‘I'll be honest, you can't stop him. I don't think you can stop the great players' – Cork boss Pat Ryan on Cian Lynch
Henry Shefflin is the only player to win Hurler of the Year three times but Cian Lynch could match him this summer.
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Irish Times
17 hours ago
- Irish Times
If we want free-flowing hurling we must accept the refereeing that facilitates it
On the raised television gantry at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night, Alan Connolly leant on the barrier, while on the pitch behind him Cork fans belted out a chorus of 'After All'. When he turned around to take in the scene below, the decibel levels rose. Liam Sheedy, Donal Óg Cusack and Henry Shefflin were all standing beside him. Hurling royalty. But for those draped in red and white below it was clear that Connolly was the star attraction. Such was the level of the noise, Shefflin had to lean over at one stage to repeat his question to the Cork forward. During the entire interview Connolly – still in full gear and boots – carried the chilled-out disposition of a man who had just perched himself at a poolside bar in their flip-flops. There were the usual questions about the game and then host Joanne Cantwell interjected: 'Can I ask, when there was a change in referee – because Thomas Walsh referees a very particular way, and James Owens referees a very different way – what was it like?' READ MORE Connolly smiled apologetically, seemingly recalling the sight of Walsh requiring treatment on the pitch for cramp. 'It was funny, I hope he's all right,' he said before wondering if it had ever happened before where a referee had to leave the field. Informed that it had indeed, he continued: 'It was interesting, they reffed the game the same enough I thought, to be honest. There wasn't too much of a change, I don't know.' Plenty of others seemed to know. A quick scroll through social media on Saturday night would have demonstrated one of the main talking points from a gripping Munster final was the performance of the referee. Walsh was lauded by many for letting the game flow, his approach credited with contributing to the match, but for others the officiating facilitated a level of lawlessness that went too far. It quickly became a Marmite debate. A couple of days on and still many conversations about the game eventually arrive at the referee. Cork's Alan Connolly has his helmet tugged by Limerick's Diarmaid Byrnes. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Strip it all back and it leaves one very straightforward yet complex question about hurling: What game do we actually want? For those of us currently in a space where we spend many Saturday mornings ferrying kids to Go Games, hurling can seem a very different sport at either end of the chain. But children learn the game not only because of their coaches, they also learn from the referees they encounter. The referees at Go Games are predominately teenagers who have been persuaded to take up the whistle. Many of them spend a lot of their time during matches patiently instructing seven- and eight-year-olds on what to do next. They'll give the goalkeeper a second chance at puck-outs, or on spotting repeated fresh air shots the referee might encourage the young player to hit the ball along the ground instead. When it comes to juvenile sport, both the coaches and referees are heroes. But retaining referees is an ongoing problem for the GAA. Earlier this year Dublin GAA arranged a training course to try attract new referees to deal with a 'chronic shortage' of officials. Gaelic football and hurling are different sports but they share a common indistinctness in terms of some playing rules. Hurling, in particular, can exist in different forms depending on whether the referee wants to swallow their whistle or blow it. So, what game do we want? At the start of each half last Saturday, Walsh held the sliotar in his hand while a pair of opposing midfielders locked horns in that perpetual dance of bouncing off each other and snarling like a pair of bucking bulls released from their pen for the first time in months. Limerick's Shane O'Brien celebrates winning a free. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho As their shoulder-fest found its rhythm, the intensity spread across the pitch and several little replica dances sparked off. The roars from the stands increased, the Gaelic Grounds becoming a sporting tinderbox. The atmosphere, electric. In those few seconds at the start of each half, the terms of engagement were being set. If the referee was allowing those battles to fester, the players had a fair idea that a decent level of aggression would go unpunished. And so it played out. There were fouls not blown, flaking ignored, players got away with stuff. Both management teams then surrounded the referee at half-time – presumably to check if perhaps he could arrange it that only their lads would be allowed do the flaking. One of the positive outcomes of the FRC's new rules in football has been a greater level of respect towards match officials. Gaelic football referees at club and county level have seen a significant decrease in verbal abuse. And yet another of the FRC's rules has been to have a one v one throw-in at the start of each half. Instead, you now have two players standing on opposite sidelines and then dashing in when the ball is tossed in the air. For all the progressive FRC changes, the start of Gaelic football matches has lost something. It's lost that edge of physicality and aggression. But perhaps that is the game we are trying to manufacture now in football? Are we saying we don't want those displays of hostility at the outset of matches? Are we saying we want a game where players hand the ball back to their opponent? That, of course, is football's journey of discovery right now. But those are the kind of questions hurling might eventually have to answer too. As a sporting contest, what the Cork and Limerick players served up on Saturday was captivating. It was a game full of endeavour and desire, two tribes going full-blooded to represent their people. You couldn't take your eyes off it. They deserve great credit for producing such entertainment and drama, but at the same time those matches are also almost impossible to referee. If we can at least agree on that, perhaps we're not far away from having the game we want.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kilkenny v Galway LIVE score updates from the Leinster hurling final
