Sligo manager Tony McEntee taking positives from Kildare game as they draw Carlow at home
Tailteann Cup Round Three
SLIGO manager, Tony McEntee, insisted after his side were defeated by four-points following a mammoth second-half comeback, that they won't be afraid of Kildare should they meet them again later on in the Tailteann Cup.
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Irish Examiner
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- Irish Examiner
GAA previews: Laois hurt provides necessary fuel for Joe McDonagh tilt
SATURDAY. Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals. Offaly v New York, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 2pm (D. Murnane, Cork) Live GAA+. There should be some trepidation about what a New York team bring to the competition. In their inaugural entry, they were only four points poorer than Laois last year and while personnel has changed they will be fresh at the very least. Offaly should be sore with themselves that they didn't qualify for the quarter-finals from the group stages. Verdict: Offaly. Westmeath v Laois, TEG Cusack Park, 5pm (M. McNally, Monaghan). Laois's incredible finish against Offaly last weekend propels them into the last-12 game and their confidence contrasts with how Westmeath let slip a quarter-final berth against Limerick. If it comes down to the closing stages again, Laois will believe but Westmeath have the firepower to subdue them. Verdict: Westmeath. Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC quarter-finals. Kerry v Cavan, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 12pm (N. Quinn, Clare). A difference class of challenge for Kerry and one they may find shackling at times. Nevertheless, they will be expected to win. Verdict: Kerry. Tyrone v Cork, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 1.45pm (C. Ryan, Galway). The rising tide in Tyrone is lifting all boats and it could drown Cork here if they are not careful. A tight start required to give them a chance. Cork captain Cathal McCarthy successfully appealed the red card he received against Kerry two weeks ago, meaning the St Colum's man is free to play. Verdict: Tyrone. Roscommon v Louth, Kingspan Breffni, 7pm (P. Clarke, Cavan). Channel that Leinster final heartache and Louth can make the last four. Verdict: Louth. TG4 Football All-Ireland Ladies SFC, Round 1. Group 1. Galway v Tipperary, Tuam Stadium, 2pm (G. Chapman, Sligo). Galway finished first to Tipperary's third in Division 2 yet the points won difference was remarkable, Galway amassing 21 points to Tipperary's nine. Galway scored twice as much as their neighbours and only one result looks on the cards. Verdict: Galway. Group 2. Kerry v Mayo, Austin Stack Park, 2pm (J. Murphy, Carlow). Mayo have sure had their toils and heading to Tralee to commence their All-Ireland campaign looks an arduous one. Kerry have shown they can turn it on when they want it to but they can play within themselves to pick up the points here. Verdict: Kerry. Group 3. Meath v Armagh, Páirc Tailteann, 3pm (M. Farrelly, Cavan). Armagh will be disappointed to have given up their league crown but they have moved from entertainers to contenders and Meath know they must absorb plenty of punishment to take anything from this opener. Verdict: Armagh. Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship, Round 3. Group 1. Clare v Limerick, Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg, 2pm (B. Kearney, Kildare). Clare will go a long way to securing a knock-out spot with a win here and it's well within their compass. Limerick are a youthful side who are making in-roads but Clare have the advantage. Verdict: Clare. Wexford v Tipperary, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 4pm (G. Donegan, Dublin). Tipperary were humbled by the All-Ireland champions but they can pick up their first points against a Wexford side who have lost two games on the bounce. Verdict: Tipperary. Group 2. Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park, 2pm (D. O'Callaghan, Limerick). Getting the home loss to Waterford out of their systems quick is the order of the day for Kilkenny. Dublin can be stubborn but it should be a second win for The Cats. Verdict: Kilkenny. Waterford v Derry, Walsh Park, 4pm (C. McAllister, Cork). Derry are looking like a fish out of water and after a famous win over Kilkenny, The Déise will be determined to sustain that momentum. Verdict: Waterford. SUNDAY. Joe McDonagh Cup final. Kildare v Laois, Croke Park 1.45pm (M. Kennedy, Tipperary) Live RTÉ. It's still difficult to square how Kildare topped a table, beating Laois in Portlaoise by 11 points along the way, yet were defeated by relegated Kerry in their opening round. The Lilywhites have been superb since turning their run around with a second round win over Westmeath and that belief they have generated is a potent weapon as much as Laois will be fuelled by what was a chastening win that almost derailed their promotion challenge. What's most impressive about Kildare this year is their spread of scorers as much as David Qualter is expected to oblige with the placed balls. Having been in a number of Christy Ring deciders, Croke Park shouldn't be too daunting for them either but this is a Laois side that has been exposed to Liam MacCarthy Cup opposition this year. Although they were often on the losing side, that should count for something. They sure could do with some of the experienced men they have lost since last year's final but there is enough nous and hurt in their ranks to complete the job. Verdict: Laois. Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals. Wexford v Antrim, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 1pm (C. Lane, Cork). Another team kicking themselves that they didn't top their group, Wexford should be able to put behind them that loss to Fermanagh in Croke Park last weekend. Antrim are doughty but they might not be able to make this long trip worthwhile. Verdict: Wexford. Sligo v Carlow, Tubbercurry, 2pm (B. Cassidy, Derry). Goals were Sligo's undoing against Kildare in their battle for No1 position in Group 1 and here they face a revived Carlow side who will ask awkward questions of them. You would imagine Sligo will do enough to avoid a surprise defeat. Verdict: Sligo. Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC quarter-final. Offaly v Mayo, King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park, 3pm (A. Coyne, Westmeath). Offaly showed so much bottle in Newbridge but they can't be complacent here. Verdict: Offaly. TG4 Football All-Ireland Ladies SFC, Round 1. Waterford v Dublin, Fraher Field, 1.30pm (B. Redmond, Wexford). There is plenty of life remaining in this Dublin team as they demonstrated in their Leinster final win over Meath. Waterford finished ahead of them in the league on score difference and home soil helps but Dublin to squeeze by. Verdict: Dublin.
RTÉ News
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- RTÉ News
The Championship: Hurling finals frenzy and New York, New York
Niall Moran and Cheddar Plunkett join Damian Lawlor on The Championship podcast to preview the Munster and Leinster hurling finals. They also look ahead to the Joe McDonagh Cup final, while we also hear from Kildare manager Brian O'Connor. At a time when New York GAA has been in the spotlight, their Kerry-born county board chairman Sean Price talks about their hurlers' Lory Meagher Cup triumph and their footballers introduction into the Tailteann Cup this weekend.
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Avoiding prelims has helped to put Armagh in an unbelievable position
On the way back up the road from Cavan , there was some chatter on the team bus about topping the group and what it all meant. We knew it had secured us a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals and by extension we had avoided the preliminary quarter-finals. In terms of the round-robin, it was a case of job done. Mostly though, players were considering their own performances and what impact they had in the win over Sligo . Some were happy, others were not, the usual. It was June 2023, the first year of a new round-robin format in the All-Ireland series. The Sligo game at Breffni took place in the middle of June. Just six weeks later we got our hands on Sam Maguire again. READ MORE But on that same afternoon we beat Sligo, Mayo lost to Cork in their last group game at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick – a result that left them third in the table. Instead of having the benefit of two weeks to prepare for their next game, Mayo had to travel to Salthill the following Sunday to face Galway in a preliminary quarter-final. I can't be sure what we did as a group on the day Mayo beat Galway in Pearse Stadium, but it's fair to say we didn't expend as much mental or physical energy that afternoon as our old rivals. The following weekend Mayo arrived to Croke Park to play us in a quarter-final, Kevin McStay's side buoyed by the confidence of beating Galway. That momentum was evident early on and at half-time we led by only a single point. But after the break our freshness told and Mayo's three-week stint started to take its toll. At the final whistle we had won by 12. The benefit of avoiding a preliminary quarter-final played out for all to see at Croke Park in that game. In the two years of this format, the All-Ireland has been won by a team who topped their group and avoided the prelims – Dublin in 2023 and Armagh in 2024. In 2023, Monaghan were the only one of the four preliminary quarter-finalists to advance to the last eight. Last year, only Galway progressed beyond the quarter-finals. That's not to say there won't be a winner coming from the prelims this year but it's clear the challenge is significantly greater for those tasked with playing three knockout championship games in as many weeks. Because of that, Armagh look to be in an unbelievable position right now. They are the only one of the 16 teams to have guaranteed a table-topping finish before the last round of games. It means the reigning All-Ireland champions have the opportunity against