THE SUNDAY GAME was back on our screens and it was the first major Sunday of the 2015 GAA championship.
We were following all the action from Ballybofey, Carrick-on-Shannon and Drogheda.
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‘We’re back’ is the roar of The Sunday Game. It’s the first big Sunday of the 2015 GAA season and we’re following the action all the way.
Here’s what’s in store today:
- Connacht SFC quarter-final: Galway v Leitrim, Páirc Sean MacDiarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, 3.30pm
- Leinster SFC first round: Louth v Westmeath, Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda, 3.30pm
- Ulster SFC preliminary round: Donegal v Tyrone, Ballybofey, 4pm
The lads are out in force on a wet and miserable day in Ballybofey. Everyone happy to see them back debating?
Here’s how they’ll line out in Carrick-on-Shannon.
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The Louth team that starts in Drogheda.
And here’s the Westmeath side they will face.
The first flicker of a row between Joe Brolly and Pat Spillane over last year’s All-Ireland final but it’s quickly quelled by Michael Lyster as he moves swiftly on.
You can take the boy out of Louth but not Louth out of the boy. Carlton’s Ciaran Byrne interested in seeing how his former teammates fare today.
Early season Connacht silverware for Mayo football. They’ve won the provincial junior final against Galway, the curtain-raiser today in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Result: Connacht JFC final – Mayo 1-12 Galway 0-13
Louth 0-2 Westmeath 0-1
Lively start in the scoring stakes. Derek Maguire and Colm Judge on target for Louth.
Leitrim 0-2 Galway 0-1
Sean McWeeney and Ronan Kennedy grab points for Leitrim after Paul Conroy had got Galway off the mark.
All over in the Ulster minor football championship opener with Donegal seeing off Tyrone by 1-11 to 0-8.
Couple of interesting late changes to the Tyrone team. Both Brennan and McShane are graduates from the recent triumphant U21 team.
Galway 0-3 Leitrim 0-2
Paul Conroy edges Galway in front.
Westmeath 0-5 Louth 0-3
Two point advantage for Tom Cribben’s side.
Westmeath 0-6 Louth 0-3
John Heslin wins a free, converts the free and Westmeath go three clear.
Interesting sign in Drogheda.
Donegal 0-1 Tyrone 0-0
Lightning start by Donegal as Frank McGlynn tears forward and pops over a neat point.
Donegal 0-2 Tyrone 0-0
Really good play from Donegal. Patient play around the middle before Michael Murphy’s delivery finds Patrick McBrearty. He skins his man and come in off the right flank to take his point.
Galway 0-6 Leitrim 0-3
Paul Conroy knocks over a free to stretch Galway’s lead to three.
Donegal 0-3 Tyrone 0-0
Tyrone are getting unlocked here at the back. Odhran MacNiallais does great approach work, plays it across to Neil Gallagher who finds Christy Toye in plenty space and he picks off his point.
Galway 1-7 Leitrim 0-4
Damien Comer was the start of Galway’s win over New York and he’s making a big impact again today as he fires in a the game’s opening goal.
Donegal 0-4 Tyrone 0-0
Martin McElhinney with another point, Donegal are absolutely flying.
Donegal 0-4 Tyrone 1-0
Where did that come from?! Tyrone have looked very tentative early on with Donegal dictating the terms but Mickey Harte’s have just rattled the back of the net. It’s a cracking finish by Darren McCurry but Donegal’s defence was surprisingly prised apart with Peter Harte finding McCurry in aces of room.
Half-Time: Westmeath 0-7 Louth 0-6
Delicately balanced in Drogheda.
Half-Time: Galway 1-7 Leitrim 0-6
Four point advantage for the Tribesmen.
Donegal 0-5 Tyrone 1-0
Colm McFadden settles Donegal after the concession of that goal as he hooks over a point off his right.
Donegal 0-6 Tyrone 1-1
Justin McMahon hits a point but Tyrone could have got a greater reward with the score coming from a rebound after Peter Harte came closing to hitting the net only for Paul Durcan to block his shot.
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Two scoring chances for Tyrone from frees but Darren McCurry off target with both. Those could be costly.
Donegal 0-6 Tyrone 1-2
Tyrone hanging in there as Sean Cavanagh knocks over a close-range free.
Goal for Westmeath’s Callum McCormack!
Donegal 0-7 Tyrone 1-2
Christy Toye relieves the pressure on Donegal with a point.
Donegal 0-7 Tyrone 1-3
Sean Cavanagh points a free for Tyrone after Peter Harte is fouled by Neil Gallagher. Tyrone have to be happy with this state of affairs given Donegal’s powerful start to the game.
Donegal 0-7 Tyrone 1-4
Great individual score by Matthew Donnelly, he shrugs off the challenge of Ryan McHugh and clips over a foot off his left.
Goal for Westmeath from Shane Dempsey.
Tyrone 1-5 Donegal 0-7
And now Tyrone go in front! Fine point from Sean Cavanagh after a mistake from Karl Lacey.
