Latest news with #AllianzHurlingLeague
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Hurling championship preliminary quarter-finals: All you need to know
SATURDAY, 14 JUNE All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-finals Laois v Tipperary, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 1.45pm Kildare v Dublin, Cedral St Conleth's Park, 4pm ONLINE Live scores on and the RTÉ News app. RADIO Live updates on RTÉ Radio's Saturday Sport and Spórt an tSathairn on Raidió na Gaeltachta. TV Laois v Tipperary live on GAA+. Highlights on The Saturday Game, RTÉ2, 9.30pm. We're now at what is often dubbed the 'business stages' of the hurling championship. It's a knockout alright, but we are still more in the category of novelty event with the preliminary quarter-finals. Just six days after winning the Joe McDonagh Cup for the first time, and securing back-to-back promotions, Kildare's reward is to play Dublin, the third-placed finishers in Leinster. They will both play in the province and Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League next season so in one sense it is a good test for the Lilywhites but it is also unfair to ask them to play a much more tested and rested team so soon after the greatest triumph of their careers, which they hopefully celebrated. The only time a Joe Mc team has won in 10 previous preliminary quarter-finals was when Eddie Brennan's Laois shocked Dublin back in 2019. The average margin of defeat has been 17 points. Four teams coming out of both Leinster and Munster would make the round-robins almost irrelevant but there is no justification for parachuting in the second-tier finalists either. Last year's winners Offaly lost by nine points to Cork and bettering that would be a decent result for Kildare, even if is part of a double-header with the footballers in Newbridge. Kildare manager Brian Dowling has unsurprisingly kept faith in the same starting side that beat Laois so impressively. Dublin will have to pay close attention to Jack Sheridan (1-04) and Gerry Keegan (0-03) who both filled their boots from play. The visitors have made three changes to the team that three weeks ago disappointed against Galway before producing a late charge in defeat, similar to the loss against Kilkenny. Dubs boss Niall Ó Ceallacháin brings in Paddy Dunleavy, Fergal Whitely and Ronan Hayes in place of Conor Donohoe, AJ Murphy and John Hetherton. Anything less than a comprehensive victory would lower the confidence for what already looks a daunting task against Limerick in the quarters proper. Back-to-back wins for Kildare in this championship fixture (last played in 1976) would be an unbelievable sequel to the story of the summer. Kildare: Paddy McKenna; Richy Hogan, Rian Boran, Daniel O'Meara; Simon Leacy, Cian Boran, Paul Dolan; Daire Guerin, Cathal McCabe; James Burke, Gerry Keegan, David Qualter; Darragh Melville, Cathal Dowling, Jack Sheridan. Subs: Mark Doyle, Jack Travers, Harry Carroll, Liam O'Reilly, Conn Kehoe, Muiris Curtin, Oisin Lynam, Killian Harrington, James Dolan, Cormac Byrne, Jack Higgins. Dublin: Sean Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paddy Doyle, Chris Crummey, Paddy Dunleavy; Conor Burke, Brian Hayes; Riain McBride, Fergal Whitely, Darragh Power; Sean Currie, Cian O'Sullivan, Ronan Hayes. Subs: Eddie Gibbons, Andy Dunphy, Seán Gallagher, Daire Gray, John Hetherton, Andrew Jamieson-Murphy, David Lucey, James Madden, Paul O'Dea, Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing, Conal O'Riain. Earlier in the day, Tipperary make the short trip to neighbours Laois. Tipp bounced back from a dismal 2024 to take five points from their four games in Munster this year, only missing out on the provincial final on points difference due to the hammering their 14 men took in Cork. Which might not have been a bad thing for a younger team, watching the royal rumble at the Gaelic Grounds. Anything other than a heavy win against the McDonagh runners-up is unthinkable but this is a slightly tricky balancing act for Liam Cahill. Two years ago, his team broke the all-time championship