Championship Cojones
Talking Balls
The highballs and tugs below the belt of the Championship season so far. . .
Going Down Sir?
Jody Gormley
Antrim’s Jody Gormley must be wondering whether he drove over a black cat when the Saffrons bate the Kilkenny footballers earlier in the season. Whatever happened, it’s hard to explain the Antrim performance yesterday. Belief Jody put it down to. We looked on - in disbelief.
Niall Gilligan
Niall Gilligan, knocked out cold during a challenge match with Offaly as part of Clare’s championship preparation. Our advice - Play Safe - Wear Protection - sounds like a t-shirt. Good news is that Gillgan does play safe and was indeed wearing protection.
Kieran McGeeney
After many mighty days in Croker, we’re sure few came close to yesterday’s abject display in Croker. Poor oul Geezer, he takes on Kildare, raises their hopes and with remarkable sleight of hand turns them from a one-dimensional team to a two dimensional team. But anyone who watched them in the league knows Kildare ain’t Armagh. Now they’ve gone into another dimension entirely - the qualifiers. With an ageing team on one hand and an U-21 final squad on the other surely Geezer needs time.
Ulster Camogie Squad
Never in the history of womankind have so few tried to defend what was won by so many. Yesterday’s Gael Linn tournament was won by a powerful Connacht team led by Veronica Curtain. But why did the Ulster team - defending champions we might add - only feature one of last year’s winning team? Surely, like the Railway Cup, for this tournament, timing is everything. Yesterday, cleavaged between Camogie league and championship, during the exam season and the club season, was not the right time.
Standing Proud . . .
Ulster Hurling Championship
In a masterstroke of PR and promotion the Ulster Council this year pitched the Ulster counties - all nine of them - and London, into a tiered Ulster Championship that will in all likelihood end up in the same outcome - Antrim winning. The big change is that ALL counties get their day in the sun in the process raising the profile of caman and sliotar in the Nort. Sure ye couldn’t bate it with a big stick. Well done to Frankie Quinn, Jimmy Darragh and the boys who came up with this wheeze. The promotional stuff is deadly too sur but we would say that!!
Mick O’Dwyer
He might be hard to listen to at times - well most of the time, and the media love him for it - but Micko certainly isn’t in any need to a drop of Viagra to get the blood rushing for the championship. His Wicklow returned to Croker for the first time since, well the last time they were there, in the process establishing a two-in-a-row record of victories in headquarters. Aside from the inherent lack of natural justice that will see them more than likely back in the Tommy Cooper Cup, what a morale boost for Wicklow football - a first Championship win in Croker.
Galway hurling
It’s all good for the hurlers from the Tribes - on paper at least. Joe Canning on board, brother Ollie back too, Ger Loughnane seems to have settled on a harmonious ship instead of a disarray; now Eugne Cloonan is back on board and uber-defender Ollie is installed as der Kapitan for this summer’s cruise through the championship. 5-1 not a bad price for Galway to stop the Cats and the Rebels carving up Liam again.
Galway Football
What price a double from the Wesht after the Tribesmen’s big balers put neighbours Roscommon to the boot yesterday in Pearse stadium. With Matthew Clancy running about the place with a mop of hair that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a Monkey, hey hey, Roscommen couldn’t stick the pace and power of Galway. And Jaze that Barry Cullinane’s a big hoor - I bet he has no bother getting served in Naughtens or the Quays or wherever it is he pints.