Kerry slammed for 'rubbish' performance by former All-Ireland winner
A former All-Ireland winner has slammed Kerry's performance in a nine-point loss to Meath as "rubbish" that consigned them to a preliminary quarter-final.
Billy O'Shea, who won the All-Ireland with the Kingdom in 1997, likened the display to Kerry's 15-point loss to the Royals in the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final.
Kerry were the heavy favourites as they travelled to Glenisk O'Connor Park for their final Championship group match. But they were found wanting against a resurgent Meath side that ran out comfortable winners.
The Kingdom's performance was blasted by their former player O'Shea, who works as a GAA analyst on Radio Kerry.
O'Shea said: "That is the second worst performance Kerry have produced in my lifetime, the first being 2001 when we lost to the same opposition by 15 points.
"Everybody associated with the team that day will probably tell you that it was the most lonesome, embarrassing, all those horrible words associated with defeat that they would have experienced, and I'm sure the players today will probably be feeling the same. It was a game that just didn't happen for Kerry."
Referencing Meath's hunger, O'Shea added: "We were lacking the same passion, the same heart, the same hunger.
"We won nothing around the middle of the field bar one kickout that Joe O'Connor got on the 60th minute. The only ball we won in the whole of the afternoon here in Tullamore. It's hugely disappointing.
"I would normally be a bit conservative because I respect anybody who puts on the green and gold and I know the commitments that players make and the sacrifices that players make.
"But a lot of what we saw today was rubbish. It's time to call a spade a spade.
"We lacked an awful lot of passion. Turnover, soft turnovers. We had no bit of direction. We had no game plan. Towards the end of that game, they were dictating things exactly like they did in 2001."
Whereas Meath are through to an All-Ireland quarter-final, Kerry have to play a preliminary quarter-final next weekend in Killarney.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
36 minutes ago
- The 42
'Roy flipped… That image epitomises Uri. He was a black belt in kickboxing'
AS THE tributes poured in for ex-referee Uriah Rennie following news of his death at the age of 65 last week, one memorable image did the rounds. The Premier League's pioneering first black referee, who officiated over 300 fixtures between 1997 and 2008, proved a key figure during a match between Man United and Sunderland. 31 August 2002 was the date. The Saipan controversy and Roy Keane's abrupt World Cup exit were still fresh in people's minds. Ex-Ireland teammate Jason McAteer had been winding Keane up during the game. Less than 12 months earlier, the pair had been arm in arm following McAteer's famous winner against the Netherlands in a crucial World Cup qualifier. But the Red Devils captain and McAteer, a Mick McCarthy sympathiser, were no longer on good terms. The pair initially clashed while challenging for the ball. Keane won possession off the Black Cats midfielder, who proceeded to foul Keane. The incensed Man United star went for his opponent. Rennie stepped in, doing what not many referees of that era would have had the bravery to do and physically blocked one of English football's fiercest competitors from his attempts at retaliation. The two players continued mouthing off, and McAteer made a clear book-writing gesture about Keane's much-discussed new autobiography, which had been published the previous day. The Irish midfielder avoided a red card in that instance, but he was still dismissed minutes later for an off-the-ball elbow on McAteer. 'That's a very famous image,' says Ashley Hickson-Lovence, who wrote the 2022 novel 'Your Show,' based on Rennie's life. 'Jason McAteer made a comment about [Roy's] book, and Roy flipped. 'And, you know, that image epitomises Uri. He was a black belt in kickboxing, and he knew martial arts. He wasn't really meant to do that. You're not taught to do that. So that was him doing whatever needed doing to keep the game under control. I don't think the FA were a huge fan. I think there were a few comments that the FA made afterwards, saying that wasn't the best thing to do, or they don't encourage other referees to do that. 'Actually, it was funny because Roy Keane didn't get sent off in that moment. He did get sent off in the game, but he managed to stop Roy Keane attacking Jason McAteer at that point. So that would have been a warning of sorts, to Roy, to behave himself. 'Uri was such a character, and someone who sometimes didn't do things by the book, to do the best that he could as a role of a referee, which is obviously really tough.' While writing 'Your Show,' Hickson-Lovence got to know Rennie, 'a hero' to the young author, who credits the trailblazer for his subsequent stint as an amateur referee. Advertisement The book had started life as the student's PhD at the University of East Anglia. The then-English teacher gained access to Rennie's email address through a friend of a friend, and the ex-referee was initially reluctant about cooperating with the project. Hickson-Lovence needed to 'really sell myself' before Rennie agreed to meet him at the Ponds Forge leisure centre in Sheffield. 'I had to give him a screenshot of my profile as a teacher from the school website and that sort of thing,' he recalls. The pair met up 'four or five times,' and these conversations would help inform the writing of 'Your Show' — a novel that was also a biography of sorts. 