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Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Dean Rock: Jim McGuinness wants people to think it's Donegal against the world
It felt like Jim McGuinness had ripped some pages from the Alex Ferguson playbook last Sunday - the chapter on 'us against the world'. The Donegal manager was apparently frustrated by the scheduling of Dr Hyde Park to host his team's All-Ireland round-robin match against Mayo . His remarks to that effect caused something of a dispute between Donegal and the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee . But sweep away that thin veneer and maybe it was more about engineering a sense of Donegal against the world. Or the world against Donegal. Take your pick. It was about galvanising the squad, galvanising the county. It was more about what's to come rather than what has already taken place. READ MORE McGuinness doesn't strike me as somebody who expresses such sentiments without having first walked through the consequences in his head. It's all part of a plan and a strategy. McGuinness remarked: 'You're 38 minutes from Mayo's training ground. We're 3½ hours from Inishowen. It's not fair. If I don't say it, who's going to say it?' Having travel distances at hand showed this was a message McGuinness had pre-cooked and was keen to express. It wasn't really about the venue. It was about creating a siege mentality. Additionally, it was used as a deflection tactic because Donegal's level of performance probably wasn't where he would have wanted it to be last Sunday. The Mayo match rounded off a slightly disappointing group stage for Donegal. They never really reproduced the levels they showed in the Ulster final. Donegal players form a huddle before last Sunday's match against Mayo. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Donegal would have targeted finishing top of their group, so the last few weeks haven't panned out as McGuinness and his management team would have liked. The preliminary quarter-final is a game they could have done without. So, it was an opportune time to rally the county behind a cause, stir up a 'them versus us' mentality. Ultimately, it creates a fuss around an issue that is not going to have any material impact on whether Donegal win the All-Ireland or not. Should they beat Louth in Ballybofey on Sunday, then Donegal will play the rest of their championship games at Croke Park. Moaning about a venue at this stage is incidental. However, it does allow the Donegal squad and their supporters to unite behind a perceived sense of unfairness and use it as a motivational tool for the weeks ahead. In that regard, McGuinness had nothing to lose by shaking a few trees in his post-match interview last Sunday. At this stage of the championship, teams will use whatever they can to gain an edge. If you should be beating a team by 20 points and you don't beat them by 20 points, then that's probably a sign of complacency or a lack of humility For years, it was thrown at Dublin about playing all our championship games in Croke Park. When we were asked about it, the message from the players and management was consistent – we are happy to play anywhere; we don't decide on venues. And we were happy to play outside of Croke Park. That wasn't just a throwaway comment. Looking back now, some of my fondest memories were going to play down the country. Those away trips were great for team-bonding and encouraging camaraderie. I would have liked to play in more of the grounds around the country. Donegal manager Jim McGuinness looks on from the sideline during last weekend's match against Mayo, which his team won by a point. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho But we were aware of the narrative out there around us playing in Croke Park. When our success reached a certain level during that era, everybody outside of Dublin wanted us to be beaten, which is understandable. We certainly used that as a motivating factor. It wasn't a central tenet of our preparations, but I think we kind of fed off that as a group. We got a huge amount of confidence during that period because the group was so tight-knit. The dressingroom became a sacred place – when we were in there, it felt like it was us against everybody else, and that worked for us. It wasn't about going out to prove people wrong – it was more about showing the opposition absolute respect. You do that by beating them by as much as possible. If you should be beating a team by 20 points and you don't beat them by 20 points, then that's probably a sign of complacency or a lack of humility because you are not doing what you should be doing. And I think there might have been an element of that in the comments by McGuinness last week. Donegal need to rediscover their form from earlier in the championship, because in the defeat to Tyrone and for parts of last week's win over Mayo, they weren't doing what they should have been doing in terms of putting the opposition away. Instead, that result hung in the balance right until the last kick of the ball. Donegal's Ciarán Moore celebrates scoring the late winning point against Mayo. