RTÉ GAA Podcast

4.3 (10)
SPORTS
UPDATED WEEKLY

Cathal Mullaney and the RTÉ Sport team take a look at all the biggest issues in football and hurling, plus preview and review the weekend's action with RTÉ's top GAA analysts.

2D AGO

Donegal’s tactical innovation, Clifford’s quiet day, and a frustrating Division 2 finish

Cathal Mullaney is joined by Éamonn Fitzmaurice and Rory O'Neill to sort through the weekend's Allianz Football League finals. Unsurprisingly there were two somewhat disappointed men in Éamonn and Rory, with both Kerry and Cork missing out in their respective finals, but as will be revealed, in very different ways. Éamonn explained that Kerry's 13-point loss to Donegal will not have much bearing on the county's championship season. He also reflects that the manner of the defeat may sting but there will be no panic in the Kingdom over the coming weeks. The panel considered the differences in Donegal's play compared to last year's All-Ireland final, and the ex-All-Ireland winning manager is relishing the "tactical innovation" to come in the championship, given the glimpses show by the Tír Chonaill men on Sunday. Rory calls on Éamonn's FRC knowledge to discuss the refereeing of tackling and the hooter issues he saw in Cork v Meath, where he felt there was an unsatisfactory finish to the Division 2 clash. Joe Murphy’s remarks about keeping his coaching and backroom team local were noted, and Éamonn added that people will now be sitting up and taking notice after the Barrowsiders claimed their first League title since 1971. Watch the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Sport Youtube Web http://www.rte.ie/sport X: https://x.com/RTEsport Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/rtesport See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50 min
6D AGO

Does winning the league matter? | New SFC structure explained

Ciaran Whelan and Rory O'Neill join Cathal Mullaney in studio to look ahead to this weekend's Allianz Football League finals. First Whelo recalls his one and only league final appearance, which took place in Cork... for some reason. He hasn't dwelt on it much in the 30-odd years since. The league finals mean different things to different teams (04:00), with the likes of Wexford, Longford and Carlow placing more emphasis on it than a Donegal or a Kerry. As to that Division 1 final (06:00), Whelo expects both teams to hold a little back ahead of Championship, with Kerry's lack of Paudie Clifford giving them a perfect excuse should things not go their way. The Division 2 decider could be a clinker (16:50), with both Meath and Cork free to throw off the shackles, their primary goal of promotion already secured. Meath's familiarity with Croke Park and Cork's celebration of Tyrone win may play a part. The most significant final is the third tier meeting of Down and Wexford (23:00) with Sam Maguire football likely on the line. Can the Model men come down from their Roy of the Rovers escapades against Westmeath, and even if they do, are Down a level above? Carlow and Longford in Division 4 (26:45) have achieved their objective of escaping the basement dungeon but the carrot of a trophy for such counties cannot be discounted. Finally Rory, the king of a championship format discussion (28:30), takes us through the new All-Ireland football structure, with slides for those of you watching on YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39 min
MAR 23

Michael Lyster memories | Blockbuster Football Leagues | Hurling final Croker snub | RTÉ GAA Podcast

Cathal Mullaney is joined by Enda McGinley, Shane McGrath and Damian Lawlor to reflect on an exhilirating final round of Allianz League games over the weekend. They also pay tribute to Michael Lyster following the death of the legendary The Sunday Game presenter over the weekend (00:30). The football chat starts with divisions 3 and 4 (5:30), where Wexford pulled off the heist of the weekend to gain promotion ahead of Westmeath, while in Division 4, Wicklow threw away the chance to escape the basement, with Longford benefiting. In the top tier, Dublin were relegated while Donegal and Kerry will meet in the final, with the Kingdom's draw in Armagh capturing Enda McGinley's attention. Meath and Cork hinted at an interesting summer ahead with their promotion to the top tier, while Kildare's hopes of progress stunted once more by relegation. In hurling (41:45), Shane fancies Cork as the All-Ireland favourites but has lots of Limerick men in his team of the league. The Munster pair will meet in the league final in the Gaelic Grounds, with Shane strongly advocating for a Croke Park decider. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 15m
MAR 19

Cork's shot at Division 1 | Do Munster hurling sides meet too often?

The Allianz Leagues reach their final round of round robin games with plenty still to be decided. The four football divisions are the more intriguing, and Peter Canavan joins Cathal Mullaney and Rory O'Neill to run through the permutations. Hurling (35:00) has less on the line, but the de facto semi-final between Limerick and Galway does raise a couple of talking points. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 1m
MAR 16

Refreshed Roscommon and Cork’s Division 1 destiny decider

Cathal Mullaney and Conor Neville from the RTÉ Sport team are joined by Éamonn Fitzmaurice to take a look at round 6 of the Allianz football league. Éamonn boldly proposes that Kerry may be entering an era similar to Jim Gavin's Dublin from 2015-2020 (4:45). Mayo's attacking game (7:50) against Kerry was broken down, with the ex-Kerry manager stating he felt any issues would be ironed out in time for Championship season. The Rossies are in flying form was another topic of discussion and Éamonn feels they look like they have preserved more energy than usual to beat their past form of not being able to produce after a strong league performance. (13:00) Ger Brennan's post-match comments were brought up with Éamonn reflecting that the "straight shooting" manager maybe felt there was a lack of leadership in their second-half performance that allowed Armagh to control the kickouts (16:30). Thoughts also turned to what approach Jack O'Conor will take for the final-round clash against the Orchard county, with Éamonn stating that incentives for both sides could make for an exciting clash in the Athletic Grounds (20:10). As the league comes to a close the panel wonder if players are as concerned and aware of the permutations, Éamonn reflects that it depends on the player and their level of personal "nerdiness" for the intricacies of the game (26:50). Division 2, 3 and 4 are also discussed, with Cork's fate determined to be very much in their own hands against Tyrone, who they have a decent record against (29:50), and uniquely all seven teams remain in the mix in Division 4 (34:50). You can find the RTÉ Sport online team's permutations for the Allianz Football League here: https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2026/0316/1563681-football-league-permutations-little-decided-ahead-of-r7/ Watch the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Sport Youtube Web http://www.rte.ie/sport X: https://x.com/RTEsport Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/rtesport See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39 min
MAR 12

