Joe Kernan’s brief tenure as Galway football boss has come to an end after his resignation was accepted by the Galway County Board.

It is believed that Kernan made the decision to quit after requests to have additional staff on his backroom team were turned down.

Sligo manager and two-time Galway All-Ireland winner Kevin Walsh tops the list of potential candidates to take up the reins.

Sligo, however, are keen to retain the services of Walsh who led the Yeats County to impressive wins over Mayo and Galway in this year’s Connacht championship before losing out in the decider to Roscommon.

The Sligo County Board have expressed their hopes that Walsh will reject any advances from Galway and will continue as their manager next season.

Meanwhile, GAA President Christy Cooney led the tributes to the family of Michael Frawley who passed away recently.

Frawley had a long and distinguished involvement with Tipperary and served as a trustee of the GAA, Chairman of Munster Council, Chairman of the Tipperary County Board and Chairman of Tipperary Football Board.

“It was with great sadness that I learnt of the passing of Mick and I offer my heartfelt condolences to both his family and his wide circle of friends and admirers,” Cooney said.

“Mick’s involvement with the GAA from his club Emly right up to national level, touched on so many areas of the Association and his contribution to the promotion of our games and activities was nothing less than immense.”

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

In hurling news, Kilkenny are on their way to making five-in-a-row history following a 12 point win over Cork in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling semi-final.

The Cats made it look easy and the semi-final was clearly theirs long before half-time. A masterful performance from the champions saw them 13 points clear at the interval thanks to goals from Eddie Brennan and Aidan Fogarty.

The game ended Kilkenny 3-22 Cork 0-19, with Kilkenny through to the All-Ireland final.

Henry Shefflin has been ruled out for next month’s decider after suffering a first half knee injury.

Having narrowly lost out to Kilkenny in last year’s final, Tipperary will be returning to Croke Park on Sunday, August 15 in the hopes of beating Waterford in the other semi-final clash. The game will be live on Setanta Sports with coverage starting at 12am Monday morning.

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

All-Ireland senior football will resume on Sunday, August 22 when Dublin and Cork contest the first of the semi-finals. Kildare and Down will meet the following weekend.

Former Collingwood star Martin Clarke led Down to an inspired 1-16 to 1-10 win over Kerry in their GAA Football Championship quarter-final clash at Croke Park on Saturday, July 31.

In another shock ousting of provincial champions, Dublin stunned Tyrone winning 1-15 to 0-13. Pat Gilroy acknowledged his side’s willingness to work for the entire 70 minutes, in what was the best Dublin display in recent years.

An improved second-half performance from Cork at Croke Park secured the Rebels a 1-16 to 0-10 win over Roscommon on Sunday, August 1 in the dullest of this year’s All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Meath became the fourth provincial champion to crash out at the quarter-final stage at Croke Park as Kildare stormed to an impressive 2-17 to 1-12 win.

This year, for the first time in history, none of the four provincial winners will appear in the All-Ireland semi-finals, but GAA director general Páraic Duffy has ruled out the possibility of adjusting the qualifier system in response to calls from Kerry boss Jack O’Connor and Tyrone supremo Mickey Harte.

All-Ireland Minor Football Championship

Elsewhere, in the Minor All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals, there were wins for Tyrone, Cork, Mayo and Galway.

Tyrone completed a miserable day for Kerry at Croke Park in hammering the Kingdom by 2-12 to 0-9, while Cork accounted for Armagh, Mayo beat Offaly, and Galway saw off Longford in the other games.

Mayo will face Tyrone in the first of the semi-finals on Sunday, August 22 while Galway face Cork on Sunday, August 29.

All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship

Tyrone and Laois booked their places in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship with comfortable qualifier victories last weekend. Tyrone will play Cork while Laois will meet Monaghan.

The other quarter-final clashes see Kerry meeting Galway and Dublin opposing Clare.

All Ireland Senior Camogie Championship

All Ireland champions Cork have been drawn against Galway, while 2007 champions Wexford meet Kilkenny.

The games will be played as a double header in Nowlan Park on Saturday, August 14, with Cork and Galway first at 2pm, followed by Kilkenny against Wexford at 4pm.

Kieran Donaghy misses for Kerry

Former Collingwood star Martin Clarke led Down to an inspired 1-16 to 1-10 win over Kerry in their GAA Football Championship quarter-final clash at Croke Park. Clarke controlled the game for long stretches, contributing to many of his side’s scores and posting a 0-04 tally himself.

