Category: Hurling
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A team with spirit will always give themselves a chance
MEATH…0-16 DOWN…1-15 It would probably be fairly widely accepted that there are a cohort of teams around the same level as Meath in the overall hurling picture. Whilst there’s always a bit of angst about naming names and categorising entities, it would, you suspect, be a common view that the stickmen of the Royal County…
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Endorsements of respect and statements of intent
It’s that time of year when – if arrangements aren’t carried over from last season – teams are selecting and announcing captains and vice captains for what they hope will be long and successful campaigns. There are some players who, their captaincy candidacy stands out like a lighthouse. With the result that their accession to…
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Experimental Royals to tackle Mourne men
Meath senior hurling manager Johnny Greville has announced a side containing a mixture of experimentation and experience for tomorrow’s season opening encounter with Down in the Dioralyte Kehoe Cup at Dunganny. Philip O’Brien of St Patrick’s gets a rare start in goal, Conor and Mark Leavey both from Dunderry get starting berths as does Trim’s…
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Treat people like fools and you’ll look like one yourself
Exhibit A: Clones, July 1993, what was to become known as the mudbath Ulster (SFC) Final. How St Tiarnach’s Park was ever passed as playable I’ll never know. It can only be assumed whoever arrived at the decision came from a land of draught. Exhibit B: Dunboyne, May, 2002. A hotly anticipated local derby between…
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GAA Master Fixture List 2026
January Friday, 2nd: start of pre-season competitions (McKenna Cup, O’Byrne Cup, FBD League, McGrath Cup, Munster SHL & Walsh Cup) Saturday 3rd: All-Ireland club senior football semi-finals Saturday 17th-Sunday 18th: All-Ireland club senior football and hurling finals at Croke Park Saturday 24th: NFL Div 1: Dublin v Donegal, Croke Park, 5pm NFL Div 2: Meath…
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Sometimes jest is too close to the bone
On the evening of the day on which I made my Confirmation, April 16th 1994, the late Dermot Morgan was finishing a run of shows at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. For those of you with less than three decades mileage on this here planet, yes Dermot did exist before Father Ted. Firstly ironically as…
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Two more great advertisements for Meath hurling
In the immediate aftermath of Stephen Masterson blowing the full time whistle at the end of another epic between Ratoath and Kiltale in the Meath SHC Final replay, temptation was to headline this piece ‘Podge and Rog lead Ratoath to title retention’. But that would have only told a fraction of the story… Not only…
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Somebody take the pistol off Parsons – the only target he’ll hit is his own foot
One day what is probably a scary length of time ago, Noel Meade saddled four winners in what I think was Naas. The last of which was a horse called Parsons Pistol. Owned by Mullingar hotelier Bobby Bagnall, Pistol was a decent handicap chaser who bagged his fair share of dough but there’s no doubt…
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Thanks ‘Hoggy’ the pleasure has been all ours
I’ve no connection to Co Cork. Save for being transported there while still in the Moses Basket because my sister was competing in athletics in The Mardyke. Also competing on same ‘card’ that day was one G. Geraghty (Kentstown AC). Isn’t it funny the way the wheels of life turn? Other than that, the other…
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Will building bridges lead to more comfortable road for the Cats?
There are occasions, thankfully rare, in this profession when scourge that is Writer’s Block stops by for a visit. It is exactly what it says on the tin. You either can’t think of a topic to scribe on or are having difficulty nailing down a starting point. With no horse racing in Ireland today (Tuesday)…