Latest news with #SamMaguireCup
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
David Hyland: 'We were sick to our teeth over Leinster'
Kildare defender David Hyland is satisfied with the progress Tailteann Cup semi-finalists Kildare have made in a short space of time. The Lilywhites were beaten by Offaly in the Division 3 league final in late March and then exited the Leinster championship to Louth. But they've since blazed a trail through the Tailteann Cup and will meet Fermanagh in Sunday's semi-final at Croke Park. Hyland said Kildare's sweet quarter-final win over Offaly, turning the tables on two previous losses to the Faithful this season, proved just how much their young group has come on. "If you look at the performance we put in that day in the league final, and the performance we put in last weekend, it's chalk and cheese," said centre-back and ex-captain Hyland. "The development of the team has come a long way in the last two months or so." Kildare have clearly taken the Tailteann Cup seriously and appear desperate to win it. "We were sick to our teeth with the way Leinster turned out," continued Hyland. "We played the first two games of the Tailteann Cup and then after the Tipperary game we sat down on the Monday night and said, 'Look, we have an eight-week block now to go and win the Tailteann Cup'. "We talked about what that means for this team's development and also that it would secure Sam Maguire Cup football next year because that's ultimately why we're here, what we want to do. "After that, it was all shoulders to the wheel really. So I think it was that third game really where we knuckled down and said, 'Right, this is what we're after, four more games, let's go and win this Tailteann Cup'." Yet the experienced Athy man said that with silverware now in sight, they haven't allowed their focus to drift beyond Sunday's semi-final. "We can't because we haven't performed very well in Croke Park over the last number of years," he said. "So we need to get that off our back. And it's going to be a huge challenge obviously. It's all top teams that are left in the competition." Kildare have lost five league and championship games in a row at Croke Park since last winning a game there, a 2022 Leinster semi-final against Westmeath. And prior to that they'd lost 17 of their 24 Croke Park outings, across the league and championship, since contesting an All-Ireland semi-final in 2010. But boss Brian Flanagan has a talented bunch of young players at his disposal, many of whom contested All-Ireland U-20 finals in 2022 and 2023, winning the latter. Several more were U-20 winners in 2018. The Tailteann Cup may even be the best environment for those young players to learn their trade, though Hyland isn't sure. "I tend to disagree with that," he said. "I think the young guys we have here at the moment would be well able to mix it with the likes of a Down, a Clare, some of the teams that are in the Sam Maguire this year. We have to play the cards we were dealt obviously but I think that would have brought us on a bit more if we were in it." Attacker Jimmy Hyland looks set to miss out again with a lower leg injury and there are question marks over the fitness of Callum Bolton, Ben McCormack and Ryan Houlihan.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Galway v Armagh LIVE updates from the the All-Ireland Footballl Championship
It's do-or-die for Galway as they travel to Kingspan Breffni to take on Armagh in the final round of the group stages of this year's All-Ireland Football Championship. Galway entered this year's Championship as one of the favourites to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, but a defeat to Dublin and a draw with Derry have put their hopes in jeopardy. Padraig Joyce's side might be helped by the fact, though, that Armagh are already guaranteed to make the quarter-finals. Victories over Derry and Dublin have sealed Kieran McGeeney's side in the knockout stages, and they could be excused for taking their foot off the gas. In a repeat of last year's All-Ireland final, the sides will clash at 6.30pm in Cavan. And you can follow all the action right here on Irish Mirror Sport. All-Ireland champions Armagh are the first side in the three years of the round robin to qualify as table toppers with one game to spare. This is the third year in a row they've topped their group to claim the one automatic quarter-final spot on offer. This may help Galway, who they face this weekend. Galway have one point, the same as Derry, after the sides drew last time out. If Derry beat Dublin they survive - and on top of this, if Galway beat Armagh then it would be Dublin who finish bottom of the group and bow out. A draw is enough for Dublin to go through, and would see Derry exit the competition if Galway were to get a draw or better against Armagh. A Galway draw and a Derry win over Dublin would mean the two sides finish on two point but Galway would be out (based on their head to head loss to Dublin). Galway (-1) can still lose to Armagh and survive provided Derry (-4) lose to Dublin and the current three point gap in scoring averages between Galway and Derry isn't bridged. If Armagh draw or win against Galway, Dublin are safe regardless of their result against Derry.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
All-Ireland SFC: Who needs what in final group games?
