Latest news with #CiaránWhelan
RTÉ News
28-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
RTÉ GAA Podcast: Kerry claim another Sam Maguire in the year Gaelic football changed utterly
Ciarán Whelan and Enda McGinley join Jacqui Hurley and Rory O'Neill to reflect on Kerry's convincing All-Ireland final triumph on Sunday. 2025 heralded Gaelic football's new rules but we've ended up with the result we've seen most often in the sport's history, Sam Maguire heading to the south-west for the winter. Is this the beginning of a dominant period for the Munster men, or can one of the chasing pack live with Kerry in 2026?
RTÉ News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Old-school Royals need early oxygen to shock Donegal
RTÉ GAA analysts Ciarán Whelan and Tomás Ó Sé have said that Meath's fearlessness gives them a chance of causing a major shock in Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal. Despite clocking up championship wins over Division 1 sides Kerry, Galway and Dublin this season, the Royals are big underdogs to reach a Sam Maguire decider for the first time since 2001. For Kerryman Ó Sé, any chance of an upset will depend on early oxygen bottled in the higher altitude that Croke Park basks in at this stage of the championship. "They (Donegal) will not want Meath to get an early foothold," Ó Sé told the RTÉ GAA podcast. "Meath have absolutely nothing to lose, they play without fear, they defend as well as any of the last four defend; they're aggressive, they have their man-to-man markers, but they also defend collectively really, really aggressively. "They will kick the ball if they can, they also have runners and they will shoot and be very direct." Ó Sé remains bemused at how rapid Meath's progress has been in the championship arena under Robbie Brennan. Three losses from seven Division 2 games didn't point to anything special, and the mid-season exits of coaches Joe McMahon and Martin Corey – along with a significant injury list – kept them out of any All-Ireland contender chat. "I tried to figure out during the week, I don't know what's gone on in Meath the last number of years," said Ó Sé. "How can they suddenly be properly and really deserving of being in an All-Ireland semi-final. "Everyone has been judging Meath on the last number of years and what's been there for the last number of years there has been nothing in terms of what we're seeing right now." Whelan, of course, enjoyed many bruising battles with much more acclaimed Royal sides in his own days lining out for Dublin, but he's seeing some old Meath spark in the current bunch. "I really see an imprint of the old Meath in them," he said. "Their attitude defensively, their intensity in the tackle, their work-rate, their cover for each midfield they're actually going up using the first, punching the ball, breaking it back in the direction of the opposition half and winning breaks, something we really haven't seen in the game for a good few years." Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Kerry v Tyrone on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Meath v Donegal on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow live blogs on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
RTÉ News
10-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Kickouts key for Kerry-Tyrone, Donegal seek Royal control - the RTÉ GAA Football Podcast
In this week's RTÉ GAA Podcast, Kerry great Tomás Ó Sé and former Dublin star Ciarán Whelan join Jacqui Hurley to preview the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals and the Tailteann Cup final. Can Kerry repeat the kickout-court press that worked so well against Armagh or will Tyrone have a plan to get around it? Meath have been building momentum but are underdogs once again. The panel feel Donegal will try to bring more control to the game against opponents who thrive on chaos and breaking ball. In the Tailteann Cup, can Kildare cope with the weight of favouritism against Limerick?
RTÉ News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
RTÉ GAA Podcast: Football quarter-finals draw, Dublin blow hurling championship wide open
Ciarán Whelan and Davy Burke join Jacqui Hurley and Rory O'Neill to look back on the weekend where the football quarter-final teams were decided. Kerry, Dublin, Galway and Donegal progressed, and will now play Armagh, Tyrone, Meath and Monaghan, respectively, this weekend. Shane McGrath joins for the hurling to reflect on the greatest shock of the 21st century as Dublin downed Limerick at Croke Park. And they'll have to pull off a similarly seismic shock in the last four when the face Cork. Tipperary also secured their All-Ireland semi-final spot, leaving them with a clash against neighbours and old foes Kilkenny. Watch two All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals, Meath v Galway and Armagh v Kerry, from 1.15pm on Sunday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Dramatic finale to group stages in store - The RTÉ GAA Podcast
On this week's RTÉ GAA Podcast, Peter Canavan and Ciarán Whelan join Jacqui Hurley and Rory O'Neill to discuss the state of play in the All-Ireland SFC after the second round of group games. Does the competitiveness of this year's championship suggest the GAA have been too hasty to change the format? Or is it all down to the new rules? Armagh and Kerry are showing their All-Ireland credentials while Mayo and Derry aren't done yet. But what is not working for Galway and Dublin?
