Colin O’Riordan (right) in action for the Sydney Swans. Source: AAP/PA Images THERE WAS A winning start for Dubliner James Madden to his AFL career on a busy day of action for Irish players in Aussie Rules action. Madden made his bow for Brisbane Lions in their Round 7 clash with Port Adelaide at the Gabba. And the Lions cruised to victory, 93-44, with Madden contributing 11 disposals from his interchange role. The Ballyboden St-Enda’s club man signed for Brisbane in August 2018 after impressing for the Dublin minor footballers and at the AFL European Combine in UCD in December 2017. The Lions are now in the top eight after this…

MEATH BOSS ANDY McEntee says full-back Conor McGill was spat on by a Kildare player in the incident that sparked a full-scale brawl at the end of their Division 2 semi-final defeat. The Royals were left counting the cost of defeat after an ankle injury to Brian Menton and shoulder problem for Donal Keogan forced both men off the field during the fast-paced and hard-hitting encounter. Things got worse in the closing stages when a melee kicked-off in front of the Meath bench that saw McGill and substitute Brian Conlon sent-off for striking offences. They’re likely to be suspended for the beginning of their Leinster campaign as a result. “Don’t…

Dublin 1-22 Roscommon 0-16 A NINE-POINT victory for Dublin in a league game that won’t live long in the memory banks. The six-in-a-row All-Ireland champions got the job done in Roscommon to open up their Division 1 South campaign with two points. In truth, the game took on a challenge match feel at times, particularly in the second period. Anthony Cunningham’s side got themselves within four points (1-12 to 0-11) in the 46th minute, but were outscored by 0-8 to 0-3 in the final quarter. Dublin kicked 1-22 and missed just four shots at the posts. They looked impressive at times and were coasting at other stages. It was the sort…

FOUR-TIME ALL-Ireland winner Katrina Parrock has returned to the Wexford camogie panel ahead of the 2021 season. Parrock, who was part of Wexford’s three-in-a-row All-Ireland champions, has linked up with the squad after stepping away from inter-county camogie in 2017. She was 17 when she played in her first All-Ireland final, coming on as a substitute to score a goal against Cork in the 2007 decider and help secure a first O’Duffy Cup for the county in 32 years. A talented athlete across various sports growing up, Parrock went on to join Wexford Youths in 2018 and scored the winning goal as they captured the FAI Cup. They finished that…

IF DIARMUID O’KEEFFE has learned anything from being an intercounty hurler during the rolling lockdowns of the past year, it is an increased admiration for athletes in individual sports. The Wexford player will finally get going with his team next Sunday afternoon with their league opener against Laois. Over the past twelve months, the 2019 All-Star has got too accustomed for his liking to training on his own instead of in a collective environment. “There’s only so many 4-5km runs you can do. Last March and April when the first lockdown came, I was running on the roads around Wexford town. I was genuinely broke up. I just couldn’t do…

Updated Jun 19th 2021, 7:11 PM TWO STUNNING GOALS in a five-minute spell just before half-time by Niamh Mallon and Sorcha McCartan, and another in the 57th minute by Anna Rogan after Antrim had clawed back a seven-point deficit to be level, earned Down victory in a pulsating Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League Division 2 final at Owenbeg, winning 3-8 to 1-11. In the Division 3 final, Wexford saw off the challenge of Armagh on a score of 0-13 to 1-8. The Division 2 decider was a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland intermediate final, which Derek Dunne’s side won convincingly, but Antrim are a youthful squad that are going places, and they…

1. Clare bounce back from last November The value of comparing championship meetings with the previous year’s fixture can be debatable but Clare and Waterford came together in Thurles yesterday, only seven months since they had clashed in an All-Ireland quarter-final. There is value in contrasting the two games then, particularly in Clare’s response. They achieved a 13-point swing, from losing by nine to winning by four. There was a marked improvement at the back, shipping 3-27 then to a more manageable total of 0-21 this time. Their defensive improvement was symbolised by how they curbed the threat of Dessie Hutchinson, destroyer in chief last year. There was also a…

CORK CAPTAIN MARTINA O’Brien says she feels her side is closing in on four-in-a-row All-Ireland winners Dublin, as the sides prepare to face off in the Division 1 final. The sides have already met in this year’s league campaign, serving up a thrilling spectacle which Dublin edged by 3-15 to 4-11. The decider on Saturday evening will see the old rivals battle it out for silverware once again, with Cork effectively going in as reigning champions from 2019 after last year’s final could not be played due to the pandemic. Dublin are chasing just their second top tier crown in the league this weekend, but it is their recent record…

EVERYTHING IS ON the up, says Dublin star Carla Rowe. Recent positive developments have ladies football in a good place, she believes. In the past few weeks, major news has been announced with male and female inter-county players set for equal Government funding, while matchday travel expenses will be covered through the Lidl Ladies National Football League. The recent GPA merger is another landmark move, with strides made off the pitch now starting to match those made on it. It must be said that the standard of the game has risen a huge amount, with Mick Bohan’s Dublin front and centre to that rise, placing much more emphasis on basic…

GRAINNE EGAN ENJOYED quite the weekend on the field for the Offaly camogie and Ladies football sides. Lining out for the county team on consecutive days, Egan was in sensational scoring form and racked up a tally of 4-13 between the two codes. The Offaly dual star posted 3-5 during the camogie team’s victory over Dublin on Saturday before adding 1-8 with the Ladies football side in Sunday’s defeat of Carlow.  Click Here: 2021 soccer tracksuit Incredible goalscoring weekend for dual star Grainne Egan.. see her 3 goals for @OffalyCamogie yesterday and she added 1-9 today for @OffalyLGFA! @OfficialCamogie @JOEdotie @ballsdotie @RTEsport pic.twitter.com/7S8q9WXHz6 — Jerome Quinn (@JeromeQuinn) May 23, 2021…