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Irish Examiner
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Cork chiefs hopeful Páirc Uí Rinn will be available in coming weeks
The Cork County Board are hoping Páirc Uí Rinn will be available to host hurling championship games the weekend after next, following the decision to move this weekend's divisional/college hurling semi-finals. The Ballintemple venue was deemed unavailable by the county's competitions control committee for the Imokilly-Avondhu and UCC-Muskerry games as the pitch is underdoing some remedial work. While several first round Premier Senior and Senior A hurling championship games took place there over the Bank Holiday weekend, the Nemo Rangers-Ballincollig PSFC Group 3 opening round clash at the end of last month was switched to Ballygarvan, having been originally scheduled for Páirc Uí Rinn. The playing surface was heavily sanded in early July. The venue has no irrigation system and in the current dry spell a lot of the sediment has not yet been absorbed by the soil. The field has also required some repair work following the installation of a new catching net behind the City End goalposts and the removal of trees. Apart from club activity, Páirc Uí Rinn is one of the most heavily-used fields by inter-county teams such as the senior footballers and hurlers who alternate between there, MTU and SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. As things stand, it is due to stage Blackrock-St Finbarrs on Friday week, Midleton-Newcestown and Erins Own-Sarsfields the day after as well as two lower grade matches on Sunday week. As is the norm, Páirc Uí Chaoimh's playing surface is currently in the process of being relaid in time to host games at the business end of the championships in October. The semi-finals in both codes are scheduled for the weekends of October 4/5 and October 11/12. The work on the pitches was mentioned in the bulletin following Tuesday's county committee meeting. It read: 'Given the lack of rainfall over the past few weeks, Groundsman, Colm Daly was thanked for his ongoing work in both SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Páirc Uí Rinn to have them ready to host many club fixtures recently and in the coming weeks.' Meanwhile, the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and GAA have yet to sign off on a new protocol despite negotiations having begun last October. The previous funding agreement between the parties has been extended into this year as had happened before in 2020 when talks, described by the GPA as 'intense and prolonged', were partly delayed by the pandemic and took a year and a half to conclude. There have again been a number of stumbling blocks in the recent discussions, although a deal is expected to be signed off by Central Council and the GPA's national executive in the coming months. The GPA had raised image rights as a subject with the GAA. Last year, Clare's 2024 hurler of the year Shane O'Donnell took exception to his image being used in the promotion of the since rebranded GAAGO. The previous GAA-GPA deal maintained the 2017-19 agreement that the GPA would receive 15% share of the GAA's net commercial income. However for the most recently elapsed deal the minimum of €2.5 million was removed, while the GPA's administrative costs were cut from 25% to 20% of the GAA's funding. Last year, the GPA received €3.17m in core funding from the GAA, an increase from the €2.9m figure in 2023. Elsewhere, the GAA's national head of hurling William Maher is to travel to The Netherlands in October. The Ballingarry man, who was appointed to the position earlier this year, will give a presentation in Eindhoven to coincide with the Pan-European hurling and camogie finals taking place in the city. Maher is to outline the current hurling landscape, strategic priorities for 2025 to '30, and key initiatives aimed at supporting the growth of hurling. He will be joined by Chris Collins, head of operations of Gaelic Games Europe, and Shauna Coen, and Gaelic Games camogie officer for Europe.
