Kerry suffer relegation after heavy loss to Westmeath
Somewhat ironically, it was John 'Tweek' Griffin who captained Kerry to Christy Ring Cup success in 2015, but a decade later he is in the ignominious position of being the team manager as the county drops down to the third tier of championship hurling for the first time.
Westmeath's McDonagh Cup campaign hadn't been a whole lot better, but they came to Tralee knowing a win would keep them up, and they went about getting the victory with an assured performance, spearheaded by the excellent Killian Doyle.
The Raharney man scored 15 points – six from play – while the Leinster men embellished the win with goals from Niall O'Brien and David O'Reilly, one in either half.
The first goal came in the seventh minute, O'Brien finishing across Louis Dee's goal after Peter Clarke's measured delivery in, to push the visitors 1-02 to 0-01 ahead.
Clarke, Kevin Regan and David Williams added Westmeath points to make it 1-5 to 0-2, before Kerry struck back with a goal from Luke Rochford – well set up by Shane Nolan – and a Killian Hayes point to bring them to within two points, 1-05 to 1-03.
That was as good as it got for Kerry. Westmeath scored the next 10 points in a 16-minute spell to go 1-15 to 1-03 ahead, and though Padraig Boyle converted from play and from a free, the Kingdom looked all but beaten, 1-16 to 1-05 adrift at the break.
There looked little chance of Westmeath letting it slip from there, despite playing against the wind and under increasing rain, and when O'Reilly struck for a point and then a goal within 20 seconds of each other to make it 2-19 to 1-06 in the 41st minute, that was that.
It all petered out thereafter. Boyle converted a couple of more Kerry frees, and the Kingdom got four from play from their subs, while Doyle popped over another couple of Westmeath frees and O'Reilly brought his tally to a goal and six points for the game.
So it is Kerry who are relegated – their head-to-head loss to Down saves the Mourne men – while Westmeath live to fight another year in the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Kerry: Louis Dee, Kyle O'Connor, Flor McCarthy, Dara Kearney, Darragh Shanahan, Kevin Goulding (0-01), Daithí Griffin, Paudie O'Connor, Killian Hayes (0-01), Tom Doyle, Luke Rochford (1-00), Daniel Casey, Niall Mulcahy (0-01), Padraig Boyle (0-06, 5f), Shane Nolan (0-01).
Subs: Luke Crowley (0-01) for D Casey (ht), Seamie Foran (0-01) for D Kearney (52), Tomás Godley (0-02) for F McCarthy (57), Sean McGrath for L Rochford (57), Jeremy McKenna for D Shanahan (63).
Westmeath: Ciarán O'Brien, Conor Gaffney, Tommy Doyle, Gary Greville, Eoin Keyes, Robbie Greville, David Hickey, Kevin Regan (0-01), Eamon Cunneen, David O'Reilly (1-06), David Williams (0-02), Mark Cunningham (0-01), Peter Clarke (0-02), Niall O'Brien (1-01), Killian Doyle (0-15 ,8f, 1 '65').
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
38 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kerry v Tyrone LIVE score updates from the All-Ireland minor final
Kerry and Tyrone clash in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final today. Throw-in is at 1.30pm, with the game taking place at Cedral St Conleth's Park in Newbridge. The game will be shown live on TG4, with their coverage starting at 1pm. The Kingdom last lifted the Tom Markham Cup in 2018, while Tyrone's last All-Ireland minor success came 15 years ago. Here are the teams for this year's decider: Kerry: Ruairí Kennedy, Ronan Sheridan. Eoghan Joy, Tadhg Ó Slatara, Danny Murphy, David Sargent, Marcus Clifford, Maidhc Ó Sé, John Curtin, Mark O'Carroll, Gearóid White, Alex Tuohy, Ben Kelliher, Kevin Griffin, Tadhg O'Connell. Subs: Seán Sargent, Nick Lacey, David McCarthy, Pádraig Ó Mainnín, James Kissane, Liam O'Brien, Conor McGibney, Dylan O'Meara, Seán Kiely. Tyrone: Ronan Donnelly, Elliot Kerr, Padraig Goodman, Ciaran McCrystal, Aodhan Quinn, James Daly, Thomas Meenan, James Mulgrew, Padraig Donaghy, Darren McAnespie, Peter Colton, Cathal Farley, Joel Kerr, Eoin Long, Pearse McDonald. Subs: Aodhan Corry, Brian Óg McGuckin, Charlie Meenan, Diarmuid Martin, Harley Patton, Jack Gartland, Logan O'Connor, Peter Garrity, Matthew C Daly, Matthew F Daly, Michael Hughes, Michael Lennon, Michael Mullin, Odhran Carroll, Odhran Curran, Owen Griffiths, Mark Kennedy, Rian Biggs, Sean Óg Quinn, Vincent Gormley. Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog for the 2025 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final. Six days before their senior sides do battle in the semi-finals of the Championship, Kerry and Tyrone's minor sides face each other in the minor decider. Of course this game would have been the perfect curtain raiser ahead of next Saturday's semi-final. However, the schedule was already in place prior to last week's draw which pitted the Kingdom and the Red Hands together in the last four in the race for the Sam Maguire. Kildare and Limerick will face each other in the Tailteann Cup final prior to that game. Tyrone defeated Cork in the quarter-finals before overcoming Roscommon in the last four to reach today's final, while Kerry saw off Cavan in quarters before defeating Mayo in the last four. Throw-in is just under an hour away.