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Given how the second half panned out, Donegal could quite easily have ended up losing and found themselves finishing third in the group and now facing the prospect of a trip to Killarney this weekend. So, while McGuinness will be pleased by the character and ruthlessness they showed to win the game, it wasn't as convincing a victory for Donegal as they probably would have liked. Instead, it was another draining 70 minutes for a team that has played more games than most in this year's championship. Sunday's preliminary quarter-final will be Donegal's eighth outing having already played Derry, Monaghan, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Cavan and Mayo. Only Meath have played as many matches as Donegal – and the Royals have avoided the prelims. So, perhaps McGuinness just felt now was the right time to spark a little fire. You cannot keep the 'us against the world' psychology going for six months but it's something that can be helpful in a shorter window. There are just five weeks until the All-Ireland final, so McGuinness probably reasoned that leaning into it now would pull the group nice and tight for the journey ahead. There is probably a bit of pressure on the group as well because the expectation levels have increased – Donegal are fancied by many to win the All-Ireland. Patrick McBrearty and Michael Murphy celebrate in the dressingroom after Donegal beat Armagh in the Ulster SFC final in May. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho McGuinness delivered Sam Maguire in year two during his first term in charge and so parallels will be drawn between 2012 and 2025. One key difference is that for this group, 2025 looks like their best shot at winning the All-Ireland. Donegal made it back to an All-Ireland final two years after the 2012 triumph, but I wouldn't be as convinced this group will still be as competitive two seasons from now as they currently are. Michael Murphy, for one, is unlikely to be still togging out for the county. Will McGuinness still be there? Key players like Patrick McBrearty and Ryan McHugh have spent well over a decade in the trenches. I think it's pretty much now for this Donegal team. The players know this team's window for success will not be open forever. That all adds to the pressure. And with the team not performing as well as they should, maybe that's why this 'us against them' messaging emerged from the Donegal camp last weekend. Because, let's be honest, Donegal are not exactly the most loathed team in the country. Far from it, I would have thought. They are expected to beat Louth on Sunday and I believe that is exactly what will happen, but Ger Brennan's Leinster champions have nothing to lose and I'd expect them to bring a decent performance. Donegal's Oisín Gallen signs autographs after the game against Cavan at the start of June. Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan/Inpho Beyond that, Donegal will need more from the likes of McBrearty and Oisín Gallen in supporting Michael Murphy up top. Gallen, for me, is the key. He was exceptional last year, won an All Star and brought that real x-factor quality to his play, but I don't think he has got back to those high standards this season. All it takes for a player of his ability to find his mojo again is one good game. If he can deliver a big performance against Louth, then Donegal will travel to Croke Park as a much more formidable outfit. Either way, the Ulster champions are likely to be among the last eight when the quarter-finals take centre stage next weekend. Because the racket last Sunday about venues wasn't really about Dr Hyde Park, it was about benefiting Donegal when they get to Croke Park.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
GAA fans fury at 700km trips for hurling and football as Dubs get 2 Croker ties
The GAA's fixture scheduling has been criticised as 'ridiculous' and 'unfair' by fans ahead of this weekend's massive series of crunch matches. The crucial period for men's football and hurling sees eight matches in just two days, starting on Saturday and involving 13 counties from all four provinces. The biggest matches of the season to date will be played across Saturday and Sunday, with three of the 13 competing counties facing two win-or-die games. But the GAA has been hit with accusations from supporters' that the fixture scheduling is 'crazy' and 'stupid' – prompting scheduling chiefs to issue a robust defence to the Irish Mirror. After Donegal's Jim McGuinness last Sunday claimed it was 'unfair' to stage their match against Mayo in Roscommon, fans are now making the same point. For example, fed-up Galway supporters must spend around 10 hours or more in a car and clock up 700 kilometres if they want to back their county's footballers and hurlers this weekend. Some say that is on top of commitments that families have given to attend matches of their local clubs to support loved ones who are also playing this weekend. Loyal fans of Galway must travel over three hours from dedicated GAA villages like Cappataggle to make the 200-km return trip to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Saturday to face Tipperary at 6.15pm in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter-finals. They will get home in Galway late at night and then they must leave early the next morning if they also want to support the county's footballers on Sunday. They will spend at least a quarter of their day in a car to make the 500-km return trip to see Padraic Joyce's side face Down at 1.45pm in Páirc Esler in Newry. Some rival fans of Dublin criticised the decision to hand the Dubs a dream double-header in stark contrast to fans of counties like Galway and Limerick. They say the Dubs' supporters will not have to get out of their seats to cheer on the county this weekend because