MEATH DID IT, why can’t we? Something that’s likely been said over and over in every corner of the country since the Royals’ magical, maiden All-Ireland senior triumph.

“Not that we’re worried, but we’re more conscious of the challenge this year than last year,” All-Star goalkeeper Monica McGuirk tells The42.

It’s something every player in attendance at yesterday’s Lidl Ladies National Football League launch referenced. And rightly so.

You know the bones of the story by now: A first Brendan Martin Cup lift in their first year back in the senior ranks. Dublin’s Drive for Five – and the perfect one at that, having had a 100% championship record up to that point – brought to a shuddering halt in Croke Park. The most dramatic of extra-time semi-final wins over fellow heavyweights Cork, and the breaking of the Cork-Dublin domination of every All-Ireland crown since 2005.

And that’s without mentioning everything that came before the 2021 championship. The years spent in the doldrums shipping heavy defeats, the back-to-back intermediate final losses, and their rise through the league ranks to seal a return to Division 1.

“It’s after bringing women’s football to another new level,” McGuirk beams.

“You had girls and players all over the country texting you congratulating you. I think it’s gonna drive on other teams to realise that if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it.

“I don’t know if it’s ever been done; an intermediate team winning an intermediate and going straight on and winning a senior. I don’t know, but it’s just something that dreams are made.”

(The closest parallel in the history of ladies football is Armagh winning junior title in 2005, and contesting the 2006 All-Ireland senior final against Cork.)

Make no mistake about it, 2021 has been parked. That Glory Day is in the rear-view mirror, and McGuirk and Meath are well aware that they have a target on their back now.

A line has certainly been drawn in the sand inside the bubble, but outside it, it remains a story which captured the imagination, and will be revisited time and time again forevermore.

And so when the obvious ‘Talk to me about last year’ is dropped, a big smile breaks across McGuirk’s face.

The 2019 and 2021 All-Star shot-stopper begins by echoing the words of her team-mates through the winter in explaining how far The Holy Grail was off their radar.

McGuirk at the launch of the 2022 Lidl Ladies National Football Leagues at the Lidl Regional Distribution Centre in Newbridge.

Source: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

“We were senior football and Division Two, and our main focus was staying up in Division Two and competing with the best in the championship. They were our two goals at the start of the year. To go on and win the Division Two was just absolutely fantastic.

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“It was only through the league, it was announced [the final] was going to be in Croke Park, which was major as well. We had obviously played a couple of months previous to that in the All-Ireland final and then to be going back to Croke Park for another final was amazing. Us playing Kerry that day, we were obviously going in knowing Kerry was a very tough team,. We put in the performance and and thankfully came out with the win.

“That was the first kind of goal achievement of the year, we weren’t expecting that of ourselves because we knew we had just come from Division Three, and it was our first time in Division Two so that was a huge achievement in itself last year. And then obviously it turned to the championship, and it just was a whirlwind couple of months.

We didn’t have in our minds: ‘We’re getting to an All-Ireland final.’ That wasn’t our mindset. Our mindset was, ‘Okay, we take one game at a time, and we just go from there.’”

The Duleek-Bellewstown star gathers herself for a moment, before continuing. “I think the main thing for us was we didn’t fear anybody. We didn’t fear the Armaghs, we didn’t fear the Corks.

“We played Cork in the first round and we lost to them. I always believe things happen for a reason. Although we would have loved to have won, I knew we had it in us to beat them.”

A stunning seven-point All-Ireland quarter-final win over Armagh made everyone else take notice, to say the very least. The reward? A last-four battle with Cork in Croke Park.

Not many would have backed Meath against the 11-time champions at that stage of the competition, but that didn’t matter. Even fewer would have with five minutes to go; the Rebels seven points up, with the game all but put to bed.

But two goals in the last minute forced extra-time, as a spectacular collapse ensued and Eamonn Murray’s side went on to reach their first-ever All-Ireland senior final.

“We knew ourselves, we didn’t play well in the semi-final, but we had that never give up attitude,” McGuirk, previously a goalkeeper with Peamount United and UCD Waves in the Women’s National League, reflects.

I know myself personally with five minutes to go, they had got the two goals and I was looking up at the clock like, ‘Get me out of here’. That was my mentality, I was ready [to go home]. Thankfully the girls up front weren’t,

“I think the main thing for us that day was the impact the subs had. We had a lot of subs come on, and they finished that game off for us. Only for those subs, I don’t think we would have got into an All-Ireland final.

“The likes of Emma White there, she was the one that got the penalty. Stacey [Grimes] slotted it home and then you had the likes of Niamh [Gallogly] and Megan [Thynne], all those girls were the ones to finish the game for us. Obviously then to go on and win it by two points. It was just…

“I remember going over to my family and they’d be like, ‘Thanks for the heart attack!’ My sister, they were going away for the weekend and she was like, ‘We were going with five minutes to go.’ Only for we got the penalty — they were like, ‘We’ll wait for the penalty’.”

Celebrations at Hill 16 after the All-Ireland final win.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

Thankfully for the McGuirk family, the decider victory over Dublin was much more straightforward.

Against all odds and written off in most quarters, Meath grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck from the get-go, and did to Dublin what they had done to so many teams for so long.

They controlled and commanded the whole game, right from the moment Vikki Wall won the throw-in and surged right through the heart of the Sky Blues’ defence, to the fairytale final whistle.

