Southside swing
Kilmacud Crokes’ win over Na Fianna kept them on course for a club record fourth successive Dublin football title. They had to pedal hard in the second half, but the champions held on for a 1-12 to 0-12 victory – the decisive goal coming in first-half injury time from Mark O’Leary.
Their final against Cuala is something of a neighbourhood squabble but the first time it has been played out at this level. Cuala’s defeat of Ballymun Kickhams on Saturday sent them to a first senior football final since 1988. Back-to-back All-Ireland hurling champions in 2017-18, the Dalkey club have yet to win the Dublin football title.
This weekend’s semi-final success was spearheaded by recently confirmed football All Star nominee Con O’Callaghan, who started both All-Ireland club hurling finals and scored 0-8 in the 0-16 to 1-8 win over Ballymun.
Southside football in the capital has strengthened considerably in the 36 years since Cuala’s last final. Of the 35 titles contested 18 have been won by clubs from south of the river and none of Thomas Davis, Kilmacud Crokes and Ballyboden St Enda’s had even won their first senior championship.
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Kilmacud could go clear second on the Dublin roll of honour if they win the final – despite having won the first of their 11 titles in 1992, 46 years after O’Toole’s won their 11th.
Although the champions will be hot favourites a few in the club may remember how in 2009 when they reached the Dublin under-21 final against an unfancied Cuala it didn’t go to plan and the underdogs ran out 2-7 to 0-6 winners.
Fine margins
The weekend’s two county football finals ended in draws and will go to replays. In Leitrim, Ballinamore Seán O’Heslin’s, winners three years ago, had nearly got home but champions Mohill rallied and replacement Matthew Murphy got a late equaliser.
Carlow also featured recent champions – from 2022 and 2021 – in the meeting of Palatine and Rathvilly, and it took two late points from Liam Molloy and Liam Gavin to force a replay.
Elsewhere “winner on the day” protocols led to great excitement and heartbreak in Clare where Sixmilebridge beat Inagh-Kilnamona to join Saturday’s victorious semi-finalists Feakle in the hurling final after extra time and penalties. The shoot-out went to a second round before David Fitzgerald’s penalty flew over the bar to send the Bridge through – a cruel sign-off to a brilliant season for Fitzgerald who nonetheless has an All-Ireland and League double under his belt.
In the Cork football championship, which has provided a few shoot-outs in recent times, Nemo Rangers qualified for the semi-finals with a 5-4 penalty win over Clonakilty when extra time had failed to separate the teams. The vital kick fell to Ross Corkery, a son of former All Star Colin, and he did the needful.
Top division
The Cork hurling semi-finals were contrasting events. Divisional side Imokilly had a comfortable nine-point win over Blackrock to reach a 10th final. The east Cork side have established quite a record since breaking through 27 years ago. Since then they have won five titles – two back-to-back and also a three-in-a-row – and lost just the one, in 2001, although they did lose three other finals before they won their first.
That 1997 final is to be re-enacted this year as champions Sarsfields, their opponents back then, won their semi-final against Midleton, albeit without any measure of comfort. It looked as if Conor Lehane’s injury-time equaliser had forced extra time but up popped last year’s top gun Aaron Myers to decide the match 0-22 to 0-21.
Village pillaged
It has been part of the mythology of Kilkenny’s 20th century hurling domination that manager Brian Cody, who led the county to 11 All-Irelands, hadn’t been an obvious choice given his experiences in charge of home club James Stephens.
In his autobiography Cody acknowledged as much. “In stark, blunt terms you could say that my years as The Village manager had been a failure – certainly when it came to winning trophies – so there was no obvious reason why county chairman John Healy or the rest of the board would look in my direction.”
Since retiring after his record-breaking exploits with the county he has been back involved with the club but with no discernible lift in fortunes, having precipitously toppled in three years from losing a county final to being blitzed in last year’s semi-final and on Saturday being beaten in a relegation playoff by Glenmore after a difficult season. It will be a first campaign outside senior in 70 years.
They weren’t the only former All-Ireland champions to find themselves on the downward escalator at the weekend. Galway’s Kiltormer, winners of the Tommy Moore in 1992, slipped into junior hurling for next year after losing a relegation playoff with Kilbeacanty.
Fine margins Part II
Both of the Mayo football semi-finals went to extra time before Ballina Stephenites saw off Ballaghaderreen and Knockmore came from behind to pip Breaffy. It will be the fifth year running that the local rivals will be in the county final but the first time that they have played each other in 20 years, Ballina coming out on top on that occasion.
On Sunday Ballina emerged on top by 1-18 to 2-12, and had to survive a late goal chance for Shairoze Akram which was somehow scrambled to safety and they will contest a third successive final.
Later there were times when Breaffy looked more likely winners but Knockmore refused to wilt. In extra time it appeared as if Pearse Ruttledge’s sending off had swung the match in Breaffy’s direction but they too lost a man when Conor Beirne also picked up a red card. Late goals in extra time from replacements Charlie Bourke and Billy Ruane settled the matter for a 2-15 to 0-18 victory.
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