GAA

Emlyn Mulligan has opted out of the Leitrim panel for the remainder of 2019 following their defeat to Roscommon in the opening round of the Connacht Senior Football Championship. The news was reported by the Irish Sun on Wednesday with the player confirming reports to the publication on Thursday. The Melvin Gaels club man did not start last weekend’s Connacht …

Kieran Molloy has been drafted into the Galway starting XV as they take on Sligo for a place in this year’s Connacht Senior Football final.   The AIB Club Footballer of the Year comes into the squad at right half-back with his Corofin club mate, Bernard Power, replacing Ruairi Lavelle in the Galway goals. The other two changes from the Tribesmen’s …

Cork county board have announced that Conor Counihan is set to be appointed to a key Gaelic football role within the county. The 2010 All-Ireland winning manager is to take on the newly-created role of project co-ordinator for football. It is a three-year role with the key focus being to implement the 2024 five-year plan for Cork football. An initiative …

Limerick begin the defence of their All-Ireland title on Sunday when they welcome Cork to the LIT Gaelic Grounds in the Munster Hurling Championship round-robin stages. 2018 will go down in history as one of the greatest ever summers of hurling with John Kiely’s men bringing an unmatched level of intensity to the table that saw them end a 45-year …

Rory Beggan is looking forward to Monaghan’s Ulster Senior Football Championship bow this weekend when they take on Cavan at Kingspan Breffni Park The two neighbouring counties lock horns on Saturday evening in their Ulster quarter-final with Beggan describing Cavan as their ‘tastiest’ rivals. “Yeah, it’s probably the tastiest rivalry we would have. A lot of people would work in …

Dublin selector Greg Kennedy is reportedly facing a four-week suspension following his interference in play during his side’s game against Kilkenny last weekend. According to a report in the Irish Examiner, Kennedy is facing the ban after the bizarre incident four minutes before half-time of Dublin’s clash with The Cats on Saturday. The selector intercepted a pass from TJ Reid …

Ryan McHugh has provided a positive update on the form of Paddy McBrearty since the return of the forward to the Donegal panel following a lengthy injury. The 25-year-old sustained a cruciate injury during last year’s Ulster Football Championship final against Fermanagh but returned to action for his club, Kilcar, last month, kicking four points against Glenswilly. McHugh maintains that …

The Ulster Championship made a welcome return to our screens on Sunday, albeit as part of a deferred broadcast where most people knew the outcome already. But let’s not get bogged down on the untapped resources many of our broadcasters are missing out on and instead take a second to compliment the football on show. It was supposed to be …

Much was made of Liam Sheedy’s decision to start 11 of the players from the All Ireland final in 2016, preferring their experience to the use of the U21 All Ireland winners from last year.  Of those 11 players, five were involved in 2010 when Tipperary last won the All Ireland under the Portroe man – Brendan Maher, Seamus Callanan, …

Cork’s 2019 Munster Hurling Championship campaign got off to a rocky start as they fell to a seven-point defeat against Tipperary in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Liam Sheedy’s men rolled back the years Leeside to record their first win in the province since 2016 much to the dismay of the current back-to-back Munster champions. Following Cork’s loss, Diarmuid O’Sullivan took umbrage …

It was a frantic start to the 2019 Hurling Championship with games across Munster, Leinster and the Joe McDonagh Cup at the weekend.  There were important wins for Clare and Tipperary in Munster while it was Galway and Kilkenny who walked away with the points in Leinster. We have chosen our top performers from across the various teams to feature …

James McCarthy has admitted that he would like to see former Dublin footballer Diarmuid Connolly returning to Jim Gavin’s panel. Earlier this month Gavin said that he is hopeful that the St Vincents’ sharpshooter will return to the squad for the season but no decision has been made yet. Speaking at the AIB Launch of the Senior Football Championship, McCarthy …

Cork manager John Meyler has admitted that his side must come away from Limerick next week with a win if they are to save their season.  The reigning Munster champions travel to the home of All Ireland champions in the second round of the Munster round-robin series following their 2-28 to 1-24 loss to Tipperary in Pairc Ui Chaoimh yesterday. …

The first season of this decade and the early clashes were promising so much. Perhaps it was a Saturday at the very start of June that was the best indicator of what was to come. Kildare were quietly fancied by some to take that Leinster title, but in their first outing sleep-walked into Brian White and Paddy Keenan and a …

There were serious questions about this Tipperary side going into their Munster Senior Championship opener against Cork in Pairc Ui Chaoimh today.  Given their early championship exit in 2018 and their mixed performances in the league, it was hard to gauge how this team compared to their other Munster counterparts. Questions were also asked about their older contingent, the heroes …

Tipperary have recorded their first victory in the Munster Championship since 2016 with a 2-28 to 1-24 win in Cork Here are the major talking points from the entertaining game in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. _____ 1. Tipperary’s Frantic Start Liam Sheedy’s side enjoyed a blistering start to this game with a goal after two minutes from captain, Seamus Callanan. Cork’s …

Bevan Duffy isn’t looking beyond Wexford, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Louth travel to the sunny south-east today for their Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter-final and despite the Wee County being favourites and the Yellowbellies having fallen on hard times, Duffy knows all too well that they can’t be looking past the Division 4 outfit. “It’s the first round …

As we prepare to deep-dive into the 2019 championship it’s important to remember that years like this don’t come around very often.  As Dublin wait in the wings preparing for their tilt at becoming the first-ever team to win five-in-a-row, we reflect on the last football side to attempt it. Of course, by now every man and his dog knows …