The past weekend witnessed a flurry of activity in the world of sport, as can be indicated by the number of discussions in today’s sports news. The outcomes varied greatly, especially in the URC games where Leinster and Connacht enjoyed victories while Munster and Ulster faced disappointing defeat.
Leinster fended off the Lions at the Aviva Stadium, leaving Leo Cullen somewhat frustrated they had missed out on a bonus point. Connacht snatched a bonus point in their 31-7 victory over Dragons, but it was a loss that will forever haunt Ulster who squandered a 19-0 lead to Cardiff. After a crushing 41-24 defeat against Sharks, Munster coach Graham Rowntree expressed his relief that they don’t have to face the world champion Springboks’ powerful forwards on a regular basis.
The weekend also presented a sigh of relief for the Shamrock Rovers fans as they narrowly clinched a 1-0 victory against already-demoted Dundalk, keeping the title race alive till the final matchday. More soccer news includes comments from Marissa Sheva in anticipation of the upcoming game against Georgia in Tallaght and Ken Early’s analysis of a disastrous night for Kylian Mbappé as Real Madrid fell 4-0 to Barcelona.
In Gaelic sports, there were numerous county finals across the country. Denis Walsh attended the fixture at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which saw Castlehaven’s footballers clinching back-to-back titles for only the second time in their existence. The 14th Kerry title went to Dr Crokes, a record in the Kingdom, while Corofin and Naas remain the supreme rulers in Galway and Kildare respectively. However, the current Ulster and All-Ireland champions, Glens were deposed by Newbridge in the Derry final.
Seán Moran observed as Thomastown’s hurling team secured its first title after 1946, beating reigning champions, O’Loughlin Gaels. In the aftermath, the town was so engrossed in the victory celebrations, it was popularly said that not a single cow was milked for a month. A similar festivity ensued in Doon, who won their first Limerick title in their 136-year history, resulting in neglected cattle for some time. Further, Na Fianna’s triumph in extending their Dublin title, involving a deciding goal in the 63rd minute, brought some temporary inattention to the cows in Glasnevin.
Meanwhile, on the sunny side, Hiko Tonosa was brimming with happiness after he set a new record in the Dublin Marathon on Sunday, while Ann-Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny AC kept hold of her national title.
In another setting, Denis Walsh, in his Tipping Point column, scrutinised the plight of sports enthusiasts who are consistently exploited through steep ticket costs. Just to witness a single day of the forthcoming Ryder Cup in New York would cost you a whopping $750.
On the TV front, this year marks the first time since 1876 that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo was nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Therefore, a fresh face is guaranteed on the trophy this time around. The tediously long ceremony will start at 7.45 pm and is set to be aired live on Virgin Media Three. Also, fans can enjoy the GAA highlights from past weekend on TG4, starting 8.0 pm.