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Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Is Tipperary-Galway the most undervalued rivalry in the GAA?
The Tipperary-Galway rivalry may have reached its zenith in the late '80s, but it's arguably never been as wholesome as it is now. Granted, the hostility that existed between the rival managements, players and supporters in that 1987-91 period, all of which drained away in time, added a kick which sweetened the dish, but what has broken out since has made for one of the most balanced, and arguably most undervalued, rivalry in the GAA. Tipperary finished Galway's greatest team with a runaway victory in the 1991 All-Ireland semi-final, but in the 12 Championship games that they have played since, they have been separated by three points or less on 11 occasions. The exception was a qualifier tie in 2014 in which Tipp outscored Galway by 2-10 to 0-1 in the last 20 minutes to win by nine in the end, but they were still in deep trouble early in the second half. The result saved Eamon O'Shea from a swift exit as Tipperary manager. Micheál Donoghue was part of his coaching set up at the time. Now it's the opposite, with Donoghue in his second spell managing Galway and O'Shea having been retained from Henry Shefflin's outgoing regime last year, with his son Donal also on the panel. Such cross-pollination between the two counties would have been unthinkable 35 years ago. After the 1993 All-Ireland semi-final, won by Galway more comfortably than the two-point margin suggested, there was a seven-year gap to their next Championship meeting and the links to the '80s had been all but severed. Back doors and changing systems have allowed them to meet more often and earlier in the Championship, with Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final their 12th meeting in all since 2000. Of the previous 11, Galway have won six and Tipperary five. Five of them have been decided by just a single point. Three of those were in successive classic All-Ireland semi-finals from 2015-17. Tipperary have won four All-Irelands in this century compared to just one for Galway, who have so often flattered to deceive, but they always seem to turn up against the only one of the three traditional powers with which they share a county boundary. Tipp won 14 of their first 15 Championship meetings between 1888 and 1971, but this fixture will never see dominance like that again. Perhaps neither are frontline All-Ireland contenders right now, but it's one of the few GAA rivalries that as good as guarantees a closely-fought contest every time. And Saturday evening should be no different.
The 42
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
A New York All-Ireland final and Croke Park championship meetings - Kerry and Cavan's history
WHEN CAVAN ARRIVE in Killarney this Saturday, it will mark the first championship fixtures between the sides since 2013. They don't share a storied rivalry. There's not that much in the archives. Prior to that six-point win for Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-final, they collided in the 1997 All-Ireland semi-final where the Kingdom also triumphed. And then there's the 1947 All-Ireland final which has become a major part of GAA lore on account of the fact it was held at a baseball field in New York. It was certainly an unusual choice of setting, and it would not be the last time the Big Apple would host a Kerry-Cavan clash. The meetings may have been infrequent, but the ones that have occurred amount to a rich and fascinating history between the counties. **** 1947 All-Ireland Final, Polo Grounds, New York: Cavan 2-11 Kerry 2-7 We begin with the most documented tie of the lot. The motivation for bringing the All-Ireland final to New York was to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Great Famine and honour the Irish diaspora who fled to America as a result. A famous encounter followed, immortalised by the words 'just five minutes more' from legendary broadcaster Micheál O'Heir. There had been technical difficulties involved in organising the radio coverage at the Polo Grounds for people back home in Ireland, and O'Heir made the plea to prevent anyone on the airwaves who might disconnect the line. 📸 Members of the Cavan & Kerry squads raise a toast aboard the RMS Queen Mary as they sail home from NYC after the All-Ireland Football Final of 1947 🚢 🗽 🤝 #GAA #Sportsmanship #Legends 💙🤍 💛💚 — John Joe O'Reilly Memorial Monument (@johnjoememorial) October 1, 2022 Footage of that game has been well preserved. Images have been refined and enhanced. One particular shot captures some of the Kerry and Cavan contingent enjoying a drink together on board the Queen Mary while travelling back to Ireland. A book by Mick Dunne called 'The Star Spangled Final' is one such resource that captures the game and the events around it. Another is 'The Fairytale In New York' by Anglo Celt editor, Paul Fitzpatrick. He explains how Cavan played against Kerry at a tournament in London earlier that year, around the same time that Congress passed a vote to play the All-Ireland final in New York. 