Everything changes for an All Ireland final replay except the prize at the end of the roadDon’t be surprised if the best players for Cork and Clare the next day are the ones making amendsWed Sept 11 2013 - 12:00
Impressive Dublin prevail but being participants in a classic of little consolation to KerryWinning and losing of an epic contest came down to one vital late kick-outWed Sept 04 2013 - 12:00
Maybe I’m letting my heart rule my head but I trust these Kerry players to beat DublinThroughout our history the Dubs were never a team to be feared so why start now?Wed Aug 28 2013 - 12:00
James Horan’s use of Aidan O’Shea against Donegal is the key to Mayo’s ruthless streakThey’re a different prospect this year and could do a real number on Tyrone in Sunday’s semi-final showdownWed Aug 21 2013 - 12:00
The day of the luxury player is long gone – the key now is work-rate above all elseThere was a time when a Seán Cavanagh or a Maurice Fitzgerald could coast through the game but not any moreWed Aug 14 2013 - 12:00
Forget black cards and cynical tackling, the best midfielders can still soar above the restThe four winning sides at the weekend were all propelled by towering performances by the men in centrefieldWed Aug 07 2013 - 11:00
Monaghan’s physicality isn’t about playing dirty, it’s just in their football DNAThey threw the kitchen sink at Donegal and they will do the same against TyroneWed Jul 31 2013 - 12:00
Donegal aren’t done and dusted just yet - all they need is to look forward in angerJim McGuinness should have no trouble picking his team up for the qualifier against LaoisWed Jul 24 2013 - 11:00
Tedious business of naming dummy teams causes more problems than it solvesEven if the secret is kept, you run the risk of messing too much with your players’ headsWed Jul 17 2013 - 12:00
Brian O’Driscoll and Jackie Tyrrell show us what it takes to get to stay at the topThe sports might be different but the true greats all share the same qualitiesWed Jul 10 2013 - 12:00
The one thing you cannot do as a Kerry footballer is lose to Cork in KillarneySunday’s game might not have relevance to the year ahead but there is a proud tradition to upholdWed Jul 03 2013 - 12:00
Three minutes of play between Down and Donegal sum up the demands of the gameIt might not be pretty but it’s modern football so we must analyse it properlyWed Jun 26 2013 - 01:00
Turning the season around for the qualifiers is where managers really earn their saltEverything you’ve been preaching has to be reworked to get everyone believing againWed Jun 19 2013 - 12:00
Instead of giving out about players going to America, GAA should be doing more to keep them hereTeam holidays would strengthen team bonds and make it harder to leave prematurelyWed Jun 12 2013 - 12:00
It’s a game for big brutes now and they’re getting bigger with every passing seasonBody shapes are changing, even in players who’ve been around a long timeWed Jun 05 2013 - 01:00
Kerry hit the ground running and have clearly moved on from last yearDonegal have sent a warning shot across everyone’s bow but don’t write off Tyrone just yetWed May 29 2013 - 12:45
Galway massacre shows that Mayo have come on by 15 to 20 per cent from last yearIt’s more than just turning over ball in the opposition half, it’s being ruthless when you doWed May 22 2013 - 12:00
Dublin have the resources to bounce backTHE MIDDLE THIRD: THE DUST is settling and the winter’s coming inWed Oct 03 2012 - 01:00
Donegal were just the better team in every gameMIDDLE THIRD: LAST FRIDAY night, before the madness descended on Dublin, I headed up to Trim, Co MeathWed Sept 26 2012 - 01:00
Absence of stars could play to Mayo's advantage in the endTHE MIDDLE THIRD: A FRIEND OF mine has a business in Cork renting out bouncy castles and that kind of thingWed Sept 19 2012 - 01:00
Leadership is the final ingredientTHE MIDDLE THIRD: In an All-Ireland final, the critical difference can depend on which of the key players shows the right sort…Wed Sept 12 2012 - 01:00
Mayo made the most of the breaks that came their wayTHE MIDDLE THIRD: No one would begrudge Mayo their win but they got the big calls on the day and were lucky to be treated leniently…Wed Sept 05 2012 - 01:00
Cork paid for their lack of composureTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Disciplined Donegal capitalised when Cork started to panic and abandon tactics which were earlier working …Wed Aug 29 2012 - 01:00
Cork will need to have their homework done this timeTHE MIDDLE THIRD: You require a new game plan when you come face to face with Donegal – the Rebels will have to bring something…Wed Aug 22 2012 - 01:00
Unfinished business beckons for KerryTHE MIDDLE THIRD: WHEN I heard the draw on Monday morning, my reaction was probably the same as most people’s in KerryWed Jul 18 2012 - 01:00