“We knew in ourselves that if we put in a performance that we know we’re capable of, we could beat Dublin. I do think the 15-minute blocks helped us to reset every time. Some people are in favour of the water breaks and some aren’t, but I think it kind of helps us because it gives us some time to reset and go again.

And that’s how we took that game — 15 by 15. We didn’t think far ahead beyond the full time whistle obviously. I don’t know if people realise; we were ahead for the whole game. Dublin never went ahead, we were in control. It was there for us to lose it, d’you know what I mean?

“But it was probably nearly close to perfection in terms of our tactics and how we played. One to 15 and the subs to come on played probably their best game they had all season and it just gelled on that day in which we were very fortunate.”

“Two sensational games that you look back and be like, ‘Wow, did that really happen?’ Sometimes you do pinch yourself to realise, ‘Okay you actually did win an All-Ireland,’” McGuirk adds with a smile.

“To win it in the way we did — obviously Dublin were going for five-in-a-row, and we hadn’t played Dublin. There was only so much another analysing and watching we could do, when we actually hadn’t played them it was quite difficult. But we knew going in we had nothing to lose.

“I think a lot of people thought we were just lucky to get there, but we had tough competition. We had to beat off Armagh, we have to beat Cork and then obviously we went on and bet Dublin. It’s been a whirlwind year, I have to say, but I wouldn’t have changed it for a minute.”

On the ball during the final.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

And now onto the next. The group is “more or less the same,” with a few new additions fighting for spots on the panel and one or two, including clubmate Kate Byrne, departing.

The sequel opens this weekend, with Páirc Tailteann in Navan hosting their Division 1 opener against — you guessed it, Cork.

“We’re all really looking forward to Saturday, and the challenge Cork’s going to throw at us because it’s not going to be an easy one. Our group in itself is quite tough – you’ve got Dublin, Cork and Waterford. It’s gonna be tough to get out of that group.

“Bear in mind, that could be one of the three top teams in Dublin, Meath and Cork not getting to a semi-final. It’s gonna be very difficult, but it’s something that we’re all looking forward to.”

The Leesiders, likewise. With revenge on their mind, and one hell of a kick expected under the watchful eye of new manager Shane Ronayne.

“We’re not under any illusion that it’s going to be an easy battle,” McGuirk stresses. “You want to be playing the best in the country.

“We’ve got to a stage where we’ve won an All-Ireland, we want to be playing the Dublins, the Corks, all of them. We’re looking forward to it, but we’re under no illusion.”

As everyone else has been saying; Meath did it, why can’t we?

But what about for Meath; we did it before, why can’t we do it again?

ON SATURDAY, MICKEY Moran attempts to win a senior All-Ireland final as manager on the fifth time of asking. 

The 2020 club final defeat with Kilcoo to Corofin, arrived after Slaughtneil fell at the final hurdle to the Galway side in 2015 and Dr Crokes in 2017.

In 2006, his Mayo team were taken apart in the All-Ireland SFC decider by a ruthless Kerry outfit. 

There were plenty of successes too. He experienced an All-Ireland win as part of the Derry backroom team 29 years ago, while he led UUJ to Sigerson Cup success in 2008.

He brought Sligo to the 1999 Connacht final, Derry to the last four of the All-Ireland series in 2004 and led Omagh to the Tyrone SFC crown in 1988.

It was Moran’s tenure with Slaughtneil, who had beaten Kilcoo in a provincial final, that encouraged a group of senior players from the Down club to headhunt him in the winter of 2018. 

“A few players did approach him, but what he had done with Slaughtneil, he was so successful with them, and they beat us in an Ulster final in 2016, so we thought, why not?” says forward Paul Devlin. 

“In 2016 there was only a kick of a ball between us and Slaughtneil so when our manager stepped down, we kind of went for it, and he’s provided us with so many good days now. 

“He brought us an Ulster title, and now he’s brought us to two, and we can only be thankful for him, and hopefully on Saturday we can put in a performance that he can be proud of us with.”

Moran took charge of a group of players willing to do whatever it took to get over the line. That’s what makes them a perfect fit. 

Kilcoo play a defensive, counter-attacking style under Moran but are also happy to play a patient possession game and hold onto the ball for long spells. One thing they strive to do is reduce unforced errors. 

“The team that makes the least mistakes in games, is the team that’s probably going to win the game,” explains Devlin.

“Something that Mickey definitely kneels down on is to keep the ball as long as possible and be efficient when you get into the scoring areas.

“Football seems to be going that way, you do see a lot more possession based teams, working back, and working it through the lines as such. Every team is different, some teams might let you kick the ball longer, so it comes part and parcel of Gaelic football.”

The Magpies have looked like a team on a mission throughout their Ulster campaign and All-Ireland semi-final. Their muted celebrations after the provincial final win against Derrygonnelly Harps said a lot about their ambitions.

They required extra-time to overcome St Finbarr’s in the All-Ireland semi-final, but the way they controlled both periods said a lot about how they were prepared by Moran. 

“He’s just very calm, and he installs the belief in players, makes you believe that you have the capabilities of being where you want to be,” Devlin continues.

“It doesn’t come easy though, you have to work hard, there’s no point in saying anything different, you do have to work hard to be at the level of where we are now.

“There’s no easy sessions, it’s tough going and there wasn’t anybody that complained about anything, everyone just got their head down, and worked hard.”

