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Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Joe Canning: Long winter for Cork as they come to terms with being outfoxed by Tipp when victory was in sight
Hindsight is easy. It's what everyone does as soon as the final whistle blows. It's what we're doing here now. But before you knew what happened next, put yourself in the Cork dressing room at half-time last Sunday. They had just scored 1-16 against a sweeper. Without being anywhere near their free-flowing best, they were six points up in the All-Ireland hurling final . Maybe the goal before half-time helped create a false narrative and you could argue that Cork didn't deserve to be so far ahead, but if you're the Cork management in that scenario, you're not thinking about changing anything significant. Just like Tipperary in the other dressing room, you're sticking to your guns. That looks like a mistake on Cork's part now. At half-time last Sunday, though, nobody was screaming that Cork needed to do something radical. Ten years ago, I played on a Galway team that was three points ahead against Kilkenny at half-time in an All-Ireland final and had played well enough to be further clear. By that stage Galway hadn't won an All-Ireland in 27 years. We thought our time had come. In the first half, we had played well enough to win. READ MORE In the second half, Kilkenny blew us away. They just took over. The scoring wasn't nearly as dramatic as last Sunday, but we only scored 1-4 in the second half. The goal came in stoppage time, when Kilkenny were seven points clear. Did we tighten up? Probably. Looking back, it felt like everyone was almost waiting for someone else to step up. If the Cork players are honest with themselves, they'll probably admit to the same thing. Cork's Ciaran Joyce is tackled by Tipperary captain Ronan Maher. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho But when you strip that away, Cork lost the tactical battle hands-down. It wasn't just that Cork didn't manage Tipp's seventh defender, but they didn't seem to know what to do with the spare man at the back Tipp had given them. In the first half, Rob Downey was being run ragged across the field chasing puckouts. The Tipp half forwards were making lateral runs that were designed to create chaos. Cork played into that trap. Against the Tipp puckout they should have stayed zonal. The Cork defenders who were picking up Tipp's five forwards were under much more pressure than they should have been. Tipp were attracting Cork's half backs out the field and dragging Cork players into their attacking half, where Tipp already had numbers. All of that was creating space at the other end. In the middle of the last decade a lot of teams were playing with sweepers, even Cork. I remember we played them in an All-Ireland quarter-final in Thurles when Brian Murphy was their spare man. Cork manager Pat Ryan looks away after Eoin Downey is sent off. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho You often heard people say that you must mark the sweeper, even if that meant sacrificing somebody. I didn't try to mark Murphy that day, but I positioned myself behind him and made sure he knew I was there. In that way I occupied him more than he wanted to be occupied. Cork didn't try to dictate anything with Tipp's seventh defender. He set up exactly as Tipp planned and Cork didn't do anything to disrupt it. [ All-Ireland number four is Noel McGrath's sweetest yet, but he may already be plotting the drive for five Opens in new window ] Tipp had clearly worked out Cork's puckouts. Not just the long ones aimed at Brian Hayes and a cluster of players around the D, that everyone is expecting, but the kind of puckouts that worked against Dublin and other teams during the year. Finding Tim O'Mahony in a pocket of space had really worked at various times during the season. They tried it twice early in the game, straight after Tipp had a free inside the Cork 45. This was obviously a trigger, but both times Tipp snuffed it out. While the Cork half-backs were scrambling around trying to deal with Tipp puckouts, the Tipp backs were basically comfortable on Cork's restarts. Cork's Shane Barrett tries to prevent Willie Connors of Tipperary breaking free from the pack. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Tipp's first goal was a huge turning point. It was a mistake by Patrick Collins and there have been too many of those over the last couple of years. In the avalanche of scores that came later, Cork's response to the goal has been forgotten. Shane Barrett scored a great point directly from the puck-out and Tipp didn't score for the next four minutes. Their bounce from the goal wasn't immediate. In those four minutes, Séamus Harnedy came on as a sub and missed a great chance to draw Cork level. None of that was important at the end, but momentum is a volatile thing. Harnedy could have carried the ball another 20 yards to make sure of the score and everyone would have said that Cork had responded well to the goal. Four minutes after that, Eoin Downey was sent off and the game was effectively over. Tipp took a chance by going with an extra defender. Nobody had ever won an All-Ireland with a sweeper before. If Patrick Horgan had scored that free after half-time to put Cork seven points up, it wouldn't have taken much more for Tipp to start questioning their approach. Cork needed to push Tipp to that brink. Tipperary's goalkeeper Rhys Shelly watches as a Cork shot hits the upright. