A WEDDING, AN All-Ireland club camogie final and another championship campaign that has reached the semi-final stage.

Oulart-The-Ballagh’s Ursula Jacob.

Source: Sportsfile

Ursula Jacob has had a busy time on and off the pitch over the past two months. With her club Oulart-The-Ballagh, she played her part in helping to capture the 2020 All-Ireland senior championship after dethroning Galway’s Sarsfields in a final which was delayed until last December.

The long pause to complete the competition was due to a combination of Covid-19 and a well-documented battle with the Camogie Association which almost resulted in the All-Ireland series being scrapped.

Consequently, the conclusion of the 2020 championship has spilled into the 2021 provincial and All-Ireland series which got underway at the start of this year.

That didn’t leave much time for Oulart to toast their success before rebooting for a Leinster final clash against Dicksboro at the end of January.

The quick turnaround was all the more challenging for Jacob, who had a wedding day to fit into that block of time as well.

“You could say that alright, it’s been a hectic few months between everything,” she reflects as Oulart face into an All-Ireland semi-final against Clare’s Scariff Ogonolloe on Sunday afternoon.

“But at the same time, it’s been a brilliant few months. It’s been very difficult for everyone over the past couple of years but the camogie has been a brilliant distraction from all things Covid-related.

“Then obviously from a personal point of view, I only got married in December just after we won the All-Ireland. So, it’s been a manic few months but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Thankfully, both the wedding and the All-Ireland went well so I’m now a happily married woman and looking forward to the game on Sunday.

“It was great in one way because those games were one week after the other. 

“St Judes, Thomastown [Leinster final], Slaughtneil and then Sarsfields. When you win that All-Ireland, you know you’re after coming through the toughest route possible. And to top it off then, between myself and Stacey, we both had our weddings to look forward to. I’m just grateful that mine wasn’t the day before the final.”

At 36, Jacob has already achieved so much in her career. She was a key forward on the famous Wexford side who won four out of six All-Irelands from 2007 to 2012, including a three-in-row. 

Her Oulart team-mates Karen Atkinson and the Leacy sisters, Mary and Úna were also central to that effort, with Jacob eventually retiring from the inter-county scene in 2016.

The club game has been similarly profitable for this special group who have played together from a young age, winning All-Ireland crowns in 2011, 2014 and 2020.

And even after all they have won in Wexford and Oulart colours, there’s still a hunger to hunt down the treasures on offer in the 2021 championship. 

The club has certainly benefited from their collective experience, but the longevity of their careers has attracted some negative remarks too. Speaking to the Irish Examiner after their Leinster final win over Dicksboro, Úna Leacy said that some of the pre-match commentary insulted their side by labelling them an “ageing team.”

“Look,” says Jacob when asked for her views, “you’re always going to have comments like that when you’ve girls still playing well into their 30s but to be honest, I don’t pay too much heed to that kind of outside distraction.

“We know our potential and talent ourselves. I’m playing senior club for 22 years. There’s some girls on our team who are only 22 years of age so they weren’t even born when I started out. When you cross the white line, and it’ll be the same on Sunday, Scariff won’t care what age I am or Úna Leacy or whoever.

“I think there’s too much made sometimes of someone’s age. You still are talented enough, fit enough and you’re able to go out on the field of play.”

As Oulart aim to keep their All-Ireland title defence on track this weekend, Jacob adds:

Oulart players celebrate their All-Ireland victory in December.

Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO

“We’re a very close knit bunch of girls, we’re all from Oulart-The-Ballagh. From Primary School right up, we’ve all been playing and in each other’s pockets and I think that stands in a club team.

“I suppose I definitely would agree that at this stage of my career, and the likes of Mary Leacy and that, we’ve been playing with Oulart senior teams since we were 14. We’re enjoying it just as much and it probably means even more because each game you now get to play, that’s a bonus.

“We probably would have been disappointed over the last couple of years that we were reaching the county final but didn’t get through. Something maybe changed in the attitude in the last couple of years.

“And we just really worked hard and throughout those lockdowns, the individual responsibility is probably what stood out for me.”

Ursula Jacob pictured ahead of one of #TheToughest showdowns of the year, as reigning champions, Oulart, face and Scariff Ogonnelloe in the AIB Senior Camogie Club All-Ireland Championship semi-final this Sunday, 20 February at 1:30pm at Clonmel Commercials GAA (Tipperary).

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Updated Mar 11th 2022, 12:00 PM

Friday

11.30am: Round 2, The Players’ Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf.

1pm: DCU v UCC, O’Connor Cup semi-final – LGFA Facebook & YouTube.

1.15pm: Paris-Nice, Stage 6 – Eurosport.

3pm: UL v NUI Galway, O’Connor Cup semi-final – LGFA Facebook & YouTube.

5.10pm: Sharks v Scarlets, United Rugby Championship – TG4 and Premier Sports 1.

7pm: Italy U20 v Scotland U20, Six Nations – BBC Sports website.

7.30pm: Day Two, The Players’ Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Sky Sports Golf (coverage continues).

7.45pm: Premier Division games (Shelbourne v Dundalk, UCD v Derry City, Drogheda United v Sligo Rovers) – LOI TV.

7.45pm: First Division games (Bray Wanderers v Galway United, Cork City v Cobh Ramblers, Treaty United v Longford Town, Waterford FC v Wexford FC) – LOI TV.

8pm: Wales v France, Guinness Six Nations – RTÉ 2.

