inter-county – GAA Zone

“I’ve got a sneaky feeling about Cork” – Fans make bold predictions for the weekend.

May 25, 2023 by Patrick Sharkey, posted in Antrim, Armagh, Connacht, Croke Park, Dublin, Favourites, football, Galway, Hurling, inter-county, interview, Podcast, Ulster

By Patrick Sharkey,

Episode 56: Westmeath aim to raid Orchard and send Saffrons packing – The GAA Zone podcast

Welcome to the GAA Zone podcast on Anchor FM! In Episode 56, we fall deep into the thrilling world of Gaelic football. Join us as we focus on an upcoming clash that implies intense competition and captivating action. In this episode, titled "Westmeath Aim to Raid Orchard and Send Saffrons Packing," we look at an exciting match on the horizon. Our expert hosts analyse the strategies, key players, and historical context surrounding the clash between Westmeath and their formidable opponents, Armagh (known as the Orchard County) and Antrim (the Saffron). With fighting discussions and insightful analysis, we provide an in-depth understanding of the game, making this episode a must-listen for both die-hard fans and newcomers to Gaelic football. Tune in to discover. — Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gaazone/message

Calling all sports enthusiasts and Gaelic football fans! Prepare to immerse yourself in the exciting world of Gaelic football with the latest episode of the GAA Zone podcast. In this thrilling instalment, we delve into the upcoming clash between Westmeath and two formidable opponents, Armagh (the Orchard County) and Antrim (the Saffron). Connect us as we uncover the strategies, key players, and intense rivalries that make this match a must-watch. The GAA have reiterated to units their rules.

In this highly anticipated episode, we bring you expert analysis, engaging discussions, and captivating insights into the world of Gaelic football. The expert this time round is Aaron Maher Prendergast.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or new to Gaelic football, this episode is packed with riveting content.

Don’t miss out on the latest episodes of the GAA Zone podcast. Mr Maher Prendergast gives his backing to Louth as he says: “Yeah, it’s a hard one to know to be honest with you, because Louth obviously coming in on the back of a 21-point defeat to, to Dublin, Whereas Cork is obviously coming in, I suppose, with the ehm, obviously they got beat by Clare, but Cork, Cork have probably been waiting in the, the wings, for a walk, they obviously would have known, they would have been loud, the team they would have been playing. Ehm, so yeah like I think I think it’ll be a close one”.

Maher Prendergast added: “I’ve got a sneaky feeling about Cork but I think one thing we know about Cork is that they tend to raise their game when they play better teams but when they play the likes of Louth or know clearly their levels just seem to drop and I just don’t have much confidence that Cork can do that but to be honest with you I’d fancy I’d actually fancy Clare or sorry I’d fancy Louth to get the victory ehm so I think they’re at home as well aren’t they so I think they will be too strong for ehm for four. I think Mickey Harte will get the troops back on the side. Go and see how Cork is able to deal with Sam Mulroy or some of the other lads there. So yeah, I’d fancy Louth to win it.” Subscribe.

Consolidate us on this audio journey as we explore the excitement, drama, and raw talent of Gaelic football. Aaron sees all that in the Armagh v Westmeath football clash saying: “Yeah I mean I don’t know if David Brady may be mentioned or maybe I suppose or maybe his plan was to actually mention the Westmeath hurlers and shock eh with Wexford and maybe that’s exactly what he was meant to say I don’t know but yeah I’d be very surprised to be honest with you to see you know sorry to wreck me cause any shocking and Armagh like they’re a division three side they barely won a game all year ehm won a couple of games in this mid-table threw a huge lead away versus Louth as well. Ehm they’ve been very poor all year Westmeath. They haven’t really kicked off the way we would have since eh Jack Cooney stepped away and Dessie Dolan came in. It just hasn’t been the same sort of Westmeath side so. Yeah, I just don’t see it. Like there’s a few things you could see cause a shock here or there like Sligo will come in good form against Kildare in fairness despite that kind of final off”.

