Latest news with #Keher
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Kilkenny legend gives honest All-Ireland prediction for the Cats ahead of Tipperary semi-final clash
KILKENNY legend Eddie Keher believes the Cats are poised to end a ten-year All-Ireland drought. Derek Lyng's side will face neighbours Tipperary in Sunday week's SHC semi-final. Advertisement 2 Keher was the all-time leading point scorer in the National League up until March when Patrick Horgan broke his record 2 The Cats have not lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 10 years And while Keher believes Dublin can 'shove it up to Cork' in the other last-four clash, he expects the Rebels to contest the July 20 decider. Kilkenny and Tipp are preparing to face each other in the Championship for the first time since the Premier won the 2019 final. Keher said: 'There's a great rivalry there but a great admiration for both teams as well. I think it'll be a solid battle. 'We were looking at Tipperary early on Advertisement Read more on GAA 'If we do, we could be coming up against a tremendous Cork team. Of course, there's great rivalry there as well over the years. 'But it'll be all to play for and it'll be all on the day. Hopefully our lads will get over it.' While Kilkenny have not claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup since 2015, Keher has been encouraged by the performances of a side who have He said: 'They're a fine team, Kilkenny. I think they'll make a good run of it and that they'll do well. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Comment 'It's very hard to call any game between Kilkenny and Tipp. It'll depend on who turns up most on the day. 'But I'm very happy with the Kilkenny team that will probably be starting against Tipp.' Brendan Cummins defends time-keeping in Munster GAA hurling final between Cork and Limerick Keher insisted that 'the game is beautiful' when asked for his thoughts on the state of modern hurling. Short passing in the defensive half of the field is a bugbear for the Rower-Inistioge man, who won six All-Ireland medals before retiring in 1977. Advertisement But he said: 'As someone who has played in the forwards, I'd be telling them that the faster you get the ball up there before the defence is set, the better.' EDDIE KEHER is an ambassador for 24th annual Circet All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge. This year's event, in aid of GAA-related charities, takes place at Killarney Golf and Fishing Resort on October 16 and 17.
Irish Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Hurling great on Dublin's shock rise as he backs them to put it up to Cork
Eddie Keher predicts Dublin can rock All-Ireland SHC title favourites Cork if they can sustain their level of performance against Limerick. Kilkenny legend Keher was blown away by the Dubs' display in toppling the Treaty men in last Saturday's dramatic All-Ireland quarter-final. With the semi-final between Cork and Dublin set to be a sell-out at Croke Park on Saturday week, six-time All-Ireland winner Keher reckons it could go down to the wire. "I suppose the one I remember is Antrim beating Offaly in '89," said the 83-year-old, referring to the shock value of Dublin's two-point victory. "Now, I always felt Dublin were great hurlers but they just didn't seem to be able to get over the line, but I'd say their new manager has instilled a sort of a belief in them and now they're not playing with fear. "They're playing with a want to win and it's happening for them. Cork are obviously favourites and favourites for the All-Ireland too, I suppose. But I think Dublin will shove it up to them now if they can generate the same level of performance." However Keher is hopeful that Kilkenny can finish the championship strongly and frank their Leinster dominance by claiming their first Liam MacCarthy Cup triumph in a decade. "I'm old enough to remember, I think I was only five, the 1947 All-Ireland," said Keher. "It took until 1957 to win the next one, which was another 10 years. Hopefully they'll do it this year." The other semi-final puts the Cats against old rivals Tipperary. "It's a long time coming," he said. "There's a great rivalry there but a great admiration for both teams as well. "I think it'll be a solid battle. Actually we were looking at Tipperary early on during the league and we felt that they might be there this year. They then had a few disappointing games but they've come into form now again. "They're a fine team, Kilkenny. I think they'll make a good run of it. It's very hard to call any game between Kilkenny and Tipp, it'll depend on who turns up most on the day. "We had fierce battles in my day but we're all great friends now. Great friends with Babs and Len Gaynor and some of them that have