After what has seemed like an eternity we have had a really great weekend in the championship with more action than you would get on Super Tuesday in the US primaries.
I am a great fan of the qualifiers in both football and hurling when they are played on a sudden death basis and this weekend proved once again that when it really matter the best sides rise to the top.
The hurling championship looks like being the real deal after one good game and an absolute thriller at Thurles on Saturday.
The crowds were out in force too with almost a full house at Croke for the Leinster football final between Dublin and Wexford and Clones too was packed to the rafters for the Ulster final between Armagh and Fermanagh with the two sides having to do it again next weekend.
All this should silence the doomsayers about the drop in attendances in the earlier part of the season when the GAA public know there is a second chance.
When there really is something at stake the GAA people will come out, there is nothing like a hanging to focus people's attention and for many teams up and down the country this weekend's results have ended their county's interest in the championship for another year. But it was gripping stuff and it really is shaping up to one of the most open championships in years in both codes.
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Offaly, a candle in the wind?
Great to see Offaly back in contention in this year's Liam McCarthy even if I believe that their involvement will be snuffed out like a candle later this week when they take on Waterford in the qualifiers.
I'm still not sure whether what we saw on Saturday night was the beginning of the long road back for the Faithful County or just a horror picture for the long suffering Limerick hurling.
The Treatymen were only a shadow of the side which played with such guts and heart last season which took them all the way to the All-Ireland final.
However, it's clear that Limerick have gone backwards since then.
It was obvious last year that they were two to three players short of being a side capable of renewing their challenge and the fear then was once everyone had worked them out that they would exit the national stage as quickly as they had re-entered it.
Sadly that has been the case after a disastrous league campaign and once Offaly got stuck in to them and opened up a two goal lead it was hard to see where the inspiration would come from for a fight back.
It wasn't a lack of effort but their key forwards, Niall and Ollie Moran were having a nightmare and Brian Geary and Mark Foley endured a torrid time at half back.
Stephen Lucey too so often a key man at the heart of the Limerick defence has had a poor year being cleaned out by Clare in the Munster semi and conceding three goals to Joe Bergin on Saturday.
This is a huge setback for Limerick hurling and I can't see them coming back from this one in the near future.
Some of the older players will wonder if it's worth going on, the promise of good Under 21 sides early in the decade now long dissipated.
For Offaly, this result will be a huge lift in new boss Joe Dooley's first year in charge.
Leinster hurling needs a good Offaly side but Saturday night's performance will only mean anything if they can go out and put on a show against Waterford.
An Offaly win or a close contest would show that the gap between the Munster and Leinster championships may not be as pronounced as we have been led to believe in recent seasons.
I'm still not sure whether what we saw on Saturday night was the beginning of the long road back for the Faithful County or just a horror picture for the long suffering Limerick hurling.
The Treatymen were only a shadow of the side which played with such guts and heart last season which took them all the way to the All-Ireland final.
However, it's clear that Limerick have gone backwards since then.
It was obvious last year that they were two to three players short of being a side capable of renewing their challenge and the fear then was once everyone had worked them out that they would exit the national stage as quickly as they had re-entered it.
Sadly that has been the case after a disastrous league campaign and once Offaly got stuck in to them and opened up a two goal lead it was hard to see where the inspiration would come from for a fight back.
It wasn't a lack of effort but their key forwards, Niall and Ollie Moran were having a nightmare and Brian Geary and Mark Foley endured a torrid time at half back.
Stephen Lucey too so often a key man at the heart of the Limerick defence has had a poor year being cleaned out by Clare in the Munster semi and conceding three goals to Joe Bergin on Saturday.
This is a huge setback for Limerick hurling and I can't see them coming back from this one in the near future.
Some of the older players will wonder if it's worth going on, the promise of good Under 21 sides early in the decade now long dissipated.
For Offaly, this result will be a huge lift in new boss Joe Dooley's first year in charge.
