Latest news with #CiaránKilkenny
The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Are Dublin back? Beating Galway was impressive, but it's too soon to class them as All-Ireland contenders
DUBLIN'S brilliant win in Salthill last Saturday was much more than just the last sting of a dying wasp. Their fans are buzzing again and rightly so. 2 Meath great Graham Geraghty writes for SunSport throughout the Championship season 2 Ciarán Kilkenny rolled back the years in Salthill last week But judgement will have to be reserved before they are tipped to keep flying for the rest of the summer. The Jacks are back? Not quite. Still, as a response to the performance they produced in Being honest, even amid the joy and jubilation, there was a sense coming away from Portlaoise that day that the Royals had caught Dublin on the hop. Read More On GAA The Dubs were clearly off-colour and they had a few injuries which also played into Meath hands. Now, credit should not be taken away from Robbie Brennan's team because they played well and were full value for But the Sky Blues showed what they are still capable of by getting the better of a team of Galway's calibre — and it has really thrown the cat among the pigeons in the group of death. This format has understandably been criticised for affording teams too wide a margin for error. Most read in GAA Football But try telling the All-Ireland champions that there is no jeopardy as they prepare to launch their Sam Maguire defence today against a Derry side who have been waiting in the long grass. As their failure to win a single game attests, the Oak Leafers were really poor throughout the National League. And they could not live with Donegal in the Ulster Championship. Limerick GAA fans troll RTE pundit Donal Og Cusack after win over Cork But Paddy Tally is sure to have used the last seven weeks wisely. Some of their injuries have had time to heal and there are positive sounds coming from Foyleside. Having more time to adapt to the new rules should also stand to Tally's men, who probably found it difficult to alter their previous system of getting everyone behind the ball and hitting the opposition on the counter. Rejuvenated by their break from competitive action, Derry will not make it easy for Armagh today. It would be foolhardy to underestimate the threat posed by a team that can boast talent such as Brendan Rogers, Conor Glass and Shane McGuigan. After Galway came up short against the Dubs, could we end the first round of the All-Ireland series with both of last year's finalists empty-handed? While an Armagh win at the Athletic Grounds is my expectation, no outcome will greatly surprise me. And in Derry's case, the only way is up. Even without their talisman, Rian O'Neill, Armagh were desperately unlucky to He remains absent for today, though There are not many players who possess the type of X-factor that O'Neill does. He is a fantastic footballer with the potential to really excel under the new rules. DONEGAL DOING WELL Today's other all-Ulster clash also has the makings of a tight affair. You would have to give Donegal a tentative nod but Tyrone only lost their Ulster semi-final to Armagh by a point and this one could be equally close. The impact Michael Murphy has had since returning to the Donegal fold following a two-year hiatus has to be admired. The man is a machine. When the chips were down in the Ulster final, he was always ready to step up. He's a generational player. Donegal are blessed to have him. For Louth, their first outing as Leinster champions should be an extremely difficult one when they take on Monaghan. This is technically a home game for the Wee County. But St Conleth's Park in Kildare will not offer them much in the way of an advantage. Even as a Meath man, I can only admit that the images and videos of the celebrations that took place throughout Louth over the past fortnight were fantastic to see and thoroughly deserved. Yet the fear now would be that the festivities carried on for a little too long. On the other hand, Monaghan will be coming in nice and fresh after waiting patiently in the wings since their Ulster quarter-final defeat to Donegal five weeks ago. I am sure that Louth got back down to business in the last week or so. Nevertheless, it is very tough to detach yourself from the type of hysteria going on around you after achieving something that had not been done in 68 years. Ger Brennan would be the type of guy to do a good job of keeping his players grounded. However, Monaghan are a formidable force and I fancy them to prevail. MEATH'S TASK The challenge for Meath in moving on from their experience of the Leinster final will be an altogether different one as they face Cork in the Championship for the first time since the Rebels got the better of a team I was part of in the 2007 All-Ireland semi-finals. A great chance to win a provincial title slipped away last time out so there was huge disappointment throughout the county. Significant improvement will be required in the middle third of the field particularly for Meath. Jordan Morris, who we all feared may be sidelined for the year, now has another couple of weeks under his belt so he could have a big say. While my heart is saying Meath, my head is reminding me that Cork have shown their capability in the past couple of years by beating the likes of Mayo and Donegal. They were also hugely unfortunate not to overcome Kerry in the Munster semi-final. That being said, home advantage in Navan could get Meath off to a winning start before their attention shifts to the trip to Roscommon.
