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Irish Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Monaghan v Clare LIVE score updates from the All-Ireland Championship clash
Monaghan are the heavy favourites as they welcome Clare to Clones this afternoon in a Group 3 clash in the All-Ireland Football Championship. The Farney Men's tails are up after an impressive 1-23 to 4-08 victory over Leinster champions Louth last time out. Monaghan captain Micheál Bannigan was immense against the Wee County, and their scores were coming from all over the pitch. Now they take on a Clare side that must shake off a 3-27 to 1-16 drubbing at the hands of Down. Previous to that, Clare conceded four goals against Kerry in the Munster Championship, so Peter Keane's side need to find a way of tightening up their defence. The match is scheduled for a 4pm throw-in at St. Tiernach's Park in Clones. You can follow all the action right here on Irish Mirror Sport. Clare boss Peter Keane has rung the changes for this match, drafting Rory McMahon, Alan Sweeney, Fionn Kelleher and Shane Griffin into the starting lineup. They will be wary of Monaghan's adeptness at hitting two-pointers, but the danger, of course, is leaving too much space in behind. Tactics should be interesting in this one, as you would think that Clare need to find a way of frustrating Monaghan and keeping tight in the opening stages. MONAGHAN: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Kieran Duffy, Dylan Byrne; Ryan O'Toole, Dessie Ward, Conor McCarthy; Micheal McCarville, Gary Mohan; Stephen O'Hanlon, Micheal Bannigan, Ryan McAnespie; Jack McCarron, Andrew Woods, Stephen Mooney. Subs: Kian Mulligan, Louis Kelly, Gavin McPhillips, Darren Hughes, Aaron Carey, Ciaran McNulty, Barry McBennett, Killian Lavelle, Jason Irwin, David Garland, Karl O'Connell. CLARE: Eamon Tubridy; Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan, Rory McMahon; Alan Sweeney, Fionn Kelleher, Ikem Ugweuru; Brian McNamara, Oran Cahill; Conor Meaney, Dermot Coughlan, Shane Griffin; Mark McInerney, Eoin Cleary, Aaron Griffin. Subs: Tristan O'Callaghan, Daniel Walsh, Jamie Stack, Darragh Burns, Evan Cahill, Darren Nagle, Dean Devanney, Diarmuid O'Donnell, Joseph Rafferty, Cillian McGroary, Keelan Sexton.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Don't Kill the Jeopardy' – Limerick boss John Kiely warns against expanding All-Ireland series
INCREASING the scope for qualification for the All- Ireland series would diminish the provincial hurling championships. That is the view of 2 Limerick manager John Kiely warned against expanding All-Ireland series 2 Limerick manager John Kiely says the current format must not be altered With the season already over for teams like Waterford, Wexford and All-Ireland champions Clare, the format has been called into question in some quarters. After last Sunday's loss to In each of the six editions of the round-robin system that have been played since its introduction, the Déise have yet to secure the top-three finish required. But allowing a fourth team to advance is not a proposal that Kiely would favour. READ MORE ON GAA He said: 'They've made great progress this year. Peter has done really, really well. It's tough. 'I suppose you just have to keep going back and eventually you'll get the breakthrough. 'Look at Tipperary last year, where they were bottom of the group and this year they've turned it around. 'They've got five points on the board. Most read in GAA Hurling 'The three teams tied with five points and it was only score difference that separated the three teams in the group at the top, so it can be done. 'Do I think putting four teams out is going to improve it? I don't. I think it'll actually diminish the importance of the games. There's great jeopardy there. 'It's tough, but it's a good tough. When you love sport, you want to be involved in a competition that has incredible standards, incredible competition, incredible rivalries and real jeopardy. 'That's what the Munster Championship has and that's why it's so special. That's why the crowds are turning out. We have to embrace the jeopardy with the desire to get out.' Kiely also empathised with supporters amid anger over another price hike for next Saturday's Munster final between his side and Cork. A €5 increase for the second year in a row sees adult stand tickets priced at €50 — €20 more than an equivalent ticket for the Munster football final. Terrace tickets will set punters back €40. Ahead of Limerick's fifth Championship outing since April 20, Kiely said: 'It's a lot of expense in a short period of time. 'People are looking towards the summer, looking towards summer holidays, kids going away on summer camps, all those types of things. 'It's just an added expense on a family, in particular, where you're trying to bring two adults, two or three kids to the match and it's going to cost you a nice few quid to go. I think that's the big piece. 'If the season was more stretched out, the expense is spread out as well with it and that's maybe something that needs to be taken into consideration — that it's a big hit for families all at the one time.' SELL OUT The ten games to date in this Munster SHC campaign have generated a combined gate of 285,717. Next weekend's decider is also set to be another sell-out at the TUS Gaelic Grounds. Kiely, who reported a clean bill of health for the Cork clash, added: 'I think the onus really goes back on the Munster Council now. "Ultimately they're the ones who are gathering this additional revenue. "And I think maybe in the course of the next 12 months, they need to make it visibly clear to everybody what the additional revenues went towards. 'I think that would be something that would be very much appreciated by the paying public, to know that the money is being put to very good use right across the association."
