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The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
'I found it made me almost miserable at times' - Players and managers embrace new Gaelic football rules
IF THERE WASN'T so much God-damned Catholic guilt in the GAA about scoring tallies, celebrating scores, recognising scoring achievements (witness the long-promised and entirely under-delivered statistical bank that has been on the way for years), then Luke Loughlin would be shining his shoes and airing out his tux for an individual award in the coming months. The Westmeath man has a unique distinction. In league and championship action this year, the Downs forward clipped over 24 efforts outside the scoring arc. In the absence of any official recognition, The 42 bravely steps in to crown him the '2024 King of the Orange Flag.' Probably not a title that might travel well north of the border. And he'll have to come to the office for a picture, some lukewarm coffee and awkward, interrupted conversation. We'll sort him out with a plaque. Maybe. Settle down Clifford, you'll get your turn. The standout game for him and for the new rules came in the Tailteann Cup when they played Antrim in Mullingar. He scored an astonishing 1-17; his goal coming from the penalty spot, no fewer than five two-pointers and three of those coming from open play. Towards the end they had a free from around 60 metres. He thumped it over and there was even time for a late 'hooter-beater'. His personal tally would have been enough to draw the game alone. 📊 1-17!?!? 5 two-pointers. 3 from play. Luke Loughlin put on a scoring masterclass as @westmeath_gaa powered past Antrim in the Tailteann Cup. Ridiculous numbers! 🔥Witness the evidence below⏯️ — The GAA (@officialgaa) May 13, 2025 Always a supreme two-footed footballer, Loughlin has spent his career frustrated by defensive systems. So much so that he sat down with county hurling manager Seoirse Bulfin last winter to explore a switch of codes. By the end of his club hurling season with Clonkill, he felt he was on a par with most hurlers in the county. 'I always hemmed and hawed about playing hurling,' he says. But the year I had, I felt I needed a change. The football was making me miserable. You were giving so much time and it was just not working out. 'That was a major factor; not playing well, not winning, especially with Westmeath, we were so close in so many games and I felt I needed something different.' He continues: 'When you spend so much time doing something and it is not going well, it affects other areas of your life. I found it made me almost miserable at times. I was fed up, basically and then it was seeping into every part of my life and I felt I needed a change, basically. 'I decided that I was going to be 30 and if I had any chance of doing this, it would be while I was still relatively able to run fast to give myself any chance.' Two things changed his mind. He had a fine club football championship with the Downs, that ended with a penalty shootout defeat to St Loman's after a replay. And then incoming county football manager Dermot McCabe called to his house and sold him his vision and his backroom team including Mark McHugh. And the new rules, of course. Loughlin pushed back a little and mentioned he wouldn't be around for the first session as he had a Hyrox event. McCabe said he would see him at the next session after that. And the reports from the first session from his county teammates was that they had never trained as hard, which was sweet music to Loughlin's ears. 'I remember practising with the arc. We did a drill and had the arc there in The Downs and we were fit, so we were flying playing ball. There was still an uncertainty of the rules and what they were going to be like,' he says. 'But I remember standing just inside it and someone handed me the ball. I thought I was like LeBron James taking a step back and hitting a two pointer. And I missed it!' They met Louth in the league opener and a fisted goal by Sean Reynolds finished a smash and grab for the Wee County. That pattern soon became familiar to Westmeath as they managed just one point from seven games despite being close in all of them. Even at that, Loughlin finished that game with 0-12 to his name. Two two-pointers from play, one from a free, three frees and three from play was a sparkling afternoon's personal effort. When he considered it, he played all of the championship the previous year and had a total of 0-11 for his efforts. 