8pm: West Brom v Huddersfield Town, Championship – Sky Sports Main Event.

8pm: Premier Division games (Shamrock Rovers v Bohemians, Finn Harps v St Patrick’s Athletic) – LOI TV.

Jack Byrne and Dylan Watts.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

8pm: Atletico Madrid v Cadiz, La Liga – La Liga TV.

Saturday

11.30am: Reading v Man United, FA Women’s Super League – Sky Sports Premier League.

12.30pm: Round 3, The Players’ Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Sky Sports Golf.

Shane Lowry.

Source: Marta Lavandier

12.30pm: Paris-Nice, Stage 7 – Eurosport.

12.30pm: Barnsley v Fulham, Championship – Sky Sports Main Event.

12.30pm: Brighton v Liverpool, Premier League – BT Sport 1.

2.05pm: Bulls v Munster, United Rugby Championship – TG4 and Premier Sports 1.

2.15pm: Italy v Scotland, Guinness Six Nations – Virgin Media One and ITV.

3pm: Brentford v Burnley, Premier League – Premier Sports 2.

4pm: DCU/UCC v UL/NUI Galway, O’Connor Cup final – Spórt TG4 YouTube.

4.45pm: England v Ireland, Guinness Six Nations – RTÉ 2 and ITV.

Eddie Jones.

Source: Andrew Fosker/INPHO

5pm: Sampdoria v Juventus, Serie A – BT Sport 3.

5.15pm: AFLW highlights – TG4.

5.30pm: Man United v Tottenham, Premier League – Sky Sports Main Event.

5.30pm: Borussia Monchengladbach v Hertha Berlin, Bundesliga – Sky Sports Football.

6pm: Armagh v Kildare, Division 1 football league – BBC NI Sport site, iPlayer and GAA GO.

7.15pm: England U20 v Ireland U20, Six Nations – RTÉ Player and RTÉ News Now Channel.

7.30pm: Kerry v Mayo, Division 1 football league – RTÉ 2.

Austin Stack Park hosts Kerry against Mayo.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

7.35pm: Ulster v Leinster, United Rugby Championship – TG4 and Premier Sports 1.

7.45pm: AC Milan v Empoli, Serie A – BT Sport 1.

8pm: Montpellier v Toulon, French Top 14 – Premier Sports 2.

8pm: Round 3, The Players’ Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Sky Sports Golf & Sky Sports Main Event.

9.35pm: 2022 Cheltenham Festival preview – TG4.

Sunday

11am: AFLW highlights – TG4.

11.30am: Round 4, The Players’ Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Sky Sports Golf.

12pm: Luton Town v QPR, Championship – Sky Sports Main Event.

12pm: Paris Saint-Germain v Bordeaux, Ligue 1 – BT Sport 3.

12.30pm: Tottenham Hotspur v Man City, FA Women’s Super League – BBC Two.

1.45pm: Donegal v Monaghan, Division 1 football league – TG4.

Monaghan’s Conor McManus.

Source: Ben Brady/INPHO

2pm: Meath v Cork, Division 2 football league – TG4 app (Deferred coverage on TG4 at 5.35pm).

2pm: Chelsea v Newcastle United, Premier League – Sky Sports Main Event.

2pm: Verona v Napoli, Serie A – BT Sport 3.

2pm: Lions v Cardiff, United Rugby Championship – Premier Sports 1.

2.15pm: Paris-Nice, Stage 8 – Eurosport.

3pm: Northampton v Wasps, Premiership Rugby – BT Sport 1.

3.15pm: Real Betis v Athletic Bilbao, La Liga – La Liga TV.

3.45pm: Tyrone v Dublin, Division 1 football league – TG4.

4pm: Dundee v Rangers, Scottish Cup quarter-final – Premier Sports 1.

4.05pm: Stormers v Zebre, United Rugby Championship – Premier Sports 1.

4.30pm: Arsenal v Leicester City, Premier League – Sky Sports Main Event.

4.30pm: Borussia Dortmund v Arminia Bielefeld, Bundesliga – Sky Sports Mix.

5pm: Atalanta v Genoa, Serie A – BT Sport Extra 3.

5pm: Udinese v Roma, Serie A – BT Sport 1.

6.45pm: Brighton v Arsenal, FA Women’s Super League – Sky Sports Football.

7pm: Six Nations highlights – Virgin Media Two.

7pm: Round 4, The Players’ Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Sky Sports Golf & Sky Sports Main Event.

The famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

Source: David Rosenblum

7.45pm: Torino v Inter Milan, Serie A – BT Sport 1.

8pm: Clermont Auvergne v Bordeaux Begles, French Top 14 – Premier Sports 2.

8pm: Barcelona v Osasuna, La Liga – La Liga TV.

9.30pm: Allianz League Sunday GAA highlights – RTÉ 2.

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THERE WILL BE plenty of inter-county talent on show at the 2022 Yoplait Ladies HEC Championships this weekend.

There’s four more pieces of silverware up for grabs at DCU St Clare’s, where the O’Connor Cup is the showpiece, top-level competition.

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After a two-year competition absence amidst the pandemic, the semi-final line-up will see hosts DCU Dóchas Éireann up against UCC on Friday afternoon, followed by the second semi-final between reigning champions from 2019, UL, and NUI Galway. The final is slated in for Saturday afternoon at 4pm [live on Spórt TG4 YouTube].

Here’s a closer look at some Meath, Dublin, Cork, Galway and Kerry stars worth keeping an eye on, with All-Ireland winners and All-Stars aplenty among them.

