The hard road can help in revitalised football championship
'it could be worse, lads – we could be Mayo!'
On top of that, the game will help them become 'battle-hardened' for the challenges ahead, Dublin, Armagh and Donegal all 'stress-tested' too the past few weekends. 'When you hear fellas saying Kerry must be laughing at all these other counties killing each other, I honestly think it might be the other way around.'
'Football is having a great season to date,' writes Seán Moran,
enough to create 'unease in the heart of Hurling Man'
. The Football Review Committee's tweaks having made the game better for players and spectators, the championship producing three 'riveting' provincial finals.
The hurling hasn't been half bad either, especially in Munster, Jeffrey Lynskey analysing
Limerick's 'devastating' display against Cork
. Dublin and Galway could do with a performance of that quality when they meet in the decisive final round of the Leinster championship on Sunday, Gordon Manning looking ahead to
the 'Micheál Donoghue derby'
.
Gordon also heard from the Dublin camogie camp ahead of
tomorrow's Special Congress vote on the skorts issue
. 'If one girl gives up this sport because of a skort, that's one too many in my opinion,' said Dublin manager Gerry McQuaid.
READ MORE
In rugby,
Gordon D'Arcy laments the decision of the IRFU to scrap its men's Sevens programme
, but 'although that choice may feel like a step backwards, it is a pragmatic and ultimately necessary one in today's economic climate,' he writes.
If that decision hasn't gone down too well in some parts, neither has
the picking of a Thursday for Ireland's opening 2026 Six Nations game
away to France. David Gorman brings us some of our readers' reaction to that scheduling, one suggesting that 'if you were planning on turning off attendees from the sport you couldn't have devised a better scheme than this farce of fixtures'.
In soccer, Gavin Cummiskey heard
Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward reaffirm her commitment to the job
, revealing that she turned down the offer of a job in England's Super League a few weeks ago. 'When I say I am in, I am in,' she said at the unveiling of her squad for the Nations League games against Turkey and Slovenia.
Johnny Watterson, meanwhile, talks to
former boxing world champion Bernard Dunne
about his RTÉ radio show in which he has revealing conversations with some of the biggest names in Irish sport.
And in cycling, Shane Stokes previews
the 70th edition of the Rás Tailteann
which gets under way in Drogheda today, former champions, a very young Irish team and 13 squads from abroad among those competing in the event.
TV Watch:
Ireland play the West Indies in
the first of three one day internationals
in Clontarf (TNT Sports 2 from 10.30am). This evening, Kilkenny and Dublin meet in the Leinster under-20 hurling final (TG4, 7.25) and Spurs and Manchester United square up in the Europa League final in Bilbao (Premier Sports 1 and TNT Sports 1, 8.0).
'This is
16th against 17th in the Premier League
, a battle of two sides who have won one of their past 10 league games,' writes Jonathan Wilson. But? It offers the winners the not inconsiderable prize of a spot in next season's Champions League, with all the financial benefits that will bring.
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Irish Daily Mirror
44 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kilkenny's 'extreme frustration' as they break silence on Tipp scoreboard fiasco
Kilkenny have broken their silence on the All-Ireland semi-final scoreboard fiasco which they say caused 'extreme frustration'. However, county board chairman PJ Kenny said there was never any question of the game with eventual champions Tipperary being replayed after the Croke Park scoreboard displayed the wrong score after recording a Noel McGrath wide as a point, causing Kilkenny to chase goals late on when points may have salvaged extra time for them. As it was, referee James Owens reported the final score as 4-20 - rather than 4-21 - to 0-30 in favour of Tipperary, meaning that there was no avenue for a replay, not that Kilkenny were pursuing one in any event. Although Kilkenny held their silence, Kenny said that lines of communication between them were open at all times in the aftermath of the game and that they received an apology for the error. He told the KCLR Hurling Podcast: 'There was communication that evening after the match. Obviously there was extreme frustration with the players, management and the county board and all the fans as well who paid to go to the match. There was deep frustration. We were in talks with Croke Park from the very start that evening. We knew and under no rule, it was never going to a replay. 'We didn't want to broadcast it all over the front pages and we did talk to Croke Park regularly on the Sunday and Monday and we looked for an explanation. We were also conscious as well, Tipperary and Cork were in the All-Ireland final. There was no point in taking away from their… there was nothing to be gained that way but we were in talks. 'Croke Park took full responsibility. They wrote a letter which we actually read out at the county board meeting the week after that. They took full responsibility for what happened. They issued an apology, particularly they felt for the players and management and they're probably the people who put in the most effort in it so it wasn't an easy time.' Kenny added that Croke Park pledged to put procedures in place to ensure that there isn't a repeat episode, something that he said Kilkenny will hold them to account on. 'They say they're looking at procedures going forward and we will enquire about them going forward - we won't just let that go. We need to have that it won't happen again because it was a very stressful time and look, when you're playing and you're chasing a lead, the scoreboard, it does affect your decision-making, it does affect your decision-making.'
