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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
TJ Ryan: 'Galway haven't put the consistency around a 70 minute performance to say 'this is the team''
TJ Ryan sees flashes of the old Galway in recent displays but knows they are far from the finished article as he spoke on Dalo's Hurling Show for the Irish Examiner. Micheál Donoghue's side last won an All-Ireland back in 2017 when they beat Waterford. They reached the final the year after, losing agonisingly to Limerick by a point. Since then it has been the great struggle for The Tribesmen. For Ryan the solution was - somewhat - simple: "If Galway are to be successful they need to get with quick ball into the forward line, they need to get goals and they need to get a style that suits them and that they all buy into." With their All-Ireland quarter-final against Tipperary in Thurles looming, Ryan claims it is the 'perfect game' for Donoghue's team. "I think this is the perfect game for Galway. There was a few flashes in them during Leinster championship where they looked like they were getting back to where they wanted to be. "Cathal Mannion is hitting Hurler of the Year form, his striking has been off the charts, he's been a beacon. David Brooks is back in the middle of the field, Daithí Burke is back. We've found a centre back in Gavin Lee. "But, they haven't put the consistency around a 70 minute performance to say 'this is the team'. "There's a positive in that they stuck at it in the Leinster final, now how much of that was Kilkenny falling away, we don't know." Galway manager Micheál Donoghue during the Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship final match between Kilkenny and Galway at Croke Park. File picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Former Limerick manager Ryan emphasised the importance of showing up on the big occassion, something Galway have failed to do on a handful of occassions in recent memory - including the beginning of this year's league campaign. "One thing I would say for Galway people here, and I'd nearly put this in the dressing room for them, is if you don't show up you won't win. They've got to show up here. They went into the first round of the league this year and they didn't show up at all. "Galway people, being the sort of hurling fanatics that they are, they want to play their way, they want to push up, they want to have a go and if they get beat by a better team they'll say alright fair enough. "Even Micheál [Donoghue] alluded to it after the Leinster final they they weren't doing what he wanted them to do. So, I think that that is where some of the confusion is." It goes without saying Galway have a wealth of individual talent but, as Ryan points out, a lack of cohesion in the forward line has cost them. "Conor Whelan is a very good inside forward but they haven't been getting supply to him, that hasn't been working so they've had to bring him out the field and he's played well at times. "Brian Concannon has had flashes where he's scored plenty aswell. They've moved Cathal Mannion in and out. The inside forward line and the delivery of ball into the inside forward line are the two things that need to click for Galway".
Extra.ie
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
'Why do people play?' - Limerick's Cian Lynch is no fan of penalty shootouts
Limerick's Cian Lynch is no fan of penalty shootouts. Certainly not after his team's hopes of a record seventh Munster hurling title in a row were dashed when they lost a final shoot-out to Cork last Saturday night. The two-time Hurler of the Year didn't want to take from Cork's achievement but he said yesterday he believes there should be a better way of deciding a match of such significance. 'Penalties… like, hurling is so instinctive. It's an art form, it's an expression. Why do people play it? It's because it's a 15-man game. It's a chance to have a man on the shoulder to support. 'But when it comes to penalties, other than the five guys and the goalie, I suppose you're helpless standing on the sideline watching. It's tough for guys, but it is what it is.' Cian Lynch of Limerick during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile Known as one of the most skilful players in the game, Lynch admitted he still wouldn't be known for his ability to strike a deadball. 'If you were asked to take one, I'm sure 100 per cent you'd do anything you can to help the team, But I wouldn't be someone that's known to stand over a free or a penalty, to be honest with you. 'But obviously our guys, the five Limerick lads, the same as Cork obviously and Nickie [Quaid], to step up, that takes some courage. 'After playing 70 to 90 minutes of hurling, to have it based on standing over a penalty, that is tough. That is some responsibility. But great credit to the guys.' 7 June 2025; Darragh Fitzgibbon of Cork is tackled by Michael Casey and William O'Donoghue of Limerick during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match between Limerick and Cork at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile Understandably, Lynch would have favoured a replay. Instead, Limerick now face a quarter-final against Dublin or Kildare. 'I suppose it's not for me to make a point or make a comment on what's the right thing to do but you'd love to have another crack at it. Any team would. 'But for us, it's just about accepting that that's in the past now. We unfortunately didn't win and Cork did.'