Leinster hurling needs a good Offaly side but Saturday night's performance will only mean anything if they can go out and put on a show against Waterford.
An Offaly win or a close contest would show that the gap between the Munster and Leinster championships may not be as pronounced as we have been led to believe in recent seasons.
Clare remain a threat
Was disappointed with the Clare performance in Sunday's Munster hurling final but if the Banner men learn anything from the game they could be a threat yet and no one will enjoy playing them.
I thought the occasion got to some of the Clare players and it was a very nervous first half performance from their forwards in particular.
When Mark Flaherty missed his first shot from a free I had a feeling it was going to be one of those days for the Banner.
However, I have to confess that I didn't expect the likes of Niall Gilligan to be suffering from the shakes.
He spurned three out of four chances in the first half, one after he had done all the hard work to win the ball, shake off his man only to blaze a mishit shot wide.
Clare's series of early wides cost them the game, you could almost see the confidence draining out of them as Carmody, McMahon, Gilligan and Clancy all missed chances.
The failure too to deal with the threat posed by the Tipp three quarter line until the break left them too much to do in the second half.
The biggest difference between them and Tipp was that the Premier men seemed to be able to take their scores at will while Clare had to fight for every chance they got.
The weaknesses in the Banner defence exposed by Waterford and Limerick couldn't be covered up by a big score being posted at the other end.
However, they did put some of this right at the interval and Gerry Quinn's move to centre half certainly turned the game in their favour.
It was worrying however, that so much of the fight back was built upon the efforts of the veterans like Quinn, Colin Lynch, who was magnificent throughout, and Gilligan.
Maybe the tension of a first Munster final for the younger lads and the expectation this raised in the county took its toll but despite the horrific number of wides posted by the Banner if they can learn from the experience they will not fear anyone coming out of the next round of qualifiers.
We can only hope that the weekend's games do indeed signal a change in the hurling order and that Tipp and Clare will emerge once again as genuine contenders for the Liam McCarthy.
I thought the occasion got to some of the Clare players and it was a very nervous first half performance from their forwards in particular.
When Mark Flaherty missed his first shot from a free I had a feeling it was going to be one of those days for the Banner.
However, I have to confess that I didn't expect the likes of Niall Gilligan to be suffering from the shakes.
He spurned three out of four chances in the first half, one after he had done all the hard work to win the ball, shake off his man only to blaze a mishit shot wide.
Clare's series of early wides cost them the game, you could almost see the confidence draining out of them as Carmody, McMahon, Gilligan and Clancy all missed chances.
The failure too to deal with the threat posed by the Tipp three quarter line until the break left them too much to do in the second half.
The biggest difference between them and Tipp was that the Premier men seemed to be able to take their scores at will while Clare had to fight for every chance they got.
The weaknesses in the Banner defence exposed by Waterford and Limerick couldn't be covered up by a big score being posted at the other end.
However, they did put some of this right at the interval and Gerry Quinn's move to centre half certainly turned the game in their favour.
It was worrying however, that so much of the fight back was built upon the efforts of the veterans like Quinn, Colin Lynch, who was magnificent throughout, and Gilligan.
Maybe the tension of a first Munster final for the younger lads and the expectation this raised in the county took its toll but despite the horrific number of wides posted by the Banner if they can learn from the experience they will not fear anyone coming out of the next round of qualifiers.
We can only hope that the weekend's games do indeed signal a change in the hurling order and that Tipp and Clare will emerge once again as genuine contenders for the Liam McCarthy.
Munster win signal that Tipp have arrived
The Munster hurling final may not have delivered on its promise of a great contest between two sides hungry for honours but it has signalled the arrival of a Tipp side who were a joy to watch.
Liam Sheedy's team showed that their National League win was no one off and this young Premier side looked equipped to take on even the mighty Cats.
I have always believed there is no substitute for class and the Tipp lads showed that in abundance on Sunday.