Down stunned the Sam Maguire Cup holders with a goal after just 52 seconds and led by 1-07 to 0-04 at the break.

The Kingdom were reduced to 14 men in the 45th minute when Donnacha Walsh picked up a second yellow card, but nevertheless crafted a couple of goal chances, only to see Brendan McVeigh pull off two stunning saves from Donaghy.

Down grew in confidence, and a volley of superb points from Benny Coulter and Ronan Murtagh saw them kill the game off. A late goal for Kerry was too little, too late.

In another shock ousting of provincial champions, Dublin stunned Tyrone winning 1-15 to 0-13. Bernard Brogan’s nine-point haul and an Eoghan O’Gara goal saw off Tyrone in a nail biting encounter.

Tyrone led narrowly at half-time, but the Dubs got over the psychological barrier and fought back hard in the second half.

It was a gripping encounter that hung in the balance until five minutes from the end, when O’Gara grabbed the only goal of the game to seal the win for Dublin.

An improved second-half performance from Cork at Croke Park secured the Rebels a 1-16 to 0-10 win over Roscommon and booked them a meeting with Dublin in the semi-finals.

Despite a sluggish start, Cork led by a point at half time. After falling behind early in the second half, Cork knew they needed to up the pace, and rallied to break down a hard-working Roscommon defence. The Rebels worked harder and cruised over the finish line with nine points to spare.

Meath became the fourth provincial champion to crash out at the quarter-final stage at Croke Park as Kildare stormed to an impressive 2-17 to 1-12 win.

Despite falling six points behind inside the opening 12 minutes, Kildare stuck to their task and got down to work. Meath’s response was defiant and they led 1-09 to 2-05 at the break.

Kildare put in a typically strong second-half performance, growing in confidence with every passing minute. They struck back and systematically took the Royal defence apart with an irresistible display of positive, attacking football.

The semi-finals will begin on Sunday, August 22 when Dublin and Cork meet, followed by Kildare and Down on Sunday, August 29. Both matches will take place at 3.30pm Irish time. For the first time ever, no provincial title-holders will feature.

Former Kerry star Tommy Walsh is loving life at St Kilda.

Tommy Walsh has found himself back at square one since leaving the dizzy heights of All-Ireland glory to take on a new challenge in the AFL. But the St Kilda recruit told CATHERINE MURPHY he is happy to take his time en route back to the very top.

It’s not easy starting over. But that’s exactly what 2009 All-Ireland medallist Tommy Walsh has done.

With a Gaelic football CV that boasts 2008 Young Gaelic footballer of the year among other plaudits, and a bloodline worthy of Kingdom hero status due to his dad’s own All-Ireland exploits, Walsh was the epitome of the Kerry football star.

That is until he left to attempt to conquer another sport.

Now settled in his new home in Melbourne he admits that while it’s hard starting at the bottom, he’s in no rush to crack the code.

“At times it’s tough because I worked so hard to establish myself on the Kerry team and now I’m back to the start like I was with Kerry at the beginning,” Walsh says.

“But I knew that was something I was always going to have to deal with and I’m not alone there. There’s plenty of guys at the club who have come from other clubs and are trying to gain the respect of players and coaches here so I suppose there’s strength in numbers.

“It takes time to develop, to get to know the game. I won’t be playing until I’ve done that and I’m ready. That’s one of the first things Tadhg [Kennelly] said to me, not to expect to play too quickly… St Kilda have such a strong squad.

“Breaking into the seniors is a slow process. I just want to develop and learn and play consistently enough to get into their selection plans. That’s my aim.”

While there are many trying to earn a senior jersey at a team who last year contested the Grand final, the former Gaelic footballer is unique in that his progress will be heavily scrutinised, and already has been.

Named once as an emergency player during the club’s NAB cup pre-season tournament campaign, his appearance on the team list made headlines both in Ireland and Australia.

Walsh insists he’s not affected by the hype or by the expectations that quick debuts of players such as Martin Clarke has heaped on Irish recruits.

“It’s not something I take any notice of. The club have kept me pretty sheltered since I got here so I don’t think about it. There was always going to be hype because I’ve gone from (winning an) All-Ireland to AFL.

“Because of the hype people want to see you play straight away. They want to see what you can do, see if you can play.”

For now the 22-year-old is learning his trade in the club’s reserves side Sandringham as a defender but he has ambitions to move into the forward line.

