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Irish Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Kilkenny make it six Leinster titles on the trot as Galway revival falls short
Leinster SHC Final: Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-20 From the seemingly routine to the suddenly desperate, Kilkenny wrapped up their sixth successive Leinster hurling title in Croke Park on Sunday, and 77th in all, with a brief sigh of relief. Then perhaps a satisfied smile. After playing with typical Kilkenny heart and common sense, they either blinked or simply backed off, allowing Galway to come from 13 points down in the 58th minute, to twice make it a four-point game – including right at the end of normal time. Then in the three minutes of added time that followed, Kilkenny hit another 1-1 without reply, including a second goal gifted to Martin Keoghan, one which replacement Galway goalkeeper Darragh Walsh will wish to forget. And that was that. It all made for a heart-quaking last 10 minutes for Galway and their supporters, who were left wondering what might have been if only they'd come alive a lot earlier. On a grey afternoon at GAA headquarters, they failed to produce a single shot at the Kilkenny goal in the first half, also going for long passages where they appeared to forget how to score from play at all. READ MORE When Paddy Deegan's long-range point put Kilkenny 13 points up in the 58th minute, 2-19 to 0-12, some of those among the crowd of 37,503 were eying up the exits. Then it all changed dramatically when Galway hit 1-6 within the next eight minutes, starting with a point from play by midfielder Seán Linnane. The excellent Cathal Mannion added another, and replacement Tiernan Killeen promptly chipped in with two more. Up to that point, Galway had been unable to get a clear shot at the Kilkenny goal. In the 63rd minute, Mannion sent a free short to Brian Conconnon, who tore into the Kilkenny defence, and shot cleanly into the top right corner. Two more scores, one from Kevin Cooney and a Mannion free, slimmed the gap to four, and suddenly anything seemed possible. Two more points were exchanged – Kilkenny's Billy Ryan scoring after a brilliant fetch from the majestic Huw Lawlor, then another from Cooney – before the black-and-amber wave came again, pulling up the drawbridge for good. Luke Hogan's long-range shot from under the Hogan Stand fell short, only Walsh completely misread the trajectory of the ball in the Galway goal. It dropped over his head and into the path of Keoghan, who nonetheless pounced with beautiful timing. Galway goalkeeper Darragh Walsh drops the ball ahead of Martin Keoghan scoring a goal for Kilkenny during the Leinster final at Croke Park. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho It was rough luck on Walsh, the Turloughmore goalkeeper called into the action at half-time and his first championship game for Galway after Éanna Murphy was forced to retire with a suspected concussion. That resulted from an accidental collision with Keoghan after he scored Kilkenny's first goal, two minutes before half-time. Mullen then had the last say, bringing his tally to 0-3 for the afternoon, one of the 10 different Kilkenny scorers. Not long after referee Johnny Murphy blew for time as Galway manager Micheál Donoghue made his way over the Walsh, still grounded in some state of disbelief. A word or two of consolation later and Walsh was back on his feet. Still Kilkenny's eight-point winning margin in no way flattered. Galway were out of contention for long stretches, especially for the 36 minutes or so in the middle period of the game when they couldn't produce a single score from play. In the meantime, the 37-year-old TJ Reid started to show once again his genius for making time and space into dimensions that suit his needs. In the 32nd minute, he caught his first clean ball in front of goal, only to be called for over-carrying A minute later, Reid took a pass from John Donnelly, on the 20m line, rocketing a shot into the lower left corner that was brilliantly saved by Éanna Murphy. But Martin Keoghan pounced for the rebound, a split-second before Murphy could clear on the second attempt. Murphy also took a knee to the head for his efforts, which forced his half-time retirement. At that stage Kilkenny were up 1-9 to 0-8, their four-point advantage defined by Keoghan's goal. In the 56th minute, Keoghan's pass to Reid was deftly finished low into the Galway net, and that defined Kilkenny's overall superiority. Reid finished with 1-4, and his 14th Leinster title. Kilkenny, with the slight breeze, scored first through Mullen after two minutes, before Galway scored the next three – Cooney, a Mannion free, and TJ Brennan giving them an early advantage. By the 15th minute, there were 10 scores, five each, from 10 different players. They were level six times in the mostly subdued first half, the sparsity of goal chances from both teams certainly surprising, as if they was some sudden allergy to direct ball. Kilkenny's TJ Reid celebrates scoring a goal. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Galway's shortcomings were ultimately collective. Conor Whelan started well, but was less effective in the second half, and David Burke ultimately struggled around midfield. Without Mannion's consistency it might have been a lot worse. He finished with 0-11, including four from play. These slim scoring pickings by Galway for the first hour were also down to the sheer dominance of Lawlor at full back, and Richie Reid at centre back. Cian Kenny also had an excellent game at midfield alongside Jordan Molloy; they finished with 0-4 between them. Galway also shot 10 wides, including six in the first half, at which point Cooney was the only player among their full-forward line to score from play. Mannion's free at the start of the second half briefly reduced the margin to three again, before Kilkenny promptly hit three without reply, including a brilliant point from Billy Ryan. Had Galway somehow managed to stay closer, it might have made for a different outcome. Kilkenny, however, are deserving champions once again. KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; M Carey (0-2), R Reid, P Deegan (0-1); C Kenny (0-2), J Molloy (0-1), J Donnelly (0-1), A Mullen (0-4), B Ryan (0-3), S Donnelly (0-2), TJ Reid (1-4, four frees), M Keoghan (2-2). Subs: D Blanchfield for Walsh, L Hogan for Donnelly (both 58 mins); S Murphy for Butler (66); K Doyle for Molloy (70); H Shine for Ryan (71). GALWAY: É Murphy; P Mannion, Daithí Burke, F Burke; C Fahy, G Lee, TJ Brennan (0-1); S Linnane (0-1), David Burke; J Fleming (0-1), C Mannion (0-11, 7f), T Monaghan (0-1); C Whelan, B Concannon (1-0), K Cooney (0-3). Subs: D Morrissey for F Burke (37 mins, inj); D Walsh for Murphy (half-time), R Glennon for David Burke (43); T Killeen (0-2) for Fleming (53); A Burns for Monaghan (66). Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Cathal Mannion left to plough lonely furrow for disappointing Galway
Cathal Mannion's scoring share stood at 31% coming into Croke Park. Significant, but not immediately suggesting an over-reliance. Skip ahead to the 59th minute of the Leinster final and Mannion found himself carrying an entire county on his back. With no Galway score from play across the preceding 37 minutes, his five frees were their sole, insufficient source of nourishment in the interim. Two of those frees he won himself. His was the sole name on the Galway scoresheet between the 17th and 59th minute. That's 42 minutes of a Leinster final where just one player is finding the target. Conor Whelan foraged and fashioned assists in the opening half, while there was the rare threatening flash from Kevin Cooney when fed early doors. But, on the whole, Galway from midfield up offered Mannion and nothing else. His 0-11 total was two greater than the 1-6 of the 14 other starters combined. Collective abjectness. 'In terms of the way we wanted to play, we just didn't from the start of the game,' said Micheál Donoghue, stating the blindingly obvious. 'They set up with maybe their six dropping off as a sweeper and we really struggled with that. When we pushed up and figured that out, then we started being a bit more dominant in our own half-back line. 'The reliance on Cathal, he showed how important he is again today to us. I think maybe in the first half, we were lorrying it from too far out and Huw Lawlor was dominant. 'The positives, and we have to take the positives out of it, are when we did get it going and working it through the lines, we were better.' Hurling for 11 minutes late on is hardly a positive. Within that, the switch of Cathal Mannion to permanent inside station, Gavin Lee to midfield, Seán Linnane to wing-back, and Cianan Fahy to centre-back might - and should - get a second runout in the All-Ireland quarter-final. A multitude of problems remain. There is no other half-forward ball-winner besides Whelan. Galway didn't win a long puckout until the 19th minute. 22 shots from play in 74 minutes is beyond unacceptable. Galway have not won a championship game at Croke Park since the 2020 Leinster semi-final. Their last nine trips delivered eight defeats and one draw. 'In the build-up, people are saying 'we're back, we're back' and that we have big opportunities. The disappointing thing is when you see what they did do for a 10-12 minute period, that's what we'll try and build on as we move forward,' Donoghue continued. 'The disappointment of today and I suppose the narrative will be that it's probably similar to previous years and previous teams. But look, we know what we have in the squad and we'll try and take the positives out of it as we move forward.' Tipp are their likely quarter-final opponents, as they were in 2020 and '23. Galway won both. 'Look, huge challenge again. We know it's going to be a big task but we still have full faith and trust in the group that we can bounce back.'
