Month: September 2021

THE 2018 PWC All-Star hurling team will be announced tomorrow night and we’ve taken a stab at picking our best 15 from the championship.

Eoin Murphy, John Conlon and Graeme Mulcahy all make our team.

You can find the full list of nominations here. Seven players from All-Ireland champions Limerick make the cut, while beaten finalists Galway have three in the side. Three players from Munster champions Cork make the cut, while Eoin Murphy is Kilkenny’s sole representative.

It’s a difficult team to pick and among the players unlucky to miss out are Limerick stopper Nickie Quaid, the Treaty’s Morrissey brothers Dan and Tom, Peter Duggan of Clare, Cork forward Seamus Harnedy and Kilkenny’s TJ Reid.

Let us know who we should have selected in comment section below.

The42′s All-Star hurling team 2018

1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)

2. Richie English (Limerick)
3. Daithi Burke (Galway)
4. Sean Finn (Limerick)

5. Padraic Mannion (Galway)
6. Declan Hannon (Limerick)
7. Diarmuid Byrnes (Limerick)

8. Cian Lynch (Limerick)
9. Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)

10. Graeme Mulcahy (Limerick)
11. Joe Canning (Galway)
12. Daniel Kearney (Cork)

13. Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
14. John Conlon (Clare)
15. Patrick Horgan (Cork)

-Compiled by Kevin O’Brien and Niall Kelly 

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FROM THE OUTSIDE looking in, Kevin Reidy knew that last year’s Connacht Ladies Senior Club Football Final – and the replay that followed – were crackers.

In the first instalment, Carnacon’s Cora Staunton scored 4-13 but the game still ended in a draw.

At the second time of asking, late goals from Staunton and Amy Dowling broke Kilkerrin-Clonberne hearts, just as they seemed on the verge of a famous win.

The expectation is that Carnacon and Kilkerrin-Clonberne could serve up another game for the ages, when they meet in Saturday’s provincial decider (Ballyhaunis, 3.30pm).

And former Galway senior boss Reidy, who’s now guiding the fortunes of Kilkerrin/Clonberne, says: “I heard they were two cracking games last year and from that I read about them, if this one is half as good, it should be another great advertisement for ladies football.

“You’ll have two very committed teams, as you have in every other province, going at each other for 60 minutes.

“We’re going to have a good game – and hopefully conditions are ideal.”

The vastly-experienced Reidy, a postman based in Tuam, guided Kilkerrin-Clonberne to six-in-a-row in Galway this year.

The club’s sights are now firmly set on winning a first Connacht crown since 2015, when they overwhelmed Leitrim’s Kiltubrid in the provincial showpiece.

And while they were close last year, and Carnacon went on to lift the All-Ireland crown, Reidy won’t hear of “sad stories” as far as Kilkerrin-Clonberne are concerned.

He says: “They still didn’t get over the line – that was the thing.

“Carnacon went on to win the All-Ireland (but) I’m not a believer in sad stories.

“You just have to get back at it again. We have a decent team but Carnacon are very, very strong as well.

“But we’ll give it a go – that’s all we can do.”

Reidy, who also took charge of the Tuam Stars minors this year (his home club), reveals that he had a number of approaches from men’s and ladies teams at the start of the year.

But when Kilkerrin-Clonberne stalwart Annette Clarke, Galway’s 2004 All-Ireland winning captain, contacted Reidy, he found the call difficult to ignore.

Kevin Reidy.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Reidy says: “I was asked would I get involved with a few teams, both men and ladies this year.

“I said no. Kilkerrin-Clonberne asked me as well and I said no. Annette Clarke made a call, I worked with ‘Clarkie’ and five or six more with Galway when I was there, and I said, ‘Ok, we’ll give this a go’.

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“I’m enjoying it. They’re very dedicated and committed, no drama or anything with them, they’re a pleasure to work with.

“In fairness, they didn’t dwell on last year. There was massive disappointment there, obviously, but you don’t hear players talking about it.