Galway to give a lot of their squad players some championship minutes. It is a priceless luxury to have at this stage of the year. [ Football championship: GAA confirms fixture details for final round-robin games Opens in new window ] Armagh's responsibility next week is solely to themselves, it is not for them to worry about Galway or others; they should do what they consider is best for Armagh's chances of retaining the All-Ireland. And, should they run their squad against Galway and give game time to squad players, that does not necessarily represent an easier afternoon for Pádraic Joyce's men. On the contrary, it could actually make it an even trickier affair because those players who have been on the fringes of the Armagh starting team will view the Galway match as their big chance to make an impact. For players who feel they might not be getting the opportunities they deserve, this will be their moment to show management what they can do. For Kieran McGeeney, it couldn't really be set up any better. Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney with goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty last Sunday. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Because if those players perform then they're putting pressure on the guys who have been starting all summer. That in turn challenges everybody to be better and allows nobody to get complacent. I remember during the Super Eights era, there would have been times when we might have been through to the knockout stages with a game to spare, and so for the extended panel that last match would then become their biggest game of the season. It was a shop window for players to try to force their way into the team for the latter stages of the championship, or at the very least to be one of the first subs introduced. Those matches when managers get to give players a roll of the dice are huge to ramp up the internal competition for places within panels. I can't see Armagh going full hog with a stacked team against Galway next week because the risk-reward is not worth it; they've already built up a huge amount of momentum. They will surely view it instead as a perfect opportunity to use their squad. So, for a game that might have no great overarching importance in terms of Armagh's direct progression in the competition, McGeeney can put a huge amount of internal importance on it by handing starting jerseys to players who have spent much of the season on the periphery. Finishing top of the table is a prize we probably didn't fully appreciate in 2023. But after only two years of this format, it's clear there is a huge benefit to avoiding the preliminary quarter-finals. It's not that three games in three weeks is too much physically for players – intercounty players are in such good shape that they can manage that load. But if somebody gets a muscular injury in that time frame they're going to be ruled out for crucial matches – which is another reason for Armagh not to risk any of their key players. More than anything, it's the mental fatigue that becomes draining with such a demanding schedule. Getting up and going to work on the Monday and Tuesday while still having to look at the video analysis from the game you've just played. Then you are asked to look at video clips for the next game because you are immediately trying to analyse your upcoming opponents. Individually, you are at home looking at video in relation to your position and guys you might be coming up against, or going through some team homework clips that have been given by management on your next opponent. Then, pre- or post-training, you would be doing collective video work as well. That's a lot of information to take on board three weeks on the bounce. Truth be told, your job has to be put on the back burner. You are essentially a full-time intercounty footballer in terms of preparing for games, recovering from games, nutrition, analysis, training – you simply don't have the time and energy to give 100 per cent to your job. For teams playing next Saturday, they will probably have a group recovery session on the Sunday, gym on Monday, pitch session Tuesday, pitch session Thursday, then play again the following weekend. And you also have your video work on top of that. So, a gap week between games is large; it just gives you a vital bit of breathing space ahead of the most crucial part of the season. But while it might only be the third year of this format, it is also set to be the last as another new system will be in place next season. Three teams advancing from each group feels wrong. Still, I would have liked them to retain this current format but with only two sides progressing to the knockout stages. None of that matters right now, though. The big prize on offer next weekend is the carrot of a direct pass to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. For those teams who end up in the prelims, while they remain in the running for Sam Maguire they will be starting that particular race further back down the home straight than the four quarter-finalists.
