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Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Glenswilly manager McDaid says return of 'fountain of knowledge' Murphy has been vital for Donegal success
It was mid-October last when the bush telegraph in Donegal began to ring about Michael Murphy's inter-county return. Confirmation came in the first week of November but there had been rumblings in the county. Donegal's 1992 All-Ireland winning manager Brian McEniff wrote of the rumours in his 'Donegal Live' column, argued he had more to give and the new rules would suit him. For Glenswilly manager Gary McDaid, the chatter started soon after the seniors went out of the championship to Dungloe on September 21. Murphy was spotted on the pitch in Páirc Naomh Columba as the U21s were training for the championship. 'He was running away himself,' recounted McDaid. 'People were wondering, 'What's going on here? Is he just trying to get his body right for next year, for the club, or what's he at?' 'But everybody soon realised something was up. That he might be going back to Donegal and he was getting ready for road and seeing if his body was going be able to live up to the demands of inter-county after being away for two years.' McDaid estimates Murphy spent up to 10 weeks on his own before rejoining the panel. 'I would have never discussed this with him, but he felt himself that the body was good and, listen, it's obviously been to Donegal's benefit, he's our top scorer in the championship with 44 points. 'The semi-final against Galway last year, a lot of people would have felt if Michael Murphy had been there, we would have won and God knows what would have happened in the final then. We lost by two to Galway, had a free late on to put us one up, and it went wide.' The condition of Murphy, who celebrates his 36th birthday in a couple of weeks, impresses McDaid. 'To be as lean as that, it takes great mental strength. He just looks really athletic, really strong, not carrying any timber, as the man would say. When you head over that 30 mark, it's a lot harder to keep the body fat down, and to keep lean, and to keep match fit.' Meath's Adam O'Neill and Michael Murphy leap to catch the ball. File picture: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Murphy's understanding of when he can and can't push it is deep and his game intelligence has always been high. He has been coaching since a teenager. When he repeated the Leaving Cert, he was too old for the McRory Cup and assisted McDaid in preparing St Eunan's College team. He is now the coaching officer in Glenswilly and in the couple of years he had been away from the inter-county scene immersed himself in under-age coaching at both county and club level. 'We won our first ever county under-age Division 1 title a couple of years ago, a minor title at U18, and he was a manager. We beat Glenties in the final. 'He's just a fountain of knowledge for all the under-age coaches. He's very helpful and sharing and always giving wee pointers to all the coaches.' Murphy has not finished a game since the final group win over Mayo. Since then, he has been taken off midway through the second half of the Louth and Meath wins when Donegal were well on their way to victory. In their rutting of Monaghan in the second half of their All-Ireland quarter-final, he came off in the 67th minute. McDaid suggests his club-mate could come off and return to the fray on Sunday similar to another Ulster star against The Kingdom in the final 20 years ago. 'I'm delighted to see what's happening this year, because I would have always said for years, in his heyday, that he would have been kept on in games that he didn't need to be kept on. We would have done that (substituting him) a lot at the club when we thought we were in a good position and comfortable. 'Yes, we're relying on Michael now but we have super cover on the bench as well. I expect we will see more of him on Sunday but could you see Donegal doing a Peter Canavan and bringing him off and bringing him on like Tyrone did in 2005? Jesus, it'd be wild, It'd be unbelievable to have him coming on going down the home straight. You need him in the melting pot.'
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
How Kerry or Donegal could win or lose the All-Ireland final
Most of the attention this summer has been on two-pointers – on which counties are scoring them and which counties are not even attempting them. However, a key aspect of the attacking play of both finalists is that they haven't forgotten the score that produces the most impact. Galway were the most prolific in raising green flags this Championship campaign, with 17 across eight games (2.13 goals per game), but Kerry are just behind them with 15 in eight games (1.88 goals per game). Donegal are no slouches themselves, third overall for total goals, with 13. That figure is aided by the amount of games they've played, but they are still fifth in goals per game, scoring 1.3. The counties have come across their goals by very different means. Kerry have scored 15 goals and it will be no surprise to anyone that David Clifford has amassed more than half that tally, with eight goals. A concern for the Kingdom is that Clifford is the only man to raise a green flag since May. A guide to each Kerry championship goal in 2025, with seven goalscorers. There are two aspects that really stick out in Kerry's overall style of play this summer. Against Armagh, Kerry were lauded for their kickout defence as they shut down Ethan Rafferty. Before this, they ruthlessly