Month: September 2021

THE SHORTLIST FOR RTÉ Sports Person of the Year is packed with worthy contenders.  Today, Kevin O’Brien argues in favour of All-Ireland hurling winner, Seamus Callanan…

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

2016 was undoubtedly a great sporting year for Ireland, as we enjoyed success in soccer, rugby, MMA, rowing and sailing on the international stage.

When we look inward to our national sport, nobody exploded into life on the big day quite like Seamus Callanan. He, of course, wasn’t the only athlete to save his best performance until last, but Callanan finally crowned his body of work over the past three seasons with the holy grail.

A bit-part player when Tipperary last lifted the Liam MacCarthy in 2010, Callanan’s temperament for the big occasion was questioned inside his own county.

The Drom-Inch forward morphed into the Premier’s go-to attacker in the years since.

This year Callanan was forced to adapt his game, as opponents focused on cutting out his goal-scoring threat. So Callanan was happy to rely on his point-scoring ability and he flourished, particularly when the right ball was played in.

His 13-point salvo in the final win over Kilkenny, including nine from play, was the finest free-scoring display by any GAA player this season and one of the greatest ever by any player in an All-Ireland final.

Only three players in the history have scored more in a hurling decider (Eddie Keher, Nicky English and Mick Ahern), and the last man to do so was English in 1989.

After being overlooked for Hurler of the Year for a third year running, Callanan deserves his place on this shortlist.

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Tipperary All-Ireland minor winner Killian O’Dwyer is part of the Thurles CBS side.

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

2015 CHAMPIONS THURLES CBS have completed the line-up for this season’s Dr Harty Cup quarter-finals after their second round victory this afternoon in Dundrum over Abbey CBS.

The all-Tipperary clash saw Thurles CBS run out five-point victors by 0-14 to 0-9 in a game that had been re-arranged from earlier in the month when it was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

The draw will take place tomorrow for the quarter-finals along with the Corn Uí Mhuirí draw.

Thurles CBS will join fellow Tipperary schools Our Ladys Templemore and Nenagh CBS while there are also three Cork schools in the mix in Christian Brothers College, Midleton CBS and St Colman’s Fermoy.

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Limerick Árdscoil Rís – champions in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2016 – and Waterford’s De La Salle – victors in 2007 and 2008 – round off the quarter-final line-up.

The Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-final line-up will see five Kerry schools in contention along with two from Cork and Clare’s St Flannan’s.

Dr Harty Cup quarter-finalists

1. Thurles CBS
2. Our Ladys Templemore
3. Nenagh CBS
4. Árdscoil Rís
5. De La Salle Waterford
6. Christians Brother College Cork
7. Midleton CBS
8. St Colman’s Fermoy

Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-finalists

1. St Flannan’s (Ennis)
2. PS Chorcha Dhuibhne
3. St Brendan’s (Killarney)
4. IS Killorglin
5. Tralee CBS
6. St Francis College Rochestown
7. Coláiste Chriost Rí
8. Mercy Mounthawk Tralee

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Home

Source: Presseye/Brian Little/INPHO

• Neil Seery’s UFC final fight before retirement is set to take place early next year.
• Pat Hickey’s passport has reportedly been returned to him and he could be on his way back to Ireland.
• Government funding for the GPA will continue over the next three years with mental health programmes currently in the pipeline. 
• A long list of injuries at Connacht has brought the club’s finances into focus. 

Away

Northampton’s Dylan Hartley.

Source: PA Wire/PA Images

• England captain Dylan Hartley has received a six-week suspension for his challenge on Sean O’Brien last weekend.
• Governing body World Rugby has announced a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to reckless tackles.
• Former League of Ireland player Ken Oman has been handed a six-match ban and a £100 fine for a deliberate elbow off the ball which knocked out two of an opponent’s teeth.
• A penalty has been awarded by video replay for the first time ever in a Fifa competition.
• The UFC will introduce a women’s featherweight division next year with Holly Holm set to fight in the inaugural title bout.

The Best Thing We Shared

83-year-old Frank Colgan of Stillorgan RFC defying his age with this sweet kick from the tee.

On The Record

Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko.

Source: John Walton

World heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua thinks beating former champion Wladimir Klitschko will make him a legend of the sport.

A knockout is the cherry on top but to win, whichever way, is very possible. This is a fight that can change one from champion to legend overnight. It will draw masses of attention and they are the type of fights that can change the way people view you.”

The Fixture List

Source: Steve Paston

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• Munster take on Leinster in the hurling Interprovincial final tomorrow evening. Throw-in at Semple Stadium is down for 7.45pm.
• The William Hill World Darts Championship also starts tomorrow at Alexandra Palace.

