Indo GAA

The Allianz Football Leagues are back and so is the Throw-In with Will Slattery and Michael Verney as they’re joined by Martin Breheny and Colm Keys to preview the likely contenders and relegation fights in the weeks ahead.

One of the burning questions is how will Dublin react since the end of their historic All Ireland winning run and Michael Verney says write Dublin off at your peril.

‘A defeat can almost send people running away with themselves, they were going for 7-in-a-row last year and now all of a sudden a lot of people are potentially writing them off, so I think the reaction is going to be fascinating this year.’

Dublin face Armagh in Croke Park in their opening game.

And what of Kerry under Jack O’Connor again? They’ll be going for every game and every title, with a point to prove to themselves most of all and start their campaign away to Kildare.

Elsewhere in Division 1 sees reigning All-Ireland Champions, Tyrone, against Monaghan in Omagh and Mayo v Donegal.

The real tussles promise to be in the lower leagues with Division 2 promising to be the tightest while Martin Breheny raises question marks over Cork’s diminishing status as a football county.

Finally, the panel discussed Divisions 3 and 4 where there are places in the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cup also on the line.

It might be early in the year but every county is playing with one eye firmly on the summer.

The Throw-In will have new episodes every Monday bringing you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action.

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The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

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While the Mayo heartbreak continues, let’s also celebrate Tyrone for what they have achieved and on the final Throw-In podcast of the season, Dick Clerkin and Cora Staunton join Will Slattery and Michael Verney to give credit where credit is due to the 2021 All Ireland champions.

“It's everything that you'd want in your team that you'd be involved in or if you were a coach at any level,” says Dick Clerkin. “The confidence, the skill level, that passion, the tackling, the discipline….I've just total respect and admiration for what they done and how they done it.”

But for Cora Staunton, there are plenty of questions to be asked about Mayo’s approach to the game.

“I'm still wondering what their actual forward game plan or system of play was,” she says. “Because at times it didn't seem like they had one or knew what they were doing. At times we had Aidan O'Shea inside in the square and we couldn't get long ball into. At times we had Kevin McLoughlin in there, our most creative forward, sitting very deep, and we had Tommy Conroy at times too far away from goal so for me it was our decision-making, our lack of composure, especially in that forward third.”

Looking ahead to 2022, can Mayo go again? Wow strong will the Dubs be? Who will be in charge of Kerry? And of course Tyrone will be back more confident than ever – it promises to be another fascinating campaign.

Finally on this week’s show, Wexford’s Ursula Jacob also joined Will and Michael to look back on the camogie final where Galway beat Cork in a classic game that was a brilliant advertisement for the sport and show-cased just how good the standard has become, auguring a bright future ahead.

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.

2021 is becoming known as the year of the underdog but there’s one remaining question to be answered and that’s whether Mayo can banish the ghosts of footballing pasts by capturing Sam Maguire for the first time in seventy years at the weekend.

On this Throw-In football final preview special, Will Slattery and Michael Verney are joined by Cora Staunton and Peter Canavan as they look ahead to the big game.

“It's a little bit surreal down here,” Cora tells the show. “While there's plenty of flags and bunting, cars painted and stuff like that, it's not as hyped or as built up as in other years. I think Mayo fans have learned in the past that the more hype you have it's probably not the best. We're optimistic and there's a confidence down here but things are certainly calmer which is good.”

While in Tyrone, Peter Canavan says people are upbeat, never expecting to have got so far this year.
“The mood's very good, people are in great form up here, there is a great buzz about the place in the towns and villages. There's nothing but red and white so supporters have really bought into it and bought into this team. They've given us a great run so far and we're in a position very few expected us to be in.”

Injury concerns notwithstanding, Cora says it will be tight for Mayo but expects them to pull through by a point or two in the end, while Peter thinks it will be even tighter and will finish in a draw with nothing to separate the teams. ‘It’s too hard to call,’ he says.

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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.

After the Dubs dominance of the last six years, the 2021 All-Ireland football final has a unique pairing with Tyrone and Mayo set to meet up following Tyrone’s surprising win over Kerry at the weekend and on this week’s Throw-In, Cora Staunton and Dick Clerkin join Will Slattery and Michael Verney to discuss where and how such an upset was caused.

Plus, looking ahead to Mayo’s chances against Tyrone, Cora Staunton says her own county would have preferred not to be facing Kerry.

“From a psychological point of view for Mayo it's probably better that it's Tyrone rather than Kerry because obviously we've had All-Ireland final baggage with Kerry in the years past. I think it's going to be a huge tactical battle, Horan is very shrewd in the way he operates and Dooher and Logan are exactly the same. The way they set Tyrone up, their organisation was immense and it's going to be a very difficult final for Mayo.”

The camogie final pairing has also been decided with Cork facing Galway in a repeat of the 2015 final and Ursula Jacob joins the panel to discuss the semi-final wins for Cork over Kilkenny and Galway over Tipp and she gives her prediction for the final.

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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’s been described as the greatest hurling final display since Kilkenny's demolition of Waterford in 2008 and after Limerick’s record score and victory over Cork this year, just how can they be beaten?

Brendan Cummins and John Mullane join Will Slattery and Michael Verney on this week’s Throw-In to look back on Limerick’s incredible performance as well as reviewing where Cork got it so wrong and what other counties can do to stop the ‘green machine’ from dominating in the years to come.

“It was probably the best half of hurling I've ever seen,” says Mullane. “It was just relentless. They just pushed this button, they went into gear and they just blitzed Cork and it was just a joy to sit back and watch it. The great teams don't let up and they didn't let up in the second half.”