Paul Devlin of Kilcoo ahead of the #TheToughest AIB All-Ireland club football final.

Source: Stephen McCarthy/SPORTSFILE

Moran chose not to speak to his players about his previous trips to the final with Slaughtneil. When the group discussed Kilcoo’s heartbreaking extra-time loss two years ago, he put a positive spin on things.  

The habit of learning from their last game and moving on has served Kilcoo well so far.

“He identifies some areas we would want to improve on, and we have capitalised on certain areas, like we learned a lot from Corofin. 

“So he has installed that wee bit of belief in ourselves, and that we can believe in ourselves as a team to put in a performance, and compete with anybody. 

“One of the big things we learned, and it showed in our previous game against St Finbarr’s, and against Glen which went to extra time, was how to deal with extra time.

“Against Corofin I don’t think we even scored in extra time, So it just shows that it has been a long process, and in the last game against St Finbarr’s I thought our best period of football was in extra time.”

It helped too that Moran has by his side coaches of the quality of Tyrone’s Richard Thornton, formerly a coach in Donegal under Rory Gallagher, and his number two Conleth Gilligan, who lifted the Andy Merrigan Cup as a star forward on the Ballinderry team. 

“He’s very bubbly around the group,” Devlin says of Gilligan. “He keeps you on edge. You’ll do something well, and he’ll look at what you did wrong. He makes sure that your feet are firmly on the ground.

“He always looking at what way the forwards can improve in terms of movement, and trying to find space, and where the areas are that we can score from that would be more efficient with shot selection. He has brought a lot in terms of forward play.”

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Ballygunner (Waterford) 2-17
Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 1-19

BALLYGUNNER HAVE LONG dreamed of being crowned All-Ireland champions but perhaps they could never have imagined as sensational a way to realise that ambition.

Shane O’Sullivan celebrates Ballygunner’s win.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Two points down, deep in injury-time against the Kilkenny aristocrats of this competition, it appeared as if Ballyhale were set to reign again.

But then Ballygunner fashioned a passing move involving Ian Kenny, Paddy Leavey and Peter Hogan to send Harry Ruddle clear from midfield. He approached a crowd of players, let fly from inside the D and the ball nestled in bottom corner of the net.

The final whistle sounded moments later and Ballygunner had become the first Waterford team to lift the Tommy Moore Cup. Their wild joy was easy to understand.

Philip Mahony and Barry Coughlan lift the Tommy Moore Cup.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Ballygunner’s sheer refusal to quit served them well during a gripping second-half. They trailed by three points, 0-10 to 0-7, at the interval, were five down midway through the second half, four in arrears by the 56th minute and trailed by two after Evan Shefflin clipped over what looked the insurance point in the 61st minute. Ruddle’s dramatic intervention won the day and was a reward for their capacity to stay in touch.

Ballyhale were left heartbroken, this was the flipside of what they had experience when snatching the semi-final away from the grasp of St Thomas. They did plenty right with their big-game experience surfacing. TJ Reid pointed the way as usual with 0-8, his brother Richie was magnificent in defence and they had 11 different scorers. But they could not quite put the game out of Ballygunner’s reach.

The Waterford side had their own heroes. Dessie Hutchinson was electric throughout as he bagged 1-3. Pauric Mahony’s leadership surfaced with vital points from frees throughout the second half. His younger brothers Mikey and Kevin weighed in with 0-5 from play between them.

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Ballyhale’s Eoin Cody and Ballygunner’s Peter Hogan.

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

A tight and tense first half saw Ballygunner open brightly to go ahead 0-5 to 0-3 by the 16 minute but wayward shooting cost them as Ballyhale went in front 0-10 to 0-7 at half-time. Ballygunner had drawn level at 0-12 apiece by the 39th minute, but then Ballyhale made a decisive burst with a brace of points and crucially Eoin Reid whipped home a 43rd minute goal after Colin Fennelly was initially denied by a superb save from Stephen O’Keeffe.

Ballygunner hopes were ignited once more with a spree of points and Hutchinson cracked home a 48th minute goal to leave them 1-15 to 1-14 adrift. The finale was a stirring sequence of scores.

Adrian Mullen and the Reid brothers pushed Ballyhale four clear, Ballygunner fought back with three points courtesy of Hutchinson, Kevin Mahony and Pauric Mahony.

Shefflin edged Ballyhale ahead by two but Ruddle would have the decisive, final say.

Scorers for Ballygunner: Pauric Mahony 0-7 (0-7f), Dessie Hutchinson 1-3, Harry Ruddle 1-0, Mikey Mahony 0-3, Billy O’Keeffe, Kevin Mahony 0-2 each.

Scorers for Ballyhale Shamrocks: TJ Reid 0-8 (0-4f, 0-2 ’65), Eoin Reid 1-0, Adrian Mullen, Evan Shefflin 0-2 each, Richie Reid, Darragh Corcoran, Patrick Mullen, Brian Cody, Colin Fennelly, Eoin Cody, Joseph Cuddihy 0-1 each.

