Jack O'Connor can utterly erase Ulster demons with victory over Donegal
Kerryman
'There's an arrogance to northern football which rubs Kerry people up the wrong way…'
To proclaim that Ulster football lives rent free in Jack O'Connor's mind is probably stretching things. But it hasn't gone away, you know. The above (and below) quotes are from Jack's 2006 publication, Keys to the Kingdom – the story of an outsider who led Kerry football to glory. The quotes are a harsh take on Ulster football that still point to unfinished Kerry business almost two decades later.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Boost for Ireland as Aoife Wafer and Edel McMahon named in World Cup squad
Aoife Wafer and co-captain Edel McMahon have been named in the Ireland squad for the Rugby World Cup, however, Christy Haney misses out through injury. Six Nations player of the tournament Wafer underwent knee surgery last month but the back row has been included in the 32-player squad for Pool C games against Japan, Spain and New Zealand in England, starting on 24 August. Flanker McMahon missed both of Ireland's warm-up games with a knee injury but is also included. Prop Haney suffered a hamstring injury and her place is taken by Ellena Perry, who made her debut in Saturday's defeat to Canada in Belfast. Perry won 11 caps with England but hadn't lined out for the Red Roses since 2020 and is Irish-qualified via a grandparent. Similarly, centre Nancy McGillivray, whose father is Irish, makes the cut having switched from the England set-up recently. The Exeter player (below) scored on her international debut against Scotland nine days ago. Flanker Ivana Kiripati, who won caps against Scotland and Canada, also make the cut but there is no place for Deirbhile Nic a Bháird. There is one uncapped player in the squad with Munster hooker Beth Buttimer who impressed in the recent U20 Summer Series getting the call-up. Forwards Erin King and Dorothy Wall had already been ruled out due to injuries picked up in the Six Nations. Head coach Scott Bemand said: "When we qualified for the Rugby World Cup in April 2024, we knew it gave us a solid amount of time to prepare for the tournament. "We have used that time to build depth and cultivate our 'Green Wave'. "The majority of this squad have now been together since the start of June, and we are excited to finally get going." The panel is made up of 18 forwards and 14 backs. McMahon, who shares the captaincy duties with Sam Monaghan, added: "Missing out on the last World Cup lit a fire in all of us. "Getting Ireland back on the world stage means absolutely everything, it's something we have dreamed of and fought for ever since. "We're ready, and we are going to give it everything for our country." Ireland RWC Squad: *Denotes uncapped Forwards: Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC / Ulster) (6) Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian / Munster)* Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (8) Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock RFC / Leinster) (6) Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (48) Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC / Ulster) (34) Neve Jones (Gloucester Hartpury) (37) Ivana Kiripati (Creggs RFC / Connacht) (2) Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC / Munster) (9) Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC / Ulster) (16) Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs / Connacht) (34) Co-captain Clíodhna Moloney MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs) (45) Sam Monaghan (Gloucester Hartpury / IQ Rugby) (23) Co-captain Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women / IQ Rugby) (22) Niamh O'Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (17) Ellena Perry (Gloucester Hartpury / IQ Rugby) (1) Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC / Ulster) (17) Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC / Leinster) (15) Backs: Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC / Munster) (31) Amee Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC / Munster) (19) Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (24) Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC / Connacht) (14) Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC / Leinster) (20) Nicole Fowley (Galwegians / Connacht) (14) Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC / Leinster) (28) Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC / Munster) (17) Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC / Connacht) (11) Nancy McGillivray (Exeter Chiefs / IQ Rugby) (1) Dannah O'Brien (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster) (26) Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC / Connacht) (28) Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC / Connacht) (16) Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Manawatū RFC / Leinster) (22)
The 42
13 hours ago
- The 42
Teehan helps Offaly outlast Kerry to claim intermediate glory
