Tipperary, and Waterford voted against seeding the Munster SFC based off League rankings, but Limerick did not, instead siding with Cork, Kerry, and Munster top-brass who voted for the motion. The old system, discontinued as a result of the midweek vote, was that the two teams who reached the Munster final would receive a bye to the following season's semi-finals, but would not be kept apart in the draw. What it has been replaced with is designed to deliver increased Munster final attendances in the wake of dwindling crowds for the past number of years. The Kerry-Clare deciders of the past three years drew crowds of 12,449, 12,059, and 13,181 respectively. 'The Limerick players are feeling like no one has their back,' Lee told the Irish Examiner on Saturday morning. 'They were adamant that they didn't want this. They made their views known in writing. And now the county board, in their wisdom, they have knifed them in the back. That is what it feels like. 'And that's only my opinion, the players wouldn't have expressed that. But looking from the outside in, that's what's after happening.' Lee revealed he has written to county board chairman Seamus McNamara to seek a meeting with McNamara, county board secretary Mike O'Riordan, treasurer Sean Burke, Munster Council delegates John Cregan and Pat Davoren, and football board chairman Wayne Fitzgerald to seek an explanation as to why Limerick voted in favour of a proposal that decreases the likelihood of future Treaty involvement in the provincial decider. He also wants answered why the clubs were not consulted on what way the county should vote at Thursday's Munster meeting. He has yet to receive clarity from any office holder of why Limerick voted as they did. 'It's a vote of no confidence in us,' the Limerick football manager continued. 'I have to go back now and discuss it with the management team as we thought we were on the same trajectory and same page as the county board. It has you second guessing yourself, you know what I mean? 'It's like pushing a boulder up a hill and it keeps coming back down, flattening you. That's what it feels like. 'Does that make me question my tenure? I suppose I question it all the time, because originally they were asking me to do a three-year term. And I said, we'll do year to year. 'But look, it raises doubts in terms of, are we on the same page? And if we're not on the same page, Jaysus we have problems. There's a football board there, they're meant to be promoting football. But like, if they're promoting it, don't you think they'd have made a recommendation to the county board to say no to this? 'It is a vote of no confidence in the lads that are doing work in the academy. I'm trying to keep players within the panel, like you had 16 and 19 that left the last two years. And now I have to go back and try and say, you have to put in an extra effort to get to a Munster final because of the way the county board voted. I'm trying to keep lads in looking out rather than outside looking in. And the county board is just working the opposite way to me. 'Our captain Cillian Fahy, he's getting married next Saturday. It is a busy time for him. I would have said to Cillian last week, we won't be talking until after his wedding. I had to ring him yesterday and he's had to pick up the reins of Limerick football again and try and figure this out, which is unfair.' At a recent end-of-season review meeting involving Lee and members of the Limerick executive, the seeding proposal came up as an 'add on' to the meeting. Lee told the executive members present of his staunch opposition to the proposal. The manager has claimed that it was said to him that if Limerick supported the Munster GAA motion it would lead to an extra football coach being put in place in the county. 'I know politics and stuff comes into play and promises are made. I come from a HR background in the corporate world, and you dot your I's and cross your T's in any agreement. My final words to them that night was, I'd be voting for nothing until I see it in black and white or on paper. Promises were made previously, and we are still waiting. 'Everyone knows there's power and politics within the GAA, but that's where culturally the GAA as a whole is wrong. That to me makes mockery of the whole thing. And here are four inter-county teams suffering because of this. Clare, Tipperary, and Waterford, they're not going to trust Limerick anymore. We said we were against it and the county has voted for it. We sold our soul, and for what? 'It's a kick in the teeth for what we've done this year in terms of reaching a Tailteann Cup final and winning the Division 4 League. We're doing everything to promote Limerick football and then this happens.' ENDS