“The Tuesday after any game, they don’t talk about the last game, they keep looking forward, in fairness to them.

“That’s the way they are, they’re not ones for sitting down and feeling sorry for themselves if things don’t go right.”

While Kilkerrin-Clonberne are serious contenders, Reidy acknowledges the strength of Carnacon, who are aiming for three-in-a-row in Connacht, following a series of off-field concerns.

Reidy says: “In fairness, when everything was going on, it was nothing to do with us.

“We just take it one game at a time ourselves, and that’s been our motto all year.

“Now we’re playing them and while we played well in our Connacht semi-final (8-19 to 0-3 victory over Roscommon’s Kilbride), and went at them right from the start, it was no more than Carnacon in their (Mayo) final.”

Carnacon, the reigning Mayo, Connacht and All-Ireland champions, scored a 9-10 to 0-4 win against Knockmore in their recent county final, to book a safe passage through to the provincial decider – and another eagerly-anticipated clash with Kilkerrin-Clonberne.

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KILKENNY DEFENDER CILLIAN Buckley says he is ‘delighted’ to see manager Brian Cody staying on for his 21st season in charge of the senior hurlers.

Cody is the county’s longest serving and most successful manager having delivered 11 All-Ireland hurling titles over the last two decades, and Buckley is thrilled to have him at the helm again in 2019.

“We’re delighted,” he says.

“We weren’t far off this year in that Galway and Limerick were the two teams [that beat us] and ended up in the All-Ireland. We’re delighted that Brian is back to take it on again and [give us] more of the same.

We shouldn’t be far away. And be one of the teams contesting again.”

Cody elected not to discuss anything with the players before making a decision about his inter-county future last month, and as Buckley puts it, ‘we probably heard when ye heard.’

With the James Stephens clubman back on board, Kilkenny are now preparing for a trip to Australia where they will take on Galway in a battle for the Wild Geese Trophy later this month. 

Kilkenny ‘s Cillian Buckley and Galway’s Pádraic Mannion.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

The Cats booked their spot in this tie after winning the Division 1 National League title earlier this year, and while the visit Down Under might have a casual feel to it, Buckley says that the players have been instructed to compete for a victory.

This is partly the start of their 2019 campaign, and after bowing out of this year’s championship on the back of defeats to the eventual All-Ireland finalists, they’re eager to start making further strides for next season and get back to competing for All-Irelands again.

“We weren’t too long off the pitch and it was a nice cherry on top to have this to look forward to.

We’re arriving over mid-week and the first few days is about preparing for the game and it’s been laid down to us to go and try and win so we’re bringing as strong a panel as we can.

“We’re down a few guys with the intermediate and senior champions from this weekend but still have upwards of 30 guys going over to go and prepare to try and win this game. After that we’ll be able to go and enjoy ourselves.”

Kilkenny great Henry Shefflin has made a successful start to his management career after guiding his club Ballyhale Shamrocks to a senior Kilkenny crown in his first year in charge.

Buckley shared a dressing room with Shefflin in his final years before retiring from Kilkenny, and he identified strong management qualities in his teammate during those final stages of his playing career.

Ballyhale Shamrocks manager Henry Shefflin.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

“I was lucky enough to play with Henry in the last few years of his county career and I suppose he had, me being one of the younger players, had that natural leadership.

He was nearly a player-manager as such at times. He’s obviously brought that and Ballyhale have benefited from it. He’s obviously one of the locals out there in Ballyhale and he’s played with a lot of the players.

“Some of the younger lads who’ve boosted that Ballyhale team this year will obviously have a serious amount of respect for him. I think it was the natural next step for him. I’ve no doubt he’ll continue the early success that he’s had.

“He obviously has respect locally more than anywhere else, and that’s important when you’re a manager of a club team. He’s knitted together 30 guys there and that’s one of the primary responsibilities of a club manager. They reap the rewards because of it.”

Cillian Buckley was speaking at the the Australian Embassy in Dublin to mark the departure of the Kilkenny and Galway teams, who fly to Australia to take part in a match for the Wild Geese Trophy as part of the Sydney Irish Fest on 10/11 November.

