New year brings new inter-county season
Carlow goalkeeper Brian Tracey is ready for the start of a new era under new manager Pat Bennett Photo: ©INPHO/Ashley Cahill
The inter-county season is just around the corner. It is surely appropriate to pose the question?
Who won the 2025 Walsh and O’Byrne Cups?
Don’t rack the brains. The competitions were not played last year and part of the discussion about not participating was that player welfare was not being recognised.
In February 2025 the Westmeath Independent reported that Leinster Council had lost €90,000 due to the cancellation of the competitions. It was also felt that because of the increase in challenge matches counties might as well play these tournament games.
Certainly last year, in the absence of the Walsh and O’Byrne Cups a vacuum existed. Perhaps, counties whose season had ended somewhat prematurely could well have done with those games but that is hard to assess either way.
By early September 2025, the return of these competitions was well and truly flagged. Now they are only a few days away.
For any team who progresses the whole way through either the Cup or Shield competitions the first round of the National Leagues will be starting 7/8 days later.
After that it is a helter skelter season with the games, both league and championship coming one after the other.
Either win or lose against Dublin at the weekend, Carlow will still have a tasty fixture against either Laois or Wexford to look forward to. While they are not the ultimate competitive test, they are still a lot more beneficial than challenge games.
Carlow have been back in training since the start of December and goalkeeper, Brian Tracey, speaking four days after Christmas, says he is looking forward to the New Year.
“We trained until December 21st and are back for the last couple of days. We had a week off which is great to get,” he said.
Carlow played a challenge match against Wexford recently at The Training Centre where they were reminded what the pace is set at when playing seasoned teams.
“We know the level we have to get too. There was a good standard, Wexford came with a strong team and that was an eye-opener,” he remarked.
He says that playing against Dublin is a test the players should relish. They will meet again in the league.
“These are great games to get. To be in Division 1B is massive and it is great to be playing at this level.”
A number of younger players did not return after the club championship but others such as Ciaran Abbey (Naomh Eoin), Colm Kavanagh (St Mullins), Ruairi Murphy, Conaill Fitzpatrick (both Mount Leinster Rangers), Jamie Wall (Ballinkillen), Tadhg O’Neill, Conor Carew (both Naomh Bríd) have come in.
Former Carlow dual star, Johnny Nevin, is a new selector with another to be announced.
Rest of Draw Thursday, 8 January:
â Q/F Cup: Winners Carlow/Dublin v winners Laois/Wexford, AWAY.
â Q/F Shield: Losers Carlow/Dublin v losers Laois/Wexford, AWAY.
Semi-Finals: Sunday, 11 January.
Final: Sunday, 18 January.
The temporary closure of Netwatch Cullen Park due to the refurbishments of the dressing rooms have given Éire Óg the opportunity to host a senior intercounty game at the Pairc Ui Bhriain grounds. It won’t be lost on the Carlow manager, Joe Murphy, that this match in his first full term as Carlow manager is at the club who he played with and managed so successfully.
In a recent interview he acknowledged that no stone will be left unturned to get the best players that Carlow can possibly have into the training ground and subsequently on to the field.
“We have watched ever match in all grades. Just to look and see what players are there. See if we could spot a potential (intercounty) player whether they are playing senior, intermediate or junior. We have picked a number of players from that whom we are trialling at the moment,” he said.
A panel has not been announced yet. Next weekend will give Carlow supporters a glimpse of what the team is going to be like as the National Football League approaches.
Win or lose on Sunday, Carlow will have another game against either Wicklow or Meath. Interest is sure to rise. A good result against Offaly and even though it is so early in the season will instil hope into the county. Early days for sure but it has to start somewhere.
Rest of Draw Q/F Cup: Winners Carlow/Offaly v winners Wicklow/Meath.
Q/F Shield: Losers Carlow/Offaly v losers Wexford/Kildare.
Final: Date TBC
