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Irish Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Leinster pales in comparison to spectacular Munster decider
Some weekend, that. Top billing? You'd be torn between Carlos and Cork, the former, Señor Alcaraz, for his astounding comeback against Jannik Sinner in the French Open final, the latter, the hurley-wielding Rebels, for their part in a Munster final that won't soon be forgotten. 'Everything about it was staggering,' writes Denis Walsh of the game at the Gaelic Grounds. ' The suffocating intensity, the twists, the spectacular scores and the crazy misses.' It was, says Seán Moran in his match report, 'a smouldering, frantic affair' , one that was decided by the first ever shoot-out in a provincial final. As Ian O Riordan puts it in his round-up of the weekend's hurling , nothing Kilkenny and Galway could produce on Sunday was ever going to outdo what was served up the day before. Nicky English agrees. The Leinster decider was, he writes, 'a pale imitation of the Munster final' , but while Kilkenny prevailed, he's not convinced they are contenders this year. They did, though, survive a late Galway rally to win their sixth successive Leinster title , Ian in Croke Park to witness their triumph. Paul Keane heard from Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng after, and Paul was on hand too earlier in the day to see Kildare produce a breathless second-half display against Laois in the Joe McDonagh Cup. READ MORE There wasn't too much drama in the Tailteann Cup, the form guide holding as Sligo, Wexford, Offaly and Westmeath all progressed , but there was plenty of it on the opening weekend of the women's football All-Ireland championship, Dublin and Meath both needing last second equalisers against Waterford and Armagh, respectively. Kerry opened the defence of their crown with a win over Mayo in Tralee, while last year's runners-up Galway saw off Tipperary in Tuam. Denis, meanwhile, previews RTÉ's five-part series on the history and nature of Gaelic football , the first episode of Hell for Leather airing tonight. Its timing, he says, 'couldn't have been more opportune because this has been the most spectacular football season in living memory' – thanks in no small part to the new rules. In rugby, after enduring three straight URC semi-final defeats, Leinster finally broke the code, comfortably beating Glasgow on Saturday to set up a meeting with the Pretoria Bulls at Croke Park in next Saturday's final. Gerry Thornley reports on the game and hears from Leo Cullen and Jack Conan , while Johnny Watterson analyses a performance that was far superior to Leinster's last outing . And in racing, Brian O'Connor looks back at Lambourn's Epsom Derby success , one that gave Aidan O'Brien a record-extending 11th win in the classic. Lambourn is now odds-on to become the 20th horse to complete the Epsom-Curragh Derby double at the end of this month. TV Watch : There are highlights from the GAA and rugby weekends on TG4 and RTÉ 2, respectively, at 8pm, while the pick of the night's football action is Wales' World Cup qualifier away to Belgium (Virgin Media Three, 7.45pm). And at 9.35pm, there's the first episode of Hell for Leather, a history of Gaelic football, on RTÉ One.
Irish Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
TJ Reid and Martin Keoghan star as Kilkenny dismiss toothless Galway
KILKENNY 3-22 GALWAY 1-20 SIix-in-a-row in Leinster for Kilkenny and it never looked in doubt at Croke Park yesterday. Derek Lyng's men are now firmly on a collision course with a Limerick side set to face Dublin or KIldare in the All-Ireland quarter-final in a fortnight's time. Whether they're properly tested or not, Kilkenny were very impressive in landing a 77th Leinster title, as Galway's wait for Leinster crown number four stretches into an eighth year. A late spurt from 13 points back on 58 minutes put some gloss on the scoreline, but Micheál Donoghue's side were badly beaten up here, particularly in the third quarter. Saying that, for a fleeting moment it looked like Derek Lyng might have started wheeling in the subs too soon as his 58th minute double change was followed by a Galway 1-6 burst without reply. The lead was down to four at one stage after Cathal Mannion went short with a free for Brian Concannon to stick it in the roof of the net on 63 minutes and spark a Galway revival. But with Kilkenny under pressure Eoin Murphy was only looking in one direction. TJ Reid duly plucked the ball from the skies and found Adrian Mullen for a relieving 67th minute score - his fourth from play. Kilkenny had more