At one stage on Sunday, Kerry trailed Donegal by 21 points in the Division 1 final. “Twenty One!” They were, writes Gordon Manning, “tiptoeing around Croke Park like meek first-time visitors”. But while Donegal collected just their second ever Division 1 title, and some air was let out of the Kerry “back-to-back hype balloon”, neither camp appeared too bothered. The league is over, “the real business of 2026 is about to get motoring.”
Seán Moran reports on a game that saw Jim McGuinness’s team “hand Kerry a walloping”, Gordon hearing from both managers after. Meath, meanwhile, saw off Cork in the Division 2 final, securing a first piece of league silverware in 19 years, manager Robbie Brennan a bit on the chuffed side after.
Down helped themselves to an extra-time three point win over Wexford in the Division 3 decider, while Carlow picked up their first senior football trophy since 2002 when they beat Longford in the Division 4 final.
On the women’s side, All-Ireland champions Dublin were relegated from Division 1, despite their win over Cork, Kildare dropping down along with them after their loss to Kerry. Galway and Cork will meet in the Division 1 final on April 11th.
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“It’s like a car crash ... the best thing to do is to get back in and drive again.” So said Heimir Hallgrímsson of tomorrow’s (utterly pointless) meeting with North Macedonia, for which he has called up Portsmouth winger Millenic Alli. And he’s hoping this game won’t be Séamus Coleman’s adieu.
Ken Early reflects on Ireland’s ultimately unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign, one that caused its supporters to experience “wild swings of emotion” – and indulge in a bit too much “craic” for his liking. Their hope was extended to the playoffs, Denis Walsh noting how sporting bodies – in football, rugby, GAA and beyond – have mastered the art of exploiting that hope, by keeping teams in the running for as long as possible.
Munster kept their URC hopes alive by showing no little resilience when collecting two bonus points from their defeat by the Bulls. All three of the other provinces picked up wins, Leinster beating Scarlets with a “fitful” performance on Friday, Ulster and Connacht seeing off Zebre and Ospreys respectively.
In golf, Philip Reid reviews the new “Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait” documentary. His quest to complete the Grand Slam “is superbly relived through his own words and deeds, and those of his parents and backroom team”.
At this stage, documentary makers wouldn’t know where to begin with Tiger Woods’ life. Ewan Murray looks at the latest chapter in his story, another brush with the law after another car crash, which should “leave us questioning why golf remains so beholden to him”.
And in racing, Brian O’Connor has news of as many as five British-trained horses entering Easter Monday’s Irish Grand National, the prize pool of €500,000 proving to be a bit of an attraction.
TV Watch: You know the way we usually have slim telly pickings for you most Mondays? Well, here we go again. Unless the prospect of a football friendly between Germany and Ghana has you giddy (Virgin Media Two, 7.45pm)? But if you have even a drop of Donegal, Meath, Down or Carlow blood in your veins, you’ll want to watch TG4’s highlights from the weekend’s football finals (8pm).
