Offaly v Kildare LIVE stream for Leinster Minor football Championship semi-final
Offaly take on Kildare this evening in the semi-final of the Leinster Minor Football Championship.
Throw-in for tonight's game is set for 6.30pm, with Glenisk O'Connor Park hosting the game.
You can stream this evening's game at the top and bottom of this article via the Sport TG4's YouTube channel. All Star quits Tyrone panel ahead of All-Ireland series group stage
The winner's of tonight's game will take on either Dublin or Louth, who clash at 7.30pm in the other semi-final at Naul.
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RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Goal-shy Galway reliant on deadly accurate Cathal Mannion
Against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford in this year's Leinster championship Galway managed just three goal chances, while their opposition combined for a total of 19. Despite winning two of those three games en route to this afternoon's Leinster hurling decider against Kilkenny - Galway conceded eight goals and scored just the one. That sole green flag came against Wexford in added time to give the Tribesmen an eight-point lead. Ultimately when they face the Cats again at Croke Park, Galway will need to create more goal chances and concede much fewer if they are to reverse the 12 point-deficit in April. Kilkenny scored three of half a dozen chances in that comfortable first-round victory in Nowlan Park on a day when the visitors failed to create even one half goalscoring chance. In their victories over Wexford and Dublin, the Tribesmen scored one goal from three chances. Those two missed chances were both easily saved from tight angles under extreme defensive pressure and they were rather fortunate to concede just five goals from 13 chances. While Galway have been short on goals they haven't lacked for points - raising by far the most white flags of any county prior to the provincial finals. That tallies 131 in five matches, and in those three games they managed 79 points compared to 55 from the other teams combined. Central to that has been Cathal Mannion. The Ahascragh-Fohenagh forward has scored 2-43 in four games, with 1-28 from placed balls and 1-15 from play. In the county's three biggest tests to date against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford he scored a total of 0-35. The 2015 All Star has been in sensational scoring form for his team and in those three encounters his scores and assists have accounted for 54% of his team's total. The 2017 All-Ireland winner has assisted 0-08 as well as winning two of the frees he converted himself. His other start came against Offaly when he scored 2-08, assisted 0-05 and was fouled for two of the three frees he floated over the bar. In his four Leinster outings this season, the 30-year old has scored or assisted 56% (2-56) of his team's combined scoring. If he'd featured in the 28-point demolition of Antrim his numbers would be off the charts. Mannion's scoring is all the more impressive when you consider his shooting accuracy. From 24 in-play shots so far this championship he has scored 1-15. He has worn the free-taking responsibility lightly. In his maiden campaign at inter-county level with placed-ball duties, Mannion has scored almost 81% from his 36 attempts in Leinster, with five of his seven misses coming from his own half. Looking at the three games against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford in isolation he has scored 24 of 27 attempts, showing not only an impressive range, which was to be expected given his scoring ability from general play, but also an excellent temperament under pressure. On average (in-play) Mannion has been directly involved in over 10 scoring opportunities per game. In total he is averaging six shots and just under 0-05 from play per game, almost 0-8 from placed balls, and 0-03 in assists per match so far in the 2025 championship. While Mannion's form will give Galway fans hope, the reliance on him is a cause for concern. One of Galway's biggest scorers in recent seasons, St Thomas' Conor Cooney has started four of his team's five games off the bench. Along with his 11 points (nine frees) when starting against Antrim, in those three substitute appearances he has amassed 1-03 from play making him the highest scoring substitute so far in the Leinster championship. While eight Kilkenny hurlers have contributed to their team's scoring as replacements, only three Galway players have. Nevertheless in a tight encounter, if Micheál Donoghue again opts against starting the 2017 All Star, he could prove the difference maker when introduced. It was Cooney who scored his team's only goal in the games against Kilkenny, Dublin or Wexford. However, even if Cooney provides a similar impact off the bench and Mannion continues his free-scoring form - Galway will need a huge slice of fortune to win any game when conceding so many goal chances and creating so few.