Showbiz, Baby!

LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant getting into the Christmas spirit with some nice baskets.

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IF GAA CHIEFS were looking for evidence that the interprovincial competitions have a viable and long-term future, attendances at last weekend’s semi-finals in both codes will have left them disappointed.

It’s estimated that 75 people were present in Nenagh for the Connacht-Leinster hurling semi-final, with the figure at Semple Stadium for the Munster-Ulster clash on Sunday barely topping the 100 mark.

Barely 100 turned out at Parnell Park to watch Ulster beat Munster in the football semi-finals, with another paltry attendance present at the same venue for the Connacht’s victory against Leinster.

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

Those poor numbers beg the question – have the interprovincial competitions run their course?

The players involved continue to insist that it’s an honour to represent their respective provinces, and with to continue doing so.

But spectators are generally voting with their feet, and GAA officials are sure to examine the viability of the format in the New Year, before deciding whether to continue with the competition once known as the Railway Cup.

This week, Leinster hurling manager Ciarán Hetherton questioned why spectators are being charged into the games, while Munster hurling selector and former Waterford star John Mullane suggested donating the proceeds of tomorrow evening’s final against Leinster to charity.

Munster manager Anthony Daly, meanwhile, is proposing that the interprovincial finals be taken abroad, on tours of duty with the Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire Cups.

But what do you think? Is there any way to revive the ailing interprovincial series? 

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DESSIE FARRELL WILL bring his 14-year stint as CEO of the Gaelic Players Association to an end tomorrow but he insists his decision is not linked to a desire to enter senior inter-county management with Dublin.

It was announced in September that Farrell would be stepping down from his role with the inter-county players body.

He is currently the Dublin U21 football manager, guiding the county to success at that level in the 2014 All-Ireland final along with the last three Leinster titles.

It’s a level of success that has seen Farrell tipped as a potential future Dublin senior manager but he does not envisage himself being able to give that kind of commitment.

“Some people have suggested that that’s the reason that I might have decided to step down. It’s definitely not the reason at all.

“I’m happy to be involved with the U21′s and that’s a big enough commitment as it is. It’s completely unrelated to the decision to step aside.

“No I can’t, to be honest (see himself going senior). I think the commitment is too great.

“I’ve been happy coaching young players and being involved in young players over the years. U21 is probably the limit for me.”

Could he see himself being tempted otherwise if the Dublin senior job was offered?

“No, I don’t think so.”

Dessie Farrell at July’s announcement of the GAA’s new agreement with the GPA

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

Farrell expects his replacement to revealed in early January. He has consulted with the sub-committee to find his successor and believes it is ‘likely (to) be a pre-requisite’ that the new CEO is a former county GAA player.

“After being in the role for the last 14 years, you’d have a fair handle on what’s involved and possibly the type of individual who would fit the bill there.

“I’ve made my views known in terms of the workload and the skills needed to a sub group of our board who have been charged with implementing the process and making a recommendation for the new appointment to the board.

“We’d hope to have an announcement very early in the new year as to who the replacement will be.

“I think that (county experience) would most likely be a pre-requisite at this point.

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Farrell reveals he has no concrete future plans.

“(I’m) formally finished at Christmas but (it’s) Friday actually, because I’m taking a few days holiday next week.

“I don’t have a new job lined up. A lot of people are surprised at that. I’m probably just going to set something up on my own initially.

“Work on a couple of projects. That will give me the time and flexibility to figure out what career path I hope to pursue in the future.

“Possibly (in sport) and maybe a little bit outside it as well. I should have that figured out at this stage, but I don’t.

“But I’ll get to do that over the Christmas.”

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DERRY CHAMPIONS SLAUGHTNEIL will be bidding for a remarkable All-Ireland senior club double in 2017.

And they are hoping for a little help from the GAA fixture-makers to give them a chance to prepare properly for that.

As it stands Slaughtneil face Dublin’s Cuala in an All-Ireland hurling semi-final on Saturday 4 February before they are scheduled to take on Dublin’s St Vincent’s in an All-Ireland football semi-final on Saturday 11 February.

But the Derry kingpins – who won a historic Ulster double this season – are hoping that the GAA will give them a two-week break between those massive games for their club.

“Logistically it’s not easy to plan either in terms of how you prepare but we’d be hopeful that we can put a measure in place with the GAA that they could at least have a two-week break between the hurling and football All-Ireland semi-finals,” says Slaughtneil’s Chrissy McKaigue, the Derry senior who is a lynchpin for both club sides.

