Laois drop Walsh as Gavin sets sights on records
LAOIS footballer Gary Walsh is understood to have been dropped from the O’Moore team ahead of today’s Allianz FL Division 4 final against Carlow in the wake of his controversial tweet following the not guilty verdict in the rape trial involving Irish rugby internationals Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding.
The Ballylinan forward finished top scorer across all four divisions with a whopping 4-41 but it looks like he will play no part in the Croke Park clash (3.0), with manager John Sugrue, county board officials and sponsor MW Hire believed to be taking a hard line on such behaviour.
Laois GAA and team sponsors immediately distanced themselves from the tweet, while Walsh subsequently offered an apology, saying “It was ill-judged on my behalf”. But in a bizarre move, he also altered his Twitter profile picture to show an action shot of him playing for Laois with the sponsor and team crest blurred out.
It’s a busy weekend of action at GAA HQ and while Jim Gavin (right) has already set records as the highest-achieving GAA manager over an initial five-year period, he will extend his lead early in his sixth season as Dublin boss if they beat Galway in tomorrow’s Division 1 football final.
Gavin has already presided over eight national title successes – four All-Ireland and four Leagues – leaving him three ahead of Brian Cody and four clear of Mick O’Dwyer at the same stage of their careers with Kerry and Kilkenny.
Gavin’s men are hot favourites to win the Division 1 title for the fifth time in six seasons, with last year’s final defeat to Kerry the only blot on Gavin’s otherwise perfect League copybook.
Galway are attempting to pull off the unusual feat of winning the Division 2 and Division 1 titles in successive seasons, with their last top tier League title won in 1981. They remain unbeaten, having only dropped one point when drawing with Dublin in Pearse Stadium.
Their eagerly anticipated clash is preceded by the Division 2 final (2.0) pitting Cavan against Roscommon. Both were relegated last season but have bounced back to clinch promotion slots.
The Division 2 relegation issue will also be settled today when Down host Tipperary and Louth welcome Meath to Drogheda, with the Wee county already demoted and will be joined by Down (4 points), Meath (5) or Cork (6), with Armagh and Fermanagh, who meet in today’s Division 3 decider (5.0), going in the opposite direction.
Elsewhere, Cats boss Cody makes six changes for their trip to Wexford Park to face Davy Fitzgerald’s Model side tomorrow (2.0) in the Allianz HL semi-final.
Former All-Star goalkeeper Eoin Murphy returns, Enda Morrissey comes into defence, James Maher starts at midfield, while Martin Keoghan, John Donnelly and Bill Sheehan all get a chance to shine in attack.
Meanwhile, Tipperary boss Michael Ryan has placed faith in youth for tonight’s last-four tie with Limerick in Thurles (7.0).