Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

O'Connor: "Tipperary showed on Saturday that they have more X-factor players than Cork"

Cork not ruthless enough to deal with Tipp's swagger

Christy O'Connor says the U20 Cork hurlers cannot be blamed for prolonging the county's near two-decade wait for a marquee All-Ireland underage title, just simply that Tipperary possess more X-factor players.

GAA • 26 Aug 19

'Once the third goal went in, the game was effectively over. It was fully being played on Tipperary's terms'

Tipperary did a Kilkenny on Kilkenny

For years it was the Cats who used to strangle opposition in the big games, but on Sunday they were the ones gasping for air.

GAA • 19 Aug 19

'For years, Kilkenny operated like a crowd of crazed Terminators – wiping out all before them'

Tipp-Cats final a fitting end to golden hurling decade

This will be the first time ever in hurling history that the same teams have contested five All-Ireland finals in a single decade.

GAA • 12 Aug 19

'The trend was set and much of Kilkenny's early dominance stemmed from the grip they got on the puck-out'

Limerick find out that small margins win big games

They won an All-Ireland last year based on retaining their own restarts and the scores they generated from that possession. It wasn't so easy in 2019.

GAA • 05 Aug 19

'Wexford will look to collectively strangle the life out of Tipperary in that middle third'

Tipp firepower and Limerick aggression can be decisive

An all Munster decider is on the cards, if Tipperary can raise enough green flags against Wexford and Limerick stifle Kilkenny's danger men, writes Christy O'Connor

GAA • 27 Jul 19

'Limerick will have to try and break a code that so many of their predecessors as Munster champions have struggled to crack'

Limerick will be wary of Munster winners 'lay-off' jinx

Since the hurling backdoor opened, the Munster champions have had a poor record in All-Ireland semi-finals and that's something Limerick will need to be mindful of ahead of their date with Kilkenny on Saturday, writes Christy O'Connor.

GAA • 22 Jul 19

'The Association has never been serious enough about it to really try and instigate the kind of cultural change for which hurling is crying out'

Six-county Leinster won't fix GAA's scandalous failure

While investing in infrastructural projects like Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the GAA has consistently failed to provide weaker hurling counties with the long-term strategic and financial support they desperately need, writes Christy O'Connor

GAA • 15 Jul 19

'Some players were dropped in the lead up to the championship but Brennan wanted to change the culture which had crippled Laois hurling'

Brennan's innovative ideas changing culture in Laois

Eddie Brennan's innovation and enthusiasm is changing the culture in Laois hurling, writes Christy O'Connor.

Hurling • 08 Jul 19

System upgrade key to Wexford's Leinster success

Davy Fitzgerald has tweaked his sweeper system this year to the point that Wexford can take on and beat hurling's elite sides, writes Christy O'Connor.

GAA • 01 Jul 19

'The environment has been created for the goalkeeper to become even more of a quarter-back than they already are'

Donal Óg's restart legacy continues to evolve

The days of goalkeepers staying on their line in both codes are long over and it was a former Cork custodian who started the trend.

GAA • 26 Jun 19

'The Rebels always believe they can win an All-Ireland'

Can Cork cap hurling's golden decade with All-Ireland?

Finishing in third position in Munster might actually be the golden ticket, as Limerick discovered last year.

GAA • 17 Jun 19

"In March Loughnane made a number of bold predictions, most of which have come to pass."

Glitches in round-robin may devalue provincial finals

The Leinster hurling championship has been more exciting than its southern counterpart, so far, this summer, according to Christy O'Connor.

GAA • 10 Jun 19

'Shefflin's top spot on the leader-board is certainly within hias grasp'

Red-hot Callanan on his way to smashing more records

The Tipperary forward has scored an incredible 30 goals and 191 points from play, which is all the more remarkable considering his mid-career slump.

GAA • 03 Jun 19

'While hurling people abhor and dread comparisons with football tactics, nobody can deny...'

Without work rate, Limerick can be beaten by anyone

Cork are a very different team to the All-Ireland champions, but they got their tactics spot on and most importantly their appetite for work was through the roof.

GAA • 20 May 19

'The key to Tipp moving forward was always going to hinge on tweaking their style, and giving their strike forwards more of an opportunity to cut loose'

Sheedy's return heralds a new freedom for Tipp

Tipperary's win over Cork was a clear indication that the sparkle had returned after two seasons where they had lagged behind their rivals, says Christy O'Connor.

GAA • 13 May 19

"One of the biggest challenges for the away team is the logistical difficulties it presents. That was one of the reasons Clare used much of this year's league as a dry logistical run for the championship"

Turning home comforts into away hell key to success

Christy O'Connor delves deep into the numbers behind home advantage which again is likely to prove crucial in this year's hurling championship.

GAA • 06 May 19

'A lot of teams are playing the percentages more now, by minimising risk and ensuring that the ball is kept in play. In their championship history, Kilkenny have scored just 1-10 from sideline cuts'

A cut above the rest - rewarding the sideline masters

We are now in a golden generation of scores from sideline cuts in hurling, but should there be a greater reward for the individual skill?

GAA • 29 Apr 19

'Everyone has a better chance – and is given a much fairer chance – when a pathway is designed to look at the bigger picture.'

Time to look at bigger picture when nurturing talent

A clear developmental pathway for any county should be as much about educating young players - and their parents and coaches - than just coaching them to be better on the field of play.

GAA • 22 Apr 19

'Their stick-passing and short-passing game has gone to another level this spring'

Is a sweeper system the only way to stop Limerick?

The All-Ireland champions' system, size, skill, strength and speed all add up to a team that is going to be very hard to beat in 2019.

GAA • 01 Apr 19

'With half-forward lines coming deeper again this spring, before looking to break forward with massive pace, the congestion in that warzone has never been greater'

Dublin find the beauty in battling hurling's randomness

It may not have been to everyone's tastes, but Dublin's tactics of clogging the middle third is simply building on Limerick's success and is reliant upon huge skill levels and impressive levels of fitness and strength.

GAA • 25 Mar 19

"Ballyhale Shamrocks have the richest gene pool in the country."

Ballyhale have woven an enduring tapestry of brilliance

Ballyhale Shamrocks are a club like no other, building their success off the richest hurling gene pool in the country.

GAA • 18 Mar 19

"Sunday was always going to be about Offaly. But it should have been about Carlow first"

Carlow - one of modern hurling's great success stories

With just five clubs represented on the current senior panel, what this Carlow squad have achieved has been one of the great hurling success stories of the modern era, writes Christy O'Connor

GAA • 11 Mar 19

"Watching Limerick go on to win the title has made Clare more pumped and driven than ever for 2019"

Clare-Limerick recovers bite and resentment of 1990s

Before the Clare-Limerick game even began in Ennis on Sunday, Conor Cleary and Kyle Hayes were going at it. Seconds after the ball was thrown in, Gearóid Hegarty and Patrick O'Connor were rolling around on the deck.

GAA • 04 Mar 19

Kilkenny composure key to consistent edge over Tipp

Kilkenny's last-gasp victory over Tipperary on Sunday fit a familiar pattern of victories in close games over their neighbours and rivals, writes Christy O'Connor.

GAA • 25 Feb 19

'When UL won the 1994 title, their quarter-final, semi-final and final all went to extra-time'

Fitzgibbon, Sigerson in danger of following Railway Cup

With the colleges competition struggling to find time in the busy GAA schedule, there's a danger they could go the way of the inter-pros.

GAA • 18 Feb 19