DCU Dóchas Éireann

Emma Duggan (Meath)

Duggan celebrating Meath’s historic All-Ireland win last September.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

Unquestionably one of the best forwards in the country, Duggan is the lynchpin of a potent DCU attack. Still only 19 and a first year college student, the Dunboyne ace has lit up the inter-county scene over the past few seasons.

Duggan finished 2021 as an All-Ireland champion and All-Star with Meath, while also adding Division 2 league and county and provincial club honours. A huge scoring threat and deadly accurate from placed ball, the towering attacker plays with the maturity of an established inter-county stalwart despite her relatively young age. 

Jennifer Dunne (Dublin)

Dunne was on hand as Yoplait Ireland were announced as new sponsors of LGFA’s third-level competitions.

Source: SPORTSFILE.

Duggan and Dunne are but two of a star-studded DCU outfit. Dublin All-Star Dunne is joined by inter-county team-mates Carla Rowe, Niamh Hetherton and Abby Shiels, while Offaly dual star Kate Kenny, Meath All-Ireland winner Orlagh Lally and Anna Rose Kennedy of Tipperary are among other key players for the Glasnevin side. 2021 league winners, the recent O’Connor Cup champions are firm favourites heading in.

Dunne has established herself as one of the country’s top midfielders over the past few seasons, her athleticism and physicality marking her out from the crowd. The Cuala powerhouse and three-time All-Ireland winner has been ever-present for the Sky Blues since making her debut in 2017, and often pops up with a score or two.

UCC

Sadhbh O’Leary (Cork)

O’Leary shooting against Tipperary last year.

Source: Ken Sutton/INPHO

O’Leary has been drafted into the Cork attack many a time in the past few years, but 2021 was a real breakthrough season for the youngster. A standout performer for the Rebels in the league and scorer of 2-4 in championship fare, she finished up an All-Star nominee, in the running for the right corner forward position alongside Vikki Wall and Aimee Mackin.

Forming a deadly alliance with Orla Finn for Kinsale at club level, O’Leary is a real rising star on the national stage and that has continued at UCC, where she combines with inter-county team-mate Katie Quirke in the skull and crossbones’ forward line.

Emma Cleary (Cork)

Cleary on the ball for Cork last year.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

One of a strong Éire Óg contingent in the UCC squad, captain Cleary is still only 21 and in her third season on the Cork panel. She joins O’Leary and Quirke in the forward line, having excelled for the Rebels through the underage ranks before the posts.

Opportunities have been few and far between at inter-county level as Shane Ronayne’s side remain one of the most competitive squads in the county, though she’s impressing under the watchful eye of her father, legendary Cork footballer John, on the colleges’ scene. As UCC eye their first O’Connor Cup crown since 2012, Aghada defender Sarah Leahy and Waterford forward Kelly Ann Hogan are among their other key players.

UL

Erika O’Shea (Cork)

O’Shea at the announcement of Yoplait Ireland as new sponsors of LGFA’s third-level competitions.

Source: SPORTSFILE.

O’Shea followed up her breakout inter-county season of 2020 with an All-Star winning one in 2021. A vital cog in the Cork machine, the 19-year-old defender has been consistently excellent for the Rebels since lighting up Croke Park in the controversial 2020 All-Ireland semi-final win over Galway.

The Macroom star provides piercing runs from half-back, and more often than not, holds some of the biggest names in the game scoreless. It’s been a colourful path for O’Shea, who has faced many setbacks in her career so far and momentarily quit football. She’s also a talented basketball player, and lined out for Glanmire through the off-season.

Hannah O’Donoghue (Kerry)

O’Donoghue lining out for Kerry in 2019.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

O’Donoghue enjoyed a memorable senior inter-county debut aged just 16 in 2017, scoring 1-4 in a stunning performance as Kerry reached the All-Ireland semi-final. There and then, she made a real name for herself on the national stage, having previously impressed through the Kingdom’s underage ranks, winning a host of All-Ireland medals. 

An underage soccer international with the Republic of Ireland and former Cork City star, the ever-lively and hugely-talented O’Donoghue has a real eye for goal. That will prove vital if UL are to retain their title. Her Kerry counterparts Fiadhna Tangney and Julie O’Sullivan and Kilkerrin-Clonberne and Galway pair Ailish Morrissey and Lynsey Noone are a couple more UL players to look out for. 

NUIG

Melissa Duggan (Cork)

Duggan facing Cork in 2021.

Source: Ken Sutton/INPHO

Another of Cork’s top and most consistent players over the past few seasons, two-time All-Star Duggan has been inspirational for NUI Galway since making the move out west to continue her studies.

Like O’Shea, the defender is slight in stature, though teak-tough and a prolific attacking threat. Duggan is the definition of a workhorse, and loves getting up the field and in on the act in the forward line en route to dispatching goals.

Expect big impact, as always, from the Doheny’s ace this weekend.

'We were starstruck when she arrived down at training!' – NUIG captain Niamh Daly on the impact of Cork TG4 All Star Melissa Duggan.

See Daly score her team's second goal in tonight's Yoplait O'Connor Cup win, from our Live Stream coverage.. @GalwayLgfa @CorkLGFA @LadiesHEC pic.twitter.com/1JisY2v99r

— Jerome Quinn (@JeromeQuinn) March 2, 2022

Hannah Noone (Galway) 

Hannah Noone (right) in action in the All-Ireland club final.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

A recent club All-Ireland winner with Kilkerrin-Clonberne, Hannah is one of two Noone sisters lighting it up with NUIG. Her younger sibling, Eva, lines out alongside her while Lynsey is in the UL set-up. All three starred in January’s club decider win over back-to-back champions Mourneabbey.

