Mickey Harte, a man who certainly believes in old values, has a new job, just a few weeks after quitting Derry. The three-time All-Ireland winner with Tyrone will co-manage the Offaly senior football team next year along with current manager Declan Kelly. Last week the Offaly Football Management Review Committee recommended the appointment of Harte in the joint management position. Offaly chairman Michael Duignan said: ‘‘I am delighted Mickey has come on board with Declan Kelly. His genuine interest in Offaly GAA and his wealth of experience is what I feel Offaly football needs right now.’’
KIELY TO STAY
WITH LIMERICK
John Kiely is set to stay on as the Limerick senior hurling manager for at least one more season. Limerick’s “Drive for Five” was ended at the semi-final stage by Cork this year, but the indications from Shannonside are that Kiely, who is taking a year out from his teaching job, is going to stay on. He has overseen unprecedented Limerick success with five All-Ireland titles in his eight seasons since taking charge of the Limerick senior team in 2017.
LEINSTER CONFIRM
AVIVA AS VENUE
Leinster has confirmed that they will play their two home Champions Cup pool games against Clermont (Dec. 14) and Bath (Jan. 18) at the Aviva Stadium. There is a new format this season with six pools containing four teams each, with the top two advancing automatically along with the four highest-ranked third place sides. The new format will cut down the length of the tournament by a week, from seven to six. In July, Leinster were drawn with French clubs La Rochelle and Clermont Auvergne and Premiership clubs Bath and Bristol Bears, with Leinster to play Clermont and Bath at home. As the RDS Arena is unavailable for 2024/25 due to redevelopment work, the Aviva Stadium will be home for the majority of Leinster’s home games, with Croke Park also available. Leinster’s URC game against Munster on Oct. 12 will be played in Croke Park.
KEANE EYES EXIT
Roy Keane, currently a popular analyst for Sky Sports and ITV has plans to move on from punditry. Speaking to his Podcast colleagues Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, the Manchester United and Ireland star said: “Hopefully, I’ll be out of this rat race in about 12 months. A nice house somewhere, a bit of land, a few animals.” Carragher asked him if he would still be doing punditry in 10 years’ time. Keane replied: “I will struggle for the next 10 months doing this, not 10 years. No chance. I love football but the hassle of matches, getting to games and the hassle of fans, I was in court a few months ago with somebody headbutting me. Do you think I enjoy that side of it? Absolutely not. The game is fine, but getting to the game, parking, people shouting your name, good stuff, bad stuff, it’s a nuisance isn’t it? Listen, the podcast is different, I’m on about going to matches, so being a pundit in 10 years, absolutely not, I guarantee you that.”
BAT CONCERNS PLACE
BANNER PLANS ON HOLD
Clare GAA’s plans to extend and revamp their Centre of Excellence in Caherlohan have been put on hold due to concerns over the EU-protected Lesser Horseshoe Bat. Clare County Council has told Clare GAA that it must be satisfactorily demonstrated that the Centre of Excellence expansion proposal will not have a significant adverse impact on the status of nearby Newgrove House which is a designated Special Area of Conservation due to the presence of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat. The Lesser Horseshoe Bat is one of the world’s smallest bats, weighing only 5 to 9 grams with a wingspan of 194-254mm and a body length of 35 to 45 mm and is afforded legal protection through the EU Habitats Directive. In June Clare GAA lodged plans for an extension to its Centre of Excellence at Caherloghan, near the village of Tulla in east Clare.
HORGAN BACKS
VIDEO REVIEW
Patrick Horgan, the all-time top scorer in hurling, believes hurling would benefit from having a video review system. Cork were denied a replay against Clare last month after substitute Robbie O’Flynn had his jersey pulled before shooting wide from 20 metres with the last play of the game. The controversial incident led to calls for the introduction of a video referee, something Horgan, says he would be in favour of. He said: “If one decision has to be given then they all have to be given but something that’s going to decide the year should be reviewed.’’
AUSSIE RULES’ LAOIS
STAR TUOHY RETIRES
Laois-born Zach Tuohy has confirmed that he is retiring from Aussie Rules football at the end of this season, which ends in September. The former Laois underage star has made 286 appearances with Carlton and Geelong, making him the most capped Irish player ever in Aussie Rules. Two years ago, Tuohy along with Kerry’s Mark O’Connor won the Premiership title with the Cats, becoming only the second and third Irish players to do so after Tadhg Kennelly, who triumphed with the Sydney Swans in 2005. Now the 34-year-old seem set to return to Ireland and we may see him play Gaelic football again. The Aussie Rules Women’s League starts this weekend and it will see a record 34 Irish women playing for 13 of the 18 clubs. Back in 2019 there just five Irish women playing with the ten club clubs in the AFLW at that time. Now all 18 AFL clubs have a women’s team.
CITY OF TROY
IS ‘BEST’ EVER
Trainer Aidan O’Brien reckons that City of Troy is the best horse he has ever trained and hopes his owners (Coolmore) will run the horse in the Breeders’ Classic later this year. The Ballydoyle trainer was speaking after his horse won the Juddmonte International Stakes at York under Ryan Moore last week. O’Brien said: ‘‘Yes, City of Troy is the best horse I have trained. Obviously we thought that as a two-year-old, we always did think it. He was the most special horse that we had. I am hoping that the lads (owners) might go to the Breeders’ Cup Classic with him, that would be some dream for him.’’
DEATHS OF CORK,
DOWN LEGENDS
The death occurred recently of former Cork footballer Kevin Kehily, aged 74. The Newcestown native played senior football for Cork from 1969 to 1984. During that time, Kehily won three Munster medals and two All-Stars, at full back in 1980 and corner back in 1982. Later he was part of the Bishopstown football management team, coached Courcey Rovers hurlers and also trained the Cork senior hurlers during their three in-a-row All-Ireland winning run in the 1970s.
And another link with the great Down team of the 1960s has been severed with the passing of Eamonn McKay. The Dundrum clubman was goalkeeper on the team that beat Kerry in 1960 to bring the Sam Maguire across the border for the first time and again in 1961 when Down beat Offaly in front of a record Croke Park crowd of 90,556. McKay would later provide the inspiration for “Late Late Show” presenter Patrick Kiely to play Gaelic football. Kiely said last year, ‘‘Eamonn was from Dundrum and he was the guy who got me into being a goalkeeper. He gave me my senior start and I played senior football for Dundrum when I was 15.’’
