Ger Brennan appointed as new Dublin manager on three year term
Dublin GAA confirmed the news in a statement this afternoon, saying that his backroom team would be announced in due course.
"Ger has achieved the highest honours as a player with Dublin and he has our full support in leading the Dublin senior football panel in pursuit of further honours in the coming years," Dublin county board chairman Ken O'Sullivan said in a statement.
"We wish Ger, his team and the panel the very best and look forward to the 2026 season."
Brennan, centre-back on the Dublin All-Ireland winning sides of 2011 and 2013, guided Louth to a long-awaited Leinster title this summer.
It was the county's first senior provincial title in 68 years and marked the first time a team other than Dublin had won the Leinster SFC since 2010.
Brennan departed the Louth post following their elimination from the championship at the hands of Donegal in the preliminary quarter-final.
He assumes the Dublin job in the wake of Farrell's departure after six years in charge.
The Na Fianna clubman, who succeeded Jim Gavin in late 2019, presided over two All-Ireland title victories in 2020 and 2023, and stepped down following defeat to Tyrone at the quarter-final stage in 2025.
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The 42
18 minutes ago
- The 42
'Massive addition to any team' - The former Down duo now in Galway Cork All-Ireland final clash
WHEN DOWN LOST their All-Ireland intermediate camogie semi-final this year, former player Fionnuala Carr thought of two forwards who could have made a difference. Relegated from senior for the 2025 season, Down were closing in on a swift return to camogie's top tier. Kerry, who had defeated them by two points in the group stage of this year's championship, stood in their way. 60 minutes from a trip to Croke Park and a chance to reclaim their senior status. However, the result remained the same in their final-four clash as the Kingdom prevailed by 3-12 to 0-16. The margin of their defeat was five points, an amount that Sorcha McCartan and Niamh Mallon could certainly have accounted for. But with Mallon now suiting up for Galway and McCartan a firmly established member of the Cork forward line, Down were forced to play without their assistance. It's been that way for a while now as the pair continue their camogie journeys away from home. They faced off in the 2023 championship when Mallon scored 10 points in a 3-19 to 1-10 Group 1 defeat to Cork. And they were on opposite sides for last year's All-Ireland final too in their respective Cork and Galway colours. They'll do it all again this weekend too. 'They make a big difference to the teams that they play in [now],' Carr explains. 'So, you can imagine the difference that they would make to the likes of a Down team who are quite young. 'Niamh Mallon is worth at least five, six points. Sorcha could chip in with two or three and that's a ten-point swing in a game. Not only their scoring capabilities but also their work rate and their physicality as well.' Fionnuala Carr in action for Down in 2019. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO Carr shared a dressing room with McCartan and Mallon before her retirement from inter-county camogie in 2021. Their ability was obvious from the start. All three were key players on the Down team that won the 2020 All-Ireland intermediate final. Their final against Antrim was played in December that year on account of the schedule reshuffle caused by the Covid pandemic, and Cavan's Breffni Park hosted the occasion. Carr wasn't offended that her county didn't get to celebrate the end of a 22-year wait for All-Ireland intermediate success in Croke Park. She was just grateful to be able to play, and avenge the hurt of their 2018 All-Ireland final defeat to Cork. 'We had been knocking on the door the year before. We had reached an All-Ireland final in 2018, completely unknown to even ourselves, to be honest. Then in 2019, we didn't perform in an All-Ireland semi-final. 'And then in 2020, we all regrouped. It was the year of Covid, so we did a lot of work on our own with gyms and fitness. We noticed that year that we were very physically fit and very physically strong. 'We had Sorcha, we had my sister, Sara-Louise [Graffin], and we had Aimee McAleenan in a half-forward line. Sorcha must be 5'10″, or 11″. Sara-Louise is 5'9″, or 5'10″, and Aimee must be 5'8″. Advertisement 'So, they're all strong girls and very athletic. Then you had Niamh Mallon in the full-forward line, and she was your target woman.' Mallon finished that All-Ireland final with 2-3 from play, scooping the Player of the Match award in the process. Six years before that, she captained Down to a junior All-Ireland title at just 19 years of age, but Mallon was already an experienced player for Down. Carr reckons she was on the squad for three or four seasons at that point, displaying skills and mental fortitude that belied her young age. Mallon's talent was widely known within Down camogie circles from early doors. Carr can still remember the first murmurings of 'a young girl from Portaferry' who was about to make a splash in the game. 