Updated Tue 8:03 PM JAMES HORAN HAS called the demands on young inter-county players “unsustainable” in the wake of Tommy Conroy’s ACL injury. Conroy had been double jobbing with Mayo in the Allianz Football League on weekends while on Sigerson Cup duty with NUIG in midweek. His season came to a crashing halt when a devastating knee injury in the third-level quarter-final, which took place two days after he played the second-half of Mayo’s league draw with Donegal.  Speaking with the Mayo News, Horan criticised the scheduling of third-level GAA competitions as the average age of inter-county panels continue to drop. “It’s just unsustainable. If you were designing it from…

THE DUST MAY have settled, but the memories of that special day will last a lifetime. In late January, Kilkerrin-Clonberne of Galway were crowned All-Ireland senior club  champions for the very first time, ending Mourneabbey’s bid for three-in-a-row as they lifted the Dolores Tyrrell Memorial Cup. “It was definitely the best win I have ever had in ladies football,” as Nicola Ward beamed at the 2022 Lidl Ladies National League launch last week. “Playing with the girls that I’ve been playing with since I’ve been U10, it was such a nice community, family feel to it. And the celebrations afterwards were just overwhelming. “Even this week, the girls have been…

THE FOUR TYRONE players sent-off in their recent football league game against Armagh, have had their bans upheld. Four Tyrone players were shown a red card against Armagh. Source: Philip Magowan/INPHO The Gaelic Life is this morning reporting that the quartet of Peter Harte, Michael McKernan, Padraig Hampsey and Kieran McGeary had their bans upheld after a hearing took place in Croke Park last night. Advertisement Bad news for Tyrone fans re. the Athletics Ground brawl – all four red cards were upheld at a hearing at Croke Park last night so Padraig Hampsey, Peter Harte, Kieran McGeary and Michael McKernan will miss this Sunday’s league clash against Kildare — Niall…

CONOR LAVERTY WAS one of the last men to emerge from Kilcoo’s dressing room on Saturday night. Kilcoo’s Conor Laverty celebrates at the end of the game. Source: Ken Sutton/INPHO He walked out with his gearbag in one hand and a glint in his eye. Almost 20 years after he made his senior debut for the club as a 17-year-old, he stood here as joint-captain of the All-Ireland champions.  Two years earlier, Laverty was consoled by his children on the Croke Park sod after Corofin outlasted them in extra-time. On Monday night, he tweeted a picture where two of his sons were in bed with the Andy Merrigan Cup safely…

FOR THE SECOND successive week, Michael Fennelly had to pick his Offaly team up off the floor after they suffered a heavy defeat to All-Ireland contenders. Offaly’s ambitions are a far cry away from challenging for the Liam MacCarthy – they won’t even be competing in the top tier come the championship. The Faithful are newly promoted to the Joe McDonagh, having lifted the third tier Christy Ring title last season. They also won promotion from Division 2A in 2021, which guaranteed them a spot in the 12-team Division 1 that is split between two groups. Offaly drew the short straw when they were drawn in 1B, with Laois and…

GALWAY CAMOGIE CAPTAIN Sarah Dervan, and Cork Ladies star Erika O’Shea have expressed their support for a motion going before GAA Congress regarding a merger of the GAA, LGFA and the Camogie Association.   The motion has been submitted by the GPA, and requests that the GAA “prioritise integration with the LGFA and Camogie Association in order to jointly ensure equal investment, recognition and opportunity for all genders to play all sports in the Gaelic Games family.” Both Dervan and O’Shea hope that the motion is approved at Congress on 26 February, and that all players belong to the one GAA unit going forward. Dervan captained Galway to their second senior…

MAGGIE FARRELLY WILL become the first female referee to take charge of a men’s national league match this weekend.  The Cavan native has been named to officiate in Sunday’s Division 4 football fixture between Leitrim and London at Carrick-on-Shannon, with throw-in scheduled for 12pm.  Advertisement It is not the first time that the experienced Farrell has made GAA history, however. She was the first woman to referee a senior men’s inter-county match — a McKenna Cup game between Fermanagh and St Mary’s — back in January 2016. Last November, Farrelly also became the first female referee to take charge of a senior men’s county final, a Cavan senior football championship…

TYRONE’S PÁDRAIG HAMPSEY says his team are “not proud” of the brawl which unfolded in the closing minutes of their league clash with Armagh, but also believes that the incident was blown out of proportion.  Referee David Gough issued five red cards after the sides engaged in a major scuffle, with four Tyrone players being sent to the line. Hampsey was one of the players who was punished, along with Kieran McGeary, Michael McKernan and Peter Harte. Armagh’s Greg McCabe was the fifth recipient of a red card as Kieran McGeeney’s side clinched a six-point win. Hampsey says there is an appeal taking place tonight regarding these suspensions ahead of their next Division…

1. Harry Ruddle and Jerome Johnston the All-Ireland heroes There is only one appropriate place to start when digesting the events at Croke Park on Saturday. Those sensational late goals will be folkloric moments in the history of Ballygunner and Kilcoo, those last-gasp interventions sparking the joy that engulfed both clubs. Harry Ruddle pounced in the 63rd minute for Ballygunner, a substitute who came on to make the greatest impact possible. Jerome Johnston struck in the 81st minute for Kilcoo, the goal machine who again popped up when his club needed it. Those two were the heroes for their priceless scores in high drama. But in both cases, the build-up…

TIPPERARY BOSS COLM Bonnar resisted the temptation to afford new captain Ronan Maher the chance to start yesterday in their first home game of 2022, but hailed his impact off the bench in their win over Kilkenny. Tipperary opted to start with an unchanged side from the opening round win over Laois the previous Saturday night. That meant Maher, who had come on in the 67th minute in the Portlaoise clash, had to be content with a place on the bench when the battle with Kilkenny began. His hurling qualities were needed earlier yesterday, sprung into action in the 50th minute and the two-time All-Star immediately made his mark with…