Latest news with #McGuinness
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Jim McGuinness dismisses fears around Michael Murphy's fitness
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness insists his talisman Michael Murphy is not an injury concern ahead of Sunday week's All-Ireland football final against Kerry. Murphy was withdrawn after 45 minutes of the semi-final win over Meath, with observers suspecting that he may have tweaked his hamstring in the process of scoring the last of his six points. Shortly after kicking that point he walked to the sideline and was engaged in conversation with McGuinness, with captain Paddy McBrearty beginning his warm-up straight after. Murphy kicked one free short after that, before being replaced by McBrearty with 25 minutes to play. The 2012 All-Ireland-winning captain was present at Donegal's training session on Tuesday evening and manager McGuinness insisted Murphy was fit to face the Kingdom. "He's absolutely fine," he told RTÉ Sport. "No concerns whatsoever." McBrearty kicked 0-03 following his introduction and would be a superb replacement were one needed, but Murphy's impact since his return from two years of retirement has arguably been even more significant than predicted and he is central to the Ulster champions' gameplan.
The Journal
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Mairead McGuinness first to enter Áras race as she's confirmed as Fine Gael's candidate
FORMER EU COMMISSIONER Mairead McGuinness has officially been nominated to contest the Presidential election this year for Fine Gael. McGuinness, who had been named on a number of occasions in recent weeks as a potential candidate, was the only person to contest the party's nomination. McGuinness's name will now go forward to for ratification at a party event in September, which will mark the start of the Fine Gael presidential election campaign. Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said McGuinness has 'secured the support of the parliamentary party and the wider Fine Gael organisation'. Harris said he 'looks forward to working with her over the coming months'. 'Presidential elections are always an important point for the country,' said Harris. 'I believe Mairead possess all the attributes to bring our nation together at this important time.' McGuinness represented Fine Gael and Ireland in the EU for ten years, where she served as a MEP for six years, including a term as a vice president of the European Parliament, and as the European Financial Services Commissioner for four years in that time. Advertisement Fine Gael opened its nomination process for anyone seeking the party's candidacy for the upcoming presidential election earlier last week. Nominations closed at 4pm today. To be nominated, a candidate needs the nomination of 20 members of the parliamentary party, 25 Fine Gael councillors and five members of the executive council. It had been expected that a ballot would take place internally, but McGuinness was the only candidate who sought her party's nomination after MEP Seán Kelly ruled himself out of the race last week. Harris told The Journal in March that he would've preferred that a competition for the candidacy take place. Party sources had stated that McGuinness was 'everywhere ' in order to drum up support from inside Fine Gael. McGuinness was appointed as Ireland's European Commissioner in 2020, selected to replace Phil Hogan as Ireland's EU Commissioner, after he resigned from his role as Trade Commissioner in the wake of the Golfgate scandal . After being elected to the European Parliament first in 2014, the former RTÉ and farming journalist later topped the poll upon her reelection, receiving 134,630 votes. She previously contested the Fine Gael Presidential nomination in 2011, losing out to former TD and junior minister Gay Mitchell, who had snapped up support from local councillors and the parliamentary party. Independent Galway West TD Catherine Connolly announced last week that she intends to contest the Presidential election this year, launching her campaign this week. She has already received the backing from a number of left-wing parties . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Post
Donegal crushes Meath in All-Ireland semi-final
DONEGAL stormed into the All-Ireland final after a total dismantling of Meath at Croke Park, setting up a high-stakes final with Kerry on July 27th. In what was billed as a test of Donegal's experience against Meath's momentum, Jim McGuinness's side proved too strong, pulling away in the second half to end Meath's remarkable run. Meath entered the semi-final as the story of the season, having taken down Dublin, Kerry, and Galway in succession. Dublin was beaten outside Croke Park, while Kerry fielded an under-strength side. Meath's victory over Galway in the quarter-final showed grit, but Donegal presented a very different challenge. Former Donegal forward Brendan Devenney had called Meath's season 'brilliant' but warned that Donegal's big-game experience, along with McGuinness's influence and the return of Michael Murphy (no relation), could be decisive. That prediction proved accurate. Donegal absorbed early pressure, restricted Meath's long-range efforts, and controlled the tempo with their now-familiar mix of zonal defence and patient attacking transitions. McGuinness credited tactical adjustments and the value of the two-week break leading up to the game as key factors in the win. 'We got the job done early,' he said, pointing to Donegal's ability to shut down Meath's scoring threats and dictate the pace. Throughout the championship, Donegal has been methodical and consistent. Their ability to adapt mid-game and keep the scoreboard ticking has drawn comparisons to Jim Gavin's Dublin. Their semi-final win marks their fifth in six years, but this time, the momentum feels different. With McGuinness back and a title in sight, Donegal appears to be peaking at just the right moment. They'll face a Kerry side that also arrives in the final with serious momentum. After an explosive quarter-final against Armagh, Kerry followed up with a decisive win over Tyrone. What makes this upcoming All-Ireland final so exciting is the contrast of each side. Donegal's disciplined approach will face off against Kerry's confrontational style. For McGuinness and Donegal, a second title would mark a major return. For Kerry, it could be the crowning moment of their current era. See More: All-Ireland Semi Final, Donegal, GAA, Jim McGuiness, Meath
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Jim McGuinness offers Michael Murphy update as Donegal boss previews test Kerry will provide in final
