The 42 GAA Weekly

Limerick defeat Clare in thriller, Galway take big step, what next for Cork? 05.07.2026 25min

Fintan O'Toole and Declan Bogue reflect on All-Ireland hurling semi-final weekend at Croke Park. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four to the floor: The big All-Ireland hurling semi-finals preview 01.07.2026 59min

Fintan O’Toole joins Ronan Early to look ahead to Cork-Galway and Clare-Limerick in Croke Park this weekend.From bookies paying out early, to fellas getting tattoos and pundits criticising their rivals - there is always a stick with which to beat the Cork hurlers. This week it comes in the form of Ringmahon Rangers and the FAI Cup fixtures impasse.The lads did not expect one of Cork city’s premier soccer nurseries to feature in the build-up to the Rebels’ showdown with Galway - but they knew it would be something. Cork hurling has long since become a soap opera with wild storylines entirely beyond the control of anyone actually involved in the operation. So how do they handle the noise? Block it out or have a brief laugh as you focus on the substantial job at hand: beating Galway.Fintan breaks down areas where Glaway can hurt Cork, and how Cork can temper their threats and build a winning total themselves.Also, can Clare rise from an indifferent campaign and produce one of their best displays ever, which is what will be needed to beat Championship favourites Limerick? We assess their chances.To get in touch with the pod, please email Fintan@the42.ie or Ronan@the42.ie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-final drama: Dublin, Louth, Kerry and Mayo advance 28.06.2026 23min

Fintan O'Toole is joined by Paul Keane in Croke Park to look back on a brilliant and dramatic weekend of football action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Sometimes the Championship can get a bit wild’ - All-Ireland quarter-finals preview 24.06.2026 1h 11min

Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to look ahead to a packed weekend of football, as the Championship is down to the last eight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More GAA+ aggro and the most exciting football weekend of the year 17.06.2026 1h 8min

Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to look ahead to a truly exciting round of knockout football.But first they talk about the promotional own-goal of putting the Kerry-Armagh clash on their streaming service instead of free-to-air TV. Why are the GAA hiding their jewels while interest in the World Cup booms? Or is there a counterargument, and does GAA+ really need the biggest games to be a viable service?On the field of play, we look ahead to the blockbuster ties of Dublin-Donegal as well as Kerry-Armagh and call Mayo-Meath and Monaghan-Westmeath.And for all the hurling snobs about there, fast-forward to 58.47 for some chat about Clare-Dublin and Cork-Offaly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cork-Limerick fallout | Can Galway topple the big two? | Football previews 11.06.2026 1h 3min

Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early to debate the Munster final.Is the discussion over the final whistle contrived controversy. Did the stop-start game need a dramatic talking point at the end to elevate the spectacle?Why were Limerick so excited to win? What makes for a great hurling dynasty? To rack up All-Irelands do you need to be strong when others are weak? And with Cork now at Limerick’s level will their GOAT credentials be put to the ultimate stress test?Declan, meanwhile, assesses Galway’s chances of beating both.Also, we run through the knockout football games for the weekend ahead and, as ever, call it. There is even a World Cup prediction at the end if you want to ruin your accumulators. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Limerick-Cork and Galway-Dublin provincial hurling finals review 07.06.2026 19min

Fintan O'Toole is joined by Paul Dollery of The Sun in Páirc Uí Chaoimh to reflect on Limerick edging out Cork in a tense Munster decider today, and Galway cruising past Dublin in last night's Leinster final. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ger Brennan hits back, Derek Lyng leaves Kilkenny, Munster-Leinster final previews 04.06.2026 53min

Declan Bogue joins Fintan O'Toole to look at a week when GAA bosses have dominated the agenda.First Jarlath Burns had his say, then Ger Brennan hit back, as the controversy over managerial bans continues. What impact is this all having on Dublin's season?Derek Lyng has stepped down in Kilkenny, the lads reflect on his time in charge and wonder is Henry Shefflin set to take charge.And they look ahead to this weekend's big hurling finals... why this is a season-defining game for Dublin and Galway, and can Limerick change their record against Cork? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the GAA’s disciplinary system fit for purpose? | Why Davy did not work out at Antrim 28.05.2026 50min

Declan Bogue joins Ronan Early to discuss the fallout from the Kerry-Donegal clash.Jim McGuinness and David Clifford have avoided bans for their part in the fracas at Fitzgerald stadium, just months after Ger Brennan, the Dublin manager, received a 12-week ban for an offence not dissimilar to McGuinness’.Is the GAA disciplinary system - with its myriad committees and ruling bodies who administer justice in private and do not comment publicly - fit for purpose nowadays? What needs to happen for greater consistency and transparency?Also on today’s pod, Declan details why the marriage of Davy Fitzgerald and Antrim hurling failed to produce the kind of results both parties would have liked. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cork hammer Clare and Kilkenny are out - snap reaction 24.05.2026 15min

