Squareball, gaa shop, gaa gear, gaa tshirts, clothing, merchandise.

ALL eyes will be on Cork and Wexford in the final game of Division One of the National League next weekend to determine who will meet the winners of Kilkenny or Tipperary in the League final.

Following Cork’s 0-15 to 0-5 victory over Limerick at Mallow yesterday, Wexford and Galway are on four points, Cork are on two but have a game on hand. However, if the Slaneysiders were to win, they would top the table and go through.
Emer Dillon back after a year out, Rachel Moloney and Una O’Donoghue bagged 0-3 each.

Elsewhere, Clare claimed their first points beating hapless Dublin 2-7 to 2-6 at Naomh Mearnog. However, the result has no bearing on the final pairings. Claire Commane and Sarah Ryan exchanged goals in a tight first half. Carina Roseingrave goaled again for Clare but a green flag from Alison Maguire was not enough for the Dubs.

Meanwhile, Loreto College Kilkenny – captained by centre back Grace Walsh, a sister to county star Tommy – defeated St Patrick’s Maghera to win the All Ireland junior A College’s title. Goals from Laura Fitzpatrick and Noelle Maher set them on their way.

In the junior B final, St Joseph’s Borrisoleigh boosted by goals from Nicole Walsh, Aoife Ryan, Julie Ann Burke, Michelle Ryan and Moira Ryan defeated St Patrick’s Keady, 5-7 to 3-2.

Hazelwood College Dromcollogher won their first All Ireland C title, when the Limerick school overcame St Paul’s Kilrea.

DUBLIN City University captured the prestigious O’Connor Cup for the first time in the competition’s history as they edged out former winners University Limerick in a thrilling final played at Jordanstown on Sunday.

The Ladies Football Colleges final weekend ended in fitting fashion with a riveting decider as DCU, appearing in their very first final, secured a dramatic 2-11 to 1-13 victory at the home of UUJ.

DCU, coached by former Dublin star Angie McNally, saw off the challenge of last year’s winners UUJ in Saturday’s semi-final by 2-8 to 0-11 as UL came through on the other side, coming good in another extra-time encounter by 2-14 to 3-7 against Queen’s University Belfast.

Fiona O’Connor was the semi-final star for DCU as the goalkeeper saved an injury-time penalty to send her team through to the final while Brona Sheridan also excelled against UUJ. The newly-crowned champions knew they would face tough opposition from 2007 winners UL in the final but they responded with two first half goals to lead by 2-5 to 0-7 at half-time in a well-attended O’Connor Cup final.

Mayo star Fiona McHale, who returned from suspension for the UL clash, was fouled in the 15th minute and from the resultant penalty, Dublin’s Lyndsey Davey made no mistake. Three minutes before half-time, Cavan’s Roisín O’Keeffe netted DCU’s second goal but a crucial goal from Galway native Gillian O’Connor eleven minutes after the restart hauled UL right back into contention.
Points from Geraldine O’Flynn, Fiona Rochford and Eimear Considine levelled the scores at 2-8 to 1-11 at the end of normal time before the sides swapped points in the first period of extra-time.

In the second period, Davey and Monaghan’s Ciara McAnespie raised white flags to provide a matchwinning platform for DCU, as O’Flynn’s response for UL cut the gap to just a single point at the finish.
Davey was the scoring heroine for DCU with a 1-4 haul while the McAnespie twins from Monaghan, Ciara and Aoife, also played key roles. DCU’s semi-final victory against UUJ marked a first defeat in 17 months for the hosts and interestingly, the victorious DCU team contained seven Ulster players.

Elsewhere, St Mary’s of Belfast are celebrating a very first Lynch Cup success after defeating DIT 4-13 to 2-7 in yesterday’s final.
Tyrone’s Joeleen Donnelly, who celebrated her 21st birthday last week, landed six points against DIT while Armagh’s Sinéad Finnegan and Down’s Gráinne McClean hit two goals each.

In the O’Connor Shield decider, Laois ace Noreen Kirwan bagged seven points from play and was named player of the match as NUI Maynooth comfortably defeated IT Tralee by 2-16 to 0-6.

The Jordanstown pitches were in immaculate condition for the various competitions and the finals were refereed by respected intercounty referees Keith Delahunty (Tipperary), Liam McDonagh (Sligo) and Eugene O’Hare (Down).