The 42
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
The pain for Cork and the joy for Tipperary, this All-Ireland impact will be long-lasting
THE MIDDLE OF May brought two results which shaped the hurling landscape for the year ahead. On a Saturday night in Ennis, Clare came charging at Tipperary and drew level by the 63rd minute. Fuelled by the momentum of their second-half revival and emboldened by the presence of Shane O'Donnell on the pitch, the home team appeared poised to complete the job. The Tipperary response was as startling as it was impressive. They stood tall to outscore Clare by 0-4 to 0-1 in the remainder of the game. The consequences of the result were profound. Clare's defence of their All-Ireland title was over. Tipperary had earned a first Munster championship win since April 2023. It looked at the time like a victory that could propel them forward, it transpired to be something of far greater value – the catalyst towards becoming All-Ireland senior hurling champions two months later. Eight days after that encounter, Cork travelled to Limerick. They were walloped by 16 points on an afternoon where they never hit their stride. It reawakened memories of Cork's destruction at the hands of John Kiely's team in the 2021 final. Their recovery was admirable in qualifying for the Munster final, prevailing in an epic encounter after penalties against Limerick, and dismissing Dublin to reach a third decider in five campaigns. But the May game hinted that the capacity for collapse still lurked in Cork's system. On Sunday that manifested itself in an unprecedented fashion on All-Ireland final day. Advertisement Cork's Conor Lehane after the game Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO There is no comparable hurling final experience. Waterford were mowed down by Kilkenny in 2008 and Cork were crushed by Limerick in 2021, but both those games were one-sided from the off and the doubt over the outcome was removed by half-time. Waterford trailed by 17 points in 2008, Cork were behind by 13 points in 2021. On Sunday, Cork's six-point advantage looked a perfect springboard from which to attack the second half. Instead they wilted in stunning fashion. A complete systems failure made for a devastating defeat, coinciding with the pure hurling joy Tipperary experienced after a second-half display of staggering dominance. The ramifications of the 3-14 to 0-2 scoreline after the break will be deep and far-reaching. Two days on, it remains hard for either camp to properly comprehend, how good the winners were and how bad the losers were. A head-spinning half of play to draw the curtain down on the 2025 championship. It is one of the sweetest All-Ireland victories that Tipperary hurling will ever experience. Their greatest? That tag feels too subjective to firmly attach, yet it will enter that conversation. Six senior championship wins in succession since the Clare victory. They beat the defending All-Ireland champions, the beaten Leinster finalists, the current Leinster champions, and the current Munster and league champions. That's a significant set of scalps. From a traditional Tipperary viewpoint, to cap the season off with Croke Park victories over historic rivals Kilkenny and Cork, elevates this year to a higher tier. Liam Cahill completes a unique set of All-Ireland managerial triumphs – minor 2016, U21 2018, U20 2019, and senior 2025. The criticism that rained down upon him over the last couple seasons was ferocious in its intensity. His steadfast belief that he and his coaching staff could turns things around was rewarded. The underage accomplishments, three All-Ireland wins across minor and U20 since 2022, have begun to feed through to senior level, as evidenced by the rich contributions of Darragh McCarthy, Sam O'Farrell, and Oisin O'Donoghue. The older crew provided the necessary leadership and enhanced their legacies. Ronan Maher, Michael Breen, John McGrath, Jason Forde and Seamus Kennedy provided inputs in different meaningful ways to land their third All-Ireland senior medal. Noel McGrath landed his fourth to enshrine his greatness. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Tipperary can bask in the glow of that range of achievements, both collective and individual. The sense of desolation in the Cork camp will be severe. A defeat like last year's final against Clare informs a team that they are close and on the right upward trajectory, a defeat like Sunday indicates a slide and the need for reset. The regrets will be plentiful. Withdrawing Eoin Downey in the 23rd minute against Limerick in May 2024 was a ruthless and strong-minded decision when he was on a yellow card, failing to make that change on Sunday in a similar scenario was a call that back-fired. In the modern game leaving an inside defender on when they have been booked is loaded with risk. Were the second-half substitutions too slow to take place? Four of the five changes occurred in the final quarter when the contest was done, once Darragh McCarthy smashed his penalty to the net. Cork could have been happy with the interval scoreboard position, while acknowledging their early display had flaws and some players looked off-colour. The warning signs grew in the third quarter that this game was moving away from them and change was required. The Tipperary curveball of Bryan O'Mara sweeping in the left pocket in front of his full-back line clearly unsettled Cork. At stages in the first half they coped as they worked stylish points for their best two forwards on the day in Shane Barrett and Diarmuid Healy, while Darragh Fitzgibbon was influential at times early on. But the delivery on other occasions was wayward and in the second half it malfunctioned drastically. Meltdowns on the pitch happen in sport, trying to correct them in-game is not easy. The pressure and expectation that has built up the longer Cork have gone without an All-Ireland title can hang over players and become overbearing. On Sunday afternoon they collapsed in the second half under the sheer weight of it all. The pain for Cork and the joy for Tipperary will remain for some time. The impact of this All-Ireland