'I wasn't thinking this was going to happen every week,' he says. Advertisement 'Then the next game we played Monaghan, they were obviously favourites but I ended up getting 10 in that game. I thought, 'Jeez, there's something in this…' 'The space, the chances, the two-point frees, I started to do a lot of work on the two-point frees as I knew I was going to get a lot of those chances in games and they could affect us coming down the stretch, as the ball was getting brought forward 50 metres. 'The third game against Cork, I just scored one point. It was one of those games, I had loads of chances but even looking back I had an off-game. But the space, the ability to kick the ball in… Give it to the shooter: Luke Loughlin. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO 'What I found was, even when there was a slow attack, if I looped around, you were going to get a one on one somewhere. It was like playing as a forward in hurling. If you lose a ball, you know you are going to get another ball in two minutes. And that's the way I looked at football now. You were always going to get another chance.' Asked to rate his enjoyment of Gaelic football now on a scale of one to ten, he doesn't hesitate. From feeling miserable about it in last year's close-season, he puts it at a ten. Sure, you might still find the odd grumble here and there and some of the 'rule enhancements' from the Football Review Committee required finessing as the year went on. But essentially, the changes to date have worked. There is more room for the expressive players to do their thing. Crowds are more engaged. Interest is up. Some county managers have made telling comments. Jim McGuinness wasn't wrong when he pushed for more substitutes to be allowed in games. But after the All-Ireland final he made a startling admission that, 'The control is gone.' It makes it, well, more of a 'game' in the truest sense. The incoming Sligo joint-manager, Eamonn O'Hara, has a panoramic view of it. Over the last few years, he has been hoovering up county championships with his home club Tourlestrane before going back-to-back in Leitrim with Mohill. Then, he's been covering games as a pundit for RTÉ and now he faces into coaching a new game with his managerial partner, Dessie Sloyan. He feels brand new. Eamonn O'Hara. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO 'Ah Jesus, yeah. It's class, it's class,' he says. 'The year just gone, there's some naivety to it in some cases, but it has been class. 'The big midfield battle is back. The big midfielder himself is key. The break ball expert, the Paul Galvin as I call it, is important.' What he says next though, is an insight into the challenging art of coaching for managers now that the rule enhancements have bedded in. 'It's funny, I was chatting a lad, he is 21 and we were talking about the midfield and foraging for ball and he was completely lost in what I was saying,' O'Hara explains. 'They have been coached and played and have no idea what some of this stuff, about metrics for breaking ball. They haven't had to do that. 'They will realise that breaking ball is an art, it's timing, watching the flight of the kickout, the guys going up and the timing to go. 'I'm excited about all of that.' It finally happened for Lee Keegan a few weeks back. The man who made his name as an attacking half-back for Mayo in their glorious rampage through a decade of championship campaigns was playing a game for Westport in the Mayo leagues when a huge chunk of turf opened up for him. He straightened his shoulders up, dropped the ball and let fly. The umpires raised an orange flag for a two-pointer. The new rules lifted his heart. 'I have to say though, scoring it was an absolutely brilliant feeling. I felt like a kid again, when you do something new,' he says. 'I felt like it was a brand-new thing, 'Do we celebrate this, or just play on or what?'' Caught up in his reverie, he danced back to his position still celebrating internally. His marker and former county team mate Stephen Coen smiled and snapped him out of it by remarking, 'You know, the kickout is coming.' And Keegan's experience is one that you can find wherever you go now. 'I am actually really enjoying it. I am quite old school, I love one-on-one combat, me versus your guy and whoever comes out is the better man on the day,' says Keegan. 'For me, I think we have that back a bit. I found I was losing my grip on how to defend. I think defenders forget how to defend to some extent because you always had that wall in front of you. Lee Keegan in action for Westport. Evan Logan / INPHO Evan Logan / INPHO / INPHO 'Nobody was doing a man-marking job and if you did, you had three men helping you. I find now, particularly with the club game, it is man-on-man, you have to defend. 