Irish Sports Desk FAI respond to Keane criticism

By Sean Creedon

The FAI have reacted to criticism about training facilities by captain Roy Keane. For the next game, against Portugal on June 2, the Irish team will train at John Hyland Park in Baldonnel, the home of St Francis.

Keane had been critical of the facilities at the Athletic Union League’s Headquarters near Dublin Airport.

The Irish squad are also changing hotels, with the new CityWest Hotel replacing the Forte Posthouse Hotel at Dublin Airport.

CityWest is set in a much more relaxing environment, surrounded by a golf course. But unlike in the 1970s, soccer managers don’t like their players playing too much golf near match days. The new locations are just a stone’s throw from the site for the ill-fated Eircom Park.

McKiernan OK after crash

Catherina McKiernan, who just recently had her first competitive race after a long layoff, was involved in a serious road accident last week. The Cavan runner was not injured, but the car she was traveling in was totaled after it collided with a truck at Kentstown on the road between Dublin and Navan.

Kerry’s Hassett hurt

All-Ireland football champions Kerry will be without star forward Liam Hassett when they begin the defense of their All-Ireland title against Tipperary on Sunday. Hassett ruptured knee tendons while playing for his new club, St. Anne’s, in a Dublin championship game against Naomh Fionnbarra last week and will be out of action for the summer.

But as the old saying goes, "it’s an ill wind that does not benefit someone." Hassett’s injury probably means that Maurice Fitzgerald will be in from the start against Tipp, who have proved a difficult nut to crack for Kerry in recent years.

Meanwhile, Meath star Tommy Dowd is unlikely to line out for Meath this summer. Dowd has been troubled by a back injury in recent years. It’s another blow for the Royals, who are also expected to be without midfielder John McDermott.

Kerry’s great rivals, Cork, are also in action on Sunday and they should have no difficulty against Waterford.

Up North, the meeting of Donegal and Fermanagh in Ballybofey is the game that gets RTE’s Sunday Game series under way for the summer. Excluding replays, RTE has scheduled 33 live games between Sunday and the women’s final at the end of September.

Novel Cup final

We will have a novel pairing in the FAI Harp Lager Cup Final on Sunday when Bohemians meet Longford Town at Tolka Park. It will be Longford’s first-ever final appearance, while it will be Bohs 12th final appearance and their second in a row. The Gypsies last win was in 1992.

When the clubs met in the League 10 days ago, Bohs won 3-1 in Longford, but that will count for little on Sunday. We should have a full house at Tolka Park as the Longford GAA have canceled all games in the county on Sunday.

Moran in the money

He may already be a millionaire, but former Irish international Kevin Moran will definitely be in the big money League when the sports management company in which he is a director floats on London’s Alternative Investment Market later this month.

Moran is finance director in Proactive Sports Management, the company he formed with two former Danish internationals, Jesper Olsen and Soren Lerby. Moran’s 9 percent holding is estimated to be worth £2.26 million.

North to miss 3

Northern Ireland could be without three players for their World cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and the Czech Republic next month. Gerry Taggart had surgery for a knee problem last week, Steve Lomas is also scheduled to have knee surgery, which will keep him out until next season, and Jim Magilton is waiting for a date for surgeons to examine leg veins that have troubled him for the last nine months.

"It’s tragic to have three players out at such a crucial period," manager Sammy McIlroy said. "People will say that’s part of football, but we don’t possess the experienced quality cover to cope when top players are unavailable."