Columns - Irish Examiner

Anthony Daly

Do they sell Panadol tablets under the old stand in Thurles?

The first year I was manager of Clare, our opening championship match took place the week after the league final between Waterford and Galway. 

Sat, 30 Apr, 2016

Don’t fret, Brian Cody will still have slept well last night

I was in Páirc Ui Rinn in March the night Kilkenny came from six points down with five minutes remaining to nail Cork on the line by one point. Kilkenny had some momentum and far more time to reel Clare in from six points down but, while you never say never with that crowd, you never felt a Kilkenny comeback was on in this League semi final.

Mon, 18 Apr, 2016

Patience paramount as Limerick build for the future

Working with the Limerick underage hurling academy, and being on the ground so often around Limerick, it’s very easy to pick up on the oscillating mood and trends in a county desperate for success.

Sat, 16 Apr, 2016

Dónal Óg Cusack has brought ‘Cork cockiness’ to Clare

I came in early yesterday morning to watch the Clare U21s play Dublin in a challenge game in Clare-abbey, our old pitch in Clarecastle. 

Mon, 04 Apr, 2016

If I was Kieran Kingston...

I was involved in two relegation finals with Dublin, one in 2012, the second in 2014. The first time around, we knew we were already in that position before we played our last match. In 2014, everything was in our own hands heading into our final group game against Tipperary; a draw or a defeat by no more than two points and we were through.

Sat, 02 Apr, 2016

Davy Fitzgerald had Clare so pumped up

I made my way to my usual spot in the middle of the North stand in Cusack Park yesterday. I didn’t bother going to the newly redeveloped stand. The architect’s drawings online make it appear like a smaller version of Croke Park but it looks on the outside that it just got a new paint job; I presume for planning reasons, they couldn’t make it bigger.

Mon, 21 Mar, 2016

Mind games beginning as Clare prepare for Shannonside derby

I was at Limerick minor training on Tuesday night when the banter began. Our strength and conditioning coach, Mikey Kiely, was involved with Limerick IT’s Fitzgibbon team and he had the story that Clare could only name 23 names for the programme early in the week. Between injury and illness, Clare reportedly couldn’t even muster a 24th body. I laughed to myself. ‘That smacks of Davy beginning the mind games early’, I said to Mikey.

Sat, 19 Mar, 2016

Galway struggling to deal with second-season syndrome

I CAN still remember the moment. And the question. I was nearly waiting for it. 

Sat, 12 Mar, 2016

Brian Cody will raise bar higher for sloppy Kilkenny

In Nowlan Park yesterday, I took my seat in the stand behind the goals for the first time. Anytime I’d been there before, I’d been on the field, patrolling the sideline with the Dubs or in the press box, but I wanted to get a different perspective on Kilkenny, especially their structure. It was also the closest spot to where I parked the car.

Mon, 07 Mar, 2016

Any chance Cork are codding us ahead of great weekend of NHL action?

When the Cork- Dublin hurling/football double-header was first played in Croke Park in 2014, Cork edged the hurling match by one point. I met Jimmy Barry-Murphy upstairs afterwards and he was delighted.

Sat, 05 Mar, 2016