The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
'As a player, you're not thinking about the crowd or furthering camogie, putting on a show'
THERE IS SO much to be positive about in camogie right now. Having Kilkenny and Tipperary facing off in a double-header involving hurling at Croke Park is a tantalising glimpse of an integrated future. Meanwhile, the game is played at an unprecedented pace and physicality that is showcasing the supreme skills of the players at a hitherto unprecedented level. This is attributable to the players' desire to maximise their potential but it would not be possible without elite mentorship and support services. Seeing Brian Dowling prove such a hit is welcome affirmation for the level of coaching available at inter-county level. It was Ann Downey – who else? – who co-opted the former Kilkenny hurler as coach, with succession in mind, having been impressed with what he had done with O'Loughlin Gaels. When he took over the reins in 2020, it was at a time when some big names called time on their stint in black and amber and the likes of current captain, Katie Power was injured. People wrote Stripeywomen off but they revel in making naysayers look stupid by the Nore. Dowling and a brains trust that included incumbent manager and coach, Tommy Shefflin and Pat O'Neill, introduced the likes of Katie Nolan, Mary O'Connell and Aoife Norris, with Aoife Doyle returning after period on the sidelines and Laura Murphy becoming more involved. They won the All-Ireland in that debut campaign, with a surreal final at an almost empty HQ in pandemic times. Two years later, there was more change. Murphy became firmly established along with the likes of the Fitzgerald sisters, Steffi and Tiffanie, and Michaela Kenneally. And the O'Duffy Cup made the trip to the Marble City once more. Dowling is now making waves as a hurling manager, after leading Kildare to the top tier after a stunning victory in the Joe McDonagh Cup. Murphy is a clubmate, who justified the faith placed in her with a series of excellent performances. Her stunning goal in the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway in 2022 will live long in the memory and having waited until she was 25 to become a regular, is now a totemic figure. Seeing Dowling flourish is a source of pride for her as a Gaels, Kilkenny and camogie player. Advertisement Former Kilkenny boss Brian Dowling is making waves with the Kildare hurlers. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO 'It's actually incredible,' says Murphy. 'There was a lot of us up in Croke Park, we went in early to watch Kildare playing and to support Brian. We'd be very, very proud of him and his achievements, as I know he is when we're successful. 'What Brian did for Kilkenny camogie is incredible. He brought us, I think, to a new level, and to have someone of his standards involved with us, it does so much for camogie. And to see him go on then, and to have the success that he's had since, whether it is with St Kieran's (College) or Kildare, it does show you the calibre of person involved in camogie. 'It's the same with Tommy now, who was involved when Brian was there. He'd been involved with Ballyhale senior hurlers when they won All-Irelands. It's incredible to have people of that calibre involved. It can only bring the game forward.' For his part, Dowling told this writer before of his admiration for Murphy; her fastidious approach to preparation, complete dedication and commitment to self-improvement, living the emphasis on team over individual rather than just talking about it, and her complete absence of self-pity as she battled to break into the side. Such traits make her a natural mentor, and as the likes of the Walsh cousins, Miriam and Grace, and Julianne Malone retired this year, the Irish and history teacher at St Colmcille's Community School in Knocklyon, Co Dublin has progressed into a leadership role. The 28-year-old has even taken on freetaking duties, carrying on her form in that department as the Gaels won last year's county intermediate title, According to records maintained by @GaelicStatsman on X, Murphy was in the top ten scorers in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior championship prior to yesterday's quarter-final between Waterford and Clare with 18 points, 13 from placed balls. 'There's a group of us around the same age, and we were lucky enough there was an older generation of players, the likes of Collete Dormer, Grace Walsh and Denise Gaule involved when we came in. 'That's how teams work. And that's just the evolution of it, where those girls move on, and people have to step up then. And I suppose that kind of happened gradually over the last number of years, and those leadership roles were there to be filled. There's a good core group of players now that were maybe fringe players a couple years ago, and that now stepped up to take on those leadership roles within the team. 'I would have been taking the frees at club level. We were lucky enough, we won the intermediate county final, so having a long run like that, hitting a good few of them, you'd be confident. And then when Aoife (Prendergast) was injured during the year, I was hitting him then for Kilkenny. 