Ballygunner

1. Stephen O’Keeffe

2. Ian Kenny, 3. Barry Coughlan (joint captain), 4. Tadhg Foley

5. Shane O’Sullivan, 6. Philip Mahony (joint captain), 7. Ronan Power

8. Conor Sheahan, 9. Paddy Leavey

12. Peter Hogan, 15. Pauric Mahony, 11. Mikey Mahony

13. Billy O’Keeffe, 14. Kevin Mahony, 10. Dessie Hutchinson

Subs

23. Cormac Power for Billy O’Keeffe (46)

17. Harry Ruddle for Sheahan (53)

Ballyhale Shamrocks

1. Dean Mason

2. Darren Mullen, 3. Joey Holden, 17. Brian Butler

5. Evan Shefflin, 6. Richie Reid, 7. Darragh Corcoran

9. Patrick Mullen, 23. Conor Walsh

11. TJ Reid, 10. Adrian Mullen, 21. Joseph Cuddihy

12. Brian Cody,  14. Colin Fennelly (captain), 15. Eoin Cody

Subs

13. Eoin Reid for Walsh (half-time)

4. Kevin Mullen for Butler (inj) (33)

Referee: James Owens (Wexford)

Results

Connacht senior A football final

• St Jarlath’s (Tuam) 3-6 St Colman’s (Claremorris) 0-9

Munster Corn Uí Mhuirí senior A football final

• St Brendan’s (Killarney) 0-17 Tralee CBS 0-12

Leinster Corn Uí Dhúill senior A hurling final

• Good Counsel (New Ross) 1-22 Dublin South Schools 0-14

*****

GALWAY’S ST JARLATH’S, Kerry’s St Brendan’s and Wexford’s Good Counsel all celebrated provincial schools senior title wins this afternoon.

The Munster final in Fitzgerald Stadium went the way of St Brendan’s in a clash against local rivals Tralee CBS, triumphing 0-17 to 0-12.

It was a familiar Munster final pairing, the third time in five seasons the Kerry superpowers had met in a decider. Tralee CBS won the last decider played in 2020, their first in 13 years, while St Brendan’s had last claimed the silverware in 2017.

The Leinster final in Nowlan Park was the first since 2001 without a Kilkenny-based side as Wexford’s Good Counsel faced Dublin South Schools.

New Ross side Good Counsel, who had a few Kilkenny club players in their ranks, proved too strong with their 1-22 to 0-14 success, Danny Glennon scored the only goal of the game.

Good Counsel were chasing a first win since 2009, while the last victors from the capital were Dublin North in 2018.

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In Connacht the traditional force of St Jarlath’s Tuam are back on top, winning their first senior football crown since 2012, as they defeated St Colman’s by 3-6 to 0-9.

More to follow…

THERE WAS SOME trepidation before the news was announced. 

Perhaps a slight fear of the unknown of what lay ahead as the press release was sent out.

Ladies Gaelic Football Association announces details of 2022 live-streaming service.

No going back.

The fine print? This would be a subscription model, with previously free-to-watch-online matches going behind a paywall.

“I suppose when you put it out there, you’re going, ‘Oh God, how is this going to go down?” LGFA Commercial and Communications Manager Jackie Cahill tells The42.

The new subscription streaming service begins this weekend with the opening round of the 2022 Lidl Ladies National Football League, and will cover over 100 games that aren’t being televised on TG4 across the league, championship and All-Ireland club series. So basically, that’s over 100 matches available in a one-stop shop.

Fans can sign up for a season ticket that covers the whole lot in 2022 for just €50; a weekend pass costs €10, while a single game is available for €5. There is also the option to buy single games after they have concluded for €3 each.

The reaction has been largely positive, with social media users hailing the initiative and value for money, while suggesting that other organisations should follow their lead.

“The vast majority of people are saying, ‘Yeah, it’s a good way to go,’” Cahill notes. “We hope people enjoy the service.

“Look, we have had to introduce the subscription fee, it’s just a matter of necessity on so many levels. It’s a massive outlay for us every year to stream, we hope that people understand that to keep this going, we have to go down this road.”

After years of successful streaming, which understandably ramped up amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a feeling within the Association that this was coming.

A lot of thinking, and talking about it was done.

“We’re hopefully emerging from the pandemic, or certainly over the worst of it, so we’re caught with a situation from a moral point of view where people – potentially a Mum and Dad and a couple of kids are going to a game, filling their car with diesel, paying their money in at the turnstiles, getting food on the way home, so that’s cost for those people.

“But on the flip side of that, you could have somebody sitting at home who just turns on and watches for free. On top of that as well, we would have spent a substantial amount of money on streams. It was a costly exercise.

“We wanted to strike a fine balance between emerging from the pandemic and at the same time, trying to bring some of the best practices that we’ve had in terms of streaming along with us as we come into, hopefully, the return to normality.

LGFA Commercial and Communications manager, Jackie Cahill.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

“There’s probably an audience there as well, they now see streaming as a given — from us anyway. We wanted to keep streaming for people, we have a massive following abroad who obviously can’t get to the matches, and we have people who may be old and incapacitated and still want to watch the games, and we’re able to give them that service as well.

“Your die-hards will still go to the matches, but there’s a new cohort of people now who are at home and they can watch the games and they like that. Particularly older and more vulnerable people, they can sit at home and watch the games, and we’re delighted to provide that service for them.”

It was a case of marrying it all together and, as Cahill says, striking a balance.

Over the past few years, the LGFA have linked up with production companies, the vast majority of whom provide commentators while others require sourcing them from elsewhere, so it’s a matter of working alongside five or six of those, and pay-per-view company InPlayer, to provide the service.

