When the National League fixtures were made before Christmas we had 13 games fixed for St Patrick’s Day. However, due to clashes with parades in various towns around the country on Sunday next, the number of fixtures due to be played on March 17 is now down to nine. This weekend sees the penultimate round of the games in the National Football League and after their impressive wins over Kerry and Derry, there is no doubt that Dublin are now favorites to not only win the League, but also the Sam Maguire Cup in July.
On Saturday the Dubs head to Salthill where they should be too strong for Galway. At this stage it looks like it could be a Dublin-Derry National League final, but we should know a bit more after the weekend. Derry, who are top of Division One with 8 points, travel to Ballina on Sunday and if they field a full strength team, should beat Mayo, while Kerry are also on the road, against Roscommon at Dr. Hyde Park. At the bottom, Monaghan look like they are going down, unless they can lift themselves and beat Tyrone in Omagh on Saturday. Hard to believe now that Monaghan beat Dublin in Croke Park a few weeks back.
In Division Two Jim McGuinness’s return has boosted Donegal and they are joint top of the table along with Armagh. In his previous spell in charge of Donegal it was claimed that McGuinness’ style was too defensive. But after five League games in charge McGuinness claims that too much tactical fouling is a blight on the game of Gaelic football. He said: ‘‘We want to play transitional football. A lot of times it is not possible. There is a lot of tactical fouling going on, a lot of people slowing the game down. If the game is to become faster, then things like that need to be nipped the bud early on or else it continues on for the rest of the game.’’ Definitely one for Jim Gavin and his new playing rules group to look at. Donegal travel to Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow on Sunday to play Kildare where a win would send the Lilywhites, who have lost all five of their five games to-date, down to Division Three. Meath, who won the Tailteann Cup last year are guaranteed a place in the Sam Maguire Cup this year, but Kildare could miss out, unless they qualify for the Leinster final. Louth, who have only two points, could join Kildare in the drop to Division Three, unless they beat Fermanagh in Ardee on Saturday.
CARSLEY ‘NOT IN
FRAME’: KERR
Last week when the FAI introduced John O’Shea to the media as caretaker manager for the games later this month against Belgium and Switzerland the FAI’s Director of Football Marc Canham said that the delay in hiring a new manager was created by the contractual obligations of their number one target. Most observers reckoned that comment pointed to current England under 21 manager Lee Carsley. England have two under 21 games at the end of this month and after that there are no under 21 games until September and it looked like a good time for Carsley to quit the England under 21 job and take the Irish senior job.
However, the following day, Brian Kerr, who is working as a technical adviser to John O’Shea for the March international window gave an interview to RTE radio where he reckoned that Carsley was not the frame for the job. Kerr who has kept in touch with his former midfielder does not expect to see Carsley replacing Stephen Kenny. Kerr said: ‘ I would be surprised if Lee was back in the frame. Lee played for Ireland when I was manager and I have been in touch with Lee a bit over the years and I would be surprised. Unfortunately, I don’t think that he is in the picture, but I could be wrong.’’ So who is the going to get the job? It look like we will have to wait until early April to find out.
Meanwhile, Kerr has gone straight to work in his new role, which includes a bit of scouting, watching Irish players in action for their English clubs. Kerr admitted that he was pleasantly surprised to get the call from O’Shea and the FAI to help out in the March window, however, he does not believe that he will be involved after the March fixtures. Kerr said: ‘‘John called me himself, and then I had calls from Jonathan Hill and Marc Canham in the FAI. It was a big surprise. But I had a good relationship with John going back to when he was a young lad playing with Waterford Bohemians and he was in the underage international teams. When I was senior manager I saw a statistic that John played 27 of the 33 matches when I was manager. So over the years, I’ve known him very well, but it was a massive surprise.
“I would be lying if I said I’m not happy about it,” Kerr said about his departure as manager. “I did feel a bit sore going back. Over time I thought I had done reasonably well for the association, going back to the time with Irish Youth manager Liam Tuohy from 1982 to 1986, which was a successful time, and then the other nine or ten years I was the youth manager. It was hurtful enough to be cut off. That wasn’t nice, but that’s life, and sometimes football is harsh but I’m delighted to be back involved even if for only two games.’’