“Obviously we’d be hopeful but we have to prepare for the worst case scenario too. Whatever will be, will be. But as I said before, we would like to think that Croke Park or the CCCC or whoever the organising body is, would help us out a wee bit.

“Asking for two weeks between All-Ireland semi-finals is not a huge ask really. I don’t think it would upset the calendar too much.

“There’s five weeks to the final after the All-Ireland semi-finals, I don’t think a week delay would hurt anyone.”

Chrissy McKaigue lifts the Ulster senior club hurling trophy

Source: Presseye/John McIlwaine/INPHO

McKaigue is keen to stress that they are not complaining about the unique situation they face.

Slaughtneil are only the second club ever to be planning an assault on both All-Ireland senior campaigns with Cork’s St Finbarr’s having won the football title in 1981 while they were denied the hurling crown at the final stage.

“I’m very careful to look at them kind of things because they look like excuses and Slaughtneil don’t do excuses. We’ve played in a lot of big games in the last four years, won a few, lost a few. We’ve learned a lot from them.

“So we’ll just prepare the best we can and follow the model that we have done in balancing the two codes and we’ll see where that takes us.

“I’m very reluctant and very careful not to complain too much because we’re in a very privileged position but we would like a wee bit of help from the governing body.”

Francis McEldowney lifts the cup after the Ulster football final

Source: Presseye//INPHO

27 year-old McKaigue is currently involved with the new Club Players Association, which will be officially launched in January. He believes that a fixture change like this would deliver a positive message.

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“Unfortunately common sense isn’t always a hot topic in GAA I think. I’m very proud to be part of the Club Players Assocation too and our biggest task there is to try and fix the fixture chaos.

“It wants to promote all its games in the clubs, what better message than giving Slaughtneil a week leeway after an All-Ireland hurling semi-final to prepare for their football. It would put out a really strong message that the GAA wants to promote all its games.”

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DIARMUID ‘GIZZY’ LYNG proved himself time and time again on the hurling field for Wexford but he is also clearly an excellent public speaker.

Lyng is well known for being quite a character off the field, a deep thinker who has a love of travel and hurling.

You may well recall Lyng from his previous video, ‘Hurling around the World’ which featured Brian O’Driscoll, Paul McGrath and a host of inter-county hurlers and camogie players.

In his latest video, Lyng is speaking candidly at a conference called TEDx Wexford where he describes the importance of a hurl to him, the memories it holds and the power that it gives.

He also explains how hurling helped him through some dark times, yet it was something that held him back from developing away from the game.

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I also see our history, our heritage and our language. It has sheltered me as well. I also see something of a vehicle, something that I used to paper over the cracks of my own self development. I see the times where I really struggled to grab a sense of myself, where I used it as a crutch in the absence of my own self-acceptance.

His speech certainly offers plenty of food for thought. Well worth a watch.

Source: TEDx Talks/YouTube

TED is a non-profit organisation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading and began at a conference in California in 1984.

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THE SHORTLIST FOR RTÉ Sports Person of the Year is packed with worthy contenders.

Emma Duffy endorses the claims of 11-time All-Ireland champion and TG4/LGFA senior Player of the Year Bríd Stack.

Bríd Stack celebrates Cork’s All-Ireland win at the final whistle.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

CORK HAVE BEEN unstoppable when it comes to Ladies football for as long as most people remember, winning 11 All-Ireland titles in the past 12 years. This year was their sixth in a row.

Remarkably, full-back Bríd Stack has played every minute of the 11 triumphs, and has been a central part to their every success over the years.

She’s won seven All-Stars in the Cork jersey – her most recent this year – along with being named the 2016 senior Player of the Year.

And deservedly so. Stack was immense in this year’s All-Ireland final. She was rock solid at full-back, exerting a big influence on the game. Stack marked fellow Player of the Year nominee and Dublin star Sinead Ahearne to within an inch, only allowing her two inevitable points from play.

Stack kept a close eye on Cora Staunton in the league final.

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

Not only has she shone in Croke Park, she was pivotal throughout the year too. Stack has always been a driving force from full-back for her side, reliable as ever.

She was named player of the match and scored two points from the full-back line in their All-Ireland quarter-final against Cavan. She kept Monaghan’s nifty full-forward line at bay in the semi-final.

Earlier in the summer, she stood out in their Munster final win over Kerry. Having scored seven points against the Rebels in the second round of the championship, Louise Ní Mhuirceartaigh managed just a single point in the final, as Stack monitored her closely.

She kept Cora Staunton much quieter than usual as Cork won their fourth successive Lidl Ladies National League Division 1 title in May.