Tyrone 1-6 Donegal 0-7
Tyrone playing really good stuff now. Ronan McNamee adds a point to stretch their lead. Cavanagh, Harte and Donnelly really driving them on.
Goal for Donegal by Martin McElhinney!
Donegal 1-8 Tyrone 1-6
MacNiallais with the initial chance for Donegal but Michael O’Neill produces a brilliant block to deny him. The rebound falls to McElhinney and he strikes first time superbly to the net. McFadden has just knocked over a fine point to put Donegal two ahead.
Half-Time: Donegal 1-8 Tyrone 1-6
Some shenanigans at half-time as both sides come off the pitch in Ballybofey. A schemozzle being the correct term.
A third goal for Westmeath from Ray Connellan.
Westmeath 3-11 Louth 0-14
Thirteen minutes left and the advantage is with Westemath.
Can’t argue with this.
Galway 1-10 Leitrim 0-6
Kevin Walsh’s side are seven points clear with ten minutes left in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Schemozzle alert.
Galway 1-12 Leitrim 0-8
Time running out and Galway in control at Carrick-on-Shannon.
Donegal 1-8 Tyrone 1-7
Sean Cavanagh knocks over a free after his brother Colm is fouled.
Full-Time: Westmeath 3-14 Louth 0-16
Donegal 1-8 Tyrone 1-8
Now we’re all square thanks to a lovely point by Conor McAliskey.
Full-Time: Galway 1-13 Leitrim 0-8
Donegal 1-10 Tyrone 1-8
Karl Lacey stretches Donegal’s lead further with a neat score.
Donegal 1-10 Tyrone 1-9
Couple of good bits of news for Tyrone. Conor McAliskey points at one end and then at the other, Michael O’Neill produces a fabulous save to deny Patrick McBrearty.
Tyrone 1-11 Donegal 1-10
Good kick by Michael Murphy from a free and that puts Donegal back in front.
Another top-drawer save by Michael O’Neill in the Tyrone goal to deny Colm McFadden this time.
Donegal 1-12 Tyrone 1-10
But Michael Murphy taps over a free as McFadden had been fouled moments before.
Yellow card for Tyrone’s Justin McMahon. Donegal fans very happy to hear that.
Sub: Mark Bradley, another U21 graduate in for Tyrone, for McCurry.
Red card for Donegal’s Neil Gallagher.
Second yellow for Gallagher and that’s 14 men Donegal have to play with for the closing stages.
Sean Cavanagh is sent-off!
High challenge from Cavanagh and he receives a black card, which is followed by a red as he was already on yellow.
We should mention that Paul Durcan produced a brilliant late save to deny Peter Harte a few moments ago, clawing the ball away as Tyrone nearly grabbed a second goal.
Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 1-10
Is that the insurance score? Michael Murphy brilliantly strikes over a ’45.
Colm Cavanagh nearly rescues Tyrone with a goal but he palms the ball against the crossbar.
And Tyrone nearly hit the net again! Mattie Donnelly fires in a rocket of a shot but the balls flies wide.
Full-Time: Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 1-10
Three-point win for Donegal, they macrh on in the Ulster championship to face Armagh in the quarter-final. The qualifiers beckons for Tyrone but they gave it everything today and really pushed Donegal hard. Really interesting, good game to kickstart the 2015 football championship.
I watched a few matches, on the telly, in Irish.
@I likes beer: STOP THE COMPETITION! WE HAVE OUR WINNER!!!
For the pro12 final last year, I had to get the Train to Dublin, then the Ferry to Holyhead, wait 4 hours there for a train at half 4 in the morning to Manchester, then sit there another hour for a train to York before a final connection on to Edinburgh, arriving a a few hours in advance after 23 hours travel, then returned home via a Bus to Cairnryan and a ferry to Belfast before a bus down to Dublin and waiting 7 hours wandering around the streets of Dublin for the train station to open to go home the following morning, and I’d do it again tomorrow if I could.
@Patrick Breen: ah sure that’s nothing I flew from Dublin and I live in Naul
There will be a lot of porkies told here
I bought 10 tickets to the RaboFinal for next week last August. 3rd and 4th Row right where the trophy presentation will be.
We are all Leinster fans…..
@Luke Mc Gahren: you’re about 3 seasons too late for the Rabo final
@Jerry: Sorry GuinnessPro12Final*
There marketing was good and the name stuck.
Slept beside a wheelie bin on the platform of Pembroke railway station on the way to Cardiff in 2006 because we arrived at 1 in the morning and there was no train till 7.And we had no tickets for the match either.
Watched Munster’s semi final win on de telly last Saturday. Well actually fell aslerp while watching it. But at least I had the good intention.
Am I in with a shot?
Unbelieveable performance by the way.
My spur of the moment Aironi 4 ever tattoo seems like a bad mistake now.It was to cover up my Border Reivers tattoo.
