Rivals reap reward for junior wins

PAUDIE KISSANE is not the only recent All-Ireland junior football winner who will feature in tomorrow’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final in Croke Park.

Cork have won four of the last nine national junior crowns while Dublin triumphed in the 2008 championship, and the senior squads of both counties have reaped the benefits of those successes.

Eleven of the Cork panel involved tomorrow have All-Ireland junior medals as do four of the Dublin squad.

Wing-back Noel O’Leary was part of the Cork team that defeated Mayo in the 2001 final by 1-15 to 3-7. In 2005 Cork beat Meath in the final (0-10 to 1-4) with Alan Quirke in goal, Ger Spillane at centre-back, Alan O’Connor playing at midfield while Daniel Goulding struck five points from corner-forward. Donncha O’Connor was introduced as a sub that day and fired two points.

In 2007, Cork defeated Wexford (1-14 to 3-2) in the decider, with Kissane playing at right half-back, O’Connor at midfield and Fiachra Lynch claiming 1-2 from right half-forward.

Last season Cork also claimed All-Ireland JFC honours with Lynch, Aidan Walsh and Ciarán Sheehan featuring in the Munster championship, while Paddy O’Shea was in goal when they defeated Roscommon in the final (0-15 to 0-12).

Dublin defeated Roscommon in the 2008 final by 0-13 to 0-7. That team featured Cuala player Michael Fitzsimons at full-back while Templeogue Synge-Street’s Eoghan O’Gara played at full-forward that day. Current Dublin panellists Darragh Daly and Denis Bastick started at right corner-back and midfield respectively.