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RTÉ News
4 days ago
- 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.