Latest news with #Kilkenny
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Kilkenny GAA Chairman speaks out about ‘extreme frustration' over scoreboard error in Tipperary defeat
THE Kilkenny GAA chairman PJ Kenny has spoken out on Noel McGrath's ghost point against the Cats. In Advertisement 3 It was McGrath's 70th minute shot that caused the controversy 3 Kilkenny have failed to reach the All-Ireland final for the second year in-a-row 3 PJ Kenny has been the Kilkenny GAA chairman for a number of years now McGrath had taken a shot from near the Cusack stand sideline which was However, the Croke Park scoreboard operator had added the wide as a point to Tipp on the in-stadium scoreboard, extending their supposed lead from two points to three points which With four minutes of added time left to play after the incident the Cats had been shooting for goals rather than points due to believing they were three points down when they were in fact trailing by just two points. There had been radio silence from the Kilkenny county board and players following the match until yesterday when Kenny appeared on local radio station Advertisement Read more on GAA Speaking three weeks after the incident, the Kilkenny chairman said: 'There was communication that evening after the match. "There was extreme frustration from the players, management, and county board, and all the fans, as well, who paid to go to the match. 'There was deep frustration, we were in talks with Croke Park from the very start of that evening. We knew it was never going to a replay. There's no rule that allows for that, and we were told that fairly straightaway. 'We talked to them, but we didn't want it broadcast all over the front pages. We did talk to Croke Park regularly on the Sunday and Monday and we looked for an explanation." Advertisement Most read in GAA Football Kenny - who was ratified as chairperson back in January - hadn't pushed the issue to the media yet as he did not want to kick up a fuss before the All-Ireland final. A media meltdown would have taken away from the occasion between Cork and Tipperary and that was something Kenny did not want to do. David Clifford's son adorably hijacks RTE interview after dad dominates All-Ireland final Kenny added: 'We were also conscious as well that Tipperary and Cork were in the All-Ireland final and there was no point in taking away from their day. 'There was nothing to be gained from it that way, but we were in talks, Croke Park took full responsibility, they wrote a letter which we actually read out at the county board meeting the Monday after. Advertisement 'They took full responsibility and issued an apology, particularly they felt for the players and management. "They are the people who put in the most effort, so it wasn't an easy time. There's nothing we could do. They said they are putting procedures in place. 'All I can say is Tipperary won the All-Ireland and they were well worthy. Congratulations to them. It was disappointing for us, but there's nothing much we can do now.' Kenny suggested a change to the rules and also promised to put pressure on the GAA in the future to ensure an incident like this does not occur again in the future. Advertisement 'In Croke Park, there is about six people on the sideline there, the referee's report had the score in at 4-20 to 0-30 and we were sent on a copy of that, so immediately that's the score you go by. 'Just human error was basically the cause; whoever was on the scoreboard put up that extra point. 'Maybe I think when you have HawkEye you should be able to link it all in and be able to check for scores straight away, I don't know how they can't stop play. 'They say they're looking at procedures and we will enquire about them going forward, we won't just let that go. We need to so that it won't happen again, because it is was a very stressful time.' Advertisement 'When you're a player and you're chasing a lead, it does affect your decision-making. 'The players were kept in touch. Credit to the players, they didn't go out on the media either, looking to make a story either. They are the most important people in this.'
Irish Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kilkenny's 'extreme frustration' as they break silence on Tipp scoreboard fiasco
Kilkenny have broken their silence on the All-Ireland semi-final scoreboard fiasco which they say caused 'extreme frustration'. However, county board chairman PJ Kenny said there was never any question of the game with eventual champions Tipperary being replayed after the Croke Park scoreboard displayed the wrong score after recording a Noel McGrath wide as a point, causing Kilkenny to chase goals late on when points may have salvaged extra time for them. As it was, referee James Owens reported the final score as 4-20 - rather than 4-21 - to 0-30 in favour of Tipperary, meaning that there was no avenue for a replay, not that Kilkenny were pursuing one in any event. Although Kilkenny held their silence, Kenny said that lines of communication between them were open at all times in the aftermath of the game and that they received an apology for the error. He told the KCLR Hurling Podcast: 'There was communication that evening after the match. Obviously there was extreme frustration with the players, management and the county board and all the fans as well who paid to go to the match. There was deep frustration. We were in talks with Croke Park from the very start that evening. We knew and under no rule, it was never going to a replay. 'We didn't want to broadcast it all over the front pages and we did talk to Croke Park regularly on the Sunday and Monday and we looked for an explanation. We were also conscious as well, Tipperary and Cork were in the All-Ireland final. There was no point in taking away from their… there was nothing to be gained that way but we were in talks. 'Croke Park took full responsibility. They wrote a letter which we actually read out at the county board meeting the week after that. They took full responsibility for what happened. They issued an apology, particularly they felt for the players and management and they're probably the people who put in the most effort in it so it wasn't an easy time.' Kenny added that Croke Park pledged to put procedures in place to ensure that there isn't a repeat episode, something that he said Kilkenny will hold them to account on. 'They say they're looking at procedures going forward and we will enquire about them going forward - we won't just let that go. We need to have that it won't happen again because it was a very stressful time and look, when you're playing and you're chasing a lead, the scoreboard, it does affect your decision-making, it does affect your decision-making.'