'The more we got talking, the more he sort of loosened up, and we warmed to each other, and I listened back to our conversation after his passing, and just listened back to our interviews, and there was a lot of laughter, and that was lovely to hear.' Despite multiple old reports simply describing Rennie as 'English,' Hickson-Lovence discovered he had been born in Jamaica. 'To make that rise from Jamaica to a very rough estate in Sheffield in the '70s, refereeing in the lower leagues, in the semi-professional game in the '80s, in Yorkshire, would have been incredibly tough. And that's something I don't know, because he didn't really talk about it with me, to be honest. And then, to make it to the Premier League in 1997 with increased cameras, scrutiny, Sky Sports, all that sort of thing, it's one hell of an achievement. 'He arrived in Sheffield in 1972, and he qualified as a referee in 1979, and I do think it was a difficult time. 'He lived in a relatively small, modest house with a lot of brothers and sisters. So, especially when he was a young man, sport was his escape. 'I think [his story is] film-worthy, if I do say so myself.' The pair became increasingly close, and as the novel was getting ready for publication, Rennie commended Hickson-Lovence on 'a very good read'. Completing the project was a major coup. Rennie rarely accepted interviews following his retirement. Hickson-Lovence suspects part of this mistrust was due to some of the unkind journalism written about the former referee in his heyday. 'Even when the book was released, I had requests from The Guardian, The Observer and lots of other publications who wanted to do interviews and things about the book together, and he didn't want to do that. And I accepted and respected that decision. 'I would message him to say: 'By the way, so and so wants to do something, I think they're quite trusted,' or whatever. And he would just say: 'Not for me.' Sort of a polite decline.' He continues: 'I think [doing interviews] had to be for a good reason. I suppose he didn't want it to have a sort of journalistic slant or angle. I imagine he wanted it to be a book that had longevity, or would inspire others of colour or marginalised groups to get involved in football and refereeing, particularly. 'But that being said, he didn't really get involved, apart from the interviews. He let me do what I wanted to do.' Rennie refereed over 300 professional games. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Hickson-Lovence and Rennie stayed in touch following the project's conclusion and would regularly message one another. They spoke on the phone for a couple of hours about Rennie's pride following his appointment as the Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University and the 'open-door policy' he planned to have. He was only installed in the position last month. 'He wanted to really break down the barriers in terms of what a university is and what a university should be, and how that relationship would work with the wider Sheffield community.' Rennie, who was also a magistrate in Sheffield since 1996, earlier this year expressed his sympathy after Hickson-Lovence's father passed away. Uri's recent message to me after my dad died. A kind man with a big heart. RIP Uriah Rennie ❤️ — Ashley Hickson-Lovence (@AHicksonLovence) June 9, 2025 During their conversations, it was sometimes notable what was left unsaid. Last April, Rennie told the BBC about how doctors found a nodule on his spine caused by a rare, inoperable neurological condition. The man once described as the Premier League's fittest referee had to learn to walk again. Hickson-Lovence recalls how Rennie didn't mention his illness during their lengthy interactions, and it was only later that he found out the iconic figure had been ill. 'He was quite a private man. And I think he just didn't want to make it all about him, so to speak. 'He was a very selfless man. And all of my interactions with him, it was striking to me how much he cared about other people and the community and putting others first. 'I just think he saw his role as helping others, community and humanity first. And everything he did had to have the right purpose, and if it wasn't going to help anybody, or if it wasn't going to have a lasting impact, or it wasn't going to inspire, then he just wouldn't do it. I'm not just talking about the book. I'm talking about anything he does, because he's a patron of several charities. He goes into schools, he goes into care homes, he's done walking marathons and half marathons. He's done all sorts to raise money for charities. Charities became his thing, and community became his thing. 'It's weird, because I think of Uriah Rennie's legacy now more as a human than actually a referee, having met him and done the research, it feels like he just had such a bigger impact. He had a huge impact on the pitch, but his impact in Sheffield and South Yorkshire cannot be understated, really. 'He knew everybody. And if it was a charity [making a request], he wouldn't say no.' In December 2023, Sam Allison became the Premier League's second-ever black referee, 15 years after Rennie's retirement. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Despite his remarkable achievements, Hickson-Lovence believes Rennie remains a somewhat underappreciated footballing figure. 'I do think the Premier League should have done more to use Uri's legacy to get more officials of colour up through the system. It's not good enough that it was 15 years since his retirement that we had Sam Allison [the Premier League's second black referee], and I still don't think [it's acceptable], considering how culturally diverse the top level game is in the UK, that we don't have more officials of colour, and managers and coaches as well.'