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Goal-shy Galway too reliant on the masterful Cathal Mannion
Against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford in this year's Leinster championship Galway managed just three goal chances, while their opposition combined for a total of 19. Despite winning two of those three games en route to this afternoon's Leinster hurling decider against Kilkenny - Galway conceded eight goals and scored just the one. That came in the 71st minute against Wexford to give the Tribesmen an eight point lead with two minutes of additional time left to play. Ultimately when they face the Cats again at Croke Park, throw in at 4pm, Galway will need to create more goal chances and concede much fewer if they are to reverse a 12 point deficit. Kilkenny scored three of six goal chances in that comfortable first round victory in Nowlan Park on a day when Galway did not create even one half goalscoring chance. While in their two wins, against Wexford and last time out in Dublin, they scored one goal from three chances - the two missed chances were both easily saved from tight angles under extreme defensive pressure - and they were rather fortunate to concede just five goals from 13 chances. While Galway have been short on goals they haven't lacked for points - raising by far the most white flags of any county prior to the provincial finals. That is 131 in five matches, and in those three games they managed 79 points compared to 55 from the other teams combined. Central to that has been Cathal Mannion. The Ahascragh-Fohenagh forward has scored 2-43 in four games, with 1-28 from placed balls and 1-15 from play. In the county's three biggest tests to date against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford he scored a total of 0-35. The 2015 All Star has been in sensational scoring form for his team and in those three encounters his scores and assists have accounted for 54 per cent of his team's total. The 2017 All-Ireland winner has assisted 0-8 as well as winning two of the frees he converted himself. His other start came against Offaly when he scored 2-8, assisted 0-5 and was fouled for two of the three frees he floated over the bar. Meaning in the four Leinster championship games he has featured in, the 30-year old has scored or assisted 56 per cent of his team's combined scoring. Equalling 2-56. If he'd featured in the 28 point win over Antrim his numbers would be off the charts. Mannion's scoring is all the more impressive when you consider his shooting accuracy. From 24 in-play shots so far this championship he has scored 1-15. While in his first season being handed the free-taking reins - before this year he had not even been a consistent free-taker for his club - Mannion has again stepped up and delivered for his county. The number 11 has scored almost 81 per cent of his placed balls from 36 attempts in four matches. With five of his seven misses coming from his own half. Looking at the three games against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford in isolation he has scored 24 of 27 attempts, showing not only an impressive range, which was to be expected given his scoring ability from general play, but also an excellent temperament under pressure. On average (in-play) Mannion has been directly involved in over 10 scoring opportunities per game. In total he is averaging six shots and just under 0-5 from play per game, almost 0-8 from placed balls, and 0-3 in assists per match so far in the 2025 championship. While Mannion's form will give Galway fans hope, the reliance on him is a cause for concern. One of Galway's biggest scorers in recent seasons, St Thomas' Conor Cooney has started four of his team's five games off the bench. Along with his 11 points (nine frees) when starting against Antrim, in those three substitute appearances he has amassed 1-3 from play making him the highest scoring substitute so far in the Leinster championship. While eight Kilkenny hurlers have contributed to their team's scoring as replacements, only three Galway players have. Nevertheless in a tight encounter, if Micheál Donoghue again opts against starting the 2017 All Star, he could prove the difference maker when introduced. It was Cooney who scored his team's only goal in the games against Kilkenny, Dublin or Wexford. However, even if Cooney provides a similar impact off the bench and Mannion continues his free-scoring form - Galway will need a huge slice of fortune to win any game when conceding so many goal chances and creating so few.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Goal-shy Galway reliant on deadly accurate Cathal Mannion