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kilkenny Junior B players tormented as trio with 26 All-Ireland medals tog out
The Junior B Hurlers of Kilkenny were in for a shock when a trio of greats turned up to play in a recent Championship quarterfinal, with the Cats legends boasting a whopping 26 All-Ireland medals between them. Jackie Tyrrell and Eoin Larkin lined out for James Stephens while JJ Delaney was in the squad for Fenians in the JJ Kavanagh Junior B Hurling Championship Quarter-Final. Despite all three man being in the twilight of their careers and in their 40s, they are still lining out for their club to this day. Both Larkin and Tyrrell have the bragging rights this time round, with James Stephens running out 2-26 to 3-07 winners. All three have had illustrious careers with Kilkenny, but Tyrrell and Larkin won an All-Ireland title and three Kilkenny Senior Championships with their club when at the peak of their powers in the 2000s. There are very few Junior B pitches around the country that would have the amount of All-Ireland medals and All-Stars on display. Eoin Larkin won eight All-Ireland titles during his spell with the Cats, as well as two All-Stars and a Hurler of the Year Award, while JJ Delaney won nine All-Ireland and seven All-Stars to go along with his Player of the Year gong. Tyrrell also won nine All-Star awards during his time with Kilkenny and four All-Star awards. Even at the age of 43, Tyrrell is still considered mobile enough to play in the middle third. He lined out at wing back, while Eoin Larkin was at corner forward. JJ Delaney was a substitute; he made his Kilkenny debut in 2001.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Eviston inspired by Tipperary hurlers success ahead of semi-final showdown with Galway
Mairead Eviston is hoping that Tipperary's inspirational All-Ireland comeback victory can provide the momentum to take the camogie counterparts into this year's decider. The Premier County's camogie side have not reached the final since 2006, which signalled an end to the all-conquering era around the turn of the millennium when Tipperary won five All-Ireland titles in six years. However, this year Eviston & Co are seeking to right that wrong and go one step further than their 2024 campaign and beat Galway at UPMC Nowlan Park in this afternoon's semi-final. It's the first game of the Kilkenny double-header as Tipp and Galway resume rivalries before reigning All-Ireland champions Cork take on Waterford in the other semi-final. And Eviston is hoping that the momentum within the county can help inspire the team to a performance to take them into the final. "It was a brilliant distraction on Sunday," said Eviston, speaking to RTE Sport. "You could soak up all the energy around the stadium. It was an incredible game and an incredible result for us. "I don't think anyone in the country gave us any hope at the weekend. Even at half time, I suppose a lot of people were like, Cork are going to kick on here. "I know the lads, they'd never give up. I knew they'd keep fighting and that's exactly what they did. I think it just really goes to show a bit of hard work and determination that you can really hurt opposing teams. "It's great energy now for us coming into our semi-final." Tipperary qualified for the quarter-finals after securing second place in their group, and they then moved into the last four by beating a strong Kilkenny side with six points to spare at the end of extra-time. But things looked a lot different back at the end of May as Tipperary disappointed in their opening group game, emphatically losing to Cork by 18 points at The Ragg. However, that overwhelming defeat to the reigning champions would help kick-start Tipp's campaign, as they bounced back in style to hammer seven goals past Wexford, before easily accounting for both Limerick and Clare. "I suppose starting off with Cork, it was a real upset for us," admitted Eviston. "I think in hindsight, it's probably something that we needed. We had a lot of tough conversations after that and then really applied ourselves at training and seemed to kick on from that. "We did exactly what we needed to do to get over our group games, and I think we definitely needed a competitive game, so getting a quarter-final was probably very beneficial for us. "Particularly getting the 80 minutes into the legs as well against a top-class team and grinding out the win," she added, regarding the extra-time win over Kilkenny in the quarters. "I think that just brings great confidence into the group. Having the three weeks now as well to get the body right has been very beneficial." Eviston believes that the run of form will take them into the last-four clash with full belief that they can progress to this year's All-Ireland final. And the Drom & Inch woman also feels that Tipperary are a much-improved side that bowed out of the competition at the semi-final stage last summer, which she puts down to stronger mental resolve combined with the arrival of the next generation. "We have the team there. We have the squad to do it. We've put in really hard work this year now to better our performances in what has probably let us down in the last two semi-finals. Even from a mental aspect, that has been a huge focus element for us this year," she said. "Particularly that Kilkenny match, I think that just really goes to show where the mental growth has come this year in comparison to last year's semi-final. "Probably the previous Tipp team would have put the head down and allowed Kilkenny to kick on and win that game. "We didn't. We really pushed on in extra time to win by a good few points. I think that really showed the growth from last year. "And we're very lucky to have players coming from the junior team that won the All-Ireland last year and also from the minor All-Ireland winning team last year. "They're coming with great experience and they're really pushing us all on at training. "I think players themselves have really taken their own individual performances to another level as well, which is really helping us as a collective." Looking ahead to the challenge of Galway, should Tipp progress, they will have the luxury of sitting back in Nowlan Park to enjoy the second semi-final to assess what lies beyond in the final, and Eviston is happy to be playing in the early game this afternoon. "Against them, you know you're going to get a hard-fought game," she said. "It's going to go right down to the wire and we're going to have to keep tuned in for every single ball that's pucked around the field. "At this stage, we can only really focus on our own performance and just ensure that we're bringing that high energy throughout the game. Starting right from the beginning and not waiting 15-20 minutes or even to half-time to really kick-start. "I suppose for us the importance will be coming down the home stretch as well. No matter what position we're in, we keep kicking on and keep our performance high right down to the final whistle." "I think so," she added, when asked if she was happy to play in the first game of the doubleheader. "I definitely think there's benefits to it. You're in the first game, you're not coming in to play the second game knowing who's won the first game and who's playing in the final. "You can really set the tone, you're coming into a calmer stadium as well to get your preparation right. "I would definitely say there's merit in it and I would prefer it to be the first game."
Irish Times
5 days 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.