“I think the league was a massive success” – Sambo believes division one is crucial for Antrim hurling.

August 11, 2022 by Patrick Sharkey, posted in Championship, Cork, Croke Park, inter-county, Kerry, leinster, Munster

By Patrick Sharkey,

Episode 56: Westmeath aim to raid Orchard and send Saffrons packing – The GAA Zone podcast

Plans for a live referee mic at next Sunday’s Wexford County senior hurling final as part of the TV coverage, have had to be shelved due to a directive from the GAA at the national level. The novel initiative was trialed last Sunday for the Kerry senior hurling final on TG4 and was praised by viewers as an innovative development. A TG4 spokesperson confirmed to The42 today that they were set to employ the live referee mic again in next Sunday’s decider in Wexford, but the GAA has stepped in.

Dan Quirke gave a moving tribute to his son as over 1,000 mourners gathered in the Tipperary village of Clonoulty for the 24-year-old hurler’s Requiem Mass. Dylan Quirke played in the league.

Hundreds of people have attended a vigil for Dillon Quirke as his local GAA club Clonoulty-Rossmore led the tributes. Antrim had a solid league campaign until the final day when they lost out to Quirke’s Tipperary with former Antrim senior hurler Terrance ‘Sambo’ McNaughton talking about the league campaign saying: “You know, the past league was fantastic, we got what we set out to do, the biggest thing was to stay in that league. To get exposed to that level of hurling for another year for them young lads, I think the league was a massive success for us and it wouldn’t have taken a whole lot more to be a whole lot better.” People attended the GAA grounds of the Tipperary club.

Cork suffered All-Ireland senior camogie final heartache for the second year in a row as a late Sophie O’Dwyer goal and a Denise Gaule point pushed the title beyond their grasp and into grateful Kilkenny hands with a 1-13 to 1-12 win at Croke Park on Sunday. Since then, Davy Fitz has left Cork.

On the Friday after Kerry’s All-Ireland triumph, Jack O’Connor hit the road home from Dingle to St Finian’s Bay in south Kerry and the official homecoming in Dromid. Someday Antrim could have similar celebrations and Mr.Naughton sees division one as important to achieving that saying: “It’s the most important thing. It’s premier, it’s ahead of everything. To me really, that is the way that we’re going to be able to close the gap and get exposed to that level and a consistent regular basis”.

Flo Roche, from Poppin tree in Ballymun, has vowed to make the most of every day she has left with her youngest son Calvin (22), who was born with a mental and physical disability. Dublin GAA helped his birthday celebrations and just like Antrim, they benefited from a full league campaign with McNaughton saying: “Yeah, I think this year was an important year. It’s every year, there is pressure like management is a results-based game like and he got some very good results and probably come towards the end of the year we were a wee bit start, stop. Eh, I have been on record it says that I thought that we had a real chance to take a skeleton in Cork. But it came a week after the Joe McDonagh which wasn’t ideal for us. And that there like the first half against Cork we were the better team. We missed a lot of simple chances. We could have been in six, seven points up.”

With the majority of top-tier hurling counties set to have a new manager in place for 2023, it has been an intercounty off-season of change. It won’t be a season for Antrim however who are coming back.

Erin’s Own GAA will hold their Golf Classic on Friday, August 19th in Castle comer GC. Antrim won the Joe McDonagh cup last year from the funding of clubs and Sambo talked about it saying: “I think we were favorites to win. Eh and we did win it obviously but the final like we started off If we were going to carry apart and McKenna then stopped. That is what it is meaning about the start”.

Cork 0-11 Galway 0-13 – Tribeswoman stop the Rebellion

August 7, 2022August 7, 2022 by Patrick Sharkey, posted in Championship, Connacht, Cork, Croke Park, Galway, Hurling, inter-county, Munster

By Patrick Sharkey in Croke Park,

Katie Gilchrist’s stunning display enabled Galway to return to the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior hurling championship after she scored five points during her side’s demolition of Cork in the sweltering heat of Drumcondra. A lot of credit has to go to Laura.