****

Results:

Saturday, 28th March
O’Connor Cup Semi Finals
12.00pm QUB 3-7 V UL 2-14 (after extra-time).

2.30pm UUJ 0-11 V DCU 2-8

Lynch Cup Semi Finals
11.00am DIT 2-8 v UCD 2-4

1.00pm ST. Mary’s 2-11 V Liverpool Hope 0-6

Lynch Shield Final
4.45pm DCU 2 6-3 v TCD 2-7

Donaghy Cup & Shield Final
1.30pm QUB 2 3-7 v RCSI 1-11 (Cup final).

3.45pm UCD 3 2-11 v ITT/ITB 7-6 (Shield final).

Sunday 29th March
12.00pm Lynch Cup Final

St Mary’s 4-13 DIT 2-7

1.45pm O’Connor Shield Final
NUI Maynooth 2-16 v IT Tralee 0-6.

3.30pm O’Connor Cup Final
DCU 2-11 UL 1-13 (after extra-time).

Former dual star Denis Walsh has been installed as the new Cork hurling manager. The St. Catherine’s clubman was named as Gerald McCarthy’s successor tonight after being chosen by the three-man selection committee comprising Jimmy Barry-Murphy, John Fenton and Denis Coughlan.

Like outgoing selector Teddy McCarthy, he holds the distinction of having won All-Ireland hurling and football medals in the same year (1990). Walsh previously managed the Waterford footballers from 2001 to 2003, and has also managed his club.

A decision taken at last Tuesday night’s county board meeting ensured that if the selection committee chose a manager before Sunday week, that candidate could take charge for the Kilkenny game. Walsh will be ratified at the April 7 meeting of the county board. His appointment is likely to be well received within GAA circles in Cork, as he as a consensus candidate carrying no baggage from the three strikes that crippled Cork GAA in the past seven years.

Walsh emerged as a viable candidate in recent days, with club commitments believed to have knocked previous favourite Tomás Mulcahy out of the reckoning. Mulcahy, a teammate of Walsh in the 1990 All-Ireland winning side, committed himself to manage club side Glen Rovers for the 2009 season. It is understood that since Glen Rovers reached last year’s Cork SHC semi-finals and lifted the Cork U-21 hurling title, Mulcahy was eager to remain in charge of the Blackpool outfit for another season.

Interim boss Considine, who starred in the full-back line with Walsh in Cork’s 1990 All-Ireland winning side, believes Cork hurling is in good hands with the St Catherine’s man at the helm.

“Knowing Denis, this guy will give it absolutely everything. He’s a magnificent record as a player and is a very competitive guy who wants to win. My main focus is to round off our job on Sunday and keep the lads focused on the Limerick game. I’m hugely grateful for all the help I’ve got over the last couple of weeks from everybody and I wish Denis the very best.”

County Board chairman Jerry O’Sullivan expressed his delight at Walsh’s appointment.

“We’re delighted with the appointment. I’m delighted that the process has been done quickly. For that, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the three people on the selection committee and also to Páraic Duffy for his work too. It’s a great day for Cork GAA and with everything now sorted out, it’s full steam ahead.”

Walsh has previous inter-county management experience, having guided the fortunes of the Waterford senior footballers from 2001 to 2003.

At club level he was in charge of his own club St Catherine’s at senior level in recent years and had taken over as Carrigtwohill senior boss at the start of this season. As a player he had a glittering record, winning senior All-Ireland hurling medals in 1986 and 1990 along with a senior football medal in 1989. However, in 1990 he controversially missed out on dual success when he was dropped from the Cork senior football panel before the All-Ireland decider against Meath.

He also enjoyed success at U-21 level, winning All-Ireland medals in 1985 and 1986.

Meanwhile current Waterford County Board chairman Tom Cunningham last night insisted that Denis Walsh displayed “all the skills necessary to be a top class manager” during his tenure at the helm of their senior football team. Cunningham, who was on the committee which appointed Walsh as football boss in 2001, described his selection as Cork hurling manager as “a great appointment”.

“He was excellent. He was a great organiser and had great respect from the players. My only complaint was that he wasn’t here long enough.”

So what set Walsh apart? Cunningham outlined two key aspects of his management that won him the support of the squad and the board.

“The players liked the training he did — he always varied it and made in interesting. The other thing was that his organisation was second to none, whether it was for training or on a match day. Those were the two main things that I would say about Denis. And I think those are two main things most players look for in a manager.”