Hannah was the Galway minor captain as recently as 2020 and also All-Ireland-winning U16 skipper with the Tribe in 2018, so her leadership skills and talent have been evident from a young age. A Quick and agile half back, she’ll ask serious questions of opposition. Kate Geraghty, Chelsie Crowe (both Galway) and Aoife Geraghty (Mayo) are three more to watch for the Westerners, as they target a maiden O’Connor Cup title lift.

2022 Yoplait Ladies HEC O’Connor Cup semi-final fixtures

Friday March 11 

• DCU Dóchas Éireann v UCC, DCU Grass Pitch 1, 1pm – Live on LGFA Facebook & YouTube  
• Yoplait O’Connor Cup semi-final – UL v NUI Galway, DCU Grass Pitch 1, 3pm – Live on LGFA Facebook & YouTube.

For a lowdown on what the new smart sliotar entails, go here. 

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1. U20s will train with smart sliotars

The new balls will be trialled in the upcoming All-Ireland U20 hurling championship, which takes place in April and May.

Before the games, 24 unbranded balls will be supplied to each team in a sliotar bin. 

Smart sliotar work group member Brendan Cummins said that counties will be given smart sliotars to train with before the provincial competitions begin. 

“Each one of the county teams involved in the U20 championship this year will get a sample of balls to train with,” he said.

“So it’s not the first time one of their free-takers or their goalie gets the ball or any of their players in the first round of the championship, this ball with a red dot on it and they’re going putting it down.

“I know from dealing with the  U20s, you don’t want to throw out anything that spooks them for all the world so each manager will get a supply of balls to make sure there’s fairness across it, to practise in training with those balls.

“I thought that was very important to say as well so it’s not just, ‘Here’s the ball, off you go.’”

2. Will the GAA target bas sizes next?

A lack of standardisation of sliotars has long been a bugbear of hurling folk. The GAA first started to work in the area back in 2003, so it’s been a lengthy process.

Another issue that has been much-discussed in recent years as been the increasing size of the bas on hurleys, particularly those used by free-takers.  

“Let’s get the sliotar done first and then we’ll look at the next round if we’re going to do anything,” said president Larry McCarthy when asked if the GAA had plans to authenticate bas sizes. 

Cummins added, “It’s something maybe further down the line that I think the GAA will look at. Our brief certainly was just to make sure we’d modernised the sliotar design and standardised the manufacture of it to know where it came from. We’ve done that.

“Maybe that’s an exercise the GAA can look at further down the road. I know certainly if I’m a player or free-taker, if I can get a bas that’s slightly bigger then I’m going for it and that’s what everybody is doing. For the time being that seems to be okay.” 

Reading in between the lines, once the sliotars are addressed there’s every possibility McCarthy will turn his attentions to standardising bas sizes.

3. Other uses for smart sliotars 

As it stands the microchip in the smart sliotars is there for traceability purposes. Cummins said the insertion of the tag made “no difference whatsoever” to how the ball behaved.

Can the sliotar identify if it has crossed the goal-line?

“That’s a different technology altogether,” said McCarthy. “It would be a heavier technology and at the moment there are no systems out there that would be able to do that accurately without changing how the ball behaves. This is merely around being able to identify that this is an official sliotar.”

Illegal handpasses is another hot topic in the GAA at present, but Cummins said it won’t be possible to develop technology in a sliotar to show if the ball has been properly played. 

“(Not) unless you put a chip in every player’s hand which brings the human rights issues completely out the window!” said the Tipperary legend. 

However, he feels “players will adjust” in the coming weeks.

“Last year we had a free-taking competition in the first three rounds of the league and we all thought our game was bust, we all had our head in our hands and it ironed itself out and it’ll be the exact same way with this – players will learn,” said Cummins. 

“If they’re training four or five nights a week, they’re thinking about hurling every day of the week, it’s their absolute life so they will work out that ‘if I don’t have clear space in my hand then it’s a free and it costs my team’

“And they will adapt very, very quickly, the next couple of rounds of the league I would expect you’ll see less and less of that and we won’t be talking about it I hope by the time we get to championship.” 

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IT IS THREE years since the Meath and Cork footballers crossed paths in the league arena.

That Division 2 clash on a Saturday night in February 2019 saw Meath sign off with a six-point cushion by the final whistle and they journeyed home from Páirc Uí Rinn content, having reinforced their position of superiority at the top of the table.

Cork were struggling without a win from their first three games and the match provided a hint of what was to come for both that spring – Meath wound up promoted and ready to embrace life in the top tier, Cork ended up relegated and fell through the trapdoor to the third grade.

On Sunday they renew acquaintances, this time in Navan, but again in a Division 2 encounter weighted with importance. The backdrop is different. Neither are in the relegation spots as things stand but without a win in their combined eight appearances to date this season, they are looking anxiously over their shoulders. Meath are only a point clear of the drop zone, Cork only escaping on scoring difference and that’s by a wafer-thin margin with their total of -23, marginally better than Down (-24) and Offaly (-25).

Páirc Tailteann hosts Sunday’s game.

Source: Brian Reilly-Troy/INPHO

A Round 5 game in those circumstances would naturally be surrounded in tension but that’s compounded by the shift in the summer football system that awaits.