I along with my fellow coaches brought an under 14s team to see the Munster vs Maori All Blacks game last November, only to discover that when we got to the stadium we had one extra under age player with us ( 20 junior tickets and 21 juniors) so I had to give up my ticket and stand out side the stadium. Luckily/Thankfully one of the Stewards took pity on me and gave me a spare ticket, so I missed the Haka and the jersey presentation and most of the first half.
I swear, I was one of the 400,000 in thomond park in 1978
Lots of deserving candidates here so at this point I would like to withdraw from the competition. I harbour a dark secret. I once spoke while a conversion was being taken in Thomond Park drawing ire and frantic shushing from the surrounding fans.
I know its sounds indefensible but honestly it’s not as bad as it sounds. You see I wasn’t actually in Thomond Park at the time, I was in a pub about a 100 miles away but the new breed of rugby fan has taken “respect” to a new level infact every time Sky compliment them on it, they up it a notch again. I need to get with the program, I hang my head in shame!
Yours very respectfully,
Da Hayeser!
I actually had a heart attack leaving Kingspan after the loss to Munster in October.
Had a second one an hour later when the severity of the loss kicked in….
@Ian Frizzell: that drop goal??
One time in band camp
The 2008 Heineken cup final I had no accommodation organised in Cardiff.. so I took the Dublin to Holyhead sailing .. drove to Cardiff.. got stuck in Traffic and only managed to arrive in Cardiff a half an hour before kick .. after the game..I ended up sleeping in car.. next day drive back to Holyhead.. got lost in the Welsh mountains and missed my sailing home .. epic journey
Travelled from Luxembourg by train to Montpelier to watch Munster play Clermont , beaten but brilliant day, 2 great sets of fans & 2 great teams. Proper rugby supporters
@Seamus Farrar: Oh man wat a wkend that was. I ve friends in monpellier that still talk about that wkend.
I ahm, I ah; I slept with my wife’s best friend so as I could go to the H Cup final with her in 2000.
The only room available in Swansea (travelled by ferry) was a double room for her & me so we took it.
My wife knew & all, she was delighted, it meant she’d someone keeping an eye on me while I was away.
.
(disclaimer – Nothing happened! But technically, yip, I slept with her)
I was in hell last Friday watching that Leinster performance. Does that count?
Season before last I cancelled my Thomond season ticket, my wife was pregnant at the time she wasn’t keen (to say the least) on me getting a season ticket for the following year. Still managed to get to every home game in thomond with little or no grief :)
Been to France, Wales, Italy and Scotland to watch Ireland, Munster, Munster and Leinster respectively. Have been on all forms of transport at some point to get to a game: Car, Bus, Train, Boat & Plane. Its doesnt really compare to the fans who travel to Aus/NZ though. Especially the ones who go game to game during the Lions tour. Now thats dedication
For 2002 final in Cardiff, took horrendous boat trip to Wales through the worst crossing conditions possible, while pregnant with my first child and suffering from the worst bouts of morning (should I say anytime) sickness ever. Arrived back in Ireland 2 days later, not feeling great both from the match, travel and pregnancy. Had to head to hospital a few days later, where less than 2 weeks after the game, my beautiful daughter Kellie was born at 25 weeks (thanks Munster rugby), weighing 1lb 15oz and who now 15 years later, is an ardent Munster fan, travelling to all the matches we can since she was a toddler. Munster Abu.
Heading to the airport this afternoon for what will be my fourth 10,000km round trip of the season. When Axel passed we all had to up our game, not just the players. Thankfully this time I will have more than just 48 hours in the country.
Got the ferry on the Friday night To Fishguard arrived in Cardiff at 7:00am on Saturday stayed up and went to the millennium stadium to watch the greatest comeback in rugby ever
For the ’03 final we couldn’t get a flight to Wales from Cork for love nor money. So we got bus to Dublin and another bus to Wexford. Thumbed a lift out to Rosslare and got the ferry over. The plan was the rent a car when we arrived but little did we know Fishguard didn’t have a rental company. So we got a lift to Swansea in a lorry with a sheep farmer from Connemara. From there we managed to get on a Neath supporters bus and landed in Cardiff an hour before kick off. The Welsh were great craic and mighty singers. Perfect timing, great match and fantastic result. I’d tell ya about our journey back but I’m restricted to 800 characters. I’ll have to save that for the next competition!
My son and myself left his communion party early to go to Leinster vs Munster a few years back
In 2012, a friend and I were both second year arts students when Leinster and Ulster made the Heineken Cup Final. We had no money, but made it to Twickenham via ferry to Hollyhead and train to London. It cost me literally all the money I had, and also meant taking a 4-day break in the middle of a 5-day break between my college exams. I came back and had the exam the next day on the British Empire – literally all I knew was that the Empire in Britain was all Irish now. I got the worst exam result of my entire time in college. Worth it.
In spite of her illness my daughter Kate made the trip to Thomond Park to support Munster in the Champions Cup semi final against Toulouse. She was frozen with the cold but was treated wonderfully by Munster Rugby and stayed as long as she could. It’s our abiding memory as Kate passed away on the 4th of May just four weeks after the game. It was her last trip.