Irish Daily Mirror
3 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.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tipperary make one change to starting team for All-Ireland U20 final
Tipperary U20 hurling manager Brendan Cummins has made one change to his starting line-up for Saturday's All-Ireland final against Kilkenny from the side which defeated Clare in the Munster decider. Team captain Sam O'Farrell comes into the starting line-up in place of David Ryan. O'Farrell, who started for the Tipperary seniors in their Munster Championship victory over Waterford earlier this month, was initially named to start in the Munster U20 final against Clare but was replaced by Ryan before the throw-in. O'Farrell stepped off the bench in the second half. Read More Tipp's senior starlets in safe hands with goalkeeping great Cummins There are two other seniors stars in the Tipperary team in Darragh McCarthy and Oisín O'Donoghue. McCarthy has been a regular starter for the Tipperary seniors this year while O'Donoghue made an impactful appearance off the bench against Waterford, scoring 1-1. Tipperary, who lost last year's final to Offaly, are seeking their first All-Ireland title at this grade since 2019 while Kilkenny last won the title three years ago. The Cats d efeated Dublin in the Leinster final. Saturday's game at Nowlan Park throws in at 3pm. It will be broadcast live on TG4. TIPPERARY: E Horgan (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams); C O'Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), A O'Halloran (Carrick Swan), P O'Dwyer (Killenaule); A Ryan (Arravale Rovers), J Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), S O'Farrell (Captain, Nenagh Éire Óg); J Egan (Moycarkey Borris), A Daly (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams); C English (Fr. Sheehys), C Martin (Cappawhite), D Costigan (Moycarkey Borris); D McCarthy (Toomevara), P McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), O O'Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs). Subs: D English (Fr. Sheehys), S Butler (Kilsheelan Kilcash), M Cawley (Nenagh Éire Óg), C Fitzpatrick (Drom & Inch), J Hayes (Moycarkey Borris), J Ormond (JK Brackens), P Phelan (Upperchurch Drombane), D Ryan (Arravale Rovers), R Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill)
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
John Kiely doesn't want jeopardy of Munster championship lost
John Kiely insists the jeopardy of the current format of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship has to be retained. The Limerick manager sympathised with his Waterford counterpart Peter Queally whose county's season ended last Sunday and have yet to qualify from the provincial round-robin structure. However, he disagreed with Queally's call for the championship to be reviewed along the lines of the All-Ireland SFC format and the idea four teams from Munster and Leinster could qualify for the knock-out stages. At a press briefing in TUS Gaelic Grounds on Friday ahead of Saturday week's provincial final against Cork, Kiely supported the feature of two teams in Munster exiting the competition at the provincial stage. 'It is tough, they haven't come out yet so it's going to be tough on them, they've made great progress this year, Peter has done really well. I suppose you just have to keep going back and eventually you'll get the breakthrough. Look at Tipperary last year where they were at the bottom of the group and this year they've turned it around, they've got five points on the board. 'Do I think putting four teams out (into the All-Ireland series) is going to improve it? I don't, I think it will actually diminish the importance of the games. There's great jeopardy there. It is tough but it's a good tough. 'When you love sport, you want to be involved in a competition that has incredible standards, incredible competition and real jeopardy and that's what the Munster Championship has and that's why it's so special and that's why the crowds are turning out, so we have to embrace the jeopardy with the desire to get out.' However, Kiely believes the scheduling of the championship is worth debating in the context of the costs associated with going to games and the Munster final tickets going up by €5. 'It's a big commitment to be a supporter in the first place,' said Kiely of following teams. 'They're going to league matches, they're going to all the championship matches. There's a lot of those matches in a short period of time. That's the biggest piece, really. 'It's the fact that we're coming off the back of four round-robin games, and now we're into a Munster final, and it's all happened in the space of seven weeks. It's a lot of expense in a short period of time. People are looking towards summer holidays, kids going away on summer camps, all those types of things. 'If the season was more stretched out, the expense is spread out as well with it, and that's maybe something that needs to be taken into consideration, that it's a big hit for families all at the one time. 'I think people haven't been giving out about tickets too much. I think it's more about getting your hands on them what is the biggest problem at the moment. I think we're going to have a fantastic occasion here.' Kiely said the Munster Council 'need to make it visibly clear to everybody' where the additional revenue from the ticket price increases is going. 'I think that would be something that would be very much appreciated by the paying public, to know that that money is being put to very good use right across the Association.' Kiely reported no fresh injury concerns although he pointed out Limerick have three training sessions before the game. 'We've got a session tomorrow (Saturday) morning, session Tuesday night, session Thursday night, so we've a bit of work to get through yet.'
