Latest news with #TomásÓSé
Irish Independent
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Indo Sport podcast: The Dessie Farrell debate What's going on in Mayo? Tomás Ó Sé & Colm Keys
Joe is joined by Tomás Ó Sé and Colm Keys to look ahead to a massive weekend of football action with Dublin v Armagh as its centrepiece. Both Tomás and Colm think Kieran McGeeney's side will leave Croke Park with a win, while the panel debate Dessie Farrell's reign as Dublin manager. Mayo's problems - on and off the field - and Tyrone's potential are up for discussion too. GAA on the Indo Sport podcast is brought to you by AIB.
RTÉ News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Tómas Ó Sé: Galway need to embrace All-Ireland pressure
RTÉ GAA analyst Tomás Ó Sé has said that the pressure on Galway to deliver an All-Ireland title is something the Tribe County should welcome as they continue their pursuit of a first Sam Maguire success since 2001. Like last year, when they lost to Armagh by a point in the decider, Pádraic Joyce's side enter the All-Ireland arena with a Connacht title safely tucked away – their fourth provincial success in a row – and are favourites to get their Group 4 campaign off to a winning start when Dublin visit Salthill this evening. "Galway will be looking at this group and they'll have a serious hunger to make sure they top that group and get through straight to the quarter-finals," Ó Sé told the RTÉ GAA podcast. "I'd imagine they're desperate hungry for it, there's probably a pressure on them to deliver an All-Ireland now in Galway. That's a good thing to have. "They have absolutely dominated Connacht and it's something Mayo had a grip on, [but] they've come in and dismantled that, they're ruling the roost up there. "Now the next step for them, and has been in fairness, last year you'd imagine an All-Ireland was the end game as well, but that's definitely the target here." Joyce's side dumped out Dublin at the quarter-final stage last year – their first championship win in the fixture in 90 years – and it was viewed as a shock result, but a repeat 11 months on wouldn't raise too many eyebrows. "They way things are at the minute for Dublin, the struggles that they have, I think Dublin will be under pressure against a Galway team that are physically very dominant and playing well at the moment," Ó Sé added. The five-time All-Star said that Dublin's recent past means that they can never be ruled out, but he hasn't much faith in their ability to leave the west with two points. "You're not going to write Dublin off, there's still an awful amount of quality there. "I think they struggled with their kick-outs, teams will defend strongly enough and I think when you get to this stage of the year when there's less teams involved and you get to the knock-out stage, it'll come basically to what firepower you have up front and how you can score. "There's no doubt about it, call it transition or whatever you like, but the fear factor is gone."
RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
RTÉ GAA Podcast: Sam Maguire race to get underway, two strongest hurling teams set to clash
Tomás Ó Sé joins Jacqui Hurley and Rory O'Neill to look ahead to weekend one of the All-Ireland football championship. Dublin enter the race without provincial medals in the back pocket for the first time in 15 years - can they rekindle their season against one of the favourites, Galway? Kerry and Mayo also begin their campaigns against Roscommon and Cavan respectively. In hurling, Neil McManus casts his eye over the meeting of two All-Ireland favourites, Limerick and Cork. Waterford and Tipperary lock horns to decide who might come third in Munster, while Kilkenny will hope to keep a resurgent Dublin down in Leinster. Watch The Saturday Game this weekend from 9.40pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Irish Independent
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Kerry under-20 boss Tomás Ó Sé: ‘We had chances and we didn't take them. That's basically it'
Ó Sé said: 'There are a number of players there that show the future is very, very bright if they are minded, and if they're pushed along. It was great to work with them, it was a privilege to work with them' Today at 12:15 Every big game defeat hurt, but this six-point loss, in particular, really stung for Kerry Under-20 football manager Tomás Ó Sé. In last year's All-Ireland final, Tyrone were just better. Back in Portlaoise a year on for a semi-final, the end result was the same, but the Kingdom regrets cut deeper. Failing to get out of the starting blocks was a problem. Conceding two goals, especially one on the stroke of half-time, were crushing blows. At the end of the day, however, the Munster champions had their own chances to find the net. They weren't ruthless, or clinical, and paid the price.
