THE GAA DO not plan to replicate last year’s inter-county blanket coverage on the GAA Go streaming platform, after attendance restrictions have been lifted for sporting events around the country.

The 2022 season steps up a gear next weekend with the opening round of the Allianz Football League, followed by the hurling equivalent the following weekend.

Three Division 1 league matches will be broadcast live this weekend across RTÉ and TG4 with the television partners the main focus of the live coverage this spring.

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The 2021 leagues, which only began last May due to the delay that the pandemic caused, saw 54 matches streamed from the football and hurling league. The service, which is a joint venture between the GAA and RTÉ, showed all games that were not televised from the four divisions of the football league, along with Divisions 1A and 1B of the hurling league.

The landscape is different now with full crowds allowed back at matches, whereas last year the GAA’s focus during lockdown was to ensure supporters could see their county in action as attendances at games was curtailed.

This spring the GAA are keen to encourage a return of fans at stadiums and the onus on a blanket broadcast approach is not as great.

No specific games have yet been confirmed by GAA Go for domestic coverage but it is expected a small selection of games will be picked up in the coming weeks, likey to be top tier matches that are not being televised.

GAA Go will continue to carry match feeds to their international markets.

This weekend’s inter-county TV coverage sees Dublin face Armagh on Saturday night on RTÉ 2 while the TG4 live games on Sunday feature Mayo against Donegal and Tyrone against Monaghan, with Kildare v Kerry available on the Spórt TG4 YouTube channel.

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Updated Jan 25th 2022, 1:14 PM

KERRY STAR JAMES O’Donoghue has announced his inter-county retirement.

The 2014 Footballer of the Year and two-time All-Star confirmed his decision on Off The Ball’s The Football Pod.

O’Donoghue, 31, revealed he made up his mind when he stepped away from the panel last year, though the news was kept quiet through the Kingdom’s run to the All-Ireland semi-final, where they fell to eventual champions, Tyrone.

Doubts had been cast over his future, O’Donoghue having struggled with injury in recent years — though the 2014 All-Ireland winner confirmed his exit today.

“It’s all over, it’s all over bar the shouting,” he told OTB’s Tommy Rooney, and former Dublin star Paddy Andrews, who he joins as co-host of the podcast.

“Last year, I was fighting an uphill battle. Realistically, I stepped away from the panel just before the going got very serious because I wasn’t really contributing. I told them at that stage that I was retiring but because Kerry were going too well, we decided not to put out a statement and throw all the good vibes out of the camp. So we just kept it under wraps.

“It’s a painful one, it’s definitely something that’s going to be hard, but it’s the right thing.”

The Killarney Legion clubman burst onto the Kerry panel during the 2010 McGrath Cup, and went on to establish himself as one of the top forwards in the modern game.

O’Donoghue on the ball in the 2015 final.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

O’Donoghue was simply scintillating from 2013 to 2015, in particular, winning his first All-Star in ’13 despite Kerry’s semi-final exit at the hands of Dublin — he scored 2-3 in that thrilling encounter — and his first and only All-Ireland in ’14 as the Kingdom overcame Donegal in the final. 

He was named Footballer of the Year and collected a second All-Star accolade that season after finishing the championship with an impressive 4-24 tally.

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O’Donoghue again starred in 2015, though Kerry fell short to Dublin in the decider, and his long road of injury hell began thereafter.

He retires with eight Munster championships to his name; his last game for Kerry a league meeting with Galway in February 2020, where he scored 0-2 in the opening half before being replaced at half-time.

O’Donoghue also revealed he attempted a comeback for 2022, with Jack O’Connor in charge once again, but his “body wasn’t up to it”.

In action for Killarney Legion in 2020.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

“I know Jack well, very well and have always got on great with him, and I know that if I was right, I could have picked up the phone and rang him and said ‘I’m thinking about changing my mind, what do you think?’

“I actually did give a go at getting into very good nick for it, just to see if I could give it one last go, but do you know what – my body wasn’t up to it. I’ll go back to the club now, tailor my programme and I guarantee you that I might not see another injury, just the slight drop in intensity might suit me.

“If I was right I could have picked up the phone and we’d have had a chat, but it just didn’t feel right.”

“You can’t keep doing this, you have to either get right, or get out,” he added.

He now replaces Andy Moran, the new Leitrim manager, on The Football Pod. You can listen to the full episode here >

JOE O’CONNOR IS set to be named the Kerry senior football captain for 2022.

It’s understood that Austin Stacks put the midfielder’s name forward following a meeting of the club executive last night.