'I think Niamh was maybe only 16 at the time and you're sort of wondering, 'Does she cut it? Will she be able for the physicality? Will she commit?' 'There's so many young talented people out there but they don't commit and give the dedication whereas Niamh ticked every single box that you would want in a player. 'She's so committed and dedicated to what she does. She gives the best out of herself all the time. She's never done practicing. She's in the wall ball all the time. 'She came in then and she didn't look out of place at all. After a year or two, she was becoming one of your main focal points in an attack at 18 years of age in a senior camogie team which is no mean feat to be honest.' McCartan comes from a dual-code background, but at one stage, football was her primary sport. A daughter of 1994 All-Ireland winner Greg, she broke through to the Down senior ladies team before an opportunity with the county's camogie team materialised. In a 2021 interview published on the RTÉ Sport website, McCartan explained that watching Down compete in the 2018 All-Ireland final planted the seed in her mind. And when then-Down camogie manager Martina Rooney invited her in the following season, she decided to take a chance. 'At that point football was No 1 still. I went and gave it a go and I just seen the attitude that everyone brought. I was just like, 'this is serious. If I want to be involved, I have to be serious and I have to put it as a priority'. So then I did.' Sorcha McCartan during the 2019 All-Ireland intermediate semi-final against Westmeath. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO Similar to her transition into the current Cork team, McCartan nailed her audition with Down. Carr, of course, was looking on in awe at her development from a talented dual-code specialist to a vital part of the Down attack. 'Sorcha was very young when she came into our team. Down were competing then at an intermediate level and were there or thereabouts. 'And getting a bonus addition like Sorcha makes a difference in being a one-point defeat or a one-point win.' It was a combination of work and university commitments that sent McCartan and Mallon down diverging paths. McCartan initially relocated to Cork to complete a college internship with the biomedical company Stryker. She maintained her commitment to Down for the 2021 campaign and that long-awaited return to the senior championship, but the arrangement was unsustainable. Along with changing county colours, she transferred from her local Castlewellan club to the famous St Finbarr's in Cork city. This Sunday, she will feature in her third consecutive All-Ireland final with Cork. She posted 1-1 in their 2023 triumph over Waterford and added two points off the bench when they went back-to-back last year against Galway. As Cork chase the elusive three-in-a-row this weekend, McCartan continues to bolster Ger Manley's attack. Niamh Mallon also tried to make it work when she moved to Galway for work as a sports scientist with Orreco in 2018. She called time on that challenging commute last year as she linked up with Cathal Murray's squad after joining the Sarsfields club. Niamh Mallon collecting the Player of the Match award after the 2020 All-Ireland intermediate final. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Her debut season ended with All-Star selection, a fitting tribute to her 1-21 in five championship matches including an All-Ireland final appearance which yielded one point from play. But speaking to the media recently, she admitted to struggling in a new team environment last year. She insisted that the cause was internal, rather than the product of any hostility from the those around her. 'I think that comes just from seeing the likes of the Corks and Kilkenny's and the Galways always competing at inter-county level,' says Carr. 'While it is very competitive at intermediate and you don't get an easy game, you always wonder could you have made the step up? When you are there you're seeing people who have multiple All-stars or All-Ireland medals and you're kind of looking at them in awe. 'Her being able to go in and hold her own against them and become a really important big game player. In last year's all-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary (1-3), she actually won the game for them in the end. She was exceptional. 