Limerick decision a sure sign the GAA sees players at the bottom of the food chainI’m siding with Kerry and Dublin to come through the weekend’s two semi-finalsWed Aug 27 2014 - 12:00
Kerry have the armoury to shatter Mayo’s dreams of All-Ireland gloryKingdom boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice will have left nothing to chance and his players are coming into form at the right timeWed Aug 20 2014 - 12:00
Kilkenny’s incredible drive the ultimate tribute to Brian Cody’s stewardshipHis team’s never-say-die display against Limerick further evidence of the spirit instilled by their long-serving managerWed Aug 13 2014 - 12:00
This is the time of year players relish – the big prize is at the back of everyone’s mindWithin squads, there’s huge enjoyment and huge competition going on side by sideWed Aug 06 2014 - 12:00
It’s time for the serious teams to get going so I expect Mayo and Kerry to stake their claimWe’ll know more about the destiny of Sam Maguire after this weekendWed Jul 30 2014 - 12:00
Donegal back to 2012 form and can beat DublinJim McGuinness’s team aren’t just bodies behind the ball – they’re organised, clinical and totally in syncWed Jul 23 2014 - 12:00
‘A melee on a football pitch isn’t that big a deal – most people enjoy one every now and then’Last week was Armagh’s chance to set the tone and bully a team with a load of young lads on itWed Jul 16 2014 - 12:00
Kerry can’t know how good they are because not a single Cork player showed up last SundayWhen the euphoria abates, Eamonn Fitzmaurice would have liked a closer gameWed Jul 09 2014 - 12:00
Cluxton, Beggan, O’Rourke, Morgan – these guys are number one in more ways than oneGoalkeepers used to be the worst footballer in the team but now they’re among the bestWed Jul 02 2014 - 12:00
Young players need to learn that Babs was right – a pat on the back means nothingKerry and Galway both have a bunch of footballers with potential but that’s all it is so farWed Jun 25 2014 - 12:00
Getting the Tyrone monkey off their back a massive achievement for MonaghanThe hoodoo factor is real – Kerry had it over Dublin, Tyrone had it over KerryWed Jun 18 2014 - 12:00
Darragh Ó Sé: Mayo need to put this tough day behind themI have sympathy for last year’s beaten finalists because there’s nothing worse than playing a team whose year is all about beating youWed Jun 11 2014 - 09:00
Life in Munster's hurling counties will always be tough for lower-profile footballersSeeding the football draw is tough on the players but hurling actually beats them before Cork or Kerry doWed Jun 04 2014 - 12:00
Laverty cut from same cloth as Canavan: the small man with attitude surviving in UlsterIn the hardest provincial championship of all, you need a harder edge regardless of your sizeWed May 28 2014 - 12:00
Sky TV and social media highlight the changing face of the modern gameMore than ever, prominent GAA players find themselves the subject of constant scrutinyWed May 21 2014 - 12:00
The good, the bad and the Dubs - what we’ll remember about the football championshipYou can’t put a year as good as this one all down to what happened in CrokerWed Oct 02 2013 - 14:22
Dublin were the best team but they were also quickest to spot where the boundaries layMayo needed to realise that if there was bullying to be done, they had to be the bulliesThu Sept 26 2013 - 14:57
Dublin’s variety off the bench should prove the difference despite Mayo’s upper hand at midfieldWith neither side a stranger to the occasion, Jim Gavin’s side have more scoring powerWed Sept 18 2013 - 12:00
Everything changes for an All Ireland final replay except the prize at the end of the roadDon’t be surprised if the best players for Cork and Clare the next day are the ones making amendsWed Sept 11 2013 - 12:00
Impressive Dublin prevail but being participants in a classic of little consolation to KerryWinning and losing of an epic contest came down to one vital late kick-outWed Sept 04 2013 - 12:00
Maybe I’m letting my heart rule my head but I trust these Kerry players to beat DublinThroughout our history the Dubs were never a team to be feared so why start now?Wed Aug 28 2013 - 12:00
James Horan’s use of Aidan O’Shea against Donegal is the key to Mayo’s ruthless streakThey’re a different prospect this year and could do a real number on Tyrone in Sunday’s semi-final showdownWed Aug 21 2013 - 12:00
The day of the luxury player is long gone – the key now is work-rate above all elseThere was a time when a Seán Cavanagh or a Maurice Fitzgerald could coast through the game but not any moreWed Aug 14 2013 - 12:00
Forget black cards and cynical tackling, the best midfielders can still soar above the restThe four winning sides at the weekend were all propelled by towering performances by the men in centrefieldWed Aug 07 2013 - 11:00