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
GAA wrote letter of apology to Kilkenny over Croke Park scoreboard error, reveals county chairman PJ Kenny
Kilkenny GAA chairman PJ Kenny has acknowledged the receipt of a letter from Croke Park apologising for the scoreboard error at the end of their All-Ireland hurling semi-final against Tipperary earlier this month.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
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'We need to make sure it won't happen again, it was a very stressful time': Kilkenny chairman PJ Kenny
Kilkenny GAA chairman PJ Kenny has described the "extreme frustration" felt in the county after the scoreboard error in their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary. Having already received an apology from Croke Park for the error that impacted the closing stages of the fixture — which eventual All-Ireland champions Tipp won by two-points — Kenny has detailed the thinking in Kilkenny, insisting that despite knowing a replay would not occur, they were in contact with GAA authorities during a period he described as "very stressful". On the day, both teams would have been of the understanding, via the scoreboard, that Noel McGrath's point attempt in the 70th minute had put the Tipp four points ahead. Following his attempt, McGrath's shot was waved wide but the scoreboard counted it as a score. After a Jordan Molloy point in the second minute of additional time, Derek Lyng's men — thinking they required a goal — went looking for exactly that to force extra-time when they were in fact only two points behind. "There was communication that evening after the match," Kilkenny chairman PJ Kenny told KCLR Hurling Podcast. "There was extreme frustration from the players, management, and county board, and all the fans, as well, who paid to go to the match. "There was deep frustration, we were in talks with Croke Park from the very start of that evening. We knew it was never going to a replay; there's no rule that allows for that, and we were told that fairly straightaway. "We talked to them, but we didn't want it broadcast all over the front pages. We did talk to Croke Park regularly on the Sunday and Monday and we looked for an explanation." Kenny noted that the Kilkenny county board was conscious that there was nothing to be gained by taking away from then finalists — Tipperary and Cork. "We were also conscious as well that Tipperary and Cork were in the All-Ireland final and there was no point in taking away from their day," Kenny said. "There was nothing to be gained from it that way, but we were in talks, Croke Park took full responsibility, they wrote a letter which we actually read out at the county board meeting the Monday after (a week later). "They took full responsibility and issued an apology, particularly they felt for the players and management. They are the people who put in the most effort, so it wasn't an easy time. There's nothing we could do. They said they are putting procedures in place. "All I can say is Tipperary won the All-Ireland and they were well worthy. Congratulations to them. It was disappointing for us, but there's nothing much we can do now." The chairman added that despite Croke Park's plan to insert procedures, Kilkenny will be keeping a close eye on the action the GAA takes so that there are no further instances of the situation. "In Croke Park, there is about six people on the sideline there, the referee's report had the score in at 4-20 to 0-30 and we were sent on a copy of that, so immediately that's the score you go by. Just human error was basically the cause; whoever was on the scoreboard put up that extra point. "Maybe I think when you have HawkEye you should be able to link it all in and be able to check for scores, I don't know how they can't stop play. "They say they're looking at procedures and we will enquire about them going forward, we won't just let that go, we need to make sure it won't happen again, because it is was very stressful time." Kenny also credited the Kilkenny players' — who were kept up-to-date with the talks — decision not to speak out in the media. "When you're a player and you're chasing a lead, it does affect your decision-making," Kenny said. "Credit to the players, they didn't go out in the media either, looking to make a story either. They are the most important people in this."