'And then this year she got that all-important goal [against Tipperary in All-Ireland semi-final].' The record currently reads McCartan 1-0 Mallon in All-Ireland finals as the Cork-Galway rivalry heads for another exciting chapter. Carr will be in Croke Park on Sunday, looking on proudly at her former teammates proving their worth among the best camogie players in the country. Talents that were forged in Down are now deservedly being showcased on the biggest stage. 'Niamh is just a once-in-a-generation talent, she's so accurate and she's so brave.. Sorcha is a great target person there in the edge of the square for Cork. She's so physically strong and she's actually deceptively quick. So she's a handful for any full-back.' *****
The 42
31 minutes ago
- The 42
Méabh Cahalane: ‘My dad would say to enjoy it, because the turn of the tide waits for no one'
MÉABH CAHALANE WASN'T short of role models as she took over the Cork captaincy this year. Thirty years ago, her father, Niall, was appointed captain of the Rebel footballers, having also led the county's U21s to All-Ireland glory back in the '80s. Her brothers, Damien and Jack, have also captained Cork U21/20 teams. Now, Méabh has the opportunity to lead the Cork camogie team up the steps of the Hogan Stand on All-Ireland Sunday. She lifted the O'Duffy Cup last year as vice-captain alongside sub-keeper Molly Lynch and delivered the winning speech. It would be doubly special to do so again alongside her younger sister, Orlaith, although another sibling, Gráinne, has missed out through injury. 'We've great support from home, and we're so lucky to all have such involvement in Cork teams. It's a huge opportunity for us,' says the 29-year-old ahead of their final against Galway. 'The lads have played in All-Ireland finals before, my dad has played in All-Ireland finals before, and they'd all offer their own bit of advice. 'But the main thing that my dad would say is just to enjoy it and get as much out of sports as you can, because the turn of the tide waits for no one, is something that he says to us. 'He's so proud of watching on with us playing with Cork and getting to watch myself and Orlaith line out together on Sunday. Advertisement 'But, ultimately, we'll enjoy it even more if we win. So hopefully we can do enough to get over the line. That would be something really special.' Molly Lynch and Méabh Cahalane lift the O'Duffy Cup in 2024. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO When Cahalane is asked about the honour of captaining Cork, the first name that comes to mind is outside the household: Gemma O'Connor. The camogie captaincy is in the gift of the county champions, and with St Finbarr's making the breakthrough after an 18-year drought last autumn, Cahalane was chosen to follow in O'Connor's footsteps. Another boost would follow when the legendary hurler was drafted into Ger Manley's backroom team for this season. 'We've had the likes of Gemma O'Connor captaining Cork. She's someone that we would have looked up to in the club underage. So to be following in her footsteps is a huge honour, and it's obviously an honour for your family as well,' Cahalane adds. 'Going out, representing Cork, it's not something that you take for granted. Hopefully, Sunday can go well for us, and going up the Hogan steps on behalf of the girls is just something you dream of. 'We know that's going to take a huge performance, and we're just really looking forward to the battle ahead.' O'Connor's influence reiterates some of the same points that Cahalane's father touches upon. 'She's a link between players and management. She's played so recently and she knows the game so well. She's come in in a coaching capacity, but she's so familiar with so many of us on the panel, she would have played with many of us, and it makes her so relatable. 'She just knows the game of camogie better than anyone else. To have her in the set-up this year is huge. She's such a voice of reason. 'She's been part of some of the great Cork camogie teams. She's always re-emphasising, 'Don't take anything for granted', and 'In the blink of an eye, your playing time can come to an end'. 'So we're just really enjoying these years and enjoying getting the opportunity to play for Cork and go into Croke Park the next day and represent the county.' Méabh Cahalane in action against Galway during the 2023 championship. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO Cahalane was vice-captain for last year's All-Ireland success, but injury cast her participation in doubt, limiting her to a 51st-minute appearance off the bench. She entered with the sides level, but Galway wouldn't score again in a 1-16 to 0-16 result. 