O’Connor picked up a knee injury in the recent Munster club final defeat to St Finbarr’s. A cruciate setback was feared, but Kerry boss Jack O’Connor ruled that out at a media briefing on Monday evening. 

“It has been confirmed that it looks like cartilage problem more than ligaments so that is good news and that is about the best news that he could have got,” he said.

An official announcement unveiling the identity of the Kerry captain for 2022 is expected imminently, with ratification due at next Monday night’s county committee meeting at Austin Stack Park.  

The only other viable nomination was Dylan Casey but the fact that he is only 21 and has yet to start a competitive game for the Kingdom likely resulted in O’Connor — who played in 2021 and scored a goal against Roscommon — getting the nod.

O’Connor’s nomination will again rekindle the debate within the county regarding the captaincy selection each year, as the county champions are gifted the honour of naming the skipper, often not a nailed-down starter.

Joe O’Connor (left) with Tommy Walsh and Paudie Clifford last year.

Source: James Crombie/INPHO

“The captaincy is something that will be discussed between Austin Stacks and the County Board,” O’Connor said when asked about the practice.

“It is irrelevant the way I feel about it because that is the system. I am a pragmatist and there is no point in me getting excited about it, sure you cannot have everything you like. That’s the system and it’s stood Kerry well in the past and until that is changed, that is good enough for me.”

A change made last year means that the county champions cannot name a vice-captain and that in the absence of their nominated captain (if he is not on first 15, or is out injured), the manager and county board chairman pick the stand-in captain.

This most likely will see either David Clifford or Seanie O’Shea lead Kerry out on Sunday at Newbridge, as they open their 2022 Division 1 League campaign against Kildare.

Earlier today, James O’Donoghue announced his inter-county retirement.

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FOR ALL THE titles they’ve accumulated over the past decade, it’s the pain of defeat that turned Ballygunner into a ruthless winning machine. 

The club won Munster in 2001 and endured four final defeats before they next claimed provincial honours in 2018. For the then five-in-a-row Waterford champions, getting over the final hurdle in Munster turned into a team crusade.

They finally shook off serial tormentors Na Piarsaigh three years ago and it was then that their sights turned to the All-Ireland. Just as Clarinbridge had done in early 2002, Ballyhale Shamrocks ousted them at the semi-final stage.

Ballyhale won by five points in a game that swung on Eoin Cody’s 44th minute goal. Moments earlier, Conor Power’s goal bound flick got stuck in the mud on the line, as did Tim O’Sullivan’s follow-up, to deny Ballygunner a three-pointer at a key stage.

Ballygunner’s bid to reach a maiden All-Ireland final the following campaign saw them upset by Borris-Ileigh in the Munster decider. Another year, another opportunity to claim the Tommy Moore Cup gone.

It was a defeat that badly stung Ballygunner, as did the talk that they were bullied by the Tipperary men.

Covid struck in 2020, ruling out a shot at provincial and All-Ireland glory. Time kept ticking on.

Ballygunner’s 2021/22 campaign has had more substance to it. They breezed through Munster, gunning down Limerick champions Kilmallock by 14 points in the final at Semple Stadium.

Sunday’s assignment against Slaughtneil brought a different test. Beating the physical and hard-working Derry side in a dogfight on the tight confines of Parnell Park proved that Ballygunner can mix the flashy hurling with the steely stuff. 

They’re no longer a team that can be bullied. 

“The physicality was there from the minute the ball was thrown in,” reflected centre-back Philip Mahony. 

“In fairness we knew it was going to be like that. It’s an All-Ireland semi-final against Slaughtneil, they’re a great club they’ve won Ulster championships in football and hurling.

“They keep going every week and anytime you come up against a team like them you know it’s going to be really tough. You’ve got to put it up to them too in those kind of situations. They never went away which we knew they wouldn’t but we’re just delighted to get the win it’s the only thing that matters in a semi-final.

“We’re used to playing in tight pitches like this. It’s very similar to Walsh Park and Fraher Field which are the fields we play on most of the time.

“There’s a lot of experience from lads playing against Dublin in various different games, underage and even playing challenge games against Dublin you’d usually be playing here. So we knew exactly what it was going to be like and we were prepared for that.”

There was plenty of trash talking going on between both sides throughout the hour.

Ballygunner showed their cute side when it was required too. Shane O’Sullivan and Pauric Mahony dragged down Slaughtneil forwards Sé McGuigan and Shane McGuigan as they chased a goal near the end. 

To reach the first final in their history was a big thing for the players, but Mahony admitted “unless we win now it doesn’t mean too much.”

