Kerry’s win over Donegal on Sunday brings the curtain down on the inter-county football season. Michael McMullan takes a stab at picking his team of the season… Niall Morgan (Tyrone) EDGES Shane Ryan to the number one jersey. After some inconsistent early performances, he was one of the reasons Tyrone were as close as anyone to […]
Kerry’s march to Sam should evoke a collective rethink among chasing pack
By Michael McMullan WHEN Gavin White swept onto the scraps of Sunday’s All-Ireland final throw-in, Jack O’Connor’s message would’ve been fresh in the mind. The finishing touches to the Kingdom’s 39th All-Ireland title was about playing on their terms. Not Donegal’s. Before they got on the bus for Croke Park, O’Connor laid out a message that […]
McGuinness looks to “absolutely huge” task of curbing Kerry’s attack
By Michael McMullan THERE is plenty of football chat in the car as Jim McGuinness and his son Mark Anthony shoot the breeze on the way to Donegal’s press evening. The buildup to Sunday’s decider is fulling column inches and airwaves all week. How Donegal stop David Clifford is number on talking point to most. […]
Prodigious talents: The young players of the year
Donegal’s Finbarr Roarty has been tipped as the Young Footballer of the Year in waiting and Niall Gartland takes a look at previous winners of the prized award 2024 – Oisin Conaty AFTER last year’s All-Ireland final win over Galway, Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney basically said it would be a complete travesty if Oisin Conaty […]
Clifford ‘seems to be very driven this year’ says McGuiness
BY RYAN FERRY TRYING to stop David Clifford would give many an intercounty manager a headache but Jim McGuinness was certainly in relaxed form at Tuesday’s press evening. Kerry knew they were in the final a day earlier but won’t hold their media briefing until Saturday. Donegal are keen to get any issues outside of […]
Bearded boys can topple Kerry
By Shaun Casey KERRY, be warned. The beards are back. Niall Morgan. Peter Teague. Mattie Donnelly. Pádraig Hampsey. Rory Brennan. They’re all engrossed by the spirit of ‘08 and that can only spell danger for the men in green and gold. In 2008, a host of Tyrone stars grew their facial hair and swore not […]
JOE BROLLY: Whatever I said, I didn’t mean it
BEFORE the Kerry game with Cavan, Paddy Andrews, Cillian O’Connor and Marc O’Sé, looking like a Take That tribute, shook their heads sadly every time Cavan were mentioned. Cavan must be bitterly regretting the day they ever beat Mayo. The following weekend, they got Donegal, enraged and motivated after their loss to Tyrone. Next up […]
The Footballer of the Year contenders
The race for Sam is heating up and Shaun Casey takes a look at the players who have shone brightest so far David Clifford (Kerry) THE two-time Footballer of the Year is the frontrunner at the minute and is widely regarded as perhaps the best footballer in the country. He is the leading light for […]
KEVIN CASSIDY: Intelligence is what defines the elite performers
BEFORE I talk about anything this weekend, it’s only right of me to heap praise on the best broadcasting station out there. I am of course talking about TG4 and I don’t think too many will argue with me after seeing their production last weekend. I could of course be accused of being biased given the […]
JOE BROLLY: A Saturday in Castlebar
ON Saturday I got a lift to the Mayo game with a lad from Ballina. As we got close to MacHale park, two hours early, there were parking spaces everywhere. “There’s one,” I said. He drove past it. “There’s another one.” He drove past it. “I don’t know how to reverse Joe,” he said. “How did […]