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Extra.ie
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Fan fury as Cork hurlers claim first Munster title in seven years
Munster hurling fans are up in arms after Cork claimed their first Munster title in seven years following a penalty shoot-out against six-in-a-row champions Limerick. The Treaty City hosted the Rebels at the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday evening, with the Cork side looking to redeem themselves after being beaten by Limerick just weeks previous. After 70 minutes of play finished on a draw, extra time was called, with the additional 20 minutes also proving incapable of separating the sides thanks to a last-second point from Charleville man Darragh Fitzgibbon. Darragh Fitzgibbon of Cork is tackled by Michael Casey and William O'Donoghue of Limerick during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship final match. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile After a 16-point beating last month, the Rebels were victorious, winning the shootout 3-2 to be crowned Munster Champions. Cork manager Pat Ryan admitted his side 'didn't fight the last time' but had 'worked [and] fought really hard.' 'It just took penalties to separate us and we're just delighted to get the trophy,' he said, 'We know that we're a really, really good team. Cork manager Pat Ryan admitted his side 'didn't fight the last time' but had 'worked [and] fought really hard.' Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 'But it's the same with every other team, there's loads of good teams out there and it's all about the attitude you bring and whether you're going to fight.' The Glanmire native added that while he was missing a few lads, some substitutions throughout the game helped to 'freshen up the team.' The manager admitted that the Rebels hadn't been practicing penalties that much as a team, adding that the lads had likely practiced a lot individually. Thrilled to see Cork win tonight but I'd agree with @sportsdes It's almost sacrilegious to see the Munster Championship decided on a penalty shoot-out . Those are the cards we are dealt with a condensed inter-county season.#rebelsabu #MunsterFinal ⬇️ — Joe Seward (@JoeSeward1) June 7, 2025 Fans took to X to have their say on the nail-biting game, with many disappointed to see the game won on penalties. Sports broadcaster Des Cahill said: 'Does a tremendous final like this really have to be decided by penalties? Imagine the anticipation, the craic, and the buzz if we were looking forward to a replay! Replay deserved! Neither team should be loosing that way! There has to be a better way than peno! It's #Hurling for god sake! #GAA #MunsterFinal #Limerick #Cork — Julian (@mayojg74) June 7, 2025 'This is the price of the condensed season. Congrats to Cork & Limerick on providing a superb #MunsterFinal.' Another added: 'Thrilled to see Cork win tonight but I'd agree with @sportsdes It's almost sacrilegious to see the Munster Championship decided on a penalty shoot-out. Those are the cards we are dealt with a condensed inter-county season #rebelsabu #MunsterFinal.' Everyone giving out that penalties are not a good way to decide the #MunsterFinal Remember the GAA and supporters of the condensed season created this absurd mess — Fran Mallon (@FranMallon1) June 7, 2025 A third shared: 'Replay deserved! Neither team should be losing that way! There has to be a better way than a peno! It's #hurling for god sake.' A fourth pointed out: 'Everyone giving out that penalties are not a good way to decide the #MunsterFinal. 'Remember the GAA and supporters of the condensed season created this absurd mess.' There were also those who claimed that the referee was too lenient in the fixture, with some even suggesting that one team was favoured over another. However, it seems as though for every Cork fan who thought Limerick were getting preferential treatment, an equal amount felt the opposite was the case. Cork now advance to the All Ireland semi-finals while Limerick enter the quarter-final stages.