Fintan O'Toole is joined Syl O'Connor at Páirc Uí Chaoimh to run through the main talking points of Cork's big win against Clare and Kilkenny's early exit from the Championship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tipp's torrid 2026, Conlon masterclass and weekend preview 20.05.2026 1h 11min

Fintan O'Toole joins Ronan Early to talk about the big hurling stories of the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Snap reaction: Tipp on the brink after emphatic Clare win 16.05.2026 13min

Fintan O'Toole is joined by Shane Brophy of the Nenagh Guardian to analyse Clare's 11-point win against Tipperary in Semple Stadium. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Win or bust for Tipp and Clare | How Monaghan punch above their weight 14.05.2026 1h 13min

Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early ahead of a decisive weekend in Munster, Ulster and Leinster. Tipperary and in particular Clare may have a route back to the All-Ireland series should they lose in Thurles on Saturday - but realistically neither will be in a healthy state following a defeat in Thurles. How have the All-Ireland champions of 2025 and 24 arrived at such a critical juncture at this stage of the season? And who can revitalise their campaign this weekend?Also, are the GAA winning their battle for media supremacy? Backlash to Clare and Tipp being on GAA+ has been muted so far. Have the association been helped in this regard by the fact that in the region of 400,000 households have a dodgy box? Are the potentially outraged citizens content to fill their boots with illegal streams, while others pay the subscription?Declan tells us how Monaghan continue to outperform the external expectations of a county with a small population. Can they beat Armagh in the Ulster final, or will Kieran McGeeney and co land the prize they have chased so hard this decade? And in Leinster, can Westmeath upset Dublin?To get in touch with the show, email Fintan@the42.ie, Ronan@the42.ie or Declan@the42.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Clifford stars as Kerry defeat Cork in Munster final 10.05.2026 17min

Fintan O'Toole is joined by Paul Brennan of The Kerryman to reflect on Kerry's Munster Senior Football Championship final win over Cork. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RTÉ v GAA+ | Provincial finals undermined | Hurling previews 06.05.2026 1h 14min

Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early on a week when it dawned on the wider GAA public that provincial finals ain’t what they used to be. Round 2a and 2b of the All-Ireland series might have stolen a march on set-piece occasions that have stood for generations, but is that right?And who should show the plum ties from the latest new format? Do GAA+ now hold all the aces? If so, how does this serve the public?Also, previewed today are Cork-Kerry, Galway-Roscommon and the Munster hurling championship clash of Waterford-Cork as well as key Leinster battles, Wexford-Dublin and Offaly-Kilkenny.Finally, what’s in a rivalry if one side is dominant and the other doesn’t seem to care all that much? Or, can the embers of hatred - the good-natured sporting type - ignite again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the summer of shocks (and shocking predictions) 30.04.2026 53min

Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to look ahead to the weekend’s action and reflect on some of last weekend’s shocks.The lads are feeling humbled and fallible after getting a few of their big calls wrong last week, but like true inter-county stalwarts they are blocking out the outside noise and only taking feedback from within the group as they set out to make another bunch of predictions - which could go either way.Will Down carry their irresistible form into Saturday’s meeting with Armagh? Can Louth see off Dublin and make it to another Leinster final against Westmeath or Kildare?And, in hurling, can Clare capitalise on the absence of Cian Lynch and most probably Aaron Gillane too and beat Limerick in Ennis?Get in touch with the pod at ronan@the42.ie, fintan@the42.ie or declan@the42.ie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster hurling drama: Cork beat Limerick, Waterford draw with Tipperary 26.04.2026 15min

Fintan O'Toole and Denis Hurley of the Echo provide immediate reaction in the aftermath of a big day in the Munster Hurling Championship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pressure builds: Tipp-Waterford, Cork-Limerick, Kilkenny-Wexford previews 24.04.2026 56min

Fintan O’Toole joins Ronan Early to look ahead to a huge weekend of Munster and Leinster championship hurling.Can Tipperary find the right level of energy and form to see off Waterford and avoid their All-Ireland defence being in tatters before the start of May? And what can Waterford do to improve their spread of scorers and record a valuable home win, to back up their positive performance in Ennis?Is the pressure off Cork after their opening-day win? And is John Kiely feeling the pressure in his appeal for Limerick’s support to show up in numbers at Páirc Ui Chaoimh?Meanwhile, in Leinster, Kilkenny will be staring down the barrel if they don’t beat Wexford at Nowlan Park. But are Wexford, who put daylight between themselves and Kildare with a late burst, equipped to capitalise on Kilkenny’s apparent lack of firepower? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SNAP REACTION: Tipperary 1-22 Cork 0-29 19.04.2026 13min

Fintan O'Toole is joined by Shane Brophy of the Nenagh Guardian to reflect on a big win for Cork in Thurles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who will survive Munster? And six forwards who can define the Championship 14.04.2026 1h 7min

Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early to preview the hurling Championship.What three teams can emerge from the Munster Championship, where the best laid plans go to die?And is there a surprise in Leinster, with Kilkenny coming back to the pack and Galway, Dublin and Wexford showing signs of progress.Also, we pick six forwards who can light up the spring and summer months to come. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.