Indo GAA

There was to be no unbridled Christmas celebrations for Mayo – or Waterford – fans this year with the favourites in both codes winning out comfortably at the end of the 2020 All Ireland series but the fall-out from Dublin’s historic six-in-a-row continues to be debated.Ciarán Whelan and David Brady joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney on the last Throw-In of the year as they discussed where it went wrong for James Horan’s men and why Dublin’s strength in depth saw them winning out once again.“In every sense of the word they really put it up to Dublin and competed,” said David Brady. “Yes you're disappointed when you lose an All Ireland final but I seen a lot of positives and a lot of things to work on from a Mayo perspective.”For Whelan, it was Dublin’s clutch players that proved the difference.“I think Dessie Farrell probably played it smart and knew that he had to finish strong coming into that last 15-20 minutes. You've real clutch players that can come in and make a difference and they have the experience that they're going to make a difference and Dublin have that depth where Mayo are probably trying to get their best fifteen on the field at the start and trying to kind of hang in there.”Elsewhere, Will and Michael also discussed Sunday’s Ladies Football final with Dublin marking their own four-in-a-row with a five-point victory over Cork. Remarkably, you have to go back to 2004 and Galway when neither Dublin nor Cork have won the title and similar to the men, Dublin Ladies endured their own heartache of losing finals along the way.At the end of one of the toughest of years, the panel agreed, it was a testament to the GAA , the players and the counties that the Championships were started and finished bringing some much needed excitement, entertainment and hope during this winter period. We can but hope for even better things to come in 2021.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The GAA Championship is set to say goodbye to 2020 this Sunday with the clash between Mayo and Dublin in the All Ireland Football Final - their third final meeting in the last five years.The possibility of a team winning six-in-a-row scarcely seemed credible years ago but now Dublin’s dominance of the game has people wondering how far they can go and whether their incredible levels of success are causing more harm than good.If one team can break their bubble however, it’s Mayo, and on this Throw-In preview special, Conor McKeon joins Will Slattery and Michael Verney to discuss where the game will be won and lost come Sunday.Of the three final defeats Mayo have suffered to Dublin in the last decade, each has been only by a point so James Horan men won’t be over-awed or cowed by the opponents they’re facing.The problem however is Dublin and with their match-winning experience, strength in-depth and calm mindset, it’s hard to see how Mayo can do enough to overcome Dessie Farrell’s team.The Throw-In team are all predicting a Dublin win on Sunday but don’t forget to listen in to Monday’s post-mortem as David Brady and Ciarán Whelan join the lads to either celebrate or commiserate after what promises to be another close encounter.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waterford’s wait for another All Ireland hurling title goes on but in the aftermath of this year’s hurling decider, all the plaudits are rightly on Limerick’s incredible performance to win their second Liam MacCarthy in three years. On this week’s Throw In podcast, Ursula Jacob and John Mullane join Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on all the action.As Ursula Jacob points out, this was John Kiely's fourth year in charge and in twenty Championship games with Limerick, he's only lost five.“I think they're going to build on this year again,” says Jacob. “They look unstoppable at times when they're in full flow.”For John Mullane, he’s proud of Waterford’s campaign this year but also proud in what the GAA has given the Irish people during Covid.“The last six, seven weeks have just been magical, absolutely magical,” says Mullane. “It's been so uplifting for the whole country and you know, it answers all the questions should this Championship went ahead? Absolutely. Look at the joy that it brought to everyone. It's after shortening our winter, Christmas is upon us but it's just the pride of being involved in such an organisation.”Plus, also on the show, the panel looked back on Antrim’s Joe McDonagh Cup victory over Kerry and Ursula Jacob hailed Kilkenny’s resilient three-point win over Galway in the camogie having lost five of their six previous finals.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the year of Covid and a delayed, truncated season without fans, the 2020 All Ireland Hurling Final will be remembered no matter what.But with red-hot Limerick facing a Waterford team with unshakeable belief and a growing momentum behind them, Sunday’s Croke Park showdown looks set to be a classic on the pitch, no matter what’s been going on off the field.Can Waterford finally end their pain of sixty-one years and bring back Liam MacCarthy for the first time since 1959? One of the Throw-In’s regular guests, Waterford legend, John Mullane, certainly thinks so and he has been bullish on the show about the Déise’s chances saying it will be the best Christmas yet for Waterford fans.However, the Irish Independent’s Vincent Hogan, joins Will Slattery and Michael Verney for a special Throw-In hurling final preview show and reckons, despite Waterford’s perfect storm in terms of aggression and tactical strategy, that Limerick will have the edge.“There is a kind of been there-done that feeling to this Limerick team,” he tells Will and Michael. “I think Waterford will throw the kitchen sink at them and what's interesting about this is we saw how Limerick went after Éanna Murphy's puck-outs in the semi-final. I think Galway won only eight out of fifteen of their own long puck-outs; Kilkenny had the same problem against Waterford, in the second half particularly when Waterford scored an astonishing 2-16 from play. They went after Eoin Murphy's puck-outs. So there's a self-sufficiency in both teams. It's making for a classic, they're the two in-form teams. You just have to give Limerick the edge in terms of their big game experience.”For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might have been a weekend of Football Championship semi-finals but the aftermath of the games has seen more negatives than positives and this week’s Throw-In with Will Slattery, Michael Verney, Conor McKeon and Martin Breheny looks back on the big talking points on and off the field.Dublin’s fifteen point winning margin over Cavan sees them attempting an unprecedented six-in-a-row but the focus has all been on Dublin’s seemingly unstoppable advantage due to county size and funding.But what exactly is the issue that critics say needs to be addressed and how? Conor McKeon describes it as ‘hysteria’ while Martin Breheny dismisses calls to split the county or amalgamate other ones.Meanwhile, Mayo’s thirteen point victory over Tipperary also saw them ship 3-13 and many are fearful for their chances against the Dublin ‘machine’ and what it may mean for the long-term future of the game if they lose badly.And in the ladies football, while Cork beat Galway by ten points to reach the final against Dublin, the talk has all been about the multiple change of venues and throw-in time which has seen Galway manager, Tim Rabbitt, hitting out at the ‘disgraceful’ treatment of the players.Michael Verney was in Croke Park for the game and explains to Will just what went on and why he believes it is a ‘regressive’ day for women’s sport in Ireland.