Sunday’s All-Ireland football final between Donegal and Kerry promises to be an exciting and evenly matched game. Under the new football rules we are getting to see much more exciting games this year and on Sunday we will definitely have a clash of styles as Donegal’s players like to run at the opposition, while Kerry favor the more traditional kicking game.
There is also a difference in the history of the respective counties will bring into the game, it will be Kerry’s 63rd senior final, while it will only be Donegal’s fourth final. Kerry have 38 wins to their credit, while Donegal have just two, in 1992 and 2012. However, this year Donegal has already set a new record in the history of Gaelic football. Their semi-final win over Meath was their 10 championship win of 2025; no other county in the 141-year history of the GAA has achieved that feat. Kerry have played eight games on their way to the final, losing once to Meath. Back in their heyday Kerry had to win only four games to win the Sam Maguire Cup, two games in Munster, an All-Ireland semi-final and final. This year Donegal beat Derry, Monaghan, Down and Armagh on their way to winning the Ulster final. Then in qualifiers round robin series they beat Tyrone, Cavan and Mayo. In the preliminary quarter-final they beat Louth, then accounted for Monaghan in the quarter final proper and Meath in the semi-final. That is some achievement and now they will be hoping to cap a brilliant year with win number 11.
Jim McGuinness is a clever manager and everybody is wondering can he set up his defense to nullify the threat of Kerry’s David Clifford, who scored 1-9 in the semi-final win over Tyrone. I think man for man Donegal might have a fitter, faster team than the Kingdom, who have 12 very good players and three more average ones. But an experienced pundit said to me last week that you can win an All-Ireland final with 10 good players. Michael Murphy, who was part of Jim Gavin’s Rules Development Committee before making a comeback and has been brilliant for Donegal this year. The counties met only once previously in a final; that was in 2014 when Kerry won by three points. The teams are really well matched and it looks it going to be a very close game. I think much will depend on the performance of David Clifford. If the star from Fossa clicks on the day Kerry should win, if not Donegal will win Sam.
The referee on Sunday will be Kildare’s Brendan Cawley. He took charge of this year’s Ulster final and Kerry’s quarter-final win over Armagh, but this will be his first senior final.
IRISH YELLOWS
Last week Ben Healy became the fourth Irish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey on the Tour de France, which he did for two days having take it over with a third-place ride on July 14, Bastille Day. He won a stage outright four days earlier. Healy was pipped on the line by French favorite Valentin Paret-Peintre for another win in Tuesday’s mountain stage. He is currently ninth overall.
The other Irish riders who wore the famous Maillot Jaune were Shay Elliot in 1963, Seán Kelly in 1983 and Stephen Roche in 1987, when he won cycling’s most prestigious race. Thirteen Irish riders have competed in the Tour de France, seven of them have won a stage. The most recent to win a stage before Healy’s great win on July 11 was Sam Bennett in 2020. That year the native of Carrick-on-Suir won the green jersey points classification. Fellow Kelly won the green jersey on four occasions in the Tour de France, while Roche is only outright Irish winner. That same year, 1987, the Dubliner became only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown, which has includes Giro D’Italia and World Championship. The first was the Belgian legend Eddy Mer and the third is the current champion, the 26-year-old Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who is on course for his fourth win overall.
RUGBY CUP GAME
FOR UI CHAOIMH
History will be made at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork later this year when a Champions Cup rugby game will be played at the Leeside venue. Munster have confirmed that the Ballintemple ground on the banks of the River Lee will host their European game against Gloucester on Dec. 13. Munster have used the Pairc as a venue for friendly games against South Africa and Crusaders, but this will a first competitive rugby game at the venue. A few months back, GAA president Jarlath Burns said that the GAA need to host concerts at Croke Park for the stadium to stay profitable. It’s the same situation in Cork where the County Board are still in debt due to the over-run in the cost of re-developing the stadium a few years back.