Galway opened the scoring thanks to points from Laura Loughnane and Olwen Rabbitte.

Joanne Casey then responded with a Cork point. Joanne Casey then got another point for Cork. However, Galway came back to steal the show with points from Katie Gilchrist and Niamh McPeake. Joanne Casey however bit back and got another point for the Rebelettes.

Lauren Homan then got a point to put the Leesiders a point behind. Katie Gilchrist then got herself another point to put Galway a point ahead. Joanne Casey then came out and put Cork level from a freekick. Katie Gilchrist put Galway back in the lead before Joanne leveled it for Cork again.

Cliona O’Callaghan then however got a point for the Tribeswoman. Katie Gilchrist extended the lead for the Galway side as they got their lead extended by two points.

Katelyn Hickey then managed to extend the marron and white lead. However, Cliona O’Callaghan then got another point on the stroke of halftime to keep Galway in firm control. Katie Gilchrist got back on the score sheet at halftime with a point. Lauren Homan came back then to get a Cork point. The halftime score read Cork 0-7 Galway 0-10. The battle was certainly of senior quality and many players on both teams would be assets for their counties at the senior level. A better variety of scorers has proved key for the Galway Intermediate Camogs. However, Cork was well set up in defense with their full-back Niamh.

It wasn’t until five minutes into the second half that a score was able to be recorded with Lauren Homan getting herself a point. Niamh McPeake then however responded for Galway with a point before Katie Gilchrist slotted it over the bar again. Rachel O’Shea then responded for Cork, however with a point to bring it back down to a three-point deficit with 43 minutes gone.

Joanne Casey then responded with a point from a free kick for Cork in the 50th minute.

Mullagh star Katie Manning got sent off in the 52nd minute due to a challenge on Niamh McPeake.

Joanne Casey was unable to convert her free kick in with 58 minutes gone and it all looked doom and gloom on Leeside. A yellow card was handed out to the Cork captain then.

Katie Gilchrist then got a point for Galway before she got subbed off with a minute of ordinary time left. Who else but Joanne Casey was going to get Cork the point to reduce the scoring deficit down to two points with a minute left? The full-time score read Cork 0-11 Galway 0-13. For the Rebelettes, it was a case of ever so far ever so close but they can be proud as they had a solid defense built around the fullback Niamh O Sullivan.

Cork Scorers: Joanne Casey (0-4, 0-3f), Lauren Homan (0-3), Rachel O’Shea (0-1)
Galway Scorers: Laura Loughnane (0-1), Olwen Rabbitte (0-1), Katie Gilchrist (0-2f, 0-3), Niamh McPeake (0-12), Cliona O’Callaghan (0-2), Katelyn Hickey (0-1)

Donegal 1-7 Meath 0-12- The Royal sink Donegal’s All Ireland final hopes

July 17, 2022July 17, 2022 by Patrick Sharkey, posted in Donegal, Donegal GAA, inter-county, leinster, lgfa, Meath, Termon, Ulster

By Patrick Sharkey in Croke Park,

Emma Duggan struck a monster free in the 55th minute to secure a landmark victory for Meath over Donegal and send them into the All-Ireland final. Meath appeared to be cruising into the decider against Kerry after leading by three points early in the second half before Donegal, aided by a Katy Heron point, fought back and looked set to force extra time. It seemed for all the world as though the white line fever that has been Meath’s downfall so often in recent years would afflict them again but Duggan held her nerve brilliantly to hit the winner into the breeze from some 20 meters with the game’s last score. Their July 31 meeting with Kerry will be the first final between the two counties.