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Dublin beat the buzzer, change the conversation
All-Ireland SFC group stages: Galway 2-2-10 (20) Dublin 1-0-18 (21) They knew. For Dublin, this was a statement victory over Galway in their opening All-Ireland round-robin fixture. Throughout, they were astute and vengeful. It was always going to be this way. Man of the match Ciarán Kilkenny was aware of what was on the line in Pearse Stadium. He responded with one of the greatest performances of his career. When it was put to him post-match that they had been written off after the recent defeat against Meath, he nodded knowingly. 'Yeah. For me, it was the character and resilience we showed when Galway got a goal. They got a goal and could easily have pushed on there. But the lads kept showing for the ball, they kept breaking the line, kept wanting the ball and stepped up at the end of the game. 'To get a contest like that, to stand up like that, will stand to us. What we have to do now is enjoy the sun, recover, do the ice baths and then we have Armagh in two weeks.' Dublin deservedly led 1-9 to 0-8 at half-time, the goal coming from a Cormac Costello break, but were hit by two body blows in the second half. A searching long delivery from Cillian McDaid was coolly finished by Matthew Thompson. Stephen Cluxton was beaten again by another dropping McDaid ball, Robert Finnerty eventually finding the net. None of it fazed them. This is a talented group, that should have been blindingly obvious to any onlookers. What happened against Meath said more about their attitude on the day than their ability. 'Look, people talk about Dublin being beat and out of it, they've seven or eight of the best footballers in the country you've ever seen,' said Pádraic Joyce. 'We knew that. People are doing podcasts and all sorts of stuff, unfortunately, some mud on the walls will stick sometimes. But we knew internally ourselves it was going to be a huge battle, we said it to the lads before the game.' That is the distinction. Despite some suggestions that they were no longer genuine All-Ireland contenders, everyone inside the lines knew different. The gap between the best team in the country and the chasers is in no way considerable. The substance is the stuff beyond the headlines. Dessie Farrell declared afterwards that this is the fundamental nature of elite sport. Unless you're in the middle of their everything, no one really knows anything. When Dublin had to dig deep, they knew they had it in reserve. Stephen Cluxton's final kickout to Tom Lahiff was terrific. The midfielder started and ended a move riddled with ironclad composure. Then you remember he replaced captain Con O'Callaghan early in the second half. Lee Gannon, Eoin Murchan, Paddy and John Small were all missing as well. Pay heed to what Kilkenny said about how it will stand to them. They were good. They can get better. None of this is to say the question marks existed in Galway's mind. The Connacht champions saw what was coming down the tracks. 'The boys know internally,' said Joyce. 'They've played against them several times, numerous times. We've only beaten Dublin last year by a point ourselves, they're not going away. We know they're a serious team. We're not fools.' Galway ran into trouble on their own kickout and conversion. Shane Walsh scored one two-pointer and missed another three attempts. Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy failed to impact the tie. They fought back impressively to draw level with a Matthew Tierney point, after a gorgeous kick by John Daly, yet squandered several attacking opportunities during that last quarter. Much of it was similar to their recent showing against Mayo. Like Dublin, Joyce and his crew know where they are at. They know what they need to do. Derry await. 'Things aren't going so well for them but nothing like a bit of adversity to put that together and get ready for a big home game,' said Joyce. 'I'm sure they'll have a big crowd there as well for us coming and a lot will depend on the result next week how they'll approach that game in two weeks' time. It's going to be a belter again for us at 2pm on Sunday week. We'll be ready for it.' Scorers for Galway: R. Finnerty 1-6 (1 tp, 1f); M. Thompson 1-1; M. Tierney 0-2; S. Walsh 0-2 (tp); C. McDaid, J. Maher, J. McGrath 0-1 each. Scorers for Dublin: C. Costello 1-3 (2f); S. Bugler, C. O'Callaghan, L. O'Dell 0-3 each; K. McGinnis, C. Kilkenny 0-2 each; B. O'Leary, T. Lahiff 0-1 each. GALWAY: C. Gleeson; J. McGrath, L. Silke, S. Mulkerrin; D. McHugh, S. Kelly, C. Hernon; P. Conroy, J. Maher; C. D'Arcy, S. Walsh, C. McDaid; M. Tierney, R. Finnerty, M. Thompson. Subs: P. Cooke for Thompson (41-53, temp), K. Molloy for Conroy (53), P. Cooke for Seán Kelly (53-60, temp), D. O'Flaherty for Hernon (55), P. Cooke for Shane Walsh (60), T. Culhane for D'Arcy (65), J. Daly for Silke (67). DUBLIN: S. Cluxton; D. Byrne, T. Clancy, S. MacMahon; S. Bugler, A. Gavin, B. Howard; P. Ó Cofaigh Byrne, C. Kilkenny; C. Basquel, L. O'Dell, K. McGinnis; C. Costello, C. O'Callaghan, B. O'Leary. Subs: T. Lahiff for O'Callaghan (45-inj), N. Scully for O'Leary (50), C. Murphy for Clancy (53-55, temp), C. Murphy for Gavin (55), G. McEnaney for McGinnis (60), L. Breathnach for Bugler (62). Referee: D. Gough (Meath).