“We’ve been trying hard for a number of years, we lost two semi-finals previously to Clarinbridge and Ballyhale,” he continued. “We’ll just knuckle down for the next two or three weeks again.”

They’ll play Shamrocks in the All-Ireland series for the second time since 2018. Ballyhale are well used to lining out at Croke Park, but a host of Ballygunner players have experience of lining out at the venue too.

“It probably does stand to you as well. A few guys have played there going back as far as when we were in school in De La Salle.”

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WEXFORD BOSS DARRAGH Egan has hailed the addition of former Ireland and Leinster rugby player Gordon D’Arcy to the county’s hurling setup.

D’Arcy has joined Wexford as a member of the backroom team, which also features Billy Walsh, the current USA boxing coach that formerly served in that role with Ireland.

Tipperary native Egan is in his first year as Wexford manager and saw his team at the weekend qualify for the Walsh Cup final next Saturday against Dublin in Croke Park.

The 35-year-old is pleased to be able to lean on experienced sporting figures like Walsh and D’Arcy.

“It’s vital for me number one, I was talking to Billy today again before the match and he’s just a huge support for me and for the players, that they will be working with him as the year progresses,” said Egan, when speaking to South-East Radio after Saturday’s game with Kilkenny.

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“Gordon is with us on all match days, he has been absolutely brilliant with us. Very, very good for me. We have that conversation when I’m driving down on a Tuesday evening, we get a good 40 minutes or an hour conversation, just based on the previous weekend and stuff that we can work on.”

Egan outlined what D’Arcy has to offer their setup.

Wexford manager Darragh Egan.

Source: Ben Whitley/INPHO

“Look that man has been in dressing-rooms (in) some of the biggest days in Irish rugby and Lions rugby and so on,  and he’s a good Wexford man. He really loves his hurling. He’s some brilliant kind of ideas for us and brilliant kind of match day tips and tricks for me. He’s imparting that information to us at the moment, so it’s great.

“Even pre-match and so on, Gordon would be keeping an eye on how warm-ups are going and things like that, some of the bits of information that he gives to me then, it’s real quirky stuff. It wouldn’t be run-of-the-mill GAA thinking but he’s looking at how the players are focused, what’s their application like in the warm-up.

“Even in-game it’s not hurling information he’s giving, he’s giving body language information, he’s giving how the substitutes are preparing, are they watching, are they ready for the game, are they focused?

“He’s a great asset around the place and I think he’s working very well with the backroom, so hopefully he works very well for us throughout the year.”

– This article was first published on The42 today at 4.10pm

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THE GAA HAVE announced the fixture details for the six All-Ireland club finals that will take place in Croke Park next month.

The finalists for the three hurling deciders were confirmed over the weekend with six football semi-finals down for decision next Saturday.

The centrepiece will be the senior finals on Saturday 12 February with Ballygunner playing Ballyhale Shamrocks in the hurling showdown, while St Finbarr’s, Kilcoo, Kilmacud Crokes and Padraig Pearses are the four counties left in the hunt for football honours.

The intermediate and junior finals will take place over the course of the weekend of 5-6 February.

Here is the full fixture details for the Croke Park games:

All-Ireland Club Final Fixture Details

Saturday 5 February

• 3pm – Ballygiblin (Cork) v Mooncoin (Kilkenny) – Junior Hurling.

• 5pm – Kilmoyley (Kerry) v Naas (Kildare) – Intermediate Hurling.

Sunday 6 February

• 1.30pm – Gneeveguilla (Kerry)/Denn (Cavan) v Kilmeena (Mayo)/Clonbullogue (Offaly) – Junior Football.

• 3.30pm – St Faithleach’s (Roscommon)/Trim (Meath) v Steelstown Brian Ógs (Derry)/Na Gaeil (Kerry) – Intermediate Football.

Saturday 12 February

• 3pm – Ballygunner (Waterford) v Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) – Senior Hurling.

• 5pm – St Finbarr’s (Cork)/Kilcoo (Down) v Pádraig Pearses (Roscommon)/Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) – Senior Football.

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THE GAA SEASON steps up a notch next weekend with the start of the 2022 football leagues and with key games in the concluding stages of the club championships, there are six live matches to take in.

The action commences on Saturday afternoon with a triple-header of club games on TG4. Cork’s Mourneabbey and Galway’s Kilkerrin-Clonberne battle it out for the right to be crowned All-Ireland senior club ladies football champions.

That’s followed by the All-Ireland senior club football semi-finals with Cork’s St Finbarr’s playing Down’s Kilcoo, and then it’s Roscommon’s Padraig Pearses going up against Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes.

