Category: GAA

  • You don’t need a degree to know glass houses and stones don’t mix

    You don’t need a degree to know glass houses and stones don’t mix

    No secret has ever been made of the fact that there is full cognisance in this seat of the privileged position one has been in for many years to be closer to the action across a variety of sports than many have the opportunity to be. Thus sometimes stories that make headlines on a broader…

  • Boylan Talks Podcast – July 18th 2026

    Boylan Talks Podcast – July 18th 2026

    Pip: There is a particular kind of sports fan who watches another county’s All Ireland run and thinks, quietly, that should have been us. Brendan at Boylan Talks Sport has been having that week. Mara: This episode covers two stretches of GAA territory — the retirement of one of the game’s defining players, and the…

  • A man with admirable old fashioned qualities on young shoulders

    A man with admirable old fashioned qualities on young shoulders

    Tipperary’s sensational All Ireland MFC victory of 2011 has a spot ingrained in the memory bank of yours truly. For a start, their tilt thereat only came about after Meath were absolutely robbed by Derry referee Barry Cassidy in their quarter final tie against the Premier County in Portlaoise on the August Bank Holiday Monday…

  • Outside the golden harvest looking in

    Outside the golden harvest looking in

    There was a juncture, about half way through the second half of Mayo’s consignment of Louth back down to earth with a thump when the thought struck that it could – maybe should – have been us. Facing into the most glorious two weeks devotees of any county team may ever be fortunate enough to…

  • Podcast Episode: July 11th 2026

    Podcast Episode: July 11th 2026

    Pip: There’s a certain type of sports fan who watches a match, clocks the final whistle, and immediately starts thinking about curses. Brendan, writing for Boylan Talks Sport, is that fan — and honestly, the evidence is hard to argue with. Mara: This episode covers two stretches of ground: Clare’s long, hexed relationship with All-Ireland…

  • The ghosts of All Irelands past

    The ghosts of All Irelands past

    There were obviously old wives’ tales about curses or something of the sort pertaining to the All Ireland victories of both Clare and Dublin and Dublin in 1995. Reason being that both winning captains – Anthony Daly and John O’Leary – made reference to the ghosts of the Biddys – Earley and Mulligan – being…

  • Leddy into the half back line

    Leddy into the half back line

    Erin Leddy from Na Fianna retains her berth in the Meath half back line having replaced Trim’s Blaithnaid Hughes at half time against Carlow ahead of today’s All Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship quarter final at Pairc Gratton in Inniskeen. Therein, Stephen Shiel’s side will be hoping to not only improve the county’s abysmal record on…

  • As you were for visiting Royals

    As you were for visiting Royals

    Meath manager Wayne Freeman has announced an unchanged team from that which defeated Tyrone last time out for this evening’s TG4 All Ireland LSFC quarter final against old foes Kerry in Tralee. The match has a 5.15 throw in time and will be broadcast live by the competition sponsors. That means that Karla Kealy and…

  • An ongoing journey of development… To be continued

    An ongoing journey of development… To be continued

    It’s very easy to arrive at conclusions that seem obvious. It doesn’t always work out as such though. So it was in MacHale Park Castlebar on Saturday evening last. The dismissal of Ronan Jones was hoisted as Exhibit A in the dissection of where matters went wrong for Meath in the west. Yes, it was…

  • A heart breaking gut punch but has it been coming?

    A heart breaking gut punch but has it been coming?

    MEATH…2-13 MAYO…0-22 Gut feelings are seldom wrong. Unfortunately. Perhaps the old adage about things being too good to be true holds true more often than we might care to admit. Just as they had done in matches against Louth and Cork throughout the season, Meath were off the starting blocks in Bolt-like fashion. With Ciaran…