'But, again, look, it's hard to get into that role… when the likes of Denise Gaule and Anne Dalton were there, that was their job. And then Aoife filled Denise Gaule's boots but just when Aoife got injured, I started hitting a few.' Murphy was a part of the annual Hurling For Cancer match last year, a charity event organised by horse racing legends, Jim Bolger and Davy Russell, which has raised more than a €1.6m for cancer research and takes place this year on August 18 at Netwatch Dr Cullen Park. Sharing the pitch with hurling luminaries like TJ Reid, Tommy Walsh, Patrick Horgan, Tom Morrissey, Peter Duggan and Con O'Callaghan to name just a few, and being surrounded by legendary figures such as Brian Cody, Jimmy Barry Murphy, Cyril Farrell and Liam Griffin, as well as personalities from other sports such as Bernard Dunne, Willie Mullins, Sonia O'Sullivan, Rachael Blackmore and Shane Long was a wonderful experience, and all while raising huge money for a fantastic cause. 'It was brilliant. It's just such a nice thing to be a part of. It's a lovely occasion, and even meeting the rest of the people involved, the hurling players, but even people from different sports. It was great to be there and then to help raise money and awareness for the cause, it was great.' Murphy in action against Tipp last summer. James Lawlor / INPHO James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO The vibe will be very different at Croke Park today. Kilkenny lost to Waterford in the first round of the group phase and also fell to Galway, but exacted revenge over a Dublin side that beat them at this quarter-final stage of the championship 12 months ago to cement their progression to the knockout stages. And it is border opposition lying in wait for the 2.30pm throw-in [live on RTÉ2]. With the hurling semi-final also on the programme, it has heightened the sense of anticipation. 'There's a real rivalry there with Tipp given they're our neighbours. When Limerick were beaten in the hurling, the possibility arose that it was going to be Kilkenny-Tipp in the semi-final. I think the last time they met was in the 2019 All-Ireland final. 'And it's brilliant for camogie that it's a double header with the same two teams. Hopefully there'll be a great crowd and people will come in for it and support the two camogie teams as well. 'As a player, you're not thinking about the crowd or about furthering camogie, putting on a show or anything like that. The whole year, your job on the day is trying to focus on getting over the line. You do need to separate those two things. 'But all of the work that goes into trying to promote the game, it's great to see something like this come together. And that the supporters will get to see the camogie and the hurling, not have to miss out on one. That's great for the families and for young girls especially.'
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Super Siofra O'Shea nets hat-trick as Kerry LGFA book place in All-Ireland semi-finals with comfortable win over Kildare
TWO first-half goals from Síofra O'Shea gave Kerry the platform to sweep Kildare aside in their TG4 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final. The Lilywhites got off to a strong start at Austin Stack Park, notching four points in the first nine minutes, but the Southern Gaels star's goals — she added a third after the break — were the hammer blow. With Alannah Prizeman — who hit two frees — Aoife Rattigan and Gillian Wheeler all finding the target for the Leinster side, the Kingdom were slower out of the blocks. But in the tenth minute, a cross-field kick found Emma Costello and after her shot was parried by goalkeeper Mary Hulgraine, O'Shea scored the rebound. Danielle O'Leary was also getting into her stride and the Rathmore attacker fired over two points, with a Rachel Dwyer effort sandwiched in between. Ciara Wheeler and Prizeman responded at the other end, with the sides level at 1-3 to 0-6 with 22 minutes on the clock. Two minutes later, the Kingdom were awarded a penalty when O'Shea was fouled by Lauren Murtagh. Read More on LGFA The And, despite Prizeman's Trojan work , a superb Anna Galvin point put the defending champions four up at the break, 2-5 to 0-7. The game was over as a contest in the 39th minute when O'Shea completed her hat-trick and the hosts remained in control until the end. KERRY : ME Bolger; E Lynch, D Kearney, C Lynch; A O'Connell, E Costello, A Dillane; M O'Connell, A Galvin 0-1; N Carmody 0-1, N Ní Chonchúir 0-1, C Evans 0-1; R Dwyer 0-1, S O'Shea 3-2, 1f, D O'Leary 0-4. Subs : R Rahilly for Galvin 46mins, K Brosnan 0-1 for Dwyer 46, F O'Donoghue for Kearney 51, K O'Connor for E Lynch 54, N Quinn for Carmody 58. Most read in GAA Football KILDARE : M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, M Doherty; L Shaw, L Murtagh, M Aspel; L Reilly, C Moran; C Wheeler 0-1, A Rattigan 0-1, L Curran; G Wheeler 0-1, A Prizeman 0-7, 5f, R Byrne 0-1. Subs : M Ryan for Moran 37mins, A Mahon for Murtagh 41, E Dowling for Rattigan 48, S Galvin for G Wheeler 51, C Sullivan for Shaw 53. REFEREE : K Phelan (Laois). 1 Siofra O'Shea scored a hat-trick of goals as Kerry beat Kildare Credit: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