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could this be Waterford’s greatest Christmas ever? Despite the pandemic and the lockdown, the Déise will be celebrating come the evening of Sunday December 13th says John Mullane on this week’s Throw-In.He joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Ursula Jacob as they looked back on the action from the weekend All Ireland hurling and camogie semi-finals and he’s ebullient about how the final against Limerick is going to go.“I think you're going to see the end of a massive famine in two weeks’ time,” Mullane said. “And unfortunately, the celebrations might have to be put on hold or there'll probably be some form of low-key ones but I don't care, I don't think any Waterfordian will care. Once Liam MacCarthy is coming back to Suirside it will be the greatest Christmas of all time. I think Waterford are going to do it.”Limerick’s victory over Galway was a hard-fought one despite Kiely’s men having the better chances and it is the ‘fear factor, being afraid to lose’ that Ursula Jacob thinks might prove to be a stumbling block for them.While in the camogie semis, Galway beat Tipperary by six points while Kilkenny saw off Cork by two points for their fifth consecutive final and a repeat of last year’s clash. But Galway’s defensive strength should see them retain their title reckons Jacob.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One hundred years, eighty-five years and twenty-three years in the making. It was the GAA weekend that saw history being made in the Football Championship and joining Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on it all on this week’s Throw-In podcast were Brendan Cummins and Ciarán Whelan.“We were worried about no crowds being at the grounds and they are eerie and it is different and you're saying 'ye it's not the same', but yesterday made it all worthwhile,” Whelan told the show. “Ironic that it's the same four provincial winners as a hundred years, you just couldn't write that sort of stuff so it was just an incredible day to be a GAA follower.”For Cummins who was also previously involved with the Tipp footballers, it was an amazing day for Tipperary and not one that he was surprised about when it finally came.In the rest of the football, Cavan’s win over Donegal probably raised more eyebrows when it came but it’s showing the strength of belief in the so-called smaller counties and with no backdoor anything can happen on the day.In contrast to the other provinces, the Dublin machine in Leinster keeps rolling over all opposition with the county’s tenth Leinster title in a row captured in a twenty-one point victory over a very disappointing Meath.Football may have garnered much of the headlines from the weekend, but Saturday’s hurling qualifiers were also of the highest quality with Galway ousting reigning All Ireland champions, Tipperary, and Waterford beating Clare convincingly to reach an All Ireland semi final against Kilkenny. Could Waterford be the dark horses for this year’s All Ireland where history is being made every step of the way?For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was another weekend of scintillating GAA action with Limerick retaining their Munster title over a spirited Waterford team, while in Mayo, their good form continued with a one point victory over Galway in the Connacht Final and to look back on all the talking points from the games, Will Slattery and Michael Verney were joined by John Mullane and David Brady on this week’s Throw-In.For John Mullane, despite Waterford’s defeat, the manner of their performance gave him hope and he reckons they’ll have enough to overcome Clare to reach an All Ireland semi-final. ‘We’re back on the horse again and heading in the right direction,’ he says.In Leinster, Brian Cody’s Kilkenny won the provincial crown for the first time since 2016 and while everyone focuses on Limerick, could the Cats be coming in under the radar for a tilt at the All Ireland?Meanwhile, in the football, Donegal are being spoken of as serious contenders to Dublin’s title after an impressive twelve point victory over Armagh in the Ulster semi-final facing Cavan in the provincial decider.He might not want to say it but for David Brady, Mayo’s Connacht final victory sees them only two games away from capturing Sam Maguire the week before Christmas. Could 2020 be the unlikeliest of years for them to reach the promised land?“It was good from a Mayo perspective to get on the right side of the result,” says Brady. “I think it will give a lot of confidence to the younger and older players as well from winning a Connacht title and I say that because silverware is important and especially in Connacht and especially for your confidence.”For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Championship has ignited. Cork’s last-gasp winning goal has dumped Kerry out of the Championship without any backdoor for the Kingdom to go through. 2020 is over for Kerry football and on this week’s Throw-In, David Brady and Martin Breheny join Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on a weekend of GAA fireworks.“We haven't seen that in a lot of GAA over the last number of years,” said Brady. “It was an epic battle in monsoon conditions but the outcome, no one could have scripted it. But let me say, I do think that the pen was very heavy from a Kerry point of view in completely and utterly writing off a Cork team who have the bones of a very good footballing team.”In Connacht, Mayo march on to a Connacht final against Galway with their tails up after beating Roscommon and with Kerry now out of the way, one from Cork, Tipp, Mayo or Galway will reach the 2020 All Ireland decider.In the hurling qualifiers, Cork saw off the challenge of Dublin setting up a mouth-watering tie against Tipperary in the quarter finals while Clare squeezed past Laois to face Wexford. With no more room for error, Kerry’s shock defeat to Cork has shown just how quickly the season can end for some.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Limerick are the complete team and only Covid can stop them reckons John Mullane who joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Ursula Jacob on this week’s Throw In as the panel looked back on a bumper weekend of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football and Ladies football.“They're after sending out a serious, serious statement of intent there,” said Mullane. “To score 3-23 in the conditions was just incredible and I honestly think they're a penalty kick from winning this All Ireland. The only thing that could stop them realistically could be Covid 19 if they were to get struck down with a couple of cases of it. I think they're on a mission.”With Cork’s defeat to Waterford, Ursula Jacob questions their ability and hunger now to lift themselves against Dublin while in Leinster, Galway are Mullane’s other contenders to rival Limerick.In the football, it was a short-lived Championship for Tyrone after defeat to Donegal and many are now asking if Mickey Harte’s time is up while in contrast, Michael Verney lauds Wicklow’s rise under their young manager, Davey Burke.Plus there’s a round-up of the camogie action with Galway easing past Offaly and Clare knowing Dublin out while Cork beat Wexford while in the Ladies football Michael Verney reviews Dublin’s Halloween scare to Donegal, Galway’s win over Tipperary and Kerry’s blitz over Cavan. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What a way for the Championship to start back. Limerick’s thirty-six point haul against Clare has put them firmly in the driving seat and John Mullane joins Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Roy Curtis to look ahead to all the Championship action.While empty stadiums have been something all of us have to get used to, it doesn’t lessen the pressure on the players and teams as they are all knock-out matches now and this weekend sees the Munster hurling semi-finals of Cork v Waterford and the hotly anticipated clash of Tipperary v Limerick while in Leinster it’s Dublin v Kilkenny and Galway v Wexford.“To run out on the field, to run out to your own supporters…it's those few minutes before the match before the ball is thrown in that gets you going and obviously it’s all very surreal and it's going to take a couple of games to get used to,” says Mullane.In the Football Championship, Mayo have a chance to forget about their League relegation with a win over Leitrim while in Ulster, two favourites in the province, Donegal and Tyrone, face off in Ballybofey.But the big question still remains: can Dublin be toppled? Michael Verney certainly thinks so and is tipping Kerry to do it.“Just with everything that has changed in the Dublin camp in the last twelve months and the absence of Jack McCaffrey and a lot of elder statesmen from the dressing room, the role of all these older guys within the panel was huge. So Kerry will definitely sense that the door is ever so slightly ajar and the last two games have definitely suggested that they'll be able to go through that door if the opportunity arises.”For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the strangest of League finales, this weekend saw Limerick post a massive 36 points over Clare in the hurling decider which also doubled up as the Munster Championship opener, while Kerry’s 14 point win over Donegal saw them collect their first League title since 2017.Donnchadh Boyle and Ciaran Whelan joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney on this week’s Throw-In as they analysed all the weekend action, assessing how the teams are also faring for the up-coming Championship games.It was certainly the statement of intent from John Kiely’s men who retained their League crown and march on to a crunch Munster hurling semi-final tie next Sunday with Michael Verney describing Limerick as ‘the complete side’ who are laying down the marker for the others to follow.Meanwhile, in the football, Ciaran Whelan was impressed with Kerry’s continued progress under Peter Keane and says they are the team to rival Dublin for the Championship. Since returning from the AFL, Tyrone’s Conor McKenna has also starred for his county and Whelan says he is one to watch but it is still Dublin who are the team to beat.Away from the top of the table, Mayo were relegated to Division 2 after their narrow defeat to Tyrone but they can set their season right against Leitrim in the opening round of Connacht next Sunday.With focus turning to the Championship between now and Christmas, the League’s final games have whetted appetites and given GAA fans the hope that the games will continue and some sense of normality can return ending 2020 on some sort of high.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/And don’t forget to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.The Throw-In League series in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The inter-county hurlers finally to get back out onto the field of battle this weekend as the delayed and truncated All Ireland Championship for 2020 finally gets underway.It’s a return to the old ways of course with just straight knock-out ties deciding the match winners and on this Hurling Championship preview, Will Slattery and Michael Verney give the run down on the likely winners and losers.Unusually, All Ireland champions, Tipperary, are not the favourites, and are instead behind Limerick in the odds but, Michael Verney believes that with Mike Casey now ruled out action for Limerick, that the pendulum has swung back in Tipperary’s favour.“In the Irish Independent magazine last Saturday nobody tipped Tipp to win the All Ireland which is unbelievable in itself, including myself, now my opinion might have changed a small bit when I saw Mike Casey is out and they have basically two of their full back players, Mike Casey and Richie English, both out, whereas Tipperary I think have a clean bill of health coming into this year's Championship.”It could be Tipperary’s title in the craziest of years says Verney.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In’s All Ireland Championship series is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The inter-county GAA season is back and while it may be changed circumstances, some things still stay the same.A thumping Mayo win over Galway has the fans reaching for superlatives and whispers of glory, while there was another Dublin win over Meath in Leinster, this time with two record-breaking appearances by Stephen Cluxton and Dean Rock. With great games and performances across the country, the Throw-In’s Will Slattery and Michael Verney, joined by Conor McKeon and former Mayo star David Brady, all agreed that the return of the GAA season at inter county level has meant so much to fans.They discussed all the opening League football action including what is shaping up to be a promising Division 2 final weekend with six teams in contention for promotion.Plus there was a look at the Division 2 Hurling League final win for Antrim over Kerry.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/And don’t forget to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finally, the inter-county GAA gets set to resume with the resumption of the final two rounds of the Allianz Football Leagues which means the Throw-In is also back and for this week’s show Will Slattery and Michael Verney look ahead to what GAA fans can expect.Known unknowns is probably the best way to sum it all up in this Covid-affected season and being able to adapt to changing circumstances will be the new norm believes Michael Verney.“You have to be so versatile,” he says. “You have to be willing to just flick a switch almost when a decision is made but hopefully things will go smoothly enough over the next couple of months because we all need it really.”“We all need something every Saturday and Sunday, something to be following, something to be watching, something to be digesting over the weekend and then reviewing on the Monday and you need that conversation starter.”There’ll be plenty of conversation starters come next Monday that’s for sure and none more so than west of the Shannon with Galway looking to demote Mayo to Division 2 and with the involvement of Jim McGuiness to the Galway training giving it a bit more spice.“We're not getting like a slow burner like we might normally get in the League,” says Verney. “This is going in and it's high stakes stuff. We don't know what teams have been doing for the last God knows how long but everything will be on the line. There's so many interesting things and I suppose the unpredictability of it all you just don't know what level teams are at, you don't know how much they're going to have done, you don't know how cohesive they're going to be. But most teams will be in the same boat because they'll have the similar levels of preparation done but it's very, very interesting.”For more from the Throw-In podcast go to the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/And don’t forget to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Throw-In podcast, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by Martin Breheny and Vincent Hogan to discuss Martin's 20-20-50 rankings.This week Martin has ranked the top 20 footballers and hurlers from every county in the Irish Independent and on Independent.ie - with provincial and national top 20 lists still to come - and he joins the lads to debate some of the selections.From picking Brian Corcoran over Jimmy Barry-Murphy in Cork to the ultra-competitive rankings in Dublin and Kerry, there was plenty to discuss.Michael even took Martin to task over one omission from the Offaly football list!