This new GAA split season means that inter-county games are coming at us very fast and supporters don’t get much time to prepare or plan for the games they want to see. There is certainly an air of excitement as under the new system counties only know their opponents a week or two before the game. I wrote a few weeks back that the Cork and Limerick hurling supporters had their train tickets booked for the All-Ireland hurling final on July 20. Some Limerick supporters are now probably looking for a refund after their shock defeat to Dublin, but I reckon Cork supporters will be using their train tickets.
The Rebels have been very impressive this year and after an exciting penalty shoot-out win over Limerick in the Munster final, they will be fancied to beat Dublin in the first of the All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park on Saturday evening next. All 82,300 tickets for the game sold out in two hours last week. Dublin’s last all-Ireland semi-final appearance was in 2013 when they lost by five points to Cork, who went on to lose the final to Clare after a replay. But after the Dubs shock win over Limerick at the quarter-final stage, Cork certainly won’t be under estimating a team that played most of the game against Limerick with 14 men.
After experimenting with managers from outside the county for several years this year, Dublin have gone with a local manager, Niall O Ceallacháin, who guided his own club Na Fianna to win the All-Ireland club final back in January. Dublin didn’t qualify for the Leinster final, but have been impressive in the back-door route, running up a huge score of 3-25 against Kildare in the preliminary quarter-finals and then getting by Limerick in the quarter-finals.
There has always been a great hurling rivalry between Tipperary and Kilkenny and Tipp must feel that they have a great chance against the Cats in the second semi-final on Sunday. There is no doubt the standard of hurling was higher in Munster than Leinster this year and Tipperary, who were the third qualifiers from Munster, now have momentum after wins over Laois and Galway and can I feel they can qualify for the final. Tipp were much too strong for Laois in the preliminary quarter-final and then they had a comfortable win over Galway in the quarter-final. So I fancy Tipp, who will be making their first appearance in Corke Park since the 2019 final when they had a comfortable win over Kilkenny. I am going for a Cork-Tipperary final.
WIFFEN HAS
JULY 30 GOALS
Ireland’s Olympic Swimming champion Daniel Wiffen is hoping that July 30 proves to be a huge day in his life again this year. On July 30 last year Wiffen etched his name into Olympic history with his 800m freestyle gold in Paris and July 30 this year is the date of the 800m final at World Championships in Singapore. The swimmer from County Down, who turns 24 on July 14, will contest the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events in Singapore and has a straightforward goal: “To come away with at least one gold medal.”
Wiffen has never been shy about calling his shots and few Olympic champions are as open about their routine, documenting his training on YouTube over the past several years. He says he is not worried about giving his rivals an edge, saying: “Maybe it’s not the best idea to show everything you do when you are training for Olympic gold, but I’m not just here to swim for myself. We are trying to inspire a new generation of swimmers.”
The swimmer has split with his coach Andi Manley who has trained him since he joined Loughborough University five years ago. Wiffen has finished his studies with the English college and has decided to base himself in Ireland for the foreseeable future. He has yet to decide on a new coach.
HON DOCS FOR
MARTY, JOHNNY
RTE Gaelic Games correspondent Marty Morrissey and three-time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan were both conferred with Honorary Doctorates of Philosophy degrees in Dublin last week. Both degrees were awarded by the Longford International College and formally conferred at the graduation ceremony in Dublin before an audience of graduates, faculty, families and guests. Morrissey, who is a former schoolteacher and GAA coach in County Clare, was awarded a doctorate in recognition of his “exceptional contribution to Irish sport, education, and public life.’’ The college also awarded a doctorate to the singer-songwriter Seán Sherrard, aka Johnny Logan, recognising his “outstanding contribution to music, Irish cultural identity, and international arts.’’
BOOST FOR BIZ
Businesses in and around Cork city are expected to benefit from a potential €6 million boost as soccer fans should flock to Páirc Uí Chaoimh next week for the Cork Super Cup. The event will see Scottish Premiership Champions Celtic take on Cork City in a pre-season game on July 8. Organisers of the game have been engaging with local businesses, including those in the hospitality sector, as the event is expected to bring significant numbers of visitors to Cork city and county. The Cork Super Cup is a joint initiative between Cork GAA and sports marketing agency Druid Sport to bring another record-breaking mid-summer event to the stadium. It will be will only be the fourth soccer match to be staged at the famous Ballintemple grounds on the banks of the River Lee.
ALLOW DIALOGUE
WITH REFS: DAVY
Antrim manager Davy Fitzgerald, who is currently serving an eight-week ban for criticising referees, says that inter-county GAA managers should be moved to the stand and allowed to talk to referee on the day before and day after a game. In light of flashpoints between various team officials this year, Fitzgerald says he would be happy to take his place away from the action provided he had a chance to speak to the referee pre and post-match. Fitzgerald said: “It’s easy for me to criticise or say x, y or z but I’m trying to think outside the box and see if there is something that would help this whole situation. I would love to talk to the referee the night before or before and he says to you, this is what I am looking for, A, B, C and D. There is dialogue there. You have an idea even what way to train the team because you are looking at it. I think that’s sensible. I think the following day, if I want to ask the referee, listen, that call, can you just explain to me what you saw?”
Fitzgerald said he will discuss his future as Antrim manager with county chairman Seamus McMullan in the coming weeks. He agrees he would feel like he is leaving business unfinished if he steps away, but the travelling from Sixmilebridge to Antrim has taken its toll. “Health-wise, family-wise, I want to do the right thing, whatever that right thing is,’’ he added.
ST. ULTAN’S
HOST CIC ÁRD
The St Ultan’s club in Meath are hosting their second All Ireland Cic Árd Competition in Seán Newman Park in Allenstown, Kells on July 13. To win you must get the football over the crossbar which will rise up to a possible height of at least 98 feet (30 metres) or possibly even higher. The crossbar and posts are a standard Gaelic football goalpost which is 21 feet wide (9.92 metres). This is a tough challenge to achieve maximum height and manage to keep the ball between the posts. In essence it’s the Gaelic football equivalent of the famous Poc Fada. The inaugural event last year was a double victory for the Sheridan family with former Meath star Joe Sheridan and his sister Mary the respective winners. Joe kicked the ball 80ft (24.4m) over the elevated cross bar in the men’s competition, while Mary achieved a height of 60ft (18.3m).
CELTIC’S CLARK, 84
The death occurred last week at the age of 84 of former Celtic defender John Clark, one of the Lisbon Lions. Born in Chapelhall in Lanarkshire, his father died in a railway accident when Clark was 10 years old. As a 15-year-old, Clark worked in a mine, before joining Celtic in 1958 at the age of 17. Clark, who made over 300 appearances for Celtic following his debut in 1959 and spent over 40 years at the Glasgow club as player, coach, assistant manager and kit man. His finest hour was in Lisbon when the Hoops became the first British club to lift the European Cup following their victory over Inter Milan. Clark won four Scottish league titles, four League Cups, three Scottish Cups and one European Cup during a 13-year playing career with the Hoops before moving on to Morton in 1971. He returned to Celtic Park as coach of the reserve and youth sides before becoming Billy McNeill’s assistant, first at Aberdeen and then, in 1978, at Celtic. Clark went on to take charge of Cowdenbeath, Stranraer and Clyde before returning to Celtic Park as kit man, a role he held for nearly 20 years.
