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Irish Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Derry-Galway TV info, throw-in time, date & more for All-Ireland football clash
A resurgent Derry host Galway in Group 4 of the All-Ireland round robins. The Group of Death sees these two teams joined by Dublin and Armagh, with all four sides in realistic contention for Sam Maguire. The teams previously met in the third round of this year's league, and drew 0-16 to 1-13 in Derry. Derry were perhaps unlucky to lose by as wide a margin as they did to Armagh, with Ethan Rafferty making a few fine stops to prevent a Oak Leaf comeback. The Tribesmen will feel aggrieved that they failed to win in Salthill against the Dubs, and need to start putting points on the board soon. Here's what you need to know about the big game: Sunday, June 1. Celtic Park in Derry. The game is due to begin at 2pm. No, the game is not being shown on TV, but it is being streamed on GAA+. Derry - 13/5 Draw - 15/2 Galway - 4/11
Extra.ie
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Ger Brennan is a manager on the rise and it could bring him all the way back to Dublin
There will come a time, and it could be sooner than later, when Ger Brennan's name is central to the discussion of who becomes the next Dublin manager. Dessie Farrell is in year six of a reign that has eked two All-Ireland titles from the remnants of a legendary group. Their Leinster semi-final loss to Meath showed that reliance on what's left of the old masters to compensate for inexperience and gaps in quality elsewhere won't work any longer. Ger Brennan. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile It means the long-mooted restoration work on the Dublin footballers will have to become more intensive. That's a process Farrell may well undertake while trying to guide his team through the Group of Death in the All-Ireland series. But it also raises questions about what comes next, and whether he will decide that six seasons is enough in charge of the most scrutinised team in Gaelic Games. When the vacancy arises, be that this winter or the next one, Brennan's name will top the list of contenders. He is a charismatic figure, a teak-tough defender who won an All-Ireland as part of the Pat Gilroy breakthrough in 2011, as well as leading his club St Vincent's to club glory. Brennan is an independent thinker, too, true to his beliefs and also a coach and communicator good enough to step into the Louth breach after Mickey Harte left to take charge of Derry two seasons ago. Ger Brennan. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile It was a daunting place to take, but Brennan has been outstanding. He consolidated their place in Division 2 last year and did the same this spring. It was in last year's Championship that he won the hearts of Louth fans, though. They ran Dublin to four points in the Leinster final, before an All-Ireland group stage odyssey that saw the county finish second in a group topped by Kerry, with Monaghan third and Meath bottom and out. They recorded a famous win over the Royals in Inniskeen that was Louth's first Championship victory over their great rivals in 49 years, before drawing with Monaghan in Clones. They followed all that with a one-point win over Cork in a preliminary quarter-final, with Donegal eventually ending their remarkable summer in the last eight. The run showed the quality of player available after years of underage nurturing; it illustrated the work done by Harte in his vibrant spell, but it was also clear proof of how good Brennan is. It helps that he gets the importance of a local rivalry. 'Between my time in Louth this year and last year, what I have come to appreciate is that there is a very healthy hatred between Meath and Louth, similar to what it was with Dublin (and Meath) in the '90s and that four-in-a-row back then,' he says. Ger Brennan. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 'It has kind of softened over the last five years with Dublin dominance. Now there is a real kind of healthy hatred between both counties (Louth and Meath), so it is something I am feeding off myself, and I am enjoying.' Brennan is a confident figure, a meticulous coach who built up a bank of knowledge at club level, managing Bray Emmets in Wicklow and then Moorefield in Kildare, while also being part of the Carlow set-up under Niall Carew. His extensive playing experience at the highest level is significant, too, as he alludes to when discussing Louth's win over Meath last summer, a result they followed up in the Allianz League in March. 'Getting results against teams that you hadn't beaten for decades,' he starts, before recalling how Dublin did it. Even back to my own playing time with Dublin, (we beat) Kerry in the National League down in Fitzgerald Stadium in 2009, and then we beat them two years later in the All-Ireland final. 'So it probably does help when you break the hoodoo. I think going into this game, it will be fairly evenly matched. Both groups of players know each other quite well.' He speaks about Meath's unexpected win against his native county with notable detachment. His views are all the more intriguing given that he could possibly be managing the Dublin transition in the future. Ger Brennan. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 'I think we'd all agree that the gap has closed between the chasing pack in Leinster. That outrageous talent that began to come through as I was finishing up, are those same fellas coming through? 'They're not, and the gap has closed. To be fair to Robbie Brennan, the way he got the lads playing against Dublin the last day, they were worthy winners'. Brennan is impressed by the extensive spread of good facilities at club level in Louth. That points up a growing issue in Dublin: the space for clubs to emerge or expand in a city where land is scarce and expensive. 'The facilities of Louth clubs are far superior to the facilities of Dublin clubs, by a huge amount,' he says. 'You only have to look at the bit of messing between Ballinteer St John's and Kilmacud Crokes,' he says, referencing the battle between two clubs on the south side of the capital for 15 acres. 'In rural counties, there is obviously a bit more space and then with the generosity of local land-owners, a lot of clubs can put more of their funds raised into the infrastructure.' It's in actual playing numbers that Dublin enjoys an inevitable advantage, he says, but for this summer at least, Dublin's advantages are not up for discussion in Leinster final week. They won't be long out of the headlines, though – and nor, one suspects, will Brennan, a once and future hero of the Hill.