Offaly 0-14 Kerry 0-11 THE TENSION OF a Glen Dimplex All-Ireland final was evident in what was a defensive and error-ridden battle between Offaly and Kerry, but on a day when an array of forwards that have illuminated the intermediate championship so far were largely kept under lock and key by their markers, Grace Teehan brought the perfect mix of talent and tenacity to drive Offaly back up to senior championship competition. Teehan registered four points from play and earned three more converted frees, producing her biggest moments in the closing stages when everyone else – on both sides – seemed to have lost the ability to find the target in the face of suffocating defensive play. Had Offaly let it slip, they would have been haunted by their tally of 13 wides and another handful of shots dropped short, though Kerry will look back at the game's most clearcut goal chance midway through the second half as their 'sliding doors' moment. Jackie Horgan's seismic battle with Amy Byrne was one of the defining individual contests throughout the game and the Kingdom stalwart finally shook off the shackles of her Faithful follower before whipping a shot off her left from 12 metres out. Emer Reynolds – who has made the Offaly custodian position her own since getting a chance against Westmeath midway through the summer - got a strong block and then reacted sharply to put off Amy O'Sullivan from knocking the sliotar into the net from a few metres out. Advertisement Ellen O'Donoghue took a point from the loose ball that followed but it was Kerry's best chance to take a lead, and instead they were always that point or two adrift, even if Offaly couldn't relax until team captain Orlagh Phelan collected the last long, hopeful Kerry delivery in the sixth minute of stoppage time, the last action before referee Donnacha O'Callaghan confirmed their win. For the opening six minutes, the Offaly attack looked every bit like the side that scored 12-71 in five games up to the final. Clodagh Leahy split the uprights from the Hogan Stand side of the pitch on the very first attack and difficult positions were to prove no obstacle to her as she also found the target with two frees, one from each touchline. A Patrice Diggin reply was quickly followed by Mairéad Teehan emerging out of heavy traffic at centre forward to split the uprights, but Kerry stemmed the bleeding from there, aided by the midlanders missing the target with their next three attempts. Diggin, Caoimhe Spillane and Niamh Leen got around the breaks on the Offaly puckout and the decision to play just two inside forwards with O'Donoghue coming back to the midfield sector added to Kerry's edge in that crucial battle. Jackie Horgan exploited the space that was left close to goal by getting out in to register one point of her own and to win two frees that were converted by Diggin. By the time Leahy struck Offaly's next point from a 45 the momentum had been stripped from the Offaly attack and it was Kerry who continued to enjoy that bit more primary possession, even if they struggled to convert it into clearcut chances at the other end. Two superb Grace Teehan points and another long-range effort from Ellen Regan ensured Offaly held the narrowest of leads at the break, though Amy Byrne and Róisín Kinsella both had to come up with big defensive plays to prevent Amy O'Sullivan and Kate Lynch from adding further scores. The defensive dominance at both ends was turned up to 11 on the dial after half-time when the first eight minutes passed without a score. Aoife Fitzgerald came up with a vital save to parry Mairéad Teehan's goal attempt and Diggin duly levelled the game from a 45 a minute later, but as was the case so many times during this game, when Offaly's need was greatest, Grace Teehan came up with a vital score in reply. A mere 0-2 each was added to the scoreboard over the next 17 minutes, but the last five minutes once again belonged to Teehan as she fired over two points either side of winning a free that Clodagh Leahy pointed to see Offaly home. SCORERS FOR OFFALY: C Leahy 0-7 (0-4f, 0-1 45), G Teehan 0-5 (0-1f), M Teehan 0-1, E Regan 0-1. SCORERS FOR KERRY: P Diggin 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 45), J Horgan 0-1, K Lynch 0-1, E O'Donoghue 0-1. OFFALY: E Reynolds; A Liffey, A Byrne, M King; E Regan, R Kinsella, O Phelan; C Cleary, S Shanahan; F Dooley, M Teehan, G Teehan; C Leahy, C Maher, K Pilkington. Subs: F Mulrooney for Maher (33), C Fogarty for King (47), O Kilmartin for Pilkington (50), K Kennedy for Liffey (58), C O'Donovan for Cleary (60) KERRY: A Fitzgerald; M Costello, S Murphy, R McCarthy; R Quinn, N Leen, A Behan; P Diggin, C Spillane; AM Leen, K Lynch, R O'Connor; E O'Donoghue, J Horgan, A O'Sullivan. Subs: S Collins for AM Leen (half-time), K Ryan for O'Sullivan (50), E Conway for O'Donoghue (60) REFEREE: Donnacha O'Callaghan (Limerick).
Irish Independent
15 hours ago
- Irish Independent
County championship round-up: Con O'Callaghan shoots 3-6 for Cuala, Donegal stars miss out and Kyle Hayes injured
Donegal players were in scarce commodity as the first-round championship games got underway in the county over the weekend, two weeks on from their All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry.
