Kilkenny GAA Thread

I just feel I have to comment on a tweet I saw on the Kilkenny GAA news last night. It obviously interfered with my nights sleep. Anyway a Dublin club Naomh Barrog were congratulating two of their boys who were with the Dublin U15 development squads win against the Kilkenny U15 squads on a score line of 3-19 to 1-11.Last week the Cork U17’s hammered our U17,s of which there was no results given. All last year there was no results given either. All Kilkenny squads were being consistently hammered by Galway Tipp and Cork and probably others which I couldn’t verify. All the management teams will tell you it’s all about development.well they are certainly developing a losing mentality and fear factor which if the winning mentality is gone we will struggle to get it back. Those two Dublin chaps have no fear of playing Kilkenny. Just going back to the 2020 the Kilkenny manager was praising the Galway team on how good they were And it just seemed he was covering his arse in the pre match interview in the event of KK been beaten,it just seemed to me to be throwing in the towel before we even started. I was in Portlaoise that day ,the following month I was in Thurles to watch the 2021 minor semi- final with the same management team and some of the current management team. During the warm up these geniuses were standing around with there arms folded and not one of them went over to individual players to encourage them .i thought at the time this was not a good start sadly I was proven right. I won’t even comment on the game at this point. Going back to bed now after getting all that off my chest.

Glad to be wrong in that case.

Thomastown cant really have complaints.They got a fortuitous goal and Glenmore drove a load of wides in the first half.Eoin Murphy absolutely loarded it in the first half.Tucker was very sharp in the first half when the ball going in was decent but in the second half thomastown went route one time after time.They possibly could of had a penalty near the end and never gave up but Glenmore I thought were deserving winners.Ian byrne got 2 lovely points in the second half both but teams had sweepers and it wasn't a day for high scoring.

All the games this year the Fenians had a man sent off or an opposition player sent off , the Fenian player was dogging the Freshford player before that the lines man had a good view to what happened.

Zach Bay Hammond has not played hurling for thomastown since minor

He's playing for Waterford United's Under-19s in the League Of Ireland Underage Leagues.

Disappointing day for Thomastown yesterday but beaten by a better team and well done and well played to Glenmore.

Unreal performance by Eoin Murphy at centre back he orchestrated everything for them, he is a very good reader of the game. He started playing very deep and Stephen Donnelly got on a few balls and he stepped up on him and took control of things and then when Tucker was going well he sat right in front of him and snuffed out the ball coming in. That experience, game management and intelligence was the winning of the game. His two brothers had fine games and every glenmore man fought for every ball. Thomastown did well on Alyward and Byrne but they did have a few moments, what a score from Ian Byrne from under the stand into the town end.

We seem to be missing a few ingredients to get over the line but we did fight for everything on a day where we didn't get going, we got the last three scores and think it goes without saying that the referee was the only person in the ground that thought that wasn't a penalty on 57 minutes. In fairness the glenmore fans couldn't believe their luck and were even laughing at it. But that said it was 19 points to 1 10 with 6 or so minutes left so that does tell its own story. Thomas O Hanrahan was exceptional yesterday and in last few games and John Donnolly and Jonjo were good too. Henry brought them out the field for there physicality but we did also need them inside for tucker to play off. Long way back for thomastown as now we have had Maurice Aylward and Henry and we couldn't do it so today it feels like it may never happen.

The first game didn't have the same quality but it was intriguing. Fenians started great and were well on top early, the battle they show is amazing and they are a credit to their club. They play so close to the edge that they get a few red cards which is something they need to work on. JJ did some good work the way he keeps the hurl in and turns over ball is unreal, boy do we miss him for kilkenny.

Freshford had just about enough and will give glenmore enough of it, I feel they have a chance but only if they score few goals in the final.

Best of luck to freshford and glenmore in the final

Cracking 2nd game in the park. Both sides went at it with huge honesty and intensity and were by and large left at it by Peter Burke who helped to make it the game it was.

I thought Henry set Thomastown up very defensively in the 1st half, probably trying to cancel out the danger of Ger Aylward. While this worked, I think it definitely diluted Thomastown up front and also left Eoin Murphy with the freedom of the park at times. Murphy's influence on the game was huge but I feel the game was won by Glenmore's players from midfield up to corner forward. I thought the pressure they applied to Thomastown's backs/midfield forced Ttown into rushed and hurried clearances straight down the middle to the waiting Murphy.

I thought the ref should've shown 2 red cards in the 1st game, but it always seems to be the 2nd man to strike that gets caught. Freshford were slow to get going and on yesterdays evidence would want to improve a good bit to stay with Glenmore but can the men from the south (who will surely be hot favourites) reproduce the efforts of yesterday remains to be seen.

glenmore beating thomastown was somewhat of a surprise but they were the better team.They played well really fought for each other. did town lose some focus with the henry galway razmatazz and expecting to win/be handed c final and walk off? .can only have fuelled effort from Glen men. Shane murphy could be added to the list above maybe. eoin murphy is a serious hurler out the field also at club level. henry and management team did not cover themselves in glory yesterday especially in second half.glenmore had their number yesterday

fenians fought hard that loss of number 6 was big blow but the opposing player might have went too. Fenians started well and were on top before sending off. They always give everything. Freshford got the job done and will fancy chances against Glenmore

Any of ye on face book should go over to the Freshford gaa page see the ground that there number ten covered its amazing. As regards the loss of number 6 he pulled wildly before the incident he was sent off there was a helmet pulled off St lachtains player in the second half which the player had to get hospital treatment after the match. Are Thomastown as good as people think Freshford left it behind them last year in the semi final lisdowney wiped there eye in the final. Glenmore look good i say they will win it out two serious corner backs the three murphys etc .

Good podcast on off the ball with PM o Sullivan discussing Shefflin and Cody.

Good assessments of the matches over the weekend. Johnstown deserve credit they've flirted with relegation recently but the sending off was a killer,in fact discipline needs to worked on.You can't afford to lose a man.I thought it was strange at half time fenians had a free in but the ref blew up for half time.There was also an issue with the time and its probably time to give the time keeping to the 4th official.This didn't affect the outcome Freshford had a better spread of scores and Liam hickey is probably a lad who will be called in.Freshford have yet to play for a full 60 mins but they have goal scores in their team so they definitely have a good chance.We don't know how Glenmore will be after beating thomastown Thomastown can't really have complaints but It's very dissapointing the two umpires a couple of yards from the incident didn't see it and its not good enough.Its good to see tucker back to he's best.

I also agree the circus surrounding Henry didn't help thomastown.we seen it with the boro aswell bonner leaving mid season isn't ideal.Its going to be hard for thomastown to pick up the pieces but the age profile is good and we seen with tullaron,ballyragget and the rower the found it hard to cross that line.

Is €15 for one match Sunday a bit steep?we got two matches for a tenner recently.Its live on TV so It will probably take from the crowd.

Special mention to Maurice alyward he's after being with a lot of clubs and still going strong but declan wall is also a good coach.Both teams will fancy their chances of winning this final.The South is on a high at the moment.Mooncoin v tullogher in the junior and it should be a very good match and Glenmore in the intermediate.

would not think Liam Hickey would be called in he was there before left of his own accord must be near thirty at this stage.

..

Its a joint venture.