At his local pub, Denis Walsh reported a buddy having placed a £50 wager on Derry’s triumph in the All-Ireland Championship after they triumphed over Kerry in a league match earlier this year. To keep his financial dream afloat, the lads led by Mickey Harte will need to outdo the same team they previously faced in the upcoming quarter-finals of the championship this Sunday. Denis jokingly observed that even though Derry is still running at half-pace without crutches, their chances can’t be entirely written off. But do they have the drive to win? Maybe, Denis says, but on the lower end of the spectrum. He believes Roscommon, Armagh, Donegal, and Louth clearly have it, but he’s sceptical about Galway. Concerning Kerry, he mentions their arrival at Croke Park without a rigorous warm-up since last summer, while Dublin’s only challenge came from Mayo a couple of weeks ago.
Reminiscing Derry’s victory over Mayo where they came back from a slump, Michael Murphy states optimism about Derry’s chances against Kerry. Meanwhile, Séamus Moynihan, former Kerry captain, sends a cautionary note to his county mates about the revitalised Derry, who have also gained tenacity after playing two consecutive weekends, while Kerry’s previous match was in mid-June.
Louth will be playing Donegal in their debut championship quarter-final next Sunday, a match anticipated eagerly by their captain Sam Mulroy who expressed optimism about their journey thus far. The upcoming Saturday’s dual encounter featuring Armagh versus Roscommon and Dublin versus Galway also sets a thrilling stage for fans.
In the Euro 2024 news, Ken Early reported from Leipzig as Italy made a dramatic equaliser against Croatia in injury-time, paving their way for a second-round duel with Switzerland on the coming Saturday. Spain effortlessly topped their group with a 1-0 victory over Albania.
In anticipation of the upcoming rugby Test matches against South Africa, John O’Sullivan, converses with Mike Catt about what to expect, with Owen Doyle also looking forward. Expect a game filled with high-energy physicality, while abiding by the regulations against foul play, as stated in his writing. Furthermore, O’Sullivan reports on the Olympic draws for both male and female Sevens squads; essentially, the men will face New Zealand, South Africa and Japan, while the women will compete against Australia, Britain and South Africa.
When it comes to athletics, Sarah Burns converses with budding Irish athletes who draw inspiration from successful international figures such as Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley. Meanwhile in cycling, Monday brought promising news, with Shane Stokes reporting Sam Bennett’s confirmed participation in the upcoming Tour de France in Florence after a four-year hiatus.
Delving into the world of horse racing, long-time jockey Rab Havlin has come out of the shadows of his close friend Frankie Dettori and is finally getting his due recognition. Brian O’Connor reports on Havlin’s bright prospects of highlighting his late-career revival at this Sunday’s Irish Derby, where he will lead, riding the favoured horse, Ambiente Friendly.
As for television coverage, the outcomes of two more Euro 2024 groups are to be resolved today. It’ll kick off with Group D, with the Netherlands competing against Austria (RTÉ 2 and BBC 2, 5.0), while France challenges Poland (RTÉ News Channel and BBC 1, 5.0). Later in the evening, England will conclude their unstable Group C match against Slovenia (RTÉ 2 and UTV, 8.0), at the same time Denmark face Serbia (RTÉ News Channel and ITV4, 8.0).