The Irish Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Cian Lynch reveals he had no idea penalties were coming before Munster final heartbreak against Cork
LIMERICK skipper Cian Lynch only learned that the Munster SHC final would be settled on penalties when the teams were still deadlocked after extra-time. Twelve months after they became the first team ever to win six Mick Mackey Cups on the spin, the Treaty's part in the making of 2 Cian Lynch reveals he had no idea the Munster SHC final was heading to penalties 2 Limerick captain Lynch and Limerick were gutted after the defeat to Cork on Saturday Their provincial title was relinquished on Saturday following a defeat to Lynch said: 'It's something we're not used to. On the winning side of it, you're delighted with it. It's great credit to Cork. "They got the victory in penalties and the game could have gone either way. "Look, it's something to obviously review. Penalties… like, hurling is so instinctive. It's an art form, it's an expression. READ MORE ON GAA "Why do people play it? It's because it's a 15-man game. It's a chance to have a man on the shoulder to support. "But when it comes to penalties, other than the five guys and the goalie, I suppose you're helpless standing on the sideline watching. It's tough for guys, but it is what it is." Cork ran out 3-2 winners in the shootout at the TUS Gaelic Grounds. But Lynch expected more extra-time to be played after Darragh Fitzgibbon landed a '65 to bring Cork back to level terms with what turned out to be the last puck of open play. Most read in GAA Hurling He said: "I suppose in my own head initially, you think there's going to be an extra five minutes each half because that's the way it was before, wasn't it? "But I suppose when it's said it's penalties, you just accept that and that's obviously the way it is." GAA fans 'loved seeing and hearing' the late Micheal O Muircheartaigh as he features in RTE documentary Hell for Leather Lynch admits that even at the end of extra-time, he would have preferred to settle the final via a replay in Cork instead. The two-time Hurler of the Year, who made way for Diarmaid Byrnes just before the shootout, insisted: "Of course you would. You love playing the sport. "There are pros and cons to either. I suppose it's not for me to make a point or make a comment on what's the right thing to do, but you'd love to have another crack at it. "Any team would. But for us, it's just about accepting that that's in the past now." Lynch explained that he 'wouldn't be someone that's known to stand over a free or a penalty' when quizzed about his own absence from Limerick's quintet of penalty takers. Although the teams could not be separated following more than 90 minutes of hurling, he also rejected the suggestion that it was ultimately a game Speaking as Limerick's representative at the All-Ireland SHC launch at Offaly's Faithful Fields, Lynch said: "It's still a defeat. Obviously you look at the time played and so on. "Neither team won and it went to penalties and that's just the way it was. 'You obviously are disappointed. You see an opposition collecting a trophy and celebrating with their fans and stuff. "That's tough to take. You just have to dust yourself off, regroup, process that feeling and try to drive on again." While they could now be on course for an Lynch added: "That's something that's way beyond our thought process. I think next Saturday week is our main focus." Meanwhile, despite being part of the St Thomas' side who defeated Ballygunner in a shootout in an All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final, Fintan Burke is not an advocate for determining a winner via penalties. The Galway defender, who had his attempt saved by Stephen O'Keeffe in the December 2023 clash, said: "Obviously delighted we won, but at the same time I'd be of the opinion of a replay. That's just personal. "I don't think penalties are a fair reflection of where a team is at – as in, you could have five great penalty takers and maybe the other team only has three. "It's not really reflecting on hurling throughout the team."
The Irish Sun
07-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
John Kiely has fixed last year's critical error while Cork's old weakness has returned & been ‘a disaster'
LIMERICK are at the gates of seventh heaven — and Cian Lynch is the man who holds the key. If this year's Championship has taught us anything, it is 3 Tipperary legend Michael 'Babs' Keating writes for SunSport 3 John Kiely was right to make Cian Lynch captain for this year So much of what is good about Limerick goes through Lynch. He possesses all the skills that we have ever seen from any hurler, plus a few unseen ones too. Whoever Cork task with shackling the two-time Hurler of the Year, he cannot afford to play the Patrickswell man from behind. His skill level is too high to be disrupted by that kind of challenge. Read More On GAA Above all else, unstinting concentration for 70-plus minutes is required to limit his impact because Lynch only needs a split-second to land a fatal blow. Cork have been left with a monumental task in trying to close the 16-point gap that The reality for Pat Ryan is their style has not evolved enough and they have not been able to cope with the aggression the likes of Limerick can bring on the biggest days. While Cork had their number twice last year, John Kiely must take some of the blame for that. Most read in GAA Hurling That especially goes for the All-Ireland semi-final, when he persisted with Declan Hannon at centre-back for far too long. That was something he would certainly have had regrets over. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - Having said that, even the greatest managers can be guilty of mistakes and Kiely has made more than his fair share of good decisions over the years. Hindsight makes experts of us all. On current form, there are question marks over every member of the Cork forward line. The only doubt about the Limerick attack relates to how Aidan O'Connor will Going into the attack as a new recruit in a Munster final will be a big ask. O'Connor has been named at full-forward, which is somewhat surprising, though Kiely is sure to have ideas on how to shuffle his deck come throw-in. Predicting the Limerick manager's next move has never been easy. Regular readers of this column will know that I did not hold back in my criticism of Patrick Collins when he took over from Anthony Nash in goal for Cork. To his credit, the Ballinhassig man was one of the stars of their run to last year's All-Ireland final. 3 Patrick Collins' puck-outs have been shaky this year However, Collins appears to have returned to his worst habits. His puckouts have been a disaster. At times, the communication and understanding between Cork's goalkeeper and forwards seem to be non-existent. When I played in the half-forward line for Tipperary, I always knew where John O'Donoghue was going to puck the ball. So too did Larry Kiely, Mick Roche and Theo English in the middle of the field. This idea of exchanging a one-two with Séan O'Donoghue and then sending the ball up the field drives me spare. A goalkeeper should know at underage level that forwards want quick deliveries. When a back has time to settle and size up a situation, he will win the ball 80 per cent of the time. The Cork half-forward line must curtail the influence of Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes and Barry Nash. Even if you have to hit him with your a***, you do whatever you can to stop your opponent from gaining possession. If the Limerick half-back line — and their midfield too, for that matter — are given free rein again, Cork may as well stay at home. The Munster champions are perfectly placed here. Aside from the strength of their starting XV, they have subs for every situation. Their bench boasts five All-Stars. WIDER OUTLOOK A defeat this evening will not be the worst thing in the world for Cork as long as there are lessons learned in the event that the teams meet again. With the crowd and the hype and everything else that accompanies it, Croke Park can bring a different dynamic to any match-up. Should the Liam MacCarthy Cup reside on the banks of the Lee by the end of July, you will hear very few Cork fans lamenting a provincial final defeat. If their team's performance hits the 80 per cent mark, they will be happy enough coming back through Charleville tonight. Nevertheless, Limerick will prevail to make it seven Munster titles in succession — a remarkable achievement. LEINSTER LOOK The defending champions should also come out on top again in tomorrow's Leinster final, though Kilkenny's prospects will not be helped by the absence of Eoin Cody. Still, this is the best position that the Cats have been in for some time. Galway are coming into this decider on the back of a deserved win over Dublin. But for 20 minutes of that game, what was conjured up was some of the worst hurling I have ever seen at this level. There has been improvement in Galway since the first-round hammering they took against Kilkenny. Their performance that day bordered on embarrassing. But will there be enough to tip the balance back in their favour? Even with Cody unavailable to Derek Lyng, I am not convinced Galway have what it takes to claim a first Leinster title since 2018 at the expense of a Kilkenny side who have progressed to this stage in second gear.
The Irish Sun
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘I think it's a must' – Kilkenny icon offers TJ Reid advice ahead of Leinster final battle vs Galway
RICHIE Hogan has implored Kilkenny to keep on utilising TJ Reid strictly as a presence in the full-forward line. The ageing legend is 37 nowadays and while he 2 Fitness-obsessive Reid runs a gym for work 2 Hogan is also a former Hurler of the Year Credit: @offtheball His Previewing He did, however, settle on Reid being deployed at 14 as "a must". Hogan told Read More On GAA "Clearly he's not the same player he once was but he is still incredibly effective and I'd expect him to be incredibly effective again on Sunday. "I think the last couple of years I feel he was maybe trying to do too much. "Y'know he was trying to run to go inside then at times... "Whereas now he's on the square and that's his focus. Give him the ball and he'll put it over the bar. Most read in GAA Hurling "And he's already got four goals in three or four Championship games this year. "The one against Wexford - that's where you want him. Let the other guys do the hard work. RTE pundit Joe Canning urges GAA to make huge change for Leinster hurling final as fans 'totally agree' "It was the same story in last year's Leinster final. Two mistakes by the Dublin goalkeeper and it was two goals for TJ. "He doesn't need to be the star controlling the whole game. With TJ, Kilkenny just need to focus on impact rather than output." IN HIS OWN WORDS In April the man himself spoke at the outset of the Leinster Championship about He outlined: 'It's mind over matter. If you allow age to dictate your life, you're on a losing battlefield straight away. 'I never think of my age, I always think of how am I performing, how am I moving, how am I feeling, what's my mindset like, do I want this anymore? 'Do I want to be going training three or four nights a week? That's the big thing. If that want isn't there, that willingness isn't there, then that's the time to go. 'Most of those guys who are over 35, prolonging their career, they still have that willingness to give it everything. That's the big thing. 'You look at the likes of Maldini from AC Milan, Lebron, Ronaldo, Messi. "I look at all those top, top class players, they're still dedicating their life to it, and you have to. If you want to reach those barriers, you have to be willing to put in the effort. 'Most people think that psychologically you have to get older to reduce things, but you don't. The time you do reduce it, that's when you get left behind.'
