There is great interest in the new Gaelic football rules being used in challenge games this month and it’s surprising that the Sigerson Cup inter-varsity football competition, which started last week, is not using the new FDC rules suggested by Jim Gavin and his committee. As there are no secondary competitions in the four provinces this year due to the GPA insistence on player welfare, spectators are anxious to see how the new rules are going to work and while there are a few inter-county challenge games the spectators will have to wait until the National League starts on the last weekend of January. The closing stages of the All-Ireland club championships are still being played under the old rules and the feeling is that the Colleges missed a huge opportunity for publicity for their annual competition when they didn’t play the competition under the new ones.
Meanwhile Leinster GAA CEO Michael Reynolds fears the new rules may discourage members from taking up the whistle. In his report for the Leinster Convention, Reynolds wrote: “As we reflect on 2024 and prepare for the challenges of 2025, the introduction of new playing rules dominates the refereeing landscape. While these changes are designed to enhance the game, they pose significant challenges for referees, particularly at the club level. At a time when recruiting and retaining referees remains a critical issue, these additional complexities may further discourage new entrants.”
DUB HALF MARATHON
SELLS OUT IN 2 HOURS
The organizers of the new Dublin City Half Marathon were pleasantly surprised to see the new event sell out all 12,500 places in just under TWO hours last week. Entries for the new March 30 event, which is being organised by Dublin Marathon in conjunction with Dublin City Council, went live on-line at 12 noon on Jan. 8 and all race numbers were snapped up by 2 p.m.
NEW NFL DEAL FOR
EX-GOALIE SMYTH
Charlie Smyth has signed a new contract with the New Orleans Saints. The former Down goalkeeper, who joined the NFL club as a kicker last April as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, has agreed a two-year deal which will keep him under contract for that duration if he makes the Saints’ 53-man roster next August. The new deal comes after Smyth had to be content with a place in the Saints’ practice squad after missing out on the active roster last summer.
GALVIN TAPPED
BY RATOATH
Former Kerry footballer Paul Galvin has been appointed manager of Meath club Ratoath. The high-profile appointment marks a return to management for the four-time Kerry All-Ireland winner who was involved as a coach with Kilmacud Crokes and Kildare in recent years. Before that Galvin had a short spell as Wexford senior football manager. In Meath, Paul will be joined by former Donegal footballer Nathan Gavigan, who also acted as coach under outgoing manager Lar Norton
TIPP’S MAHER IS
HEAD OF HURLING
The GAA has announced that William Maher has been appointed as the new National Head of Hurling. From Tipperary, Maher, who is from the Ballingarry club, has the unique distinction of being captain of his county when they won the All-Ireland minor hurling final in 1996 and managing the Tipperary team to win the All-Ireland minor final in 2012. He has been involved as a coach and team manager at club and county levels in Tipperary, Waterford, Dublin, Laois and Kilkenny.
MUSK ‘WOULD LIKE TO’
BUY LIVERPOOL F.C.: DAD
Businessman Errol Musk last week claimed that his son, billionaire Elon Musk, is interested in buying Liverpool FC, although he did not suggest a deal to acquire an ownership stake in the club is imminent. He was asked about the topic after a story, published by a British Sunday paper the previous week, made the claim about the younger Musk. He said: “Oh yes, but that doesn’t mean he's buying it. .He would like to, yes, obviously. Anybody would want to. So would I.’’ Errol Musk’s mother was from the city and he said he still has relatives there, some of whom grew up with the Beatles.
SCORING STAR
HESLIN RETIRES
Westmeath’s star forward John Heslin has called time on his inter-county football career at the age of 32. Since making his debut for the Lakemen in 2011, Heslin’s prowess in front of the posts has seen him usurp Dessie Dolan as the county's top scorer in championship history. The St Loman's clubman played a starring role in Westmeath’s famous comeback win over Meath in the 2015 Leinster championship, scoring 1-09 to end a long losing streak against their neighbors. Heslin was a key figure in Westmeath’s successful Division 3 campaign in 2019 and in the county’s victory in the inaugural Tailteann Cup competition in 2022.
Heslin cited work and travel commitments as his reason for quitting now. He said: "For the next six months, I am going to be in Brazil, New Zealand and the U.S. I also went back to college, back to UCD, undertaking a part-time Masters with Smurfit. I am also fitting a bit of farming and I am getting married this year also.’’
NO LINK TO MCGREGOR
OR HIS BOOZE: DROGS
FAI Cup holders Drogheda United have distanced themselves from Conor McGregor after the controversial MMA fighter posed with the FAI Cup to promote his pub and alcohol brand last week. A statement from the club said it doesn’t associate itself with McGregor or his alcohol brands after the trophy was brought to his pub in Dublin by his cousin, who plays for Drogheda. Reacting in a Twitter post McGregor said he was rich enough to buy two League of Ireland clubs. The former UFC champion initially congratulated Dundalk rather than Drogheda for winning the cup before editing his Instagram post. He also wrongly claimed another of his cousins, Keith Buckley, won the Cup with Bohemians but Buckley was in the Bohs team that lost the 2021 FAI Cup final to St. Pat’s.
