Latest news with #provincialchampionship
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Conor McManus: Here's my ranking of the top 12 counties going into the knockouts
When we won our first provincial title in 2013, we were straight into an All-Ireland quarter-final against Tyrone – about the last county Monaghan would want to face given the local rivalry and how little there was between us. We lost narrowly and what we wouldn't have given for another rattle at somebody, anybody, let alone for a group stage. The problem for us was we lost the next game and it was season over. There are three provincial champions in next weekend's All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals , who have all lost matches and are availing of the opportunity to get their season back on track. Hard not to be envious. It has been a brilliant championship so far. The new rules have helped with the quality of the football and played a part in some really exciting finales. The GAA is getting rid of the format next year but it has been great so far. READ MORE There was no dead rubber on the last day with nothing on the line, be it a home game in the preliminary quarter-final or just to stay in the championship. You can argue the jeopardy because so many home games have been lost but don't think for a minute Donegal wouldn't have wanted a week's break before the quarter-finals. Competition has been crazy and I think the final weekend has really complicated the job of picking out a likely winner, as the last unbeaten record went up in smoke after Kerry lost. Keeping in mind where we are and what we have seen, this is my ranking of the 12 counties still involved. 1. Armagh Rian O`Neill of Armagh in action. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho The All-Ireland champions getting beaten wasn't a huge surprise because they were already straight through to a quarter-final and potentially had one eye on that. They changed selection a little but there was no reason to believe they weren't going all out to win the game. It would have suited Armagh better to see Galway out of this championship than in it but the incredible rivalry between them was again on show – a fifth championship match in four years. They also have a panel that puts them in a better position than any county to make changes without undermining the team. They are bookies' favourites and deserve to be. 2. Donegal Michael Murphy of Donegal. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho I don't think they are firing on all cylinders despite being Ulster champions. They have a lot of mileage up between being in the provincial preliminary round and going to extra time against Armagh. Jim McGuinness would have loved to get that extra week. A huge amount of play is now going through Michael Murphy which seems like a fairly obvious thing to say when you have someone of that ability in such good form but to go ahead and win it all they will need to be getting more from Oisín Gallen, Ó Baoill, McBrearty et al. They will avoid Tyrone and Armagh if they reach the quarter-finals. They are also very hard to beat. 3. Galway Paul Conroy of Galway kicks a point. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho On Saturday they just looked like a team that were just maybe teetering on the edge of exit – eight points down – and it was hard to see where their response was going to come from but in the second half they decided, 'not today'. Despite missing penalties and despite the setbacks and the knock-backs in the game, they just kept coming and asking questions. They also started to get their hands on primary possession, which is something they had been struggling with in recent times for all the obvious strength of their middle third. Paul Conroy returned are looked a bit closer to his FOTY form and Shane Walsh was firing up front. I just thought their response with the season on the line was great and it looks like it could open up for them. 4. Tyrone Tyrone's Padraig Hampsey. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/inpho I don't necessarily think it's too early for them and they'll certainly not feel that themselves. Malachy O'Rourke has them motoring nicely. They were well superior to Cavan and as with their best performance, there was a nice spread of scorers, 11 and Darren McCurry in top form. They'll be quietly confident and happy with where they're at. I think being straight into the quarter-finals is a huge advantage over whoever the opposition will be. 5. Kerry Kerry's Gavin White. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho Losing to Meath isn't the end of the world for Kerry. It will sharpen their teeth and the extra game will do them no harm even though they'll be expected to beat Cavan at home (talk to Mayo about that!). They were missing six players, including heavyweights like Paudie Clifford, Seán O'Shea and Diarmuid O'Connor, which is no reflection on Meath but gives Jack O'Connor room to improve. He's led them the long way around to All-Irelands in the past but improvement is required. 6. Dublin Dublin's John Small. Photograph: Evan Logan Dublin's win in Newry was impressive because Derry are no bad team. There is a difference when they're at full strength and Dessie Farrell will need everyone on board if they make inroads. Con O'Callaghan looks irreplaceable for them but they look like they're getting close to their best team on the pitch now at this stage. Consistency has been an issue but they should still have the beating of Cork in Croke Park and after the group, Armagh can't play them in the quarters. 7. Monaghan Micheal Bannigan of Monaghan. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho It looks a bit unfair on Monaghan listing them at seven but while they would give any of the top six a game – and did against Donegal in Ulster – they haven't the same consistent experience as those counties. They won Division Two and topped their group here. On Sunday they got into top gear in the final quarter and dominated the game a bit better and got control of kick-outs. They are scoring very heavily and will feel they're a match for anyone from here on in. 8. Meath Meath's Conor Duke. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho Like Monaghan, they may feel hard done by to rank only eighth having won their group and with the scalps of Dublin and Kerry already on their belt but you have to take everything into account. They had a very poor second half in the Leinster final and while they're entitled to point to an unbeaten record in the group, have those games reached the highest intensity levels? Meath deserve plaudits. Getting Brian Menton back in has added a bit of steel and a bit of experience. Donal Keogan at the back has been a real rock over the years but the most impressive thing is just how they've hung in there despite missing two key forwards, James Conlon and Matthew Costello, and still scored freely. 9. Down Pat Havern of Down in action. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Coming off a Tailteann Cup win last year Down have kicked on impressively despite relegation in the league. Their ability to carry the ball at pace and move it through hand and foot has been impressive. Odhran Murdock is an excellent footballer with everything in his locker, from winning primary possession in the middle of the field to carrying and shooting off either foot. It gets tougher from here, though. 10. Louth Louth's Sam Mulroy. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Winning Leinster looks like it took something out of them and they struggled to put away Clare on Sunday. I'm sure they arrived in the All-Ireland series optimistic they could make an impact but it just hasn't worked out and they will be off to Ballybofey on Sunday. Big achievement already, though. 11. Cork Paul Walsh of Cork. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho Cork's big test was the group match with Kerry and they were disappointing that day – all the more so when they see what a Meath team they competed with were able to do. The games where they've been written off are where you tend to see the best of them, like, last year, for example, when they beat Donegal. I just can't see them beating Dublin in Croke Park even though they could well raise a gallop. 12. Cavan Tyrone's Peter Harte and Oisin Brady of Cavan. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho The mood will hardly be great after two big defeats in the group. They're still in it because of a head-to-head with Mayo, who were really competitive with the teams that thrashed Cavan but they will lean into the display in Castlebar when heading down to Killarney to face a sore Kerry.
CTV News
07-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Miners test skills in Ontario Mine Rescue championship
Northern Ontario Watch Eight teams representing from across Ontario competed for bragging rights at the provincial championship held at Glencore's Kidd Creek Mine.