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THREE DUBS ARE in the running for the big prize.

After Mayo’s Andy Moran and Lee Keegan took the honour over the last two years, the 2018 Footballer of the Year gong will head to a Dublin footballer for the first time since Jack McCaffrey’s win in 2015. 

Clontarf’s McCaffrey is back in the running, alongside Raheny midfielder Brian Fenton and Castleknock ace Ciaran Kilkenny. 

All three players were extremely influential during Dublin’s run to a fourth Sam Maguire in succession, but who deserves to claim the award?

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GALWAY DEFENDER PÁDRAIC Mannion has challenged the theory that a lack of player rotation may have contributed to Galway losing their All-Ireland crown this year.

The Tribesmen relinquished their title to Limerick earlier this year on the back of a championship campaign where Galway seemed to make a habit of stuttering over the line.

They needed a replay to retain their Leinster SHC title against Kilkenny, while their All-Ireland semi-final against Clare went to extra-time and a replay before Galway progressed to the final.

There was very little change in the Galway teams that started the 2017 and 2018 All-Ireland finals, but Mannion dismisses the suggestion that this was a factor in their struggles.

“I don’t think so, there was a good few changes on the panel.

“It wasn’t the exact same panel from last year, so we had added young fresh blood into the panel, it just worked out that the majority of the team was the same.

There was nobody complaining about that when we won 13 or 14 games in-a-row. We lost one game by a point, and then all of a sudden, people are saying we need to change our whole panel.

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“An awful lot of the season, an awful lot of our performances were very, very good, so I don’t think we need to go revamping everything that we’re doing.”

Remarking on the fatigue-factor, he added:

Pádraic Mannion in action for Galway in the 2018 All-Ireland final against Limerick.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

“We felt we were ready for the final and that we had prepared fairly well.

“Looking back, who knows? If we didn’t have a replay in the semi-final and had three weeks in, Limerick might have still beat us.

I’m not going to sit here making excuses and take it away from Limerick, they deserved to win it and fair play to them.”

On a personal level, 2018 was an exceptional season for Mannion. He was instrumental throughout the year from defence and even slotted into the sweeper role at times where he also excelled.

His performances have yielded another All-Star nomination as well as a spot in the short-list for the Hurler of the Year award.

He’s up against the reigning holder Joe Canning and Limerick’s midfield star Cian Lynch, but understandably, winning the gong would do very little to alleviate the pain of losing the All-Ireland final.

It’s a personal accolade but the All-Ireland final is different. We all play for medals really. It’s not something you aim for at the start of the year to get Player of the Year.

“I don’t think there’s too many players that do that but it’d be something you look back on and be very proud of when you’ve hung up the boots and something you could tell the grandkids about.

Mannion in the All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Clare.

Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

“There were some games where I’d be happy with my performance and some games you wouldn’t be. Even though you would be getting recognition and you think, ‘Jesus I actually made a lot of mistakes in that game.’

“But I suppose I’d be my own worst critic really so I suppose there’s no harm to have that either to keep your feet on the ground.”

Mannion returned to the club circuit with Ahascragh-Fohenagh following that All-Ireland disappointment and has also spent some time playing football with Caltra before the inter-county game comes calling again.

He stresses that Galway had no issue summoning the hunger to defend their All-Ireland crown this year, and they’ll be equally determined to reclaim the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2019.

“I suppose, with winning, we were nearly even hungrier the following year.

“A lot of lads had lost before between 2012 and 2015 and we’d come back very hungry the following years, so, I think it’s in our nature to be really competitive and every year you go out to go as far as you can in the championship.

I’m sure 2019 will be no different, not just for us but the eight or nine teams capable of winning it.”

Pádraic Mannion was speaking at the the Australian Embassy in Dublin to mark the departure of the Kilkenny and Galway teams, who fly to Australia to take part in a match for the Wild Geese Trophy as part of the Sydney Irish Fest on 10/11 November.