Monaghan’s physicality isn’t about playing dirty, it’s just in their football DNAThey threw the kitchen sink at Donegal and they will do the same against TyroneWed Jul 31 2013 - 12:00
Donegal aren’t done and dusted just yet - all they need is to look forward in angerJim McGuinness should have no trouble picking his team up for the qualifier against LaoisWed Jul 24 2013 - 11:00
Tedious business of naming dummy teams causes more problems than it solvesEven if the secret is kept, you run the risk of messing too much with your players’ headsWed Jul 17 2013 - 12:00
Brian O’Driscoll and Jackie Tyrrell show us what it takes to get to stay at the topThe sports might be different but the true greats all share the same qualitiesWed Jul 10 2013 - 12:00
The one thing you cannot do as a Kerry footballer is lose to Cork in KillarneySunday’s game might not have relevance to the year ahead but there is a proud tradition to upholdWed Jul 03 2013 - 12:00
Three minutes of play between Down and Donegal sum up the demands of the gameIt might not be pretty but it’s modern football so we must analyse it properlyWed Jun 26 2013 - 01:00
Turning the season around for the qualifiers is where managers really earn their saltEverything you’ve been preaching has to be reworked to get everyone believing againWed Jun 19 2013 - 12:00
Instead of giving out about players going to America, GAA should be doing more to keep them hereTeam holidays would strengthen team bonds and make it harder to leave prematurelyWed Jun 12 2013 - 12:00
It’s a game for big brutes now and they’re getting bigger with every passing seasonBody shapes are changing, even in players who’ve been around a long timeWed Jun 05 2013 - 01:00
Kerry hit the ground running and have clearly moved on from last yearDonegal have sent a warning shot across everyone’s bow but don’t write off Tyrone just yetWed May 29 2013 - 12:45
Galway massacre shows that Mayo have come on by 15 to 20 per cent from last yearIt’s more than just turning over ball in the opposition half, it’s being ruthless when you doWed May 22 2013 - 12:00
Dublin have the resources to bounce backTHE MIDDLE THIRD: THE DUST is settling and the winter’s coming inWed Oct 03 2012 - 01:00
Donegal were just the better team in every gameMIDDLE THIRD: LAST FRIDAY night, before the madness descended on Dublin, I headed up to Trim, Co MeathWed Sept 26 2012 - 01:00
Absence of stars could play to Mayo's advantage in the endTHE MIDDLE THIRD: A FRIEND OF mine has a business in Cork renting out bouncy castles and that kind of thingWed Sept 19 2012 - 01:00
Leadership is the final ingredientTHE MIDDLE THIRD: In an All-Ireland final, the critical difference can depend on which of the key players shows the right sort…Wed Sept 12 2012 - 01:00
Mayo made the most of the breaks that came their wayTHE MIDDLE THIRD: No one would begrudge Mayo their win but they got the big calls on the day and were lucky to be treated leniently…Wed Sept 05 2012 - 01:00
Cork paid for their lack of composureTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Disciplined Donegal capitalised when Cork started to panic and abandon tactics which were earlier working …Wed Aug 29 2012 - 01:00
Cork will need to have their homework done this timeTHE MIDDLE THIRD: You require a new game plan when you come face to face with Donegal – the Rebels will have to bring something…Wed Aug 22 2012 - 01:00
Unfinished business beckons for KerryTHE MIDDLE THIRD: WHEN I heard the draw on Monday morning, my reaction was probably the same as most people’s in KerryWed Jul 18 2012 - 01:00
All successful teams have a strong element of cynicismTHE MIDDLE THIRD: WHEN CORK won their All-Ireland two years ago, I remember looking at them play Down in the final and thinking…Wed Jul 11 2012 - 01:00
Mind games must be won before you can win the gameTHE MIDDLE THIRD: MINDSET IS a huge thing. Go into a championship game with the wrong one and it will cost youWed Jul 04 2012 - 01:00
All white nowTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Seánie Johnston has made a difficult personal decision to switch to Kildare – we should let him get on with…Wed Jun 27 2012 - 01:00
Impressive Donegal have unity of purposeTHE MIDDLE THIRD: LIKE EVERYBODY else, I’ve been watching plenty of the European Championships over the past few weeksWed Jun 20 2012 - 01:00
Don't start writing the obituaries just yetTHE MIDDLE THIRD : Kerry may not be in a good place after being badly bullied by Cork but a few pints along with a bit of letting…Wed Jun 13 2012 - 01:00
Páirc Uí Chaoimh a tight spot to get out ofTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Scalding showers and a shoebox dressingroom for the visitors, while Cork lord it in their luxury facilities…Wed Jun 06 2012 - 01:00
No team looks good on the first day outTHE MIDDLE THIRD: You know the championship is back when you see a fella on the terrace with a four-cornered knotted hankie …Wed May 30 2012 - 01:00