record scoring by hitting 7-38 past Offaly in a 32-point stroll, only to lose to Galway seven days later. Only eight of that XV start on Saturday. "We ran up a fairly sizeable score two years ago in the same fixture, and then looked to produce it seven days later, and we were just a tad off," Cahill told the Nenagh Guardian. "Week after week is always a struggle to manage and we have to be careful how we manage that over the next seven days to come out with a win, please god, and be in a good place physically and mentally going into a quarter final." "There are little tweaks that can be done to make sure the same thing doesn't happen." It will again be the Tribesmen, having had an extra week off, playing the winners in this year's quarter-finals. But Tipperary haven't played in four before now and also need the run out. Noel McGrath and Jake Morris are held in reserve and might pile on the pain late on. Two-time All-Ireland winner Seamus Kennedy makes his first start of the campaign, having come off the bench in every match in Munster, while Joe Caesar and Alan Tynan also come in as Conor Stakelum drops to the bench and Eoghan Connolly is omitted. Under-20 All-Ireland winning captain Sam O'Farrell is named at right wing-forward instead of wing-back. Laois boss Tommy Fitzgerald makes one change from the starting side that lost to Kildare in Croke Park, Ryan Mullaney coming in at wing-back and several players moving further forward as Jer Quinlan misses out. It was eventual All-Ireland champions Tipperary who ended Laois' superb summer at the quarter-final stage in 2019. Laois were beaten by Wexford by 12 points at this stage last year and a similar result would be an achievement. Laois: Cathal Dunne; Cody Comerford, Lee Cleere, Diarmaid Conway; Ryan Mullaney, Padraig Delaney, Jordan Walshe; Fiachra C Fennell, David Dooley; Aidan Corby, Tomás Keyes, Paddy Purcell; Mark Dowling, Ben Conroy, James Keyes. Subs: Eoin Fleming, Padraic Dunne, Donnacha Hartnett, Tom Cuddy, Eoin Gaughan, John Lennon, Martin Phelan, Aaron Dunphy, James Duggan, PJ Scully, Colin Byrne. Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Robert Doyle, Bryan O'Mara, Michael Breen; Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher, Joe Caesar; Willie Connors, Seamus Kennedy; Alan Tynan, Andrew Ormond, Sam O'Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Walsh set to feature for Antrim after bereavement
Gerard Walsh is expected to be available for Antrim's Leinster Hurling Championship opener against Wexford on Saturday (14:00 BST) despite a recent family bereavement. The Rossa player's younger sister Fionnuala's funeral took place on Saturday but he returned to county training on Tuesday and is set to be in the matchday squad for the Wexford Park contest when Davy Fitzgerald names his Antrim selection on Thursday evening. Saturday's game will come too soon for half-forward Niall McKenna who is still a few weeks away from full Conor Johnston, who had an impressive Allianz Hurling League campaign for the Saffrons, is also set to miss the encounter after picking up an injury. Antrim go into the championship after holding on to their Division 1B League status after drawing with Carlow in their penultimate game before hammering relegated Laois in their final who Davy Fitzgerald previously managed, will join Antrim in Division 1B next season after losing their Division 1A status despite beating current All-Ireland champions Clare and previous Liam McCarthy Cup kingpins Limerick. Defeats by Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Galway meant that Keith Rossiter's side suffered the drop in spite of the victories over the two most recent All-Ireland Saturday's opener, Antrim will have home advantage for contests against Kilkenny and Dublin on 27 April and 10 May. The Saffrons will conclude their Leinster campaign with away games in Galway and Offaly on 17 May and 25 May. The top three teams in the six-strong Leinster round-robin series will go on to compete in the All-Ireland Championship with the bottom side relegated to next year's second-tier Joe McDonagh Cup.
