Kerry GAA confirmed last week that a payment has been made to the Revenue after the County Committee carried out a self-review audit for the four years from 2020-21 to 2023-24. Under the guidance of Croke Park, the work was undertaken, and self-corrections were identified. Speaking at a recent press briefing, Kerry County Board Treasurer Paudie Healy said that the Kingdom were already ahead of the curve in working on the audit, even before Croke Park asked all county boards to begin the process.
Kerry didn’t give a figure, but a few days later the Meath County Board said they registered a €126, 670 provision for Revenue liabilities in its accounts following a self-assessment that covered the previous four financial years. Also last week Kerry GAA unveiled its new home jersey for the 2026 season. Manufacturer O’Neill’s have said that the design is inspired by the jersey worn by when the Kingdom triumphed to the 1926 All-Ireland final win over Kildare, marking the centenary of that victory. The new jersey is also set to be worn by the Kerry ladies football and camogie teams. Featured on the jersey is a knitted white collar with green and gold trim, while “Ciarraí” is printed on the back along with a small embossed ‘Kerry’ on the lower back.
Meanwhile David Clifford continues to break new ground in the GAA with the Kerry star releasing his own brand of clothing and apparel in partnership with McKeever Sports. The iconic Clifford kicking image with his left leg cocked up in the air beside his left ear is emblazoned on all of the items in what could become the GAA’s equivalent of the world-renowned Air Jordan logo.
BRADLEY TIPPED
Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley is favorite to win the Soccer Writers’ Personality of the Year award for the fourth time on Friday next. Bradley, a previous winner in 2021, 2022 and 2023 is among the short list for this year’s award after leading Rovers to their first League-Cup double since 1987. Also included in the short list for the award which can be won by a player, manager or official, is Shelbourne manager Joey O’Brien and their midfielder Kerr McInroy, Shamrock Rovers players Pico Lopes and Graham Burke and Derry City winger Mickey Duffy. Athlone Town, who also won the League-Cup double this season, have four nominees for the Women’s award.
KEANE FOR MORE
CORK EVENINGS
Roy Keane has certainly mellowed in recent years. Since retiring from playing and management the Corkman has become a very popular pundit on Sky Sport every weekend and regularly puts messages up on Twitter about his family. Last summer Roy and his second biographer Roddy Doyle held three consecutive question and answer nights in Cork. Now two more “Evenings with Roy Keane, in conversation with Roddy Doyle” are planned for May 2026. The first event will be at the SSE Arena in Belfast on May 7 and the pair will be on stage in Dublin’s 3 Arena the following night. Former player and long-time journalist Eamon Dunphy wrote Roy’s first book “The Autobiography in 2002,” but Doyle was Keane’s ghost writer for the second “The Second Half,” which was published in 2014.
€100M FOR CENTER IS
‘NEW LEASE OF LIFE’
Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture and Sport, last week turned the first sod on a site in Abbotsown, West Dublin, which he said will be a unique €100 million Velodrome and badminton centre and will give a new lease of life to athletes in Ireland. The centre will have 12 badminton courts and will be able to host a maximum of 20 track cyclists on the Velodrome track. After turning the first sod, the Minister said the funding would come from National Development Plan funding. He said: “We hope to see the contractors move in immediately after Christmas and begin work on the site, and hopefully then it will be finished in time for 2028. It will give a new lease of life and a new lease of optimism to people who had thought this was going to happen years ago and who had a number of false dawns.”
Chief Executive of Sport Ireland Dr Una May said the design was a “complex undertaking” and that there are only four or five track designers in the world. She added that the design was “relatively unique” as the track was at a level “above the infield,” which would allow the two sports to operate alongside one another.
POWER FINISHES
STRONG IN RSM
Waterford-born golfer Seamus Power will have conditional status on PGA Tour year after securing his best finish of 2025 at the RSM Classic. The 38-year-old tied 7th at the final event of the PGA Tour season in Sea Island, five shots behind winner Sami Valimaki, after a three-under-par final round of 67. Power needed to finish third or better to break into the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings, but was satisfied with his performance to earn conditional status.
DOYLE TAPPED
BY ACADEMY
Former Irish soccer international, Kevin Doyle, who is now back home in his native Wexford and working in the family horse-breeding business, was last week confirmed at Ambassador the Wexford FC’s Academy. RTE pundit Doyle, who won 62 Irish caps, played for St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork before joining Reading. He also played for Wolves and finished his career with Colorado Rapids.
FIVE IRISH FOR
AFLW TEAM
A record five Irish players have been named in this year’s All-Australian AFLW team. Bláthín Bogue (North Melbourne and Fermanagh), Aíne McDonagh (Hawthorn and Galway), Jennifer Dunne (Brisbane Lions and Dublin), Niamh McLaughlin (Gold Coasts Suns and Donegal) and Dayna Hill (Carlton Blues and Mayo) were named on the 21-strong team at the Awards night in Melbourne last week. It’s the largest Irish representation since Tipperary’s Orla O'Dwyer was the first to be named in 2022.
WIGGIE’S GRANDSON
LINES OUT FOR BARRS
An interesting name in the St Finbarr’s team for next Sunday’s Munster club football final against Dingle in Thurles with be John Wiggington Barrett. Yes, League of Ireland followers will recognise the name Wiggington, as John is a grandson of the legendary Cork Hibernians striker Dave Wiggington. Wiggie, who hailed from Nottingham, joined Hibs in 1968 after he had a row with Derby County manager Brian Clough. Wiggington and his strike partner The Dav (Carl Davenport) were heroes on Leeside. Now Wiggie’s grandson is concentrating on Gaelic games and has also played minor hurling for Cork and he also played Rugby for PBC.
SAVAGE TAPPED
FOR LGF POSITION
Former Louth Ladies footballer Lyn Savage has been appointed the new chief executive officer of the Ladies Gaelic Football. Savage will succeed long-serving Helen O’Rourke in the lead role and will officially take up her new role on March 9 next year. The incoming CEO currently works as the LGFA’s national development manager. She previously worked as the LGFA National Development Officer and also worked with Dublin GAA as a games promotion officer. Lyn played for Louth for 15 years.
HORGAN JOINS CORK’S
U-20 BACKROOM TEAM
Patrick Horgan, who retired from inter-county hurling after Cork’s defeat to Tipperary in the All-Ireland hurling final last August, has now been added to Noel Furlong’s Cork under 20 hurling management team for 2026. The 37-year-old Glen Rovers clubman replaces Vincent Hurley of Courcey Rovers. Horgan and Furlong previously worked together when the Furlong was part of Kieran Kingston’s senior set-up in 2022. The rest of the selection committee, featuring Dónal Óg Cusack (Cloyne) as coach and selectors Tadhg Óg Murphy (Sarsfields) and Seán Guiheen (Na Piarsaigh) remains as it was for Furlong’s first year in charge.