Basically Kerr got the Irish senior job in 2003 when Fran Rooney was CEO of the FAI. However, Rooney was later replaced by John Delaney, who was not a fan of Kerr’s. And that’s the story in a nutshell.
SAGNOL GETS
JOB MENTION
If Lee Carsley isn’t in the frame for the Republic of Ireland senior manager job, then Willy Sagnol is, according to some reports. The current manager of Georgia, Sagnol is reported to be in the running to replace Stephen Kenny. Sagnol, who will be 47 next week, won 58 caps for France and has previously managed his home club Satin Etienne, Monaco and Bayern Munich. Georgia will play Luxembourg in a semi-final play-off for Euro 2024 later this month, and if they win that game they will then play either Greece or Kazakhstan.
MULLINS MOVES IN ON
100 AT CHELTENHAM
We're into the second day of Cheltenham week and that means an exodus of Irish horses, trainers, jockeys and punters to Prestbury Park has taken place. Most focus will be on Carlow-based trainer Willie Mullins, who has already saddled 96 winners at the famous National Hunt Festival. It seems certain that Mullins will reach the 100 mark this week. The Gold Cup which will be run on Friday is the biggest race of the meeting. A familiar tale during the week will be the plethora of Willie Mullins trained short priced favorites, with Galopin Des Champs leading the charge. The reigning champion will be bidding to repeat last year’s victory and give Mullins a remarkable fourth Gold Cup from just the last six runnings of the race. The main opposition this year is likely to come from the Martin Brassil trained and Seán Mulryan owned Fastorslow who turned over the favorite twice last year in Punchestown. John ‘Shark’ Hanlon will be hoping that wonder horse Hewick can repeat the heroics of his King George VI Chase win at Kempton, however he is likely to need a week of dry weather to show his best form.
NEW SPONSOR
FOR WATERFORD
Waterford GAA has a new club shirt sponsor with Suir Engineering taking over from Lismore-based company TQS, who have been the sponsors since 2018. Apparently the Waterford county board were close to agreeing a deal with global telecoms company Huawei that would have incorporated jersey and Walsh Park sponsorship. However, the deal could not be finalised and Suir Engineering, whose head office are on Kilmeaden Road on the outskirts of Waterford, will sponsor the county jerseys for three years. Sponsorship of Walsh Park remains available.
MURRAY TO LEAD LGFA
Leinster LGFA President Trina Murray is the new President-elect of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association. From Moate in County Westmeath she was elected on at the 2024 LGFA Annual Congress held in Ennistymon two weeks ago. She defeated Down’s Seamus O’Hanlon on an 82-26 vote. Murray, a clerical officer with Westmeath County Council, will take over the reins from Mícheál Naughton at the LGFA’s 2025 Annual Congress, which will be held in Donegal and she will lead the association in their merger talks with the GAA and the Camogie Association. Murray will become the 14th different president of the LGFA since its inception in 1974.
TONY GREEN, 85
He wasn’t a sports star, but anybody who watched darts on BBC or the “Bullseye” television program hosted by Jim Bowen, will remember the voice of Tony Green, who made the phrase “One hundred and eighty!” famous. From Kingston-upon-Hull in Yorkshire, Jim played soccer, cricket and rugby, but darts was his first love. In later life he served for a time as chairman of the International Dart Players’ Association. Green died last week at the age of 85 after a battle with Alzheimer’s.
BOHS TO HOST
PALESTINIANS
The Bohemians women’s team playing against the Palestinian women’s team on Dalymount Park on May 15. The funds raised through the match will be used to facilitate the visitors’ travel expenses as well as provide funds for humanitarian relief efforts in Palestine. The match will mark the 76th anniversary of the 1948 Palestine war.
DAN MCCARTAN, 84
The death occurred last week of former Down footballer Dan McCartan at age 84. Regarded as one of the greatest defenders to come out of Ulster, he helped Down to Sam Maguire successes in 1960, 1961 and 1968, winning the first of those as a 19-year-old. McCartan also helped the Mourne County to three league titles and eight Ulster wins in a golden period for the county whilst he also won four Railway Cups with the province. He shared many of those successes with his brother James, while his son Mark won a Celtic Cross in 1991. A statement from Down GAA said: ‘‘Dan McCartan was a player, a team manager, team selector, county youth officer, a delegate to Congress and a champion of the game of handball.’’