That night the RTÉ cameras show Dublin and Armagh in Division 1 of the football league live from Croke Park, while on Sunday TG4 have two Division 1 games like as Mayo play Donegal and Tyrone take on Monaghan.

Here’s the full details of what’s in store:

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

Saturday

• 1pm: TG4 – Mourneabbey (Cork) v Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway) – All-Ireland senior ladies club football final.

• 3pm: TG4 – St Finbarr’s (Cork) v Kilcoo (Down) – All-Ireland senior club football semi-fina.

• 5pm: TG4 – Padraig Pearses (Roscommon) v Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) – All-Ireland senior club football semi-final.

• 7.30pm: RTÉ 2 – Dublin v Armagh – Division 1 football league.

Sunday

• 1.45pm: TG4 – Mayo v Donegal – Division 1 football league.
• 3.45pm: TG4 – Tyrone v Monaghan – Division 1 football league.

• 5.35pm: TG4 (Deferred) – Kerry v Kildare – Division 1 football league.

• 9.30pm: RTÉ 2 – Allianz League Sunday Highlights.

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WHEN DESSIE HUTCHINSON left a career in professional soccer behind him to resume his hurling career with Ballygunner and Waterford, he surely dreamed of days like yesterday.

He fired over four points as Ballygunner advanced to their first ever All-Ireland club hurling decider, setting up a mouthwatering showdown with Ballyhale in three weeks’ time. 

Having already appeared in an All-Ireland final with Waterford, to reach the showpiece game with his club represents another milestone on his remarkable journey. 

“There was a lot of sacrifices made and things like that,” he remarked after the win over Slaughtneil.

“When you know you’re going to Croke Park in three weeks, it’s worth it every bit.

“It’s brilliant,” he said about reaching the final. “It gives such a buzz to the community. That’s all we were thinking coming up the road, how happy we are making people in the community.

“Especially, the kids, we’re driving them on, the next generation. It was really important we gave a good account of ourselves.”

He found space at a premium against a physical and well-organised Slaughtneil defence, who used a plus one at the back in the form of Gerald Bradley. Hutchinson clipped two first-half points and a pair at the death when his team really needed it. 

On the tight confines of Parnell Park, Slaughtneil brought a complete different challenge to the Munster final against Kilmallock, which Ballygunner won easily. The Derry and Ulster champions scored 1-5 after the 49th minute to launch a comeback and were relentless in their work-rate.

Hutchinson was pleased with the manner of their battling victory.

“It’s the toughest game we’ve played. We knew we had to win the dirty possession, the dirty rucks, 50-50 battles all over the pitch. Thankfully we did in the end.

“I think we’re bringing a lot more to our game. I think we’ve had every type of game the last four games. We knew ourselves we were able to do that, maybe people on the outside didn’t. Maybe we’re starting to prove a few people wrong.”

Ballygunner manager Darragh O’Sullivan.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

After the Munster final, joint-captain Philip Mahony said the team were motivated by critics who said they weren’t a winter team. 

“People said that about us, I never felt that,” said ‘Gunner boss Darragh O’Sullivan.

“We’re as hard a working team as any other in the country, in my opinion, and the reality of it is when you come to winter hurling that’s what comes out. Some days, we didn’t win matches and other teams bet us and were better than us in bad conditions.

“Look at a day down in Dungarvan against Loughmore and a day like today, the surface today wasn’t really winter but it was very bumpy and that’s the reality of it. Whether it is Croke Park, Walsh Park or Fraher Field, we’re just delighted to be in an All-Ireland final.”

Looking ahead to the final against Ballyhale Shamrocks, he added: “You only get out of sport what you deserve and maybe we didn’t deserve to win one so far.

“If we win an All-Ireland final in two weeks the reality of it is we deserve to win. We try to take lessons from the past and try and get better and improve and that’s what we’ll try and get from today.”

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TJ REID HAS conjured up plenty moments of brilliance in his hurling career but it’s difficult to think of something more sensational or dramatic as his intervention today in Semple Stadium.

TJ Reid with St Thomas manager Kenneth Burke after the game.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

The Ballyhale Shamrocks dream of landing three-in-a-row in the All-Ireland club hurling championship was on the verge of ending, when Reid sized up a free deep into injury-time with his team two points down.

Just like he had less than ten minutes previously from a penalty, Reid found the net with a powerful strike, this time clinching a narrow win as Ballyhale dragged themselves clear of defeat.

