Search Results for 'Croke'

Hurling is one of the oldest field games in the world. Some stories portray it as a form of military training, proficiency on the field equated with skill in battle. Legend has it that the first battle of Moytura fought about 2000 B.C. between two rival tribes, was preceded by a fierce hurling match between two teams of 27 a-side drawn from opposing forces. The casualties were buried under a huge stone cairn – a megalithic tomb. The field where the game took place is still called The Field of the Hurlers. Ancient games were also played at Tara.

On a gorgeous Monday afternoon, 13 days before an All Ireland SHC semi-final between Galway and Limerick, Henry Shefflin stands on the top floor of the Lough Rea Hotel & Spa.

The real stuff starts now. Losing to Galway wasn't ideal - but it has taken Mayo as many games through the back door to get to the same stage as the newly minted Connacht champions.

This one will sting, more so than the other recent defeats in the concrete caldron on Jones Road on the biggest day of all. 

At the end of the Mayo-Dublin All-Ireland semi-final five weeks ago, as the ‘Green and Red of Mayo’ boomed out over the loudspeakers, the chorus reverberated around the ground like a war-cry signalling the end of the most hurtful oppression imaginable at the hands of Dublin for over a decade.

With the elite contestants in the senior camogie ranks now clearly defined, Galway will look to reach their third decider in a row as the same four counties prepare for Sunday’s All -Ireland semi-finals for the fourth successive year.

As someone who is absolutely fascinated by the subject of history, it is rather inexplicable that in my five and half years of living in Galway that the only real historical fact I knew about the county was Mayor James Lynch Fitzstephen hanged his own son Walter for murder and thus came the term lynching. So when the opportunity to read The Little Book of Galway presented itself, I finally had a chance to bring my Galway history knowledge up to scratch and it did not disappoint.

The All-Ireland semi-final between Corofin and Nemo Rangers of Cork will take place on Saturday in Cusack Park, Ennis.

An urge to alter last week's article at the 11th hour spectacularly back fired on me as I somehow forwarded my piece from 12 months ago after making the alteration. The absence of sports editor Colm Gannon because of a family bereavement in the Advertiser office meant my mistake slipped through the net and the article from 2017 got published.

The very publicised retirement and eulogising of Colm Cooper caused much debate among friends and foes, current and past players, print and TV media over the last number of weeks. Joe Brolly fought an unwinnable battle against Ciaran Whelan and Tomas O'Shea on league Sunday declaring Cooper went missing in big games when Kerry needed him most and had to keep referencing Cooper's performances against Tyrone as an example of this.