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho In the event, they couldn't. Cork have had the most potent attack all year, but on Sunday four of their six forwards were shut down. Only Barrett and Diarmuid Healy emerged with credit. How many of the Tipp forwards were shut down? None. Darragh McCarthy had his best game of the year, John McGrath had an incredible second half, Jake Morris, Jason Forde and Andrew Ormond all contributed with the sliotar and without it. Tipp won the All-Ireland with five forwards. There will be a lot of soul-searching in Cork over the coming months and a lot of blame shared around. That's just the nature of the beast. After the 2015 All-Ireland, Anthony Cunningham was forced out as the Galway manager. That's not going to happen in Cork. If Pat Ryan wants to stay, I'd be certain that the players and the county board wouldn't have any objection. No matter how close they got to the summit, Cork are back at the bottom of the mountain again.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet: It's no secret this restaurant is chasing a second Michelin star
The Lady Helen Address : Mount Juliet Estate, Mount Juliet, Co. Kilkenny Telephone : 056 777 3000 Cuisine : Modern International Website : Cost : €€€€ There's a point, early in an eight‑course tasting menu, when you can feel the evening tilt one way or another. An unbearably cheffy kitchen or too many ideas beating each other senseless, and the next two hours drag like a bad wedding speech. Get it right and the plates glide – making you feel you've been spared the bother of ordering the whole thing. Even if it costs €175 per person. In the Lady Helen at Kilkenny 's Mount Juliet Estate – a one- Michelin star restaurant in a grand Georgian room formal enough to mind your elbows but light enough not to stifle you – the tilt goes the right way. Tiny amuse‑bouches – cauliflower with vadouvan spice, apple and lime in a pastry shell, and mackerel cone with horseradish, lemon gel and N25 caviar – are perfect openers with a crisp white in a Zalto glass, Domäne Wachau (€60) from a classic and deep wine list. Chefs' memories are currency these days – the blackberries they foraged with granny, the strawberries they picked under a soft July sun The garden pea course arrives in a pastry case on a stand from nearby Jerpoint Glass Studio – young peas underneath a gougère which releases molten Parmesan. Australian black truffle is shaved over, adding a nutty, earthy note. READ MORE Then the Cevennes onion topped with a frothy spring onion foam. The onions are cooked down till they're sweet, and set into a delicate chawanmushi‑like custard. Dots of pickled shiitake bring sharpness, a slice of lardo adds that silken richness, and croutons give crunch. It's a clever dish. Foie gras, dashi jelly, preserved walnut and sour cherry. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times The crescendo moves on to foie gras under dashi jelly, dotted with white, red and treacle-coloured drops. It echoes foie gras I've had elsewhere, the velvety richness of mi‑cuit, pushed further by an umami hit, lifted by tiny bursts of pear. Warm brioche with pain d'épices on the side is perfect. As I listen to the intro for the next dish, I'm reminded that chefs' memories are currency these days – the blackberries they foraged with granny, the strawberries they picked under a soft July sun. But the chefs I'd actually like to meet are the ones who robbed orchards, shinned fences and lifted apples while a dog went ballistic. Mount Juliet Estate head chef John Kelly. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times I'll take the backstory for head chef John Kelly's Irish salad with salad cream. Thick San Marzano tomatoes sit on a disc of 'salad cream' – this one more creamy custard than anything from a bottle. Escarole, estate herbs and flowers, and curls of radish perch on top. The prettiest plate of the night. Black Sole with violet artichoke, courgette and Rossini golden caviar. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times Next is black sole with courgette and violet artichoke. The fish course often drifts but sole is a good choice for a small portion. Poached, probably sous vide, but the texture holds. It sits on violet artichoke in a foamy beurre blanc with just enough wine bite. Courgette is sliced thin, fanned on top, dusted with a whisper of espelette. Delicate and classic. Anjou squab pigeon hides under wild garlic leaves. The leg is confit and the breast is rare. A deep carcass jus has finely chopped vegetables, girolles and black truffle, punctuated with pickled gooseberries. A frothy grapefruit sabayon spooned over at the table is a smart finish. Mousse of Mount Juliet Estate Honey and Waterford whiskey with mandarin sorbet. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times The pre‑dessert uses Mount Juliet Estate honey – a delicate mousse shaped into a hexagonal hive, flecked with pollen and dabs of honey and Waterford whiskey gel, topped with mandarin sorbet. 'Strawberry Garden': Kilkenny organic strawberries and lovage ice cream. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times The 'Strawberry Garden' draws upon the chef's memories. One dish, a strawberry mousse encased in a strawberry shell, is topped with lovage ice cream the colour of new grass. The other, a bowl of Kilkenny organic strawberries, hides a sorbet underneath. There's real skill here, but the dishes sit apart. It would work better as one. To finish, the petits fours trolley is wheeled out. A light box pops up as it is opened, illuminating the treats: cherry bakewell tart, a mango bonbon and mint chocolate. A small flourish of ceremony. The Lady Helen restaurant at Mount Juliet. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times It's no secret the Lady Helen is chasing a second Michelin star – that means more than flawless produce and technique; it demands the chef's stamp on every plate. It's there in the Cevennes onion, the tomato and salad cream, the estate honey – these dishes feel rooted, not borrowed. And for all the eye‑rolling, the backstories help. In Ireland's two-Michelin star restaurants, you'll find plenty of theatre. Chapter One has its Irish coffee trolley, Guilbaud its cheese trolley, Terre, the kitchen intro and digestif trolley, and Dede is unique enough not to need a trolley. Here, it's the petits fours trolley – a quiet flourish to end on. The consistency and skill are already at two‑star level. If they hold that line every night, the second star isn't a stretch – it's coming. Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €410. The Verdict: An impressive tasting menu rooted in place. Food provenance: Kish Fish, Condron's Dublin and Artisan Foods Dublin. Vegetarian options: 8-course vegetarian and vegan menus. Wheelchair access: Fully accessible with an accessible toilet. Music: background music at a low level.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
GAA apologise to Kilkenny for scoreboard error in All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary
Kilkenny have received an apology from the GAA for the scoreboard error in the closing stages of their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary earlier this month. Various stakeholders in the county have been informed of the correspondence from Croke Park, which expresses regret for the mistake that impacted the conclusion of the game that Tipperary won by two points. Kilkenny and Tipperary were of the understanding that the latter were four points ahead after Noel McGrath's 70th minute point attempt. The shot was waved wide but the scoreboard counted it as a point. Following a Jordan Molloy point in the second minute of additional time, Kilkenny went in search of what they thought was a required goal to force extra-time when they were in fact only two points behind. Kilkenny, it is understood, wrote to Croke Park seeking clarification about the matter although a replay was never in question. The county's officials have refused to comment publicly on the matter and Tipperary manager Liam Cahill complimented the county's dignified stance. 'Like ourselves, if Kilkenny don't win it on the field, they ain't going to bring it to the boardroom, that's for sure.' On the evening of the game, the GAA released a statement acknowledging the error. "The GAA can confirm that the official score at the end of the Tipperary v Kilkenny GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final was 4-20 to 0-30. 'The GAA acknowledges there was confusion over the final score. The CCCC (Central Competitions Control Committee) is awaiting the full referee's report in order to establish how the initial mistake occurred." Speaking last week, the GAA's national match officials manager Donal Smyth said the error was down to a combination of factors. "It was a mixture of stuff. The time of the game probably didn't help. So at 69 minutes we had a Kilkenny sub, at 70 minutes the ball went wide, we had a Tipperary sub at the same time. "We didn't notice the scoreboard had changed in relation to that (McGrath's wide). Then the difficulty is we didn't get a break in play to stop the game to check the thing. "We've changed our processes last week and our protocols around that, so it's something we just have to work on." In the aftermath of the game, former GAA president Nickey Brennan said his native Kilkenny as well as Tipperary were due an apology. This past weekend, Kilkenny great Henry Shefflin spoke on The Sunday Game about how 'baffling' the communication was around the controversy. He added: "There hasn't been much noise about it and it seems it's just moved on'.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Tributes paid to Ireland's first female track and field Olympian and 'trailblazer' in Irish sport
Tributes are being paid to Ireland's first female track and field Olympian, Maeve Kyle, who was 'a trailblazer' in Irish sport. Ms Kyle, who died at the age of 96, was born in Kilkenny in 1928. She made history at the 1956 Melbourne Games, competing in the 100m and 200m. Advertisement A former Kilkenny College student, she went on to represent Ireland at three Olympic Games, becoming the nation's first triple Olympian. Also a star in Irish hockey, she earned 58 caps and was twice named to the World All Star team. Athletics Ireland in a statement said it is "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our esteemed Life Vice President Maeve Kyle.' They said that Ms Kyle was a 'true pioneer of Irish sport and one of our most iconic and inspirational athletes and she broke new ground for women in Irish athletics.' Advertisement She represented the country with distinction at the Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, and Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. At the Tokyo Games, she reached the semifinals in both the 400m and 800m. Maeve went on to win a bronze medal in the 400m at the 1966 European Indoor Championships in Dortmund and continued to compete with distinction in the Masters category, winning world titles and setting world records. 