'As they were coming off the field, the Cavan and Kerry lads were saying, 'Look we'll see ye in New York in September.' 'Simon Deignan was playing at wing-back for Cavan, and went on to win three All-Irelands. He was also a referee. He refereed the Munster final between Kerry and Cork. Then a couple of months later, he was playing against Kerry in the final,' Fitzpatrick says. Air travel was in its infancy in those days but the teams travelled by plane. It took 29 hours to reach the States, according to Fitzpatrick, and the flight was 'unbelievably hairy.' Members of that Cavan team won two more All-Irelands in 1948 and 1952, but have remarked to Fitzpatrick that the '47 outshone them both. The experience exposed them to another world of living. 'The New York thing was just insane, really. You still had rationing in Ireland as well. The Cavan players all said that they couldn't believe that everywhere was lit up, everywhere had full electricity, the shops were full of food.' Advertisement The baseball grounds were not well received by the players as there was very little grass, making the surface difficult to play on. Another inconvenience was the mound of earth in the field where pitchers throw the ball during baseball games. But Cavan still prevailed by four points to become All-Ireland champions having lost the 1943 and 1945 finals. The team was packed with interesting characters, including Willie Doonan who served for the British Army during the war. 'They came from all walks of life,' Fitzpatrick continues. 'John Joe Reilly at centre-back was a commandant in the Irish Army and was nailed on certain future Chief of Staff in the Army before he died. And then you had John Wilson, who went on to become Táinaiste. 'Mick Higgins was born in New York the day that Michael Collins was shot.' The Fairytale of New York by Paul Fitzpatrick. In 1997, 50 years after the 1947 encounter, Kerry and Cavan returned to New York to play out a National League game in Randall's Island. Kerry won 1-12 to 0-8 with Maurice Fitzgerald accounting for 1-10 of the Kerry tally. A tribute match to mark the anniversary of another tribute match. A huge Cavan crowd travelled to honour a team that had just given them a summer to remember. 1997 All-Ireland semi-final: Kerry 1-17 Cavan 1-10 In 1997, Cavan ended a 28-year famine for an Ulster senior title. Their U21s had won a provincial crown the previous year before going on to contest the All-Ireland final. Interestingly, Kerry were their opponents as Cavan lost out by four points. Martin McHugh, an All-Ireland winner with Donegal in 1992, had just come on board as the new Cavan manager. And after losing the 1995 Ulster final, he helped them conquer the province with a one-point win over a Derry team that had won the 1993 All-Ireland. 'Cavan had lost the first round in Ulster seven years in a row, and then McHugh came in,' Fitzpatrick explains. 'The buzz in the county was insane. 'It probably inspired a full generation. In 2020 [when Cavan won the Ulster final], they didn't get that, because obviously it was the height of Covid so kids didn't get to go to the games. They didn't have a proper homecoming or anything.' Kerry were experiencing a drought of their own in those times. They were into their 11th year without a visit from Sam Maguire. That's a lifetime in their world. And when Fintan Cahill crashed home a goal just before half-time, Cavan were 1-7 to 0-9 in front. They could have been even further in front had Peter Reilly's shot not been saved by Declan O'Keeffe. However, Kerry survived the scare and a Mike Frank Russell goal shortly after his introduction from the bench propelled the Kingdom to a 1-17 to 1-10 victory. 'Cavan lost by seven points, but really that flattered Kerry,' says Fitzpatrick. 'They added on a few scores at the very end of the game. It was Maurice Fitzgerald who beat Cavan that day. A couple mark their wedding day by attending the 1997 All-Ireland semi-final between Kerry and Cavan. 'It was seen as a disappointment, because I think even at the time, people knew it was an unbelievable opportunity. Kerry were nervy enough, hadn't won in 11 years. At that stage, Cavan still had an insane support. Related Reads 'You couldn't be happy with Saturday' - Paul Geaney gets ready for charge at Sam Maguire New kickout mark penalty to apply in this weekend's inter-county senior games How will eliminated teams reflect on 2025 Sam Maguire exit? 'There was a couple who got married that day, and they got Seán Quinn's helicopter up to Croke Park and went to the game in their wedding clothes. It's unbelievable. The place went bonkers that time.' 2013 All-Ireland Quarter-Final: Kerry 0-15 Cavan 0-9 In the aftermath of 1997, Fitzpatrick felt that the prevailing sense in the county was that Cavan had arrived. Or, to put it another way, they had returned. Cavan were a dominant force in Ulster during the early 20th century, and 1997 inspired belief that more success would follow. But aside from contesting the 2001 Ulster final, Cavan drifted. Fitzpatrick points to the years between 2009 and 2012 as being particularly grim. 