Eoin Kenny, son of former Irish and current St Patrick’s Athletic manager Stephen Kenny who has been doing well this season with Dundalk, has joined English club Portsmouth. The 20-year-old striker, who was born in Northern Ireland while his father was managing Derry City, been capped for Northern Ireland at under 21 level. He has impressed several English clubs this season and last week he snapped up by the English championship club last week after Pompey paid his release clause, reported to be only €50,000.
Meanwhile Premier Division leaders Shamrock Rovers have signed former Bohemians striker Jonathan Afolalbi, who has been playing KV Kortrijk in Belgium and Cambuur in Holland. A former Irish under 21 international, the Tallaght native was called into the Irish senior squad for the European Championship game against Holland in 2023 but was not capped at senior level.
CLONES TO VOTE
ON ‘DELANEY’
Members of Clones Town FC in County Monaghan will hold an EGM on July 19 where members will vote on a motion to remove “John Delaney Park” as the official name of its club grounds. Should members vote to change the ground’s name the motion proposes that locals and members of the club should be invited to submit alternative names.
John Delaney exited his role as FAI CEO after 15 years in 2019 following a press investigation into the association’s finances.
BOHS WALKOVER
Bohemians will receive a walkover in the second round of the FAI Cup after Cork club Ringmahon Rangers opted to withdraw from the competition. The clubs were due to meet on July 19, but the Munster Senior League club decided to forgo the fixture because of a potential clash with the All-Ireland hurling final which could feature Cork. A statement from Ringmahon said: ‘‘As a club, we feel we were treated unfairly and placed in an impossible position. Other team games against League of Ireland opposition have been allowed to be played at our home ground. Following discussions with the Munster Football Association, we were informed that Turner's Cross would not be available that weekend. We then explored the possibility of staging the game in Cobh, with concerns over reduced attendance due to a potential clash with a Cork GAA fixture and the FIFA World Cup final later that day, created significant difficulties. In an effort to find a workable solution, we proposed several alternative dates to the FAI, including Friday, Saturday, and Monday of the same weekend. We also offered to play the fixture the previous week or at any suitable date before the next round of the competition. We subsequently received correspondence from the FAI confirming that these requests had been declined and that the fixture details were to be finalised by 12 p.m. on Monday, June 29.’’
MARESCA JOINS
ON 3-YEAR DEAL
Enzo Maresca has been confirmed as Manchester City’s manager on a three-year contract, the Italian returning to the club where he worked as an assistant to Pep Guardiola for 12 months. City have paid Chelsea £17m in compensation for their former head coach and Maresca also agreed a personal settlement with the west London club and apologised for the impact of his departure at the start of the year. Maresca has been expected to take over from Guardiola ever since the Spaniard confirmed he would be leaving City but lengthy negotiations were held over recompense Chelsea felt they were due. Chelsea say Maresca notified them of the potential opportunity to replace Guardiola at the end of the 2024-25 season and it was clear he wanted to pursue this, with the club claiming his resignation at the turn of the year was a major contributing factor to their poor campaign. Maresca said: “I recognize that my departure from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption for the club and I apologise for that. It was neither my intention nor my wish.”
LAMPARD STAYS
WITH COVENTRY
Frank Lampard has signed a new deal with Coventry until 2029. The 48-year-old helped the Sky Blues earn promotion to the Premier League last season by winning the Sky Bet Championship. Lampard was appointed Coventry manager in November 2024 and helped the club to a play-off finish in his first season in charge before losing out to Sunderland in the semi-finals. However, he helped the club return to the top flight after 25 years by finishing at the top of the Championship a year later. The former Chelsea, Everton and Derby boss has won 45 out of his 82 matches in charge at the west Midlands club. Lampard said: “I’m delighted to have signed a new contract, it’s a real honor to represent this club.’
FINN HARPS MULL
NEW STRUCTURE
Sustaining a fan-owned club in the League of Ireland is becoming an endangered species, exemplified by Bohemians and Sligo Rovers who are left standing as the final flagbearers. Finn Harps have not officially changed structure into private ownership yet but members of the Donegal club are due to vote this week on a possible takeover proposal by former Philippines international Freddy Gonzalez . A statement from Harps said: “We need investment simply to stand still and significantly more investment to grasp the opportunity that is now in front of us.’’
GALWAY SIGN
GAA’S GLEESON
Galway United have signed the county's Gaelic football goalkeeper Connor Gleeson on a short-term contract. The Tribesmen have been dealt a setback by the surprise departure of Evan Watts, with parent club Swansea recalling the ‘keeper from a season-long loan spell. Watts has been one of United’s leading performers this season and his exit brings a real headache for manager John Caulfield. The first move has been to add Gleeson to the squad, who featured for United last in 2018, on a temporary basis. Gleeson saw his inter-county GAA season finish last week when Galway lost to Dublin, with Caulfield quick to move to bring him to Eamonn Deacy Park.
