O’Dwyer looks to Kerry to beef up backroom

So Micko has turned to two stars of his great Kerry team, Jimmy Deenihan and Eoin Liston, to help coach the Laois players. Deenihan, who is a Fine Gael TD for North Kerry, will lend his coaching experience to the Laois defense, while Eoin Liston will try and help the Laois forwards combine better.
Deenihan has been involved in coaching juvenile players at his home club in Finuge. The former corner back is still in good shape and I saw him play soccer for the TDs against a journalists’ XI in a charity game for the Tsunami fund at Dalymount Park last January. Liston, has coached Kerins O’Rahilly’s in recent years and was in charge when the Tralee club won the Kerry County Championship in 2002.
A weights coach is also being added to the Laois backroom team as they bid to beef up their team to face the Northern challenge. In the past the Laois team were regarded as a “bit soft.”

VODAFONE MAY
STEP INTO BREACH
Vodafone have ended their six-year sponsorship deal with the Clare hurlers and footballers and have said they now wish to concentrate on their sponsorship of the hurling and football All-Stars. It’s no secret in media circles in Dublin that the mobile phone company could take over from Guinness as sponsors of the All-Ireland hurling sponsorship in 2007. Guinness have helped raise the awareness of the skills of hurling with some brilliant television advertisements. However, the GAA have to be seen to do something about the drink culture that currently permeates our country and cannot be seen to endorse a drinks company. And it seems certain the GAA will be forced to drop Uncle Arthur in the near future.

DRAW SET FOR NOV. 11
Ulster have already made their championship draw for 2006, but we will have to wait until Nov. 11 to see what the pairings are in the other three provinces. The Connacht, Munster and Leinster Councils have agreed to make their draw live on RTE television on Nov. 11 in Killarney, on the eve of the inaugural National Club Forum in that Kerry town the following day. Representatives of the three provinces will then sit down the following week and agree dates for 2006. The fixtures need to be finalized before the end of November so that they can be included in the GAA’s official diary for 2006.

O MUIRCHEARTAIGH
PICKS FARMERS’ XV
A little while back I wrote about a competition to select a hurling team comprised of farmers. The competition was organized by the Farmer’s Journal newspaper and well known RTE radio commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh was given the task of choosing his best Farming XV and here’s that team: Pat Nolan (Wexford), Bobby Rackard (Wexford), Noel Hickey (Kilkenny), John Doyle (Tipperary), Sylvie Linnane (Galway), Ger Henderson (Kilkenny), Len Gaynor (Tipperary), Des Foley (Dublin), George O’Connor (Wexford), John Power (Kilkenny), Tom Cheasty (Waterford), Joe Cooney (Galway), Pat Carroll (Offaly), Tony Doran (Wexford), Tim Flood (Wexford).

NI COPS, FIREFIGHERS
TAKE TO GAELIC GAMES
We live in times of change, no doubt about that. The PSNI now have a Gaelic football team and they were recently admitted to the Sigerson Cup, University competition. To prepare for the games ahead the PSNI recently traveled to Belfield in Dublin where they played a challenge game against the students of UCD. Among the spectators at the game was Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell.
Meanwhile, up North, history was made when the Fire Service of Northern Ireland played their New York counterparts in a Gaelic football game. The game was played at Casement Park after the Ulster club hurling semifinals. Proceeds from the game went to the Burns Unit at Belfast Children’s Hospital.

HICKIE IS OUT
Leinster and Irish threequarters Denis Hickie could be out of action until Christmas. Hickie needed surgery after dislocating his right fibula following a freak accident in training with Leinster. Apart from Leinster’s Heineken Cup games, Hickie will also miss out on Ireland’s three tests next month against: the All Blacks, Australia and Romania.

GAA COACH TAPPED BY AAI
A former intercounty Gaelic football manager is the new chief executive of the Athletics Association of Ireland. Brendan Hackett, who managed Longford and Offaly in the 1980s, was last week appointed to the new role. After his Gaelic days Hackett completed a sports psychology degree in Limerick and in recent years he has advised many of our top athletes. One of Hackett’s first tasks will be to replace a voluntary AAI with professional structures, including coaching and administration.

BOYLAN SAYS
NO TO DUBS
The Dublin County Board have failed in their bid to lure Sean Boylan out of retirement. The Dubs were not thinking of replacing football manager Paul Caffrey after just season in charge. No, they wanted Boylan as their hurling manager. Prior to his 23 years as Meath senior football manager, Boylan had played hurling for The Royals.
“I was flattered to be asked, but I will be taking a break from management for the next 12 months,” said Boylan, who has been replaced as Meath football manager by Eamonn Barry. During the year Dublin hurling manager Humphrey Kelleher stepped down after a poor run of results and was temporarily replaced by under 21 manager Tommy Naughton.
Meanwhile good news for new Meath football boss Eamonn Barry. Graham Geraghty, at 32 one of the most senior players in the Meath squad, says he is going to play on for another year.
“If myself and most of the other experienced players decided to retire, it would leave Eamonn with a very inexperienced and untried panel for next year,” said Graham.

KELLY GETS WORLD TITLE BOUT
Belfast boxer Damaen Kelly will face IBF world flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan in Sydney on Nov. 25 Armenian-born Darchinyan is a big name in Australia, having won all 24 of his contests and this will be his third defense of his title. It will be Kelly’s second attempt at winning the IBF belt. Two years ago he lost to Colombian Irene Pacheco, who subsequently lost to Darchinyan.

McCREEVY TO SIT ON BOARD
Former Irish Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy has been named as a member of the Kildare GAA Board’s new finance committee. Other appointees to the Board include Padraig McManus, CEO of the ESB, and Eamon O’Sullivan, head of finance with Kildare County Council. The finance committee was set up in light of the recent problems encountered by Kildare, which drew criticism from their auditors.

KERRY REPLAY MUST WAIT
The Irish Compromise Rules team’s trip to Australia means that the Kerry senior football final will not now be played until Nov. 13. Prior to joining up with the Irish squad Down Under, Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan helped Dr. Crokes secure a draw against Laune Rangers in the first semifinal. The replay has now been fixed for Nov. 6. The late finish will not pose a problem for the Kerry champions in the Munster club championship as the Kerry winners are not due to play until Nov. 27 when they play either Kilmurry/Ibrickane of Clare or Limerick champions Monaleen.