firepower in general with Martin Keoghan top scoring from play with 2-2, his goals both opportunistic efforts as he lurked in around the square. The Galway starting attack shot just 1-9 from play compared to Kilkenny's 3-12 from play so they can have little complaints and know what they have to go after in the next fortnight with Tipperary or Laois up next in the All-Ireland quarter-final. The game defining moment saw Martin Keogan race back 20 yards to turn the ball over with a hook, before feeding TJ Reid for a 57th minute goal that put Kilkenny 12 points clear and in total command. Galway only had 12 points after 58 minutes, before a late spurt of 1-8 in the final 12 minutes, but it was too little too late. While Conor Whelan had a big influence on the first half out the field, he finished scoreless and his presence and ball winning ability inside was probably missed, but then it is also needed at half forward. That's one of a number of conundrums the Galway management have to weigh up. Injuries didn't help Galway either with defender Fintan Burke going off in first half stoppage time. Goalkeeper Eanna Murphy was also forced out at half-time, and with Darach Fahy suspended, third choice goalie Darragh Walsh came in for his championship debut. Walsh spilled a ball at the end for Keoghan's second goal, but Galway were four behind with just over a minute remaining and the game was probably up anyway. Brief respite from a cagey first half came from a familiar source. You could almost see TJ Reid smelling goal with every step and sensing that there weren't going to be many big chances in the game, as the Galway defence opened up, It was the first long ball he won close to goal. Everyone in the stadium knew it was on as he turned and sped in on goal. Galway goalie Murphy dived low to push his shot away, Martin Keoghan was on hand to flick it over the line for a 1-9 to 0-8 lead on 33 minutes. Keoghan caught Murphy accidentally with his knee, and although he continued, seconds later John Donnelly caught him high and was yellow carded, with the goalie going off at half-time. Adrian Mullen, roving deep, ran the first 15 minutes of a tit for tat game that lacked any real excitement, impressive and all as the set piece plays and points from puck outs were. It was like night and day compared to the chaos of the Munster Final from the night before, although that was played in front of a packed house, while Croke Park wasn't half full here. Both sides played with a sweeper, Galway's tending to rotate, while Richie Reid was generally the one to slot in for Kilkenny. 'I think it was just a little bit cagey in the first half,' said Kilkenny boss Derek Lyng. 'Both teams had probably disappointing wides. 'What you put that down to, I'm not sure. A little bit of nerves or whatever, and just settling into the game. 'We finished that half strong. I think the goal was an important score for us, and gave us a bit of breathing room. 'We started the second half very well and we were strong for large parts of the second half, but obviously there was a spell there that we'd be disappointed with. 'We were performing very well for large parts of it and Galway got a bit of momentum then. They're top-class forwards and they picked off some very good scores. 'I suppose the (Concannon) goal, it was very disappointing how that happened and how we conceded that. 'That gave Galway a great lift and the momentum was with them. I thought our response was very positive. We got back into it, picked off a few scorers, and just settled back into the game. 'We probably made a few changes at that time and it just looked like we lost our shape for a few minutes, but overall, just pleased how we finished the game then. 'Today was about getting the result. The performance overall was decent, I thought. We know there's a lot of room for improvement. 'We go into a knockout phase. Everything ramps up. We have a few weeks that we're going to have to really utilise, work very hard, and get our heads down for the next step.' Kilkenny have four weeks to prepare for an All-Ireland semi-final, that could well be against Limerick. That will focus minds. They were very good for long spells here, and ultimately able to maintain a ferocious work rate for longer than Galway. Their 15 misses - 11 of them wides - wasn't very Kilkenny like, compared to Galway's 10 misses - eight of them wides and three of those Mannion frees - while TJ Reid missed two dead balls. Reid though was the gamebreaker, creating the first goal and finishing the second with a laser like shot as Kilkenny stamped their authority on the province once again.
