Karen Duggan – 35 caps for Republic of Ireland, football columnist
1. Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Tyrone in the men’s and Galway in ladies football. In hurling Limerick (scared to see how big the bounce back will be) and Cork for the Camogie.
2. The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
Thirteen Irish players in match day squad for first Test. Australia are making improvements but Andy Farrell’s men to get the job done.
3. Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
It’s the first week of January so the hope is still burning in me. There’s a slim chance. Caoimhín Kelleher and Troy Parrott to lead the way at both ends of the pitch.
4. Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Europe to cause an upset and a huge New York-based Irish crowd will be there cheering on Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.
5. What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
PDC Darts Final at the Ally Pally.
6. If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
Soccer: A minimum shin guard size to be mandated that’s bigger than a match stick box.
7. One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Erin King. Ireland women’s rugby team to kick on and make waves at the World Cup.
Sonia O’Sullivan – Olympic silver medallist, athletics columnist
1. Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
In men’s football Kerry, women’s football also Kerry. Cork for a hurling and camogie double.
2. The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
Australia will win the first game then the Lions will win the second Test and the series. 10 Irish players to make the squad with Bundie Aki, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Caelan Doris and Jamison Gibson Park to start.
3 Ireland’s soccer team have been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
This is a group that Ireland can get out of if they are ready to take advantage of opportunities that come their way. It won’t be easy and they will rely on Caoimhín Kelleher to make it happen.
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Two Irish players, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy. It will be close and the USA will likely hold on to win but Europe won’t give up without a tough battle.
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
Dream ticket would be to The Ryder Cup to see Shane Lowry on the final green claim the winning point for Europe.
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
Not to have pacemakers at every Diamond League meeting and limit the athletes to three per country in each race.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Gout Gout, the teenage Australian 200 metre runner.
Kevin Kilbane – 110 caps for the Republic of Ireland, football columnist
1 Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Kerry will be strong but I’ll go for Donegal; Michael Murphy’s return and the new rules to benefit Jim McGuinness’s team. In hurling, Limerick to put the disappointment of last year aside and win Liam MacCarthy. In women’s football Kerry to repeat in 2025. In camogie, Cork.
2 The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
Andy Farrell will be damned if he picks his own players and damned if he doesn’t but I can easily see nine or 10 featuring in the first Test. Lions to prevail.
3 Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
Yes, Ireland have a chance and that’s precisely the attitude Heimir Hallgrimsson seems to be adopting but we all know we’re up against it. If we’re to qualify, Caoimhín Kelleher has to turn in some big performances. With more game time, I’m convinced Evan Ferguson can fulfil his huge potential.
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Two players. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. USA win on home soil.
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
I’d love to go to the Masters. Imagine walking the back nine on a Sunday with Rory and Shane both on the Leaderboard.
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
Easy one. Diving, play acting and cheating in football. It’s gone on too long it has now just become ‘part of the game’.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Ruben Amorim. The Man United drama continues. Does he have the ability and courage to turn Man United around? One of the biggest stories to watch in 2025.
Denis Walsh – feature writer and columnist
1 Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Cork in hurling, Donegal in football. Galway in camogie and women’s football.
2 The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
Five Irish players on the Test team: Caelan Doris, Hugo Keenan, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Beirne. The Lions will win the Test series in a whitewash.
3 Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
The chances of qualifying are close to nil. If Evan Ferguson gets a loan move in the second half of the season – ideally a confidence-boosting spell in the Championship – he could still be the catalyst for better days ahead.
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
The United States will win. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will be the only Irish players. It is too soon for Tom McKibben while Seamus Power was playing better at this stage of the last Ryder Cup cycle.
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
The Open at Portrush – if it wasn’t on the same weekend as the All-Ireland hurling final. Which it is.
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
Root out the Saudi money and influence. They have sport held by the throat.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Alan Connolly, the Cork hurling full-forward, showed flashes this year of his goalscoring sorcery. He will only get better.
Gavin Cummiskey – soccer correspondent
1 Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Dublin double in football after Brian Fenton un-retires, Limerick to strike back in hurling and a Cork camogie three-in-a-row.
2 The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
Eleven Irish starters for the first Test. Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, Sam Prendergast and Jamison Gibson Park in the backline; Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong and Dan Sheehan in the pack. Joe Schmidt to engineer one win for the Wallabies but Lions to take series 2-1.
3 Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
Hungary and Portugal/Denmark will aim to take six points off the Republic of Ireland. To make a play-off, Evan Ferguson needs to evolve into a prime Zlatan Ibrahimović. At least Heimir-ball has nine months to take hold.
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. European banter and bonding to help engineer a crushing defeat of Team USA that brings the entire Ryder Cup Inc into question.
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
Witnessing Ireland qualify for the World Cup as group winners by beating Hungary in Budapest on November 16th would do just fine.
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
Introduce a 30-second shot-clock to Gaelic football when the attacking team crosses halfway. Force players to create scores under pressure. Problem solved.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Mason Melia. Hopefully this sturdy 17-year-old reappears for St Patrick’s Athletic in February before a lucrative move abroad next summer.
Brian O’Connor – racing correspondent
1 Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Cork to win the hurling – at last! Dublin to get back on the horse in football. Cork for Camogie and a nice synchronicity then to Dublin in the football.
2 The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
Let’s say eight, and with so many Irish in opposition, there will be no more motivated Aussie team with Joe Schmidt in charge. Home win.
3 Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
Ireland look long shots. Hopes could be pinned to a rejuvenated Evan Ferguson.
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Two – McIlroy and Lowry. Another home win.
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
After a mammoth 20-year gap, Cork finally winning the hurling in Croke Park.