The former Waterford selector added: “He took on a huge task but showed then that he had all the skills necessary to be a top class manager. I was very sorry to see what happened to Gerald McCarthy down in Cork but I think it is a great appointment. We wish him well in the new role but hopefully not at the expense the Waterford hurlers.”

DUBLIN V CLARE (Sun Naomh Mearnóg 2pm)

Neither Dublin or Clare have any chance of qualifying for the league final, so this Group One tie is for pride only. Clare are unlucky to be pointless following a narrow defeat to Tipperary and a loss to Kilkenny, these results not reflecting the good work being done since their promotion to senior.

Dublin, meanwhile, are not going well. They have shipped two heavy defeats and Eimear Brannigan is out injured. Even though at home, they will have their work cut out to beat the Banner.

CORK V LIMERICK (Sun Mallow 3.15pm)

With Wexford blowing the league right open last Sunday following their win over Galway, Cork have it all to play for now. A win here would set them up nicely for their remaining game with the Slaneysiders next weekend. If the Rebels win triumph in both matches then, Galway, Wexford and Cork would be involved in a three-way play off to see who will meet Kilkenny or Tipperary in the final.

Unfortunately, Limerick are pointless, and they are unlikely to trouble the All Ireland champions at the splendid GAA complex in Mallow.

St Paul’s, Kilrea will take to the field tomorrow in the All-Ireland Junior ‘C’ Final against Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher, in Ratoath. It is a huge achievement for the Co Derry school. Coach Shiela Kearney says:

“We’re a small rural school with a limited number of players. There’s also a cut off age for some of the fifth years which means we have less senior experience on the team and we have some Year 9’s on the team which is basically girls who are twelve years of age. But they have all matured for us greatly and are focused on the task at hand.”

Sheila believes that her side is ready for the game saying: “We’re really up for the game and the hard work that the girls have put in has been phenomenal I just hope they get the reward they deserve. The excitement has been swelling around the school and I think it will be at its highest tomorrow when we set off. The community is right behind us and the parental support has been second to none.”

St Patrick’s, Maghera will also play their ‘A’ final against Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny, in Ratoath and Shiela believes that the overlap in clubs and the closeness of the schools will mean that both sides have great support tomorrow.

“A couple of the girls would play alongside some of the St Pat’s girls for clubs so they’ll be getting behind each other. We’re also two Derry teams so we’ll be getting behind each other and lending our support,” added Shiela.

In the ‘B’ final St Patrick’s, Keady will do battle against St Joesph’s, Borrisoleigh at Ashbourne.

Keady overcame the tough challenge of Vocational Athenry in the semi-final holding on for a one point victory.

Captain Caoimhe Smith is the driving force of the team, along with Eadaoin Murphy.

Hannah McGeown and Michaella Doyle have also been solid for St Patrick’s, their hard work and ability to clear their lines has helped relieve the pressure in tight games.

Coach Orla Fox is hoping that her side can produce one final performance saying: “If all the girls play to their potential and maintain the superb team work that they have displayed in all the games so far, then we have no reason to lack confidence in our attempt to capture and All Ireland title, something which has eluded our school to date.”

Fixtures:
‘A’ Final: St Patrick’s, Maghera vs Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny
(2.15pm, Ratoath)
‘C’ Final: St Paul’s, Kilrea vs Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher
(12.30pm, Ratoath)
‘B’ Final: St Patrick’s, Keady vs St Joseph’s, Borrisoleigh
(1pm, Ashbourne)

Our team of reporters round the land shine a light into the orifices of the GAA to look at those small but insignificant details that make the GAA the world’s greatest sporting organisation (unless you work for RTE’s Late Late Show that is).

***

The hard drinkin’ set up in the Holyland in Belfast are doing their bit to promote the good name of the GAA. St Patrick’s Day is synonymous with the All Ireland Club Finals in Croke Park and nothin’ better than a monumental siege of drink in Belfast. On one side you have fans pulling on their GAA tops to head off to Croker to see all that is great about our games. On the other side you have headers pulling on their GAA tops to fan criticisms that the association is nothing more than a catch all for bog- strollers and muck savages that love nothin’ better than to drink until their livers are the size of a size three sliotar and then start a hanlin’ with the boys in blue. Lads, we’re not judgemental but the next time you decide to do this, leave the GAA jerseys at home – they don’t deserve you. We’ll tell you what happens next tho’. A goodly number of the same fellas will be booted out of the Universities as an example to others and the smug Powers That Be will feel they’ve solved the problem.