Extra.ie
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Kilkenny boss claims Munster final conclusion was unfair
Kilkenny's reward for a sixth Leinster hurling title in a row is a likely semi-final with Limerick – but Derek Lyng felt sympathy for the vanquished Munster giants after what he felt was an unfair end to the game. Lyng's team overcame Galway in Croke Park on Sunday, winning by eight points in front of 37,503 spectators. A largely subdued affair was in complete contrast to the drama that played out in Limerick the night before, when Cork won on penalties after extra time. Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng reacts during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile The net result is a place in the quarter-finals for Limerick, and they will be unbackable favourites to win that, against one of Dublin and Kildare. That would set them against Lyng's men in the last four. And the victorious Kilkenny manager suggested that a fairer way of deciding the match would have been a replay. 'I think it's hard on players,' he said of the penalty shoot-out. 'I know we have a new system in place and we're kind of caught for time but I just think we're a bit too caught at the minute. 'It made for a great spectacle, but I think to be fair to players, the replay would have been more fair to them.' 7 June 2025; Cork captain Robert Downey lifts the Mick Mackey Cup after his side' victory in the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Limerick and Cork at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Limerick will be expected to put aside that disappointment and prevail not only against the winners of Dublin and Kildare, but also Kilkenny in a semi-final. And the tepid nature of much of yesterday's Leinster decider in contrast to the pyrotechnics in the Gaelic Grounds will do nothing to temper that belief. Lyng, though, was adamant that his players have been tested properly ahead of the expected challenge to come. 'I think it's probably taken for granted that we're going to go win these games, but a huge amount of work goes into it, particularly from the players,' he said. Walter Walsh in action for Kilkenny. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 'We lost to Wexford, and against Dublin we would have been disappointed with a spell in that game as well, and likewise today, so, regardless of who we were playing, we know we're going to have to find another gear or two for the next day, and that's the reality of it.' Galway, meanwhile, look certain to face Tipperary in a last-eight tie with the Premier County facing Laois in a preliminary quarter-final before then. Micheál Donoghue denied that the job facing him on his return to Galway is bigger than anticipated after a desperately flat display in which his side went 36 minutes without a score from play. 19 August 2018; Galway manager Micheál Donoghue and Joe Canning of Galway following the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Galway and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Donoghue feels they are not as far behind the leading teams as many believe. 'No, I wouldn't say it's a bigger job,' he said. 'Obviously, the disappointment of today and I suppose the narrative will be that it's probably similar to previous years and previous teams. 'But look, we know what we have in the squad and we'll try and take the positives out of it as we move forward.'
The Irish Sun
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Derek Lyng insists Kilkenny must ‘find another gear' despite claiming sixth Leinster SHC title in a row
KILKENNY boss Derek Lyng hailed hero Huw Lawlor as the Cats romped to SIX Leinster titles in a row. Lawlor produced a performance for the ages as they bagged Bob O'Keeffe Advertisement 2 Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng insists his side must find another gear in their hunt for the All-Ireland title 2 Kilkenny claimed their sixth Leinster title in a row after the win over Galway at Croke Park The O'Loughlin Gaels clubman halted countless Tribes attacks and was the launchpad for the Cats to score at the other end. Goals from Mossy Keoghan in each half and one from stalwart TJ Reid, 37, booked Kilkenny's seventh All-Ireland semi-final in a row. Lyng gushed at Lawlor's heroics and saluted their overall performance as they finished with 10 different scorers. He said: 'He was excellent, and it gives a lift to everybody around him as well, that confidence that you have in a full back. Advertisement read more on gaa 'It's brilliant. It's a brilliant skill to have - somebody that can attack the ball and just pluck it from the sky like that. 'I thought overall the effort, not just from Hugh, from everybody that was involved was excellent. 'I thought our work rate was very good, and maybe it dipped a little bit there, but I thought a bit of resilience there to take back the game under our control near the end was very positive as well.' But Lyng knows they were far from their best yesterday - with huge tests to come. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling They led by 13 points but a 1-6 And he hopes they can find the gear they need to land their first All-Ireland in a decade ahead of the semis on July 5/6. RTE GAA pundits argue over who started halftime row as Cork eventually topple Limerick in Munster epic final He said: 'We're Leinster champions, and that was the objective, but at the same time, we know we've a lot of work to do. 'I think it's probably taken for granted that we're going to go out and win these games, but a huge amount of work goes into it, particularly from the players. Advertisement 'They do it all, and we've been working very hard at that. We've been tested in different games, at different stages. 'We lost to Wexford, and Dublin we would have been disappointed with a spell in that game as well, and likewise today. 'So, regardless of who we were playing, we know we're going to have to find another gear or two for the next day, and that's the reality of it. 'But that's something we'll go after, and we're looking forward to that, but we took this campaign very seriously and we got our reward today.' Advertisement TRIBE WOES Meanwhile Galway boss Cathal Mannion's frees were all they could manage until their late revival thanks to Brian Concannon's goal. And Donoghue knows the Cats were a class apart as they head into an All-Ireland quarter-final against Laois or Tipperary. He said: 'I think from our point of view, in terms of the way we wanted to play, we just didn't from the start of the game. You have to give all the credit to Kilkenny, they showed the great experience that they have. Advertisement 'When we did get it going and working it through the lines, we were better. Look, we have huge belief and trust in the group. 'The disappointing thing is when you see what they did do for a 10-minute, 12-minute period in the game, that's the positives we're taking out of and that's what we'll try and build on as we move forward.'