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Throw-In, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by Vincent Hogan and Martin Breheny to discuss the Irish Independent's 20-20-50 series.Starting on Monday May 25th, Martin is ranking the 20 best footballers and hurlers from each county from the last 50 years. After going through each county, he will then rank the best footballers and hurlers by province before a final All-Ireland breakdown.It is sure to cause plenty of debates - and it sparked a few among our panel too.Martin discusses the criteria he used to make his rankings, while Vincent and Michael weigh in on some of the challengers of putting together a list like this as well as some of the talking points that are sure to come up.You can find Martin's rankings in the Irish Independent and Independent.ie starting on Monday May 25 and finishing on May 30.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was just hurling action in the Allianz Leagues over the weekend and on this week’s Throw-In, Vincent Hogan, Donnchadh Boyle and John Mullane joined Will Slattery to look back on all the games.Galway’s resurgence under Shane O’Neill and their 3-12 scored in the second half to seal victory over Tipperary caught the eye the most and John Mullane reckons their potent forward line could be one to watch in the summer.Waterford have also been rejuvenated under a new manager and Liam Cahill’s philosophy and ethos were highlighted by Vincent Hogan and the panel when discussing the Deise’s new energy and attitude.May 10th sees Tipperary visit Waterford in their Munster Championship fixture and Liam Sheedy knows Tipp have an awful lot of work to do between now and then to come away with a win.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tyrone v Dublin being played in horrendous conditions with plenty of history between these teams, what could possibly go wrong?This week on the Throw-In, Ciaran Whelan joins Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Colm Keys to discuss the fall-out from the game.Plus the panel discuss Mayo’s failings and difficulties ahead for James Horan as they seek to re-build for the future.In hurling, John Mullane joins Will, Michael and Colm to discuss how the League format has taken the sting out of so many games and highlights the fact that managers are looking to bed down squad players at this time of year.Finally with the GAA Congress voting in its first ever overseas President as well as a host of rule changes, including the ditching of the black card in hurling, the Throw-In panel give their verdict on the effect of Congress’ decisions.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does Dublin have a weakness, the Padraig Joyce effect, cynicism in football, the state of hurling referees, Brian Lohan's direct route and the positive effect of the new camogie rules are all up for discussion on this week's Throw-In.Tomás Ó'Se, Brendan Cummins and Ursula Jacob join Michael Verney, John Brennan and Roy Curtis with all the latest opinion and analysis from the weekend GAA action.While Joe Brolly says Jim Gavin's baseball cap could manage this team, Brolly could be the waterboy reckons Ó'Sé and he believes it is scary for the other teams in the country looking to beat the Dubs.In hurling, Brendan Cummins applauds Clare's more direct approach but says the old failings of possession without being dominant still needs to be addressed. And leave the game alone the panel all agree on. The resurgence of Waterford, the strength of Wexford, and Clare's rising under Lohan, along with the traditional heavyweights, shows there's not much wrong with hurling.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Throw-In, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by John Mullane and Frank Roche to review the latest weekend of Allianz League action.What was meant to be a hurling-only weekend also ended up featuring three football matches as inclement weather continues to cause havoc with the schedule. Limerick vs Waterford and Galway vs Tipperary were both called off last weekend, which will cause a delay in the hurling league later in the campaign.On the pitch, Wexford pipped Kilkenny in another dramatic clash between the sides, and Mullane thinks that Davy Fitzgerald's men now have a psychological edge in the rivalry.Mullane also thinks that Wexford's attacking defenders are transforming the sport, and thinks the Yellow Bellies are still firmly All-Ireland contenders.In football, the lads assess the state of play in the lower divisions, with the promotion and relegation battles extremely difficult to call in Division Two, Three and Four.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Referees, umpires, cards and time-keeping all came under the microscope after this weekend’s Allianz Football League games and on this week’s Throw-In, Ciaran Whelan joined Will Slattery and Donnchadh Boyle to go through all the big talking points.Whelan slammed the Clifford sending off believing it was an easy cop-out to dish out two yellows."Let's look at the context of the incident and see would it be the defender instigating this and if it is the defender, let's start punishing the defender and instead of the cop-out of just saying it's handy here to give two yellow cards,” he told Will and Donnchadh.“It was one of those classic GAA solutions to a classic GAA problem,” said Donnchadh Boyle. “I suppose at club level you kind of expect to see that sort of stuff and it's probably accepted really at that level but you do expect the county game, for everyone involved, referees, umpires, linesmen to be more sophisticated, to have seen all these tricks before and to call it for what it was.”The recurring failings of the Kerry defence also came to the fore, while in the Dublin-Monaghan game, timekeeping was a sore point for many from the Ulster side.For Dessie Farrell, it was a chance to blood young talent and Sean Bugler caught the eye of Whelan whom he likens to a Diarmuid Connolly.Meanwhile, Galway’s win over Donegal has people asking if Joyce’s Tribesmen are the sleeping giant of 2020? While looking to Division Two, with just two points separating top from bottom it could go right down to the wire in a dogfight in the final weekend.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Playing with fourteen men, the clash in Castlebar between Mayo and Dublin became a foregone conclusion, but for David Brady, who joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney and John Brennan on this week’s Throw-In, the failings on the scoreboard over long periods of time is still a major cause of concern for his county.Also looking back on the football action, the panel discussed Kerry’s victory over Galway in Tralee with Padraig Joyce’s Galway a team re-invigorated and Kerry’s backline still looking porous. Plus there was a big win for Monaghan over Tyrone in the all-Ulster derby.In hurling, John Mullane was on the show with the sin-bin top of the agenda and all agreeing that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.Plus there was also a discussion of the League revamp which has meant the edge and pressure has been taken away from many of the games. For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Allianz Leagues began with a bang over the weekend and while it’s a new era for Dublin under Dessie Farrell, the rivalry with Kerry is still the one to watch in 2020.Tomás Ó’Sé joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Conor McKeon to look back on the drawn game in Croker as well as all the other football action, including Padraic Joyce’s opening win as Galway manager and Mayo’s draw with Donegal.However, it was the advanced mark that was generating most of the talking points with Ó’Sé calling for it to be scrapped.