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New York players strike out for pastures new, let’s celebrate that

The Morning Sports Briefing: keep ahead of the game as Mary Hannigan brings you all the main sports news

Ciarán Murphy reflects on New York GAA's famous win over Leitrim in his column this morning. Photograph: Sharon Redican/Inpho

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Mary Hannigan
Thu Apr 13 2023 - 10:49

There’s a chance that they’re still partying in the Bronx after Saturday’s historic victory for New York over Leitrim in the Connacht football championship. But while the result might have been viewed as a seismic shock – certainly in Leitrim, anyway – Ciarán Murphy was less surprised, pointing to the pedigree of so many on the New York team.

Ciarán also takes issue with the notion that this team was largely made up of Irish-born players forced in to emigration when, in fact, many would have just wanted to spread their wings. “Too often in the GAA,” he writes, “we fetishise the suffering, and don’t acknowledge the desire to strike out for pastures new.”

Speaking of seismic shocks: Gordon Manning talks to Dublin captain James McCarthy about the return to the panel of a certain Stephen Cluxton, McCarthy doubting that the man who captained the county to seven All-Ireland titles between 2013 and 2020 will be content with a place on the bench in the Championship campaign ahead.

In camogie, we hear from Cork captain Amy O’Connor ahead of her county’s league final against Galway on Sunday, the four-time All Ireland winner insisting that she has no regrets about not pursuing a soccer career that saw her represent the Republic of Ireland at underage level, alongside the likes of current captain Katie McCabe.

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And Joe Callaghan reflects on McCabe and Co’s performances in their two friendlies against the United States, speaking with striker Kyra Carusa about where the team stands now, less than 100 days away from the World Cup.

Also in soccer, Gavin Cummiskey reports on the inclusion of the yet-to-be-reconstructed Casement Park in the UK-Irish-bid to host the 2028 European Championships, the home of Antrim GAA is part of a 10-stadium bid that doesn’t include Croke Park.

Joanne O’Riordan, meanwhile, talks to former professional baseball player Chris Singleton who redirected his life after his mother was killed in the 2015 shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in which nine African Americans died. Since then, he has dedicated his time, through speaking tours and books, to spreading “a message of communication, unity and understanding”.

And in rugby, Johnny Watterson hears from Munster coach Graham Rowntree ahead of the province’s two critical fixtures in South Africa, games that “will not only determine whether Munster go through to the knock-out phases in the United Rugby Championship, but whether they compete in next season’s European Champions Cup”. No pressure.

Telly watch: If gymnastics floats your boat, then you’re in for a happy afternoon – BBC2 has coverage of the European Championships in Turkey (2.0-4.45). Otherwise, the best we can offer you is the Europa League quarter-final tussle between Manchester United and Seville (Virgin Media Two and BT Sport 1, kick-off 8.0)