their heroes are in back-to-back All Ireland action in Croke Park on the same day. The hurlers take on Limerick at 4pm on Saturday in the championship quarter-finals and the footballers face Cork at 6.15pm in their preliminary quarter-final clash. Limerick's footballers and hurlers also have two games in Croker – but their SHC quarter against the Dubs is on Saturday and their Tailteann Cup semi against Wicklow in Croker is on Sunday. Limerick supporters say this means paying exorbitant hotel rates for overnight accommodation in the most expensive city in Ireland if they want to cheer on their county's football and hurling stars. They complain that if Dublin's two matches had been split between Saturday and Sunday, their fans could have gone home for the night. Some fans accused the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) of not considering travel arrangements and claimed the fixtures, including venues and times, should all be available at the conclusion of last weekend's games, not delayed for 36 hours until Monday morning. CCCC chairperson Brian Carroll was appointed in February of last year and revealed in December that planning for this season was already underway at that point. He said: 'There is a lot of work that goes into compiling the fixtures and putting the fixtures programme together for 2025. The CCCC starts by reviewing the previous year, which included feedback from counties.' He said last Sunday that it can be 'difficult to find an ideal venue'. But some fans have expressed their frustration, with one saying: 'Will they ever do away with these draws on a Monday morning. Games are on the next weekend, so draws should've been [on Sunday] evening and venues known no later than the next morning. Daft stuff.' Another posted: 'I agree, totally. It's unfair on players and supporters.' One said: 'It's approximately a 10-hour round trip from Galway to Newry. They could have pushed the time out a couple of hours. It's called being reasonable.' Some argued that Galway's match with Tipperary and Limerick's tie with Dublin should have been a double-header at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Another asked: 'Would it not have made more sense to have the two Limerick games on the same day, rather than both Dublin games? Expecting a lot of Limerick supporters to travel to Dublin twice in the one weekend.' Louth fans face a five-hour return journey of over 300 kilometres for their match against Donegal in Ballybofey at 4pm on Sunday. One asked: 'How's that fair on Louth fans who have to travel across Ireland late on a Sunday evening with work and school early Monday morning?' Another complained: 'Louth have a five-hour round trip to Donegal. It's a 10-hour round trip for the majority of Galway supporters.' A supporter raged: 'Ridiculous fixtures. Crazy having Limerick on two separate days. Wouldn't do it to the Dubs of course. Crazy decisions.' One more said: 'Should be limerick in the double-header on Saturday, not Dublin. How stupid.' Galway County Board chairman Paul Bellew told the Irish Mirror: 'It's unfortunate that the two matches are both on the same weekend. We've made our views clear about this. It should be a week-on, week-off schedule. We have to get on with it, but it is a challenge. "Our strong support base covers both matches, but there's no doubt that people will have choices to make this weekend. Supporters are showing great loyalty to the county. They have been all over the country this year already. It is challenging and we are grateful for the support.' Limerick County Board vice-chairman Frank Reidy told us: 'Limerick fans are the best in the country and many of them will say we've been long enough waiting for a match in Dublin. As for two matches on separate days, we accept that there are logistical arrangements that are set in stone around different sponsors for the Tailteann Cup.' Amid the various speeds and differences across Ireland's network of regional and primary roads, GAA fans face several hours in the car. Cavan fans estimate a nine-hour round trip of over 600 kilometres to Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney for their All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final against Kerry. Cork football fans reckon it is a six-hour return journey of 500 kilometres to Croke Park in Dublin for their preliminary quarter against the Dubs. Limerick fans say they face travelling five hours for the 410 kilometres to Croker and back for their matches, while Galway fans who attend both matches could potentially clock up 10 hours or more on the road. Louth fans are looking at a round trek of 300 kilometres to MacCumhaill Park to take on Donegal. Fans of Wicklow, Kildare and Fermanagh will also be hitting the road for Croke Park. The Irish Mirror asked for a comment from the GAA and its Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC). A spokesperson listed several 'challenges associated with fixture making for two distinct sporting codes'. He said: 'The Down v Galway game is on Sunday instead of Saturday to avoid a clash with the Galway v Tipperary hurling fixture. Down finished second in the group, and it's a home game for them in rule. 'Tipperary v Galway is traditionally played in Limerick when it's a neutral venue. The time of the hurling games is based on requests from broadcasters and to ensure both games are broadcast live. Last year, when the quarter-finals were played earlier due to TV requirements, we received a lot of negative feedback. The Donegal v Louth game is at 4 pm due to a request from the Gardaí in Donegal, who looked for a late throw-in on Sunday afternoon. 