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Antrim ease relegation fears by hammering Laois
Antrim took a potentially decisive step to retaining their Division 1B status in the Allianz Hurling League by hammering fellow strugglers Laois 4-22 to 0-21 at a sunny Corrigan Park. Defeat in their final game would have ensured the drop to Division Two for the Saffrons but instead Laois now need the unlikely prospect of two home wins over Carlow and Dublin to relegate Davy Fitzgerald's side. On the basis of Laois' performance in Belfast, that turn of events looks extremely unlikely. While it was a strong team performance by Antrim, James McNaughton's display stood out as he notched exactly half of their total by scoring the Saffrons had stars all over the pitch with Eoghan Campbell impressing in his more advanced role as youngster Cormac McKeown, Gerard Walsh, Conor Johnston and Joe Maskey were among others to impress. Laois never looked like getting back into the contest but Antrim keeper Ryan Elliott still made three superb saves - including a late magnificent stop to turn a Mark Dowling piledriver over the bar. Antrim needed to make a fast start and that's exactly what happened as two Walsh points and a McNaughton brace moved them into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead before the Loughgiel man blasted in the first of his two goals. Laois briefly threatened to get back in touch as they cut the margin to 1-6 to 0-4 but the Saffrons regained control to move 2-12 to 0-7 up with Campbell's unselfish pass setting up Johnston to fire past Cathal McDunne. By half-time, Antrim's lead was 2-15 to 0-8 and while Laois were going to the benefit of a slight breeze in the second period, the game was already beyond them. After trailing by 13 at the break, Laois never got closer than nine in arrears in the second half. That was when Aaron Dunphy hit his eighth point in the 65th minute to cut Antrim's lead to 2-20 to 0-17 but the home side side finished with a flourish as McNaughton hit his second goal before Keelan Molloy added a further major.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Waterford outclass sorry Saffrons at Corrigan Park
A return to Corrigan Park did not have the desired effect for Antrim on Sunday as they were out-gunned by an impressive Waterford who claimed a utterly dominant 2-23 to 0-11 win in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League. The Déise made good use of the elements in the first period to build a 16-point wind and managed the game well in the second with Antrim never really threatened to get back into it. It was a disappointing display from Davy Fitzgerald's men who were out-hustled and out-muscled as the visitors came at them with intensity and the result now leaves them in a precarious position in the battle to avoid the drop. Playing with an extremely strong wind at their backs, Waterford immediately set about building a big lead and had two points on the board within the opening minute. The lead was three with 10 played before the visitors grabbed their first goal as a superb poc-out from Billy Nolan found Conor Prunty in stride with the ball worked to Kevin Mahony to crack home. Their second major came six minutes later and from a Stephen Bennett penalty, awarded as he was adjudged to have been clipped outside the area, but deemed a goalscoring opportunity denied and Keelan Molloy would spend 10 minutes in the sin-bin to compound matters. The scores flowed for Waterford with Jamie Barron and Dessie Hutchinson hitting some beauties, as Antrim only had a couple of James McNaughton frees to show until late in the half when Seaan Elliott had a sight of goal but shot over. But the visitors had a commanding 2-14 to 0-4 lead at the interval with Antrim's hopes long gone. The Saffrons made a decent start to the second period with the first four points including one from substitute Eoin O'Neill, but were unable to sustain the momentum with Waterford adapting to playing into the gale, rattling off four of their own to restore to 16-point gap going into the final quarter. They could have had a third goal only for the crossbar denying Hutchinson, but the game was long decided and petered out late with Waterford home and hosed.
BBC News
23-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Waterford outclass sorry Saffrons at Corrigan Park
A return to Corrigan Park did not have the desired effect for Antrim on Sunday as they were out-gunned by an impressive Waterford who claimed a utterly dominant 2-23 to 0-11 win in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling Déise made good use of the elements in the first period to build a 16-point wind and managed the game well in the second with Antrim never really threatened to get back into was a disappointing display from Davy Fitzgerald's men who were out-hustled and out-muscled as the visitors came at them with intensity and the result now leaves them in a precarious position in the battle to avoid the with an extremely strong wind at their backs, Waterford immediately set about building a big lead and had two points on the board within the opening lead was three with 10 played before the visitors grabbed their first goal as a superb poc-out from Billy Nolan found Conor Prunty in stride with the ball worked to Kevin Mahony to crack second major came six minutes later and from a Stephen Bennett penalty, awarded as he was adjudged to have been clipped outside the area, but deemed a goalscoring opportunity denied and Keelan Molloy would spend 10 minutes in the sin-bin to compound scores flowed for Waterford with Jamie Barron and Dessie Hutchinson hitting some beauties, as Antrim only had a couple of James McNaughton frees to show until late in the half when Seaan Elliott had a sight of goal but shot the visitors had a commanding 2-14 to 0-4 lead at the interval with Antrim's hopes long Saffrons made a decent start to the second period with the first four points including one from substitute Eoin O'Neill, but were unable to sustain the momentum with Waterford adapting to playing into the gale, rattling off four of their own to restore to 16-point gap going into the final could have had a third goal only for the crossbar denying Hutchinson, but the game was long decided and petered out late with Waterford home and hosed.
