Herald

Thursday, February 09 2012

Frank Roche

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Gaelic: Dublin due to fulfil destiny

Alan Brogan

HOW many times have we seen it written about the Dublin footballers? Their next outing is always the most important match -- until they win, and the next one comes along.

Frank Roche: Dubs built to pass Treaty

ANTHONY DALY must occasionally stop and wonder if he absent-mindedly walked under a ladder during the closed-season. Or accidentally broke a mirror. Or unwittingly spied a black cat (as opposed to those pesky black-and-amber ones) crossing his path on the long road from Clarecastle to Donnycarney.

Frank Roche: Mayo left to lick wounds

OH Mayo, God help us. And as for Cork? God help the rest of us. On the paint-drying evidence of yesterday's top-flight 'finale', the men from the south are the real deal and the men from the west are dealing with delusion if they think their All- Ireland famine is about to end any year soon.

Frank Roche: Dublin not in league of their own just yet

THERE are many sceptics out there who believe the National Leagues don't matter a damn.

Frank Roche: O'Byrne could be totally frozen out

THIS year's O'Byrne Cup could end up being shelved altogether if another weekend is lost to the longest cold snap in recent memory, writes Frank Roche.

Frank Roche: Whelan not for turning

NO RETURN: Former Dublin midfielder Ciaran Whelan

PAT GILROY has dramatically floated the prospect of a Sky Blue comeback for Ciaran Whelan -- but the retired Dublin star is almost certainly not for turning.

McCarthy survives, but for how long?

WHERE to now for Limerick hurling? That is the inevitable question to ask after last night's scarcely overwhelming vote of confidence in the embattled Justin McCarthy to continue as their senior manager in 2010.

Christy's crusade looks unwinnable

SHOCK horror. GAA to tackle payment of managers. Again. It was with a jaundiced eye that Curve Ball initially read over the weekend that Christy Cooney was planning a crackdown on the long-established, nod-wink practice of paying GAA bosses at both club and county level.

Rebels blow Tyrone away

IT would be wrong to say no one saw this coming, but very few people saw it coming this way. Tyrone, putative team of the decade, were ultimately blown out of the water by 14 ravenous Cork men.

Limerick hit for six by class tipp

Premier men bury ghost of last year's semi defeat by dismantling Treatymen to secure their place in All-Ireland final

Frank Roche: We're not thinking of Kerry says Gilroy

PAT GILROY insists it's been easy for his Sky Blue crew to block out presumptuous media talk about a Dublin/Kerry All-Ireland final -- for the simple reason that they simply cannot afford to look beyond Donegal in this Sunday's semi-final.

Frank Roche: Match officials in the firing line

Wexford and Derry fuming after controversial decisions

Frank Roche: Red Hand can rule Orchard

THERE was a time when this fixture had GAA fans everywhere, even those in faraway Kerry and Cork, on the edge of their seats.

Frank Roche: Lilies can burn Oak

KILDARE came through 70 energy-sapping minutes of intense championship football last Saturday. Derry faced a similar high-octane examination the following afternoon.

Frank Roche: Dublin's fitness told: Kerry's O'Keeffe

DUBLIN aren't the only ones with a host of wannabes staking their claims to a county jersey. The same applied to Kerry yesterday and, according to Ger O'Keeffe, their young guns got something of a lesson, writes Frank Roche.

Frank Roche: New rules fail to make their mark as managers vent fury

THE experimental playing rules have received a distinctly lukewarm reaction after the first weekend of inter-county football action, with claims that the 'mark' could actually slow down the game and complaints about the new hand-passing rule too.

Frank Roche: Sir Rolex realises time’s not always on United’s side

Five measly minutes of injury time. It's an insult to football, we say! An insult to the world's most renowned watch-watcher, Sir Rolex Ferguson.

Frank Roche: 'Twas a decade of Noughty carry on

END of the year. End of the decade. But, you'll be glad to hear, Curve Ball won't be using this end-of-an-era excuse to rehash any lazy old column about the Team of the Noughties.

Mike Mac saga lingers despite Sparrow appointment

GER O'LOUGHLIN was formally ratified as Clare's new hurling manager last night, but the Mike Mac saga hasn't fully gone away with several more pot-shots fired against the players who forced the latter's removal.

GPA to study economic benefit of games for grants leverage

THE Gaelic Players Association will step up its campaign to preserve government-funded grants in the New Year with a study measuring how the Irish economy benefits from the playing of inter-county games.

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