TV View: Football is outshining hurling - it's just a shame so much of the thrilling fare isn't on telly
Anyone who hadn't checked their telly listings on Saturday evening and assumed RTÉ2 would be bringing us live coverage of
Derry v Dublin
might have concluded that the stadium in Newry was looking a bit worse for wear.
What they were viewing, though, were the 1,300-year-old remains of a temple in the Inner Hebrides, which looked a bit like Casement Park in its current condition. No live football, then, just Ben Fogle visiting Scotland's Sacred Islands.
Need it be said, the divvying up of the weekend's fixtures – GAA+ looking after Saturday's games – didn't go down tremendously well, especially at a time when we expect to be able to see every sporting contest of note. For God's sake, even soccerball's Club World Cup, which is of no note at all, is being televised.
But sure look, the GAA is entitled to make a few bob with its streaming thingy, although it's all decidedly rough on folk who would get a better broadband signal inside the ruins of a 1,300-year-old Inner Hebrides temple than on their home patch.
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Another reason why it's a bad thing that chunks of this year's championship are being hidden from view? Consider this: 'Football is trumping hurling at the moment.'
So said Tomás Ó Sé, a touch provocatively, come Sunday when Joanne Cantwell asked him to sum up the quality of the fare thus far. If Dónal Óg Cusack challenges him to a duel at dawn, we'll just have to hope it's televised and not snapped up by GAA+.
Sunday's telly games – Monaghan v Down and
Donegal v Mayo
– strengthened Tomás's boast. This was especially the case for the latter contest, which produced such a thrilling finish that a Donegal cousin reckons his heart isn't the better for it.
Seeing as
Monaghan and Down were already assured of advancing to the knock-out phase of the championship
, viewers might well have been howling 'WHY IS THIS ON TELLY?' at their screens. But the prize for the winners was a fortnight off, rather than an all-or-nothing game in a week. So that was no small thing.
It made for thoroughly entertaining viewing. 'Tennis match-esque,' as co-commentator Enda McGinley put it. Five days after having to commentate on
Luxembourg and Ireland's 0-0 draw
, little wonder Des Curran sounded enthused. Sport, now and then, doesn't suck the life out of you.
Donegal v Mayo? A do-or-die affair.
And Mayo died on their feet after that second-half effort
, although, to a man, they fell to their knees when Ciarán Moore scored that point with the last kick of the game.
'A draw suits both teams,' Éamonn Fitzmaurice had noted earlier – the slight suggestion being that this could be the 2025 championship's equivalent of Ireland v the Netherlands from Italia '90. Moore put paid to that conspiracy theory with his winner. Mayo's summer over.
'What a win, what a game, what a battle,' said Éamonn. 'Glad to get over the line, hey,' said Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton. 'Heartbreak for Mayo,' said Cora Staunton, who sounded heartbroken herself.
'It was unreal,' said Tomás. 'Football is annihilating hurling at the moment,' he didn't say, but he was definitely thinking it.
Leinster's Dan Sheehan, James Ryan, Max Deegan and Tommy O'Brien celebrate with the URC trophy at Croke Park. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Speaking of annihilations.
Only 21 minutes into the URC final and Leinster were already 19-0 up on the Bulls
. Because of the weather, Stephen Ferris reckoned that was as good as a '40-0' lead.
Premier Sports host Ross Harries was largely responsible for the deluge. 'It looks to be clearing,' he said upon welcoming us to Croke Park. Ten minutes later, Harries, Simon 'Zeebs' Zebo, John Barclay and Ian Madigan were close enough to needing a submarine at the side of the pitch.
It was 32-7 in the end, Leinster captain Jack Conan saluting his comrades when he spoke to TG4's Marcus Horan after. 'Credit to the lads for putting their heads where you wouldn't put a shovel,' he said. 'I'm glad we showed up and performed and were able to silence a few critics.'
Speaking of whom. Well, one of them.
'I'm over the moon,' said Simon, through gritted teeth, with his fingers crossed behind his back while he chewed his gum. At which point he was jumped on by euphoric Leinster mascot Leo the Lion. Simon may have threatened to deck Leo.
Ross offered his commiserations to the Bulls. 'Three finals, three defeats, that's tough.'
'Zeebs said off camera that they're turning into the new Leinster,' said John.
Tough old evening for Zeebs.
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