Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Shane McGrath: 'Pushing the start of the hurling championship back a few weeks would only have a 'impact on the club scene'

Why the hurling present could be wrapped better

Shane McGrath is backing Limerick and Waterford to pick up wins in Munster this weekend, but expects a couple of intruiging clashes in Leinster.

GAA • 26 Apr 23

Stronger, wiser Clare must compete for Munster honours

Ahead of the start of the provincial hurling championships this weekend, RTÉ GAA analyst Shane McGrath takes a look at the team Brian Lohan is building in his fourth year.

GAA • 19 Apr 23

'My hope is this, that teams were holding something back against Limerick in the league and that there will be a tidal wave of intensity coming in the championship'

Some lessons from league and tips for stopping Limerick

Hurling columnist Shane McGrath looks back on the 2023 league season and offers a few suggestions on how teams might go about stopping the seeming unstoppable Limerick winning machine

GAA • 12 Apr 23

'The vast improvements Kilkenny have made round by round have been impressive to say the least'

I was wrong about Cats but Limerick at another level

Shane McGrath has been impressed with Kilkenny in their first league campaign under Derek Lyng but is not convinced they can reverse the All-Ireland final result in Sunday's Allianz Hurling League final.

Hurling • 05 Apr 23

'The position you are in is not important - what it is vital is knowing your part in the system you are playing'

Do positions even matter anymore in hurling?

Traditional set-ups are a thing of the past as teams adopt ultra flexibility in their quest to keep possession at all costs, writes Shane McGrath.

GAA • 29 Mar 23

Billy Drennan has been incredibly accurate during the league campaign

McGrath: Lyng should let Drennan wear TJ's crown

RTÉ Sport analyst Shane McGrath believes that Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng should seriously consider handing free-taking duties to Billy Drennan for this year's All-Ireland Hurling Championship.

GAA • 27 Mar 23

"All these things can be the one percent which help teams to win"

In defence of the foreign training camp

As someone who was lucky enough to go on a few of these training camps, I will do my best to break down what actually occurs on these weeks away.

GAA • 22 Mar 23

'Cork have come out on top in every challenge they have faced so far'

Shadow boxing in the spring, knockouts in the summer

The league is so obviously a means to an end for most now as counties build depth and finetune game plans for their main priority: making an impact in the championship.

GAA • 15 Mar 23

'Social media can often be poison after games towards players and teams but in this case I actually feel it could be used for the greater good'

Two types of dives are now prevalent in our games

An inter-county referee someday soon in a profile game is going to have to stand up, be brave and say enough is enough here when it comes to diving, says Shane McGrath.

GAA • 08 Mar 23

"In the 70s, 80s and 90s, how you performed in the league counted massively towards selection"

Acknowledging the individual brilliance of Burke and Co

Standout performances by players during the Allianz Hurling League should be taken into account when picking the All-Stars team later in the year.

GAA • 01 Mar 23

Darragh Egan has plenty to consider after his team's 16-point defeat to Clare

Wexford's lack of effort and depth a concern - McGrath

Wexford's horror show against Clare showed that they don't have the depth of their hurling rivals, believes Shane McGrath.

Hurling • 28 Feb 23

Limerick defeated Kilkenny in last year's All-Ireland hurling final, with Galway and Clare the beaten semi-finalists

Tyrrell: No big Leinster-Munster hurling gap

Jackie Tyrrell doesn't believe the standard of hurling in Leinster is far off that in Munster and that Kilkenny and Galway have to be considered among the game's top five sides.

Hurling • 23 Feb 23

'Picture this – the streets of Tralee thronged with fans, the sun shining, a carnival-like atmosphere everywhere, and it's not even the Rose Festival'

Winning should bring a reward - Kerry's big chance

In his latest column, Shane McGrath rakes over the changes that impact on hurling following this year's GAA Congress and hones in on one change that could see an extra team in the Munster SHC.

GAA • 22 Feb 23

Short is the new long in hurling but balance is crucial

The days of hit it long and hope are gone but teams also need to be wary of over-elaborating the short-passing game, writes our hurling columnist.

Hurling • 15 Feb 23

Waterford's Neil Montgomery gets a handpass away against Tipperary last year

GAA likely to clamp down on 'endemic' handpass foul

Hurling referees are likely to be warned by Croke Park officials to clamp down on handpass fouls, which have become endemic in the game, according to referee Barry Kelly.

GAA • 13 Feb 23

'We had excitement in Cork, drama in Dungarvan and a sort of mixed bag elsewhere'

Galway the nearest challengers to Limerick right now

Our hurling columnist reviews the early action in the league and suggests a way to make the competition more of a priority for teams.

GAA • 08 Feb 23

Declan Hannon was on the scoresheet for his side against Cork

McGrath: 'Hannon is getting better and better'

After their opening day loss to Cork in Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League, Shane McGrath still feels Limerick are a bit further on than this time last year and adds that Declan Hannon is now more than ever a pivotal presence in the All-Ireland champions' set up.

GAA • 06 Feb 23

'The players want to play, we want to see them play but we can't expect thrillers everyday we see them from February until July'

League is the league - it's championship that's changed

The round-robin provincial championships and Limerick's dominance have seen the league fall down county's list of priorities, writes new hurling columnist Shane McGrath.

GAA • 01 Feb 23

James McNaughton celebrates scoring Antrim's second goal in the Joe McDonagh Cup final

McGrath: Antrim now have hurling elite's respect

Shane McGrath believes Antrim have earned the respect of their peers at the top table of hurling as they prepare for an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against Cork on Saturday.

GAA • 11 Jun 22

Ballygunner's Philip O'Mahony, left, and captain Barry Coughlan lift the All-Ireland club trophy

McGrath: Ballygunner win massive for Waterford hurling

Shane McGrath believes Ballygunner's dramatic AIB All-Ireland Club Hurling final triumph on Saturday will have a "massive" knock-on effect for the Déise inter-county set-up.

GAA • 14 Feb 22

Tipperary manager Colm Bonnar will be under 'massive pressure' if they don't beat Laois, according to Shane McGrath

McGrath: No room for error for Tipp as league looms

Shane McGrath believes the introduction of emerging panel members will give Tipperary a lift as they prepare for the Allianz Hurling League but adds that there is urgency to get off to a winning start after they were upset by Kerry in the Munster Hurling Cup semi-finals last month.

GAA • 05 Feb 22

Laois face two relegation play-offs in the championship and league respectively

McGrath: Laois defeat to Antrim would be 'demoralising'

Shane McGrath believes a defeat for the Laois hurlers in Saturday's All-Ireland SHC preliminary round would be doubly "demoralising" for the county given that they are already in danger of relegation from the top flight of the Allianz Hurling League.

GAA • 09 Jul 21

Tipp and Limerick feature on RTÉ television next weekend, as well as radio

Is this the least important hurling league ever?

Shane McGrath and Brian Carroll discussed the importance of this year's Allianz League, which starts next weekend, on RTÉ's Sunday Sport.

GAA • 03 May 21

Would counties benefit from asking players to train less?

'The craic is gone' - Do GAA players train too much?

Former Tipperary hurler Shane McGrath, ex-Ireland international Paula Fitzpatrick and Offaly manager John Maughan discuss whether inter-county GAA training needs to be reined in.

GAA • 18 Apr 21

Kerry topped the standings in Division 1 and were deemed winners

O'Rourke: Forget about league finals this year

Colm O'Rourke and Shane McGrath envisage an even shorter programme of games in the football and hurling leagues if the GAA get the green light this week to resume inter-county training.

GAA • 28 Mar 21