Giddy disbelief greeted the Kerry legend's grand entry to Westmeath, on the rebound from the Kingdom. Just like 2004, the Dubs are looming again - but can the underdogs really dream of Leinster glory?
Next month marks the 15th anniversary of that surreal Sunday when James Horan made his first summer statement as Mayo manager. The start of a riotous, roller-coaster decade embracing seven All-Ireland finals, one draw, six defeats and an infinity of 'what ifs'.
Expectation comes with the territory when a team makes vast improvements in a short space of time and Meath football boss Robbie Brennan knows that the shoe is on the other foot this year. The Royals went into last year with little fanfare, but Brennan quickly turned the tide after taking the reins from Colm O'Rourke, and they picked up massive championship wins over Dublin, eventual All-Ireland champions Kerry and Galway in a roller-coaster summer.
FULL-TIME: Dingle 1-18 St.Finbarr's 0-20 Unbelievable. St.Finbarr's were in total control of that game but displine has let them down. Bill O'Connell is penalised for not retreating from the foul. The referee moves the free forward 50 metres which takes it right to the edge of the arc. Cometh the hour, cometh the man - Conor Geaney dispatches the two-point free to snatch a slender win. Dingle are Munster SFC champions! It's cruel on the Barrs but they were the architects of their own downfall.
George Best was once the only man from Northern Ireland to make a stir kicking a ball in America. But now the NFL is rife with Irish kickers. Last season Jude McAtamney hit a FG for the Giants. (It went less well for him this year.) And on Sunday Charlie Smyth joined him with a successful kick of his own, joining Neil O'Donoghue in the growing fraternity of Irish-born NFL kickers.
Fr Stephen Duffy, who was Mr Hughes' friend, described him as a "proud son of Castleblayney", adding that not only was Mr Hughes a "remarkable person" but also "happened to be a magnificent footballer and sportsman". The priest said Mr Hughes "loved the craic, banter and had a great sense of fun" and he was proud of where he came from.
Friday is Presidential Election Day in Ireland. What was a ho-hum electoral season got overheated when the campaign of Jim Gavin, a Gaelic football legend turned political neanderfuck and one of only three candidates on the ballot, imploded at the 11th hour over news that he'd screwed a former tenant out of overpaid rent 16 years ago. Irish campaigns are a whole lot shorter than we're used to stateside: The presidential ballot wasn't finalized until late September.
In the latest of our vintage veteran series, Dublin great and seven-time All-Ireland winner Eoghan O'Gara reveals he is still enjoying his football with Wexford club Shelmaliers despite injuries. It's not quite a Benjamin Button tale but for Eoghan O'Gara, it's certainly a case of an Indian Summer.
The GAA's recent championship football weekend showcased players demonstrating their skills, ultimately rejuvenating interest in the game and fostering excitement among fans.
Olivia, a bright and beautiful spirit, passed away on May 25 while participating in the Edinburgh Half Marathon. Her bubbling personality and kind heart will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
