The League of Ireland Premier Division kicks off its new season with four games on tonight, which include Cork City’s hosting Bohemians, and Derry City traveling to meet St. Patrick’s Athletic.
Shamrock Rovers, who are bidding to make it four League of Ireland Premier Division titles in a row, start on tomorrow night, Saturday, away at Sligo. The Hoops have achieved the four-in-a-row feat once previously, from 1984 through 1987, but that was under two different managers, Jim McLaughlin and Dermot Keely. It was the only time, indeed, that a club has achieved that, with a few making it to three in a row — Cork United beginning in 1941, Waterford from 1968 and Dundalk from 2014.
After winning three league titles with Rovers, McLaughlin was enticed back home to his native Derry City who had just made history, a club from Northern Ireland joining the League of Ireland. Keely was promoted to player-manager and he secured the four in-a-row, but the storm clouds were gathering for the Hoops as their former owners, the Kilcoyne family, sold Glenmalure Park in Milltown for housing development. For the next 22 years the Hoops played their home games at various Dublin venues until they secured a lease on the new Tallaght Stadium from South Dublin County Council in 2009.
During their nomadic period Rovers did win the league title once, in the 1993-94 season, when they were managed by the late former international Ray Treacy and their home ground was the RDS in Ballsbridge. In their second season in Tallaght the Hoops won their 16th League title when Michael O’Neill was manager and last season’s was their 20th title.
Much of the credit for Rovers’ recent success must go to manager Stephen Bradley. The 38-year-old former Arsenal apprentice, who was born just two miles from Tallaght Stadium, is hoping to become the first man to manage Rovers to four consecutive titles.
The Hoops toughest rivals this season are likely to be Derry City, Dundalk, who begin at home to UCD, and St Patrick’s Athletic.
KERRY F.C.’S
BIG DEBUT
History will be made in Mounthawk Park, Tralee, on Friday night when Kerry F.C. play Cobh Ramblers in a first division League of Ireland game. A team from the Kerry League played in the League Cup competition in the early part of this century, but Kerry F.C. will be the first club team to represent Kerry in the League of Ireland. Kerry will not wear the famous green and gold jersey worn by the Kerry GAA teams down through the decades, opting instead for a plain green with white and gold trim. Kerry’s arrival proves that soccer, which for many years was described as the “Garrison Game,” has gradually spread all over the country and Kerry will be the 17th county in the Republic to have a team in the League of Ireland. The nine counties who have yet to field a team are Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Mayo, Meath, Laois, Leitrim, Offaly and Roscommon.
BURNS TIPPED
TO LEAD GAA
We have a new Gaelic football championship in place for 2023, but no doubt there will be some minor rules changes adopted when GAA delegates gather at Croke Park next weekend for their annual Congress. Outside of those, there is a big decision for delegates to make: who will replace Larry McCarthy as GAA president in 2024. Three years ago the Cork native, who was representing New York, made history when he beat Armagh’s Jarlath Burns by 10 votes. The former Armagh footballer had got 80 first preference votes, 17 more than McCarthy, who picked up more votes in the second and third counts.
The late Owen McCann, an expert on Gaelic games, used to say that the person who finishes second is almost certain to be elected three years later, if they run again. Burns is running again and the other two candidates are Leinster Chairman Pat Teehan and Niall Erskine from Donegal. With most of the Ulster counties expected to vote for Burns it looks it will like a straight race between him and Teehan. And I expect the 55-year-old Burns to become the 41st GAA president.
WNT FAREWELL
FOR TALLAGHT
The Republic of Ireland are aiming to sell out Tallaght Stadium for their Women’s World Cup farewell friendly against France after hopes of playing at the Aviva Stadium were dashed, Vera Pauw’s women's national team will host the world No. 5-ranked France on July 6 before heading off on their World Cup odyssey in Australia and New Zealand. It will be a big test for the Girls in Green against top-class opposition, France were beaten 2-1 by Germany in the semi-finals of last summer's European Championships in England, but of course the clash also represents an opportunity for the players to say farewell to the fans. The last time Ireland played in Tallaght was back in September, when they beat Finland 1-0 in a crucial qualifier.
Of the possible showpiece game at the Aviva that had long been mooted, FAI CEO Jonathan Hill said: ‘‘We did explore the possibility of hosting this game in Aviva Stadium but it was not available due to scheduled pitch redevelopment work. We are now aiming to sell out Tallaght Stadium for what will be the perfect way to send the Irish team off to the World Cup.’’
And Pauw has called up two new players ahead of the training camp and two friendlies against China and Germany in Marbella later this month. Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion and Washington Spirit midfielder Marissa Sheva have been called up for the training camp in Spain. The Girls in Green will play their first-ever game against China at the Feb. 22 at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador, while the game against Germany will be behind closed doors. Mannion is a former English underage star who was called up for a number of senior friendlies but failed to make an appearance. Sheva qualifies for Ireland through her Tyrone-born grandfather and her grandmother, who is from Donegal. Marissa also ran track when at Penn State.
BRAY CADDIE
JOINS LOWRY
Shane Lowry will have Bray caddie Darren Reynolds on his bag up to the Masters and possibly beyond. Lowry parted company with Open-winning caddie Brian “Bo” Martin after the Dubai Desert Classic and has now decided to take on Reynolds up to and including the first major of the season before sitting down with his team to reassess his options.
Reynolds has caddied for a host of European Tour players including Roger Chapman and Paul McGinley. He caddied for Paul Dunne when he won the British Masters in 2017 and after a spell with Lucas Bjerregaard, he helped Frenchman Antoine Rozner to multiple DP World Tour wins before moving on to work for Rozner’s compatriot Alexander Levy. He has worked for Lowry on a part-time basis before though the Offaly golfer complained he couldn’t be as forthright with him as he would be with Martin.
Meanwhile Padraig Harrington admits a seventh Ryder Cup appearance is not on his agenda this season, but he doesn’t rule it out if he can win another major or a PGA Tour event. The 51 year-old Dubliner impressed by finishing fourth in a world-class field at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship three weeks ago. But the losing 2021 captain admits another Ryder Cup appearance is not something he is actively chasing. “I think that ship has sailed,” Harrington confessed after finishing tied 25th in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship ten days ago.
DEATH OF OFFALY
CAPTAIN HANLON
The death occurred recently of Donie Hanlon, the first Offaly man to lift the Delaney Cup after winning the Leinster Senior Football Championship title. A Gracefield clubman, Hanlon scored the winning point as Offaly beat Louth to win out in Leinster for the first time in 1960. Offaly lost a controversial All-Ireland semi-final to Down in 1960 after a replay, but they qualified for their first All-Ireland final in 1961 and Hanlon lined out at full forward as the Faithful County lost by a point to Down.