The Irish Sun
04-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Gaelic football is alive and kicking with new rules – GAA scrapping current All-Ireland SFC format is a big mistake
YOU DON'T know what you've got until it's — almost — gone. It took a while to feel the love for this 16-team All-Ireland SFC group-stage format, but the 2 The All-Ireland SFC group stage has been electric amid the new rules Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 2 But the Sam Maguire format will change for 2026 Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Yes, it's all crammed in. Sure, summer was not ideal. But the Championship has been reborn and a final round of action will have spectators and The Football was on life support but is alive and kicking now. Read More on GAA The big bone of contention with this format has been the lack of jeopardy, with three of four teams advancing. But last weekend's results have set up a cracking finale for the round-robin series. Only Not one of the eight games that will be played across the country on the weekend of June 14/15 is a dead rubber. Ignoring Most read in GAA Football The atmosphere at grounds all over the country has been electric. So here's a quick guide to what's at stake. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - Mayo, The Mayo's clash with Donegal in Tyrone are favourites to bounce back against Ray Galligan's men in Enniskillen. The head-to-head rule applies when two teams are on the same points. No one is safe. In Group 2, seal top spot with a draw against Meath in Tullamore. Monaghan know they are already making it out of Group 3 but a win against Down in Armagh would seal a direct last-eight berth. Louth meet Clare in Portlaoise, with both eyeing third spot. Group 4 is every bit as fascinating. If the Oak Leaf can down The Orchard have safely topped the group thanks to Sunday's fine display against the Sky Blues at Croke Park. They are the only team already through to the last eight. NEW FORMAT Still with us? Because after this, another format comes into play in 2026. The motion swept through February's Congress in Donegal with little or no debate, getting a whopping 92.8 per cent of the vote. The round-robin groups will be replaced by a back-door system. In 2026, in Round 1, the eight provincial finalists are drawn at home against the seven next highest-ranked league teams, along with this year's Tailteann Cup winners. After those games are played, the eight winners move on to Round 2A. The losers make for Round 2B. Four Round 2A teams play four Round 2A teams. Four Round 2B teams play four Round 2B teams. The four Round 2A winners advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The four Round 2A losers meet the four Round 2B winners in Round 3. And the Round 3 winners would complete the last-eight line-up. That ensures that no team with three defeats advances but it remains to be seen whether this change will serve up high-stakes drama on a par with this season. If not, the GAA's decision to pull the plug on what we have could be a huge own goal.
The Irish Sun
01-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Rian O'Neill hailed as ‘big player for big moments' as All-Ireland winner insists Armagh ‘lesser team without him'
STEVIE McDONNELL believes Rían O'Neill's comeback adds huge value to Armagh's All-Ireland defence. The hitman starred as the Orchard won Sam Maguire last summer — but was absent from Kieran McGeeney's squad when the 2025 campaign began. 2 Rian O'Neill is back in the fold with Armagh Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 2 Steven McDonnell called it a huge boost for Armagh Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile O'Neill returned to inter-county training in February before But the Crossmaglen man And McDonnell says the end of his exile is a huge boost for Armagh in their bid to stay on top ahead of today's He told SunSport: 'Rían is a fantastic player for Armagh. Read More on GAA 'You only have to look at his performances last year in the key moments.' O'Neill shone when the Orchard edged Kerry after extra-time in last year's All-Ireland semi-final, scoring three points. He also grabbed a crucial point in the 1-11 to 0-13 showpiece triumph over Galway at GAA HQ. But McDonnell said: 'He probably wasn't consistently at the level where he can be last year but he stepped up in the key moments of the key games. Most read in GAA Football 'What I mean by that is in the semi-final, he caught the ball under the crossbar, drove out of the defence, gave the ball to Conor Turbitt and kicked a massive score against Kerry when we badly needed the point. 'His point in the final was massive. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - 'Big players perform in big moments and that's what Rían did last year. 'Having him back adds strength and value to Armagh's cause. 'When you think about it, a lot of people wondered if Armagh would be in the mix without Rian O'Neill. 'But they're a lesser team without him and having him back now is a huge bonus.'
