Six months on, former Derry Captain Chrissy McKaigue is content with his decision to retire
Hanging up his boots last year former Derry captain Chrissy McKaigue is still getting used to the idea of watching from the side-line but says he is still happy that he decided to call it a day.
Making his debut for his county team in 2008 against Monaghan, Chrissy has a list as long as his arm when it comes to achievements with Derry, including a national league medal and two Ulster championships medals and an All-Star in 2022.
However, when it comes the star has no time for regrets and concentrates more on the achievements he accomplished along the way. Chrissy McKaigue in action for Derry. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Sitting down with Extra as part of the launch of this year's Electric Ireland's Minor Championship Chrissy is still immersed in the sport.
'I'm so, heavily involved with GAA still in the day job. I work in a secondary school, coordinating Gaelic games. Not only just boys, Gaelic games, the girls, camogie and ladies football is a heavy part of my remit also. 'I'm back playing football for Slaughtneil, my club and doing bits and pieces of media too regarding GAA.'
When it comes to throwing on the county jersey though he said 'I'm content to walk away from Inter-county and I'm actually enjoying the freedom of not having it and put my energy into other facets of it.' Chrissy McKaigue at the 2025 Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Championship launch. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
'And like, I didn't want to be that way, but it's just the way I was and It is, it's, it's, it wears heavy after a while and it certainly wears weighs heavy after 16 or 17 years, let me tell you.'
The former defender who has come up against some of the best of the best over the years such as Dublin's Diarmuid Connolly and Kerry's David Clifford says it is relief to step away from the intensity of the game.
'I don't have be thinking about football or the pressures of inter-county football, because I don't take any pride in saying this, like I find it really difficult to switch off from the game. When the season started in inter-county until it finished, it probably captured too much of my thinking,' he said. Chrissy McKaigue tussling with Kerry's David Clifford. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Admitting that doing this for several years can take its toll on your mind.
Looking forward to this year's season, the Derry man has full confidence in his former team believing that Sam is up for grabs from several contenders.
'It's been so long since we've had so many teams jockeying for possession in the race for Sam,' and this year all bets are off to who will be bringing the trophy home.
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Irish Examiner
35 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
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Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
GAA Championships: All today's football and hurling action as it happened
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Here's Tipperary's goal scored by Oisin O'Donoghue: The Sunday Game on Twitter / X Oisín O'Donoghue's introduction proves inspired, with the Tipperary full-forward finding the back of the net after an expansive attack that tears Galway apart📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer📱 Updates - The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 21, 2025 21 minutes ago 61' Dublin 1-17 Cork 1-15 Into the business end of this preliminary quarter-final and Dublin have opened up a two-point lead. Cormac Costello and Paddy Small, the Ballymun Kickhams man is up to 0-4 for the day, widens the void between themselves and the Rebels. Lee Gannon has been replaced by Tom Lahiff, while Seah Powter is in for Matty Taylor. 25 minutes ago 58' Dublin 1-15 Cork 1-15 Scores are coming thick and fast now! Sean Bugler fires a point over at the Hill 16 end before Cathail O'Mahony replicates what Chris Og Jones did a minute earlier and punches a point over the black spot. 28 minutes ago 56' Dublin 1-14 Cork 1-14 Cormac Costello and Paddy Small register two points in as many minutes, but we are level for the fifth time this evening as Chris Og Jones slips in along the end line and fists a point over Stephen Cluxton's bar. 30 minutes ago All-Ireland SHC – Quarter finals: Galway 1-14 Tipperary 1-26 (59 mins) GOAL! Tom Monaghan gets a second point in as many minutes before Noel McGrath and Jake Morris reply with two fine scores. A minute later, Tipperary work the sliotar up to Oisin O'Donoghue who rounds Daithi Burke and gives Darach Fahy the eyes as he sticks it into the lower left-corner. 32 minutes ago 53' Dublin 1-12 Cork 1-13 The Rebels are back in the lead! 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Lee Gannon and Niall Scully raised the umpire's white flag in quick succession from close range with some direct running at the Cork back line. 48 minutes ago All-Ireland SHC – Quarter finals: Galway 1-12 Tipperary 0-18 (41 mins) GOAL! Jake Morris and Cathal Mannion tapped over scores before Colm Molloy rattled the net. Rhys Shelly stood no chance this time - the wing-forward skipped his shot off the turf and beneath the Tipp keeper's legs to the net. Andrew Ormond replies with a point to settle the Premier County nerves in an instant. The Sunday Game on Twitter / X Colm Molloy grabs a fine goal for Galway from an acute angle📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer📱 Updates - The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 21, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. 50 minutes ago 37' Dublin 0-10 Cork 1-08 Brian O'Driscoll has his pocket picked by Ciaran Kilkenny who released Eoin Murchan. The Na Fianna man is fouled and Cormac Costello fires over the free from close range. 52 minutes ago 36' We are back for the second-half in Croker! No changes to report on from either team here, meanwhile the hurling has resumed between Tipperary and Galway in the Gaelic Grounds. There's no half-time substitutions there either. 55 minutes ago WATCH: A wonderful save from Rhys Shelly kept Galway at bay in the first-half The Sunday Game on Twitter / X Tipperary's Rhys Shelly pulls off a brilliant save from Kevin Cooney, and it's the Premier County that lead Galway by 0-16 to 0-11 at the break. 📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer📱 Updates - The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 21, 2025 Live Blog Software