'A bad culture' developed as the county became Division 3 strugglers. But then a shift occurred in 2011. A first Ulster minor title in 37 years was followed by an Ulster U21 four-in-a-row between 2011 and 2014. Some of those emerging stars lined out for Cavan when they arrived in Croke Park to take on Kerry. Among them was Killian Clarke who was named at corner-back while Dara McVeety was added as a late change. Many predicted the breakthrough would be further down the line, but Fitzpatrick disagreed. '2013 was probably as good a chance as any because Monaghan beat them by a point in the Ulster semi-final and [Monaghan] beat Donegal in the final. We're all looking ahead to the years to come and, in actual fact, that was a big opportunity.' After being diverted down the old qualifier route that season, Cavan picked up wins against Fermanagh, Derry (after extra-time) and London. They also defeated Armagh in the Ulster championship earlier in the summer. But by half-time against Kerry, they were 0-11 0-2 down. Cavan's Killian Clarke tackling Kerry forward Darran O'Sullivan in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO They added seven points in the second half with a more spirited display but were wasteful in front of the posts. Kerry always had them at arm's length. Terry Hyland was the Cavan manager at the time, and his defensive style of football didn't suit some of the Cavan purists. 'It made sense because a bit like the current team, they were leaking so many scores,' says Fitzpatrick. 'The problem Terry had was trying to improve that style as the years went on. He went too far the other way. The supporters were getting a bit pissed off in 2013. 'A friend of mine was in the front row of the Hogan stand [for the Kerry game]. Ronan Flanagan went to take a sideline ball and he kicked it back to [Alan] O'Mara in goals, which obviously would be common enough. This ould fella in front of him, leaned across the barrier and threw his program at Flanagan. This was like a Cavan old timer who was still in the catch and kick mode.' Despite the optimism around their successful youths, the titles didn't pour in. They would have to wait until that famous Covid Ulster final in 2020. Players like Pádraig Falkner, Gerard Smith and Ciarán Brady featured along with Clarke and McVeety. A reward at last. There is some disappointment around what those players didn't win, but there is plenty of gratitude for what they did deliver for the county. 'There's huge respect for those fellas at the same time. They brought us from the bottom to Division 1. We're still reliant on probably eight lads that have 100 caps on the senior team at the minute.' Another meeting with Kerry awaits this weekend. Another instalment in the archives.
Irish Examiner
17 hours ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Tributes to Kerry farmer and All-Ireland sheep shearing champion who died in farm fatality
Tributes are being paid to a multiple All-Ireland sheep shearing champion who was killed in a farming accident in Co Kerry on Tuesday. She has been named locally as Breda Lynch, 64, from Bonane, Kenmare, who lost her life following a fatal farm accident in Kerry. The fatal workplace accident occurred in Bonane on Tuesday evening at 5pm. Ms Lynch was an All-Ireland sheep shearing champion on several occasions. Speaking at an event in 2019 about her career, she said she wasn't sure how many All-Irelands she had won. "I definitely have 12 but it could be 14." She added: "I didn't get a trophy every year I won so I don't actually know how many I have won. "I won the All-Ireland Ladies Championship on Sunday with the electric shears, and I had only gone up as a spectator. I've been ill for a few years, and at one point I thought I'd never compete again. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I also got a certificate for Outstanding Service to the Sheep-Shearing Industry''. Paying tribute, local councillor Dan McCarthy, who is also the manager of Kenmare Mart, said there was huge shock in the area at Breda's death. "She was very well-known in this area and beyond." A spokesperson for An Garda Siochána confirmed they attended the accident and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. 'Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a work-related incident that occurred in Bonane, Kenmare, Co Kerry, on Tuesday June 17, 2025, at approximately 5pm.' Gardaí said an examination of the scene was conducted. The Coroner for Kerry has been notified and a file will be prepared for the Coroner's Court. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) was notified and is investigating the matter. The HSA has also confirmed an investigation is under way. No funeral arrangements have been made as yet.