For the ninth time since 2009, Kilkenny and Galway are meeting in the Leinster Hurling final. Galway were welcomed into the Leinster fold in 2009, and they have proven to be Kilkenny's biggest challengers in the provincial championship. But after consecutive victories for Galway in 2017 and 2018, Kilkenny have reasserted their dominance and are seeking a sixth Leinster title in a row. This match has had added spice in recent years, with the frosty handshake between Brian Cody and then-Galway boss Henry Shefflin going down in the annals. And Galway will be hoping that the return of Micheal Donoghue, who guided them to the 2017 All-Ireland title, will be the catalyst for them regaining power in Leinster. The match is scheduled for a 4pm throw-in at Croke Park, and you can follow all the action right here on Irish Mirror Sport. RTE Two will also have live coverage of the game and it can be streamed on the RTE Player. Kilkenny: E. Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; M Carey, R Reid, P Deegan; C Kenny, J Molloy; J Donnelly, A Mullen, B Ryan; S Donnelly, TJ Reid, M Keoghan. Subs: A Tallis, P Moylan, D Blanchfield, S Murphy, K Doyle, Z Bay Hammond, F Mackessy, H Shine, L Hogan, L Connellan, M Murphy. Galway: E Murphy; P Mannion, Daithí Burke, F Burke; C Fahy, G Lee, TJ Brennan; S Linnane, David Burke; J Fleming, C Mannion, T Monaghan; C Whelan, B Concannon, K Cooney. Subs: D Walsh, D Morrissey, J Grealish, J Ryan, D Loftus, R Glennon, C Cooney, T Killeen, A Burns, C Molloy, J Flynn. Hello and welcome to live coverage as Kilkenny take on Galway in the Leinster Hurling Final. Hurling fans will be hoping for a similar spectacle to last night's Munster Final but the likelihood of which is incredibly low. In the same way that Limerick were chasing seven Munster titles in a row, Kilkenny have had a stranglehold of this competition and chasing a sixth successive title. Today's game throws in at 4 pm at Croke Park with RTE Two showing live coverage of the game and it is available to stream on the RTE Player. We will have live coverage of the game here on the Irish Mirror.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Hard work and red faces led to Cork's Munster success beating Limerick says manager Pat Ryan
Pat Ryan put his Cork side's Munster triumph down to the hard work that was put in over the weeks building up to the final at the Gaelic Grounds. Cork and Limerick produced a battle for the ages in Saturday's decider with the Rebels coming out on top after the sides could not be separated after extra time, eventually winning via a penalty shootout. The two sides met in the round robin phase of the Munster championship at the same venue on 18 May, and it was a one-sided affair with Limerick cruising to victory with 16 points to spare. And Cork also used the embarrassment of that defeat to help motivate the side ahead of the rematch in Limerick on Saturday evening. "Our fellas really dug in. It took an awful lot of effort over the last three weeks," said Ryan, speaking to RTE Sport after the game. "We were embarrassed when we came up here the last time. We had to get over Waterford (the final round robin game), which was a really tough game. "I knew the lads were going to fight on their backs today." Ryan was full of admiration for his opponents who have won four of the last five All-Ireland titles, while they came into the final off the back of six straight provincial crowns. And he was delighted that his side were able to show their best in the decider, going toe to toe with such an esteemed Limerick unit. "This is a brilliant Limerick team," said Ryan. "Going for seven Munsters in a row. It'll never be done again. "Limerick are a brilliant team. They're going to win ball. The last day, they won ball uncontested. Today, they won ball contested. You just try to put pressure on all over the field. "You're going to win some ball, you're going to lose some ball. Our fellas stuck at it today. Limerick stuck at really well as well. For us to get over the line is huge." Ryan credits the entire panel for their continued commitment which was needed to match Limerick throughout the initial 70 minutes, the 20 minutes of extra time and showing composure and quality to hold their nerve and win the shootout. And he was delighted with the way that they faced up to the challenge of taking on Cian Lynch and company, with the Limerick captain tipped to be crowned hurler of the year for the third time. "They've (the subs) shown great commitment to the group. They weren't starting. Some of them were coming back from injuries which puts you behind in the pecking order. "They never complained, they never waned. They trained hard. And we'd no fear of bringing them on today. "People say, 'go man-mark Lynch' but you're not going to be able to stop them. "What you're trying to do is win battles everywhere and limit their play. "The last day, we didn't get stuck into them. We left them with too much space around the place. "I thought Cian Lynch was excellent in the first half. But Ciaran (Joyce) really stuck at it for the whole game. And after the first half I thought he was on top." Cork have earned safe passage into the semi-finals and can now enjoy an extended break to regroup and plan for two more big games in their quest to secure the title. And the victory, coupled with the performance, will now offer the belief needed to go and challenge for top honours later in the summer. "It just gives you more confidence to go forward," said Ryan. "There's an All-Ireland series, we're in the semi-final.
