Columns - Irish Examiner

Anthony Daly

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

Kilkenny ingrained in a culture of success

For years now, we’ve all been saying the same thing, probably more hoping as a wider hurling community, that the Kilkenny machine has to start grinding to a halt at some stage. We’ve been watching like hawks for signals; the retirement of so many big names, the lack of underage success, a suspect strength in depth, and the dearth of real quality forwards coming through.

Mon, 22 Feb, 2016

New season but same old failings remain for Cork

When I looked at the Cork team on the programme last Sunday, I thought it looked strong, and that Cork were well set up to bag two points. Yet it was more familiarity with the names than anything else which, ultimately, reflected a false strength. It made me question what was really different about Cork. By the final whistle it was obvious — nothing.

Sat, 20 Feb, 2016

Limerick v Kerry - Munster Senior Hurling League Round 1

Everyone must face League pressure cooker head-on

In the middle of December, I spotted the story online about your man, Keval Nakeshree, the fella from Gloucester who placed a £5 bet on Leicester at 1000/1 to be top of the Premier League at Christmas. My heart went out to the poor auld devil at the time. ‘Jeez, what a bet, it’s a pity he’ll come up short’. After Leicester defeated Everton 3-2 on Christmas week, Mr Nakeshree picked up a cool £5,000.

Sat, 13 Feb, 2016