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CORK COUNTY BOARD have announced Kevin O’Donovan as the incoming secretary, taking over the position from the legendary figure of Frank Murphy.

O’Donovan, a representative of the Kilmeen Kilbree club in Rossmore, has served on the Board since 2015 and is the current vice-chairman. He has also worked at a local level as a Games Development Administrator and a Development Squads Administrator.   

He will officially move into his new role from 17 December.

It represents the start of a new era for Cork GAA as Murphy has been part of the fabric for 46 years, wielding huge influence on the administration across a variety of issues. 

A crucial part of the redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh in recent times, it was announced in late-2017 that Murphy would serve as secretary for just one more year before stepping away.    

The hiring process began in the summer and, at the behest of the County Board, was handled by the GAA’s HR department. With some high-level GAA personnel on the interview panel, O’Donovan proved to be their preferred candidate and the recommendation was accepted by the County Board Executive at a meeting earlier today.   

“Our priority is to maintain and improve the high level of engagement by clubs, players and volunteers whose work shapes and defines the organisation in the county, and to ensure that Cork GAA is equipped to grow and operate successfully into the future,” said chairperson Tracey Kennedy.

 The performances of all our county teams are also of paramount importance. The success of our development squad programme, in which Kevin has been pivotally involved, is vital to the creation of a pathway for success in the future. With reports due from our strategic plan implementation committee and our football planning committee in the near future, we will expect the new secretary to drive any recommendations approved by the County Board.”

“The management and optimisation of our magnificent new stadium, Páirc Ui Chaoimh, is also an important task in which our new secretary will have a role as a member of the Board of Directors.  It is imperative that the stadium fulfils it games promotion role as one of the premier GAA venues in the country.  It must also achieve the commercial and community objectives which have been set.”

Kennedy also paid tribute to Murphy’s remarkable allegiance to Cork GAA.   

“Kevin succeeds someone whose work on behalf of the GAA in Cork and nationally is immeasurable,” she said. 

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In his term of office as County Board secretary, Frank Murphy has overseen the growth of the GAA organisation in Cork, the phenomenal success of our inter-county teams, the radical redevelopment of club facilities, the development of three new stadiums, the achievement of unparalleled sponsorship support for our county teams and so much more.”

“Cork County Board looks forward to working with our new secretary as we enter a new phase in the life of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Cork and we wish him every success in his new role.” 

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THE RACE TO land Young Footballer of the Year tonight is expected to be a two-horse race between Kerry’s David Clifford and Dublin star Brian Howard.

Michael McKernan enjoyed a fine breakthrough campaign with Tyrone and made it all the way to the All-Ireland final, but Clifford and Howard were on a different level this season. 

Howard is two years older than Clifford but was outstanding on the half-forward line during his debut season for Dublin, while David Clifford finished as second top-scorer from play in the All-Ireland SFC with 3-15 to his name in five games.

Who should claim the prize?

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WILL JOE CANNING become the first player in history to win Hurler of the Year two seasons in succession?

He faces stiff competition from Galway team-mate Padraic Mannion, who enjoyed a stellar campaign on their run to the All-Ireland final, and Limerick’s midfield dynamo Cian Lynch.

Lynch, who won his first senior All-Ireland medal in September, is looking to become the first Limerick recipient of the award since Eamonn Grimes in 1973.

Who do you think should win the top prize?

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DUNLOY DEFEATED LOUGHGIEL Shamrocks in the Antrim minor hurling championship final in Ballycastle last weekend. 

Ciaran McKay may have ended up on the losing side, but there is no doubt he gave everything for the cause — as the footage below (sent in by Jerome Quinn) shows. 

Having lost possession, the young half-back finds himself empty-handed, but nevertheless continues to chase down Rory Mullan before attempting to block the shot.

Mullan’s stick then breaks in two over McKay’s wrist, and while he couldn’t prevent the point, it shows remarkable determination by the young hurler. 

Source: Jerome Quinn/YouTube

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