Division 3 and 4 league teams will be participating this year in the Tailteann Cup, rather than the Sam Maguire race, and with that based on the promotion and relegation outcomes from the current league, the stakes are raised for those dropping out of Division 2.

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If Meath or Cork were to fall, they could avoid the Tailteann Cup by reaching a provincial final, but the path there for both is far from straightforward. Meath will be favoured to win their quarter-final against Laois or Wicklow, but with a semi-final likely awaiting then against Dublin, it would be a sizeable task to break the stranglehold their neighbours have exerted on Leinster football.

Cork can relate. They have home advantage for their Munster semi-final on 7 May, but taking down a Kerry team that hammered them by 22 points last summer and a county that have lifted every Munster senior crown bar one since 2012, is an onerous task.

The Cork footballers before this season’s league game against Roscommon.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

History and tradition would put a sharp focus on the removal of a powerhouse like Meath or Cork from the All-Ireland race. Between 1996 and 2010, the pair won three All-Ireland titles and enjoyed seven final appearances between them.

Those days at the top seem like a distant memory and yet there is a more recent experience to illustrate the slide they have experienced.

At the end of 2019 season, both would have had reason to be upbeat. Securing Super 8s qualification was indicative of a rise in their fortunes. They lost the six games they played when challenging the country’s football elite but there was promise for stretches of those games (Meath against Mayo and Kerry, Cork against Dublin and Tyrone), to suggest that the experience stockpiled would serve them well as they sought to close the gap.

Instead neither have pushed on. Cork have been defeated in two Munster finals, chastening experiences in contrasting ways, while Meath have lost twice to Dublin in championship games, contrasting performances with the same conclusion. The league in 2020 saw Meath relegated and Cork promoted, before in 2021 neither made a successful charge to get promoted from Division 2.

So what has this season revealed about both?

Meath were on the backfoot straight away. They trailed 1-9 to 0-0 at half-time against Galway and by 1-12 to 1-3 at half-time against Roscommon. Stormy conditions hindered good football on both occasions but those starts proved costly and paved the way for ultimate defeats.

Patrick Kelly and Gavin McGowan after Galway played Meath.

Source: Ben Brady/INPHO

If that Connacht duo are chasing promotion, Meath then met fellow relegation scrappers Down and Offaly but couldn’t chisel out a victory against either. A pair of draws hasn’t provided a springboard, albeit they showed guts to rescue a result against Offaly with a late goal.

Cork have been knocked over by three defeats, discovering why Roscommon, Derry and Galway are all high fliers. A draw against Clare provided some encouragement and the remaining fixture list looks more promising as they face teams of a similar stature in Meath, Down and Offaly. The striking split in standards in this division means Cork’s schedule always looked less daunting at the back end.

Cork’s challenges can be attributed in part to the scale of change in their setup. In their first three games, 13 players featured without previous league or championship experience at senior level – John Cooper, Joe Grimes, Rory Maguire, David Buckley, Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones, Mark Buckley, Shane Merritt, Paudie Allen, Fionn Herlihy, Chris Kelly, Billy Hennessy and Daniel O’Connell. They are a collection of players rising from Cork’s 2019 U20 winning squad or off the back of promising recent runs at local level with their clubs.

It has been a harsh learning environment to be exposed to, little time to adjust when taking on more seasoned and cohesive teams. Having experienced operators alongside them would help emerging footballers, but of the 20 players that lined out in last summer’s Munster final, nine weren’t available last time out against Galway. A mix of reasons – retirement, opting out, injury and squad changes – contributed. 14 of the Derry team that breezed past Cork last month in Owenbeg, had played when they were pipped by Donegal in Ulster last July. The contrast in collective understanding was noticeable, as was the difference in conditioning.

In a wider sense this all illustrates the huge turnover Cork football has experienced with a staggering 91 players having lined out in senior league or championship for the county  since the start of 2017.

A chaotic injury list has also been a hammer blow. Cork’s two best defenders – Sean Powter and Sean Meehan – are both currently on the treatment table, watching on for critical games when their input is needed. Other promising defenders like Liam O’Donovan, Nathan Walsh and Maurice Shanley are longer-term injury absentees. Further up the pitch, options like Brian Hayes, Brian Hartnett, Damien Gore and Cathail O’Mahony have missed the league to date. Look beyond the current senior setup and two of the county’s best players in last year’s Munster U20 win – Diarmaid Phelan and Conor Corbett – are at present out with torn cruciates.

Meath can understand that upheaval. They have seen pillars of their team like full-back Conor McGill and midfielder Bryan Menton out injured this spring. Mentor’s partner in the middle, Ronan Jones, only returned recently to action. Centre-back and captain Shane McEntee will miss the rest of the football year as he has been deployed on an overseas mission with the Irish Defence Forces.

Scoring has been an issue for Meath, only Down (37) have a lower aggregate points total across the four divisions in this year’s league than the Royals with 45. For Cork it’s at the opposite end with no team in the league having shipped more than their tally of 79.

Manager Andy McEntee and Keith Ricken head into a critical closing stretch then of the league. It’s McEntee’s sixth year in charge, a position only retained after last October’s vote to remove him did not get sufficient support at a county board meeting in Trim. It is Ricken’s first year in charge, the good vibes after his work with county underage teams, preceding difficult experiences at the top level.

It’s been a tough and challenging start to 2022 for both setups.

Sunday has the look of a defining day and a badly-needed chance to start turning the corner.