The first shot of the game was taken by Geraldine McLauglin who got herself a point. Stacey Grimes responded with a Meath score, but it was quickly cancelled out by a Geraldine McLaughlin point. The first wide of the game came from the Meath forward Niamh OSullivan in the sixth minute. Donegal had the next shot which went off the post. Entrepreneur Orlagh Lally failed to get her shot over the bar for Meath then. Emma Duggan however came to the rescue for Meath or so they thought but her shot went wide. Aoibheann Leahy then tried a long-range effort for Meath which Roisin McCafferty had no problem saving for Donegal. Stacey Grimes then got the point to put Meath level.
Niamh Hegarty quickly broke into attack but her shot was not enough to trouble the scoreboard.

Niamh McLaughlin then played the role of captain fantastic when she was able to hit over the point to put the Northwest side into the lead. Niamh Mclaughlin then got a goal from the penalty to really put Donegal into first gear. Aoibhín Cleary then missed a chance for Meath to salvage something with five minutes in the first half.

Yyvonne Bonner knocked a little bit of momentum out of Donegal getting a wide, but Meath failed to capitalise on it with Vikki Wall hitting the ball into Emma Duggan before she missed it. Orlagh Lally knew how to show how it’s done when she got a much needed third point for Meath on the stroke of half-time. The half-time score read Donegal 1-3 Meath 0-3. It was by no means a high-scoring first half, but the Royals got taught a harsh lesson on how not scoring a goal could be detrimental.

Vickki Wall came out of the traps for Meath when her and Niamh O’Suillvan got points within the first minute of the second half for Meath to crawl back to a point. Then in typical Emma Duggan fashion she then got near the Donegal goal mouth two minutes later but calmly struck it over the bar to make it level. Stacey Grimes then got her first point of the second half six minutes into the half.

Niamh O’Sullivan tries to extend the Meath led to two points but it just wasn’t to be. Stacey Grimes however showed enough composure to slot over a free kick to extend the Meath lead by two points.

Karen Guthrie captured the Donegal meltdown when the Glenfin woman failed to kick the ball over the bar.

Donegal now needed a goal to come back into the game when Stacey Grimes got the fourth point got herself.

Donegal showed they weren’t finished yet when Karen Guthrie got their first point of the second half, 14 minutes into it. Sharpshooter Geraldine McLaughlin couldn’t have done the same afterward as her free kick fell short.

Glenfin had more luck however as Katy Heron then came out and got herself a point to bring it back to Donegal being a point down with 13 minutes to go.

Meath however changed personal in attack straight after with the more experienced Bridgetta Lynch replacing Kelsey Nesbit.

Yvonne Bonner then however was the Donegal hero with 10 minutes to go scoring the point to level it. It was getting intense for Meath as star player Vikki Wall got a yellow card at an important moment. The shooting boots stayed on Emma Duggan as she managed to get a point to put Meath ahead by a point with eight minutes left. Then out of nowhere Emma Duggan returned straight after to get a point again to put Meath two points ahead. Donegal however knew change was needed in attack when they brought on Susan White for Róisín Rodgers with less than five minutes to go.

Karen Guthrie then got the point to put Donegal a point behind with two minutes from a free kick.

Meath looked to have booked their place in the All Ireland final for the fourth year in a row when Emma Duggan got a last-minute point.

SCORERS

Meath: S Grimes 0-5 (4f), E Duggan 0-4 (1f), O Lally, V Wall, N O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Donegal: N McLaughlin 1-1 (1-0 pen), Y Bonner, G McLaughlin 0-2 each, K Guthrie (f), K Herron 0-1 each.

TEAMS

Meath: M McGuirk; S Ennis, MK Lynch, K Newe; A Leahy, E Troy, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, O Lally; M Thynne, E Duggan, K Nesbitt; V Wall, S Grimes, N O’Sullivan.

Subs: B Lynch for Nesbitt (47), O Byrne for O’Shaughnessy (53), E White for O’Sullivan (58), O Duff for Lynch (60).

Donegal: R McCafferty; E Gallagher, E McGinley, T Kennedy; S Twohig, Nicole McLaughlin, A Boyle Carr; K Herron, Niamh McLaughlin; Y Bonner, N Hegarty, R Rodgers; D Foley, T Hegarty, G McLaughlin.

