Month: September 2021

BEFORE DAVID MORAN and Tommy Walsh carved out reputations in their own right, they were just the sons of famous fathers trying to make it big. Tommy Walsh, Sean Walsh, David Moran and Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran. Source: Inpho Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran and Sean Walsh, two mainstays of the great Kerry Golden Years side, won 15…

FORMER DUBLIN MANAGER Paul ‘Pillar’ Caffrey told a story recently that summed up Stephen Cluxton’s mentality.  The Dublin netminder is chasing his seventh All-Ireland medal this weekend, and sixth as captain, but back in 2002 he was one of the greenhorns on the panel. On this particular afternoon, Dublin were due to take on Donegal…

IF ENNIS WAS the setting for their low point this year, then it was also the location for something more promising. As the spring of sorrow for the Cork footballers unfolded, Cusack Park on 10 February was the game which plunged them firmly into a relegation battle. The nine-point loss to Clare that day was…

DUBLIN WILL HAVE their shot at GAA history on Sunday afternoon in Croke Park, an appearance in the All-Ireland senior football decider where they will attempt to complete five-in-a-row. This particular run of final glories began in 2015 when they claimed victory by 0-12 to 0-9 against Kerry. It took them two attempts in 2016…

ON SUNDAY, GAVIN White will have the unique distinction of captaining Kerry in the All-Ireland final without having played a minute of league football for the county. The 22-year-old was called into the panel by Eamonn Fitzmaurice during the summer in 2016 and was absent for the following year’s league campaign due to Dr Crokes’ run…

IT’S HARD TO believe that a man who had the presence of mind and calmness to chip Paddy Cullen with a close-range free in the 1978 All-Ireland final would report feeling drained 10 minutes into the same game four years later.  As Mikey Sheehy will attest to, strange things can happen to players and teams who…

THE CORK AND Galway sides that will face off in Sunday’s Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor football final have been released. Patrick Campbell is named to start for Cork at full-forward, he scored 1-2 in the semi-final defeat of Mayo but departed the game early due to a back injury. The Nemo Rangers man has recovered in…

THERE IS ONE personnel change to the Kerry team that will face Dublin in the All-Ireland SFC final on Sunday. 22-year-old Gavin White comes into the side at wing-forward and has been handed the captain’s armband, with Shane Enright the only absentee from the team that defeated Tyrone in the semi-final. There are just four…

Let's start with an easy one. Which Kerry player kicked this iconic free in the 1978 All-Ireland final against Dublin? Pat Spillane Ger Power Mikey Sheehy Ogie Moran Who described Dublin as 'startled earwigs' after losing to the Kingdom in the 2009 All-Ireland quarter-final? ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson Stephen Cluxton ©INPHO/Lorraine O\'Sullivan Pat Gilroy ©INPHO/Presseye/Lorcan Doherty Joe…

IN RECENT YEARS, sport and mental health awareness have been inextricably linked. Traditionally seen as an aggressively macho environment, the dressing room is now the setting of a new play penned by Cavan-born performer Alan Bradley. ‘Grounds for Concern,’ which focuses in particular on young Irish men and the challenges they often face in relation…