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THE MANAGER OF the Roscommon minor footballers says he is “very proud” of his squad who have united to show solidarity with one of their team-mates who comes from Ukraine.

Nikita Berzins is an emerging defender from the Kilmore/Shannon Gaels club who has family that are based in the centre of Ukraine. Following the Russian invasion of his home country, the Roscommon team and management joined together to send over vital supplies that will help Ukrainian people through this time of conflict.

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James Duignan, who was appointed as manager of the side last November after previously working as a selector on the team, tells The42 that his squad wanted to do something practical for Nikita after the violence began in Ukraine recently.

“After the first few days [of the invasion] myself and the management team were worried about Nikita. His own club chairman, Chris O’Dowd, is very good and he brings him to training every night.

“So, we were just kind of wondering, ‘What can we do?’ 

“We were playing a match last Saturday and the minor county board chairman, Shay Galvin, came to me and said that a friend of his called PJ Fallon & Sons runs a tool equipment business in Roscommon town and that he was sending over a container to the Ukraine.

“He [Shay] suggested we do our own collection. So, I put the message out on Saturday night after we all came home and the response was absolutely massive from all the players and the parents. It showed the generosity of the Roscommon people, just brilliant straight away jumping on it.

“We gathered at training on Tuesday night. I got a van from work and we filled it. We left it off then that night at PJ Fallon’s and as of this morning, the container is in Poland on the way to Ukraine.”

Duignan also spoke to Nikita to get his permission before proceeding with the collection, and made a speech to the players about the significance of their project.

“It was emotional even for me giving the speech,” Duignan adds. “And looking down at him, he got very emotional but I think he couldn’t believe the response on Tuesday. And he’s so thankful. If we can bring any joy to his life in such a difficult time, we were willing to do it.”

The items that were gathered in the collection included important medical supplies, cleaning products and general material that have everyday uses. Duignan, along with other members of the backroom team, also made a contribution of supplies for babies.

“I have a four-year-old girl,” he explains, “and just from a human level, you never think you’d be going in to get bottles, baby toothbrushes, and you’re numb for a few hours after doing that shop.”

Duignan added that Nikita is coping well despite the horrific scenes that are unfolding in Ukraine. He was offered some time off to process everything, but insists that he prefers to be at training and have some release from the worries of what is happening abroad.

The players, Duignan says, were the driving force for this collection effort, and he is heartened by their sense of initiative in such a precarious time for one of their team-mates.

“He’s [Nikita] an awful resilient young man and he’s absolutely brilliant. He’s brilliant within our group and he has a great personality.

“I’m very conscious when you’re managing young boys that they all have their voice and all speak. Even before this invasion, he would have been seen as a good character and a really hard trainer. 

“But, he would say himself that the GAA is just an outlet to get away from it for a while.

“People talk about the youth of Ireland and so many people give out about them. I have to say this bunch of young men, every single one of them would have a quiet word with Nikita at training.

“For them to come and fully embrace this along with their parents, they’re a fantastic group and I’m very proud of them.”

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SOME OF THE country’s top ladies football stars are facing the prospect of playing three games in three days this weekend.

The semi-finals and finals of colleges’ championship action take place on Friday and Saturday respectively, while the Division 1 and 3 relegation play-offs are slated in for Sunday.

The O’Connor Cup is the the top-level colleges’ competition down for decision in DCU, while Westmeath, Waterford, Louth and Wicklow are the counties involved in relegation battles in Abbotstown on Sunday afternoon.

Westmeath players, in particular, have been vocal about the heavy schedule with the 2021 All-Ireland intermediate champions affected as they look to avoid the drop to Division 2 against the Déise.

“Great to see Division 1 and 3 relegation games fixed for the same weekend as the college football,” Karen Hegarty tweeted yesterday with an eye roll emoji.

“Players potentially playing 3 must win games in 3 days!!! Surely it could have been fixed for any other weekend.”

Her team-mate, star forward and 2021 Intermediate Player of the Year Sarah Dillon, who is due to be in action in the Lynch Cup with TUS Midlands, added:

“With the relegation game being played the same weekend as the college finals could potentially mean myself and some teammates could have to play 3 games in 3 days!! Surely there is another free weekend to play this game?”

“How can the Division 1 relegation [play-off] between Westmeath & Waterford go ahead the same weekend as college finals,” former Lake county player and current coaching figure Carole Finch asked.

“Surely this can be pushed to next weekend, what’s the rush? Player welfare? same story.. different year.”

Antrim player Grainne McLaughlin shared that she “can’t comprehend this” and branded the situation “disappointing,” while Cork ace Eimear Scally wrote: “RIP to any college students playing this weekend who also have to play for their County panels on Sunday.”

The42 understands that these fixture dates were voted through by counties, with the general consensus being relegation matches would be played directly after the group stages of the Lidl Ladies National Football Leagues.

It’s believed that those involved were offered the opportunity to postpone this weekend if both counties could reach an agreement and settle on an alternative date, as was the case with Clare and Tyrone who will now play the Division 2 relegation play-off on 3 April.

When contacted by The42, the GPA stressed that “player welfare takes precedence” and suggested that any clashes could have been avoided had the LGFA pulled its inter-county fixtures.

The players’ body, who is working with the players involved, labelled the situation as “disappointing” and called for greater consultation with fixture makers going forward.

The42 also approached the LGFA and the four counties impacted for comment, though had yet to receive a response at the time of publication.

– updated 5.40pm with GPA comment.