“There’s a lot involved,” Cahill, the main organiser behind it all, concedes. “The source of production companies, we’re lucky to be working with guys who are really good.

“I suppose the last couple of years have given us learnings – we now know that these lads that we get on board to do our matches can get the job done. We might encounter the odd glitch along the way, but at the same time, I think we had a pretty much 100% hit-rate in the 2021 championship in terms of our streams.

“We’ve got good people, and that’s really, really important, particularly when you’re going behind a paywall. There’s no excuses – you pay your money, you expect your product. The lads know this. I suppose there’s a little bit of extra pressure on them as well that we have to get this right. But we’re confident that the structures are in place.”

Planning is done well in advance, with arrangements firmly in place for the first three rounds of the league, at least. 

Inter-county stars at the 2022 Lidl Ladies National Football Leagues launch on Tuesday.

Source: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

Sign-ups are mounting ahead of opening weekend, with the recent All-Ireland senior, intermediate and junior club finals whetting the appetite for streaming.

While crowd restrictions were lifted and big numbers attended all three deciders, viewing figures on the streams reflected the wide interest.

“Towards the end of the Sylvester’s game last Sunday,” Cahill notes, referencing the All-Ireland intermediate final, “we had over 2000 devices tuning into the Facebook Live stream, which is an incredible amount of people.

“If you extrapolate that out, you could have two or three people watching it. It’s the power of numbers, that 2000 devices might equate to 6000 people. There’s definitely a hunger and an appetite for streamed matches, so we’re just really happy to include the three competitions this year.”

“It’s a huge undertaking, I have to say, and there’s a lot of planning and a lot of logistics involved in it,” he adds.

“We probably would have felt that this was coming, that this was the way to go eventually, but we had to trial it and make sure that all of the processes are robust before you take it behind the paywall.

“Last year was really good for us, really positive and strong, so fingers crossed.

“Press play and off we go!”

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• Hurling – Ballyhale Shamrocks v Ballygunner, Croke Park, 3pm

• Football – Kilmacud Crokes v Kilcoo, Croke Park, 5pm 

• Both live on TG4

*****

1. Will we get a hurling classic?

If a general sense of anticipation builds up before an All-Ireland club hurling final, the game that unfolds has tended to disappoint in recent times. Of course there are gripping stories from the winners’ enclosure and stunning individual displays, but the contests needed to grip neutrals have been missing.

Of the last ten campaigns, seven finals have been settled by margins of eight points or greater. How many compelling deciders have there been? The Cuala-Na Piarsaigh two-game saga of 2018 stands out, particularly the drawn game, while the last final was entertaining stuff between Ballyhale and Borris-Ileigh.

Today’s final has a different feel, the expectation that a cracker will unfold. There is a similarity to the Ballyhale-Portumna game of 2010, the hopes are pinned on the galaxy of stars on display. TJ and Dessie, the Fennellys and the Mahonys, O’Keeffe and Mason, Cody and Kenny – all over the pitch there are potential duels to savour.

2. Breaking down the defensive web

In the absence of Paul Mannion, Kilmacud Crokes have spread the scorers around their forward line. They possess plenty of talented attackers outside of the thee-time All-Star and his knee injury forced them to step up and take on more responsibility. 

At different stages Tom Fox, Dara Mullin, Callum Pearson, Shane Cunningham and Shane Horan have nailed important scores for the Dublin champions. 

They’ve faced defensive set-ups before, not least in the county final against St Jude’s, but Kilcoo’s crowded rearguard is an entirely different proposition. Scoring opportunities will be at a premium and the Kilmacud front six will need to be patient and clinical when they arise.

3. Ballyhale’s recent scares as they chase history

No club has completed three-in-a-row in the hurling championship before. There may have been a gap of a year due to the pandemic but a Ballyhale Shamrocks success today would elevate their standing further, matching Corofin’s football heroics in 2020.

To achieve that, Ballyhale will need to avoid a repeat of the nerve-wracking conclusions that have characterised this campaign. Eoin Cody’s goal dug out a draw against St Rynagh’s in Leinster before they finished off the job in extra-time and then came TJ Reid’s extraordinary intervention with seconds remaining on the clock in Thurles to swing last month’s All-Ireland semi-final against St Thomas.

Are they a team showing signs of slippage as their survival instincts surface or one primed to now unleash their full power on the biggest stage? Today will be revealing.

Kilcoo’s Paul Devlin and Kilmacud’s Dara Mullin.

Source: Stephen McCarthy/SPORTSFILE

4. Kilcoo on a mission

The pain of their All-Ireland final extra-time defeat to Corofin was bad enough, but then Kilcoo were denied another crack at the competition last season due to Covid. For club teams, the window of opportunity to compete for All-Irelands tends to be a short one, as Kilcoo were well aware. 

They overcame some stern tests in Down and Ulster, most notably against Malachy O’Rourke’s Glen in the provincial semi-final. The defensive, possession-based style they play under Mickey Moran is not easy on the eye but it’s certainly effective and the players have mastered it. 

In addition, the experience of their recent trip to the final should help them.

“We have definitely learned from our previous time in Croke Park, so hopefully this time around the preparation will be a lot quieter in terms of getting ready for the game,” remarked Paul Devlin this week.  