The Irish Sun
30-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Dublin handed group of death as All-Ireland draw compounds shock Meath loss while Tailteann Cup fixtures also revealed
DUBLIN will have to survive the group of death to keep their All-Ireland SFC hopes alive. After Advertisement 2 Even veterans like Ciarán Kilkenny were guilty of being sloppy as the Dubs were defeated in Leinster for the first time since 2010 2 2024 League champions Derry could potentially be the WEAKEST team in the daunting group And they have been placed in Group 4 alongside the Connacht winners, the Ulster runners-up and Derry. The picture will become clearer for the Dubs when Galway go in search of a fourth straight Connacht title against Mayo in Castlebar this Sunday. The line-up will be complete on Sunday week, with All-Ireland champions Armagh taking on Ulster champions Donegal in a bid to land their first provincial title since 2008. Dublin, whose All-Ireland title defence was Advertisement Read More On GAA While fixture details have yet to be confirmed, the Sky Blues will be away to the Connacht winners in their opening fixture. They will then play host to the Ulster runners-up, before facing Derry on neutral ground. Group 1 is also set to produce some mouthwatering fixtures as the Ulster winners and Connacht runners-up have been drawn with Tyrone and Cavan. Cork may not have long to wait for an opportunity to avenge their recent loss to Kerry in their epic Munster semi-final that was settled after extra-time. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football The Rebels are in Group 2, where the top seeds will be the winners of this Sunday's Munster final between the Kingdom and Clare. The group also includes Roscommon and the losers of Sunday week's Leinster final between Meath and Louth. Tipperary GAA legend reveals surprising difference between 'pressure' of playing for club vs county The first team other than Dublin to win a Leinster title since 2010 will be in Group 3 with the Munster runners-up, Monaghan and Down. The first-round fixtures featuring the Munster and Connacht finalists are scheduled for the weekend of May 17-18, with the games involving the Ulster and Leinster finalists booked for May 24-25. Advertisement The four group winners advance directly to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Preliminary quarter-finals are contested by the teams who finish second and third. As per the previous editions of this format, each team will play one game at home, one away and one at a neutral venue. The much-maligned system will be replaced for the 2026 Championship. Advertisement Meanwhile, Westmeath's bid to become the first team to win the Tailteann Cup twice will see them face Limerick, Antrim and London. The second-tier competition begins on May 10-11. All-Ireland SFC Group 1: Ulster winner, Connacht runner-up, Tyrone, Cavan Group 2: Munster winner, Leinster runner-up, Roscommon, Cork Group 3: Leinster winner, Munster runner-up, Monaghan, Down Group 4: Connacht winner, Ulster runner-up, Dublin, Derry Tailteann Cup Advertisement Group 1: Kildare, Sligo, Leitrim, Tipperary Group 2: Offaly, Laois, Wicklow, Waterford Group 3: Westmeath, Limerick, Antrim, London Group 4: Fermanagh, Wexford, Carlow, Longford Fixture format Round 1: Seed 1 (home) v Seed 3, Seed 2 (home) v Seed 4 Round 2: Seed 3 (home) v Seed 2, Seed 4 (home) v Seed 1 Round 3: Seed 1 v Seed 2, Seed 3 v Seed 4 (neutral venues)
The 42
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The 42
John Small named on Dublin bench as Cluxton due to start Leinster semi-final
JOHN SMALL HAS been named on the Dublin bench for their Leinster SFC semi-final against Meath this weekend. The seven-time All-Ireland winner was not expected to feature for Dessie Farrell's side this season, with his teammate Ciarán Kilkenny responding to speculation about his availability by saying Small was 'unlikely' to be involved with the squad in 2025. But the Ballymun Kickhams star is included among the replacements for Dublin's final-four clash in Portlaoise on Sunday. Advertisement Stephen Cluxton has been selected to start in goals, replacing Hugh O'Sullivan who made his debut in Dublin's nine-point win over Wicklow. Evan Comerford is named on the bench this weekend as Dublin hope to maintain their Leinster 15-in-a-row bid. Dessie Farrell has named his Dublin Senior Football panel for Sunday's Leinster Semi Final against Meath in Portlaoise 👕#UpTheDubs — Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) April 24, 2025 Dublin XV v Meath 1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells) 2. David Byrne (Naomh Ólaf), 3. Theo Clancy (Kilmacud Crokes), 4. Conor Tyrell (St Oliver Plunkett/ ER( 5. Brian Howard (Raheny), 6. Greg McEnaney (Skerries Harps), 7. Tom Lahiff (St Judes) 8. Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne (Cuala), 9. Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock) 10. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge St), 11. Seán Bugler (St Oliver Plunkett/ ER), 12. Kevin Lahiff (St Judes) 13. Ross McGarry (Ballyboden St Enda's), 14. Con O'Callaghan (Cuala), Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda's)