'As the Donegal International Rally is taking place this weekend, the Gardaí had concerns it would not have the capacity to police the event. The two football games are scheduled to allow for both games to be broadcast live. For Limerick, in advance of the Championship, it was agreed that the hurling quarter-finals would take place on Saturday and the Tailteann Cup semi-finals would take place on Sunday to ensure they received live TV coverage for the four games on RTÉ. 'The double header for the semi-finals in Croke Park was part of the original proposal passed at Congress for the Tailteann Cup competition, aimed at promoting the competition. It has been very successful over the past few years.' All eight matches will be screened live across RTE and the streaming service GAA+ that replaced GAA GO.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Dublin and Cork unchanged for Croke Park meeting
Dublin boss Dessie Farrell has named an unchanged side for their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against Cork at Croke goes with the same starting side that managed a victory over Derry in their final group O'Callaghan retains his place after making his return from injury to start in Newry last are also unchanged after they saw off Roscommon last time Stephen Cluxton; Sean MacMahon, Theo Clancy, David Byrne; Brian Howard, John Small, Lee Gannon; Peadar O'Cofaigh-Byrne, Killian McGinnis; Ciaran Kilkenny, Sean Bugler, Niall Scully; Paddy Small, Con O'Callaghan, Cormac Evan Comerford, Luke Breathnach, Nathan Doran, Alex Gavin, Tom Lahiff, Greg McEnaney, Ross McGarry, Eoin Murchan, Cian Murphy, Lorcan O'Dell, Eoghan O' Mark Aodh Martin; Sean Meehan, Daniel O'Mahony, Maurice Shanley; Brian O'Driscoll, Sean Brady; Matty Taylor, Ian Maguire; Colm O'Callaghan, Paul Walsh, Sean Walsh, Sean McDonnell; Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Chris Og Patrick Doyle, Neil Lordan, Rory Maguire, Sean Powter, Luke Fahy, Conor Cahalane, Eoghan McSweeney, Ruairi Deane, Conor Corbett, Cathail O'Mahony, Hugh O'Connor.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
O Baoill starts for Donegal against Louth
Daire O Baoill returns for Donegal as Jim McGuinness makes one change to his side for their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against Louth. O Baoill replaces Caolan McColgan, who started Donegal's late win against Mayo in their last group stage game last weekend. Advertisement Captain Patrick McBrearty has to once again settle for a place on the bench. For Louth, Dermot Campbell returns after missing the narrow win against Clare last week through injury. He comes in for Dan Corcoran, who drops to the bench, whilst Bevan Duffy is unavailable again after being ruled out of the Clare game. Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher Ciaran Moore; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Conor O'Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen. Subs: Gavin Mulreaney, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden-Ferry, Mark Curran, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan, Eoin McHugh, Caolan McColgan, Jason McGee. Advertisement Louth: Niall McDonnell; Daire Nally, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Emmet Carolan, Peter Lynch, Craig Lennon; Tommy Durnin, Dara McDonnell; Conall McKeever, Ciaran Downey; Conor Grimes, Ciaran Keenan, Sam Mulroy, Ryan Burns. Subs: Tiernan Markey, Liam Jackson, Anthony Williams, Sean Callaghan, Kieran McArdle, Ciaran Byrne, Dan Corcoran, Conor Branigan, Ryan Walsh, Daire McConnon, Paul Mathews.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
O'Shea and Clifford return to Kerry panel for Cavan clash
Sean O'Shea has been named in the starting line-up as Kerry welcome back a host of players from injury for their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against Clifford is also back and amongst the replacements on the Kerry bench as Jack O'Connor makes five alterations to the side after a shock defeat by Meath in Tullamore last time O'Connor, Conor Geaney and Brian O Beaglaoich return to the side after recovering from injuries with Sean O'Brien replacing Mark O' Spillane, Micheal Burns and Tadhg Morley drop to the bench whilst Tony Brosnan misses out after picking up a hamstring make just one change from their 0-31 to 0-18 defeat against Tyrone in their final group comes in midfield as Oisin Kieran is replaced by Ryan Donohoe for the Breffnimen with Dara McVeety continuing at centre-forward after previously playing at centre-back earlier in the McKiernan returns from injury to make the bench for Raymond Galligan's Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Tom O'Sullivan; Brian O Beaglaoich, Mike Breen, Gavin White; Joe O'Connor, Sean O'Brien; Diarmuid O'Connor, Sean O'Shea, Graham O'Sullivan; David Clifford, Conor Geaney, Dylan Shane Murphy, Dylan Casey, Killian Spillane, Tadhg Morley, Armin Heirich, Micheal Burns, Evan Looney, Tom Leo O'Sullivan, Mark O'Shea, Paudie Clifford, Dara Liam Brady; Niall Carolan, Killian Brady, Cian Reilly; Brian O'Connell, Ciaran Brady, Padraig Faulkner; Ryan Donohoe, Evan Crowe; Gerard Smith, Dara McVeety, Oisin Brady; Cormac O'Reilly, Paddy Lynch, Cian Gary O'Rourke, Luke Fortune, Killian Clarke, Oisin Kiernan, Jason McLoughlin, Ruairi Curran, Luke Molloy, Gearoid McKiernan, Thomas Edward Donohoe, Ryan O'Neill, Sean McEvoy.
