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The 42
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'That's a feeling that you want to get back. It drives a new hunger for this year'
WHILE KERRY'S SIGHTS are firmly set on Sunday's Munster ladies football final against Waterford, their All-Ireland defence follows in quick pursuit. The senior groups will be confirmed after the remaining provincial finals this weekend, with fixtures due to get underway Saturday week, 7 June. All eyes will be on the Kingdom, who start out with the Brendan Martin Cup in their possession. The general consensus is the championship is wide open, and Kerry forward Síofra O'Shea agrees. 'For the last few years, I think it's been fairly level, and this year again, it's hard to pick who you think would win the All-Ireland at this stage in the year.' Ulster champions Armagh, Leinster winners Dublin and 2024 All-Ireland runners up Galway — who face Mayo in the Connacht final on Sunday — all get a nod. But the Kerry focus is inwards; champions for the first time since 1994 last year after back-to-back final defeats, to Meath and Dublin. It has been an encouraging start to 2025 under new manager Mark Bourke, winning the Division 1 National Football League and reaching another Munster final despite significant player turnover. Advertisement 'It's well documented how we lost a number of players from the panel from last year, 12 or 13 players stepped away for various reasons, some through retirement, some going off travelling and different things,' says O'Shea. 'I think we've adapted well to Mark Bourke and his management team. They've came in with great energy, tried to build on the style of play that we're used to, making certain tweaks here and there. They've definitely put their stamp on things as well. 'New management brings a fresh perspective. Everyone gets a blank slate, and competitiveness in the panel increased with everyone trying to impress. We lost our opening game to Armagh, but then we learned from each game, and went on a good winning run which led us to the league final. Putting in probably our best performance of the year in that league final was definitely satisfying.' The bar set by Quill and Long has certainly been maintained. 'The standards Mark has are absolutely crazy. The preparation he puts in, the hours of work, analysis, and preparation for any team and any game is unbelievable. We've learned a lot from him.' The legendary Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh left a significant void as she retired, but 23-year-old duo O'Shea and Danielle O'Leary have seamlessly led the charge in the forward line. PwC GPA Player of the Month for April in ladies' football, Síofra O'Shea of Kerry, with her award at PwC's offices in Cork. SPORTSFILE. SPORTSFILE. Both landed Player of the Month awards for April for their efforts, while ever-present Niamh Carmody and Niamh Ní Chonchúir and returning Rachel Dwyer and Caoimhe Evans have all combined in attack to devastating attack. That will be key if Kerry are to maintain their All-Ireland and Munster titles. The hunters to the hunted: how has that shift been? O'Shea doesn't hesitate with her answer. 'We gave so much to win the Brendan Martin Cup. You have that hunger, that drive, but when you do win it, then the feeling you get for that 30 minutes or so after the game especially, that's a feeling that you want to get back. I think that drives a new hunger for this year. You want to get that again. 'The celebrations we had after it were unbelievable, that's probably the feeling you're chasing again. You want to kind of write your own story with the new group we have, obviously, Mark wasn't there last year, and the amount of effort that he's put in, you want to do something for him. 'Being the hunted, you could get carried away with yourself, but we've been kept fairly grounded. When you come off the back of a league final performance like that, your head might go up into the sky, but you're brought back down to earth fairly quickly in Munster.' Kerry finished top of the table, with wins over Cork and Waterford seeing them into the decider before a draw with Tipperary. O'Shea anticipates a huge challenge from the Déise in Sunday's decider in Mallow [2.30pm, Spórt TG4 Youtube] after just a point separated them last time out. 'Any time you play Waterford is a tough, tough game. We're expecting a big battle,' the Southern Gaels star concludes. 'They're a quality side and they're probably one of the toughest working teams in the country. They hound in packs, and they defend in numbers. You don't get much space. It'll be about staying calm and taking our chances when we get them.'