2 SPORTS JOIN
FORCES IN WEST
Galway United and Connacht Hockey have combined to apply to Galway County Council for planning permission for a multipurpose sport training facility in Mountain South, Athenry. The floodlit facility will consist of two full-size football pitches, one grass, one all-weather, and a full-size hockey pitch along with associated changing facilities, administrative offices, meeting rooms and high-performance gymnasium. This project, across 25 acres, represents a significant step forward for both football and hockey in the western region, aiming to address a major shortage of high-quality sports facilities. The Mountain South facility will be the academy training centre for Galway United’s women and men’s teams. Galway United and Connacht Hockey say they acknowledge the generous support and commitment of Luke and Brian Comer and the Comer Group who have provided the land for the development of this facility.
DEVLIN SET
FOR LOUTH
Gavin Devlin is expected to be Louth senior football manager to replace Ger Brennan, who stepped down after leading the Wee County to their first Leinster title since 1957 earlier last month. If appointed, it would be the former Tyrone All-Ireland winner’s first time to take sole charge of an inter-county team, having previously been Mickey Harte’s right-hand man in Tyrone, Louth and Derry.
KERRY’S DONAGHY
EXITS ARMAGH ROLE
Former Kerry football Kieran Donaghy has left his position in the Armagh coaching set-up after five years with the county. The four-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry confirmed the news last week, saying he left his role with Armagh’’ full of pride, memories and deep gratitude.’’ Donaghy, who is also a basketball international, joined Kieran McGeeney management team for the 2021 season, with the intention to remain for just one campaign. However, he helped the county break from the pack to win their second All-Ireland title in 2024. It’s expected that McGeeney will seek to remain in charge of Armagh for the 2026 campaign, which would be his 12th season in charge of the Orchard County.
Another former Kerry footballer, Tommy Walsh, has retired from club football. Two-time All-Ireland winner Walsh, who retired from inter-county football in 2021, has now ended his club career with Kerins O’Rahilly’s. The 37-year-old, son of former Kerry midfielder Seán Walsh, won his Celtic Crosses in 2007 and 2009 and was named Young Footballer of the Year in the latter year. In October 2009 he emigrated to Australia to play Aussie Rules with St Kilda in the AFL and later joined Sydney Swans. He returned to his native Tralee and won a Munster club title with Kerins O’Rahillys in 2023.
U21 TO BEGIN
’27 CAMPAIGN
The Republic of Ireland’s under 21 team will begin their Euro 2027 campaign with an away game against Moldova on Sept. 4. Five days later they will play Andorra at Tallaght Stadum. The Under 21s, who are managed by Jim Crawford, will have only one game in the October window, a home game against Slovakia at Turner’s Cross, Cork on Oct. 20.
SAM MEDALIST IS
BOWLS CHAMP
Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty achieved an addition to his All-Ireland football medal won last year when he recently won the All-Ireland senior road bowling crown in West Cork. After victory on the roads around Castletownkenneigh, Rafferty said: “It’s real family event for us. My grandfather, Aidan Toal, was big into bowls and that has filtered down. His son, Michael Toal, has ten All-Ireland titles. I won it this year, my younger brother Colm won the Senior All-Ireland last year, and then the two years before that was a first cousin of ours, Thomas Mackle, so it's obviously close to your heart because it’s your family. My auntie Dervla is the reigning All-Ireland Ladies champion too, so I would be rightfully down the pecking order with regards to All-Irelands in the family.’’ Road bowls are very popular in both Cork and Armagh.
GERRY O’NEILL, 88
The death occurred last week of form Armagh football manager Gerry O’Neill, at the age of 88. From Kilrea in County Derry, Gerry was an older brother of former Northern Ireland international and Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill. He was a teacher in St. Colman’s College in Newry and managed the Orchard County to win three Ulster senior football times and was in charge of Armagh when the qualified for the All-Ireland final in 1977, where they lost to Dublin.