5. Ballygunner’s ambition

There are parallels that can be drawn between the Kilcoo narrative and that of Ballygunner. The Waterford champions are sampling All-Ireland final day for the first time but they are well-versed in these winter club journeys. Since 2009 they have gobbled up ten county titles but it took until 2018 before this group crashed through the Munster barrier. 

Last month’s victory over Slaughtneil was the club’s first in an All-Ireland semi-final and arrived off the back of a sublime showing against Kilmallock in the Munster final. Their team has been remodelled since losing to Ballyhale in 2019, some vital additions like Ronan Power, Paddy Leavy and, most critically, Dessie Hutchinson. They now aim to land the biggest prize.

6. Kilmacud’s rich history

Kilcoo are chasing their first Andy Merrigan Cup, but Kilmacud have a rich history in the competition.

If Crokes are successful this afternoon, they’ll move up to joint fourth in the All-Ireland club football roll of honour with their third title. As it stands they are one behind fellow county men St Vincent’s and St Finbarr’s of Cork.

Nemo Rangers (7), Crossmaglen Rangers (6) and Corofin (5) lead the way on top of the leaderboard. They were last crowned champions in 2009 with Rory O’Carroll the only member of that team still playing. Prior to that they lifted their maiden crown in 1995, under manager Tommy Lyons. 

Compiled by Fintan O’Toole and Kevin O’Brien.

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UL’s David Clifford celebrates with team-mates after their semi-final win.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

THIS YEAR’S SIGERSON Cup final will be broadcast live by TG4. 

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NUI Galway needed extra-time to book their place in the final with a 0-18 to 0-15 win over MTU Kerry last night. 

In the other semi-final, Kerry star David Clifford scored two late points to ensure UL reached the competition’s decider for the first time in 25 years — seeing off 2020 champions DCU. 

The sides meet at IT Carlow next Wednesday, 16 February, for a 7.30pm throw-in. 

And the game will be available to watch live on TG4.

Great News🎉

The Sigerson Cup final between @GAANUIG and @ul_gaa will be shown live on TG4.

🕙The game will take place next Wednesday at 19:30 in @itcarlow

Come on lads. Show the country exactly what ye are made of💪@ConnachtGAA @HigherEdGAA pic.twitter.com/EF3LTEtMHT

— NUI Galway Sport (@nuigalwaysport) February 11, 2022

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NUI Galway 0-12
UL 1-6

A FIRST SIGERSON Cup title for NUI Galway since 2003 after their powerful start to the second half proved crucial in defeating UL at a rain-lashed IT Carlow grounds tonight.

NUIG’s Cathal Sweeney and Eoghan McLaughlin of the University of Limerick.

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

Despite losing Mayo’s Tommy Conroy and Galway’s Sean Mulkerrin to injury in this campaign, the Maurice Sheridan-managed side were deserved winners against UL.

Matthew Tierney captains Galway to the Sigerson Cup 34 years after his father played for them in the final. pic.twitter.com/2RB6LfMaA1

— Maurice Brosnan (@m_brosnan) February 16, 2022

Roscommon’s Cathal Heneghan came off the bench to shoot 0-3, in a man-of-the-match display while Galway duo Tomo Culhane and Gavin Burke, and Mayo’s Fionn McDonagh were others to produce valuable scoring returns.

They also kept Kerry star David Clifford quiet as the NUIG rearguard succeeded in preventing him from scoring from play, after he had produced a series of devastating attacking displays throughout this competition.

UL lost Cork senior Sean Powter at half-time but were able to start Mayo’s Eoghan MacLaughlin, recovered from his recent injury setback.

It was Clifford who gave UL hope at a stage in the second half when their prospects looked precarious, slamming home a 47th minute penalty for what proved to be the only goal of the game.

46 nóim
@ul_gaa 1-03@nuigalwaysport 0–09

CIC ÉIRICE Ó DAVID CLIFFORD! 🤩🥳

UL are right back in this game! 😍👌
@ElectricIreland @HigherEdGAA @GAA_BEO
#FirstClassRivals | #SigersonCup | #GAABeo

BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/3MHRLlYHj1

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 16, 2022

Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

That penalty had been awarded after Dan Gray’s goalbound shot was judged by referee David Gough to have stopped by a footblock. UL built on that score, which left them 0-9 to 1-3 adrift, to surge back into contention, twice being only a point adrift in the finale after Donal O’Sullivan’s 50th minute point and again when his Kerry colleague Paul Walsh scored in the 56th minute.

Yet on both occasions NUI Galway were never dragged back to parity with Burke and McDonagh nailing crucial points, before Culhane’s injury-time free proved the insurance score as they ran out three-point winners to ensure captain Matthew Tierney lifted the cup.

The first half was a testing affair in difficult conditions. The teams were tied at 0-3 apiece at the interval with scores at a premium. NUI Galway hit over the first three courtesy of McDonagh, Paul Kelly and Burke.

UL didn’t score until the 19th minute, courtesy of Mayo’s Paul Towey, but they were level by the interval after O’Sullivan and Clifford both nailed frees. Indeed Clifford almost scored an audacious goal from distance with Conor Carroll off his line but the goalkeeper got back to gather possession.

The winning of the match was the scoring spree that NUI Galway embarked upon early in the second half. They were inspired by the immediate impact of Michael Glaveys club man Heneghan, the Roscommon forward jinking clear and weaving paths through the UL defence to pick off three points early in the half.