They seemed to be able to take their scores at will from all angles but this was due to some great passing into the front three and great movement at pace off the ball by Lar Corbett in particular which created the openings for Tipp to finally put Clare to the sword.
Tipp to be honest looked good all over the field.
Their full back line gave Clare no quarter whatsoever and it was no fluke that Niall Gilligan only got into the game after half time when he moved out the field.
It was a tough day at the office for Gilligan and young Mark Flaherty in the opening half.
Eamon Corcoran put in another mighty performance in half back and while Clare had purple patches in the middle of the field Shane McGrath kept working hard and eventually came out on top.
Tipp enjoyed a great return from their half forwards Seamus Callinan and John O'Brien, their two goals were really nails in the Banner men's coffin.
Eoin Kelly put in another good solid performance and I think he has been helped by the fact that the team is no longer so dependent on him to bring home the bacon, Kelly can afford to play almost like a mere mortal these days and the team will come up with the goods.
Corbett is absolutely flying this season. He seems to be playing much more consistently and his constant probing is opening up gaps in any defence he has faced so far.
What most impressed me was the sheer quality of Tipp's striking and movement and they matched this with the toughness required to face strong opposition.
Of course they still have to face the Cats and will have to overcome another stiff test in the All-Ireland semi final no matter who comes through the qualifiers just to earn the right to take on the champions.
However, they look for the first time in years like the genuine article.
They are a young side and have a conveyor belt of young talent breaking through to suggest that they will be a force for a few years to come.
Hurling badly needs at least one team capable of a genuine rivalry with the Cats and the Premier County men look like the team best equipped to put in a sustained challenge, but try telling that to Galway!
Liam Sheedy's team showed that their National League win was no one off and this young Premier side looked equipped to take on even the mighty Cats.
I have always believed there is no substitute for class and the Tipp lads showed that in abundance on Sunday.
They seemed to be able to take their scores at will from all angles but this was due to some great passing into the front three and great movement at pace off the ball by Lar Corbett in particular which created the openings for Tipp to finally put Clare to the sword.
Tipp to be honest looked good all over the field.
Their full back line gave Clare no quarter whatsoever and it was no fluke that Niall Gilligan only got into the game after half time when he moved out the field.
It was a tough day at the office for Gilligan and young Mark Flaherty in the opening half.
Eamon Corcoran put in another mighty performance in half back and while Clare had purple patches in the middle of the field Shane McGrath kept working hard and eventually came out on top.
Tipp enjoyed a great return from their half forwards Seamus Callinan and John O'Brien, their two goals were really nails in the Banner men's coffin.
Eoin Kelly put in another good solid performance and I think he has been helped by the fact that the team is no longer so dependent on him to bring home the bacon, Kelly can afford to play almost like a mere mortal these days and the team will come up with the goods.
Corbett is absolutely flying this season. He seems to be playing much more consistently and his constant probing is opening up gaps in any defence he has faced so far.
What most impressed me was the sheer quality of Tipp's striking and movement and they matched this with the toughness required to face strong opposition.
Of course they still have to face the Cats and will have to overcome another stiff test in the All-Ireland semi final no matter who comes through the qualifiers just to earn the right to take on the champions.
However, they look for the first time in years like the genuine article.
They are a young side and have a conveyor belt of young talent breaking through to suggest that they will be a force for a few years to come.
Hurling badly needs at least one team capable of a genuine rivalry with the Cats and the Premier County men look like the team best equipped to put in a sustained challenge, but try telling that to Galway!
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Deane a Rebel with a Cause
Cork's failure to unearth any new talent in the forward line in the last two years has been put in stark relief by the return of Joe Deane and Neil Ronan to the full forward line with All-Ireland winner Niall McCarthy also returning as centre half forward for this weekend's clash with Dublin in the hurling qualifiers.
Manager Gerald McCarthy tried out Pa Cronin and Paudie O Súilleabháin in their Munster exit to Tipp but it was only when Deane came on to the field in the last ten minutes that Cork carried any real threat from pace up front.
