Roscommon 2-18
Tyrone 3-16
Tyrone paid tribute to former great Frank McGuigan, whose death was announced Sunday morning, with a win on the road in Round 1 of the All Ireland series on Sunday. They ended the game with a point to spare against the recently-crowned Connacht champions Roscommon, who’d entered the pitch at Dr. Hyde Park slight favorites.
In the first half, the Rossies, who’d made the most of their chances against Galway, were not so accurate this time, and their errors were capitalized upon by the Ulstermen, who went in with a 2-11 to 1-09 lead at the break.
The visitors made the stronger start, but Roscommon’s brilliant opening goal from Darragh Heneghan and a series of home points drew the sides level as the game entered its second quarter. Then Tyrone went on a mini goal-scoring spree, with Eoin McElholm and Ronan Cassidy getting one each before the sides exchanged two-pointers as half-time approached.
The Roscommon second-half comeback happened late enough, but not to the extent that Tyrone couldn’t adequately reply. In the instance of the former, it was via consecutive points from Conor Hand and a goal by Enda Smith; in the latter, a point from Ciarán Daly and a goal from Mattie Donnelly, pouncing on a poor kick-out by Conor Carroll. However, the Rossies seemed to think extra time at the very least was their due and Paul Carey sent over a two-pointer. In the last minute, though, Ethan Jordan’s winning point from a free put Tyrone into Round 2A where they will meet another winning team from Round 1. Roscommon head for Round 2B and a clash with another team that lost out in Round 1. Both games will be played over the weekend of June 13/14.
Overall, it was an exciting contest in front of more than 16,000 fans, in which both goalies, Carroll and Niall Morgan, had plenty of opportunities to show off their talents.
"Coming in here, we knew it was going to be a massive battle," Tyrone star Darren McCurry told RTÉ Sport after the game. "Them coming off a massive victory and us coming off a loss [vs. Armagh in Ulster]. The boys battled right to the end and we knew coming down here it was going to go right to the end.”
"The two goals in the first half were massive but as you've seen with the games all over the weekend, a five, six-point lead is nothing in today's game.
"I think that's good for the game, it leaves it that the game is wide open right to the end and anybody can win,” McCurry said.
Roscommon scorers: Conor Carroll (0-02, 1tpf); Dylan Ruane (0-01), Enda Smith (1-01), Darragh Heneghan (1-00); Diarmuid Murtagh (0-08, 0-04fs, 1tp), Daire Cregg (0-02), Conor Hand (0-02); Paul Carey (0-02, 1tp).
Tyrone scorers: Peter Teague (0-01), Conn Kilpatrick (0-01); Seánie O’Donnell (0-01), Ronan Cassidy (1-00), Ciarán Daly (0-01); Eoin McElholm (1-03), Mattie Donnelly (1-01), Ethan Jordan (0-07, 1tp, 0-03fs, 0-01’45).
Kerry 0-16
Donegal 2-20
The 2026 Munster title-holders Kerry will face another Round 1 losing side on the weekend of June 13/14 in Round 2B following a fairly crushing home defeat at the hands of league winners Donegal in front of 21,000 football fans on Saturday.
The visitors were quick to build a lead with Ciaran Moore scoring a goal in the 2nd minute and Oisin Gallen and Ryan McHugh following up with two-pointers.
Having gone behind 1-4 to 0-01, Kerry began to hit back with points from Paul Clifford, David Clifford, Graham O’Sullivan and two in a row from Dylan Geaney.
A two-pointer from Michael Langan, and added points from Max Campbell, Gallen and Langan, again, made it a five-point gap at half-time.
Meanwhile, Kerry’s Michael Burns was sent off for striking Ryan McHugh, and Donegal manager Jim McGuinness may be in trouble for shoving Diarmuid O’Connor during what was generally a bad-tempered game.
In any case, a 14-man Kerry and behind at the break made a second-half comeback against a team led by the shrewd McGuinness something of a long shot. And so it proved, with the five-point margin becoming 10 points by match’s end. Highlights from the second-half included a two-pointer from Kerry’s Tony Brosnan and a late Donegal goal from Shea Malone.
Donegal will meet another winning side from Round 1 in Round 2A, also on the weekend of June 13/14.
Cork 0-30
Meath 1-24
Cork scored 30 points in their Round 1 home game at Páirc Uí Rinn, and so it’s hardly a surprise to learn that Steven Sherlock, who scored 14 of those points, was considered man of the match.
Meath had been ahead eight points at the break, but their final tally was three points short of the winners’ at the end.
Matters were fairly even for the first quarter or so of the game, but the Royals assumed control with Ciaran Caulfield’s first ever championship goal and a two-pointer from teammate Eoghan Frayne. Their eight-point lead was momentarily extended to 10, but brought back to 1-16 to 0-11 before the break. The Cork fightback began for real in the second half, and they had a remarkable 12-point run during which a single point came in reply from Meath. Inevitably, the home side depended on lots of two-pointers, especially from Sherlock, to close the gap and then take the lead.
Cork’s strategy, though, had not legislated for Colm O’Callaghan getting red-carded (for an errant arm hitting Ruairi Kinsella in the face), when they were a point to the good, which made the contest more competitive again. However, the home side won the late slugfest, metaphorically speaking, with Meath having little to respond with towards the end.
Finally, Galway had much the easiest game of the weekend’s batch of four Round 1 games in the All Ireland seres with 3-21 to 0-17 win over Kildare.
Hurling wrap-up
The big hurling story of the weekend, or perhaps the year 2026, is that Kilkenny have crashed out of the All Ireland championship after a fourth-place finish in the Leinster group. They were beaten 1-26 to 0-22 by group winners Dublin at Parnell Park on Sunday.
Offaly secured the third-place finish following their 1-29 to 0-15 win over Kildare at St. Conleth’s Park and will go onto an All Ireland quarterfinal game. While Galway defeated Wexford 2-32 to 3-20 and will face Dublin in the Leinster final on June 6 at Croke Park.
No major surprises down south where the Munster final will be a clash between Cork and Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on June 7. Cork had an easy win over Clare, 1-30 to 1-14, at that venue on Sunday; likewise for Limerick’s 5-27 to 0-25 result over reigning champions Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds. Tipp, indeed, fell below Waterford to fifth and bottom of the Munster group. The third-placed Clare will go on to the All Ireland quarter final stage.
