'Dublin have to get Con on the pitch no matter what'
Dublin have it all to do if they're to survive Saturday's Battle of Newry with Derry and, according to former Offaly ace Nigel Dunne, they shouldn't dream of heading up north without the most potent weapon in their arsenal.
Con O'Callaghan missed Dublin's Croke Park loss to Armagh last time out having come off injured in their win over Galway in Salthill in round one of the group stage.
The Cuala ace's current injury status is unclear but, if he's fit enough to lace his boots by the weekend, Dunne reckons Dessie Farrell should ask him to suit up against Derry.
"Even if Con's injured – once he's somewhat able to play, I'd tog him out," Dunne told the RTÉ GAA podcast.
"He's their spiritual leader. They're a more confident group with Con just standing on the field. That's very simplistic, but I believe that in my heart of hearts.
"He calms everyone down, he composes the team. He even gives Dessie more confidence in the rest of the players.
"Whatever he has to do, Con has to be on that field at the weekend."
The task is simple for Derry. While a draw will do Dublin, the Oak Leafers have to win or their 2025 season is over. The claustrophobic confines of Páirc Esler should suit the Ulstermen, with an apparently vulnerable Dublin side very much there for the taking having already been beaten twice in the championship this summer.
Derry, on the other hand, have been leaning on some old war horses as they work their way back into the form that took them to an Allianz League title last season.
"The venue has significance here. It will suit Derry," Dunne argued. "They finished strong in the last 12 minutes against Armagh, they had a really good outing against Galway.
"They look to be coming back to their old form. Conor Glass and Brendan Rogers have grabbed the dressing room by the scruff of the neck and said 'lets get over this. Rory Gallagher's not coming back. We have to move on with our lives, we have to make sure Derry's competitive again'.
"If the game was in Croke Park, I'd be saying Dublin all day long. I really give Derry a massive chance. But Dublin look a bit vulnerable. They looked panicked the last day [against Armagh].
"There was a stretch in the second half where Dublin were doing what Dublin do, they were breaking at pace, they still have all these great athletes – but they were panicking and forcing two-point shots.
"They looked like a team that didn't trust themselves. They didn't trust themselves to chip away at a lead. They were anxious to get scores on the board. It just felt like they lacked confidence, which is an unusual thing to say.
"Even Dessie Farrell throwing the hat on the ground… Dublin are going to have to come out swinging – because you know Derry will."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
LIVE: Dublin v Limerick, Galway v Tipperary, Dublin v Cork
Good evening and welcome along to what is sure to be an exciting evening of action. There are three crunch games across the hurling and football championships that we will be keeping a close eye. In the hurling, it's quarter-final time as Limerick and Dublin enter the final minutes. Galway also face Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds. And in the football, it's Dublin v Cork in Croke Park in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final. The winners will go into the hat for Monday morning's quarter-final draw. Those two games get underway at 6.15pm and we will have team line-ups for you in the next few moments.
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Kildare knock Armagh out of All-Ireland ladies football championship
Kildare 1-12 Armagh 1-10 By Shaun Casey KILDARE CAUSED A massive upset in the TG4 All-Ireland senior championship, knocking Ulster champions Armagh out of the competition at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds to book their spot in the last eight. The visitors were sharper from start to finish and withstood a late Armagh onslaught to complete a famous victory. Armagh were without captain Clodagh McCambridge and Aoife McCoy, but Kildare were full value for their win. Three sensational saves from Anna Carr kept Armagh in touch during the first half, while the hosts only kicked 1-3 from play. Kildare on the other hand had nine different scorers and their defence was on top throughout. Caroline O'Hanlon swapped scores early on with Ruth Sargent and Gillian Wheeler while Aoife Rattigan and Niamh Henderson also cancelled each other out. Kildare then went two in front thanks to efforts from Lara Curran and Alannah Prizeman. Kildare were reduced to 14 players for the final ten minutes of the opening period, with Lisa Shaw picking up a yellow card. During that time, Niamh Reel and O'Hanlon posted frees while Ciara Wheeler pointed to see the sides level at the break at 0-6 apiece. Advertisement Kildare captain Laoise Lenehan extended the Lilywhites' lead from the second half throw in as Roisin Byrne and Reel (free) raised white flags at either end of the field. Both sides struggled to hit the target and passed up a series of scoring opportunities before Reel tapped over a free. Mia Ryan, kicking a score with her first touch after being introduced, and Henderson registered points at either end. Kildare then put a real stamp on proceedings by delivering the first goal of the game. Byrne did all the hard work before slipping the ball across to Lenehan, who tapped home the easiest of finishes. Lauren McConville dejected. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO Rattigan made it a five point game but Armagh could have had a goal of their own. Niamh Coleman set up Kelly Mallon, but the former captain's palmed effort was saved on the line by Mary Hulgraine. Emily Druse and Prizeman pointed before Armagh skipper Lauren McConville, played through by Henderson, handed her side a massive lifeline by smashing the ball to the bottom corner. Aimee Mackin, making her first appearance of the season, tapped over a free to leave one the margin but Kildare had the final say and Ryan's second of the day confirmed their victory. Scorers for Kildare: L Lenehan 1-1, A Prizeman 0-2 (2f), A Rattigan 0-2, M Ryan 0-2, R Sargent 0-1, C Wheeler 0-1, G Wheeler 0-1, R Byrne 0-1, L Curran 0-1. Scorers for Armagh: C O'Hanlon 0-4 (4f), L McConville 1-0, N Reel 0-2 (2f), N Henderson 0-2, E Druse 0-1, A Mackin 0-1. Kildare: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, M Doherty; L Shaw, L Murtagh, M Aspel; L Reilly, C Moran; C Wheeler, A Rattigan, L Curran; G Wheeler, A Prizeman, R Byrne. Subs: M Ryan for L Murtagh (43 mins), E Dowling for A Rattigan (50 mins), A Mahon for G Wheeler (57 mins). Armagh: A Carr; M Ferguson, C Towe, R Mulligan; E Druse, M McCann, G Ferguson; N Coleman, C O'Hanlon; L McConville, C McNally, B Mackin; K Mallon, N Henderson, N Reel. Subs: E Lavery for B Mackin (HT), E McConaghy for C McNally (40 mins), E McGeown for K Mallon (50 mins), A Mackin for N. Reel (55 mins). Referee: Eddie Cuthbert (Down). *****
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dublin hurling boss Niall Ó Ceallacháin reacts to shock victory over Limerick
Dublin hurling boss Niall Ó Ceallacháin hailed his side's shock All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Limerick - then urged his players to quickly move on. The man who guided Na Fianna to the All-Ireland club title in January has now led the Dubs into the last four of the championship for the first time since 2013. But he insists that won't matter unless the Blues do themselves justice there in a fortnight's time against Cork or Kilkenny. "How does it feel? Just really, really proud, to be honest," said Ó Ceallacháin after the 2-24 to 0-28 triumph that saw the Dubs prevail despite losing skipper Chris Crummey to a 15th minute red card for a high tackle. "It was a complicated game, but it was character that won that game. There were so many things against us, coming in we were absolutely written off by ye and everybody else. "To go down a man in those conditions so early, it's hard at this level to do that for 15 minutes - to do it for that length of time, I'd just be so proud of the lads. To be able to stay at it for so long in those conditions, you need to physically be able to do it. "But to be honest, most of it is deep in your stomach to have the character and the will and the hunger to do it. And that's what we're proud of. We knew the lads wouldn't falter. Anything can happen in a game, but what they won't do is fold. And so we knew we'd be in it." Dublin led by three points at the break but, as expected, Limerick rallied and Aidan O'Connor put them ahead. However the half-time arrival of big targetman John Hetherton made a massive difference. Hhe scored a brilliant goal, then provided the assist for a quick-fire second for Cian O'Sullivan, before Seán Brennan pulled off a superb save from Aaron Gillane. Asked if the win had sunk in, Ó Ceallacháin replied: "To answer honestly, it probably hasn't. All right, I get it - Limerick, for what they were and what they've won, going down to 14, an incredible achievement. "I know we'll look back on this day like that, but as regards to ourselves and the way we go at things, there's four days there and we've two down. We obviously had a huge challenge. The way things went in the Munster final, we knew it was going to be a huge day there today. "But it's two down, and we're out again two weeks' time. I don't mean to state the obvious, but that's the way we practice in the morning, and we look forward to a nice time. "So not to understate the day that's in it, I totally understand what we have achieved, but this will be long forgotten as well if we don't follow through in two weeks' time." The Dubs supremo says that his players knew that they were in the All-Ireland quarter-final to compete and to win. "So while this result will give us great confidence to kick on, we know we can do it anyway and the challenge for us now is that that's done now," he stressed. "This will be long forgotten if we don't follow through in a fortnight's time. Six teams were in this thing earlier on, there'll be four later on. We want to be into the (last) four in July and we are, and that's where we're looking now."