Right, here we go then: for the last time - at least for the foreseeable future - the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship has arrived at the all-important final round of group next year, the competition will have another new guise, with the round-robin phase scrapped in favour of a new format. More on that here. But this weekend, four teams will have their dreams of lifting the Sam Maguire Cup shattered for another year at least as 16 is whittled down to put, there are eight matches this weekend: four on Saturday and four on Sunday. As it stands, holders Armagh are the only team guaranteed a spot in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. As for the rest, a wide assortment of possibilities await. Let's get into it. A quick reminder: the team that finishes first in their group moves straight through to the quarter-finals. Second and third earns teams a preliminary quarter-final spot (those finishing second will have home advantage), while fourth is knocked out of the championship. Group One Tyrone v Cavan, Brewster Park, Sunday, 16:00 BSTDonegal v Mayo, Dr Hyde Park, Sunday, 16:00 BSTPermutations everywhere you look here. After two games, Donegal, Mayo, Tyrone and Cavan all sit on two points heading into the final round-robin weekend, the first time this has happened since this format was introduced. Ulster champions Donegal comfortably hold the most superior scoring difference (+16), thanks to their 19-point victory over Cavan in round two. However, the first tie-breaker is head-to-head, and given that Tyrone beat Donegal in the first round, the Red Hands will top the group if they beat Cavan and Donegal overcome Mayo, a sequence which would eliminate the Connacht county. Tyrone will also finish top if they win and Donegal and Mayo play out a draw, which would knock Cavan out. Courtesy of their win over Tyrone last time out, Mayo will top the group if they beat Donegal and Tyrone defeat Cavan. This would eliminate Cavan. Donegal will top the group if they beat Mayo and Cavan get the better of Tyrone, thus sending the Red Hands out. Jim McGuinness' Donegal will also secure first place if they win and the Tyrone-Cavan game ends in a draw, eliminating Mayo. Both games ending in a draw is a highly unlikely occurrence, but if that does happen, Donegal will top the group on scoring difference while Cavan will finish will finish top if they beat Donegal and Tyrone beat Cavan. They will also finish top with victory over Donegal and a draw in the Tyrone-Cavan game. Cavan can still finish top despite entering the weekend bottom. To do that, they will need to beat Tyrone and hope that Mayo see off Donegal, which would eliminate Donegal. If Cavan win and Donegal-Mayo ends in a draw, Cavan will finish at the summit and Tyrone will head for the exit door. Jeopardy. That's what everyone wants and this group is full of it. It could go right down to the final kick. Group Two Kerry v Meath, Tullamore, Saturday, 16:15 BSTRoscommon v Cork, Portlaoise, Saturday, 16:15 BSTMercifully, this group's web won't take quite as long to untangle. Kerry enter the weekend top after wins over Roscommon and Cork. Having already accrued four points, a win or draw against Meath will guarantee top spot for the Kingdom and a spot in the quarter-finals. If Kerry and Roscommon win, Kerry will finish top and Cork will be eliminated. If Kerry and Cork win, Roscommon will be are the only other team that can finish top, but they will obviously need to beat Kerry for that to happen. The best Cork can do is finish third, but they'll need to beat Roscommon. If it ends in a draw, the Rossies will secure third. Group Three Monaghan v Down, Athletic Grounds, Sunday, 14:00 BSTLouth v Clare, Portlaoise, Sunday, 14:00 BSTIn stark contrast to Group One, this group's package of permutations is much slimmer. The winner of the all-Ulster encounter between Monaghan and Down in Armagh will secure top spot. Down have a slightly superior scoring difference so they will clinch top spot with a draw, which would signify remarkable progress for the Mournemen given they had not played an All-Ireland game since 2019 before this year. Neither team can finish worse than second. The losers of the Louth-Clare game will exit the championship. A draw will see Louth scrape through in third courtesy of their superior scoring difference. Group Four Dublin v Derry, Pairc Esler, Saturday, 18:30 BSTGalway v Armagh, Breffni Park, Saturday, 18:30 BST Even though Armagh have already locked up top spot, Group Four is sure to deliver some Saturday-night drama. Below the Orchardmen, there could be much to-ing and fro-ing. Armagh face familiar foes Galway in a rerun of last year's All-Ireland final. After earning a crucial point in last-gasp fashion in their thriller against Derry a fortnight ago, the Tribesmen can still finish second and earn a home preliminary quarter-final. To do that, they must beat Armagh and hope Derry beat Dublin in Newry. In that scenario, scoring difference would decide second place (Galway are on -1, with Derry on -4). Dublin will finish second with victory or a draw over Derry, regardless of what happens in the Galway-Armagh game. If Dublin-Derry ends in a draw and Galway win, Derry will be eliminated. If Dublin-Derry ends in a draw and Armagh win, Galway will exit the championship, meaning Derry will move into the next stage without having won a game. Dublin will also finish second if they win and Galway-Armagh ends in a draw, eliminating Derry. Derry are guaranteed survival with a win as they will edge out Dublin on the head-to-head rule. If Derry and Galway both win, second place will be decided by scoring difference with Dublin knocked out. If Derry and Armagh win, Derry will finish second and Galway will be will also finish second if they beat Dublin and Galway-Armagh ends in a that's that. Come Sunday evening, the road ahead will show nothing but straight knockout for the final 12 teams. Before that, expect endless twists and turns as we bid farewell to the All-Ireland group stage. Knockout schedule The preliminary quarter-finals will be played on the weekend of 21/22 quarter-finals will be played on 28/29 semi-finals will be staged on 12/13 July with the final at Croke Park on 27 July.