“Why is it being brought in now? Defensive football is not the blight it was,” he tells the panel.In hurling, John Mullane joined Will, Michael and Conor, and he believes Tipp’s surrender of a ten point lead against Limerick will prove to be a big psychological boost for John Kiely’s men if they meet again in the Championship.Plus, he sees good things happening for Waterford under Liam Cahill,“You’re going to see Waterford back challenging and will be able to put it up to anyone on their day,” he says.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Throw-In is back for another weekly series covering the Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues. On this first show, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by the Irish Independent's, Vincent Hogan and Colm Keys, as they preview the 2020 series. In football, how will Dublin fare in the post-Jim Gavin era, can Kerry start to fulfil their promise, and will Galway be challengers again?In hurling, can Limerick prove the doubters wrong, will Waterford build under Liam Cahill's guidance, and who can ever write Tipp or Kilkenny off?Plus, the lads also look back on the heroics of Corofin and Ballyhale in retaining their All Ireland club titles.For more from the Throw-In podcast go to:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In podcast is in association with Allianz.ie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a special episode of The Throw-In podcast, Will Slattery is joined by Joe Davitt and Sean Potts to discuss The Herald's Decades of the Dubs annual.The book is a collection of The Herald's six-part series on the history of Dublin GAA from the 1950s to Jim Gavin's side completing a historic five in-a-row in 2019.Joe helped produce the annual while Sean was a contributor and both have a wealth of knowledge of Dublin GAA.The annual features in-depth interviews with Dublin legends like Mickey Whelan and Jimmy Keaveney, as well as player diaries from the likes of Alan Brogan and Ciaran Whelan.As well as that, there is an extensive collection of sensational photographs included, some from all the way back in the 1950s.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dubs did it. History was made and Jim Gavin achieved what the games' greats, Mick O'Dwyer and Brian Cody, couldn't do. The promised land of the 5-in-a-row was reached.For the final Throw-In of the season, Will Slattery and Michael Verney were joined by the Irish Independent's Donnachadh Boyle as well as Tomás Ó'Sé to reflect on the game and the Dubs' wider place in history. Plus, Cork legend, Bríd Stack, was also on the show to look back on the ladies final decider."People talk about All Irelands will come for this Kerry team," says Ó'Sé. "But by who and how? The players have to make it happen, it won't just come."Eoin Murchan gets the Throw-In's final Rising Star award for the Championship with his incredible goal and stand-out performance and just shows how Gavin has been able to consistently renew and change the Dublin team across their five-in-a-row."I retired in 2013 and thought this feeling wouldn't be back, but it is," Tomás Ó'Sé tells the panel. "It's just a feeling of being flat and depressed, it's hard to describe."It was also a double for Dublin GAA with the Ladies team winning their own three-in-a-row with victory over Galway. Despite a record crowd of 55,000+, it wasn't a spectacle to be enjoyed. Bríd Stack joined the lads with her analysis and believes that the narrow, direct running game on show didn't showcase the best of what Galway and Dublin are about. Does the end justify the means? Three-in-a-row will probably say it does.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest episode of The Throw-In, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by Donnchadh Boyle of the Irish Independent and Cork legend Brid Stack to look ahead to the All-Ireland football final replay and the ladies football final.Jim Gavin has some big selection calls to make, chiefly whether to change up his defence after it struggled to contain Kerry's vaunted attack. Youngster Eoin Murchan is one name tipped to come into the side, which could see James McCarthy shift to midfield and Michael Darragh Macauley drop to the bench.One of the key questions is whether Jonny Cooper marks David Clifford again after picking up two yellow cards in the drawn game.Donnchadh thinks Cooper will definitely be handed the man-marking job once again, with Gavin showing faith with his defensive general.In the ladies final, Dublin are huge favourites to beat Galway and complete three in-a-row, and Stack thinks they will be hard beaten.However, she also says that if Galway play at 100%, a shock could be on the card.The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gais Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Galway winning their first All-Ireland camogie title since 2013, beating Kilkenny 3-14 to 0-17, it wasn’t a result that the Throw-In panel had predicted. Joining Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on the three 2019 camogie finals was Dublin’s Aisling Maher, and Ursula Jacob, Wexford’s former All Star.Although it was a heart-breaking third final defeat in a row for the Cats – with manager Ann Downey stepping down in the aftermath - It was a great match with two high-performing and high-scoring teams showcasing the best of the sport in front of a record final crowd. Niamh Kilkenny was at the fulcrum of Galway’s persistence, scoring, setting up scores, standing up and leading from the front. Plus a special word must also go to Westmeath who claimed their first Intermediate title as well as Kerry for their first Junior camogie title - especially as they have just the one adult club with the players all from the Clanmaurice club. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a repeat of the 2013 final with Galway v Kilkenny facing off in the 2019 Camogie All Ireland final on Sunday and Dublin’s Aisling Maher and former Kilkenny All Star, Elaine Aylward, joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney on this week’s Throw-In to preview the game.It’s the best attack (Kilkenny) against the best defence (Galway) and promises to be a tight game with Kilkenny seeking revenge for their League final defeat to Galway earlier in the year.Kilkenny made amends beating their opponents in the opening group game in Athenry in June and are favourites to pick up their first camogie title since 2016 having suffered two subsequent All Ireland defeats at the hands of Cork.But, Aisling Maher believes that Galway have that bit more focus and mental strength this year, though whether they can hold out the Kilkenny forwards is another matter. While both Aisling and Elaine are predicting a Kilkenny victory they are hoping for a flowing, open and skilful game to showcase the best of what the game has to offer on its biggest day of the year.