Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

'Colm Cavanagh's role will be a fascinating one. He has been the team's best player in their last two games, but in the Super 8s defeat in Omagh, Dublin pretty much made him redundant'

Goals and use of Colm Cavanagh key to upsetting Dublin

The three-time All-Ireland winner admits Tyrone need a lot of things to go in their favour on Sunday if they are to end Dublin's bid for four successive All-Ireland football titles.

Football • 28 Aug 18

'It's a big ask but Harte won't be sending his team to Croker to make up the numbers'

All eyes on Harte's plan to stop the marauding Dubs

Mickey Harte will relish the prospect of coming up with a masterplan to thwart Dublin in the All-Ireland final - a plan that if it works will define Harte as the supreme master tactician.

GAA • 21 Aug 18

'The Dubs haven't really clicked yet this season, they haven't been blowing teams away'

Football at this level is a physical and emotional game

It's an All-Ireland quarter-final, but it's going to be more like an Ulster championships clash between these two neighbours.

GAA • 31 Jul 18

Are any of teams left in the championship as good as the Mayo sides that had Dublin rattled in '16 and '17?

Dublin's pursuers are not closing the gap

In assessing the lie of the land ahead of the final round of matches in the Super 8s, Philip Jordan has observed a few chinks in the Dublin armour, but crucially feels the chasing pack aren't fully primed to captalise on any slippage.

GAA • 25 Jul 18

'Kerry's full-forward line are light years ahead of anything else that's around at the minute'

Everyone bar the Dubs have questions to answer

Our expert football analyst takes a look over the eight teams left in the hunt for Sam Maguire

GAA • 12 Jul 18

Jordan: 'I expect Mayo to be a better team next year, both physically and mentally'

Mayo will be Top 4 side for sure in 2019

Injuries to key players and a protracted Championship were always going to make life difficult for Mayo in 2018, but any talk of their demise would be folly and they should come back stronger next year.

GAA • 03 Jul 18

'Sometimes, his reputation, owing to some of the stuff that went on off the ball, overshadowed how good a footballer he was'

Fermanagh benefiting from 'Ricey's' positive edge

The addition of my former team-mate Ryan McMenamin to the Fermanagh management is clear to see as the Ernesiders look to finally land that elusive Ulster football title.

GAA • 20 Jun 18

'The amount of work managers have to put in now just on working out a game plan, communicating that idea to the players, working on it consistently in training and making sure it is executed correctly during a game is huge'

Galway need to strike balance between defence & attack

Galway need to beat Roscommon with a bit to spare if their progress towards the top tier is to continue.

GAA • 12 Jun 18

'Do the people who criticise them really expect them to go out and just take a hammering?'

Forget the begrudgers, Fermanagh play beautiful game

It's time Rory Gallagher and his team were given the credit they deserve for their achievements this summer.

GAA • 05 Jun 18

'This 'Rising' is something that the county has never experienced before. It may not happen again'

Enjoyment overriding the fear in Carlow's rise

Carlow football now finds itself in uncharted territory as it bids for Leinster final place, and there's much to enthuse about in the feel-good factor they have brought to this championship summer.

GAA • 30 May 18

Sean Cavanagh: 'I felt in a game of that stature, the longer he'd have been on, the better chance Tyrone would have had.'

'Colm's presence was badly missed in that Tyrone team'

Sean Cavanagh believes the half-time substitution of his brother Colm deprived Tyrone of the nous and leadership the Red Hand so desperately needed when their Ulster SFC clash with Monaghan was there to be won.

GAA • 22 May 18

'You need that bit of gold dust to win Championship games and Tyrone don't have it'

Sean Cavanagh's comments have made life difficult

Tyrone aren't in a great place at the moment, but our Gaelic football columnist doesn't feel that a change in management would help.

GAA • 22 May 18

"A lot will depend on the draw they get in the qualifiers"

Mayo have a lot of mental miles on the clock

Mayo's road back to the business end of the Championship looks very long after defeat to Galway, writes Philip Jordan.

GAA • 15 May 18

'Dublin look as strong as ever and possibly stronger'

Championship challengers have failed to improve

With the 2018 Championship throwing in this weekend, Philip Jordan picks his contenders, predicts a surprise package and reckons one challenger may not make the grade this season.

GAA • 01 May 18

'Their PR wasn't great and they didn't sell themselves particularly well to the general GAA public'

GPA need full disclosure to allay public's suspicions

Nearly 20 years after they were founded, the Gaelic Players' Association still aren't trusted by many GAA members.

GAA • 11 Apr 18

'Dublin have shown in this decade how good they are at closing out games - that against a scenario of winning so many games comfortably'

Dublin know their ABC - Always Be Closing

Despite pushing Dublin hard in the league final, Galway will have a few regrets, but now know what it takes to win games when the pressure cooker is turned up late on.

GAA • 03 Apr 18

'During the Division 1 campaign Galway only conceded an average of 12 points per game'

Tyrone man Paddy Tally a key part of Galway's revival

Paddy Tally was central to the Red Hand County's breakthrough All-Ireland win in 2003 and now he is helping the Tribesmen make strides.

GAA • 27 Mar 18

'The significant stumbling block to change are the provincial championships'

Championship structure will end Carlow feel-good factor

The success of teams like Carlow, Clare and Tipperary in the League highlight the inadequacies of the Championship structures.

GAA • 21 Mar 18

"Giving youth its chance can often give you exciting days, and then you'll have days when things don't go for you"

Pragmatism the key word as Kerry look for perfect blend

Kerry folk are right to be excited about the talent emerging within the county, but would be equally right to scoff at the nation that Sam Maguire will be heading south any time soon.

GAA • 16 Mar 18

"It's easy enough to put in a defensive system that keeps the score down, but getting the balance right between defence and attack is key"

Summer will properly road test improving Galway

There is much to admire about Galway's unbeaten start to the Allianz League - enough to show they have the capability to be a force rather than a flop come summer time.

GAA • 27 Feb 18

The problem as I see it is the amount of the year it takes up, which is now 12 months

Talk about commitment levels is pushing an agenda

RTÉ Gaelic football analyst Philip Jordan says the level of commitment required at inter-county level isn't the problem - the length of the season is.

GAA • 20 Feb 18

'God help the lads who play hurling too because that adds another layer to it'

The GAA need to do more to protect talented youngsters

I've been banging the drum for a long time about for the GAA's duty of care to young, elite players who continue to be dragged in all kinds of directions by the managers of different teams.

GAA • 08 Feb 18

Destination Croke Park for the Cavanagh brothers

'I nearly ended up in tears. I had to catch myself on!'

Eight clubs are getting ready for the biggest days in their history with the All-Ireland junior and intermediate club finals at Croke Park this weekend.

GAA • 03 Feb 18

'Donegal have some very impressive young footballers'

Teams may be getting set to turn their backs on defence

It's too early to make any definitive judgements, though there are signs that Tyrone's defeat to Dublin in last year's All-Ireland semi-final was a watershed moment for football.

GAA • 31 Jan 18

This is a mentally tough group of players that know how to close it out

Talk of splitting Dublin shows a defeatist attitude

Our Gaelic football columnist addresses the suggestion of breaking Dublin up into more than one team for senior inter-county football by looking at their results over the past two seasons.

GAA • 20 Sep 17