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Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Wicklow's All-Ireland referee John Keenan honoured with Cathaoirleach's Award
Hosted by Arklow Municipal District and supported by the local elected members, the presentation ceremony saw the inter-county referee and proud Aughrim native welcomed, along with his family, friends, and colleagues, to accept the esteemed honour. During the ceremony, Arklow MD cathaoirleach Cllr Pat Kennedy presented John with a piece of crystal in recognition of his achievements. After beginning his refereeing career in 2007, John was chosen to officiate the All-Ireland Hurling Final in 2023, which was held at a packed Croke Park. This match is remembered as one of the finest examples of a hurling final, and his contributions to the game are highly regarded. He has represented Wicklow at all levels of refereeing and continues to dedicate his time to the sport. Commenting on John's distinguished career, unwavering integrity, and deep respect for both sporting codes, particularly hurling, Cllr Kennedy said: 'Over the years, we've watched John officiate some of the most intense and high-stakes matches in hurling. 'From Leinster Championship battles to All-Ireland showdowns, his presence in the middle of the field brought calm to chaos, authority without arrogance, and decisions made with conviction' 'Beyond the sidelines and stadiums, John has contributed something even more valuable, a model of refereeing built on respect. Respect for the game, respect for the players, and respect for the craft of officiating' Wicklow County Council chief executive Emer O'Gorman extended her congratulations to John Keenan on his achievements, acknowledging the 'unwavering support of his wife Annette, daughters Emma and Ava, and his extended family, including his father Liam'. Arklow MD manager, Leonora Earls, emphasised the importance of recognising members of the community who have represented the District with distinction, noting that John's contribution continues through his 'mentorship and the guidance he offers to those aspiring to follow in his footsteps'.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Down v Louth LIVE score updates from the All-Ireland Football Championship clash
It's a busy evening of GAA action, with this All-Ireland Senior Football Championship clash between Down and Louth one of the matches taking place. The sides clash at Páirc Esler in Newry, with David Gough the man in the middle. Throw-in is scheduled for 5.30pm. As well as this match, there is also the later meetings of Roscommon v Meath (6pm) and Tyrone v Mayo (7pm). You can also follow updates from both those games right here on Here are the teams for Down v Louth: Down: Ronan Burns, Patrick McCarthy, Peter Fegan, Ceilum Doherty, Ryan Magill, Pierce Laverty, Miceal Rooney, Daniel Guinness, Ryan McEvoy, Danny Magill, Odhran Murdock, Eugene Branagan, James Guinness, Pat Havern, John McGeough Louth: Niall McDonnell: Daire Nally, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Conall McKeever, Peter Lynch, Craig Lennon; Tommy Durnin, Ciaran Byrne; Bevan Duffy , Ciaran Downey, Conor Grimes Glen Emmets; Ciaran Keenan, Sam Mulroy, Ryan Burns. Subs: Tiernan Markey, Liam Jackson, Anthony Williams, Emmet Carolan, Kieran McArdle, Dara McDonnell, Dan CorcoRan, Conor Brannigan, Ryan Walsh, Dylan McKeown, Paul Matthews. Hello and welcome to our live blog for this All-Ireland Senior Football Championship clash between Down and Louth at Páirc Esler in Newry. This is a local derby and it is a very unique pairing as it is the first time in Championship history that Down and Louth cross paths. The Wee County lost to Monaghan last week two weeks on from their Leinster Championship final win over rivals Meath last time out and the one-week turnaround from that game does them no favours here. Down have had the much better lead-in following their win over Clare a couple of weeks ago and they look set to make it count. We'll keep you up to date with all the action right here throughout the evening.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Foot and hand passing plummets as GAA reveal amount of two point shots per game
The GAA have released a fresh set of statistics from their 'Games Intelligence Unit.' One of the more interesting stats from the Championship to date is that handpassing is down compared to last year from an average of 450 per game to 390. Meanwhile, foot passing is also down, from 131 per game to 89.6 per game. However, in the old game many of these foot passes were just kicked short and sideways. This is still going on but not to the same extent. The stat the GAA probably needs here is forward kickpasses over 25 or 30 metres, or something similar. So, with hand passing and foot passing both down this effectively means that attacks are being constructed quicker with more shots being taken. Scores are up from an average of 30.7 points per game in the 2024 Championship compared to 36 points per game this year to date. Kickout retention has dropped from 84percent to 61.4percent. Contested kickouts are up from 26percent last year to 61.9 percent this season, reflecting a huge increase in competition for possession around the middle of the field. Accuracy levels have also increased with the shot to score ratio going up from 52percent to 56.8percent, despite players in all likelihood going for more long range shots due to the option of the two pointer. The extra space afforded to the shooter in an 11 v 11 scenario and the additional room to carve out simpler shots are also likely to be factors here. The average number of two point shots per team per game is six each. In the Munster Championship it was just 5.25, while in the Leinster Championship it was 6.45 per team, per game, the lowest and highest provinces. Turnovers have increased from 27 per game in 2024 to 32.6 per game this summer. Fouls are also up, from 23.8 per game last year to 29.1 per game this year. This could be viewed as a negative, but it also suggests teams are pressing more and getting in more tackles. The lowest amount of fouls per game is in Ulster at 25.4, suggesting there is still more possession play in the province than the rest of the country.