***

The Derry senior camogie squad are the latest inter-county panel to feel the pinch of the credit crunch. They have apparently been told they can no longer access the physio or the food at Derry’s ‘Centre of Excellence’ at Owenbeg for training. And in the latest twist they have been told they can only use the facility one night a week as the County’s minor footballers have switched their session and now need the slot used by the camogie team, banishing them to training in non-camogie clubs in recent weeks. This is a Derry squad, albeit under new management, that won an All Ireland Junior title in Croker in September ‘07. According to some of the players, a member of the Derry Co. Board is responsible for these decisions. Interestingly the recently published Derry GAA Strategy 2007-2012 Fís Feasa goes on at length about the integration of camogie and features images of the County’s camogie squad. Lest the Derry Co Board forget, this is the last minor, senior or U-21 team from the county to have won an All Ireland title.

***

Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald attributed his side’s surprise NHL loss to Dublin to the late night they had before when they attended boxer Bernard Dunne’s world title fight.??Fitzgerald revealed that he brought his players to the capital on Saturday and that his players watched the Ireland-Wales rugby match on television before attending the boxing match in the O2.??”I certainly wouldn’t make the same arrangements again,” he said.?Shades of former mentor Loughnane perhaps from the boul Davy Fitz?

***

Legendary Kerry manager Jack O’Connor has become the latest manger to criticize the new rules. Whacko Jacko predicts ‘pandaemonium’ if the rules are passed at next month’s annual Congress. He has cited the yellow-carding of Westmeath midfielder David Duffy during last Sunday’s NFL clash in Tralee as an example of the adverse effects the experiment can have. Not that we disagree but we can’t help but notice the Jacko seems to have a thing about demons, the divil and hell. Last year he said Kerry skipper Paul Galvin was being demonized for ‘that incident’, whilst all ye scholars will know that Pandaemonium was the capital of Hell in Milton’s Paradise Lost. Certainly if the Kingdom miss out on a shot at Sam this summer, O’Connor will have plenty to write about in his next bestseller.

***

Antrim prodigy CJ McGourty has been axed from the panel by manager Liam ‘Baker’ Bradley allegedly for disciplinary reasons. Apparently a number of the Antrim U-21 squad went on the piss after they were defeated by Tyrone last week and subsequently missed training. The players each received a dressing down and had to apologise to their teammates. CJ was then asked to leave according to press reports as it was not his first indiscretion. A former minor hurler of some repute, he is apparently keeping his options in relation to the small ball game open and might be interested should Sambo and Woody come a-calling. We’re not sure but we think we’ve heard a story very like this somewhere before involving Antrim and someone with a very similar name. Incidentally we saw CJ’s name amongst those that received a Club Energise Ambassador’s Award last week. Now that, strictly speaking, he’s no longer a county player will he have his diplomatic status revoked?

***

Watchers or the MacRory Cup Final on BBC Northern Ireland will have noticed with alarm the strange spikes emanating from Sean Cavanagh’s head as he got all punditish at half-time. We are reassured that there was nothing remiss about the ‘do’, rather younger brother Colm had just slapped on a bit of extra gloop when the big lad was sleeping to make him look a right tool in front of the camera. Brand Cavanagh taking a battering!

GAA Rules Enforcer Liam O’Neill certainly is no holds barred in trying to get the new ‘controversial’ rules through Congress next month.

On the one side you have O’Neill and his merry men who have had enough of the pulling and dragging and general feckin’ about that leads to complaints from managers and pundits alike. Their argument, supported by the likes of Joe Brolly, is that the game is improved as a result.

In the other corner, led by the likes of Geezer and Seamus McEnaney you have the guys that think these namby pamby tinkerings are taking the aggression and manliness out of gaelic football. As the famous Chinese philosopher Fuk King Dung said ‘Ahso, Truth has three parents – Mine, Yours and its Own.’

With more skill for improvisation than Joe Canning, Liam O’Neill is rapidly revising the revised rules to increase the chances of getting them through Congress. Not content with coining new fouls such as ‘the pull down’ and the ‘body collide’, Liam and his merry men have decided that ‘to wrestle with an opponent, on the ground, and away from play”, is no longer deemed a highly disruptive foul, and instead becomes a black book offence. So here’s the scenario – Gooch is standing beside the corner back waiting on the early ball. Next thing, the hoor wrestles him to the ground and that is deemed a black book. Meanwhile out the field, someone is marginally late with a ‘pull down’ or engages in a dastardly ‘body collide’ and gets the dreaded yellow card.