final will be long lasting. How will Cork treat this outcome as they aim to recover? It feels inevitable that this defeat will be scarring, the third time this group have come away empty-handed on All-Ireland senior final day, while it's the fourth occasion for a few older servants. Will there be turnover in the squad and to what extent? That will be key to observe. The emergence of Healy in the forward line and Cormac O'Brien in defence this year was welcome. The victorious U20 classes of 2020, 2021 and 2023, offer evidence that Cork have developing talents to call upon. Nurturing them to give the squad a fresh injection could help, particularly given the crushing nature of this loss. Will Pat Ryan be the man to oversee it? His three-year term has officially closed, but he has always stressed that he is not a fan of talking in such contractual terms and that the the ownership of the team is with the players and supporters of Cork. Ryan has also repeatedly shared his belief that plenty will want a go at the role of Cork boss, and that the key is to whether he is improving the side to then stay in charge. Two pieces of silverware this year constitued progress before the second half on Sunday rocked Cork back. The players respect and affection for Ryan is obvious. The scale of the potential change ahead for Cork is unclear and will be teased out in the weeks and months ahead. Related Reads Noel McGrath: 'To have my son there was one of the greatest things I could have done' 'We had a terrible game in-house': Tipperary turned it around to claim famous All-Ireland win 'We were walking down the street ducking and diving from people' For Tipperary the future looks promising, but then again it always has been when they have won the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Retaining that crown has eluded the county since 1965. When they halted Kilkenny's drive in 2010, they appeared on the cusp of widespread dominance given the profile of their talented squad, but it didn't materialise that they were on top again until 2016. And yet Liam Cahill has overseen a group that have showcased their resilience and intelligence and hurling class. The manner of Sunday's success and the journey they have taken this season, will fill the Tipperary group with rising confidence. Their hurling future looks inviting, Cork must find their way through the fog of this defeat before embarking on theirs. *****
The Irish Sun
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Shane O'Donnell hints at retirement plans as he admits future of Clare GAA stars ‘up in the air' after All-Ireland exit
SHANE O'DONNELL says Clare's sour season could tempt him to stay on. The reigning Hurler of the Year thought 2025 would be his final farewell after winning his second All-Ireland last summer . 2 Shane O'Donnell suggested he could stay on for 2026 Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile 2 Clare were dumped out of the championship in Munster Credit: John Sheridan/Sportsfile But he missed the bulk of the season with a shoulder injury as the Banner's Liam MacCarthy defence blew up in smoke. Championship . And the Éire Óg clubman admits he would find it hard to quit senior He said: 'Obviously, I've thought about it, but it's probably not the time to make any decisions, really. I had talked about this year being my last year. Read More on GAA 'I can't remember if one of yourselves reprimanded me on saying this every year, so I can't remember who it was. 'So I'm a bit more careful about how I phrase this. 'I think we had genuinely intended, a number of us had intended, for this to be the last year. 'With how disappointing it ended, it makes it very difficult to hang up the boots . It's still up there. Most read in GAA Hurling 'I don't know, to be honest.' Lethal forward O'Donnell, along with team-mates Tony Kelly, 31, John Conlon, 36, and David McInerney, 32, are the sole survivors from Clare's class of 2013 who went all the way to lifting the All-Ireland under Davy Fitzgerald 11 years ago. 'Lots of fight' - RTE GAA pundits react to Sean O'Shea's 'very interesting' interview after Kerry dethrone Armagh And the Ennis native, 31, admits what some of his team-mates do next will have a massive impact on his decision. He said: 'It depends on a number of factors, not least, whether other players are staying or going. It definitely will be up in the air until the end of this year. 'I think in your mind you're kind of thinking, 'Yeah, do you know what, things like last year, we're at that level now, so there's no way we're not going to go again'. 'But then we'll see what happens essentially. 'When push came to shove after, I remember the week of our last game against 'I kind of turned to Davie Mac and just said, 'That's our last Tuesday session ever'. 'And he just looked at me and I was under the impression he was going to be leaving. 'He just turned to me and was like, 'No,' basically. 'And even in the couple of weeks before that, I had a very kind of compressed campaign of being very aware that these could be my last games with Clare and it started to become quite uncomfortable. 'But I will also say that I'm not of the same mindset as Tony, so I don't intend to be scraped off the floor of a Clare dressing room to get me out of there. 'I will hopefully be able to walk out on my two feet. 'But I think there is that group that has played there for so long, it is hard. 'And it's going to be a big decision from the first person to move out. 'And then if that person moves, then I think the rest of them will flow pretty quickly.' l CLARE hurler Shane O'Donnell, former Kilkenny hurler Walter Walsh and Wexford hurler Lee Chin joined Bord Gáis Energy Retrofit Manager Valerie Hand and Director of Marketing at Bord Gáis Energy, Meadhbh Quinn to kick off their new solar campaign. With €400 off, there's never been a better time to switch to solar with Bord Gáis Energy – Ireland's most trusted name in home solar installations. Book your free consultation today and make the smart move for your home – backed by a 25-year panel warranty, 24-hour monitoring, and SEAI-registered installers. Go to for more details.