All successful teams have a strong element of cynicismTHE MIDDLE THIRD: WHEN CORK won their All-Ireland two years ago, I remember looking at them play Down in the final and thinking…Wed Jul 11 2012 - 01:00
Mind games must be won before you can win the gameTHE MIDDLE THIRD: MINDSET IS a huge thing. Go into a championship game with the wrong one and it will cost youWed Jul 04 2012 - 01:00
All white nowTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Seánie Johnston has made a difficult personal decision to switch to Kildare – we should let him get on with…Wed Jun 27 2012 - 01:00
Impressive Donegal have unity of purposeTHE MIDDLE THIRD: LIKE EVERYBODY else, I’ve been watching plenty of the European Championships over the past few weeksWed Jun 20 2012 - 01:00
Don't start writing the obituaries just yetTHE MIDDLE THIRD : Kerry may not be in a good place after being badly bullied by Cork but a few pints along with a bit of letting…Wed Jun 13 2012 - 01:00
Páirc Uí Chaoimh a tight spot to get out ofTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Scalding showers and a shoebox dressingroom for the visitors, while Cork lord it in their luxury facilities…Wed Jun 06 2012 - 01:00
No team looks good on the first day outTHE MIDDLE THIRD: You know the championship is back when you see a fella on the terrace with a four-cornered knotted hankie …Wed May 30 2012 - 01:00
A poor day at the office for O'ConnorTHE MIDDLE THIRD: AROUND FOUR o’clock on Monday afternoon, I was looking out the window of my office on Denny Street in Tralee…Wed Sept 21 2011 - 01:00
Kerry to prevail by five or six pointsTHE MIDDLE THIRD: The Kingdom have a clear edge in terms of class and experience and, if you match their best players up against…Wed Sept 14 2011 - 01:00
As final nears, the strong emerge from the weekTHE MIDDLE THIRD: IN THE run up to any All-Ireland final, this week is the one that matters mostWed Sept 07 2011 - 01:00
Connolly unlucky but Dublin can't dwell on itTHE MIDDLE THIRD: The composure of players like Bernard Brogan and the team’s superior fitness helped Dublin edge over the line…Wed Aug 31 2011 - 01:00
Gooch flicked a switch and it was all overTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Colm Cooper’s genius helped Kerry overcome Mayo and if Dublin adopt a high-tempo game they can overcome dogged…Wed Aug 24 2011 - 01:00
Kingdom will be more than ready for underdogs' biteTHE MIDDLE THIRD: The hurling semi-finals showed the value of getting in opponents’ faces but Kerry will be prepared for Mayo…Wed Aug 17 2011 - 01:00
Tyrone just learned it's no country for old menTHE MIDDLE THIRD: Dublin were hungrier and quicker – but Donegal won’t give them the same spaceWed Aug 10 2011 - 01:00
Mayo heavy hitters leaving a serious markGAA: THE MIDDLE THIRD: Their close call in London seems so long ago now as James Horan’s men have pushed on in the championship…Wed Aug 03 2011 - 01:00
Great to see Cork finally shake off shacklesGAA: THE MIDDLE THIRD: If you were a manager and you were given your pick of squads in the country right now and told to bring…Wed Jul 27 2011 - 01:00
Kildare will do damage to the likes of Dublin, Cork or KerryTHE MIDDLE THIRD: AFTER WATCHING Kildare give Laois a good hiding on television the previous Saturday night, I decided I had…Wed Jul 20 2011 - 01:00
The Dublin defence and midfield must stop panickingGAA; THE MIDDLE THIRD: Dublin needed to win a tight game where they didn’t play well just to get a reminder of what is going…Wed Jul 13 2011 - 01:00
We saw the All-Ireland champions in KillarneyGAA: THE MIDDLE THIRD: KILLARNEY FOR the Munster final is one of my favourite days of the yearWed Jul 06 2011 - 01:00
Kerry forwards give fans reason for optimismTHE MIDDLE THIRD: KERRY AGAINST Cork will always matter, even when it doesn’tWed Jun 29 2011 - 01:00
Where do I park . . . what, no Garda escort!THE MIDDLE THIRD: DARRAGH Ó SÉ WEEKLY COLUMN: Darragh Ó Sé is still getting used to going to matches as an ordinary punter. …Wed Jun 15 2011 - 01:00
Top marksmen will decide where Sam goesGAELIC GAMES , THE MIDDLE THIRD: SAY WHAT you like about Graham Geraghty, the man can make a headlineWed Jun 08 2011 - 01:00
This Dublin side remind me a bit of BarcelonaGAA: THE MIDDLE THIRD: I was lucky to get a ticket for the Champions League final and was impressed by how Barca work hard and…Wed Jun 01 2011 - 01:00
Second instalment saves seriesTHE MIDDLE THIRD: After the shambles that was Limerick, the ante was upped for the second Test in Croke Park and at last we …Wed Nov 03 2010 - 00:00
Let's not kill the series with kindnessTHE MIDDLE THIRD: If the game at Croke Park is similar in lacklustre tempo and tame intensity to the one in Limerick last week…Wed Oct 27 2010 - 01:00