The Irish Sun
18 hours ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
‘Huge shock' – Tributes paid to All-Ireland sheep shearing champion who died in fatal farming accident in Kerry
TRIBUTES have been paid to an All-Ireland sheep shearing champion who was killed in a farming accident in Co Kerry. Breda Lynch, 64, from Bonane, Kenmare, Co Advertisement The fatal work-place accident occurred in Bonane on June 17, at around 5pm. Breda Lynch was an Speaking at an event in 2019 about her career she said she wasn't sure how many All-Irelands she had won. Breda said: "I definitely have 12 but it could be 14." Advertisement Read more in News She added: "I didn't get a trophy every year I won so I don't actually know how many I have won. "I won the All-Ireland Ladies Championship on Sunday with the electric shears, and I had only gone up as a spectator. "I've been ill for a few years, and at one point I thought I'd never compete again. It was a spur of the moment thing. I also got a certificate for 'Outstanding Service to the Sheep-Shearing Industry'." Paying tribute local Independent Councillor Dan McCarthy, who is also the manager of Kenmare Mart, said: "There is huge shock in the area at the passing Breda. She was very well-known in this area and beyond." Advertisement Most read in Irish News Breaking Exclusive A spokesperson for They said: "Gardai and emergency services attended the scene of a work-related incident that occurred in Bonane, Kenmare, Co. Kerry on Tuesday June 17, 2025 at approximately 5pm." Gardai and RSA measures aimed at driving crash deaths on Irish roads Gardai said an examination of the scene was conducted. The Coroner for Kerry has been notified and a file will be prepared for the Coroner's Advertisement The The HSA have also confirmed an investigation is underway. No funeral arrangements have been made as yet. 1 Breda Lynch, 64, lost her life following a fatal farm accident in Kerry on Tuesday last Credit: Journalist Collect Advertisement
The 42
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
'I'd have him as up there as one of the best ever that's come out of Galway'
WITH 12 MINUTES left in the Leinster hurling final, Galway were staring at the abyss. The 2-18 to 0-12 deficit spoke volumes about their second-half struggles. The game had spun away from them as Kilkenny took control. A Galway revival looked unlikely, yet it materialised. They got the gap down to four, and while Kilkenny pulled clear at the finish, that phase of play gave Galway something to cling to. In that sense, they will pin their hopes on Cathal Mannion. He orchestrated their comeback with the class of his score under pressure next to the Cusack Stand, his ingenuity to tap a close-range free to Brian Concannon for a goal, and his reliability from placed balls. It was a continuation of Mannion's 2025 form. A decade on from his breakthrough All-Star winning season, his importance to Galway has grown even more. In Leinster fired 0-10 the first day out against Kilkenny, 2-8 the next day against Offaly, a mammoth 0-17 haul against Wexford, 0-8 against Dublin, and his 0-11 tally against Kilkenny in the final. Overall in the province he struck 2-54 (1-19 from play) across five games. Entering Saturday's quarter-final against Tipperary, team-mate Fintan Burke knows how valuable Mannion is. Advertisement 'He was probably carrying a knock the last year or two with his Achilles, and in fairness he got that sorted over the winter. People outside the county probably would have forgotten the level of hurler he is and in fairness to us in the group when you see him day in, day out and week in, week out doing it in training you're not really surprised. 'In my opinion I'd have him as up there as one of the best ever that's come out of Galway to be honest. 'Even he got a point there out under the Cusack Stand, we were kind of under the cosh, he kind of fell over, you wouldn't do it if you were in the pitch on your own. 'That's just the magic of Cathal in fairness.' Galway's Cathal Mannion and Paddy Deegan of Kilkenny. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO If the form of Mannion as an individual is an asset, Galway's form as a collective is a concern in the wake of the Leinster final. Burke acknowledges the disappointment but is not pressing the alarm button just yet for their 2025 aspirations. 'Frustration is probably the word I'd use most. The most disappointing thing for us is that we didn't hurl how we want to hurl and we didn't express the brand of hurling that we're trying to express, which we kind of played on Kilkenny's terms, 'There is no panic. It's frustration and disappointment at our performance more than anything. We know it's not going to be an overnight thing Micheal (Donoghue) coming in and winning All-Irelands. It's going to take a year or two for lads to kind of knit in, the younger lads to get used to the older lads and vice versa. 'But still at the same time we want to be successful now. There's a few of us pushing on a small bit like and you don't want to be waiting three or four years to be getting successful. so it's kind of finding the balance in between. 'Sometimes people probably dwell on the loss or probably overreact sometimes. But at the end of the day if you were lucky enough to get over the line against Tipp, you're still back in the same place you would have been having won it (Leinster final).' Galway manager Micheál Donoghue dejected after the Leinster final. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO Blocking out the outside noise is important to Burke. The night before the Leinster final, he didn't avoid watching the Munster thriller but there is a key part to his viewing experience. 'I'd watch the match, but I wouldn't watch the analysis, I'd leave the analysis and go have a cup or tea or something. There's a lot of talk there that I wouldn't agree with at half-time! 'Sometimes it'll creep into your own mind, maybe you could be sitting at half-time for 15 minutes and you'll be saying, what are they saying about us. 'Whereas if you don't know what they're talking about, you don't know what they're focusing on. 'I think sometimes a lot of what is said at half-time is just fill in the 15 minute gap. It has no relevance to how the game is going or how the result is going.' Related Reads Jake Morris: 'We were embarrassed, a lot of soul-searching done over the winter' Here are the permutations for All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final pairings Lynch unaware penalties were a prospect in Munster final - 'It's tough for guys' Galway hurler Fintan Burke. Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE The praise showered on the Munster championship and the regular comparisons with the fare in Leinster does not affect him. 'It doesn't bother me and I don't think it bothers anyone on the team. I just think comparisons sometime, it takes away the joy, why not sit back and watch the Munster final and just be like what a class game? 'And go and watch the Leinster and if you feel personally that it wasn't at the same standard, well what about it? If every game of hurling was to that standard, it's not going to work like that. You don't need to compare.' *****
