[caption id="attachment_69198" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Brian O’Driscoll. "]
All-Ireland football champions Dublin are to continue with their early morning training sessions again this year. Manager Pat Gilroy says the sessions will start an hour earlier than last year at 5.30am, but they will only last for a few weeks. Gilroy said: ‘‘We will only have the early morning sessions for a few weeks. It means the lads will not be out every night of the week. It means they are fresh as can be after the sessions and they can get some work done. Some of them are studying at the moment so it should help them. But we will only be doing it for the month of January. Loads of people do the early morning sessions, swimmers do it all the time and other sports people also, so it’s no big deal.’’ One player who won’t be making the early morning sessions this month will be former captain David Henry. At 31 the Raheny player has decided to retire from the intercounty action after ten years with the county. With only three other players: Bryan Cullen, Stephen Cluxton and Barry Cahill over 30, no more retirements are expected.
GAA INTRODUCE MATCH BANS
The GAA, who have been innovative in many things, have often been reluctant to admit that they copy ideas from soccer . One rule that clearly needed to be amended in the GAA was to rectify the system where players got banned for two weeks or four weeks, but didn’t miss a competitive game. Match bans have long been in use in soccer and the GAA will now introduce match bans on a trial basis for this year’s National League and championship. For a category two or three offence players will miss one or two games compared with the old four and eight week bans. However, for more serious category IV and V offences time bans will continue.
MORAN DUE BACK
FOR KINGDOM
Good news for Kerry supporters with David Moran likely to be fit to return to the Kerry team for the start of the National Football League next month. Moran missed all of the 2011 championship after suffering a cruciate injury in a league game against Monaghan last April. Aidan O’Mahony should also be back in contention for a place in the Kerry team for the opening round of the National League against Dublin at Croke Park on Feb. 4. O’Mahony broke a bone in his leg playing for his club Rathmore when they beat Laune Rangers in the Kerry club championship final in October. But the Cork-based Garda is now back to full fitness and recently helped Rathmore qualify for yet another East Kerry final when beating Currow. However, Aidan got a red card in the win over Currow and will now miss the final against Dr. Crokes on Sunday next.
SHEEDY TO MANAGE
MUNSTER HURLERS
Munster is last of the provincial bodies to appoint managers for the upcoming interprovincial series. Former Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy will take charge of the Munster hurlers in their semifinal against Leinster. He will be assisted by Stephen Frampton, the former Waterford player and former Clare star Jamsie O’Connor. Cork intercounty selector Ger O’Sullivan, who managed the Munster footballers when they last won the interprovincial championships in 2008, will once again step up to manage the Munster steam. O’Sullivan will be assisted by current Limerick manager Maurice Horan and former Kerry under 21 manager John Kennedy.
NORTH’S MAGILTON
GETS JOB DOWN UNDER
Former Northern Ireland international Jim Magilton is the new manager of Australian club Melbourne Victory. The appointment came only days after Magilton lost out in the race for the Northern Ireland job, which went to Michael O’Neill. For most of last season Magilton was assistant to O’Neill at Shamrock Rovers. Earlier Magilton had spent three seasons as Ipswich Town manager between 2006 and 2009 and then had seven months in charge of QPR between June and December 2009.
ANOTHER BOOK
FROM O’DRISCOLL
Irish Rugby star Brian O’Driscoll, who is currently recovering from surgery to his shoulder, has began work his biography with award-winning journalist Paul Kimmage. The book will not be published until O’Driscoll retires. This will be the star’s second book; in 2005 he wrote “A Year in the Centre” after captaining the Lions on their tour of New Zealand. Kimmage, a former Tour de France cyclist, was released by the Sunday Times last year, but just before Christmas he picked up the Irish Sports Book of the Year award for his biography of former England under 21 Rugby player Matt Hampson. Hampson was paralyzed in a scrumming training accident.
KEANE’S BEST FRIEND
TO PEN BARK-ALL BIO
O’Driscoll’s book may not come out for another year or so, but Roy Keane’s dog Triggs is confident that his first book will be on the bookshelves by June, prior to the start of the Euro 2012 finals. The dog became famous all over the world when he was seen daily on television out walking with his master after Keane’s infamous row in Saipan with Irish manager Mick McCarty in 2002. Ten years on the dog, who was erroneously reported to have died last year, is going to write his “autodography.” The book will be ghost written for Triggs by Dubliner Paul Howard, who created the popular Ross O’Carroll-Kelly fictional character a few years back. Dogs are reputed to have a good memory and Triggs’ book should be interesting. It looks like Roy is happy with the arrangement as long as some of the profits go to his favourite charity, the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
LEAMY OUT FOR
LONG LAY-OFF
Munster will have to plan without influential back row Denis Leamy for the next four months. The 30 year-old Tipperary-born player needs surgery to remedy a long term hip problem. The injury means that Leamy will also be out of contention for a place in the Irish team for the upcoming Six Nations Championship. But the good news for Munster fans is the David Wallace could be back in March. Wallace miss last year’s Rugby World Cup after injuring his knee in the pre-season game against England at the Aviva in August. But nothing definite on a comeback date for hooker Jerry Flannery. The 33 year-old is training with Munster, but he is still having difficulty with a long term calf problem. Also last week the death occurred of former Munster, Ireland and Lions back row Colm Tucker. The 59 year-old was on the Munster team that famously beat the All Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978.
CARLING MAY BE SCRAPED
The Republic of Ireland beat Scotland to win the inaugural Carling Nations Cup tournament at the Aviva Stadium last May. But it now looks like the trophy will be staying at the FAI’s headquarters in Abbotstown for the foreseeable future. Poor attendances at the games and trouble with the Scottish FA over monies owed meant that the other associations didn’t have any real interest in continuing with the competition in what is an already crowded calendar. Wales were due to host the tournament in 2013. So it looks like countries will revert to arranging their own end of season friendlies and there is speculation that the FAI will be invited to play in a tournament celebrating the 125th anniversary of the foundation of the English FA in 2013. But first England has to come to Dublin for that overdue friendly.
WHELAN RENEWS WITH STOKE
Irish international Glenn Whelan celebrated his 28th birthday last week by signing a three and a half year contract with Stoke City. The Dubliner joined Stoke in 2008 from Sheffield United and has become an important player in central midfield for the Potters. And it looks like Darron Gibson has finally taken the advice offered by Giovanni Trapattoni to move away from Manchester United and get first team football. Gibson has joined Everton.