The 42
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
What's the secret sauce powering Tyrone's underage football success?
THIS AFTERNOON, THE Tyrone U20 footballers seek to defend their Ulster and All-Ireland titles when they face a Kerry side managed by Tomás Ó Sé. In this century, taking into account the U21 grade as it was, only one side have successfully managed to go back to back with All-Irelands, and that was the Tyrone side of all talents in 2000-01, managed by Mickey Harte, and a group that contained the likes of Brian McGuigan, Cormac McAnallen, Owen Mulligan, Enda McGinley, Ciaran Gourley and so on. A quick look at the recent roll of honour reveals that Tyrone are building another serious winning culture. Since 2019, they have now won five Ulster U20s, the last one achieved against Donegal in Owenbeg a couple of weeks back. They have claimed two out of the last three All-Ireland titles at that grade. They struck for a senior All-Ireland in 2021. Omagh CBS were back to back Hogan Cup champions in 2023-24, while Tyrone have also grabbed two recent Ulster minor titles. How is it done? Fanaticism, basically. Tyrone is the only county in Ireland that has a full-blown media operation exclusively covering their games, county and club, in TeamTalkMag. They endeavour to cover as much as they possibly can and every year hold a black tie event where they hand out their club All-Stars for all levels and all codes. Kevin Kelly is their main journalist and last year he covered 143 games, around 90% of them club, schools and county games involving Tyrone teams. He puts the success down to the level of coaching in clubs and schools, the quality of facilities, competition structures and the loyalty displayed by those that have achieved at county level, still retaining involvement in their clubs. 'You see lads who are involved in county set-ups, nearly every club you have gone to, you see club stalwarts or lads who played county who are coming back full circle and putting something into the clubs,' he says. 'I was up at our grounds (Galbally Pearses) last night. We have four fields and they were all full last night of children. Just one senior team training, the rest of them were minors, U15s getting ready for the Feile finals, U14s, U12s and it's just a sight to behold.' Galbally is a perfect example of a Tyrone club. Aside from Liam Rafferty in recent years, they do not receive much county recognition. But although they are a very remote community, their facilities are incredible. And they also have the benefit of having a figure such as Paddy Tally weighing in whenever his commitments allow. Last year they won a Grade 1 double of league and championship. They were only the sixth and seventh titles they have ever won at Grade 1 underage in their history and understandably meant a great deal. And yet, they don't drop down to Grade 2, where titles might be more forthcoming. 'You have to test yourself and from what I have seen around the majority of clubs, they have the right people in the right place,' says Kelly. Advertisement 'The groundwork is being done at club level. There's no doubt about that. But then when you go to schools, it takes on another level altogether. 'Especially in the east of the county, there are schools in Dungannon, Cookstown, Donaghmore that are all within an eight or nine-mile radius of each other and vying for students. There is a healthy competition there. 'Years ago, there would have been Omagh CBS in the west and Dungannon Academy in the east and that's all there was in college football. 'But the emergence of St Ciaran's Ballygawley and Dean Maguire in Carrickmore, Donaghmore College becoming a mixed school rather than just a girl's school, it means the rivalry there is unreal.' Captain Joey Clarke with the U20 Ulster cup. Lorcan Doherty / INPHO Lorcan Doherty / INPHO / INPHO Take the current Tyrone U20 team, and the side that started the Ulster final against Donegal, and let us examine their exposure to school's football. ***** Conor McAnenly: Won MacRory and Hogan cups with Omagh CBS. Fiachra Nelis: Captain of the Dungannon Academy team beaten in the MacRory final. Ben Hughes: Won an All-Ireland B title with St Joseph's Donaghmore. Conor Devlin: Played in a MacRory cup final with Dungannon Academy. Callum Daly: Won back-to-back Hogan Cups with Omagh CBS. Joey Clarke: Won an All-Ireland B with St Joseph's Donaghmore. Caolan Donnelly: Won a Hogan Cup with Omagh CBS. Conal Devlin: Played in a MacRory Cup semi-final with Holy Trinity. Conor O'Neill: Won an All-Ireland B with St Joseph's Donaghmore. Conal Sheehy: Played in a MacRory Cup final with Dungannon Academy. Eoin McElholm: Won a Hogan Cup with Omagh CBS. Matthew Quinn: Played