33 nóim
@ul_gaa 0-03@nuigalwaysport 0–05

Dhá pointe faighte anois ag Cathal Heneghan 🥳

NUI Galway take the lead against the wind!!
@ElectricIreland @HigherEdGAA @GAA_BEO
#FirstClassRivals | #SigersonCup | #GAABeo

BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/JUNoDhtC3B

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 16, 2022

Tierney and Culhane (2) supplemented that burst with further points to send NUI Galway six clear. Clifford’s goal from the penalty ensured it was tense all the way to the final whistle but the newly-crowned champions showed their credentials.

Scorers for NUI Galway: Cathal Heneghan 0-3, Tomo Culhane 0-3 (0-2f),Gavin Burke 0-2, Fionn McDonagh 0-2,  Matthew Tierney 0-1 (0-1f), Paul Kelly 0-1.

Scorers for UL: David Clifford 1-1 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Donal O’Sullivan 0-2 (0-1f), Eoghan McLaughlin 0-1, Paul Towey 0-1, Paul Walsh 0-1.

NUI Galway

1. Conor Carroll (Oranmore-Maree – Roscommon)

2. Colin Murray (Mountbellew-Moylough, Galway), 3. Neil Mulcahy (Moycullen, Galway), 4. Gavin Burke (Corofin, Galway)

5. Rory Egan (Edenderry, Offaly), 6. Eoghan Kelly (Moycullen, Galway), 7. Nathan Mullen (Coolaney-Mullinabreena, Sligo)

8. Paul Kelly (Moycullen, Galway), 9. Sean Kelly (Moycullen, Galway)

20. Gavin Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels, Mayo), 11. Matthew Tierney (Oughterard, Galway), 12. Cathal Donoghue (Kilcormac-Killoughey, Offaly)

13. Tomo Culhane (Salthill-Knocknacarra, Galway), 14. Fionn McDonagh (Westport, Mayo), 15. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill-Knocknacarra, Galway)

Subs

Cathal Heneghan (Michael Glaveys, Roscommon) for Donoghue (half-time)

Tony Gill (Corofin, Galway) for Durcan (44)

Ryan Monaghan (Oughterard, Galway) for Mullen (60)

UL

1. Conor Flaherty (Claregalway, Galway)

33. Jack Coyne (Ballyhaunis, Mayo), 3. Ciaran Donnelly (Bracknagh, Offaly), 4. Paul Maher (Adare, Limerick – captain)

5. Gearoid O’Donovan (Newcestown, Cork), 6. Sean Powter (Douglas, Cork), 7. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport, Mayo)

8. Connell Dempsey (Knockmore, Mayo), 9. Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Clare)

10. Ciaran Downes (Kilmihil, Clare), 11. Emmet McMahon (Kildysart, Clare), 32. Paul Towey (Charlestown, Mayo)

13. David Clifford (Fossa, Kerry), 14. Dan Gray (Castledermot, Kildare), 15. Donal O’Sullivan (Kilgarvan, Kerry)

Subs

Jack Glynn (Claregalway, Galway) for Powter (half-time)

Paul Walsh (Brosna, Kerry) for Dempsey (42)

Oisin Looney (St Jopseh’s Miltown-Malbay, Clare) for Downes (55)

James McCarthy for Gray (58)

Referee: David Gough (Meath)

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Updated Tue 8:03 PM

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JAMES HORAN HAS called the demands on young inter-county players “unsustainable” in the wake of Tommy Conroy’s ACL injury.

Conroy had been double jobbing with Mayo in the Allianz Football League on weekends while on Sigerson Cup duty with NUIG in midweek.

His season came to a crashing halt when a devastating knee injury in the third-level quarter-final, which took place two days after he played the second-half of Mayo’s league draw with Donegal. 

Speaking with the Mayo News, Horan criticised the scheduling of third-level GAA competitions as the average age of inter-county panels continue to drop.

“It’s just unsustainable. If you were designing it from scratch, the current scheduling of the Sigerson would be the worst case you could possibly design. The demands on players don’t make sense at any level and we’ve worked hard to protect our players. 

“We’ve had sessions where we have nine guys training and 22 not training. There are more guys not training than training most nights. We have to have them there because we need to go through how we play, but this situation doesn’t make any sense to anyone.

“I’m not sure about the U20 competition and when that can be played but certainly the Sigerson must be pulled out of where it is. That’s the first and obvious thing that needs to happen. Can it be pulled pre-Christmas like it used to be?

“I think that’s what should happen and see how it works. It’s just not right and I’d say the same thing if Tommy hadn’t got injured.  

“The Sigerson cannot be played the way it currently is. Inter-county football is getting younger and younger, and that age-group is being constantly squeezed. Players are trying to play for us, and they’ve got Sigerson or Trench Cup and the U20s as well.”

Eoghan McLaughlin is expected to miss three to four weeks with the ankle injury he sustained in the second round against Monaghan.

McLaughlin’s UL face Conroy’s NUIG in tomorrow’s Sigerson Cup final, with both Mayo stars sidelined for the decider. 

Meath’s Jordan Morris.

Source: Ken Sutton/INPHO

Meanwhile, Meath star Jordan Morris has seen his transfer Nobber to Kingscourt Stars in Cavan rubber-stamped by the GAA.

The talented young forward, who has become a key figure in Andy McEntee’s team since his breakthrough in 2020, has returned to the club where he began his underage career.