Against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford in this year's Leinster championship Galway managed just three goal chances, while their opposition combined for a total of 19. Despite winning two of those three games en route to this afternoon's Leinster hurling decider against Kilkenny - Galway conceded eight goals and scored just the one. That sole green flag came against Wexford in added time to give the Tribesmen an eight-point lead. Ultimately when they face the Cats again at Croke Park, Galway will need to create more goal chances and concede much fewer if they are to reverse the 12 point-deficit in April. Kilkenny scored three of half a dozen chances in that comfortable first-round victory in Nowlan Park on a day when the visitors failed to create even one half goalscoring chance. In their victories over Wexford and Dublin, the Tribesmen scored one goal from three chances. Those two missed chances were both easily saved from tight angles under extreme defensive pressure and they were rather fortunate to concede just five goals from 13 chances. While Galway have been short on goals they haven't lacked for points - raising by far the most white flags of any county prior to the provincial finals. That tallies 131 in five matches, and in those three games they managed 79 points compared to 55 from the other teams combined. Central to that has been Cathal Mannion. The Ahascragh-Fohenagh forward has scored 2-43 in four games, with 1-28 from placed balls and 1-15 from play. In the county's three biggest tests to date against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford he scored a total of 0-35. The 2015 All Star has been in sensational scoring form for his team and in those three encounters his scores and assists have accounted for 54% of his team's total. The 2017 All-Ireland winner has assisted 0-08 as well as winning two of the frees he converted himself. His other start came against Offaly when he scored 2-08, assisted 0-05 and was fouled for two of the three frees he floated over the bar. In his four Leinster outings this season, the 30-year old has scored or assisted 56% (2-56) of his team's combined scoring. If he'd featured in the 28-point demolition of Antrim his numbers would be off the charts. Mannion's scoring is all the more impressive when you consider his shooting accuracy. From 24 in-play shots so far this championship he has scored 1-15. He has worn the free-taking responsibility lightly. In his maiden campaign at inter-county level with placed-ball duties, Mannion has scored almost 81% from his 36 attempts in Leinster, with five of his seven misses coming from his own half. Looking at the three games against Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford in isolation he has scored 24 of 27 attempts, showing not only an impressive range, which was to be expected given his scoring ability from general play, but also an excellent temperament under pressure. On average (in-play) Mannion has been directly involved in over 10 scoring opportunities per game. In total he is averaging six shots and just under 0-05 from play per game, almost 0-8 from placed balls, and 0-03 in assists per match so far in the 2025 championship. While Mannion's form will give Galway fans hope, the reliance on him is a cause for concern. One of Galway's biggest scorers in recent seasons, St Thomas' Conor Cooney has started four of his team's five games off the bench. Along with his 11 points (nine frees) when starting against Antrim, in those three substitute appearances he has amassed 1-03 from play making him the highest scoring substitute so far in the Leinster championship. While eight Kilkenny hurlers have contributed to their team's scoring as replacements, only three Galway players have. Nevertheless in a tight encounter, if Micheál Donoghue again opts against starting the 2017 All Star, he could prove the difference maker when introduced. It was Cooney who scored his team's only goal in the games against Kilkenny, Dublin or Wexford. However, even if Cooney provides a similar impact off the bench and Mannion continues his free-scoring form - Galway will need a huge slice of fortune to win any game when conceding so many goal chances and creating so few.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Condensed season gives little time to savour championship
In terms of hurling, this has to be one of the great weekends of the year with three blockbuster games, including two provincial finals, down for decision. Once again, the TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick will be jammed to capacity as over 44,000 people fill every seat and stand on the terraces behind the Ennis Road goals or the City End as we look across at Thomond Park and the Clare hills in the distance. And all of this on a Saturday evening. On Sunday, Croke Park will have an expected attendance of over 30,000 for the Leinster Hurling Final between Kilkenny and Galway, which will be preceded by the much anticipated clash between Kildare and Laois in the Joe Mc Donagh Cup Final. All three games will be televised live by RTÉ and there will be commentary on RTÉ Radio 1. The 'Split Season' has its supporters and its detractors, but when we have three crucial games being played