BLUES WIN IN DERRY
No change at the top of the League of Ireland premier division with the top three clubs all winning. However, a significant move at the bottom where Waterford won 4-2 away to Derry City; that result coupled with Sligo Rovers loss to leaders Shamrock Rovers that The Blues have now moved off the bottom on goal difference from Sligo, who drop into the drop zone.
LOI results: Derry City 2, Waterford 4; Drogheda 0, Bohemians 2; St Patrick’s Ath 3, Galway 0; Shelbourne 2, Dundalk 1, Sligo Rov 1, Shamrock Rov 2.
MANAGERS BEHIND
SPLIT SEASON: WALSH
One of the main reasons why we are having All-Ireland football and hurling finals in the month of July is due the power that the GAA gave to inter-county managers a few years back. That’s the view of former Kilkenny hurler Tommy Walsh, who says that inter-county managers would not allow county players to play for their clubs and that’s why the clubs wanted a split season and allow more time for club games.
Covid came along in 2020 and that was really the turning point. Most GAA supporters want a return to September finals; GAA president Jarlath Burns says we might get the football final in August next year. However, club and intercounty players seem to be happy with the new arrangement. Former Galway hurling manager Cyril Farrell says the GAA must adapt the inter-county calendar and start putting their own games first, rather than opening Croke Park’s gates to others. Pointing to the split season which was ushered in following Covid, Farrell insists inter-county games are needlessly condensed now.
Farrell said: “All this started with Covid when you had to condense things. Fair enough, that was the way it was. But then when Covid went away, it was as if it was a master fixture plan drawn up by Croke Park. Sure, it was never drawn up as a master fixture plan by Croke Park, this just happened. First of all, the matches are too condensed, especially with the football. You are not giving lads a chance to recover. In the hurling, you will have no one playing games when the real summer weather is here. That’s the way it’s going to be until the GAA changes the system. I wouldn’t be saving Croke Park for the boxing or Garth Brooks concerts. Well and good if there is room for concerts the end of the year, but they are eating into the time, to me, that hurling teams should be in Croke Park. Without insulting anyone, Croke Park was built for GAA purposes, first and foremost, but now we seem to be promoting boxing to whatever else before the GAA, before our own games.”
FG PUT PRESSURE ON
GAA OVER COVERAGE
The GAA will face renewed political pressure over the winter months to ensure all football and hurling championship games are available free-to-air ahead of the 2027 season. Fine Gael is urging all its councillors across the country to follow in the footsteps of Kerry County Council, which passed an emergency motion last week, calling on the GAA to ensure no game is behind a paywall. It is believed all local authorities will support the motion. The motion stated: ‘‘This council calls on the GAA to ensure all inter-county senior football and hurling games for 2027 are available for all to see on free-to-air TV and, where required, on other online streaming platforms. Everyone should be able to watch their county team compete at inter-county championship matches.” The TV rights for the All-Ireland football and hurling championships are split between RTR and GAA+, which is the GAA’s own streaming service. But there has been widespread controversy over crunch championship games being put behind a paywall. The GAA has defended the situation, with director of communications Alan Milton recently saying that having championship games broadcast exclusively free-to-air was simply not possible. Fine Gael senator Mike Kennelly said there was concern among supporters across the country regarding access to inter-county championship games. He has written to all Fine Gael councillors, urging them to bring forward the motion at their next council meetings, to send a unified national message, from Fine Gael, that championship GAA matches should be accessible to everyone, regardless of income, access to technology or location.
UNDERCARD CONFIRMED
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn last week confirmed the undercard for Katie Taylor’s Croke Park fight against Flora Pili on Sept 5, where several Irish fighters will be part of the bill. In a heavyweight bout, Dubliner Thomas Carty will face England’s Dave Allen, Carty made his comeback after a year out due to a knee injury in a points victory over German Skobenko in March. In all-Irish bouts, Limerick’s Paddy Donovan, the number one ranked mandatory challenger for the IBF world welterweight title, will fight Belfast’s Tyrone McKenna and middleweight Paul Ryan faces Paddy Gallagher. There is a spot on the card for Taylor’s cousin Molly McCann. She clashes with English fighter Sylwia Doligala while the undefeated Tokyo Olympian Emmet Brennan takes on Southampton native Taylor Bevan. Liverpool super bantamweight Joe McGrail fights Coleraine’s Matthew Boreland with the WBA continental gold title on the line. Dubliners Adam Olaniyan, a heavyweight, and super welterweight Bobbi Flood will also be part of the card. Hearn said: With so much Irish talent on the undercard, it will be a special, party atmosphere at Croke Park before 80,000 fans get behind the great Katie Taylor for her final ever fight.’’