Morris’s loss is a blow for intermediate side Nobber, who he helped to the Meath IFC title in 2019 before their relegation in 2020. 

THE DUST MAY have settled, but the memories of that special day will last a lifetime.

In late January, Kilkerrin-Clonberne of Galway were crowned All-Ireland senior club  champions for the very first time, ending Mourneabbey’s bid for three-in-a-row as they lifted the Dolores Tyrrell Memorial Cup.

“It was definitely the best win I have ever had in ladies football,” as Nicola Ward beamed at the 2022 Lidl Ladies National League launch last week.

“Playing with the girls that I’ve been playing with since I’ve been U10, it was such a nice community, family feel to it. And the celebrations afterwards were just overwhelming.

“Even this week, the girls have been going around with the cup to the school, the creches and the church – even at mass, they were in both parishes with the cup. The celebrations will be still ongoing for another while. But finally nice to win something big at senior level.”

The nature of the victory must have made it all the more pleasing. The long-time Galway and Connacht champions avenged the heartache of defeat to the same opponents in 2019, and did so with a simply stunning performance.

Kilkerrin-Clonberne finished 1-11 to 1-7 winners in Birr, holding the Cork heavyweights to just one point from play — scored by Ciara O’Sullivan in the 51st minute.

Last time out, in their first decider appearance, a single point was the difference after Laura Fitzgerald broke their hearts with less than 20 seconds remaining.

Kilkerrin-Clonberne celebrate after their win.

Source: Lorraine O’Sullivan/INPHO

“We’d all been talking about 2019 in the lead-up to the match,” 2019 All-Star Ward explains. “I was saying, ‘We’re all two years older, we’re two years stronger’. Even Eva Noone, our corner forward in 2019 was only 16 playing, and those two years stood to her.

“To think that she’s still only 18, and just got that bit cuter. I know when you do lose matches it is awful to use them but you definitely do learn from them and you do get that experience from them.

“As much as 2019 hurt, we definitely used it to our advantage in the final. It was just so great to get over the line and even sweeter that we got a bit of revenge on Mourneabbey from 2019.”

The sweetest part of all? Surely the fact that it was a family affair. Nicola’s twin sister, Louise, was captain, with their father, Willie, the manager.

The heartwarming scenes captured afterwards said it all.

“It was unreal. Dad and Michael Divilly, Siobhan, Olivia and Niamh’s Dad, they managed us in 2013 when we won our first senior county title with the club.

“Obviously we’ve been nearly trying for a decade to get to the All-Ireland and for them to come back — I know the roles are reversed this year, Michael was the manager back in 2012 — was just unreal, and it was just so fitting that they were involved. Our brother, Adrian, was involved in the management as well. Mum was the only one sweating at home by herself, but had a big part to play!

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Seaimpíní na hÉireann!! @KClgfa @LadiesFootball |#currentaccount |#LGFAClub pic.twitter.com/UXmeVdg6kH

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 29, 2022

“Obviously Dad is a bit older than most managers and maybe at the start of the year, people mightn’t have wanted him or thought other people might have been better for the job but I suppose myself and Louise seen literally how much effort and time he put into it.

“It was the talk in our house every single day. We’re just so delighted that he did it basically for us and got us over the line.”

Another who played a big role in the success, and the rise of Kilkerrin-Clonberne through the years, was Galway All-Ireland winning captain Annette Clarke.

Wearing the number 25 jersey, the long-serving star came off the bench in the closing minutes; her experience and know-how undoubtedly steadying the ship as the club edged closer and closer to the Holy Grail.

“Oh, stop,” Ward smiles. “She is a legend around Kilkerrin-Clonberne, she is just unbelievable. She’s a massive inspiration to us.

“We’ve looked up to her since we were young. We were in Croke Park when she captained Galway to the All-Ireland in 2004. And to think that she’s still a playing, what, nearly 20 years later is unreal.

“She gave birth to two beautiful babies in September and was back training with us then at the end of October. She’ll kill me for saying her age, but she’s 40 years old and she just…

A special moment for Annette Clarke, one of our longest serving players, as she finally got her hands on the Dolores Tyrrell Memorial Cup this afternoon.

This sweet victory comes nearly 18 years after Annette captained Galway to the All-Ireland Ladies SFC title back in 2004. pic.twitter.com/SNJhfiHARr

— KilkerrinClonbernelgfa (@KClgfa) January 30, 2022

“She won a free, I think towards the end as well. Look, she has massive experience. Even when she came back in October, herself and another girl, Lisa Gannon, who had a baby, we were like, ‘Okay, we have everyone now.’ Everyone who could be with us was with us, and I think that was the most special thing about it. No one missed out.”

Clarke was involved with the Galway management team last year, but appears to be absent for 2021 in the wake of Gerry Fahy’s recent departure.

The Tribe remain without an official manager, with Ward and her clubmates watching from afar as they take a much-needed break from the inter-county scene through the early stages of the league.

She insists, however, that they’ll be “fully committed to the cause” after a few weeks off.

Working as a nurse in Crumlin Children’s Hospital, that’s Ward’s main focus at the minute as she continues to split her life between east and west.

“Still up and down – the car has some amount of mileage on it,” she laughs. “Between club and county now, it was a busy year but even after winning the club, it’s so worth it.

“Sometimes you ask yourself: ‘Why do you do this to yourself?’ But when you get a win like that, it’s so worth it.”

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