Liam’s reasoning is that the wrestling is loaded in favour of the defender. So rather than address the problem which they should do via the umpire, the defender can get away with it more often. Indeed if the referees applied the rules that are there, this nonsense would all be redundant. It has also been revealed that a new category of foul called ‘The Ricey’, i.e. touching an opponent in a way that could be deemed suggestive or offensive, will be added to the list of shame.

Talking Balls often watches the children play out in the backyard. They make up their own rules for games and when one wee bollix isn’t happy with the particular interpretation, he’ll unilaterally change the rule to suit himself. That’s fine until the other Cub identifies a loophole and takes the same action. It’s great to know the lads have a career ahead in GAA officialdom.

If you’re lookin’ a bit of craic and god knows what else, get yourself down to the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh for the annual Congress of Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael. The weekend will also mark the swansong of President Liz Howard’s spell in charge.

Looking back over Liz’s period in the hotseat, it has been interesting to say the least, with a few curious outbursts. Readers of Talking Balls will recall her giving the local broadcasters a good caning over their coverage of foreign sports whilst all the while failing to broadcast mna na hEireann ag imirt.

Liz’s time in charge also included a curious demonstration at the All Stars last year where a troupe of semi-naked men with man boobs drummed furiously up on the stage, as the All Star award winners looked on, slightly bemused. At the same awards ceremony some of the unsuccessful nominees were a little disappointed at the absence of the usual kitbag of gear – that despite requests from the organizers that they provide their sizes in advance.

It has long been a bugbear of Talking Balls that camogie suffers in comparison to Ladies football. Talking Balls prefers camogie to the peile every time, but you have to hand it to the ladies footballers – they really have their hands on the big balls when it comes to PR and television coverage. One experienced TV exec told us: “Camogie needs to look at the way its presented, take a look at other games and sex itself up a bit to remove some of the starch.”

One of the motions to the CamogieCongress highlights the perception problems that camogie has with itself. The motion put forward by Ard Comhairle proposes that “every club affiliated to Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael is required to purchase two adult tickets for the All Ireland Camogie finals in Croke Park.”

This is a particularly camogie-esque approach to marketing their own game – not for them the intention to market the occasion as an irresistible and ‘must see’ occasion for camogiers the length and breadth of the country. Instead, we have this ridiculous school-marmish Thatcheresque dictat.

The other matter of note is the inauguration of new uachtaran Joan O’Flynn of Kildare (originally from Cork). Ahead of the weekend’s clár, craic, ceoil agus cúirtéireacht, Joan commented, “I am honoured and excited to lead Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael for the next three years. Camogie is a thrilling and exciting game. . . We want to build on the progress already made. I want to develop our thriving club scene and expand playing opportunities for players of all ages and abilities.”

Indeed. It’s a long way from Tipperary, but we’ll see what happens.

The world’s second most famous Offaly man Brian Cowen told the media last week that Ireland would be happy to take a number of the Guantanamo prisoners into Ireland.

You know the familiar story, isolated extremists who have become detached from reality having lashed out and fought with anyone that disagreed with their fanaticism and devotion to the cause; only then to become tortured and wracked with guilt at the pain and distress their involvement caused their families, yet imprisoned for years because of their beliefs.

Yes indeed, it is felt in government circles that the Cork hurlers are ideal role models on how to re-integrate ex Guantanamo extremists back into civilized society so that they can go on to become readjusted and responsible members of the community.

Senior officials have intimated to Talking Balls that they will be in discussions with the GAA to establish what role if any the World’s greatest sporting organisation can play in building bridges with the extremists. It is felt that in their devotion to their cause, their fundamentalist adherence to tradition and the win at all costs mentality each outfit has much to learn from the other.

One aspect that is being considered is a job share situation whereby leading members of Al Qaeda would spend time on the Cork County Board whilst Frank Murphy would spend time in the facility in Gauntanamo. The latter proposal would, it is felt, hasten the closure of the controversial camp. On a technicality of course. Watch this space. Some have even suggested that on the back of any agreement Guantanamo could be used by the likes of Armagh, Kildare and Donal Og Cusack as a warm weather training facility ahead of the championship.

Anyone for waterboarding?