Martin Breheny: Donegal’s ‘not bothered’ approach to making a final is an insult to the league

Jim McGuinness appears to be quite happy about prospect of missing the final Donegal manager Jim McGuinness made his view clear after Sunday’s National Football League defeat to Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile Donegal couldn’t care less whether or not they reach the National League final. We know that because the man … Read more

Martin Breheny: Ban overseas training – only the rich counties can afford it, making the gap wider

Cork footballers pose for a team photo in Páirc Uí Rinn before suffering a 20-point defeat to Meath last Sunday – they headed off to Portugal on Tuesday for warm weather training camp, something which other teams from so-called big counties will also be doing this spring. Seb Daly/Sportsfile Cork footballers had plenty to reflect … Read more

Martin Breheny: The GPA is on a collision course with control-freak managers

Players know they can gain commercially by ditching ‘silence is golden’ policy Seán McCague during his time as manager of the Monaghan footballers. Photo: Sportsfile A few months after I got a job with the Irish Press Group in 1979, Monaghan won the Ulster title for the first time since 1938. Prior to the All-Ireland … Read more

Martin Breheny: Time up for hooter – and let’s bin the flawed handover rule while we’re at it

Kerry’s matchwinner Tomás Kennedy celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal against Roscommon last Sunday. Photo: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile A week into the new season, and already, troubling issues have arisen around time and motion. They should be easily dealt with, but in the confusing world of GAA rules, they have been allowed to become a … Read more

Martin Breheny: How can Davy Fitzgerald’s loose words be seen as more serious than deliberate rule-breaking?

The Antrim manager was banned while bigger offences regularly go unpunished Antrim hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald Guilty as charged! The GAA’s disciplinary gavel smacked hard and was followed by sentencing – an eight-week suspension for Davy Fitzgerald. His crime? Too many wild words after Antrim’s defeat to Galway, specifically those that claimed officials had it … Read more

Martin Breheny: Give hurling two referees – one can’t cover three acres of ground

Waterford’s Stephen Bennett remonstrates with referee Johnny Murphy during the Munster SHC match at Páirc Ui Chaoimh. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Hurling referees are back in familiar territory, experienced by their equivalents in every sport – facing criticism based essentially on analysis undertaken with the aid of technology. It’s easy to be definitive after watching an … Read more

Martin Breheny: Shallow punditry exposed by contrasting fortunes of Dublin and Cork

Cathal O’Neill of Limerick and Cormac O’Brien of Cork shake hands after the Munster SHC match at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile Let’s follow a sequence of events in the championship as the latest example of how flawed conclusions can be reached when based purely on the most recent games. Dazzled by … Read more

Martin Breheny: New rules but same old story – no sign Gaelic football’s status quo changing any time soon

Kerry did what they’ve always done – they found a way to win a national title. Mayo, on the other hand, didn’t seem up for the fight once a defensive howler led to Paul Geaney’s 12th-minute goal Kerry’s Paul Geaney scores his side’s early goal against Mayo during the Allianz Football League Division 1 final … Read more

Martin Breheny: Scrapping All-Ireland round-robin system isn’t ‘a joke’ – Congress vote shows how unpopular it has become

There can be no real equality for as long as provincials are the starting point Galway manager Pádraic Joyce embraces Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney after their All-Ireland SFC Round 3 clash in Carrick-on-Shannon last year. McGeeney described the decision to drop the round-robin system as a joke and an embarrassment. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile In an … Read more