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
Recognition by the powers in Irish racing that government money can be used for the sport’s structural improvement rather than just pouring it into prize money.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Red Letter won just one from three as a two-year-old. But as a physical type, Ger Lyons’s Frankel filly should only thrive with time. Enough perhaps to score at Group One level in 2025.
Philip Reid – golf correspondent
1 Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Tyrone look to have a fine influx of young players to mix in and could get their hands on Sam again while Dublin have the strength in depth to rebound and reclaim the Brendan Martin; in hurling, it’d be great to see Cork finally end their drought while, in camogie, the Rebels’ women can make it a three-in-a-row of titles and a double with the small ball for the Leesiders.
2 The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
There were eight Irish on the 2021 touring squad so expect more this time with Andy Farrell in the coaching hot seat. 10 maybe (with Sam Prendergast as a wildcard)? Lions to win the series.
3 Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
Realistically, the pathway to North America for 2026 must be through the playoffs. I can’t see Ireland topping the group – regardless of whether it’s Portugal or Denmark with top seeding – so it will be a target to finish second. For that to happen, Evan Ferguson has to be fit and scoring and hopefully Chiedozie Ogbene will be back.
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Well you can pencil Rory McIlroy in straight away so it will be a matter of Shane Lowry or Tom McKibbin doing enough to join him. Lowry has two Ryder Cups behind him and fully justified his captain’s pick from Luke Donald in Rome so just has to keep doing what he is doing and he should be in, either through qualifying off his own bat or a pick again. So, two Irish, but the US to win.
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
I’ll be at the Ryder Cup and – working, fortunately, so don’t have to fork out the outrageously high admission price – that, from a golfing perspective, should be some occasion in New York. Other than that, the All-Ireland football final (with Dublin in it!!).
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
As jaw-droppingly good as it is to see someone hit drives of 350 yards plus off the tee, the time has come for bifurcation of the golf ball in professional tournaments while leaving the golf ball as it is for amateurs.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Tom McKibbin (again!), for a reason. He’s only just turned 22 but year on year has made the progression on a career path that has the makings of being something special. He’s graduated in turn from the Challenge Tour to the DP World Tour and in 2025 will play with a full PGA Tour card in the United States. His game (high ball flight, putting, temperament) bodes well for that next challenge.
Gerry Thornley – rugby correspondent
1 Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Galway to go one better in the men’s football, Kerry to retain their title in the ladies football, Clare to retain their crown in the hurling and Galway to win the camogie.
2 The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
Maybe 14 Irish players in the travelling squad and eight in the match day 23. But that could be biased. And the Lions to roar Down Under!
3 Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
Largely based on the convoluted and increased number of qualifying routes to the finals, Ireland probably have a better chance than has been the case for a while. If so, then Nathan Collins will surely be the rock on which the team is built. Sammie Szmodics looks a good, hard-working addition.
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Two, namely Rory and Shane. And, ugh, U-S-A!...U-S-A!...U-S-A!...U-S-A!
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
The Champions League final, and especially if Arsenal are in it. Munich swings this one. Never been.
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
The half-time or full-time TV analysis with studio pundits in rugby or football, and probably most sports, when all smug comments along the lines of “as we were saying beforehand” are outlawed, with repeat offenders to be imprisoned. Yes, we know this is your genius and this is why you have been hired, and the producers have told you to say this.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
The Connacht scrumhalf, Matthew Devine.
Malachy Clerkin – member of Na Fianna GAA club
1 Who will win the GAA All-Ireland titles in football (men and women), hurling and camogie?
Men’s football is a lucky dip until we see the new rules in action – possibly Donegal? Women’s football is ripe for a new name as well – maybe Armagh if the Mackins get back to full fitness. Men’s hurling will be all about Limerick getting their groove back – even without Nickie Quaid, I fancy them. Camogie will probably be Cork again.
2 The British and Irish Lions head Down Under for the Test series. How many Irish players will be on Andy Farrell’s team? Who will win, the Lions or Australia?
There’ll presumably be plenty of Irishmen in the squad but I reckon the actual starting 15 will have fewer than people think. Four feels about right. They should win – Australia are getting better under Joe Schmidt but they’re still there for the taking.
3 Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn in a World Cup qualifying group alongside Portugal or Denmark, Hungary and Armenia. Have they any chance of making it out of the group? Which player has the potential to make it happen?
There is no real evidence that success is just around the corner. It will come down to home and away fixtures against Hungary, most likely. Maybe Caoimhín Kelleher can see us into a play-off. That counts as getting out of the group, doesn’t it?
4 Europe head to Bethpage Black in New York for what promises to be a raucous Ryder Cup match against the United States. How many Irish players will make Luke Donald’s team? Who will win?
Two – Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will make it. The fact that it’s going to be such a bear pit means it probably comes a bit too soon for Tom McKibbin, although his first year on the PGA Tour is going to be worth watching. The Yanks will win. Nobody ever wins away any more.
5 What would be your dream ticket to a sporting event in 2025?
Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Thursday September 18th. Women’s 400m final at the World Athletics Championship. Rhasidat Adeleke is going to be an unmissable part of every Irish sporting year for the next decade (hopefully). Time for her first senior world podium.
6 If you had the power to change one thing in any sport, what would it be?
I would find a way not to have to pay money to seven different companies to watch the sport that I want on my television. A floating sports fan needs to pay the TV licence, Sky, GAAGo, Premier Sports, Racing TV, Danz and Netflix these days just to keep up. No wonder dodgy boxes are all the rage.
7 One to watch in the sporting year ahead
Sam Ewing looks set to be the main beneficiary of his friend Jack Kennedy’s terrible luck. Kennedy’s recent leg break – his sixth, incredibly – leaves Ewing with a great chance to be at the vanguard of Gordon Elliott’s spring campaign. Don’t rule out a tilt at the jockey’s title.
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