Kobe versus Clifford | Dessie Dolan on gap between divisions

Cathal Mullaney is joined by fellow Sligoman James McMahon and former Westmeath manager Dessie Dolan to preview the weekend's Allianz Football League action. There is much excitement around Mayo's visit to Tralee to take on Kerry (2:50) and not just because it's Kobe versus Clifford. Can Mayo keep the 'Moranball' bounce going or will Jack O'Connor look to continue his impressive league record? Also on Saturday, Armagh travel to Croke Park to take on Dublin (9:00). Neither side has enjoyed the spring they would have hoped for... can Armagh find the net and can Ger Brennan find a few more wins while minding Con O'Callaghan? High-flying Donegal travel to Roscommon on Sunday (15:45) with the hosts looking to bounce back from a poor showing against Dublin. Dessie believes the Connacht men need to show more aggression in the tackle. With Monaghan hosting Galway (18:40) and the drop looking inevitable, Dessie explains how the drop to Division 2 is not the end of the world... provide you bounce back up. Things in Division 2 (21:20) continue to intrigue, as Tyrone look devoid of confidence and Dessie asks, 'Who would manage the Cork footballers?' Finally, with Offaly struggling in the second tier and a gaggle of Division 3 sides looking to join Down in promotion, Dessie spells out the gulf between the second and third tiers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

32 min
MAR 9

Kilkenny stalled and keepers kept idle, Kildare closing the gap?

Cathal Mullaney is joined by Shane McGrath and Mikey Stafford to discuss the weekend’s Allianz League hurling action, which saw a historic loss for Kilkenny, Limerick’s return to their old set-up, and the benefits of 1B for developing teams. Shane details how he felt nothing went right for Kilkenny in Salthill on Saturday (1:20), where a lack of energy and an issue with their puck-out resulted in the county's worst loss since the 1950s, a result Shane joked even Google wouldn’t know. The panel also consider how Galway have risen to their current status, with Shane adding that the real measure of success for minor teams is how many make it to senior, suggesting Galway as an example (11:30). Thoughts also turn to Kilkenny's next fixture, against Shane's own Tipp, where a heavy defeat could see relegation for the 36-time All-Ireland champions, something he feels could further motivate the Premier County for the fixture (13:00). The lack of need for goalkeepers in Salthill was another point of discussion, with Shane noting that of the 52 points scored, not one was a shot on goal, signifying changes in the game (14:40). Limerick v Cork was next on the list of fixtures to discuss and, despite the two-point loss for the Rebels, Shane feels that experiencing Limerick's intensity will benefit them come Championship (16:00). Shane explained that he felt Limerick have returned to their old set-up, with diagonal ball once again at the forefront of their approach. He praises Kyle Hayes for his unpredictable play and shares his thoughts on the 27-year-old’s ideal position on the pitch (28:00). The chat then turns to 1B, and Shane expresses his belief that the division is the perfect platform for teams in transition to develop their panels - though still some way off the level needed to succeed in the Championship (31:30). The group discuss the Lilywhites’ weekend performance, and Shane explains that even without Jack Sheridan they were still able to turn heads, adding that he thinks a big win is coming in Leinster… Wexford? Kilkenny? A few teams are thrown around, but either way Shane predicts a big upset come the Leinster Championship (33:00). Lastly, the Dubs are discussed, with Shane explaining how he feels a League title is on the cards, complimenting the competitive nature of 1B as perfect preparation for the Leinster Championship (38:00). Watch the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Sport Youtube Web http://www.rte.ie/sport X: https://x.com/RTEsport Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/rtesport See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

40 min
MAR 5

Marty and Dalo chat Cork-Limerick phoney war and Kilkenny's lack of youth

Cathal Mullaney is joined by the dynamic Clare duo of Marty Morrissey and Anthony Daly to preview the weekend's Allianz Hurling League action. In arguably the most tantalising round of fixtures thus far, much may be decided in the top two divisions. Dalo describes Waterford as 'abysmal' in their heavy defeats to Cork and Galway but gives them some hope against a Tipp side who were fairly abysmal themselves in defeat to Limerick (02:00). Galway and Kilkenny (09:30) both need a win to fend off relegation threat. Galway are building strength and depth again thanks to their underage production line, but the same can't be said of Kilkenny, where the well has run dry to an extent. The biggest game of the weekend prove to be the most underwhelming, with real fears that Cork and Limerick (16:00) may engage in a bit of shadowboxing, with the potential for three or even four more meetings in the coming months. Finally to matters in Division 1B (27:00), where Banner hero Dalo fully expects already-promoted Clare to go full bore against Wexford and all but condemn the improving Model County to another year in the second tier. Meanwhile the balance of power may be about to tip in the Carlow-Kildare rivalry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37 min

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Mikey Stafford

Host
Rory O'Neill

Host

4.3

out of 5

10 Ratings

Cathal Mullaney and the RTÉ Sport team take a look at all the biggest issues in football and hurling, plus preview and review the weekend's action with RTÉ's top GAA analysts.