Irish Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shane O'Donnell hint on Clare future, fellow double All-Ireland winners' plans
Shane O'Donnell says a number of Clare's All-Ireland winning veterans had intended for this to be their last season. But, he reckons the way the Banner's defence of the Liam MacCarthy Cup ended - with a surprise Munster Championship exit - makes it very difficult for their older hands to hang up their boots. 2024 Hurler of the Year O'Donnell, whose season was blighted by a serious shoulder issue which required surgery, had intended to head to America for work with his girlfriend. However, he says 'the gloss' has been taken off America in recent months and that they may now look at Australia as an alternative down the line. This could be good news for Clare hurling fans, but O'Donnell reckons that if one of their experienced cohort does decide to go, others may follow. Tony Kelly is already on record as saying he would have to be scraped off the floor of the Clare dressing room rather than retire. O'Donnell is a different character: 'I think in your mind you're thinking, 'Do you know what, things like last year (All-Ireland win), we're at that level now,'' said the Éire Óg club man. 'So there's no way we're not going to go again. But we'll see what happens, essentially. 'When push came to shove, I remember the week of our game against Limerick - obviously we were out at this stage and the Tuesday training had just wrapped up. 'I turned to Davie Mc(Inerney) and just said, 'That's our last Tuesday session ever.' 'I was under the impression he was going to be leaving. He just turned to me and was like, 'no' basically. 'I think when it comes down to it, it becomes very difficult to actually take that step away. 'Even in the couple of weeks before that - I had a very compressed campaign - I was very aware that these could be my last games with Clare. And it started to become quite uncomfortable. 'But I will also say that I'm not of the same mindset as Tony, so I don't intend to be scraped off the floor of a Clare dressing room to get me out of there. 'I will hopefully be able to walk out on my two feet. But I think there is that group that have played there for so long - it is hard. 'It's going to be a big decision from the first person to move out. Then, if that person moves, then I think the rest of them will flow pretty quickly.' The Ennis man, who is based in Dublin and Clare, continued: 'We saw a lot of opportunities to talk at the end of last year after we had our win. We just said that this year was probably going to be our last year. 'A lot of us actually explicitly had plans to leave and weren't going to be available for the year after. 'It wasn't one isolated conversation or it wasn't a one-to-one. I wouldn't say it was an agreement, but that was definitely the path we were going to go, which has changed slightly.' The veterans of their 2013 All-Ireland victory under Davy Fitzgerald are O'Donnell, McInerney, Kelly and the daddy of them all, John Conlon. Management wise, O'Donnell reckons no news means good news and that Brian Lohan is likely to stay on for a seventh year, a move he would welcome. 'I have no actual information about it,' he continued. 'I know that Brian cares deeply about the continuity of Clare hurling. 'No news I would expect to mean as he feels like he wants to stay, or is going to stay. Because if he wants to stay, he will be. Obviously, we all want him. 'I think he would not make a decision late in the year and decide, 'Oh, actually I'm not going to go (on),' and then leave Clare searching for a manager. He would never do something like that. 'The fact we haven't heard anything I think maybe gives some indication. But that's all I have to go on.' For himself, O'Donnell says now is not the time to make any decisions on his own future. 'Obviously, I've thought about it,' he says. 'I had talked about this year being my last year. 'I can't remember if one of yourselves (journalists) reprimanded me on saying this every year. 'So I'm a bit more careful about how I phrase this. I think a number of us had genuinely intended for this to be the last year. 'With how disappointing it ended, it makes it very difficult to hang up the boots. 'I don't know, to be honest. It depends on a number of factors. Not least whether other players are staying or going. It definitely will be up in the air until the end of this year. 'When other players make that decision, then we'll see. My girlfriend and I initially talked about going to the States. But for us at the moment, the States is a less appealing place to be honest. 'The whole visa thing has got a lot more complicated, so that is probably off the cards. 'We'll still be looking to go somewhere like Australia, but that does push the timeline out a small bit more, so it's (playing on for Clare) potentially available.' **** Clare hurler Shane O'Donnell was promoting Bord Gáis Energy's new solar campaign. With €400 off, there's never been a better time to switch to solar with Bord Gáis Energy – Ireland's most trusted name in home solar installations.
Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Clare hurlers' retirement pact may be put on ice
Shane O'Donnell has revealed that he and a group of Clare's most decorated hurling performers privately pencilled in 2025 to retire. The reigning Hurler of the Year has stopped short of calling it quits after their nightmare season though, and could yet be convinced to stick around. O'Donnell, David McInerney, Tony Kelly, Seadna Morey, Peter Duggan, and John Conlon all won their second All-Ireland medals last year having previously featured in the 2013 win. Speaking at the launch of Bord Gais Energy's new solar campaign, O'Donnell said that the veteran players decided after last year's MacCarthy Cup success to give it one more season and then quit. "We kind of just said that this year was probably going to be our last year," said O'Donnell. "A lot of us actually explicitly had plans to leave (after 2025) and weren't going to be available for the year after. "It wasn't one isolated conversation, or it wasn't a one-to-one chat. It was kind of, I wouldn't say it was an agreement but it that was definitely kind of the path we were going to go, which has changed slightly." Clare hurler Shane O'Donnell joined Bord Gáis Energy Retrofit Manager Valerie Hand to kick off the new solar campaign. Go to for more details. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Clare won just one of their Munster round robin games, defeating Limerick in the final round when qualification for the All-Ireland series was already beyond their reach. Brian Lohan's side also lost five of their six National League games and suffered relegation to Division 1B. Bowing out on that note may not sit well with players and O'Donnell revealed a conversation he had with McInerney which suggested he for one had already changed his tune about retiring. "I remember the week of our game against Limerick, obviously we were out at this stage and it was the Tuesday training and we'd kind of just wrapped up a session," said O'Donnell. "I kind of turned to Davie Mac and just said, 'That's our last Tuesday session ever'. He just looked at me, and I was under the impression he was going to be leaving, but he just turned to me and was like, 'Nah', basically. "I think when it comes down to it, it becomes very difficult to actually take that step away. Even in the couple of weeks before that, and I had a very compressed campaign, I was very aware that these could be my last games with Clare. And it started to become quite uncomfortable. "It's going to be a big decision from the first person to move out. And then if that person moves, then I think the rest of them will flow pretty quickly." O'Donnell said it was a bittersweet season for him personally having made it back to compete in the Championship despite being told at the start of the year that he'd be out for six months with a shoulder injury. "I actually just think about that result against Tipperary and think that it could have been one of the greatest days of my career," he said. "Coming back after everything I put into getting back on the pitch, if we'd just won. But now I don't want to think about it because we didn't. It essentially torpedoed our campaign." O'Donnell, 31, had previously indicated that he would be heading to the US in 2026 to work but said that is 'less appealing' now due to visa difficulties. What's certain for O'Donnell is that even if a large group of players do retire, Clare will cope. "I don't personally feel in any way concerned that a few of us will rotate out and that there will be a Clare drop off at all," he said. "I just don't see that being a problem at all. I think the talent is there, the attitude in the middle and younger group is exceptional. I'm not concerned at all about their capacity to take on that (responsibility)."