between a Saturday evening and a Sunday afternoon on one weekend, it really highlights the impact the condensed calendar is having. Nobody involved - from players, managers, officials, fans, or those of us who work in the media - have the time or the space to actually savour and enjoy the championships any more. There is little or no time to analyse in some depth the learnings from games last weekend or preview matches coming down the tracks. In the past, the summer really belonged to the GAA, but with the 'Split Season' in operation, this has dramatically changed. The GAA is in direct competition in terms of media coverage with other sports who fully deserve their coverage by RTÉ and other media outlets. Last Tuesday, I filmed in Croke Park interviews with Galway's Cathal Mannion, Kilkenny's Adrian Mullen, David Dooley from Laois and Paddy McKenna, the Kildare goalkeeper, and my report previewing the Leinster Hurling Final and Joe Mc Donagh Cup Final was broadcast on Tuesday evening on the Six One News. This evening, I will be broadcasting live from Bruree in Co Limerick - very close to the Cork border - where I will be interviewing two former stars, TJ Ryan and Pat Mulcahy, as we look ahead to tomorrow's Munster Hurling Final, which has traditionally been one of the biggest games of the year. We only have limited space and time in the bulletin. The sports news will also have my colleague Tony O'Donoghue reporting live from the Aviva Stadium on the Republic of Ireland v Senegal soccer friendly, Leinster v Glasgow in the United Rugby Championship, the Women's Nations League Draw which involves our Republic of Ireland team in a promotion/relegation play off, The French Open tennis championship, the Tenerife and Canadian Golf Open, the Epsom Oaks in racing and me and the lads in Bruree talking about tomorrow's Munster Hurling Final. Do you get my point? It's a crowded market and the GAA is a huge part of that market but it's still very busy. In the past the Munster and Leinster Hurling Finals would be played in July with little or no competition in terms of sport to the GAA world. But it's different now. That's just one negative but a very big negative. And it's not just us in RTE that find the situation challenging but other media outlets have the same experiences. The back pages are no longer always dominated by GAA headlines. As I said there's so much going on. Next year there will be a bit more space given between the finals of the Allianz National Leagues and the start of the championships, but it will only be a small window of opportunity. As it stands the All-Ireland Hurling Final next year is on the same day as the World Cup Final which will be played at the MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York. Do you get my point? To be fair and balanced the 'Split Season' has the positive effect of giving club players across the country a clear plan in terms of fixtures, but ultimately most county finals are still not played until the middle or late October so perhaps more space can be given to the hurling championship so that it can be played during the summer months of June and July and extended to at least August and breathe a little. Getting back to this weekend, the timing of the Munster Hurling Final on a Saturday evening at 6pm is not a "normal" time for a GAA match of this gravitas or magnitude. Saturday afternoons in any of our cities means a shopping day for most people so combining that factor with a huge crowd heading to the match means that we all will be travelling very early to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick and probably log jammed for hours afterwards despite the huge effort of gardaí who always do a great job in moving the traffic as quickly as they can. The hurling people of Ireland are loyal to the game and many would also travel to Croke Park on Sunday if they could to watch Kilkenny v Galway in the Leinster Final, but the reality is that many of them will be turned off by the logistical difficulties they would have to overcome to get there. There is also a strong argument that this match hould be played at a provincial venue like Portlaoise or Tullamore where 30,000 fans attending would bring an electric atmosphere to the occasion. The same number of people in Croke Park will mean a more than half empty stadium which won't add in any way to the atmosphere around the ground, or have that visual impact that a full venue would have for the people in attendance or the hundreds of thousands watching on television. Leinster Council has shown great vision this year with some of its calls so perhaps the decision to move the Leinster Hurling Final out of Croke Park in 2026 might be considered in its review later this year. The weekend pictures on the TV and the difference between the scenes in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick tomorrow evening and Croke Park on Sunday might just persuade everyone that it's the right thing to do.