'Her presence on the international stage opened doors for countless others, and it was her courage, determination, and dignity on and off the track that truly set her apart,' continued Athletics Ireland. A gifted multi-sport athlete, Ms Kyle also became a renowned coach, working alongside her beloved late husband, Sean, to help shape generations of Irish athletes including their daughter Shauna. Advertisement She completed her involvement in a fourth Olympic Games by serving as coach to the Irish track and field team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. 'Her contribution to athletics spanned decades, from her ground-breaking career as a competitor to her roles as a coach, mentor, administrator, official, and advocate for women in sport and coaching structures,' the statement added. 'Maeve Kyle was more than a legend; she was a torchbearer who lit the path for those who followed. Her legacy lives on in the athletes she inspired and the standards she set. 'On behalf of the athletics community across Ireland, Athletics Ireland extend our heartfelt condolences to her daughter Shauna, her granddaughter Indy, to the extended Kyle and Shankey families, her many friends, and all those whose lives she touched through her extraordinary career and enduring legacy. She was also appointed an OBE for her services to sport. A spokesperson for the Kilkenny College said: 'Maeve Kyle's legacy as a trailblazer in Irish sport will never be forgotten."
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Eoghan Connolly: 'Last year you were afraid to walk down the town to get a coffee'
TO CAPTURE THE revival in Tipperary's hurling fortunes, defender Eoghan Connolly paints a picture of the mood twelve months ago in the county. Last year they were unable to claim a victory in any of their four championship games in Munster and failed to emerge from the fiercely contested round-robin system in the province. Fast forward to 2025 and the team were toasted in Thurles on Monday night as hurling heroes having collected the Liam MacCarthy Cup off the back of Sunday's sensational display that blew Cork away. In his native Cashel last year Connolly had felt a sense of shame at how much they were struggling. 'Last year, you were afraid to walk down the town to get a coffee. Advertisement 'You were walking with your head down looking at your shoes. Going to that minor game (the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny), it was so hard to face. It was a hard year.' Proving critics wrong was not something that fuelled Connolly. He had soldiered during All-Ireland winning underage days with Tipperary and after joining the senior panel in 2021 before making his debut in the 2023 draw with Limerick, he remained convinced in the ability of their playing group. 'It wasn't something I done, trying to prove people wrong. It was just this group of lads was all I was worried about. You can't control the outside noise. You just have to block it out. 'We believed from the get-go when we met in late November or December that we were capable of fixing it. Belief is a massive word that we've used in our dressing room throughout the year.' Tipperary's Eoghan Connolly lifts the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO Connolly's relationship with the Liam Cahill-Michael Bevans managerial double act stretches back to those All-Ireland winning underage successes of 2018 and 2019. They forged a bond then that carried them through Tipperary's recent lean seasons. 'We owe everything we have to them. What they've done for us is just amazing. 'We've had them since we were 17 years of age. You see them as much as you see your mother and father. They're amazing men.' The victory carried further weight for Connolly in flying the Cashel King Cormacs flag alongside his club-mate Oisin O'Donoghue, the goalscoring star off the bench this year against Waterford, Galway, and Kilkenny. 'Oisín's in dreamland. He's 19 years of age. He's a football game in Cashel (this week) but I'd say he'll skip it. He's just a great young lad and a great role model in our club.' Tipperary's Oisin O'Donoghue and Eoghan Connolly celebrate at the final whistle of their semi-final against Kilkenny. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO The pair will return to club action this weekend, with the West Tipperary senior hurling final on Saturday night pitting Cashel against Clonoulty-Rossmore, who will include Tipperary players Robert Doyle and Danny Slattery. 'I might watch Robert Doyle closely and see what he's doing for the week,' said O'Donoghue. Related Reads The pain for Cork and the joy for Tipperary, this All-Ireland impact will be long-lasting Noel McGrath: 'To have my son there was one of the greatest things I could have done' 'We had a terrible game in-house': Tipperary turned it around to claim famous All-Ireland win 'We'll go training on Thursday evening. It's only fair because of the work them boys are putting in and waiting for these games. It would be unfair of myself and Oisín to take away from them. 'Cashel haven't won a West senior title in 30 years I think, and it's a huge dream of mine to win.' *****