passed away, Mick Burns and John Doyle, I was very friendly with John. So whereas there's intense rivalry, there's also great friendship." Keher is a fan of the modern game and the high standards that have been evident in recent years, but not the emphasis on short passing. "The game is beautiful, and the skill level and the fitness levels are tremendous," he said. "There are parts of the game I don't like, such as the short passing game. I'm not saying there's not a place for it, but it shouldn't be overdone. "I think passing in the defence is dangerous. Like Galway last Saturday, they threw away points from short passing in the defence. From there on, it's OK. "Because both teams, Kilkenny and Tipp, have very good forwards, though it'd be seen as old-fashioned now, as someone who has played in the forwards, I'd be telling them that the faster you get the ball up there before the defence is set, the better. "The only ones I always saw doing that effectively were Limerick to Aaron Gillane - when you get quick ball down in front of him, he can be unstoppable. "I'd like to see a bit more of that in today's game. Other than that, I'm very happy with the standard - there's a lot to look forward to." *Eddie Keher was speaking at the launch of the 24th annual Circet All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge in aid of GAA-related charities at Michael Lyng Motors (Ford) in Kilkenny
Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
‘Fierce battles but we're all friends now' - Kilkenny legend Eddie Keher on the rivalry with Tipperary
A rivalry reawakened. Six years is far too long for Tipperary and Kilkenny to have been hurling ships in the championship night. The two most recent meetings — the 2016 and 2019 All-Ireland finals — doesn't suggest much of a rivalry at all. Kilkenny have waited long enough to correct the rivalry's recent history. 'It's a long time coming,' Kilkenny legend Eddie Keher said of the counties' upcoming All-Ireland semi-final on July 6. 'There's a great rivalry there but a great admiration for both teams as well. It'll be a solid battle. Actually, we were looking at Tipperary early on during the league and we felt that they might be there this year. They then had a few disappointing games but they've come into form now again. 'We had fierce battles, but we're all great friends now. Great friends with Babs and Len Gaynor and some of them that have passed away, Mick Burns and John Doyle. I was very friendly with John. So whereas there's intense rivalry, there's also great friendship.' Keher is the holder of six Celtic crosses. No Kilkenny hurler who joined the panel from 2016 onwards has common ground with him. Kilkenny, of course, have never gone away — Sunday week is their seventh consecutive All-Ireland semi-final appearance — but neither have they been climbing any meaningful steps. Since their maiden lifting of Liam in 1904, there have been only two 10-year periods — 1922-32 and 1947-57 — where Kilkenny didn't climb the steps. Fail to do so in the next four weeks and the class of 2025 will be responsible for the largest famine in the county's rich history. 'I'm old enough to remember,' Keher said of their previous 10-year famine. 'I was only five for the 1947 All-Ireland. It took until 1957 to win the next one. Hopefully they'll do it this year.' On the road in front of them are hurling's two other aristocrats. 'I'd be hopeful. But Tipp are going to be a big hurdle to get across. If we do, we could be coming up against a tremendous Cork team. Of course, there's great rivalry there as well over the years. 'They're a fine team, Kilkenny. I think they'll make a good run of it and that they'll do well. It's very hard to call any game between Kilkenny and Tipp. It'll depend on who turns up most. But I'm very happy with the Kilkenny team that will probably be starting against Tipp. 'Derek [Lyng] has done a good job, particularly following on from Brian [Cody]. He's brought his hurling game into management. He was a brilliant motivator on the field.' The other member of hurling's remaining four is Dublin. Like most observers, Keher has to reach back to Antrim's 1989 All-Ireland semi-final win over Offaly for a shock of similar scale. A welcome shock, mind. 'Dublin have brought a whole new impetus into hurling. It was a wonderful performance against Limerick. Now, I always felt Dublin were great hurlers, but they just didn't seem to be able to get over the line. 'But I'd say their new manager has instilled a belief in them and now they're not playing with fear. They're playing with a want to win and it's happening for them. Cork are obviously favourites, and favourites for the All-Ireland too. But I think Dublin will shove it up to them if they can generate the same level of performance.'