Belfast Telegraph
7 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Tyrone kids ready to land double delight in All-Ireland Under-20 decider, insists boss Paul Devlin
Having won the Ulster Minor Football Championship title on Sunday by beating Cavan in the Final, Tyrone's sights are now firmly fixed on the All-Ireland Under-20 title. That's the prize on offer at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh on Wednesday night (7.30pm) when the Red Hands go toe-to-toe with Louth in what promises to be a compelling decider. Louth may have lived dangerously in booking their place in the Final – they managed to edge out Mayo by a mere point (2-12 to 0-17) at the Semi-Final stage – but this has not impacted their confidence in any way as they focus on Wednesday evening's showdown. Having conquered Kerry in their Semi-Final, Tyrone are raring to go again, and their pace, cohesion and finishing skills look certain to come under the spotlight on the inviting acres of the Athletic Grounds. Tyrone's Ruairi McCullagh jostles with Kerry's Aodhna Ó Beaglaoich during the Red Hands' Semi-Final success Tyrone manager Paul Devlin has watched his side gain in confidence and fluency to such an extent that they relish Wednesday night's contest despite their recent endeavours. 'My lads have been putting in a huge effort and they are ready for the fray,' points out manager Devlin. 'Obviously Louth will be fired up, too, given that the county has won the Leinster Championship for the first time in over 60 years.' While the Tyrone attack has flourished with Ruairi McCullagh and Eoin McElholm particularly prominent, a defence in which Ben Hughes, Joey Clarke and Callum Daly have epitomised rigid defiance has frustrated successive forward divisions. Yet Louth are not without their own beacons of strength. Sean Callaghan and James Maguire more often than not reign supreme at midfield, while Pearse Grimes Murphy, Shane Lennon, Adam Gillespie and Tadhg O'Donnell can form a lethal cutting edge up front. Louth manager Fergal Reel is convinced that the self-belief which has inculcated his side has allowed them to flourish but not to the extent that they stray from their game-plan. Indeed, the team's finishing has served them well to date, although they may find that limitations will be imposed on their creative skills on Wednesday by a Tyrone rearguard that has shown it can subdue opponents. For all that, it promises to be an all-action, supercharged contest between two teams who are keen to write their own particular chapters in GAA history. Read more
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Donal Shirley urges Offaly GAA to ‘learn from experience and push on' after surviving relegation from Leinster SHC
OFFALY'S Donal Shirley was happy to keep on hurling during a hectic year. The Tubber clubman had a dream week when he helped the Faithful to All-Ireland Under-20 glory against Tipperary on June 1. Advertisement 2 Donal Shirley is a rising star of Offaly hurling Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile 2 Donal Shirley was POTM against Antrim Credit: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile Shirley, Adam Screeney, Cathal King and Dan Bourke then featured for Johnny Kelly's seniors the following weekend in the Joe McDonagh Cup final win over Shirley was eligible for the Under-20s again this year but The defender has been instrumental to Offaly's survival in the provincial senior ranks though. He fired 0-2 and was named man of the match in Advertisement Read More on GAA Having run Dublin close in the first round, shipped heavy beatings to Leinster finalists Star forward Screeney was sidelined with injury for the campaign but having retained their top-tier status, Shirley believes The centre-back said: 'It was obviously going to be hard to top the heights of last year, but we put in a lot of effort when we started training. 'There were setbacks but I'd be happy with how the season went. To know that we'll have another Leinster Championship next year, more big games in front of our fans . . . if we can learn from this year and use that experience, hopefully we can push on. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling 'There was a lot of talk about burnout and all that this year and there's been a lot of 'They trusted us, they asked us all the time whether we were 100 per cent fit and ready to play each game, and we were. 'Like something out of the French Revolution' - RTE GAA pundit Donal Og Cusack slams Dublin star's reckless swipe 'We love playing, and to see the crowds in Tullamore, that just drives you on. You just want to play in big games all the time. 'I've been lucky to have played some massive games for Offaly at underage and senior and you're always going to want to be part of that.' Advertisement Kelly's men were in control on Sunday when they raced into a six-point lead against 14-man Antrim. But with the finish line in sight, they went 20 minutes without scoring. Nerves took hold as Antrim got back to within a point thanks to James McNaughton's goal, but Killian Sampson replied in kind to see off the Saffrons. Shirley reckons there were always going to be jitters with so much at stake, but he was thrilled to get the job done and remain at hurling's top table. Advertisement He said: 'We didn't perform for two weekends in a row and we got punished for that. It left us needing to put our heads down. We knew if things didn't go our way, we'd be down in Joe McDonagh again. 'So we had to work hard for the last week. You're just so focused on the game, that's all you're thinking about. 'We were disappointed to get nothing out of the Dublin game in the first round and obviously the Wexford game, we felt we should have got something out of it, but that's just the nature of the Leinster Championship. 'We made very hard work of it, but we are delighted to get over the line.' Advertisement