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
‘It is tough, but good tough': John Kiely backs current Munster championship structure
John Kiely has endorsed the current provincial championship format . The Limerick manager, who is preparing for Saturday week's final against Cork , was speaking at an online media briefing, organised by Munster GAA. Asked for his views on his Waterford counterpart, Peter Queally's call for the season to be extended on the lines of the football championship, Kiely sympathised but said that any more permissive a structure would 'diminish the importance' of provincial fixtures. In six years of the format, Waterford have yet to emerge from the round-robin despite having been All-Ireland finalists and semi-finalists during the two years of Covid when the format was suspended. 'It is tough, they haven't come out yet. They've made great progress this year; Peter has done really, really well. I suppose you just have to keep going back and eventually you'll get the breakthrough. READ MORE 'Look at Tipperary last year – where they were at the bottom of the group and this year, they've turned it around and have five points on the board. There were three teams tied with five points and it was only scoring difference that separated them at the top of the group so it can be done. 'Do I think putting four teams out [for 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. 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 as well as the desire to get out.' He said that his team, who are chasing an extended record of seven titles in a row, is at full strength but he cautioned on the potential impact of injuries when asked had he any concerns. 'No, not at the minute. We've had a really strong run the last couple of months and everybody's training at the moment. A few knocks after the Cork game, a few fellas had to step out for a week but they're all back since Wednesday night. 'We've got a session tomorrow [Saturday] morning, Tuesday night, Thursday night, so we've a bit of work to get through yet. In 2018 on the Friday night before the All-Ireland, Peter Casey just turned his ankle on a sliotar that was coming out from the goals. 'It was a non-contact session, if you like, for the most part. How could anyone get injured? When you're out in the field, anything can happen and so we have three sessions still to get through. Hopefully we get there with a full complement.' He also called for the Munster GAA to make it 'visibly clear to everybody' where the additional revenue from this year's raised ticket prices had gone. 'Supporters are never going to be happy with a price rise. It's a big commitment to be a supporter in the first place. 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. 'People are looking towards summer holidays, kids going away on summer camps, all those types of things. 'If the season were 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 tickets too much. I think it's more about getting your hands on what is the biggest problem at the moment. I think we're going to have a fantastic occasion here. '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 that money is being put to very good use right across the association.'
CTV News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
‘It's unfair to New Brunswick': Provincial volleyball champs denied a top spot in national championship
The 15UG Cyclones are pictured in an undated image. (Source: Alex Le) A volleyball team in New Brunswick is asking for an opportunity to play against the best teams in the country. The 15UG Cyclones represent the Greater Moncton Area in New Brunswick. They've gone undefeated since the season started in September, never losing a game – or even a set – on their way to winning the provincial championship. Last year they were the U14 national champions but this year the best they can hope for is a tier three finish in 17th place because of how the tournament is seeded by Volleyball Canada. 'Just New Brunswick as a whole, there was only a maximum amount of points that you could accumulate,' said Amy Clinch, the executive director of Club Cyclones Volleyball. Amy said it wasn't enough to compete against the top teams in the country. The Cyclones filed an appeal that was denied by Volleyball Canada which sent a letter explaining the seeding system. 'What they're not seeing is their rules and policies are very unfair,' Amy said. 'They're not just. It doesn't make sense that provincial champions for New Brunswick don't get to compete like the rest of the country does.' Volleyball Canada said its decision was data-driven in its response and 'removes subjectivity from the process'. It said final placement from preceding nationals, i.e. 2024, is not calculated in the current seeding procedure. Amy said she would like to see the data. Cyclones Volleyball The 14UG Cyclones volleyball team is pictured following the 2024 nationals. (Source: Amy Clinch) 'The only response that we have gotten so far is they take historical data of how provinces succeed at a previous nationals going back six to 10 years,' said John Clinch, head coach of the undefeated 15U Cyclones team. He said the system prevents New Brunswick from ranking in the higher tiers. 'We know we have a very talented team,' John said. 'We just wanted the chance to compete at the tier one and tier two level.' Volleyball Canada has used the seeding system for a long time, but John said it isn't right. 'It's unfair to New Brunswick,' he said. The Cyclones were dominant in their national tournament last year, winning every set, but they won't have a chance to defend their title at 15U. 'They've made it clear that they don't take that into consideration,' Amy said. Cyclones Volleyball The 15UG Cyclones are pictured in an undated photo. (Source: Amy Clinch) Even though the girls on the team were crushed by the news, Amy said they're fighting for something bigger now. She said they will set an example and try to make changes for New Brunswick volleyball in the future. John said the response is big on social media and there are clubs in other provinces who think the system is problematic. 'At least the provincial champions should get the opportunity to play in that top 32.' John said the team knows it may not be their time but they are focusing their attention on creating change. Amy said every province and territory should be represented at the top tier. 'That's why we call it a national, right?' Volleyball Canada said there are 312 teams participating in this age group from across the country, and said the Cyclones are 'still ranked well ahead of the majority of the teams in this category.' For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
