Clare will be odds-on favorites to qualify for their third successive All-Ireland Football Final when they meet Offaly in the first of the semifinals at Croke Park on Sunday, Aug. 9.
The Bannermen, who are not winning any new friends outside their own county for their behavior on and off the field, will be without full-back Brian Lohan, who got a four-week suspension after being sent off in the Munster final replay against Waterford. But P.J. O’Connell, who was sent off in the drawn game, will be available.
Keane makes return
Irish international Roy Keane made his long-awaited comeback for Manchester United last week. Keane was back to his usual self in a pre-season game against Norwegian side Valerengea. He played only the first half, just enough time to pick up a yellow card.
Keane hopes to be fully fit for Manchester United’s opening champions’ League game on Aug. 12 and The Republic’s opening European Championship game against Croatia on Sept. 5.
“They are both big games and I want to be involved. My main ambition is to keep fit and not miss any games through injury or suspension next season,” the Corkman said.
Follow us on social media
Keep up to date with the latest news with The Irish Echo
Horse show opens
One of Ireland’s oldest sporting events will be held in Ballsbridge, Dublin, this week. The Dublin Horse Show celebrates its 125th anniversary and for the 10th successive year it will be sponsored by Kerrygold. The show first became an annual event in 1868 and took place on the grounds of Leinster Lawn, now the home of D_il Eireann.
The show gets under way today, Aug. 5, with a unique challenge between Irish jump jockeys and Irish showjumpers. For the first time Richard Dunwoody, Adrian Maguire, Tony McCoy and Conor O’Dwyer will don their racing silks and compete in a time trial event against top showjumpers like Eddie Macken, Trevor Coyle and Peter Charles. The event is in aid of the Jockey Accidents Fund.
As usual the big showjumping competition is the Nations Cup on Friday for the Agha Khan Trophy. But for the first time in 60 years the president of Ireland will not present the famous trophy. President McAleese will be on vacation in Donegal, improving her Irish. The show ends with the Kerrygold International Grand Prix on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Shelbourne top Rangers
A bit of history was made in Glasgow last week when a Gaelic football game was played at Ibrox, home of Glasgow Rangers. The game was played by the soccer players from Shelbourne when they were allowed train in the famous stadium on the eve of their UEFA Cup second-leg game against Rangers. For the record, the Shelbourne team, wearing orange bibs, beat the team wearing green by a goal.
Rangers, who came back from three goals down to beat Shels, 5-3, in the first leg, qualified for the second round with a 2-0 win. And St. Patrick’s Athletic’s European hopes are also over for this season after going down 2-0 to Celtic in Dublin.
Both Northern Ireland clubs are also out. Champions Cliftonville were beaten 8-0 by Kosice. And even though Linfield beat Omonia Nicosia, they still went out 8-6 on aggregate.
Lyons to stay at Offaly
Tommy Lyons is to continue as manager of the Offaly senior footballers. Lyons, who was a successful club manager with Dublin club Kilmacud Crokes, led the Faithful County to the Leinster title last year. But his future was in doubt following Offaly’s Leinster championship first-round exit against Meath this year. John Maughan is also staying on for another three years in Mayo and Pete McGrath the second-longest-serving intercounty manager, is also continuing with Down.
Honors for Kerr
Jack Charlton got the Freedom of Dublin for his exploits with the Republic of Ireland senior team, although they never did win anything. Now there are calls for Irish youths team manager Brian Kerr to get a similar honor. Kerry has led Irish teams to victory in two European competitions this year. In May, the 45-year-old Dubliner led the Under-16s to European victory in Scotland and last weekend he took the Under-18s to victory in Cyprus.
Kerr was one of the upcoming Irish coaches before Jack Charlton’s appointment in 1986. But he quit along with the then manager, Liam Tuohy, when Charlton tried to take over a halftime team talk during a youth game against England. Kerr then quit the FAI and took over as manager of League of Ireland club St. Patrick’s Athletic. He was appointed Youths manager last year and immediately led the Irish Under-20 team to third place in World Cup finals in Malaysia.
Gaelic update
Although they didn’t set the world alight with their championship performance this season, Kerryman Paddy Mulvihill has been given another year in charge of the Limerick Senior footballers.
Meanwhile, former Meath full-back Mick Lyons is the latest name tipped for the vacant Carlow post.
And Mayo’s manager, John Maughan, is currently as sick as the proverbial parrot. Maughan was one of 50 army personnel who contacted salmonella at a recent barbecue in the West.
Rugby Union abandon plans
The Irish Rugby Football Union have abandoned their plans to move to the proposed new stadium in what was formerly the Phoenix Park Racecourse. The IRFU and the Football Association of Ireland has been in talks about the possibility of sharing a stadium. “The Phoenix Park plan is off because of the recent decision to site the national conference center in the docks area of Dublin,” an IRFU spokesman said.