Source: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

Stack is not only a master in defence – tackling, hounding and blocking – but she also knows a thing or two about getting up the field and getting her name on the scoresheet.

Not only does she have raw talent and ability, Stack’s incredible work rate and commitment to her county must be recognised, hence she is beyond deserving of this award.

2016 senior Player of the Year. Seven All-Stars. 11 All-Ireland titles in 12 years. And she’s been on the pitch and a central part to each and every one of those.

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Dublin and Mayo players before the drawn All-Ireland final.

GAA INTER-COUNTY players got a major boost yesterday with the announcement that the funding they receive from the Government is set for a major increase.

A new €6.9 million package over the next three years was agreed with the Gaelic Players Association, who will then distribute the money to players.

The GPA will get €1.6 million in 2017, €2.3 million in 2018 and €3 million in 2019. The grants are distributed in the early months of the year in recognition of the previous season.

But what is it going to be worth to each individual GAA inter-county players?

Here’s a breakdown of what players will receive for every campaign.

• 2015 season – Minimum €290 to Maximum €667
• 2016 season – Minimum €517 to Maximum €1187
• 2017 season – Minimum €745 to Maximum €1707
• 2018 season – Minimum €970 to Maximum €2227

The grants operate on a sliding scale, depending on performance in the championship. For example counties in a lower-tier hurling competition like the Lory Meagher Cup will receive the minimum payment with the All-Ireland finalists set to receive the maximum payment.

There’s a significant increase for those finalists with the Kilkenny and Galway hurlers along with the Dublin and Kerry footballers from the 2015 finals having received €667, whereas the 2018 All-Ireland finalists will receive €2227.

Galway and Kilkenny players before the 2015 All-Ireland hurling final

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

The new deal brings GAA players back closer to the level of €3.5 million funding per year that they received back in 2007 when the deal was first struck.

The economic crash inevitably lead to the package being reduced and GPA CEO Dessie Farrell, who steps down from his role shortly, explained how the scheme was nearly scrapped.

“There was a chance (the scheme would be binned). I think a previous generation of Department of Sport officials were never completely enamoured with this scheme so there was always a huge degree of resistance and when the recession came there was probably an opportunity there some would have considered to do away with he scheme altogether. but we kept it alive.

“I think that principle was very important to us to keep it alive because the parity of esteem issue for our players in relation to other athletes, professionals sports people or high performance athletes who receive funding through the carding system.

“And in the middle was this body of inter-county players who make such a contribution economically and socially and every other way and yet we weren’t being recognised by the state or supported by the state in any way.”

GPA CEO Dessie Farrell

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

The deal does fall short of the €7 million per year that the GPA had sought yet Farrell explained that figure included funding for the WGPA and other social programmes.

The WGPA scheme which caters for camogie and ladies football players is separately funded, and is worth €500,000 per year.

Farrell illustrated the worth of the deal to players.

“A lot of players out there are under serious financial difficulty. You need to be reacting and evolving in that way to meet the needs of our players on a constant basis.

“We went on a tour earlier this year visiting different squads and having regional meetings. The one issue that came back was while it’s great to have support and player development programs that we have in place but if players are struggling hand to mouth they are not going to engage with that.

“They are distracted and their priorities lie elsewhere. So being able to put in practical support for young students who can’t get a part time job due to their commitment the games or for more mature players who have young families and have mortgages and bills, to pay any level of support is very welcome.”

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Brian McGuigan and Mickey Harte after the 2008 All-Ireland football final.

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

HE WON THREE All-Ireland senior medals during his inter-county days before retiring in 2011 and now Brian McGuigan has called time on his club career as well.

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A star in the Tyrone attack during their All-Ireland victories, McGuigan revealed today in his column in Gaelic Life that he is hanging up his boots with his club Ardboe.

But McGuigan is still going to have a major role with his club next year as he has revealed that he will be the club’s senior football manager in 2017.

Ardboe last won the Tyrone senior football championship in 1998 while they lost out narrowly by a point in the 2009 final to Dromore.

This year they reached the quarter-finals of the Tyrone senior championship before bowing out against Dromore.

Brian and Tommy McGuigan lift Sam Maguire in September 2008

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

McGuigan was an integral part of Tyrone’s success, playing in their All-Ireland senior final victories in 2003, 2005 and 2008.

He also enjoyed All-Ireland glory at minor (1998) and U21 (2000 and 2001) level while in the senior grade, he won four Ulster medals and two National Leagues.

In 2003 McGuigan was named centre-forward on the All-Star team.

You can read Brian McGuigan’s full column from today’s Gaelic Life here.

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