The Irish Sun
31-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Armagh are coming to boil and will fancy chances vs Dublin – Con O'Callaghan is an incalculable loss for Dessie Farrell
A CHAMPIONSHIP clash with Dublin at Croke Park could hardly be described as low-hanging fruit. But I get the sense nonetheless that the Orchard is beginning to bloom. 3 Armagh face Dublin in the All-Ireland SFC Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 3 Graham Geraghty backed the reigning champions to beat the Dubs Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 3 Con O'Callaghan will miss the game through injury Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile And with Even though the severity of his injury will probably be kept under wraps, it is no surprise to see Con's name absent from the It did not look good for him as he went off against Such is the way of these things, he may still end up playing a part. Read More on GAA If not, it will be an incalculable loss for Dublin. Prior to picking up the injury, his performance against Galway was yet another demonstration of his importance to Dessie Farrell's team. So much goes through him, whether he is operating in the half-forward line or closer to goal. As evidenced by Farrell's decision to hand him the captaincy, Con's leadership is also vital at a time when the Dubs are striving to show that there is life after the likes of Brian Fenton and James McCarthy. Returning to Croker for a game of this magnitude is exactly where Dublin want to be. Yet the same goes for Armagh, who are coming to the boil nicely. Most read in GAA Football The trajectory of their form is promising, there's a good buzz about them and crucially their ranks have been bolstered by the return of Rian O'Neill. The momentum is building for Kieran McGeeney's men. Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - They showed few signs of an Ulster final hangover while racking up a big lead against Derry , whose late surge only served to put some respectability on the scoreline. Armagh will not have it all their own way against Dublin by any stretch of the imagination. What the Dubs did to Galway was extremely impressive. They are a team who are sure to be high on confidence. However, if Con is gone, Dublin will find it very difficult to dig out a victory. One man does not make a team, yet his influence is just so critical that the Dubs are nowhere near as formidable without him. This has the makings of being as good a game as we will see all year. And while there will not be much between the teams, Armagh look likely to have the edge. There was a time not too long ago when Dublin were in such good nick that they could afford to be missing a few key players. But no team could ship so many blows on the personnel front and not be detrimentally affected. The team that has been named to start against Armagh shows just six survivors from the 2023 All-Ireland final win over Kerry — Stephen Cluxton, Davy Byrne, Brian Howard, Ciarán Kilkenny , Cormac Costello and Colm Basquel. You cannot expect to stay at the top of the pile while being robbed of so much quality in such a short period of time. Now, they are not far away from it and will not be easily beaten by anyone. But are Dublin one of the top three All-Ireland contenders as things stand? Not for me. PANEL SHOW A strong panel is needed to go all the way nowadays and Armagh can certainly boast that now. Their captain is also injured as Aidan Forker looks set to remain sidelined as well. But their options on the bench still include Stefan Campbell, Joe McElroy and Connaire Mackin, who all contributed enormously to their All-Ireland win. Also held in reserve again is Jemar Hall, who generally sees very little action but would probably be a regular starter for most other top teams. Iron sharpens iron when you have that level of competition within a set-up. And when guys are working that hard in training just to get a jersey , it is manifested on match-day when a manager can call upon subs who are just as good as the lads they are replacing. At the moment, there are not many counties with the depth and quality to match what is at McGeeney's disposal. With players coming off the bench often proving to be the match-winners nowadays, Armagh are in a very good place. All 16 teams are in action this weekend in the All-Ireland SFC, so there will be plenty to monitor and much to learn about those with aspirations of being in Galway's trip to Celtic Park is not a do-or-die fixture for either Pádraic Joyce's side or Derry but, still, the stakes are extremely high for two teams aiming to recover from losses. Indeed, having been a kick of a ball away from winning the All-Ireland last year, going into a rematch with Armagh in two weeks' time without a point on the board would be a disastrous scenario for Galway. They should have enough to see off a Derry team whose frailties have been exposed by the new rules. But the visitors must proceed with caution now that the air is getting thinner. Finally, the good times should continue for The future looks rosy for the Red Hands. And the present could be quite promising too if they can build on the performance they brought to Ballybofey while uncovering some chinks in the home side's armour. There is very little to separate Tyrone, Donegal and Armagh. On a given day, they are all capable of beating one another. When this Championship comes to the crunch, Ulster's finest should have a major say. Getting out of Omagh with anything to show for their efforts will be a huge ask of Mayo, particularly given the potential impact of Kevin McStay having to step back. I wish him well and hope he makes a full recovery, which is far more important than anything that happens on the pitch in Healy Park.
Irish Examiner
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tipperary v Waterford, live minute-by-minute updates
1.41pm Derek McGrath is in the house. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 1.39pm Some recommended pre-game reading: Eoghan Cormican has an in-depth conversation with former Waterford hurler Brian Greene who was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer in 2022. 1.36pm One change to the starting 15 for Tipperary; Darragh McCarthy comes in for Noel McGrath. 1.34pm: The RTÉ panel are in good spirits with first blood going to Joanne Cantwell who describes Donal Óg Cusack and Anthony Daly as the men from Del Monte. Listen to Dalo's Hurling Show here. 1.30pm Hydration? Check. Glutes activated? Check. Energy gels on hand? Check. Whatever about the players, we're ready for a huge afternoon of championship hurling action. First up, we'll go puck by puck for Waterford's trip to Tipp from 2pm. Kilkenny and Dublin throw in at 3pm in Leinster before it's an Alien v Predator-level blockbuster as Limerick and Cork renew their rivalry at 4pm. Pass the Factor 50.
