Punters wager €1m on county clash
Interest in the clash has reached fever pitch, with GAA bosses confident of a sellout at HQ for the pick of the semi-finals.
Paddy Power bookmakers predicts more than €1 million will be gambled on the game, making it a record for a GAA fixture.
“At this stage I think it will easily top €1m for us, which would make it our highest turnover on a GAA game. We are well on course to setting a new record for Paddy Power for a GAA match.
“By about lunchtime on Thursday, we had taken in around €500,000 and that pattern has continued. There is plenty of money coming in on the Dubs in particular in the last 24 hours,” he said.
If history is anything to go by Cork certainly have their work cut out this weekend.
The pair have met 13 times in the championship, with Dublin having the greater success rate. The first meeting was in the 1891 All-Ireland final, where Cork, represented by Clondrohid, were defeated 2-1 to 1-1 by Young Irelands of Dublin.
Between 1894 and 1908, the teams met a further seven times, all of which ended in defeat for the Rebel county.
There was no further meeting between the two counties until 1974, when Dublin won the All-Ireland semi-final by 2-11 to 1-8.
The next clash between the two counties was also at the semi-final stage in 1983, a game which ended in a draw.
The replay in Páirc Uí Chaoimh saw the Dubs win out comfortably on a scoreline of 4-15 to 2-10.
Including this replay, Cork and Dublin have met five times at All-Ireland semi-final stage, three of which have been won by Dublin with one ending in a draw.
However, there are some good omens for Cork. The one time Cork did beat Dublin at the semi-final stage, in 1989, they went on lift the Sam Maguire, beating Mayo 0-17 to 1-11 in the final.
