Darragh Ó Sé isn’t pulling any punches in his column today. A bit like Michael Murphy in the league final. “Nobody said boo to him, never mind gave him a clipping,” he says of the incident when the Donegal man’s fist made, well, contact with Kerry’s Dylan Casey. “Murphy should have been dealt with there and then.” And his footballing talents will have to be dealt with too for the rest of the championship, Murphy still his county’s key man, an extension of Jim McGuinness on the pitch. In the stakes for the All-Ireland, Darragh puts Donegal only marginally behind Kerry.
Dublin are nowhere to be seen in Darragh’s list of contenders, their cause not helped by manager Ger Brennan’s 12-week ban which precludes him from all team activities, including training. An excessive punishment? Barney Rock believes so, “very severe” he tells Gordon Manning.
In hurling, Seán Moran looks at yet another “intensely competitive” Munster championship, “the Cork bandwagon now rolling into Páirc Uí Chaoimh in high enough spirits for the latest meeting with Limerick”. Ahead of that game, Jeffrey Lynskey analyses Cork’s performance in their win over Tipperary last weekend. Their change of style and improvement under Ben O’Connor is real, he says, but is it the improvement they actually needed?
Kilkenny, meanwhile, need no end of improvement after their 15-point shellacking by Galway in Salthill, their heaviest Leinster championship defeat since 1990. Martin Keoghan remains convinced, though, that they can turn things around, starting with their meeting with Wexford on Saturday.
Kerry let themselves down by not dealing with Michael Murphy after Dylan Casey punch
Stephen Rochford: Mayo board statement on Kevin McStay departure was ‘extremely disappointing’
Gerry Thornley: Victory for the ages a ringing endorsement of Connacht project
Owen Doyle: All referees should have a serious rethink about how they address players
Ulster have to turn things around too against Munster on Saturday after crumbling against Leinster in the URC last weekend. But, writes Gordon D’Arcy, the Thomond Park game gives them “the perfect opportunity to find out whether they have already reached their ceiling for the season”.
They travel south, though, with a depleted squad, but they come up against a Munster side having to contend with yet more off-the-field distractions, this time the continuing fallout from the appointment of Roger Randle as next season’s attack coach. But, captain Tadhg Beirne tells Johnny Watterson, their sole focus is on this URC tie.
Leinster dismiss pretenders Ulster, Connacht find consistency and Ireland women crush Italy
Connacht, meanwhile, will attempt to make it two wins in a week in South Africa, the Lions their opponents in Johannesburg. And back home, Gerry Thornley talks to Clontarf’s Jordan Coghlan ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland League final against St Mary’s, this his fourth final in five years.
In football, Gavin Cummiskey looks at the state of play in the League of Ireland, Shamrock Rovers already having hit their stride. “There is,” he says, “a growing concern around the lack of a distinct challenger to Rovers in the 2020s.”
And in golf, with Rory McIlroy still on a post-Masters break, Shane Lowry has had to find a new partner for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He’s found a fairly useful one too: Brooks Koepka. David Gorman fills you in.
TV Watch: Arsenal fans will be lighting candles for Burnley tonight, hoping that divine intervention can help them take something from Manchester City at Turf Moor. Defeat would confirm Burnley’s relegation and send City to the top of the table on goal difference over Arsenal (Sky Sports Main Event, 8pm).