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HURLING’S NEW SMART sliotar could come into senior inter-county action next year and GAA president Larry McCarthy hopes it will help maintain the “integrity of the game.”

Croke Park have unveiled the new ball which will see sliotars standardised and ensure they are supplied by approved manufacturers.

A chip is embedded in the core of the sliotar and match officials will determine its authenticity before games by holding the ball up to a smartphone app to ensure it is an official match ball. 

The use of a chip for traceability in a ball is believed to be the first of its kind in world sport.

The sliotar will be trialled in the All-Ireland U20 hurling championship later this year and could come into the Allianz Hurling League and All-Ireland SHC in 2023. It is anticipated bins of smart sliotars will be placed around GAA pitches to ensure the correct balls are used.

It was designed by a work group led by McCarthy, chaired by former Kilkenny chairman Ned Quinn and also involved former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins and DCU professor Kieran Moran, among others. 

The sliotar industry has largely been unregulated over the years. With the vast majority of balls now produced in Pakistan, there were issues over them falling outside the GAA’s regulations with some illegally using the official logo. The new sliotar also addresses concerns over labour practices.

McCarthy said he asked the committee to look into standardising the sliotar in response to “the distance it was travelling” in games. 

“That was my initial concern. I said to them, ‘Will you look at it please?’

“It’s standardising the ball to a certain extent. The coefficient of restitution, we can now play with that to a certain extent. We will have a ball which is our ball essentially in terms of how it’s regulated and manufactured.

“Hopefully it’ll be a step in the right direction in terms of maintaining the integrity of the game.”

He said it ensures “we have integrity in the sliotar, integrity in our equipment, and, perhaps most importantly, in our manufacturing systems. So that we’re not using child labour or anything around the world…because most of them come from Sailkot in Pakistan.”

The GAA’s rulebook around sliotar specifications has been altered to reflect the hype of sliotars currently being used. The mass of the sliotar shall be 110 – 116g (formerly 110 – 120g), rim height 1.8 – 2.6mm (formerly 2.0 – 2.8mm) and rim width 3.6 – 5.4mm (same as previous). 

Amid concerns over the distance the ball is travelling, prof. Moran said making it heavier would not necessarily counteract that.

“If you produce a ball that’s slightly heavier, it will travel further. People have a perception that if you produce a lighter ball it will travel further, but it’s the opposite.

“If it’s a heavier ball it travels further because it’ll knock the air molecules out of the way if you want to get into the science of it.”

Eoin McDonagh, Louise Conlon, Larry McCarthy, Brendan Cummins and Ned Quinn of the GAA’s Smart Sliotar Work Group.

Source: Sam Barnes/SPORTSFILE

Each manufacturer must reapply for a licence to produce the smart sliotars.

Just two have been approved at the moment (Greenfields and O’Neills), but the GAA are open to others coming on board once they can past the tests.

“The GAA are putting a process in place whereby manufacturers will now be tested on a regular basis and there will be outcomes if they don’t achieve the regulations that they initially passed on,” said prof. Moran.

“That’s being looked at at the moment to see what process will be put in to address that.”

Testing involved inter-county and club players, including Cummins, Dublin’s Alan Nolan, Tipperary’s Jason Forde and Wexford’s Rory O’Connor. They found that the chips were able to withstand heavy impact and their introduction made no change to behaviour of the ball.

While they are more expensive to produce, it’s anticipated  smart sliotars will be used at club level down the line.

“You would expect that when players see that ball at inter-county level, club players will want that ball as well,” said Quinn. “We are conscious of the price point. In normal times, we are looking at an additional €1 per ball increase. 

“There will be a modest increase in the price but that’s one of the reasons why when we’re trialling it at U20 – the GAA will supply all of the balls.

“We don’t envisage any chipped balls for club games or inter-county (senior) games (this year) so there’ll be no increase in the cost of the balls to the clubs. But they’ll have to come to the standard of specifications without the chip, which we will be testing.

“The chip will be at inter-county level and we intend to have the chipped ball in, unless something goes wrong, for 2023 in all inter-county championships.”

All the smart sliotars will be yellow in colour to aid visibility. McCarthy said feedback on the colour from players has largely “been positive”.

“It seems to be generally accepted that it is an improvement.”

Prof. Moran added: “It helps older players in particular because as you get older your ability to see contrast decreases.

“So it might not be any better for a 16, 17-year-old but as you get older and still want to play, the contrast is better.”

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THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL League Women’s [AFLW] season is set to kick off in August this year, with several Irish players likely facing a big decision as a result. 

A report in Australian outlet The Age confirmed that the AFL Commission informed the clubs in a meeting on Wednesday that it had been given approval for the change to the timing of the next AFLW season. 

The season would run until the end of November or early December. 

The move would have to be approved by the clubs, including the four new teams who are set to join for next season. Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney will all play in the NAB AFLW competition ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, rounding out all 18 clubs.

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The42 understands if the dates are approved, several clubs are planning for pre-season to start in June with challenge games in July. One option for the start date is for AFLW games to be a curtain-raiser for the AFL finals in August. 

This would have a significant knock-on effect for the Irish contingent in Australia. Currently, 14 players are with clubs Down Under. 

Given the All-Ireland ladies football finals are fixed for 31 July, Irish players will likely have to choose between finishing out the inter-county season or presenting on time for pre-season. For the last number of years, players have been able to balance both. 

Established players may be able to arrange a flexible start date with their clubs, but a full pre-season is generally required for new recruits to get up to speed.