'But also, what I like about it is that it has given our attacking guys a bit more excitement. They get more ball, quicker ball. There are times to slow it down, but it has opened up a new avenue. I see a lot of guys smiling, playing the game.' Mayo and Keegan are an interesting case study. For years, their All-Ireland clashes against Dublin were often the saviour of several drab championships, endured rather than enjoyed. The reason for that, is Mayo would engage Dublin in a man-to-man contest rather than retreat into zonal marking. Some cruel observers saw this as their innocence and/or tactical naivety. It was never that simple though. Mayo watched Dublin dismantle defensive system with their loop-arounds and back-door cuts. They could have just joined the queue. The easy response to that was that it only got the job done once, in the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final. You can argue that if you like, but nobody else got as close to Dublin when they broke all records. 'We felt we had players who could go toe to toe for long enough with them,' says Keegan. 'That's for me, how you earn your bread and butter. If you are marking one of the best forwards in Croke Park, in the most unforgiving places, if you can do that, you are doing your job.' To conclude, we go back to the start when we ask about how uptight GAA culture has historically been about scoring. Up until Joe Brolly, the only acceptable score celebration had been to shuffle back towards your position and await the kickout. Those that broke from the norm, the John Mullane and Eoin Kellys and Owen Mulligans, are celebrated for their difference. In 2025, the most exciting player in Gaelic football decided to Hell with all that. David Clifford was a whirl of fist pumps and warm waving; whipping the crowd into a frenzy like a Revivalist preacher. It all felt that with the rule changes in the season gone by, that the world of GAA could relax. Loosen the belt one notch. Celebrate the sheer full-fat effect of a two-pointer. And now it's the club player's turn. Go on lads. Back yourselves. Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
RTÉ News
31-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Limerick strike late against Westmeath to secure Tailteann Cup quarter-final berth
Limerick have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Tailteann Cup after a dramatic win by the narrowest of margins against Westmeath, as it finished 0-19 to 0-18 at Laois Hire O'Moore Park. For the vanquished it's a preliminary quarter-final date next weekend. The opening 20 minutes was a cat-and-mouse affair with both teams retaining possession and reluctant to have a pot at the target due to the swirling wind, and they were tied at 0-05 apiece at this juncture. Limerick's scores came courtesy of the outstanding James Naughton (four, including three from play) and Emmett Rigter (one), while Luke Loughlin (two), Kevin O'Sullivan, Nigel Harte, and Sam McCartan raised white flags for the Lake County outfit. Midfielder Ray Connellan scored a wonderful two-pointer in the 25th minute for the Lake County - as it transpired, the only one of the contest - and when Lorcan Dolan added a one-pointer soon afterwards it looked like the pre-match favourites might pull away. However, it was Jimmy Lee's charges who took over for the final quarter-hour of the first half, registering five one-pointers in that period from the boots of Naughton, Paul Maher, Tommy Childs, Rigter, and Danny Neville to deservedly lead by 0-10 to 0-08 at the interval, despite Westmeath having had strong claims for a penalty waved away in the 29th minute after skipper Ronan Wallace had made a great goalward run. Limerick had the better of the third quarter and they had deservedly increased their lead to five points (0-15 to 0-10) by the 52nd minute, with Naughton again prominent in attack. Dermot McCabe's troops spurned a glorious goal chance in the 44th minute when McCartan looked certain to score from close range. However, Westmeath had a purple patch for the next 12 minutes during which they scored seven unanswered points in open play, including a brace apiece from their most consistent duo of Wallace and Loughlin – the latter's second was an inspirational score. Limerick remained composed and points from Naughton, sub Rob Childs and goalkeeper Josh Ryan (seconds after Westmeath sub Brandon Kelly had hit the post with a fisted