Sunday World
03-06-2025
- General
- Sunday World
Sex assault case against Armagh All-Ireland winner to be elevated to Crown Court
Aidan Nugent faces two charges of sexual assault and two of causing or inciting a person to engage in a sexual activity Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent who is on bail accused of sexual assault will have his case elevated to the Crown Court next month, a judge has ordered. During a brief update in the case against the 30-year-old defendant, a prosecuting lawyer told Armagh Magistrates Court, sitting in Newry today, that 'papers should be ready' to fix a date for the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) — the legal step necessary to return a criminal case to the Crown Court. The legal representative suggested to District Judge Anne Marshall the PE could be scheduled to be heard on July 22, but that the matter should be reviewed beforehand 'to make sure everything is ready.' Nugent, from the Cullyhanna Road in Newtownhamilton, faces two charges of sexual assault and two of causing or inciting a person to engage in a sexual activity, namely contact with his genitals, on November 17, last year. When the All-Ireland winner first appeared in court last month, the PPS revealed a further four charges will be added to the indictment when the case is sent for trial. Armagh's Aidan Nugent lifts the Sam Maguire Cup after winning the All-Ireland football final last July. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile It's understood that it is the Crown's case that the alleged offences were committed in America when the Armagh GAA team travelled to Miami, Florida to celebrate the team's All-Ireland win after claiming the title for the first time in 22 years by beating Galway at Croke Park in July. Nugent's defence team has emphasised that during formal police interviews, he claimed that 'any sexual activity was consensual' and that when he was charged with the offences, Nugent replied that 'I deny the allegations — it was consensual.' The All-Ireland winner had been excused from attending court on Tuesday. Adjourning the case to July 8 for review, Judge Marshall excused the defendant from having to attend on that date as well, but ordered that he will have to appear for the PE on July 22. Aidan Nugent arriving for a previous court hearing in May, 2025 News in 90 Seconds - 3rd June 2025
Irish Examiner
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Meath rebound, Cork pledge 'all guns blazing' for Kingdom test
All-Ireland SFC Group 2: Meath 1-13 (1-0-13) Cork 0-12 (0-2-10) IF Cork are to make the last 12 of the All-Ireland SFC for the third year in succession, it's a different path they must take. Beating either Kerry at home next Saturday or Roscommon at a neutral venue in the middle of June is likely to be required to make the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. In the two previous iterations of this championship format, a first round win had set them on course but they were foiled Saturday by a Meath side who eventually overcome the Leinster final hangover. Cork had been economical in a first half that demanded patience facing a stiff breeze. A three-point trail, 0-5 to 1-5, would have been considered a job well done but they actually led by three before Meath discovered their shooting boots in the closing stages of the half. When the elements were in their favour, save for a couple of two-pointers, Cork simply didn't do enough. In Ian Maguire and Colm O'Callaghan, they have one of, it not the longest established, midfield partnership in the Sam Maguire Cup but they were constantly spoiled on their own kick-outs. Without that platform, Cork were in Meath's slipstream even though they cut the margin to a single point just before the hour mark. However, the hosts composed themselves with a Matthew Costello free. James Conlon followed it up with an effort from play and Costello provided the cushion with his fifth point in the 66th minute. The likes of Seán and Tommy Walsh around the middle were sorely missed by Cork not to mention Brian Hurley and Conor Corbett also being absent from the forward line. As Kerry return to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Saturday, more resources will be required irrespective of how far Cork pushed them there in last month's Munster semi-final. 