Irish Times
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Derek Lyng praises Kilkenny's hard work as they shrug aside Galway for six-in-a-row
Far from perfect, or the finished article for that matter, but a win is a win. Particularly in a Croke Park final. That was the gist of Derek Lyng's assessment of Kilkenny's sixth consecutive Leinster final success. The Cats never really cut loose, nor were they required to, whilst shrugging Galway aside for the second time in this season's campaign. Not even when Galway got it back to a four-point game on a couple of occasions late on did Kilkenny supporters really fear relinquishing their hold on the Bob O'Keeffe Cup. Onwards then to an All-Ireland semi-final in four weeks, but is it fair to suggest that Kilkenny haven't truly been road-tested yet? READ MORE 'I think we have been,' contested manager Lyng. 'From the start of the Leinster campaign, all we've been spoken about as is being favourites. 'We've had to put a huge amount of work into each game, and we prepare for each game like any other. It doesn't matter who you're playing. 'I think it's probably taken for granted that we're going to go out and win these games, but a huge amount of work goes into it, particularly from the players. They do it all, and we've been working very hard at that. I feel we've been tested in different games, at different stages. We lost to Wexford, and against Dublin we would have been disappointed with a spell in that game as well, as we were today. 'Look, regardless of who we're playing, we know we're going to have to find another gear or two for the next day and that's the reality of it. That's something we'll go after, and we're looking forward to that, but we took this campaign very seriously and we got our reward today. 'We're Leinster champions and that was the objective. At the same time, yeah, we know we've a lot of work to do.' Galway manager Micheál Donoghue dejected after the game. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Lyng borrowed from his predecessor Brian Cody's sporting vocabulary when describing the performance as 'decent'. 'It was about getting the result, the performance overall was decent, I thought,' he said. 'We know there's a lot of room for improvement. We go into a knock-out phase now. Everything ramps up. We have a few great weeks that we're going to have to really utilise and work very hard in, and just get our heads down to be ready for the next step.' Kilkenny's highlights reel contained plenty of moments of defensive excellence, with Huw Lawlor's soaring fetches at the back most impressive. If they are to go on and end their decade-long wait for an All-Ireland win, Lawlor's miserliness at the back is going to be required. 'It's a brilliant skill to have,' said Lyng of his full back's aerial ability. 'Somebody that can attack the ball and just pluck it from the sky like that. He was excellent and it gives a lift to everybody around him as well, that confidence that you have in a full back. 'I thought, overall, the effort, not just from Huw, but from everybody that was involved, was excellent. I thought our work-rate was very good and maybe it dipped a little bit at times but I thought a bit of resilience to take back the game under our control near the end was very positive as well.' Former All Star forward Eoin Cody missed out again and hasn't featured since the Cats beat Antrim. Lyng had positive news on that front. 'We just didn't take a chance on him,' he said. 'If he had had a setback, that would have been his year over. Eoin is actually looking very strong so hopefully the next couple of weeks will bring him on an awful lot. Hopefully we will have him the next day.' [ Leinster SHC final: Unflappable Kilkenny can contain the Galway bounce-back Opens in new window ] Galway are still alive in the Liam MacCarthy Cup race and will face a preliminary quarter-final winner in a little under a fortnight. Manager Micheál Donoghue took crumbs of comfort from the fact that when they landed some belated blows on Kilkenny in the final 10 minutes or so, they drew blood. 'In the build-up, people were saying, 'We're back, we're back' and that we have big opportunities,' said Donoghue of the pre-final talk locally. 'Look, we have huge belief and trust in the group. The disappointing thing is when you see what they did for a 10-, 12-minute period in the game ... look, that's the positives we're taking out of it and that's what we'll try and build on as we move forward.' Is Project Galway, mark II, ultimately a bigger job than Donoghue had anticipated? 'No, I wouldn't say a bigger job,' responded the 2017 All-Ireland winning manager. 'Obviously there's the disappointment of today and I suppose the narrative will be that it's probably similar to previous years and previous teams. But we know what we have in the squad and we'll try and take the positives out of it and move forward.'