capitalised on Roscommon's kickout, sourcing three goals directly from winning the midfield battle. The two high kickouts won on the map below show the effectiveness of their press, while they also profit well from breaking balls out the field, thanks to the battling abilities of Joe O'Connor. READ MORE Kerry's have scored two goals from short opposition kickouts, while Donegal focus more on their own restart, with Patton sending the ball long Kerry's structured unit has been executed perfectly to profit off opposition kickouts this year. It's been one of their biggest strengths, no doubt helped by the addition of Cian O'Neill to Jack O'Connor's backroom team. Roscommon's kickout goes to an isolated player, who is already surrounded by Kerry players looking to intercept David Clifford has been their go-to man since his intercounty arrival and he is the focal point of the Kerry attack more than ever this year. He has scored a total of 8-53 this summer. With such a potent inside forward, the Kerry game plan is often about getting the ball in there rapidly. Clifford cuts out a kickout against Cork and scores a goal directly from the high press Some of Kerry's goals really emphasise their kick passing skills. Seán O'Shea delivered a well executed sideline ball into Clifford for the first goal against Cavan. There was a lot left for the Fossa man to do as he won the ball on the 20m line, but he broke the tackle and drove hard along the endline before firing into the back of net. 'Get the ball in, it's one on one' seems to be the tactic with Clifford. Still plenty of work for Clifford to do, but the early ball in affords him the space to create the goal The opening goal against Clare was even more direct. Tony Brosnan measured a perfect ball into Clifford from around 65m out, spinning the ball right to the corner-forward, who found the net. The second goal that day was also via a direct ball, with Tom O'Sullivan getting his head up to survey the inside options and feeding the ball inside. Brosnan gets his head up early to find Clifford for Kerry's opening goal in the Munster final Kerry have utilised the kick pass 19 times in the build-up to their goals. This is in stark contrast to Donegal, who only kicked the ball 10 times in the build up to theirs. One of these was a square pass from Oisín Gallen to Conor O'Donnell inside the 13m line against Meath. Donegal are effectively kicking the ball half as often as Kerry, with only one of these passes being an aggressive forward kick pass, via Ryan McHugh. This emphasises how much of a 'through-the-hands' team they are. This aspect of their play is the real hallmark of Jim McGuinness 's outfit, who are able to give and receive hand passes at full pace going forward. This skill execution at full pace is only an aspect of their style though, as hard running and finishing out support runs is key to it all working. Shaun Patton's huge kickout and Donegal's willing runners open up space in the scoring zone against Down Donegal players from all parts of the field run hard during quick attacks, getting ahead of the ball and stretching opposition defences considerably. This is likely to be a key battleground in Sunday's encounter. Kerry have a sturdy central channel but they haven't met the 'sprint repeatability' that Donegal possess through the central channels. The key to making Patton's kickouts even more successful is runners sprinting ahead of the ball straight away While Donegal play the ball through the hands a lot, they also have the weapon of Shaun Patton, with unmatched length and trajectory to his kickouts. Kerry dealt well with Niall Morgan's kickouts in the semi-final, but he doesn't have the range of Patton, nor do the Red Hand men have co-ordinated runners off the long kickout like Donegal. Patton's kickout exceeds Morgan's, flying well into the opposition half, where Donegal back that up with support runners Kerry have done really well from their kickout press, but they must be wary as Donegal typically favour either short or long kickouts. Kerry will have to adapt their defensive structure on these restarts, which could mean that mid-range gaps may materialise for Patton. If Kerry push up to stop short kickouts, then the kickout could go over their heads and leave them defending facing their own goal and unstructured, like Meath It is hard to play against Donegal considering their strength is their lack of reliance on any individual. This is shown below in the variety of goalscorers they've had and also the men providing assists. Donegal's style of play means that they are not reliant on any one player for goals Everyone is expected to be able to carry out the basics – run, carry and handpass – at both ends of the field. There is a rapid pace to their attacks, with Donegal possession in the build-up to goals lasting just 20 seconds on average, compared with Kerry's 27 seconds. While goals are only a small aspect of the play, they highlight three broader strengths of the finalists: Donegal 1 – The weapon of Shaun Patton's long kickouts. 2 – Players finishing out their runs to create gaps and stretch opposition defences. 3 – Lack of reliance on any individual to score, with trust in the unit. Kerry 1 – Sticking to traditional values of aggressive kick passing to the inside forward line (something that hasn't been as prevalent as expected with the new rules) 2 – Defensive kickout press, which is even more important for stronger teams than their own kickout. 3 – The brilliance of David Clifford, with the other players knowing this and feeding him ball.
Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'We will do everything to stop that from happening' - Saoirse McCarthy hopes Cork camogie learns from hurlers loss
Saoirse McCarthy was a Cork hurling supporter on Sunday. She's been that fallen red soldier on All-Ireland final day. Her most recent experience of final heartbreak was 2022. Sunday at Croker was a reminder to never again visit that space. 'Feel so sorry for the boys and it is very hard to pick themselves up after this, but hopefully they will. "It was very hard to watch as a Cork supporter, you want them to do well, and yeah, you look at them and you say, I really hope that doesn't happen to us and we will do everything in our power to stop that from happening,' said the three-in-a-row Camogie All-Star. Unlike the men, the Cork women are chasing no famine-ending result. They are instead chasing a three-in-a-row of All-Irelands. To get back to their own concluding day, Waterford must be worked past this Saturday at UPMC Nowlan Park (5pm). Following on from their 11-point League final win over Galway in April, Cork have been untouchable in the championship to date. Four outings, four facile wins. Their smallest winning margin was nine points, their largest was 38. Fourteen goals across those four group strolls, and yet McCarthy speaks of a collective neither satisfied nor sated. 'We want to have a full 60-minute performance, we haven't had that yet. Played for 40 minutes, or thereabouts, but a full 60 minutes would be lovely.' The game where they came closest, she digs out, was last year's All-Ireland final triumph. And even within that, they were hit for a third quarter six-in-a-row as Galway pulled up level. 'A great game, Galway really put it up to us. We had to come out and really stand up to that test. It's probably the biggest test we have had in the last couple of years. 'Galway came out of the traps and decided they weren't going to let us walk away with it. We reacted well to it, which is something I think we might have struggled with before.' Sorcha McCartan, Clodagh Finn, and Meabh Cahalane came off the bench to play crucial roles at the end of that game, with half-forward McCarthy stating the panel depth has improved again in 2025. 'The competition for places is a really important factor for us, in that you know there is someone to take the jersey off you if you don't do your job. That competition really drives us and leads us to perform.'
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Bord Gáis profit dips to €39m in first half of 2025
Bord Gáis Energy made a profit of €39 million in the first half of 2025 as customers numbers grew and commodity prices eased. That compared to a profit of €50 million in the first half of 2024. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were £40 million (€46.1 million), down 22 per cent on the previous year's £51 million. Customer numbers grew 3 per cent in the first six months of the year, the company said, reaching 531,000. READ MORE The Centrica-owned company is currently undergoing a €1 billion investment programme in strategic infrastructure, bolstering supply security and integrating renewable energy assets, including the development of two hydrogen-capable 100MW gas peaking plants in Athlone and Dublin, and a 334MW open cycle gas turbine project in Galway. It also completed the acquisition of solar PV company Swyft Energy in January, and earlier this month announced multiple power purchase agreements with renewable developers that added more than 629MW of capacity. 'We remain focused on creating value through our integrated model – supporting customers, investing in energy security, and driving decarbonisation,' said Dave Kirwan, managing director of Bord Gáis Energy. 'Our parent company Centrica's capital investment is enabling us to power Ireland's economic growth and green transition. This will play an important role in delivering a green, secure and competitive energy sector for Ireland.' Parent group Centrica reported adjusted operating profit of £549 million, saying the company had put in a 'resilient performance' in a challenging market.
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Welcome to the world wee lady' – Mayo GAA star and wife overjoyed after birth of baby daughter
MAYO GAA ace James Carr and his wife Danielle have shared the first images of their newborn daughter Katie. The powerful forward shared a quartet of adorable photos taken from the maternity hospital as well as revealing Katie was born on July 16. 3 The proud parents shared this cute pic from the hospital ward Credit: @jamescarr97 3 Katie's adorable jumper describes that she's 'little and loved' Credit: @jamescarr97 3 He's most famous for his viral goal vs Galway in 2019 that racked up over eight million views The sweet album was captioned: "Welcome to the world wee lady, Katie Carr." The heartwarming Mayo's all-time leading scorer Cillian O'Connor also passed on his best, adding: 'Congrats Danielle & JC." His status as either a present or past star is a bit more vague considering he sat out the 2025 campaign. Read More On GAA However, just this week Appearing on William Hill's He outlined: 'I didn't say anything (to make the news public), I think someone did an interview and said that. 'I didn't put anything out. I rang the management, and met the management. I rang a few senior and younger players and told them. Most read in GAA Football 'I met Kevin McStay in the autumn and we had a few good, frank conversations. "Kevin was keen in the end, when he had accepted I was going, to ask me not to draw a line under anything and not to be definitive. Sharlene Mawdsley takes part in hilarious road race as part of Tipperary's All-Ireland celebration 'If he had asked me to draw a line, one way or the other, I would have been happy to go and leave it at that. I wasn't going to put out a statement anyway.' Reflecting on his new vantage point this summer from the sidelines rather in the thick of it, he added: 'It's been different obviously. I'd say elements of it have been enjoyable. "It's been nice in a way too, first time since 2011, and even including Minor and Under-21 since 2008 to be outside it. "To step off that roller coaster for a bit and enjoy it a bit more and appreciate the skills that everyone's showing at the weekends and not be as intense and uptight. 'When you're watching games, it could be two teams at the other side of the country, but if we're still in the Championship, you're thinking 'if we get one of these now, what am I gonna do?' "It's nice to be able to breathe a bit.' The Connacht final runners-up remain without a manager after McStay's tenure was somewhat The county board's statement informing supporters of the 63-year-old being "relieved" of his duties drew widespread criticism for being needlessly cold in its tone. That McStay had had to take an enforced leave of absence for health reasons in May made large swaths of Mayo's fanbase particularly irritated at their officials. In the days afterwards the county board
