The 42 GAA Weekly

Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early to review the hurling weekend.Declan explains why Cian Lynch should remain in midfield. Fintan ponders Cork’s options for full-back as the Munster championship countdown continues.The Rebels are off to Portugal now, where they may make progress on deciding their championship XV. But what happens on these training camps? Declan gives us the lowdown.Galway’s tide continues to rise. What can this team achieve in 2026? And how worried should Kilkenny be following their heavy defeat in Salthill? Very, going by Derek Lyng’s post-game comments.Also, are Clare building nicely in 1B or could they be undercooked for Munster?Has Wexford’s league campaign been a qualified success so far, and how will Kildare do against them in two upcoming meetings?A bit of football chat is in the mix too, will we get a Kobe-Clifford shootout, and who wins the Dublin-Armagh relegation four-pointer?

Pádraig O’Hora tells Declan Bogue about climbing Everest and joy and regrets with Mayo in a searingly honest conversation.

Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early ahead of a big league hurling weekend.Cork and Limerick hurlers can meet a maximum of six times in 2026. That’s a lot of familiarity to add to the already close relationship the counties have shared in recent seasons.The Rebels struggled to get close to John Kiely’s all conquering team for years, but since 2023 there has usually been little between these sides - with many of their games bestowed with instant classic status.But how desperately will either want to win on Saturday night in the Gaelic Grounds? Future meetings between the teams, some real, some possible, all more important, are stacking up: league final, Munster Championship tie, Munster final, All Ireland series.If either of these sides are to win the Liam MacCarthy in 2026 then they’ll have to go through the other, more than once. It’s not proved easy in the past.Also, are Galway building serious momentum as Micheál O’Donoghue’s second reign begins to take shape? Can they upset Kilkenny in Leinster this year? Saturday’s league game might give us an idea.And at the other end of the hurling pyramid, Fermanagh are struggling in Division 3. Declan outlines how difficult it has been for them to get to the next level following their Lory Meagher Cup triumph in 2024.

Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to chat about the Mayo prodigy’s debut and imminent move to Australia.Where does Kobe stand on the hype scale next to the likes of Eoin Kelly, Joe Canning and David Cliffird?What’s it like for teenagers to shoulder that level of expectation? And in McDonald’s case, how much is his talented and enigmatic father Kieran a factor in the wonder surrounding the 18-year-old?Also, should AFL clubs pay GAA clubs compensation for players? As things stand, is recruiting lots of young Irish players just a low-stakes gamble for Australian sides?

Fintan O’Toole and Declan Bogue join Ronan Early to explore what motivates players who manage to keep their intercounty careers going for almost 20 years.Also, the masters of two-point shooting and why there should be more of them.Plus, Kieran McGeeney thinks the contest for kickouts has descended into piggery. Should we be more worried if coaches, who will always seek control, like the new rules?

Ronan Early is joined by Shane Keegan to discuss his role as the Wexford hurling coach under manager Keith Rossiter.The 42 listeners will be familiar with Shane from the Football Family podcast and How to Win at Dominos.Shane made his name as a soccer coach with Wexford Youths and has managed at Galway United and Cobh Ramblers.For the past couple of years he’s been the football and hurling manager of Tipperary club JK Brackens.Now, he is part of the ticket for the Wexford senior hurlers. Today, Shane talks about coaching across different sports, his love of the game-based model pioneered in GAA by Paul Kinnerk and expresses his long-held misgivings about straight line drills and ball alley sessions.

Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole join Ronan Early to discuss two big personalities in two big jobs: Ger Brennan with the Dublin footballers and Ben O’Connor in Cork.Is O’Connor’s invigorating brand of straight-talking going to endure? Or will he look to curb it slightly so as not to antagonise the faceless power brokers of the game above in Dublin?Can Brennan keep his side in Division 1, win back Leinster and make a run for Sam Maguire? Or, are Dublin set for a period of decline? If so, what would relative decline look like for them?

Fintan O'Toole is joined by Denis Hurley from The Echo as the lads give their immediate reaction from Pairc Úi Chaoimh to Cork's League win over Tipp. Rebels boss Ben O'Connor was displeased with the red cards, one for either side. The conversation starts there . . .