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
Kildare's Joe McDonagh dream - 'This was probably only in the far off depths of my brain'
SHORTLY AFTER WINNING the Christy Ring Cup yet again last year, Kildare goalkeeper Paddy McKenna and his colleagues met with manager Brian Dowling to discuss pushing on. No county had won the competition more times and, frankly, none of the Kildare players fancied winning it ever again. McKenna was involved in all five of Kildare's Ring Cup triumphs, between 2014 and 2024, and was desperate to operate regularly at a higher level. Hitting new standards of fitness was a prerequisite, the players felt. A number of alterations were made to Dowling's backroom and perhaps the most significant was the addition of strength and conditioning expert Mickey Gillick. Truth be told, the players were pushing an open door with Dowling who sensed the need for a fresh approach himself. 'He was in agreement with us, he had it pretty much set up before we even went to him,' said McKenna. 'He knew himself that, right, we're going to need something big here going up to the Joe Mac.' It was a tough winter of physical investment but the dividend has been impressive. 'It's the fittest I've certainly ever been anyway,' said McKenna. 'That's probably an easy enough feat as a goalkeeper but for the lads out the field, they're all in great nick as well. And they're wanting more too. That's what we wanted really.' It hasn't been quite a straight line between last year's Ring Cup win and qualifying for tomorrow's Joe McDonagh Cup final against Laois though. In fact, when Kildare began this season's competition with a Round 1 defeat to Kerry, it looked as if their old habit of falling flat on their faces at the higher grade was repeating itself. Advertisement McKenna lifting the Christy Ring Cup last June. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO That was Kildare's ninth ever game in the McDonagh Cup, across three different campaigns — 2021, 2023 and 2025 — and their ninth consecutive defeat. Seven weeks and four unlikely wins later, McKenna is on the verge of the most significant achievement of his career. Truth be told, just staying up in the second tier of hurling this year would have been progress. 'This was probably only in the far off depths of my brain at that stage,' said McKenna of a Croke Park final fixture after the defeat to Kerry. 'Thankfully we didn't make it to 10 losses in a row. Look, it was just getting back to basics, realising that we had to show up for every single game.' So when exactly did Kildare start to think of actually winning the competition and of an audacious bid for Leinster SHC activity in 2026? 'Probably when we got the result in Carlow, to be honest, that was a big monkey off our backs,' said the five-time Ring Cup winner, referencing their Round 3 win. 'Carlow have had some massive results in the last few years, drawing with Kilkenny in the Leinster championship last year, beating Waterford in the league earlier this year, maintaining their status in Division 1B. 'That's the standard we want to be competing at regularly so we knew that if we were able to get a result against them…and beating Laois and Westmeath as well, the three teams that had been up in the Leinster championship, that's kind of where we got the drive and the realisation that, yeah, it could be on for us.' Kildare manager Brian Dowling. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO The thing is, Kildare didn't just sneak into tomorrow's Croke Park decider. They topped the group while it was Laois that had to conjure the late goal just to draw with Carlow and nudge the Barrowsiders out on scoring difference. Laois are still favourites to win and to make up for last year's final loss to Offaly. Three of their starting defenders – Lee Cleere, Padraig Delaney and Ryan Mullaney – along with half-forward Paddy Purcell, lined out in the 2019 final win. Several more 2019 performers are retained on the bench for this season's final. But what they hold over Kildare in experience and hurling tradition could be trumped by the sheer desperation of Brian Dowling's Lilywhites to make the most of this rare opportunity. 'It's going to be tough and I'd say Laois will have their homework done on us,' said McKenna. 'I'd say they found out an awful lot about us when we played them in O'Moore Park a couple of weeks ago.' The one certainty is that Kildare will play Dublin or Tipperary in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in Newbridge next weekend. Win tomorrow and their dubious reward will be a date with Tipperary. Lose and it will be the Dubs coming to the redeveloped St Conleth's Park. For some, parachuting the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists back into the race for the MacCarthy Cup is unnecessary, even unfair. Reigning All-Ireland champions Clare are gone from the competition already after all, along with Waterford, Wexford, Offaly and Antrim. 'I can see both sides of the coin on that,' said McKenna. 'The fact that the Joe McDonagh is its own competition and, like, there's no other competition in the GAA where the winners of it go into a separately run competition that you could possibly win without playing the earlier games in it. A general view of the Joe McDonagh Cup (file photo). James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO 'But then it's a great carrot as well, knowing that we have another two weeks of this and you're summing hurling as well which is great. That's when hurling is at its best.' Kildare have already been promoted to Division 1B of next season's National League. Getting to the Leinster SHC would cap their greatest season in decades. The last time they competed in Leinster was 2004. McKenna is confident that the success is sustainable, pointing to the growth of hurling around the county. 'There's hurling again in Round Towers, for example,' he said. 'A lot of south Kildare would have had a tradition of hurling when it was strong in the '60s and '70s and they're coming alive again. 'Towers, Twomilehouse, there's even hurling going on in Kilcullen as well, and Moorefield are after going senior now which is huge. That would be a so-called football club, with Leinster club titles, but they're showing that they're well able to hurl as well. 'For hurling to be sustainable in Kildare, we need every club going like that and making players available and that's what's happening.'