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Brave Cork performance comes up short as Dublin find a way to secure win
All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-fin al: Dublin 1-19 (1-1-18) Cork 1-16 (1-0-16) Brave and bold, Cork went out of the championship on their shields against a Con O'Callaghan-less Dublin in this evening's All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in Croke Park. Cork led as late as the 53rd minute and were level five minutes later but ultimately ran out of juice as Dublin secured a place in next weekend's last-eight fixtures. Whether their captain O'Callaghan will be fit for that remains to be seen but here their workmanlike efforts were sufficient to keep John Cleary's side at bay. Trailing from the 11th minute, Dublin shot back into the lead in the 45th when Brian Howard took receipt of an indirect Ciarán Kilkenny free-kick, weaved his way through and smashed the ball to the top left corner of Micheál Aodh Martin's net. That had followed scores from Lee Gannon and Niall Scully when it appeared Dublin had made the necessary adjustments at half-time to wrestle back the kick-out advantage. However, Cork's response was convincing. Colm O'Callaghan split the posts for a second time in the game and then Chris Óg Jones in the 48th minute showed some great stopping strength to point and the visitors were only one behind, 1-11 to 1-12. Cork's rearguard combined well to keep out a Gannon goal chance in the 46th minute and not only did they go level via Mark Cronin, they went ahead when Seán Walsh arced one over in the 53rd minute. The lead returned to Dublin as Paddy Small followed up a Cormac Costello score but the teams would be level another couple of times in the following couple of minutes, Jones and substitute Cathail O'Mahony fisted over Cork's contributions. Scores from Costello and Small gave Dublin some breathing space. The margin was one in the 63rd minute when Cronin converted a free won by Seán Powter but it was cancelled out by one by Costello. A Seán McDonnell two-point free attempt dropped short and substitute Luke Breathnach gave Dublin more of a cushion with a 69th minute point. Dublin started as they meant to go on, kicking four points from play in the first five minutes to no response from Cork. Paddy Small sent over the first couple followed by Ciarán Kilkenny and Seán Bugler. Cork were being hounded out of retrieving their kick-outs but when they eventually got the hang of them, they settled. Dublin didn't score again until the 17th minute by which time Cork had produced 1-3. From play and a placed ball, Cronin sent over two scores in the space of as many minutes and Jones's 11th minute goal came off the kick-out from Cronin's second score. Brian Hurley forced Eoin Murchan into putting the ball out of play, took the resultant kick quickly into an unmarked Ian Maguire who squared it to an on-running Jones for an exquisite finish. Hurley landed his first point in the 16th minute and while John Small responded soon afterwards the Cork captain was again finding space for himself to score a minute later. The teams exchanged scores one after another up to the half-hour mark when Micheál Aodh Martin punted over a 45. That came after Stephen Cluxton parried away a Jones's strike after he had escaped Murchan to collect a fine pass from Cronin. For all their early prowess, Dublin were finding Cork's defenders a more miserly crew as the half wore on. Neil Lordan had his difficulties with Small in the opening exchanges but recovered well to handle him towards half-time. Jones added to his tally with a first point in the 34th minute and Cork were four to the good prior to Bugler sending over a two-pointer to give Dublin a slightly flattering two-point deficit at the interval, 0-9 to 1-8. Scorers for Dublin: S. Bugler (1tp), C. Costello (2 frees (0-5 each); B. Howard (1-0); P. Small (0-4); C. Kilkenny, J. Small, L. Gannon, N. Scully, L. Breathnach (0-1 each). Scorers for Cork: C. Jones (1-3); M. Cronin (0-5, 2 frees); B. Hurley, C. O'Callaghan (0-2 each); I Maguire, M.A. Martin, S. Walsh (45), C. O'Mahony (0-1 each). DUBLIN: S. Cluxton; E. Murchan, D. Byrne, S. MacMahon; B. Howard, J. Small, L. Gannon; P. Ó Cofaigh-Byrne, C. Kilkenny (c); K. McGinnis, S. Bugler, N. Scully; P. Small, L. O'Dell, C. Costello. Subs: C. Murphy for L. O'Dell (45); L. Breathnach for K. McGinnis (56); T. Lahiff for L. Gannon (59); N. Doran for N. Scully (68). CORK: M.A. Martin; M. Shanley, D. O'Mahony, N. Lordan; B. O'Driscoll, S. Brady, M. Taylor; P. Walsh, C. O'Callaghan; I. Maguire, S. Walsh, S. McDonnell; M. Cronin, B. Hurley (c), C. Jones. Subs: E. McSweeney for P. Walsh (48); C. Cahalane for S. McDonnell (temp 49-58); C. O'Mahony for B. Hurley (55); S. Powter for M. Taylor (58); L. Fahy for N. Lordan (63). Referee: S. Hurson (Tyrone).