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was one of the best football finals of the decade and Dublin and Kerry get to do it all again, but did Kerry leave it behind them?Ciaran Whelan joined Michael Verney, Frank Roche and Conor McKeon to look back on the 2019 All Ireland final and he reckons both teams have room to improve for the replay on September 14th."These Kerry forwards are a special talent and operating at a different level to what Dublin have been used to," says Whelan. "Dublin will improve. They won’t be happy with that level of performance. But Kerry will also get better. Is this the start of something special from them?"All the panellists tip Dublin to win the replay but Kerry's belief will be real going into the game and it's all set up for another tension-filled, dramatic finale. History is still on the line.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the eve of the 2019 All Ireland Football Final, the Throw-In previewed the potential history-making clash between Dublin and Kerry live from Croke Park.Joe Brolly, Tomás Ó’Sé, Alan Brogan and Martin Breheny joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney to give their verdicts on Dublin’s 5-in-a-row chances and how Kerry can hope to live with the Dublin machine.Plus, the panel answered audience questions on the greatest players never to have won an All Ireland, how this Dublin team compares to Mick O’Dwyer’s Kerry greats, and even how Joe Brolly introduced Tomás Ó’Sé to TV punditry!For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the big one. Dublin v Kerry. All Ireland football final. Dublin going for history for 5-in-a-row. The Kingdom standing in their way.Are Dublin the greatest football team ever? Will Micko's Kerry greats finally be outshone? Joining Will Slattery and Michael Verney on the Throw-In as they look ahead to the football final was Martin Breheny, the Irish Independent's GAA Editor, who will be attending his 100th All Ireland final.Martin looks back on some of the highlights from the previous 99, his favourite moments and best teams.He remembers when journalists could go into the team dressing-rooms after the final, could ring up players or managers any time for an interview, and even when he got to eat, stay, travel and go to mass with the Galway hurlers in 1987.Plus, he compares this Dublin team to the Kerry 5-in-a-row chasing team in 1982. He backed Kerry in May for the All Ireland but won't reveal whether he's sticking with that prediction - you'll have to read it in Saturday's Indo he says!For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tipperary is basking in the glow of an incredible 2019 season for them with the U20s picking up their own All Ireland title just a week after the seniors success and this week’s Throw-In with Will Slattery and Michael Verney looks back on the weekend action.And the future is bright for Tipperary hurling judging by the U20s devastation of Cork in the final with an amazing four goals in the opening ten minutes.Jerome Cahill was one of a trio, including Jake Morris and Paddy Cadell, who claimed senior medals in Croke Park and they will be looking to make their mark on Liam Sheedy’s team in the next few years.Meanwhile, for Cork, with no underage All Ireland hurling since 2001, they need to start winning again to quell any doubts about themselves moving forwards.Will and Michael also review the Ladies football semi-finals with 10,000 in attendance for the first Ladies semi-finals to be held in Croke Park between Dublin v Cork and Galway v Mayo with Dublin and Galway winning out.Like the men’s team, Dublin Ladies are building their own footballing dynasty seeking a three-in-a-row while their opponents, Galway are in their first final since 2005.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.**Join the Throw-In Live in association with Bord Gáis Energy on Saturday, August 31, from Croke Park for the best All Ireland football final preview, analysis and stories from the dressing-room. It’s the perfect way to get in the mood for the final and to hear some of the biggest names in the game give their predictions on the night.You can be there with Joe Brolly, Tomás Ó Sé, Alan Brogan, Martin Breheny, Michael Verney and Will Slattery as the show looks ahead to the big game. Plus, there will be some great prizes up for grabs on the night, including two pairs of tickets to the All-Ireland Final. Tickets are free but limited so you’ll need to apply before August 28 to avoid missing out.If you can’t make it on the night, the show will also be recorded and broadcast live on the Independent.ie’s Facebook channel so be sure to tune in.You can register for your free tickets at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/**See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hurling decade started with Tipperary and has now ended with Tipp as All Ireland champions once again.Brendan Cummins joined Will Slattery, Colm Keys, Frank Roche and Donnchadh Boyle on this week's show to assess Tipp's dominance over the Cats in recent years.After all, this has been the most successful period for Tipp since the 1960s and have the shackles of the past been finally thrown off and is this Tipperary team the benchmark for future generations?"The experience of the players along with the younger firepower has upped their game management," believes Cummins."All-Ireland medals are won by the teams and players that keep their composure the most. Who can keep their head when the pressure is on? That’s why Liam MacCarthy is heading back to Thurles this year."The panel also gave their nominations for Hurler of the Year - Seamus Callanan was the overall pick, with no surprises there - and gave special mention to their Rising Stars with Tipp's youngsters and Galway's minors deserving special mention.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Ireland hurling finals are something very special and this year promises to be no different. It’s the return of the heavyweights: Tipperary v Kilkenny, Liam Sheedy v Brian Cody III.No manager has beaten Brian Cody in two finals so will this be the year that it happens?Previewing the 2019 All Ireland Hurling Final with Will Slattery and Michael Verney on this week’s Throw-In are Donnchadh Boyle, Conor McKeon and John Mullane.While the panel believes it’s ‘as 50-50 as you can get’, they are edging towards Tipp’s greater firepower to get them over the line.All will be revealed come Sunday….For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For ten minutes it was 'footballing perfection' as the Dubs blitzed Mayo to leave them in the dust. Was it as good as Dublin have played under Jim Gavin and what chance does Kerry have of stopping them in the final?Tomás Ó'Sé joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney, Conor McKeon and Donnchadh Boyle to look back on the weekend semi-finals and Ó'Sé reckons there's too many what-ifs for the Kingdom to win."Do Kerry press forward? You have to target Stephen Cluxton, but do you trust the Kerry defence? There’s so many fires for Kerry to put out all over the pitch," he says.The panel also discusses the future of Mickey Harte and whether he is still the best person to lead Tyrone football, plus they give their picks for their Rising Stars.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.