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Tipperary's hammering of Laois raises further questions about viability of current preliminary quarter-final format
ANOTHER preliminary quarter-final, and another Munster county wins in a landslide. The future of the backdoor for Joe McDonagh teams into the All-Ireland series has been questioned heavily since the Munster final had to go to penalties — and events in Portlaoise yesterday look like more evidence for the prosecution. Advertisement Explosive starts to each half meant that Tipperary never switched out of second gear in their battle with a Laois side that lacked both physical and mental energy. Whatever about extending the season for the Joe McDonagh Cup winners — though And how much Tipp boss Liam Cahill learned ahead of what will be a very different type of battle with Galway next week remains to be seen. The visitors' Willie Connors had hoisted over three excellent points from midfield to take Laois sweeper Paddy Purcell out of the game. Advertisement Read More On GAA And when Tipp did get inside, Jason Forde from a tight angle made it 1-5 to no score after five minutes. During the week, GAA president Jarlath Burns spoke about how important these games are to the counties, and around 6,640 supporters filed into O'Moore Park for yesterday's double header. But they did not have the chance to entertain the possibility of an upset, or even get 35 minutes of a competitive fixture that might road-test the Premier County. Purcell finally got Laois off the mark and an impressive save from Cathal Dunne to deny Darragh McCarthy was another spark that finally got the O'Moore County going — and for the remainder of the first half, they hung on Tipp's coat-tails. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Close to goal, the Tipperary full-backs were imperious as Bryan O'Mara marshalled a line that was in complete control. But Pádraig Delaney and Donnacha Hartnett scored from distance, while Purcell also weighed in with points that kept the gap at a single-digit margin for the remainder of the first half. GAA fans 'loved seeing and hearing' the late Micheal O Muircheartaigh as he features in RTE documentary Hell for Leather Those scores served to balance out some fine points from Andrew Ormond and John McGrath. Within five minutes of the restart, Tipperary shattered the ten-point barrier when Purcell scored to make it 1-18 to 0-13. Advertisement By the time Laois scored again, Sam O'Farrell and Forde both found the net with precise finishes. The remaining half an hour was high on honest endeavour but completely lacking in Championship intensity, with the crowd only sparking into life when John McGrath hit the crossbar and Peter McGarry the post. 1 Jason Forde was the top scorer as Tipp ran out 3-32 to 0-18 winners Against Galway next Saturday, those chances will be all-important. Yesterday, the only difference it made was on the statistician's notes. Advertisement TIPPERARY: R Shelly; M Breen, B O'Mara, R Doyle 0-1; C Morgan, R Maher, S Kennedy; W Connors 0-5, J Caesar 0-1; A Tynan 0-1, A Ormond 0-3, S O'Farrell 1-1; J Forde 2-5 2f, J McGrath 0-3, D McCarthy 0-9, 6f, 1 65. Subs: J Ryan for Doyle h-t, O O'Donoghue 0-1 for Ormond 47 mins, P McGarry 0-1 for Maher 47, B McGrath for Morgan 54, J Fogarty 0-1 for McCarthy 55. LAOIS: C Dunne; C Comerford, L Cleere, D Hartnett 0-1; R Mullaney, P Delaney 0-1, J Walshe 0-1; P Purcell 0-4, A Corby, M Dowling; Tomás Keyes 0-9, 6f, B Conroy, J Keyes 0-1. Subs: T Cuddy for Delaney 35 mins, J Lennon for Corby 49, A Dunphy 0-1 for Dowling 51, P Dunne for Mullaney 56, M Phelan for Walshe 64. Advertisement REFEREE: C Mooney (Dublin).
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Fuming Jack O'Connor doesn't pull any punches while assessing Kerry's shock loss to Meath as Galway test awaits
KERRY boss Jack O'Connor admitted they were subjected to 'a chastening experience' as their status as the last remaining unbeaten team in the Championship was wiped out by Meath. The Kingdom had to settle for second place in All-Ireland SFC Group 2 after Advertisement 2 His team were beaten 1-22 to 0-16 at Glenisk O'Connor Park 2 The Kingdom didn't live up to their billing as All-Ireland contenders O'Connor's men made the trip to Tullamore on the back of a resounding win over Cork that saw them fire 0-21 after the break. But on this display against the Royals, the gaffer fumed: 'Very flat and lacking energy so we have to figure out where that came from. 'Compared to the second half against Cork, it was night and day. Meath had all the energy and aggression and we were passive. Back to the drawing board.' Despite facing a Kerry side who were odds-on favourites, Meath defied the absence of star forward Mathew Costello to claim the result that allows them to bypass next weekend's preliminary quarter-finals. Advertisement Read More On GAA It is their second monumental Championship win since Robbie Brennan took the reins, having Brennan said: 'People writing us off, that's fair enough. It's Kerry and we're still at the early stages of our journey. I wouldn't have any complaints about people thinking we had no chance. 'But we did and I suppose that's the most important thing. We had a plan, we were hoping to execute it and we did for the most part.' Meath's stranglehold in the middle third gave them a platform to record their first Championship triumph over Kerry since the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Comment Six points adrift at the break, the Munster champions cut the gap to two. But Meath killed the game off when two-pointers from Ruairí Kinsella and Conor Duke were followed by a Bryan Menton goal. GAA fans 'loved seeing and hearing' the late Micheal O Muircheartaigh as he features in RTE documentary Hell for Leather O'Connor said: 'We pushed on for maybe 15, 20 minutes of the second half but we just couldn't get to grips with the kickouts. That's where the game was won and lost.' While Meath's place in the Sam Maguire last eight is secure, Kerry must regroup for a home preliminary quarter-final next weekend. Advertisement Injuries ruled out Seán O'Shea, Paudie Clifford, Paul Geaney, Brian Ó Beaglaioch, Barry Dan O'Sullivan and Diarmuid O'Connor. But the Kerry chief insisted: 'We won't be making those excuses. We were just way off it today and Meath were deserving winners.'