One part of his development that he doesn’t have to worry about is his physique. While most Irish recruits are ordered to gain weight on arrival, Walsh has actually trimmed down.

“A lot of the young guys are under pressure to put on weight so they can cope with the physical demands. But I’ve always been big so that’s an advantage. I’ve actually lost weight since I’ve got here.

“In the first few weeks I lost five kg. When I arrived I was 102 kilos, now I’m about 96.”

One element the Kerry man did have to focus on was his fitness.

“Players out here really are elite athletes because the game goes so much longer. I’m still not there yet. Sometimes I sit there at half time and think, ‘If I was at home and this was Gaelic football, the game would be over by now.”

Speaking of game conclusions and their repercussions, the question has to be asked. Would Walsh still be in Australia had Kerry lost the All-Ireland final last year?

Tommy Walsh poses for a photo during the St Kilda Football Club photo day at Linen House Oval in Melbourne.

“I think I’d still be here,” Walsh says.

“It was a massive ambition to win an All-Ireland and if we hadn’t done it, it would be something I’d want to go back and do. So winning it made it easier to come over here. But it was just too big an opportunity to turn down.

“Ten years down the line I didn’t want to be thinking ‘Why didn’t I?’ I suppose I didn’t want to die wondering.”

Walsh knows he’s lucky not to suffer the same affliction that consumed Kennelly for much of his career. The feeling of unfinished business, that hankering for an All-Ireland medal.

“There is less pressure because it’s one less thing to go home for. That’s not to say that I don’t want to go home and play Gaelic football in the future. There is still a lot I want to achieve with my club and county so I’m definitely not closing the door on that.”

While the media reaction to his signing was intense, one thing Walsh didn’t fear was the reaction of people in Kerry.

“I knew it wouldn’t be negative. I didn’t get any negative comments. Everyone wished me well. It’s not like people at home wanted me to go but once I decided they supported me. It was really nice how people would just come up to me on the street and say good luck and wish me well.”

It was in 2008 that the Saints first showed interest in Walsh, offering him a trial in Melbourne. However, due to his involvement with his club Kerins O’Rahilly, Walsh missed out on the deadline for the signing of international rookies in AFL.

Such was their interest in meeting him, the club flew him out to Melbourne anyway to assess his credentials.

They made no secret of the fact that they were impressed, and a year later it was a done deal. Walsh was going to St Kilda and the Kingdom would defend their title less two players who will instead don the jersies of Australian clubs.

Walsh insists that in the year between his visit down under and making the decision, his focus was on winning an All-Ireland.

“I didn’t want to think about it during the season. I didn’t want it to affect my football so my sole concentration was playing for Kerry and trying to win an All-Ireland. I didn’t let it affect me.

“I didn’t over analyse anything. I just decided that it was something I would think about and deal with after the season.”

When the season did end, Walsh sought advice from a teammate who had well and truly been there and done that.

“I talked to Tadhg at length about it because he had gone through everything I was about to go through. He didn’t try to persuade me either way. He just told me what to expect if I did go.”

So that makes two Kerry men watching their former team embark on their title defence from the other side of the world. Walsh has come to terms with his decision and having to settle in his role as observer.

“I’d love to be at home playing in the championship but I’ll be watching on the web and listening to Radio Kerry. But I’m doing something else now and I want to be successful at that.”

Tadhg Kennelly has admitted receiving threatening phone calls.

By Aaron Dunne

Tadhg Kennelly has revealed that he received threatening letters and phone calls to his mother’s home in the wake of the controversy that engulfed him in mid-October.

A storm blew up in the Irish media over comments the Listowel man made in his new book, Unfinished Business, in which it was implied he had deliberately set out to injure Cork’s Nicholas Murphy in the opening minutes of the All-Ireland final.

“I’m still getting hate mail and some phone calls, but it’s mainly been from Kerry people I have to say,” Kennelly exclusively revealed to the Irish Echo earlier today. “I suppose it’s because I’m one of their own and they feel like they can.

“There have been phone calls to my mother’s house phone, and that was hard to swallow. As I said at the time, those were probably the toughest few days I’ve had since my father died. I just went into a hole for two or three days.

“It was disappointing to see it happen, but it’s water off a duck’s back to me. It still hurts my mum though, and that was probably the hardest pill to swallow. I’ve had comments thrown at me my whole life so it doesn’t bother me.”

Check out our exclusive interview with the Swannies star in the next edition of the Irish Echo, out on December 2.