Updated 9.30am
DUBLIN ARE GEARING up for their Leinster championship opener against Galway on 31 May and continued their preparations with a challenge match win over Tipperary on Sunday night.
An interesting inclusion in the Dublin side was midfielder Darragh O’Connell, who made his debut with Ger Cunningham’s team.
O’Connell is a Kerry native who transferred from his home club of Abbeydorney to Dublin side Cuala this year.
He’s impressed so far in the Dublin senior hurling championship for Cuala in their group stage wins over Ballinteer St John’s and Lucan Sarsfields.
“I thought he did well for his first game in, learning what we’re trying to do and how we play,” remarked Dublin boss Ger Cunningham.
“He did a lot of very good things. He’s comfortable on the ball, shows good levels of support and he’s fit. He came in in good condition and that wouldn’t be an issue as he had a lot work done previously.
“He’s only been with us for a couple of weeks but the lads have made him feel very welcome. It was a good opportunity for us to give him a chance and see where he’s at.”
“I’d love to have him but he’s been in Dublin for the last number of years and commuting up and down,” revealed Kerry boss Eamonn Kelly.
“He’s a cracking hurler and would probably make any intercounty team. He minds himself, doesn’t drink or smoke and is in great condition.
“The way I look at it, if Dublin have 26 on their panel and there are 25 better than him, they’re very strong.”
“Last year, we had the promotion playoff with Offaly in Thurles and Darragh was head and shoulders the best player on view, man of the match. If I had him, I’d feel we’d have a very strong chance of winning the Christy Ring.
“He’s an awful loss to us but I fully understand his reasons for going as well.”
O’Connell was one of Kerry’s leading players when lining out for the Kingdom. He struck 1-9 from wing-forward in their 2011 Christy Ring Cup final win over Wicklow.
His versatility was demonstrated by his appearance on half-back line for Kerry when they lost the 2013 Christy Ring Cup final to Down and he was midfield when they lost last year’s decider against Kildare.
In 2012 O’Connell won a Ryan Cup medal on a Mary Immaculate College side that also included Galway’s Conor Cooney and the Waterford duo of Shane O’Sullivan and Brian O’Halloran.
Additional reporting by Jackie Cahill
RTE can put in a request to change Sky’s game to 3pm. I doubt Sky would deny them if they did.
you really think Sky wulould back down? 7 clocks seems to be their favoured time.
The Sky deal hasn’t gone down well in rural parts of Ireland. It would be a travesty if a senior football provincial final was not on television. I wouldn’t think Sky would want to be the cause of that. It would be a pr disaster.
it won’t be the first time it’s happened. the only reason it’s an issue now is because of Sky.
No way sky will change the schedule for their competitors. This was always going to happen once sky got involved and for that I think the gaa sold out. To have one of their marquee games of the season not being shown on rte is a massive disappointment and a sign of what’s the come.
out of curiosity..suppose premier sports wouldnt get it either because of sky for us UK based people….
Well no surprise here. GAA make a mess of one of the biggest fixtures of the year and could now lose it to Sly Sports !!! Laughing stock…
This issue is known in advance. People are talking about asking Sky to change their timeslot, but why did the Munster council choose this time and date for the replay?
Would imagine in order to fill their own coffers.
Surely they will come to an agreement. Lets be honest, Nobody wins if a Cork v Kerry Munster final is replaced by Derry v Wexford!
This is crap. Sky have the rights to the 3B games. This is a replay that Sky don’t have rights to! So, so what if it clashes, RTE is an independent broadcaster who can surely broadcast whatever it likes at 7pm on Saturday as long as it isn’t the games it sold!!! RTE needs to cut the crap & show the Munster final
The Derry and Wexford supporters might beg to differ. This is what the GAA signed up for when they did the deal with Sky.
Is this OUR NATIONAL game – Are @RTEsport serious that they won’t broadcast a 7pm replay game because the greedy GAA sold rights to other matches to Sky Sports??
was the first game in killarney as well??