*** Get FREE tickets to The Throw-In Live in Croke Park in association with Bord Gáis Energy on Saturday, 17 August ***Following on from the success of the recent Throw-In Live in Gorey in association with Bord Gáis Energy, we’re coming to Croke Park on Saturday, August 17.Join Joe Canning, John Mullane, Eddie Brennan, Brendan Cummins, Will Slattery and Michael Verney as they look ahead to the clash of the heavyweights, Tipperary v Kilkenny, and Sheedy v Cody III.It promises to be a great night of hurling chat, craic and stories from some of the game's legends. We will also be giving away All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final tickets plus signed Kilkenny and Tipperary jerseys on the night.Tickets are free but places are limited so to be in with a chance of joining us on Saturday, August 17 in Croke Park, just register here:https://competitions.independent.ie/get-free-tickets-to-the-throw-in-live-in-croke-park-in-association-with-bord-gais-energy-on-saturday-17-august.htmlDoors open at 6pm and the live show is 7-8pm. If you can't make it on the night, the event will also be recorded and broadcast live on Independent.ie's Facebook channel so be sure to tune in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mayo’s victory over Donegal at the weekend was one of those great days and was the stand-out occasion of the Football Championship so far, but they’re now facing just a six-day turn-around to play a more rested Dublin team in Croke Park.“It’s not working and it’s not fair,” says Mayo’s David Brady on this week’s Throw-In podcast. “However, you can’t buy momentum, regardless of injuries being carried into next Saturday. Dublin haven’t been tested properly this year but Mayo are the team to do it.”John Brennan and Frank Roche also joined Brady, Will Slattery and Michael Verney on the show as they looked back on the Super 8s and previewed the Dublin v Mayo and Kerry v Tyrone semi-finals next weekend.Brady excepted, most of the panel feel Dublin will have too much for Mayo, while Kerry v Tyrone is going to be fine margins as well. Mickey Harte’s team will probably feel they can get at Kerry, though the class of Clifford will be key if he makes it.Plus, the panel gives their verdict on the Super 8s three year tenure, what we learned from Diarmuid Connolly’s return, and special mentions for the Rising Stars of Cork’s U20 All Ireland football champions overturning a nine point deficit to beat Dublin by eight points.But once again we’re talking about, and looking forward to, another mouth-watering instalment of Dublin v Mayo in the Championship.“Have Mayo got a Plan-D, a plan for Dublin?” asks Brady. “The higher you raise the bar for this Mayo team the more they relish it. This team confounds everybody. I don’t know what height they can reach but Mayo on their day can beat anybody, including themselves.”For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the finest of margins that decide matches at this stage of the Championship and the 2019 All Hurling Final sees the return of the traditional heavyweights with Tipperary and Kilkenny facing off in August after a weekend of epic semi-finals.“The two best teams have ended up in the final,” says Brendan Cummins who joined Will Slattery, Martin Breheny and Conor McKeon on this week’s Throw-In. “Tipperary were slaughtered after the Munster final but Liam Sheedy will back these guys to the end.”And Kilkenny haven’t gone away you know. The question is, how would an All Ireland title rank with this team for Brian Cody?The panel also discussed the standard of refereeing, whether VAR needs introducing – or two referees as Martin Breheny would prefer – and the future of Davy Fitz.Plus they nominate their Rising Stars from the weekend and look ahead to the final round of the Super 8s where it’s do-or-die in Castlebar for Mayo while Jim Gavin brings his team for another battle in Omagh.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a special Live Throw-In from Wexford this week as we previewed a bumper All Ireland Hurling Semi-Final weekend.Gorey was alive with excitement as Billy Byrne, Ursula Jacob, Brendan Cummins, John Mullane and Colm Keys joined Michael Verney in the Ashdown Park Hotel for a night of stories looking back on old clashes and rivalries and analysis looking ahead to the weekend.Wexford or Tipp? Limerick or Kilkenny? It's too close to call with the panel split on both games but either way it promises to be two cracking semi-finals to look forward to.Keep an eye out as well for tickets for the next Live Throw-In special that will be broadcasting from Croke Park the night before the All Ireland Hurling Final.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It wouldn’t be a Championship without a Mayo drama and the showdown looms in two weeks’ time for the clash between Mayo and Donegal for a place in the All Ireland semi-final.Donegal however, are coming good and despite missing players, have to be pleased with themselves and their performance in the draw against Kerry.On this week’s Throw-In, Ciaran Whelan joins Will Slattery and Donnchadh Boyle to assess the potential of the rivals to Dublin’s crown, though Kerry, Donegal and Mayo have some way to go before being considered as serious contenders.As for Diarmuid Connolly’s return, Whelan says he’s there for a reason, though not for the starting XV,“Jim Gavin brought him back because of his X factor and Dublin will need a significant impact for the last 15-20mins off the bench. There’s no one better than Connolly. He’s been brought back for that purpose.”Also on the show, the panel discuss the future of the Super 8s and why it needs to expand to ten teams, while the Rising Stars this week are Donegal’s Oisin Gallen and a special mention for the under-rated but still rising, Stephen O’Brien from Kerry.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.** Get free tickets to The Throw-In Live in Wexford in association with Bord Gáis Energy **We’re bringing the Throw-In Live to the Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey on July 25th and we’re giving you a chance to be there on the night. Tickets are free but you’ll need to register your details below to be in with a chance, with 50 pairs of tickets going on a first-come first-serve basis.Click here to register:https://competitions.independent.ie/preview/get-free-tickets-to-the-throw-in-live-in-wexford-in-association-with-bord-gais-energy.htmlHear from John Mullane and his thoughts on the 'Wexicans', Brendan Cummins and why Tipp will win, Ursula Jacob and Billy Byrne for the Wexford view, and Colm Keys and Michael Verney from INM who will be assessing Davy Fitzgerald and Wexford's chances. Plus, we’ll have great prizes to give away on the night, including tickets to the semi-finals and signed Limerick, Kilkenny, Wexford and Tipperary jerseys.Doors open at 6pm with the show taking place between 7pm and 8pm.Please note that this event will also be recorded and broadcast live on Independent.ie's Facebook channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have Kerry timed it all perfectly with their team hitting top form at the business end of the Championship? Their 10 point win over Mayo was as good as they’ve played in recent years and David Brady reckons they are the only real contenders to the Dubs now.Brady joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Frank Roche on this week’s Throw-In as they looked back on the opening rounds of the Super 8s and as for Mayo, it was ‘complete and utter capitulation’ according to Brady.Elsewhere, it was business as usual for Dublin with their win over Cork, but it was the announcement of Diarmuid Connolly’s return to training that has generated the most talking points.In hurling, Brian Cody’s Kilkenny showed they haven’t gone away with a top-class performance against Cork. Cork’s inconsistencies though, and failure to deal with the big stage will surely have John Meyler’s management team tearing their hair out.And the panel give their special mentions for the weekend’s Rising Stars and no surprise that David Clifford wins special praise for how he is already Kerry’s star man. For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Throw-In broadcast live from the Hotel Kilkenny this week to preview the All Ireland Hurling Quarter-Finals with an all star cast of JJ Delaney, John Mullane and Ger Cunningham along with INM's Vincent Hogan, Conor McKeon and Michael Verney.The panel gave their verdicts on who will join Wexford and Limerick in the semis, and most fancied Cork to see off the Cats - JJ Delaney excepted of course! Plus they looked back on the great Kilkenny-Cork battles down through the years.The panel also gave their verdict on Brian Cody's reign in the last few years and the likelihood of a Wexford v Tipp semi-final.