effort) edged them ahead with a minute of normal time remaining. A minimum of three minutes' added-time was announced, and when Loughlin slotted over a free in the second of these a draw seemed certain, thereby making Westmeath potential group winners on scoring difference. But up popped Rigter to complete his points' hat-trick with time almost up to give the Shannonsiders their first ever competitive win against their midlands rivals. Westmeath: Conor McCormack; David Giles, Sam Smyth, Jamie Gonoud; Joe Moran, Ronan Wallace (0-02), Sam McCartan (0-02); Ray Connellan (0-03, 1 2pt), Eoghan McCabe; Matthew Whittaker, Kevin O'Sullivan (0-01), Nigel Harte (0-01); Luke Loughlin (0-07, one free), Stephen Smith (0-01), Lorcan Dolan (0-01). Subs: Brían Cooney for McCabe (28), Tadhg Baker for Harte (inj., 35), Danny Scahill for Giles (h-t), Brandon Kelly for Dolan (53), Shane Allen for Connellan (69). Limerick: Josh Ryan (0-01); Jason Hassett, Darren O'Doherty, Mark McCarthy; Paul Maher (0-01), Iain Corbett, Tony McCarthy; Tommie Childs (0-01), Darragh O'Hagan: James Naughton (0-08, two frees), Emmett Rigter (0-03), Cillian Fahy; Peter Nash (0-01, free), Danny Neville (0-02), Killian Ryan.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
2025 Tailteann Cup odds predictions, and betting tips
THE fourth edition of the Tailteann Cup got off to a flying start earlier this month, with the opening round of fixtures providing football fans with a taste of what the next few months have in store. In this Tailteann Cup tips and betting guide, we are going to take a look at how each of the groups is likely to play out, as well as make predictions about who will win the trophy in July. 🏆 2025 Tailteann Cup winner odds Kildare - Westmeath - Offaly - Fermanagh - Laois - Wexford - Limerick - Antrim - Carlow - Wicklow - Tipperary - Longford - London - Leitrim - New York - Waterford - * Odds are subject to change. Who will win the 2025 Tailteann Cup? The bookies have Westmeath marked as one of the favourites for 2025, and while this is far from a foregone conclusion, I am going to back them to secure their second Tailteann Cup. Heading into this competition, they had not won a game or championship this year, but that was no fair reflection of their status within this competition when you consider the quality they had come up against. Westmeath - 2/1 Westmeath made their intentions clear during the opening weekend of the 2025 Tailteann Cup, firing past Antrim at the TEG Cusack Park in what was a clear statement of intent for the rest of the competition. Manager Dermot McCabe has injected positivity and belief into the team, while marquee forward Luke Loughlin will be a major threat for them as they advance through the competition. They are Kildare - 2/1 Kildare, the team that stopped Westmeath in the Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter-finals, are the other favourites, and a showdown later in the tournament between the two sides is a tantalising prospect. The side has had a great year, securing promotion back to Division Two and looking strong coming into the tournament. They looked comfortable in their opening weekend win against Leitrim and are also Offaly - 9/2 Finally, They also took Meith close in the Leinster quarter-finals and will look to build on this to take the trophy. 📺 How to watch the 2025 Tailteann Cup Viewers can tune into the 2025 Tailteann Cup by subscribing to GAA+. This is a brand-new streaming platform that provides live streams of all Tailteann Cup games, as well as in-depth analysis and highlights shows. READ MORE SUN STORIES 🏟️ 2025 Tailteann Cup fixtures The initial round of group fixtures has already taken place in the 2025 Tailteann Cup. These are the remaining fixtures for the tournament: Round 2: Waterford vs Offaly, Walsh Park, 1:30 PM (Saturday, May 17th) Tipperary vs Kildare, Clonmel, 4:00 PM (Saturday, May 17th) Antrim vs Limerick, Corrigan Park, 4:30 PM (Saturday, May 17th) Wicklow vs Laois, Echelon Park, 6:00 PM (Saturday, May 17th) Leitrim vs Sligo, Carrick-on-Shannon (Sunday, May 18th) Round 3 (Exact dates and venues to be confirmed) Carlow vs Longford Fermanagh vs Wexford Antrim vs London Westmeath vs Limerick Leitrim vs Tipperary Kildare vs Sligo Wicklow vs Waterford Offaly vs Laois Knockout Stages: Preliminary Quarter-Finals : Weekend of June 7th/8th, 2025 Quarter-Finals : Weekend of June 14th/15th, 2025 Semi-Finals : Weekend of June 21st/22nd, 2025 (Croke Park) Final : Saturday, July 12th, 2025 (Croke Park) FAQ about Tailteann Cup 1. When was the first edition of the Tailteann Cup? The first edition of the Tailteann Cup was held in 2022, with Westmeath being the inaugural winners of the competition. 