'Last year wasn't the ideal lead-up to the final. Unfortunately, I picked up a hamstring injury six weeks out from the final, and I probably wasn't given much of a chance to get back. 'But I did everything I could and had huge support from our set-up in trying to get myself back. 'There was a few injuries last year, as there is this year. In our set-up, we've had injuries most years. It's just an opportunity for someone else to go out and wear the jersey. 'Izzy O'Regan, Méabh Murphy, and Pamela Mackey, they were there in the full-back line last year, and they did a huge job for us. 'It's great to have Libby Coppinger back this year as well. She missed out last year, unfortunately, through injury. 'It's a different lead-up when you're going in fully fit, hopefully. You know how hard you've worked all year to get to this stage. You just hope that you can go out the next day, have no regrets, and do your job for the team.' Cahalane, an accountant with Grant Thornton, arrived on the panel in 2015 with a crop of players, which included Coppinger, Orla Cronin, and Chloe Sigerson. A year previously, Laura Treacy, Amy O'Connor, and Hannah Looney had graduated onto the senior squad. Related Reads Áine Keane prepared for a very different All-Ireland final experience 'For a few years there, we just didn't have the numbers' - Kerry camogie on the rise 'People say to you sometimes, 'God, that must be awful' . . . I'm lucky' Hannah Looney and Méabh Cahalane celebrate winning the 2023 All-Ireland. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO The conveyor belt continues to motor with Cahalane's sister, Orlaith, joined by the likes of Méabh Murphy, Aoife Healy, Orlaith Mullins, and Ava Fitzgerald in making the step up. That familiarity smoothed the transition from rookies into leaders, and is working well for the in-between generation too. 'We all stuck together, and they're probably the leaders on the team now,' reflects Cahalane. 'Then, you have the likes of Saoirse McCarthy and Laura Hayes and that age group who have now come through. They're huge leaders on the squad as well. 'We've leaders all over the pitch. Even the younger girls who've come through the last couple of years have brought a new energy to the set-up. They have really set the standard in terms of training and testing out the more experienced players. 'There's a great mix amongst the group at the moment of experience and youth, and hopefully as a group on Sunday we can get over the line together.'
Irish Independent
35 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Wexford rowing club awarded funding under Texaco Support for Sport initiative
In its fifth year, the scheme is hosted and organised by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand, with judging overseen by former Irish rugby international and well-known broadcaster, Donncha O'Callaghan. Of the clubs receiving funding this year, €40,000 is divided equally amongst eight GAA clubs (incorporating camogie, Gaelic football and hurling), €20,000 amongst four athletic clubs, and a further €35,000 shared equally amongst three soccer clubs, two rowing clubs and two rugby clubs. In addition, a further €35,000 is divided between seven clubs whose disciplines include basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, gymnastics, inline hockey and swimming, all receiving €5,000 in each case. Edermine Ferry Rowing Club has been named as the only recipient in Wexford. Having been established on the River Slaney in 1973, the club has gone from strength to strength with an emphasis on providing enjoyment to all their members and participants. Congratulating the winners, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, acknowledged 'the immense contribution' that sports clubs make to the heart of community life in Ireland. 'The purpose of our Texaco Support for Sport initiative is to provide an avenue of funding for local sports clubs to help nurture grassroots talent, improve facilities, purchase new equipment or contribute to inclusivity measures which will broaden and enhance their appeal and grow their memberships,' he said. "Since its inception, we are proud to have distributed almost €650,000 to a variety of more than 125 sports clubs throughout the country and this has undoubtedly helped them to continue to play an essential and positive role within their communities,' Mr. Twohig added An invitation to enter the 2026 Texaco Support for Sport initiative will issue again in the New Year, with entries open to all clubs, including those whose application may have been unsuccessful previously.