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This summer’s hurling Championship keeps on giving and it was another incredible weekend with Laois’ memorable and historic victory over Dublin that sees them into an All Ireland quarter final against Tipperary.Jubilant manager, and Kilkenny legend, Eddie Brennan, joined Michael Verney, Colm Keys and Sean McGoldrick to look back on a victory for the ages for Laois and what it means for the future generations of Laois hurlers to come.“They’re having the time of their lives,” Eddie told the show. “7th July will live in their memories for a long, long time.”In football, Peter Canavan reviewed Mayo’s victory over Galway and reckons James Horan should be getting the plaudits for his tactical changes during games. And with Tyrone’s facile win over Cavan confirming their place in the Super 8s, next weekend’s game against Roscommon, he says, will be key to their chances of a semi-final place.Plus, in the show’s weekly look at the game’s Rising Stars, the Laois half-back line, Kildare’s minors and Mayo’s James Carr all get worthy mentions for their weekend heroics.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of The Throw-In, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by Conor McKeon and David Brady to recap another great weekend of GAA championship action.Wexford ended a 15-year wait to win a Leinster title and Michael says that Davy Fitzgerald deserves huge credit for guiding the team to glory. However, questions remain over whether they can challenge for the Liam MacCarthy Cup ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final appearance.For Limerick, they restated their credentials as the team to beat with their thrashing of Tipperary. Conor reflects on his county's defeat and explains why Limerick are such a formidable side.In football, Mayo legend Brady joins to talks about the Round Four qualifier draw, the upcoming Super 8s as well as Mayo's round three win over Armagh. The lads also discuss the rest of the weekend's action, discuss the GAA's proposal for a tier-two football championship and give their Bord Gais Energy Rising Stars of the week.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomás Ó'Sé doesn't rate Kerry for this year's All Ireland - and says he's not trying to underplay his county's chances either. He joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney and Donnchadh Boyle on this week's Throw-In to discuss Kerry's weaknesses and why Donegal are now the main team standing in the way of Dublin's drive-for-five.The Dubs' facile win over Meath showed up how farcical the Leinster Championship has become and the panel also discussed whether Dublin's superior funding has as much to do with their domination.Plus, there's a look at at Donegal's strengths for the Championship, a look ahead to round 3 of the qualifiers, and our weekly look at the Rising Stars.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cauldron of Parnell Park was the place to be at the weekend as the Dublin hurlers finally got the big victory that counted and put Galway out of the Championship who must be feeling punch-drunk after results went against them.Brendan Cummins joined Colm Keys, Conor McKeon, Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on all the weekend hurling action that also saw Wexford and Kilkenny draw, while in Munster, Tipperary's momentum shows no sign of slowing down."The Tipperary machine is really purring and their confidence is on a high," says Cummins.Meanwhile, in football, Roscommon captured a second Connacht title over Galway in three years, but what about manager Anthony Cunningham and his incredible record in both codes at county and club level?Former Kilkenny All-Star, Elaine Aylward, also looks back on the opening games of the Camogie Championship while Will and Michael give their verdicts on the Rising Stars from the weekend.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a performance that put Galway hurlers back in the frame for the All Ireland and this week’s Throw-In celebrates not just the Galway players who stood up in the absence of Joe Canning, but the quality of the Leinster Hurling Championship this year.“I didn’t see this win coming to be honest,” says John Mullane who joined Will Slattery, Michael Verney and John Brennan on the show. “It was the perfect way for it to unfold for them and they’re in a fantastic position to kick on now.”There’s also twelve different permutations possible from the final action in Leinster next weekend with Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny and Wexford all in with a shout. Never mind Munster says Mullane, Leinster hurling should also be deserving of praise.In the football, Peter Canavan joined the panel to look back on Donegal’s defeat of Tyrone and Canavan reckons Mickey Harte faces a dilemma: does he go back to the tried and trusted for Tyrone or continue with their new style of play?Elsewhere, it was business as usual for the Dubs, while Round 2 of the Qualifiers sees some interesting ties with Mayo up against Down and Monaghan hosting Armagh with the panel giving their verdict on these clashes as well as their weekly Rising Stars to watch.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Leinster football semi-final double-header is on in Croke Park this weekend and with crowds of less than 35,000 expected for the clashes of Dublin v Kildare and Meath v Laois, does the game need re-structuring and if so, how?Vincent Hogan and Frank Roche joined Will Slattery to discuss the thorny issue and possible solutions, whether a tiered structure would work and why, with Dublin's odds 1/80 against Kildare, people are choosing to stay away.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brendan Cummins joins Will Slattery, Frank Roche and Vincent Hogan for this week's Throw-In and both ends of the hurling spectrum dominate this week's discussion.From Tipp's dominance to Waterford's demise, it's a tale of two counties so far in the hurling championship and Cummins reckons Liam Sheedy's perfectionist playbook means Tipp won't be complacent or resting on their laurels."Tipperary are a momentum team and they have it now. The lads are making hay knowing they're nearing the end of their careers and they have a dream coaching team looking after them."Meanwhile, the panel addresses the toxic atmosphere in the Waterford set-up and wonders if there's any way back for Paraic Fanning’s management?Plus, there's a preview of the Munster football final and a nod to the weekend's Rising Stars.For more from the Throw-In, visit the show page at:www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/The Throw-In is in association with Bord Gáis Energy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.