It has been the failure to bring in new players into the full forward line over the last three seasons which has seen Cork lose ground to Brian Cody's Cats.
Kilkenny have brought in at least one new face each season and with the level of competition for places it has kept the Cats fresh and more importantly ruthless.
Cork on the other hand are still heavily dependent on the team which made the breakthrough in 1999.
The O'Connors, Joe Deane and Timmy McCarthy all played back then and if anything the Cork forward line is going backwards.
Ironically Cork have a problem of a different hue in their defence as two of Cork's half back line Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Ronan Curran are out with injury and what has been one of the most consistent lines in the country has an unfamiliar look to it with John Gardiner going into centre half.
It's probably as well for Cork that they are facing a demoralised Dublin who have suffered Senior, Under 21 and minor defeats in recent weeks.
The old guard up front will be good enough to see off the Metropolitans but while they have been great servants of their county I just don't believe that they have a collective last hurrah left in them, but then again I thought Kerry would see off their footballers too.
Manager Gerald McCarthy tried out Pa Cronin and Paudie O Súilleabháin in their Munster exit to Tipp but it was only when Deane came on to the field in the last ten minutes that Cork carried any real threat from pace up front.
It has been the failure to bring in new players into the full forward line over the last three seasons which has seen Cork lose ground to Brian Cody's Cats.
Kilkenny have brought in at least one new face each season and with the level of competition for places it has kept the Cats fresh and more importantly ruthless.
Cork on the other hand are still heavily dependent on the team which made the breakthrough in 1999.
The O'Connors, Joe Deane and Timmy McCarthy all played back then and if anything the Cork forward line is going backwards.
Ironically Cork have a problem of a different hue in their defence as two of Cork's half back line Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Ronan Curran are out with injury and what has been one of the most consistent lines in the country has an unfamiliar look to it with John Gardiner going into centre half.
It's probably as well for Cork that they are facing a demoralised Dublin who have suffered Senior, Under 21 and minor defeats in recent weeks.
The old guard up front will be good enough to see off the Metropolitans but while they have been great servants of their county I just don't believe that they have a collective last hurrah left in them, but then again I thought Kerry would see off their footballers too.
Monday, 7 July 2008
Humble pie over Munster final
Endured dog's abuse yesterday over the Cork Kerry game.
I take my hat off to the Rebels they were brilliant in the second half and it was a great contest, much better than I thought possible in Munster.
I don't particularly think Cork are a great side, they are workmanlike and they possess some good players but the ease with which Kerry took their defence apart in the first half should give Conor Counihan food for thought.
Kerry's second half collapse was their worst since Armagh bullied and played them off the park in 2002.
The fact that this latest reverse comes hot on the heels of their collapse to Derry in the National League final will be causing manager Pat O'Shea nightmares.
Paul Galvin is a huge loss as his competitiveness and combativeness in the middle of the field was sorely missed.
The sending off of Marc Ó Sé was another huge blow and I thought he was very unlucky.
However, Kerry were over run in the middle of the field and they find themselves with what could be a tricky qualifier given the quality of some of the sides in the draw.
The Kerry full back line was also over run in the second half with Michael Cussen giving them all sorts of problems.
But what does all this mean in the greater scheme of things?
Cork have had false dawns before in recent seasons collapsing at Croke Park, especially at the sight of the Kerry jersey, after a good Munster.
Some of the younger players have made progress but Canty's injury will be a loss as he is a great man marker.
Cork are also a bit like Donegal in that they can overdo the hand pass and it was only when they got the ball in early to the full forward line in the second half that their fortunes changed.
The win can do their confidence no end of good but Kerry basically humiliated almost the same bunch of players who came back into yesterday's game in last year's All-Ireland final.
I have no doubt too that the Kingdom's training is geared towards the latter part of the season.
