County championship round-up: Con O'Callaghan shoots 3-6 for Cuala, Donegal stars miss out and Kyle Hayes injured
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RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Aylward: All-Ireland camogie final referee got big calls right
All-Ireland camogie final Justin Heffernan got the big calls right and tried his best to allow for a free-flowing encounter, according to RTÉ analyst Elaine Aylward. Galway prevailed by the bare minimum at Croke Park on Sunday to deny Cork three in a row, Carrie Dolan's late free from distance the difference between the teams at the death. After the game Rebels manager Ger Manley hit out at the official's handling of the game, describing the performance as "shocking". Manley insisted the first-half sending off of Hannah Looney was "harsh", was unhappy that a clear push on the back of goalkeeper Amy Lee, which resulted in a Galway point, was missed and also disputed Dolan's match-winning free. Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, former Kilkenny player Aylward conceded that the push on Lee was a "no-brainer", but the other two big calls were correct. The 2009 All-Star highlighted a couple of instances where the Tribes were denied a couple of frees themselves and that over the course of 64 minutes, it was a fair performance by Heffernan. "In a one-point game, you are always going to look back on the obvious ones, ones that could have gone either way, but over the course of the full hour, I think he got the big calls right," she said. Also speaking on the podcast was four-time All-Ireland winner with Wexford Ursula Jacob. She agreed that the referee had a good game overall, and given the free-dominated finals of 2017 and 2018 involving Cork and Kilkenny, there was an effort on Heffernan's part to avoid a game dominated by placed balls. "I understand the frustration from Cork and Ger Manley," she said. "Galway were probably aggrieved last year with a goal that was very lucky – it probably wasn't a clearcut handpass - I think Justin was trying to allow a free-flowing game. "I'd hate if we were here talking about a game that was all frees."
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Rising Kerry star set for AFL visit amid signing fears
Kerry starlet Ben Murphy is set to fly to Australia this week to visit the Brisbane Lions amidst growing fears that the Kingdom are set to lose another player to the AFL. It is understood Brisbane are one of two clubs in discussions with the Austin Stacks man who has been a standout prospect for club and county in recent years. Murphy was outstanding in the U20 Munster final as Kerry cruised past Cork last April and inspired Mercy Mounthawk to a successive Corn Uí Mhuirí title in February. He was also named in the 2024 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Football Team of the Year. Last month, the powerful midfielder helped his club to the Kerry U-21 Football Championship with a win over St Kierans. Murphy has featured at senior level for Stacks in the County League but an injury kept him out of their opening club championship group game last weekend as the Tralee outfit overcame Templenoe. Kerry have several players Down Under currently. Milltown-Castlemaine's Cillian Burke was the latest to make the move last year when he joined Geelong. Dingle star and Premiership winner Mark O'Connor is a team-mate there. Dual player Rob Monahan is in his second year with Melbourne side Carlton Blues. In 2021, Stefan Okunbor departed Geelong and returned to the Kerry squad, although he was not part of the All-Ireland winning panel last year. All-Ireland minor winner Deividas Uosis returned in 2022 but did not return to county football. Should Murphy sign a contract, he would join as a Category B Rookie ahead of next season. The AFL is currently approaching the end of the regular season, with two rounds remaining. At the Kerry convention last year, chairman Patrick O'Sullivan urged Croke Park to form a committee to look into the number of players departing. 'Representatives of the AFL are constantly floating around Kerry minor and U20 teams over the last number of years. They come selling a professional sport to our younger players. It is hard for young players not to look at a professional career in sport,' O'Sullivan said. 'The Association has to take some action regarding the AFL's constant scrutiny of our younger stars in Ireland. Procedure will have to be put in place where players cannot be taken without contributing to the club and counties who give so much to the development of these players. 'If our younger players keep emigrating to Australia, the outlook for Kerry senior teams going forward will not be a good one. Kerry players are at the heart and soul of our county, and we, as an Association, have to figure out a method to retain and keep our players at home in Ireland. 'We in Kerry aren't the only county suffering from this issue. There are players from other counties choosing to emigrate as well. We will be calling on the GAA to form a committee to look into this matter.'
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Kerry GAA icon wants ‘boring' All-Ireland final tradition ditched in favour of US-inspired alternative
Pat Spillane's biggest irritant may be an unpopular opinion among GAA fans 'SCRAP IT' Kerry GAA icon wants 'boring' All-Ireland final tradition ditched in favour of US-inspired alternative THE whole off the field spectacle of an All-Ireland final has been slated by a Kerry GAA icon. Pat Spillane is not impressed with the GAA's efforts - or lack of effort - in building hype and excitement for finals. Advertisement 2 Spillane's Kerry were the most recent champions of the Sam Maguire Cup 2 The 69-year-old is unhappy with the GAA's efforts around All-Ireland final day The eight-time Sam Maguire Cup winner might know a thing or ten about All-Ireland final day. Spillane compares the occasion to the off-the-field thrill and excitement the NFL will bring to Dublin next month. The Pitsburgh Steelers are playing the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland's first ever NFL match in Croke Park and Spillane believes the NFL will make a tremendous effort to create a great atmosphere and buzz for the event. When writing in his Irish Independent column, the nine-time All-star wrote: 'Surely for the biggest day in the Gaelic football calendar, the GAA could do better?' Advertisement 'America's NFL will be here in a couple of months. They're going to take over Dublin for the week. "They're going to have street parties. They're going to have fan zones. They're going to have marching bands. 'Surely to God, when it comes to the All-Ireland senior football final and the All-Ireland senior hurling final, the GAA could up its game? Instead, it's a box-ticking exercise. They're going through the motions. 'As for the pre-match entertainment. Surely to God we can do better than wheeling out the Scór winners from a couple of counties? Advertisement 'Having the presentation of the jubilee team in front of a couple of thousand people is an embarrassment and an insult. Half-time entertainment leaves much to be desired." While Spillane has plenty of complaints of the match day experience, he singles out one irritant which particularly bores him. 'We air our dirty laundry' - RTE pundit doesn't pull any punches in cutting verdict of Mayo GAA county board The former RTÉ pundit added: 'And that brings me to the speeches. Speeches in total at the All-Ireland senior football final took nine minutes. Too much – just hand over the cup. Because nowadays, the speeches are scripted. "Speeches in total at the All-Ireland senior football final took nine minutes. Too much – just hand over the cup. Because nowadays, the speeches are scripted." Advertisement There have been a number of iconic All-Ireland acceptance speeches over the years. From Anthony Daly's 'there's been a missing person in Clare for 81 long years' speech in 1995 to Donegal's Anthony Molloy 1992 speech - 'Sam's for the hills.' There's been some great moments. But recently speeches have been brandished samey, boring or repetitive by a lot of spectators. On many occasions it has been just a very long thanking session from both the GAA president and the winning captain with nothing particularly notable being said. Advertisement Spillane blasted: "They're scripted by the GAA president. They're scripted for the captain. They're boring. They're repetitive. You have to thank everyone in the audience. "Let's scrap the speeches, hand over the cup and celebrate. The GAA can do it."