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘It gives you the buzz' – Mathew Costello insists Leinster final loss will motivate Meath for All-Ireland clash vs Cork
MATHEW COSTELLO is confident that Meath's brush with Leinster SFC glory will stand to them as attention shifts to the All-Ireland series. After 2 Meath were beaten by Louth in the Leinster SFC final Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 2 Mathew Costello was named PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for April Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile But goals were decisive in a captivating contest against neighbours Louth, who Costello, who raised his side's only green flag, reflected: 'It was tough. Obviously it was an amazing occasion, something I wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance to do. In front of virtually a packed-out Croke Park for a Leinster Championship game, it was class. 'But obviously the result just didn't go our way. It just wasn't our day, it was Louth's day, to be fair. They were full value for their win so you just have to congratulate them and move on.' The disappointment of the defeat notwithstanding, Costello is adamant that the experience will make Meath a better team. Read More on GAA He said: 'We know full well that, for the future, that's 100 per cent going to help us going through that if we can ever get back to those heights, back to Croke Park, we know what it's like now. 'It just gives you the buzz and it gives you a bit more motivation to go back and do it again.' Indeed, while Meath were contesting their first Leinster final since losing to Dublin in 2020, Costello suspects that Louth's know-how came to the fore as they finally got over the line in their third provincial decider on the bounce. The Dunshaughlin forward said: 'I think maybe their experience probably did shine through in the last five minutes. They held on to the ball really well. Most read in Sport 'I'm sure probably three finals in a row for them, maybe they were a little bit calmer going into it than us.' Costello, who was named PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for April, believes Meath are becoming a more confident outfit nonetheless. Limerick GAA fans troll RTE pundit Donal Og Cusack after win over Cork But speaking ahead of tomorrow's Sam Maguire Group 2 opener against Cork in Navan, he explained that their increasing levels of self-belief are not solely a consequence of taking down the Dubs. The 2023 Tailteann Cup Player of the Year added: 'It does give confidence but really where the confidence comes from is the amount of work we did in the off-season, pre-season and throughout the National League. There was a lot of hard training and tough nights to build us up for performances like that. 'The Dublin game wasn't just an overnight success or a one-off. 'We know we've plenty of big performances to come and hopefully we can bring that to Cork.'
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘It's surreal' – Cork ace Brian Hayes reveals what it's like to hurl with hero Patrick Horgan ahead of Limerick showdown
CORK hitman Brian Hayes says playing alongside Patrick Horgan is a dream. Hayes has lit up 2 PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for April in hurling, Brian Hayes of Cork, revealed what it's like to play alongside his hero Patrick Horgan 2 Patrick Horgan and Cork take on Limerick in the Munster SHC this weekend The St. Finbarr's man netted twice in their round 1 But learning from the master has been key. Horgan, turned 37 earlier this month and will go down as one of the all-time greats. Their stalwart fired 1-9 against Tipperary last time out, and age is only a number for the Glen Rovers man. And Hayes admits hurling alongside his hero is beyond his wildest dreams. read more on gaa He said: 'Yeah, I suppose playing next to him, it's very surreal really I suppose. It's class as well. "I suppose watching him growing up, obviously he would have been Cork's main forward from whenever I was supporting the team. 'And now to play with him and to be friends with him off the pitch as well, it's very cool as well in that element of it. 'I suppose from what he's given to me, picking his brain with different scenarios and learning things that he would have come across over the years. Most read in GAA Hurling 'He's very good to pass on information to me with that. I suppose having a good bit of banter with him then, keeping him intact as well in the gym and on the pitch when he's dodging a few things! 'I suppose he needs that as well. I suppose that's the environment we have. Although Patrick's obviously one of the greatest hurlers of all time within our group, he's just another one of us. Owen Mulligan teases Lee Keegan over hilarious contrast in how their inter-county GAA careers ended 'I suppose it's great to be able to have that banter within our group that we can go up against one another before we go up against anyone else really.' And the Cork hype train is in full swing after reaching the final last year, as Clare edged a classic 3-29 1-34 after extra-time. Pat Ryan's men look primed to end their 20-year wait for glory when Hayes was only four years old and his uncle, Ger Cunningham was on the Cork backroom team. Cunningham lifted Liam MacCarthy three times as their number 1, but Hayes is not getting carried away by the current hysteria aeahd of their trip to Limerick. He said: 'My mother and father would have taken me up in 2005 because my Uncle Ger would have been involved in the backroom team that year. 'I suppose we would have obviously gone up in supporting Ger and the Cork team as a family. There's a few photos of us going up in our O2 jerseys up around Jones's Road. 'But I suppose of the day and stuff like that you wouldn't really have too many memories. "I think I remember the homecoming alright on the Monday, briefly. I suppose the match you wouldn't really, I probably wasn't even watching it. 'Any year really that any Cork team goes out, or any team around the country, you want to be winning. I suppose that's the end goal. I'm sure no team has any fear saying that, sure, why else would you do it? 'Obviously, there's the enjoyment of it as well, but the thought of winning and at the end of putting in all the hard work with some of your best friends is obviously something that you dream about. "There's nothing in it between the top teams. I'm sure whoever's there this year, it'll be the same, one- or two-point game. "I suppose for us it was just about coming back and building on that. I think we've done that so far, so hopefully we can keep it going." BRIAN HAYES is the PwC GPA Hurling Player of the Month for April. PwC are proud sponsors of the Player of the Month awards across camogie, hurling, football and ladies football.