However, Kerry's midfield looked tired in the second half and I don't think that the pairing of Ó Sé and Scanlon will cut it later in the season.
I think that Darragh Ó Sé's physical powers are in decline and while I think that Kerry will be a different beast in a few weeks time they need to improve dramatically.
I take my hat off to the Rebels they were brilliant in the second half and it was a great contest, much better than I thought possible in Munster.
I don't particularly think Cork are a great side, they are workmanlike and they possess some good players but the ease with which Kerry took their defence apart in the first half should give Conor Counihan food for thought.
Kerry's second half collapse was their worst since Armagh bullied and played them off the park in 2002.
The fact that this latest reverse comes hot on the heels of their collapse to Derry in the National League final will be causing manager Pat O'Shea nightmares.
Paul Galvin is a huge loss as his competitiveness and combativeness in the middle of the field was sorely missed.
The sending off of Marc Ó Sé was another huge blow and I thought he was very unlucky.
However, Kerry were over run in the middle of the field and they find themselves with what could be a tricky qualifier given the quality of some of the sides in the draw.
The Kerry full back line was also over run in the second half with Michael Cussen giving them all sorts of problems.
But what does all this mean in the greater scheme of things?
Cork have had false dawns before in recent seasons collapsing at Croke Park, especially at the sight of the Kerry jersey, after a good Munster.
Some of the younger players have made progress but Canty's injury will be a loss as he is a great man marker.
Cork are also a bit like Donegal in that they can overdo the hand pass and it was only when they got the ball in early to the full forward line in the second half that their fortunes changed.
The win can do their confidence no end of good but Kerry basically humiliated almost the same bunch of players who came back into yesterday's game in last year's All-Ireland final.
I have no doubt too that the Kingdom's training is geared towards the latter part of the season.
However, Kerry's midfield looked tired in the second half and I don't think that the pairing of Ó Sé and Scanlon will cut it later in the season.
I think that Darragh Ó Sé's physical powers are in decline and while I think that Kerry will be a different beast in a few weeks time they need to improve dramatically.
Codology of the highest order
Kilkenny manager Brian Cody is something else.
He has been at the helm of one of the most successful hurling teams in history and for ten of the last eleven years they have just sailed through Leinster.
Cody never puts a foot wrong in media when it comes to showing respect to the opposition no matter how poor but I wish just once that he would!
Yesterday he claimed after his team had just destroyed Wexford by 19 points that the Cats had been tested twice in Leinster this year against Offaly and Wexford!
That's Brian's codology at its best.
His team never had to get out of third gear at any stage of the game and when they upped their work rate they just blew the Model men away.
The current set-up allows the Cats to prepare for the All-Ireland series, a bit like Kerry do in Munster football, and they have hardly had to stretch themselves to make the All-Ireland semi finals.
Cody to his credit just gets on with it but it almost insults our intelligence to listen to the great man telling us his team had been tested, and yea pigs might fly!
The great thing about this Cats' team however, is that no matter what the system they would be in there at the death anyway as they are that good.
He has been at the helm of one of the most successful hurling teams in history and for ten of the last eleven years they have just sailed through Leinster.
Cody never puts a foot wrong in media when it comes to showing respect to the opposition no matter how poor but I wish just once that he would!
Yesterday he claimed after his team had just destroyed Wexford by 19 points that the Cats had been tested twice in Leinster this year against Offaly and Wexford!
That's Brian's codology at its best.
His team never had to get out of third gear at any stage of the game and when they upped their work rate they just blew the Model men away.
The current set-up allows the Cats to prepare for the All-Ireland series, a bit like Kerry do in Munster football, and they have hardly had to stretch themselves to make the All-Ireland semi finals.
Cody to his credit just gets on with it but it almost insults our intelligence to listen to the great man telling us his team had been tested, and yea pigs might fly!
The great thing about this Cats' team however, is that no matter what the system they would be in there at the death anyway as they are that good.
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