RTÉ News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Glorious opportunity awaits in novel Leinster decider
Long live the provincial championships. People thought they were dead and waiting to be put out of their misery. But they've come roaring back to life in 2025. And now look, we've two provincial deciders this weekend where pundits can barely put a sheet of paper between the teams. The mood in Mayo is still sombre after last Sunday. For the second year in succession, they've blown a Connacht title that was there for them on a platter. Level in the game with 18 minutes left and a huge gale behind them. It seemed hard to see how they weren't going to get it done at that point. Then the Mayo of 2024 re-appeared. The wides started to mount, balls were dropped short. Galway's leaders like Cillian McDaid and Liam Silke came to the fore. Looking back, you're left with a few 'whys'. Why were Davitt Neary and Darren McHale taken off when they were the sharpest forwards? Why was Paddy Durcan left on the bench? Why did Colm Reape go short? The last one was especially costly, leaving them with 14 for the rest of the game. With that wind, the ball should be landed on the opposition 45. I appreciate Galway had the edge at midfield at that stage - though Mayo competed fairly well there for a lot of the game. But even when Galway were winning primary possession, Mayo's pressing and intensity was forcing loads of turnovers and the refereeing overall was tilted in favour of the tackling team. Paddy Neilan was allowing a good deal of contact - except in one incident - and the ball carrier was getting done for over-carrying. The short kickout debacle had huge implications. Galway got a handy score at a time when they were hard to come by and their numerical advantage countered Mayo's wind advantage down the stretch. And again, the lack of a left-footed free-taker haunted us in the closing stages. Aidan O'Shea did go close with one from a tight angle but he's not a dead-ball specialist, nor would he claim to be. Watching Galway rattle off four Connachts in a row is not a pleasant sight from a Mayo perspective, less so when we've gifted them a couple of them. Pádraic Joyce will derive particular satisfaction from winning Connacht without his two most high profile forwards. Their reward is this ridiculous Group of Death but they'll go into with huge confidence. The one thing we can all take from the day is that it was a cracking occasion. Almost a throwback - 27,000 plus in attendance and a rip-roaring atmosphere from start to finish. And it gave a lie to all the bulls**t talked in the build-up that the teams wouldn't be going all out for the Connacht title in light of the round robin draw. Nerves a jangle on Jones's Road We can probably anticipate something similar in Clones and Croke Park this weekend. We haven't been able to say that about Leinster final day for some time. The buzz around Jones's Road will be enormous on Sunday. Both teams know this is a massive opportunity. It's a hard one to call. Louth won the final league game between the sides comfortably but Meath had a better campaign overall. They went into that one looking for promotion rather than seeking to avoid relegation. The latter was probably stronger motivation. For me, one of the central questions is whether Meath have come down to earth after the Dublin victory in time to really focus in on this game. We've seen it plenty over the years, in multiple sports. Teams who land a momentous win in a semi-final and then struggled to replicate the same 'emotional energy' the next day out. The 2019 Rugby World Cup being a prime example, where England beat New Zealand and then didn't show up at all for the final against South Africa. In football, there's a parallel with Cork in 2020, pipping Kerry at the death and then losing the Munster final to Tipperary. It's a tricky psychological challenge for Meath. By contrast, Louth's progression has been more business-like. They ground out a big win in a really high pressured semi-final against Kildare, which had Sam Maguire participation riding on it. They've been boosted by the return of Sam Mulroy and Craig Lennon - the latter was superb the last day even if he narrowly avoided serious embarassment at full-time... They're well used to this terrain, having made the last two Leinster finals. They got pummelled in 2023 but last year was a very creditable showing, The county is on a crest of a wave after their first Leinster Under-20 title since 1981. The experienced Meath players, who've suffered through so many tough days, will be desperate to get their hands on provincial silverware. I'd imagine the nervous tension during the game will be extreme. But Louth have had a knack of getting over Meath in recent years. They've found a way to win in big do-or-die games under Ger Brennan. I'd give them the nod to shade it this Sunday and claim a first Leinster title in 65 years. Take your two-pointers and the goal will come If that wasn't enough, we've another coin flip in Ulster. What odds another penalty shootout? Armagh's showing so far in 2025 has been enormously impressive. There seems to be no lack of hunger after winning the All-Ireland last year. Instead, they've developed even more composure and look really comfortable in pressure situations. They were missing Rian O'Neill and had only six starters from the 2024 All-Ireland final against Tyrone and they still managed to squeeze out of their with a win. And they still have unfinished business in Ulster. A provincial title, after so many heartaches, would copper-fasten their legacy. But they're taking on bonafide fellow All-Ireland contenders. Donegal weren't at their most thrilling against Down but got the job done with minimal fuss. Jim McGuinness hasn't been afraid to change around his team. Oisín Gallen had been kept in reserve but was thrown into the side the last day. Michael Murphy has looked sharp and imposing since returning to the fray. The threat they pose with their runners from deep is lethal, Peadar Mogan running amok down the wings. Daire Ó Baoill has been rampant, especially the first day out against Derry. We saw the importance of Paul Conroy's two-point shooting in giving Galway a foothold in Castlebar. I'm anticipating a clinic in two-point shooting in Clones. Last year's Ulster final gave us an exhibition of long-range scoring. With the reward doubled this year and an abundance of excellent kickers on either team, I'd expect more of the same on Saturday. Neither team has been burying many goals. Armagh didn't score one the last day and Donegal have only four in 10 matches - though they have been creating enough chances. If one team can manufacture a goal, that could swing the game. Otherwise, it will be determined by accuracy from two-point range. The two teams know each other so well and the threats the other carries. If Donegal can shackle Oisín Conaty, that could be the winning of it. Armagh are hungry for a first Ulster title in 17 years but McGuinness doesn't tend to lose games in the province. Narrowly, I'd give the nod to Donegal but they may need extra-time again.