#TJReid ☘️ 😸 🐐#GAABeo #TheToughest @KilkennyCLG @BallyhaleGAA

pic.twitter.com/NcnNOnfM8i

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 23, 2022

“I think that was my first free outside of a penalty scoring (a goal), so not a bad place I suppose to start,” Reid told TG4 after the game.

“Bul look, pure luck, I asked the ref what was left and he said, ‘30 seconds’.

“So I said to myself I just have to hit this as hard as I could and lucky enough it went in. I had only one option to strike the ball as hard as I could. It went through a few bodies there. Look it’s pure delight and number one relief.”

“We didn't perform well as a team, we'll be disappointed.”

Smaointí TJ Reid tar éis an cluiche.@GAA_BEO @BallyhaleGAA #GAABEO #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/apIVfZkPdF

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 23, 2022

Reid paid tribute to the challenge St Thomas posed, a vastly different scenarion from that which Ballyhale encountered three years ago when cruising past the Galway opponents in the All-Ireland decider.

“But look we’re relieved, just seeing a few images of St Thomas there, I suppose tears in their eyes, disheartened. Going back to 2019 we beat them, so they were coming here with huge motivation and they did that, they fought us to the bitter end.

“We didn’t perform well as a team, we’d be very disappointed with that. But look, out of jail and looking forward to three weeks. Didn’t link up as a team as much, that’s down to St Thomas, their pure work rate all over the field and just blessed we got a win.”

TJ Reid celebrates after the game with his brother Richie.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

While Ballyhale’s performance was not as free-flowing as we have been accustomed to witness, Reid was pleased to see their resilience remained intact.

“I suppose we’re on the road a long time and for me the main ingredient is hunger. It wasn’t perfect today but the hunger was there, the resilience was there, the work ethic was there to keep going and we did that. It wasn’t pretty. I’m sure the majority of us will be disappointed looking back on the game, we didn’t perform. I know St Thomas are in the same boat but we had five weeks off, little bit stale, little bit rusty.”

Next up is an All-Ireland final clash with Waterford neighbours Ballygunner.

“I know Ballygunner, they’re only 20 minutes away from Ballyhale. They want an All-Ireland final, they’ve been training for this and hurling for the last seven years. They’ve seven or eight county finals in a row and I’ve no doubt that they want this one. Look a very good team, 2019 I think we beat them as well, they’re coming with pure motivation.

“That hunger is going to be massive. For ourselves, the talk was of Ballyhale Ballygunner in the All-Ireland final, maybe that sunk in to us, maybe we were a little bit complacent today. But look I think tunnel vision now for Ballygunner because they are a serious outfit.”

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DUBLIN BOOKED THEIR place in next Saturday’s Walsh Cup final with victory today over Offaly.

Dublin ran out 2-23 to 1-20 winners in Birr and will now play Wexford next weekend in the final of the Leinster pre-season hurling competition.

Mattie Kenny’s team trailed 1-13 to 1-9 at half-time but took charge in the second half. Donal Burke chipped in with 0-7 while Kilmacud Crokes player Ronan Hayes and St Vincent’s Rian McBride both bagged the goals for Dublin. Fergal Whitely also hit 0-4 for the winners.

Eoghan Cahill shot 0-11 for Offaly with Brian Duignan scoring the only goal of the game for Michael Fennelly’s side.

R E S U L T

From the 2022 Leinster GAA Walsh Cup Round 3

Offaly 1-20
Dublin 2-23

Dublin secure their place in the decider next Saturday against Wexford.#LeinsterGAA | @Offaly_GAA @DubGAAOfficial | #TheWalshCup pic.twitter.com/DToJkXL1Kx

— Leinster GAA (@gaaleinster) January 23, 2022

Meanwhile Tiernan McCann has reportedly become the latest player to opt out of the Tyrone panel for the 2022 season.

Tyrone’s Tiernan McCann in action against Cavan last year.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

BBC Northern Ireland have today reported that the experienced defender will not be involved this year as Tyrone get set to defend their Sam Maguire crown.

The Killyclogher player emerged first in the Red Hands ranks under Mickey Harte at wing-back. He helped Tyrone win two Ulster titles and then tasted Sam Maguire success last year with the final win over Mayo.

Next Sunday sees Tyrone commence their 2022 Division 1 league campaign against Monaghan in Omagh at 3.45pm. Recent weeks have seen Ronan O’Neill, Mark Bradley, Hugh Pat McGeary and Michael Cassidy also decide to depart the Tyrone ranks.

Tiernan McCann celebrates Tyrone’s win in the All-Ireland final with Conor Meyler.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

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