2. Which team won the Tailteann Cup in 2024? The 2024 Tailteann Cup was won by Down in 2024. They defeated Laois in the final at Croke Park in Dublin. 3. Which team has won the Tailteann Cup the most? No team has won the Tailteann Cup more than once. Westmeath, Meath, and Down have each won the tournament since its launch in 2022. 4. How many teams are in the Tailteann Cup? There are seventeen teams. The group stage has sixteen teams divided into four groups of four, with New York entering the tournament in the preliminary quarter-final stage. About the author Craig Mahood Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun. Responsible gambling A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry, or depressed Problem gambling – Gamble Aware – Help with gambling addiction If you have a problem with gambling, or you know someone who does, help is out there. Extern Problem Gambling is the leading provider of information, treatment, advice, and support for anyone affected by gambling harms across Ireland. Most read in Betting
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Luke Loughlin's individual total matches Antrim as Tailteann Cup co-favourites Westmeath send out message
AFTER Kildare racked up 0-36 against Leitrim on Saturday, fellow Tailteann Cup favourites WESTMEATH only had to Luke to their star man to notch a similar haul against ANTRIM. Luke Loughlin booted 1-17, with 0-13 from play, as the Lakesiders saw off the Saffrons 4-24 to 1-17 in Mullingar. Loughlin kicked five two-pointers as Westmeath took over in the second half, but for the opening 40 minutes it looked as if Antrim might cause an upset. A pair of two-pointers from Dominic McEnhill and Patrick McBride launched them into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead after 12 minutes. Two goals in as many minutes from brothers Sam and Danny McCartan put Westmeath on the front foot. But Antrim hit back and when Kavan Keenan goaled after collecting a ball that came back into play off the upright, the visitors were just a point adrift. Read More On GAA Then Loughlin took over — hitting a two-pointer and finding the corner of the net from a penalty. Only a superb save from Michael Byrne kept it relatively close at half-time, 3-9 to 1-10. Ronan Wallace hit the crossbar and Byrne strode forward to fire a two-point free over to reduce the gap further. But for the last half-hour, Loughlin was mercurial and Westmeath surfed on his wave to record a comprehensive win. Most read in GAA Football Matthew Whittaker hit a superb goal and Loughlin began firing over scores and bringing his colleagues into the game in equal measure, while Antrim faded out of it. The main concern for Westmeath manager Dermot McCabe in advance of what should be a straightforward trip to London next weekend will be injuries to Brían Cooney and captain Wallace, who was a colossus at the heart of the defence. Henry Shefflin hilariously dabbles in Gaelic football punditry as RTE's Saturday Game debuts format change Another skipper, Mikey Bambrick, notched 2-4 as CARLOW travelled to Brewster Park and picked up the only away win of the weekend, claiming a 3-18 to 2-18 victory over FERMANAGH. In an entertaining encounter where only five scores came from frees, the lively half-forward shot the first three scores, opening with a point before his low shot just about crept across the Fermanagh line. John Murphy's explosive finish made it 2-2 to 0-3 to the visitors after 12 minutes, but a Conor Love penalty dragged the home side right back into the game. John Phiri and Bambrick pushed Carlow five clear again before half-time but once play resumed, Darragh McGurn set up Joe McDade for another goal that kept the crowd on their feet. 1 Luke Loughlin notched an astonishing 1-17 as his county won by a scoreline of 4-24 to 1-17 The home crowd would have felt they had momentum on their side when a run of points from Fionan O'Brien, Conor McGee and Josh Largo Ellis levelled matters with 15 minutes to go. However, Carlow were not to be denied and they had one final push in the tank that got them over the line. Kevin Murphy put the ball in the net only to have it ruled out for square ball, but there was no denying Bambrick as he fired in his second goal, backing up points from Ciarán Moran and Conor Crowley. Fermanagh got back within one score and very briefly had an extra man due to Ross Dunphy's black card, but could not find the goal they needed.
