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Irish Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Former Kerry star says that Meath defeat was on the cards
Mike Quirke says that he feared that Kerry were vulnerable to Meath last weekend given the injuries to 'guys that hold the standards'. In the end, Kerry slipped to a nine-point loss in Tullamore which allowed Meath to advance straight to an All-Ireland quarter-final, while Jack O'Connor's side must play a preliminary quarter-final at home to Cavan on Saturday to earn a last eight spot. The Munster champions were without Sean O'Shea, Paudie Clifford, Paul Geaney, Diarmuid O'Connor, Barry Dan O'Sullivan and Brian Ó Beaglaoich through injury, but few were predicting that they would go under having not lost a Championship game to Leinster opposition other than Dublin since Meath famously trounced them in the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final. Quirke was a four-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry in the 2000s and was part of O'Connor's management team when they won their last title in 2022. 'I was worried about this game,' he told Off The Ball. 'I still thought Kerry might have enough to get over the line but I was concerned given that long list of injured players that Kerry were travelling with and while every team has injuries and Meath had injuries themselves, the guys that were injured for Kerry are of such high quality and are the guys that kind of hold the standards of the rest of the group. 'So you're losing their impact on the game but you're also losing their impact in terms of their leadership and everything else and Kerry were found wanting and Robbie Brennan and Meath did a super job again. 'After taking out Dublin, nobody gave them much of a chance of topping the group and beating Kerry and in all reality they were comfortable. They were never really under much pressure after maybe 20 minutes of the first half, where Kerry had taken an early lead. 'After that, they got to grips around the middle of the field, they won kickout after kickout after kickout and that became their platform for a dominant win really.' Former Kerry captain Billy O'Shea was scathing in his assessment of the performance while on Radio Kerry duty last weekend, likening it to that implosion against Meath 24 years ago. He said: 'I would normally be a bit conservative because I respect anybody who puts on the green and gold, and I know the commitments that players make and the sacrifices that players make. 'But a lot of what we saw today was rubbish. It's time to call a spade a spade. We lacked an awful lot of passion. Turnover, soft turnovers. We had no bit of direction. We had no game plan. Towards the end of that game, they were dictating things exactly like they did in 2001.'
Irish Examiner
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Mike Quirke: Galway looked so impressive. If you are looking at potential All-Ireland winners…
A statement win. Galway cruised to a nine-point triumph in the Connacht semi-final against Roscommon. For former Kerry footballer and coach Mike Quirke, there were so many signs of strength in Salthill. 'Galway to me looked so impressive,' he said, speaking on the Irish Examiner's Gaelic football podcast. 'If you are looking at potential All-Ireland winners, obviously they have been in the mix for the last number of years, I just thought they just looked so impressive yesterday. "I was thinking Roscommon would make a game of it and be a little more competitive than they were, but their power around the middle. Their fielding. 'Cein D'Arcy is 6'4 or 6'5. He is a good athlete, he gets off the floor, if he is not in midfield, now he is swooping in off a wing-back who isn't comfortable in that position. He had a massive All-Ireland final too. 'I think they are so impressive around the middle of the field. That is an area that will go a long way to dictating, you talk about defensive structure, it is so hard to defend in this new setup. "I was watching closely what Kerry were doing last Saturday night, how they shifted across two-thirds of the field and push out as much as they can. 'It is just so difficult, if you have a guy who can break a tackle and penetrate the middle, all bets are off after that.' Read More Imperious Galway stroll into Connacht decider where old rivals Mayo lie in wait Next up for the Connacht champions is Mayo in Castlebar. They travel in search of their first provincial four-in-a-row since 1966. Kevin McStay's side can't afford to make the same mistakes that Roscommon did. Galway ruled the skies in Pearse Stadium. Paul Conroy kicked five points, including two two-pointers, against a deep defence. 'Going after them, it sounds high risk, (but) let's go and compete. Do you have guys who can compete in the air with Paul Conroy, John Maher, Sean Kelly, D'Arcy? These fellas are incredibly good in the air and dynamic on the floor. They can all run.' He continued: 'I'm not sure you can actually out-defend Galway? I'm not sure it will work if you sit deep. You have to be braver. Be more competitive around the middle, win ball at source. In slow plays now, they can hurt you. "They have developed a few bits and pieces where they can slow it down for 90 seconds, two minutes and still get quality shots off. They seem really comfortable in all phases of play.'