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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 countdown to the 2021 All-Ireland Hurling Final is on and the Throw-In looks ahead to the clash of Limerick and Cork with an exclusive interview with Galway legend, Joe Canning, who tells Will Slattery and Michael Verney why all the pressure is on John Kiely’s men.

Canning also talks about life post-retirement, his future coaching plans, and the good and bad days of his hurling career.

Also on the show, former Limerick All-Star, Andrew O’Shaughnessy, and former Cork manager, John Meyler, run through where they see the game being won and lost.

Unsurprisingly, both are tipping their respective counties to win by three points but Meyler says Cork will be in no fear of the reigning champions.

“Cork have just quietly gone about their business and they've a new style, a new freshness and certainly won't fear Limerick and Croke Park will suit this kind of running, mobile athletic Cork team.”

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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.

After nearly a decade, Mayo have finally shaken off Dublin and taken their fans on another incredible journey to Croke Park.

On this week’s Throw-In, Ciarán Whelan and David Brady join Will Slattery and Michael Verney as they look back on an epic clash between the two counties.

For Brady, it was the gritty, never-say-die manner of the victory over such a decorated Dublin team that said more about the win.

“As a Mayo man, as a Mayo person, as a Mayo supporter, we have always said it, we're on this journey with the team and the team represents the people. Time and time again we've come up short and we have failed and it's been very disappointing against Dublin because their class just eluded us by the smallest of margins in games but it was great to get that one victory to beat such a dominant Dublin team.”

For Dublin meanwhile, it’s not quite back to the drawing board but they will certainly be a team in transition for the coming years says Whelan.

The Dublin ladies continue to march on however and they will face Meath who are into their first All Ireland ladies football final after an incredible come back from six points down against Cork. Bríd Stack joins the show to go through where it went wrong for the Rebels and the chance Meath has of causing another upset.

Plus, there was also time for Michael Verney to celebrate Offaly’s U20 All Ireland football success on a weekend when the traditional big guns were ousted.

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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’s Cork v Limerick in the 2021 All Ireland hurling final and what a mouth-watering game it promises to be. Ultimately Cork got over the line despite Kilkenny’s last gasp heroics, whilst Limerick were too good for Waterford, and on this week’s Throw-In, John Mullane and Frank Roche joined Will Slattery and Michael Verney to look back on the semi-finals and preview how they see the final going.

Mullane has been singing Cork’s praises for the last number of weeks and he says their tradition and self-belief will count for much in their approach to the final.

“The Rebels are the rebels,” says Mullane. “And the Rebel Roar was back yesterday. Cork hurling is in a very good place. Their dander is up, they're hurling very, very well. They can be extremely dangerous opponents for anyone and here we are now, we're going to be in for a thrilling final with both Cork and Limerick.”

The panel also discussed Kilkenny’s fight and determination and what the future holds for Brian Cody, while Mullane also says that the Waterford county board must stick with Liam Cahill for them to fulfil their potential.

In the football, Frank Roche looks ahead to next weekend’s semi-finals with question marks over Dublin’s form the biggest what-if, alongside that of whether and when Tyrone and Kerry will get the go-ahead due to Covid concerns.

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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 are into another All Ireland semi-final after beating Tipperary at the weekend but the question now is whether their speed and running game will be enough to overcome the country’s best in Limerick?

Brendan Cummins and John Mullane join Michael Verney on this week’s Throw-In as they give their verdict on Waterford’s win, Cork’s victory over Dublin and rate the counties’ chances in the semis.

Plus there’s special mention for Offaly’s 41 points scored against Derry to win the Christy Ring final while in the Nicky Rackard final, Mayo beat Tyrone by sixteen points to win their second title.

And with Joe Canning’s retirement from the game, the panel rank Joe Canning’s career amongst the greats, remembering his legacy to his county and the overall game of hurling.

In the football, Dick Clerkin and Martin Breheny review the Leinster and Ulster finals and for Clerkin, it was a case of a lost opportunity for his native county in their one-point loss to Tyrone.

Dublin’s eight-point victory over Kildare gave them yet another Leinster title and sets them up for a semi-final against Mayo and while they’re not dominating as in years gone before, they’re still in the last four and just two games away from another All Ireland title. But it’s the strength in depth that is raising question marks with people asking are they vulnerable?

“They just need to be one point better than Mayo, one point better than Kerry,” says Dick Clerkin. “And there's nothing to say that they won't be because they're still an excellent team. I expect them to put up a big performance against Mayo. But at the end of the day, it's up to Mayo to try and bring it, don't expect Dublin to come back any further and give them a handy semi-final win, that's just not going to happen.”

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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’s official, Kerry are now the bookies favourites and after their historic 22-point demolition of Cork in the Munster final, Sam is there for the taking.

On this week’s Throw-In podcast, Tomás Ó’Sé joins Will Slattery and Dermot Crowe and he tells the lads just how far the Kingdom really can go believing that Dublin are the most vulnerable they’ve been in ten years.

“Kerry are favourites,” he admits. “They're working like animals all around the pitch. I think they have an edge, the harder edge this year definitely.”

The panel also rate Mayo’s chances in the semi-final after their 11-point turn-around in the Connacht final while Kerry face the winner of Tyrone v Monaghan in next weekend’s Ulster final.

Meanwhile, in the hurling, John Mullane was on the show celebrating Waterford’s win over Galway and he reckons they will have the speed to topple Tipperary in the quarter-finals. On the other side of the draw, Cork’s win over Clare sees them meet Dublin and Mullane thinks the Rebels have every chance to go far.

“Something is definitely happening down Leeside,” says Mullane. “I wouldn't like to be playing them and I think they'll win at the weekend and that'll put them in a semi-final and - a bit like Waterford - momentum will be with them and they seem to be building down there.”

Listen and follow the Throw-In on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, with new episodes every Monday throughout the Championship.

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.