in a MacRory Cup final with Dungannon Academy. Noah Grimes: Won an All-Ireland B with St Joseph's Donaghmore. Ruairí McCullagh: Won back-to-back Hogan Cups with Omagh CBS. Liam Mossey: Won back-to-back Hogan Cups with Omagh CBS. ***** Take all that into context and the conveyor belt looks incredible. And it's worth noting that in their two MacRory Cup final wins, Omagh CBS beat Tyrone opposition in Holy Trinity Cookstown, and St Patrick's Academy. Now, look at the people involved. Holy Trinity Cookstown have come from playing in the Vocational Schools' competitions and have benefitted from the restructuring of the Ulster Colleges. They have Peter Canavan and 2021 Footballer of the Year Kieran McGeary coaching teams. Former Antrim footballers Kevin O'Boyle and John McKeever, local coach Aidan O'Hagan of Galbally and former Armagh footballer Stefan Forker, and brother of current county captain Aidan. At St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon, Kevin Collins has achieved plenty with various Derry teams. Tyrone All-Ireland winner Ciaran Gourley is the MacRory team manager and is assisted by James Slater. Former All-Ireland winner Collie Holmes, who was a coach of the Tyrone senior team when they won Sam Maguire in 2021, is the principal of the school and also puts on his boots to help with teams. Omagh CBS have Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly, and Diarmuid McNulty, who also doubles up as a coach with the county U20 team, along with Ciaran 'Dinky' McBride, former Armagh footballer Finian Moriarty and Pat McNabb of Trillick. Omagh CBS celebrate. Presseye / Matt Mackey/INPHO Presseye / Matt Mackey/INPHO / Matt Mackey/INPHO Even though Omagh came up short in the MacRory Cup in 2025, they still won the Dalton, the Oisin McGrath and Rannafast Cups. The other side of it is that Tyrone club facilities are the envy of the rest of Ireland. Clubs are locked in a perpetual cycle of self-improvement with facilities including stands, dressing rooms, gym and additional pitches constantly being upgraded. It is not unheard of for clubs to raise around £500,000 in infrastructure fundraising drives. And once one phase is complete, there is normally a break for a few years before the cycle repeats itself. 'I drive to different county venues around the country and always notice the club grounds on my way through the various counties. And we in Tyrone take a lot of things for granted,' says Kelly. 'I remember pitches when I was playing and you had to chase sheep or cattle off. It's come a long way. And every club, right down to junior clubs, they would put to shame senior clubs in other counties. 'There's a pride there and it goes back to the competitive nature of club football in Tyrone. League football means a lot in Tyrone. I think that's a big thing that has to be highlighted. In other counties you could be knocking your pan in for fourteen, fifteen games and there's no promotion or relegation at the end of it.' To illustrate the point, a godson of Kelly's was managing a junior club last year. They lost just two games all year; one in the league and then the championship final, so ended up with no silverware, but still achieved promotion to intermediate through a sequence of three games in the play-offs. That's before you get to the passion of the only straight knockout championship left in football (barring, of course, Kilkenny) where thousands of spectators can fit in as many as three games in a day. The Tyrone club championship is ferociously fought. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO All of this according to Mickey Donnelly, who managed Tyrone minors to the 2013 All-Ireland final, might be the underlying reason why the Tyrone senior support is not as strong as it used to be. 'You take your average Tyrone man now,' he explains. 'He might have a child at Go-Games in the morning. Then there could be a minor match at 2pm. After that, the notion of going to Clones for a 6pm throw-in is just too much. 'Added to that, with all these facilities, there could be a club clean-up of the grounds on a Sunday morning, a club Mass, early morning training session, it just becomes your life.' In January of this year, the Tyrone county board were well aware of this trend. Before the first home league game, Club Tyrone produced a fanzine for primary school children on Gaelic Games, with addresses from managers and a request that as many children, along with their parents, would get along to watch Tyrone play this year. It hasn't cut through, with the paltry 6,700 attendance at the Tyrone-Cavan Ulster championship game being a particular low point. But when trees aren't growing taller above ground, they are going deeper with their roots.
