All of the weekend’s talking points are below.
Shocking attendance at Waterford-Longford
There were only 75 spectators at the Tailteann Cup game between Waterford and Longford on Saturday, which Waterford won by 4-12 to 0-16. The game took place in the neutral venue of Laois Hire O’Moore Park, with Longford exiting the competition after three losses from three.
Goals from Stephen Curry (two), Alan Dunwoody and Tholom Guiry won the day for Paul Shankey’s team, in front of what is surely a record low crowd for a Tailteann Cup game. Both teams ended up exiting the competition after the group stages.
Meanwhile, the draws were made for the remainder of the tournament.
Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals
Leitrim v Wicklow
Laois v New York
Limerick v Tipperary
Antrim v London
Quarter-Finals
Kildare v preliminary quarter-final winner
Sligo v preliminary quarter-final winner
Fermanagh v preliminary quarter-final winner
Down v preliminary quarter-final winner
Rian O’Neill says Armagh ‘tore Derry apart’
Rian O’Neill told RTÉ that Armagh ‘tore Derry apart’ after their 3-17 to 0-15 hammering of Mickey Harte’s side on Sunday. The Crossmaglen ace added that the pain of losing the Ulster final brought their team even closer together.
“It’s funny when you look back on it. Them things can make you even tighter,” he said.
“At times you rally round each other – it is no one man’s fault. Penalties are a thing of luck – maybe we could have stopped it going to penalties in the past, but we’ll keep bouncing back.”
“There’s resilience in this group. We keep coming back and we’ll always come back no matter what.”
“Today, we threw off the shackles and went at Derry and I don’t think they could live with us, the pace and power we had coming through the middle. We just tore them apart and took our chances when they came.
“Galway have some of the best players in Ireland. We’re going down there, we have belief, they have belief and it’s sure to be a cracker,” he said of their final group-game vs Galway.
All gone wrong for Derry
Irish News journalist Cahair O’Kane tweeted that Conor Glass looked at the bench with his arms out wide ‘as if to say ‘what?’ when his club-mate Emmett Bradley was substituted after 43 minutes. He was the first sub taken off by Harte.
Derry lost the game 3-17 to 0-15 after being demolished on the counter-attack by Armagh, who could have had five goals. Derry now have to beat Westmeath next week to stay in the championship.
Sean Cavanagh says Mickey Harte’s ‘stubbornness’ is costing Derry
Derry were destroyed 3-17 to 0-15 by Armagh as Mickey Harte’s side were repeatedly cut open at the back once again. Their fall from grace since winning the League has been stark and Cavanagh didn’t spare his former manager in his analysis after the game.
“From a Derry perspective, you’d be asking why they haven’t learned the lessons from the Donegal game here. We expected them to be learnt against Galway, they weren’t.
We know that historically Mickey can be a very stubborn man. And that stubborness seems to be costing him right now, because he is refusing to change the open-ness and how easy they have been to play against in the championship. And it’s going to be difficult to change at this stage it looks.”
Derry cut wide open again as Conor Turbitt goes to town
The Derry defence had gone walk-about. Turbitt punished them.
“It’s actually hard to believe, if I’m being honest,” The Sunday Game analyst Ciaran Whelan says of Derry’s approach.
“They’ve gone from one extreme game-plan to the other. They’re making basic mistakes. It’s school-boy stuff for Turbitt’s goal,” he added.
“But Armagh could have had five goals. Every time they turn the ball over, there’s a vulnerability there. Derry look like a busted flush because their offensive game plan is gone to pot as well. Armagh have dominated that half.”
Pure passion, pure joy from Adam Screeney
Adam Screeney was so over-joyed that he could barely speak after Offaly’s victory over Tipperary in the All-Ireland under-20 hurling final. His interview with TG4 seconds after the final whistle of the game show-cased the joy of sport at its very best.
“Oh my God, words can’t even explain the joy that this brings,” he told Naoise Waldron.
“There’s no other place in the country I’d rather be than Nowlan Park here today, winning an All-Ireland.”
“It’s just incredible.
“And I can’t speak highly enough of them lads. To be knocked down in 2022 with a ridiculous goal, to come back in 2023, and lose again, and to come back here and win against Tipp in Nowlan Park, it’s just absolutely incredible.”
Brendan Cummins pays tribute to Offaly
Sportsmanship at its finest.
Tipperary u20 manager Brendan Cummins was very gracious in defeat after Tipperary’s 2-20 to 2-14 loss to Offaly in the All-Ireland final.
“I have to say I couldn’t be prouder of those young men in there,” he said of his defeated Tipperary team.
“They’re devastated obviously but it’s a great experience for them now. But all of us know that in sport sometimes you can build your character an awful lot more after a defeat. This one stings alright.
“But congratulations to Offaly. The scenes around the stadium here…I’m a hurling person, I can appreciate what it means to them.
“While we’re disappointed, we have to congratulate them, they’re worthy winners tonight,” he told TG4.
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Sunday’s fixtures
Sunday 2 June
All-Ireland SFC round 2
Derry v Armagh, Celtic Park, 4.00 – RTE
Monaghan v Louth, Clones, 3.30
Westmeath v Galway, TEG Cusack Park, 3.00
Meath v Kerry, Pairc Tailteann, 2.00 – RTE
Tyrone v Clare, Healy Park, 1.30
Tailteann Cup round 3
Sligo v Antrim, Kingspan Breffni, 4.00 – GAAGO
Down v Offaly, Kingspan Breffni, 1.45
Christy Ring Cup final
Derry v Kildare, Croke Park, 2.15 – Sport TG4
Nickey Rackard Cup final
Donegal v Mayo, Croke Park, 4.15 – Sport TG4
Lory Meagher Cup final
Fermanagh v Longford, Croke Park, 12.15 – Sport TG4
Saturday’s results
All-Ireland SFC round 2
Cavan 0-13 Dublin 5-17, Kingspan Breffni
Roscommon 1-15 Mayo 2-14, Dr Hyde Park
Cork 3-9 Donegal 0-16, Pairc Ui Rinn
Tailteann Cup round 3
Kildare 1-16 Leitrim 0-12, Glennon Bros Pearse Park
Fermanagh 3-11 Laois 2-13, Glennon Bros Pearse Park
Wicklow 0-15 Carlow 1-9, Parnell Park
Longford 1-16 Waterford 4-12, Laois Hire O’Moore Park
Limerick 2-14 London 0-10, Parnell Park
All-Ireland U20HC final
Offaly 2-20 Tipperary 2-14, UPMC Nowlan Park