WE’VE MOVED PAST the halfway point of the 2022 GAA football league as the action enters a decisive phase.

Eight teams are still awaiting their first win, frustrated in their four games to date and hoping for better luck as Round 5 fixtures await this weekend.

But who is feeling the greatest pressure as fears of relegation start to intensify?

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Division 1

Monaghan

The last day out against Kerry was Monaghan’s most dispiriting performance of the campaign, undone by the scoring magic of David Clifford and Sean O’Shea. Yet apart from that they have been highly competitive, and while that run has yielded no wins, they have a pair of points in the bag from draws against Tyrone and Armagh, along with a narrow defeat to Mayo.

They face into a difficult trip to Ballybofey on Sunday against a Donegal team buoyed by their recent win over Tyrone. The Round 6 game the following week against Kildare, a meeting of 6th and 7th currently in the table, may be the crucial one before they face Dublin on the last day. A long-running operator in the top tier, last year proved Monaghan have the wherewithal to escape from a tight spot.

Conor McManus.

Source: Ben Brady/INPHO

Dublin

The most high-profile of all the eigth sides still without a win in this spring’s football league. Having shared last year’s title and collected the silverware five times between 2013 and 2018, being rooted to the bottom of the table is a stunning scenario for Dublin to now face. It’s all the more striking because they are the only team in the country to have lost all four of their games to date.

The stakes are high as Dublin head into their final set of matches. Defeat on Sunday in Omagh could send them down, if Kildare have already won Saturday night in Armagh. Injuries have hurt their squad and there was improvements in their play last time out against Kildare, but it’s still a tough task to mount a rescue operation as Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan await.

A dejected Dean Rock.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

Division 2

Meath

Last June saw Meath lose out by three points to Kildare in a promotion play-off with Division 1 football the sizeable prize on offer. This time around it’s been a tougher season as they have travelled in the opposite direction in the second tier. They endured a horrible start, hit by the weather and a Galway onslaught in Salthill, before succumbing to Roscommon.

Meath’s last two outings have produced draws against Down and Offaly. Given those were against relegation rivals, the failure to win even one of those could be costly, albeit they were grateful for a last-gasp goal to save themselves in Tullamore. Sunday’s game against Cork looks highly significant, they have Clare and then high-flying Derry to come after that.

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Cork

In a similar state to Meath as relegation concerns start to grow for Cork, and the potential knock-on impact of missing out on competing for the Sam Maguire in 2022. They have one point less than the Royals, a draw garnered against Clare their only positive outcome to date. There is vital context in their fixture list, Cork’s three losses to date have been against the three teams that will fight it out for promotion – Derry, Galway and Roscommon.

So the schedule looks kinder on paper from hereon in as they face fellow basement scrappers in Meath, Down and Offaly. But the pressure to get points on the board increases for new manager Keith Ricken, a county that finished 2021 by getting walloped by Kerry, have not seen 2022 begin in a more positive fashion.

Action from the recent Cork-Derry game.

Source: Lorcan Doherty/INPHO

Down

A draw with Meath is the only bright spot in the results record to date for Down. Similar to Cork, there is a source of comfort in that their defeats have been at the hands of this division’s dominant trio. Thus their next two games against Offaly and Cork, should in theory be less daunting.

The county did produce the All-Ireland club kingpins last month, but it’s not yet clear how many Kilcoo players will be available to fire Down’s charge. A critical eight-day period commences this Saturday night, having home advantage is a help against Offaly and the sense is they must win in Newry.

Offaly

After making the leap from Division 3 last year, Offaly will be aiming to avoid a swift return to that sector. They suffered two convincing losses to Clare and Derry to begin with, but their displays since were far more heartening against Meath and Galway. The issue is neither resulted in a victory, caught in sickening fashion by a late goal from Meath and ending four points in arrears in Salthill last Sunday, despite amassing 3-10.

Down on Saturday night is a critical encounter, then they travel to Roscommon and host Cork in their last game. At present they are bottom of the table but only on scoring difference as Cork and Down are also on a point each. Check out the scoring difference to be reminded of how tight it is – Cork (-23), Down (-24) and Offaly (-25).

Offaly boss John Maughan.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

Division 3

Wicklow

Last June, Wicklow pulled off a shock in their relegation play-off, two points superior against the then Ulster title holders Cavan. That preserved their status in Division 3 but their manager that day, Davy Burke, departed last August and his successor Colin Kelly moved on last week ‘due to a change in work commitments’. This week saw Alan Costello and Gary Duffy both installed as joint managers for the remainder of the season.

That’s plenty turbulence off the pitch and on it they have sustained three losses at the hands of Westmeath, Antrim and Limerick to date. Those defeats have been by margins ranging from four to six points, so the gap is not vast, and they did draw with Fermanagh. But they need to prevent themselves getting cut adrift. The next two games are critical as they entertain Laois, who are sixth, this Sunday, and then travel to Longford, who are seventh, on Sunday week.

Aughrim, the home of the Wicklow footballers.

Source: ©INPHO

Division 4

Waterford

Waterford are the only side in this winless group, that do at least have the comfort that relegation will not come into play. Still an upturn in results would be something their camp would appreciate before Division 4 concludes. They fought hard in their first two games to draw with Tipperary and lost by a single point to London, before defeats to Carlow and Leitrim ensued.

They are away to Wexford this weekend and then Ephie Fitzgerald’s charges have two challenging assignments before they wrap up, at home to Sligo and away to Cavan.

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