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Your weekend GAA round up

The hurling action failed to spark but we’re down to four.

NEED TO CATCH up on another super weekend of GAA? Look no further.

Shane Bourke celebrates after John OÕDwyer scored his sides opening goal Shane Bourke celebrates after John O'Dwyer scored his side's opening goal. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Talking points

  • Did Wexford’s schedule take its toll?  The verve and dash the Model County have displayed in their run this summer was sadly absent on Sunday as they were convincingly beaten. Their hectic July schedule looked to have taken caught up with them as they couldn’t match a fresh Limerick side. Players like David Redmond, Paul Morris and Podge Doran – who starred in recent weeks – were all withdrawn and that illustrated how Wexford were below-par. They’ll be back stronger next summer no doubt.
  • The Munster final defeat has clearly not derailed Limerick’s season. They brushed Wexford aside and now face Kilkenny.

    In 2012 they gave Kilkenny a searching examination in the first-half of their quarter-final tie in Thurles but slipped away in the second-half. Two years on they are back motoring and look a stronger proposition. The Cats a big challenge but one they will embrace.

  • The last time Tipperary featured in an All-Ireland senior semi-final, they capitulated against Kilkenny on a horrible day for hurling in the county in 2012. There have been setbacks since then but their spirits will be high as they return to the last four stage on 17 August. Cork are familiar opponents with Croke Park being unfamiliar environs for a meeting of these counties. They’ve never met there in all their storied history.

Read more from GAA editor, Fintan O’Toole, here and here 

It’s science

This nice graphic from The Sunday Game tells a neat story about the scoring in Tipp’s win over Dublin.

scoringtrend RTÉ RTÉ

I’m ready for my close up

There’s a long, proud tradition in Gaelic games of starting over the shoulder of someone being interviewed after a game. We were photobombing before the term existed.

Chapeu to this guy who took his appearance seriously. (Via Mossy Quinn)
https://vine.co/v/M0F72jw52Mq

Dirty stroke

Matthew O’Hanlon saw the line late on for this strike of Shane Dowling. Hopefully Limerick’s man-of-the-match will be fighting fit for the semi-final with Kilkenny.

Paddy O'Paddy / YouTube

End of the line for the Dubs?

donalog Donal Óg Cusack and Loughnane on the Sunday Game last night. Donal Óg Cusack and Loughnane on the Sunday Game last night.

On the Sunday Game last night, Ger Loughnane said yesterday’s ‘terribly disappointing day’ was the end of the line for this Dublin team. But what of Loughnane’s former lieutenant Anthony Daly?

The Clare native’s had six years in charge of the Dubs and when pressed on whether he’ll return for a seventh, Dalo said he’d take his time before making a decision.

“I would never make a decision based on today because you know you never think about that coming into a game like this,” Daly told RTÉ after the game. “You’re just totally focused on trying to get a result and you’re not in a position to make that call. But maybe it is time to let someone else at it. We’ll have a few chats with a few people over the next couple of weeks and see what way it goes.”

Tekkers

This was outrageous from Shane Walsh. Galway took care of business against Tipperary but it was this moment that lit up your social media timeline.  The Kilkerrin-Clonberne man controlled a wayward ’45 by cushioning it with his right foot before spinning to score with his left.

Keith Reilly / YouTube

People thought it was, as Michael O’Hehir used to say, different gravy:

 

Thank you, Mr President

Michael D was in Tullamore for Sligo’s game with Cork on Saturday evening. He could still do a job in the corner.

Michael D. Higgins Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

The excellent Twitter account @sidelineye produced some really telling graphics over the weekend, by the way. Check them out here.

corkshooting

Cork got their summer back on track with a relatively straight-forward win over the Connacht side.

Ladies football

It was a busy weekend of ladies football. Check out the detail here.

But we now know the quarter-final line-up.  Monaghan and Tyrone have been pitted together in round 2 of the TG4 All-Ireland ladies senior football championship qualifiers. Elsewhere, last year’s intermediate champions Cavan have been handed a fixture with Laois following their victory over neighbours Meath on Saturday.

Donegal will take on Kerry and Mayo, beaten Connacht finalists, have been handed a fixture against Westmeath, who defeated Clare on Saturday.

Down and out

James McCartan brought Down to within a couple of points of an All-Ireland title in 2010 but this weekend was his last in the job. McCartan ends a five-year stint as manager and said Saturday in a statement:

“I have informed the officers of Down GAA County Board of my decision to step down as manager of the county senior football team. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to hold this position since my appointment in 2009, just as it was to represent my county on the field of play.

Yellow is the new black

blackcard RTE RTE

Ciarán Whelan and Tomás Ó Sé were in agreement last night on The Sunday Game that refs have been dishing out yellows rather than the controversial black card for cynical play.

This is the incident they were discussing: Brian Fox of Tipp dragged down Galway’s James Kavanagh.

fox

Gif: Balls.ie

What’s next?

Glad you ask. We now know our All-Ireland hurling semi-final match-ups. And they are mouth-watering.

First up, Kilkenny will take on Limerick on 10 August before Munster rivals Cork face off against Tipperary in the first-ever championship meeting of the sides at Croker.

Whatever about the glamour of the All-Ireland final weekend, for the purist the August weekend is always the best. The Rebels take on Mayo next Sunday at HQ at 4pm. Earlier that day, Kerry face Galway in a repeat of the monsoon game of 2008.

On Saturday evening in Drumcondra, Meath and Armagh square up and then Monaghan meet Kildare. Tasty.

How was the weekend for you?

Limerick hopeful captain O’Grady will recover from injury for All-Ireland semi-final

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