'Since that, Kerry have blown everyone out of the water and we've been beaten here today, so it might throw a different light on that,' said Cork manager John Cleary. 'But look, we will prepare the same as we did for the last day and hopefully we can manage things better than we did today. We'll just see how next week goes and look, we'll go in all guns blazing as always and see where it takes us.' Cleary, Kevin Walsh and company won't need to review this game to realise too many key players were too quiet. There was the midfield malaise, Seán Powter and Cathail O'Mahony made little impact on the game while Brian O'Driscoll, again one of his team's best players this season, wasn't cutting through as he has been doing. O'Callaghan's two-pointer in the 39th minute was Cork's last score for 17 minutes in which time Meath's dominance in midfield was key to them stringing together five points. Meath manager Robbie Brennan admitted the impact of losing Leinster was evident in his side's sloppy opening half – training sessions in the wake of the loss to Louth had been lax, he admitted – but he took something from the amount of chances they were creating. Aside from that, he paid tribute to Conlon who missed his grandfather Hughie Sherlock's funeral to play the game in which he scored two points. 'I don't know how he did it, but I was so proud of him, and I know his family are a big footballing family and they really wanted him to play, and they should all be very, very proud of him today. 'You wouldn't have known, his preparation was phenomenal. Obviously, we knew earlier during the week, but there was never a doubt that he wasn't going to play, and that's what you get I suppose when you have a football family. To actually go out and perform like he did, he got a brilliant score at one stage there in the second half, so absolutely delighted for him.' Meath kicked just two points from 12 scoring opportunities in the first 27 minutes but catapulted ahead when Jordan Morris struck for a fine goal on the half-hour mark. The genesis of the attack was unusual as Chris Óg Jones appeared to pull out of making a tackle believing he had breached the three-up rule when Cork had the required amount of bodies in the Meath half of the field. It meant Cork had to chase and while they caught up they never overtook. Both managers now face one-week turnarounds to next weekend's games against opponents who will have had an extra week's break. 'That's maybe the reward you get for winning your provincial and so be it,' said Cleary of Kerry winning Munster. 'And I think even what's coming down along the line after that, two weeks later there's a game, whoever goes into the preliminary quarter-final and then you have a quarter-final three weeks in a row. 'So that's very hard, particularly in the new game there. And, you know, the hits are hard there, particularly around the middle with the kick-out. So, but look, that's for another day. And we have the same rules as anyone else so we just have to brush ourselves down and go again next week.' Brennan added: 'I probably was assuming we'd be on the Sunday, even an extra day makes a big difference, but a week turnaround, to be honest, it looks like there's too many matches in a short space of time, and it's just how do you fit them all in?' Scorers for Meath: M. Costello (0-5, 1 free); J. Morris (1-1); E. Frayne (0-3, frees); J. Conlon (0-2); B. Hogan (45), S. Coffey (0-1 each). Scorers for Cork: C. Jones, M. Cronin (1tp, 0-2 frees) (0-4 each); C. O'Callaghan (0-2, 1tp); M. Taylor, R. Deane (0-1 each). MEATH: B. Hogan; S. Lavin, S. Rafferty, R. Ryan; D. Keogan, S. Coffey, C. Caulfield; J. Flynn, B. Menton; C. Duke, R. Kinsella, M. Costello; J. Morris, J. Conlon, E. Frayne (c). Subs for Meath: A. O'Neill for J. Flynn (inj), K. Curtis for E. Frayne (both 45); C, Hickey for C. Duke (50); S. Walsh for J. Conlon (64); J. McEntee for R. Kinsella (temp 67-69). CORK: M.A. Martin; S. Meehan, D. O'Mahony (c), M. Shanley; P. Walsh, B. O'Driscoll, M. Taylor; I. Maguire, C. O'Callaghan; S. Powter, S. McDonnell, E. McSweeney; M. Cronin, C. Jones, C. O'Mahony. Subs for Cork: R. Deane for S. Powter, R. Maguire for E. McSweeney (50); E. O'Hanlon for C. O'Mahony (56); C. Cahalane for P. Walsh (62); L. Fahy for M. Taylor (temp 64-ft); H. O'Connor for M. Cronin (68). Referee: N. Mooney (Cavan).