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Tredagh Boxing Academy enjoy gold rush up North at Armagh/Down Championships
Three of their fighters saw Friday night action at the Armagh/Down Open Championships in Craigavon where Daniel Mathews boxed very well in his semi-final against Dundalk opposition and was unlucky to be edged out on a split decision. Daniel, only back from a long injury, was very impressive in the first half of the bout but lost the last round, with his inactivity for the past two months a key factor. Callum Carragher boxed his final against a very sharp Jake Daly from D Box. This was in the senior section and it was Callum's first experience of three rounds of three minutes duration, with no headguard. This was undoubtedly the fight of the night as it showcased two very talented boxers. Callum's advanced technical combinations and hard-hitting backhands were very impressive in a high-tempo contest and he was crowned as an Armagh/Down Open senior champion by unanimous decision. Darragh Smyth was in action against a very strong, game boxer Christian Mc Masters from Portavogie Boxing Club and this was another high-tempo, tough bout. Darragh's skillset has really improved over the past year and this, mixed with his natural strength and hard-hitting backhand, was the difference as he was also crowned as an Armagh/Down Open champion. The Saturday was another busy day as boxers and coaches from Tredagh Academy took off in different directions. At the All-Ireland Cadet Championships in the National Stadium both Cian Smyth and Charlie Flanagan were in action again after their impressive wins in the same competition the weekend before. Cian Smyth was up first and he faced Se O'Neill from St Janice's Boxing Club in what turned out to be another fantastic bout. The Tredagh fighter was particularly impressive in rounds two and three but lost out on the dreaded split decision. Nevertheless, there was plenty to admire about Cian who is technically still a novice and yet won one bout on his National Stadium debut and very nearly progressed to the semi-finals. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Charlie Flanagan from Tredagh faced the current All-Ireland champion from Avona, took the first round and was winning the second when he tripped and injured his knee. Unfortunately, Charlie had to retire and is having the issue medically addressed. Like young Cian, Charlie really excelled in this competition, coming through two rounds, and it didn't go unnoticed as he was invited onto the coveted Leinster Development Squad. The same weekend Tredagh also sent a number of boxers to Craigavon for their respective Armagh/Down finals. Kailin Morris had a cracking contest with Ethan Mulligan (Camlough) and lost narrowly, while James Hackett also fought opposition from Camlough, boxed very well at range and triggered his aggressive, hard-hitting backhand to become an Armagh/Down Open champion by unanimous decision. Jamie Campbell was also involved in a tough three-round battle against a strong lad in Toryn Simpson (SOTS BC). Jamie bit down on his gumshield hard and showed great determination and will to earn the decision and get crowned as an Armagh/Down Open champion. Emma O'Gorman had a repeat of her All-Ireland final against an opponent from Castleblayney and raised her game. So much son that the Tredagh corner felt she had won, but the outcome went the other way on a split decision. There was better fortune for Keith Muma who gave a technical masterclass with aggression to beat Eoin Bennett (John McCoy BC) by unanimous decision and win another Armagh/Down title. Meanwhile, Ceejay Sheelan and Andrew Mathews attended Leinster Development Squad training in Carlow recently, while Michael James McDonagh and Simon McDonagh boxed at the exhibition show in Bay City BC in Dublin. Tredagh's head coach Padraig McCullough attended weekend four of the Sport Ireland Coach Developer Course in Limerick University. Overall, in the past few weeks Tredagh Academy have won seven golds and three silvers in the senior Armagh/Down Championships and seven golds and one silver at the equivalent junior competition - the club's biggest ever number of champions in those two tournaments.