Subs: K Guthrie for T Hegarty (30), S White for Rodgers (56).

Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).

Player of the Match: Donegal showed they didn’t come to Croke Park to make up the numbers with Deirdre Foley and Niamh Hegarty showed their Inishowen spirit by keeping the Meath defenders on their toes. Mary Kate Lynch and Kate Newe made sure that Donegal didn’t get near the Meath goal mouth but the player of the match has to be Emma Duggan. Duggan scored 0-4 but brought more than her shooting boots as she was the key player for Meath in the transition from defense to attack. Emma was always present on the 40-meter line when the Royal needed to attack. The Dunboyne woman was elusive and always maximized space and was efficient in her passing. Donegal became unsure whether to have a marker following the student at all times or occupy the space she vacated. This was the key reason the Leinster side could unlock the Donegal defense. Any individual battle wasn’t out of reach for Duggan either. Emma dominated.

“It was exciting” – Wexford hurlers reflect on a season like no other

July 9, 2022 by Patrick Sharkey, posted in Championship, Clare, Connacht, Croke Park, Galway, Hurling, inter-county, interview, Kerry, Kilkenny, leinster, Munster, Podcast, Westmeath, Wexford, Wexford

By Patrick Sharkey,

Episode 56: Westmeath aim to raid Orchard and send Saffrons packing – The GAA Zone podcast

GAA fans were left scratching their heads during the All-Ireland semi-final as a Shane Walsh point was inexplicably chalked off after the umpires consulted Hawkeye. With just minutes left in a very labored and low-scoring first half, Galway was 0-03 to 0-04 down and Shane Walsh had a free.

Galway are All-Ireland Minor champions for the first time in 15 years! Episode 46 of the GAA Zone podcast focused however on the first championship game for the senior hurlers who drew to Wexford and according to former Wexford hurler Richie Kehoe: “It was exciting alright but to be honest with you we didn’t hurl for 50 minutes of that game or even more. Galway was still looking all over the winners there being four points up after 66 minutes or something like that. Then it was all the excitement over Cooney taking the free and then the throw-in ball. I think Chinner gets a point from play and then he adds on another four frees. You know suddenly, we were looking like we were dead and buried. We ended up getting a draw and probably on the balance of play I say”.
Hawkeye will not be in use for the Dublin vs Kerry All-Ireland football semi-final after the GAA said the technology will be reviewed following an error. The last time a Dublin side wouldn’t have had use of Hawkeye in an important game would have been when the senior hurlers beat Wexford in the second round of the Leinster championship round-robin when Richie Kehoe said: “It was much the same. Wexford probably only hurled for 15 minutes in both of those games and like Dublin looked all over the winners again. I think they were six or seven points up after maybe 50 minutes. Donal Burke was absolutely on fire on placed balls and frees. Dublin was playing a short passing game as they be running through the middle at ease. They were finding their scores a little bit easier than ourselves.”

Galway saved their best for last as a magnificent display propelled them to the All-Ireland Under-17 football championship title at Dr. Hyde Park in Roscommon. The Wexford hurlers can relate to the Galway minor hurlers having had their biggest championship win in Laois with Mr. Kehoe saying: “Well it was needed. No disrespect to Laois but they were down several of their top players that day”. but it was a confidence builder for us. Plenty of lads got on the scoresheet. It was 6-21 to 0-12 points that day or something like that. Plenty of lads got game time. It was what we needed. You know it was what we needed to build the confidence a little bit to put in a performance which they did. Laois gave it all for maybe 20 minutes in that game and after that, we completely blew them out of the water”.

The All-Ireland senior football semi-final is part of a double-header of action, Kilkenny facing New York in the opening game in the All-Ireland junior decider. Kilkenny will be looking to cause an upset.
Watch Dublin vs Kerry in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final live on Sky Sports Arena from 3pm Sunday.
This is a separate Dublin side from the one that celebrated a sixth All-Ireland title in a row in 2020.