PADDY McBrearty hailed Jim McGuinness for ending Donegal's era of underachievement after they blitzed Meath at Croke Park to advance to a first All-Ireland SFC final in 11 years. Having suffered an agonising Advertisement 3 Donegal have not reached an All-Ireland final since losing to Kerry in the Sam Maguire Cup decider in 2014 3 Talisman Michael Murphy was subbed off around 10 minutes into the second half 3 Kerry overcame Tyrone by a score of 1-20 to 0-17 to reach the All-Ireland final And McBrearty said: 'When we left here in 2014, I didn't think it would be 2024 until we reached our next semi-final. "We massively, massively underachieved from '14 to '24 basically in our eyes.' Boss McGuinness, who guided Veteran forward McBrearty, 31, who scored 0-3 off the bench yesterday, continued: 'When Advertisement Read more on GAA 'They were a barren couple of years. We were winning Ulsters, teams were tipping us to go on and win All-Irelands and we couldn't get over the big days. 'Getting this man back obviously helped with that and getting back to days like this day in two weeks is going to be massive.' McGuinness was thrilled with his side for enduring 'a long road back' as they hit top gear to He said: 'We spoke about it as coaches in the hotel this morning, that it feels like there's a performance in them. Advertisement Most read in GAA Football "Because a lot of the things we were looking to achieve in the game, there was a consistency in our training. 'That's brilliant and obviously we get another two weeks now into the final and hopefully we can go down the same road.' 'They have to be stopped!' - Meath new unofficial All-Ireland anthem splits opinions online Opponents Kerry will look to be crowned All-Ireland champions for the first time since 2022 having reached the decider thanks to a McGuinness commented: 'They just have a lot of quality. They have a lot of skill level. They're playing for each other. Advertisement 'You can see that they're very united and very together. I thought their interviews were very balanced and very controlled and they're on a bit of a mission themselves. 'It's great for us. It's a great challenge, we're looking forward to it. We'll have to get the heads down now, get down the road and start that process as quickly as we can and look forward to it.' MURPHY OKAY? McGuinness also confirmed that 35-year-old Michael Murphy did not suffer an injury after he was substituted in the 45th minute of the 20-point rout of the Royals. He explained: 'He's good. I suppose the strength of the group at the moment is the squad and everybody's pushing really, really hard. Advertisement "There's a couple of lads there that have trained really well that didn't get on. 'There's good competition for places and we'll be back to ground zero on Tuesday night in terms of that now.'
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kerry have a 'rite of passage when it comes to winning All-Irelands': McGuinness
This time last year Jim McGuinness lost an All-Ireland semi-final. Asked immediately afterwards when the review would begin, he replied: 'On the bus home.' He thought about that answer yesterday when it came to reviewing another All-Ireland semi-final; the only difference being that this one had a much happier ending. 'I think the number one change on our list would be depth,' McGuinness replied. 'We didn't know a year ago the rule changes that were coming down the line nor the physical demands of the rule changes, but certainly we knew we needed people to come in and strengthen our squad. 'Eoin McHugh has come back in; Michael (Murphy) has come back in. Eoin McGettigan is another (addition to the squad). 'We knew we had to be stronger and build the energy within the group because it'd be more competitive. 'As a result, we were able to make changes the whole way through (yesterday's) game and we are going to need every man that we have got when we play Kerry." The Kingdom defeated Tyrone by six points in Saturday's semi-final. McGuinness said: 'That's a huge challenge as they're so confident about what they do and there's a rite of passage there almost in terms of winning All-Irelands. 'So, that's the first thing we're gonna have to meet head on, but certainly it'll not be 15 players but every single player that can get onto the pitch that'll be needed.' McGuinness' respect for Kerry is genuine rather than merely a lip approval of another team's methods. Yet, despite this, he is also self-confident in his own team's identity. He said: 'The game has changed dramatically over the last number of months. 'We just felt it was important to see how those changes would pan out and then we wanted to bring our own template. 'Kerry have done the exact same thing. They have their own way of playing as do we. A lot was made in the League about how ourselves and Kerry were the only teams who were not embracing the two-pointers. 'Everybody has their own principles in how they see the game and for me it is important to be close to your county, to have your county's (style of play) close to the centre. 'And I think we have done quite a good job on that.' There is no question that McGuinness has done a good job, winning back-to-back Ulster titles in his second spell with Donegal after winning three out of four Ulsters in his first period in charge - as well as that All-Ireland in 2012. Now, he is seeking to add a third All-Ireland to Donegal's honours board. But Kerry will have their own agenda. McGuinness said: 'They've a lot of quality, a lot of skill, are playing for each other, are very united and very together. 'I thought their interviews after the Tyrone game were balanced and controlled; they're on a bit of a mission themselves. It will be a great challenge for us and we're looking forward to it. We'll have to get the heads down now.' As for Meath, the geographic distance from Croke Park to their county is considerably shorter than the trek Donegal have to face, but psychologically Meath's journey back from this result will take a lot longer. And their ashen-faced manager, Robbie Brennan, was under no illusion about the task ahead. Brennan said: 'All credit to Donegal. They nullified two or three of our key threats. 'They had good match-ups on our runners coming from deep. So I would say (the result) is more (of a) credit to Donegal doing their jobs well than a case of us fluffing our lines. 'As the game wore on, you could see the belief drip out of the lads but that is completely understandable when you are that far behind. 'But when I reflect on the year, what is huge for us is that we have filled Croke Park. Credit the lads (the Meath players) for that. The way they have played, with abandon and freedom, has - I hope - reawakened the love for football in the county. 'Today, tickets were completely sold out. 'But it is important we take that and build towards the future. 'We cannot drop off now.' The result, he believes, was decided by efficiency. Brennan said: 'Ours was poor but Donegal's was exceptional. 'Our plan in the second half was to stop them going for twos (two-pointers) but they worked it and worked it and worked it and it was goals they were pushing for. 'They are a really good side. 'Shaun Patton's kick outs are amazing. He takes one step back and then launches his kick. 'Even though you know it is coming, it is a hard thing to stop. 'It should make for a cracking final.'
