THE LAST POINT: Eoin Gallagher's review of 2025 sporting year

We are continuing with our look back over the 2025 sporting year and while the picture at the top of this column may be of John Connolly, this week's The Last Point is brought to you by the Observer's own Eoin Gallagher as he looks back over a year on the events and personalities that captured his attention.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR

Simple enough - Football is back! The Gaelic football rule changes were a big success. The game is worth watching again. There are a few tweaks that could still be made, whether that be the introduction of a four-point goal or a restriction on handpasses and the crowing about all that will surely continue in earnest, but all that is secondary as this year saw the essential soul of the game restored.

LOWLIGHT OF THE YEAR

I have said it before, and I'll say it again - the worst things in sport happen off the pitch. For me, the FIFA World Cup draw was one of the ugliest events I have seen in a while. The focus on politicians over players was so evident. The FIFA peace prize to the wannabe king who took every chance to praise FIFA’s “numbers” time and again and wax lyrical about how he supposed Pelé was one of the best ever.

Add to that, the presentation was painful. Celebrity guests and giants from the world of sports like Shaq and Tom Brady ground their teeth through the painful format and atrocious dialogue. Meanwhile, every American who got hold of a mic made sure to assure the viewers how much the country does, in fact, love soccer, as do they personally, before inserting a heartfelt anecdote about watching a World Cup game at some point in their life. Mercifully they stopped short of explaining the offside rule.

In the end, they shuffled off the stage like they had done something wrong - quick to pick up a paycheck in the back and careful not to catch their reflection in anything while a botched rendition of YMCA began with Trump dancing on the balcony. If that was the left hook, the follow-up right was the extortionate ticket prices that fans will have to pay to follow their team. Far beyond the means of many people in the world whose teams are heading to the tournament. All this was a bad look.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

A lot of contenders here. Ireland for their shutout performance against Portugal, and their comeback against Hungary. Kerry for winning the All-Ireland after being “written off t’fuck” by everyone and their mother - or so they say - and doing it with a brand of pure football that was very refreshing. Aughavas for reaching a Connacht final, first Leitrim team to do it since 2016. Very impressed with the resolve of the south Leitrim men.

But I think I will give it to the England women’s team by dint of the simple fact that I went in hoping they did alright, but ultimately crashed out in typical England fashion and by the semi-finals I was rooting for them. They almost bottled it at every turn but managed to pull through. It didn’t hurt that their star player is second-generation Irish!

PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Got to be Rory McIlroy. The man will need an extra wardrobe at this stage for these awards, but he does deserve it for what he has done for the sport, for the open and interesting personality he has brought to the table down through the years. And this year, for finally putting a lot of demons to bed in Augusta and finally winning the Grand Slam.

HERO OF THE YEAR

Ahhh, how could it be anyone but Troy Parrott? Five goals in a week to keep Ireland’s World Cup hopes alive. Adding tremendously to the catalogue of great Irish football moments: Ronaldo sent off, Portugal beaten, a last-minute winner in Hungary, memorable interviews with Tony O’Donoghue. Parrott was at the heart of it, reigniting the national belief in this football team. He has had an airport and a parrot named after him in a week and now Eóin Gallagher’s hero of the year award - what a year for this young man!

EVENT THAT MADE ME GO WOW IN 2025

Leitrim’s minor team threw up an unbelievable spectacle in their All-Ireland Minor B quarter-final versus Down in the summer. They trailed the whole game, and it took two buzzer-beating two-point scores from Senan McGowan to draw level at the end of the game. If that wasn’t enough, he completed the same feat at the end of extra time to force penalties. They won thanks to saves and cool kickers.

Games like those are the reason people love sport. You look around at a crowd who are all out of themselves, collectively under the spell, elevated and enthralled, and recognise it is something special. They went out in the next round, but it was great to see young Leitrim lads winning and realising that if they stick with another team, they can beat them. I am a big fan of this football team.

ONE THING I’D DO TO MAKE SPORT BETTER IN 2026

The overt commercialisation of sport is a big issue. Obviously, sports need to grow and money is needed to make that happen, but decisions taken at the price of growing interest in the sport is counterproductive to say the least.  The increase of sports moving behind paywalls is a good example of a move that is good for money, bad for growth. Viewership numbers are dropping across sports – minority sports – and reduced access is a big reason.

In principle paying for sport is totally fair. What is €20 a month to enjoy sport? But with so many services showing different sports – Premier Sports, TNT, GAA Plus to name a few. Even ardent sports lovers will find it hard to justify the price of paying across the board. It’s a pity because happening upon a new sport that catches your interest is a great feeling, not so great when you realise it will be €17.99 a month if you want to start following it properly.

WHAT ARE THE BIG CHALLENGES FACING LEITRIM SPORT IN 2026?

Same as last year, just 12 months further down the road. Demographics are the biggest problem for Leitrim sport. Between the flight of young people to the east of the island or to the sunny shores of Oz there is a huge challenge to clubs in any sport operating in rural areas. It will need some radical thinking on this front to adapt and keep competitions – well, competitive – and entertaining while more importantly, sustaining some of rural Ireland’s most important social anchors.

ONE TO WATCH IN 2026

Donegal. Soundly beaten in the final but they ran through everyone else like a hard north wind. Kerry won the All-Ireland with a brand of football that was traditional and very suited to open play and chaos of the new game. It will be interesting to see how the great innovator Jim McGuinness will react and change things again this year.