A big little All-Ireland for Garnish and St John’s: No gazebos, but the ham is real

In Inchigeela, Co Cork tomorrow, two Junior B football teams meet in a championship match every bit as important in real terms as the ones with live television and pipe bands, writes Tony Leen

The victorious Garnish squad and supporters following their Beara JAFC final victory over Urhan in Castletownbere in 2018.

At last count, there are 16 GAA county finals around the 32 counties this weekend. Senior ones, that is. Many deciders are done already but October brings the early Tuesday dusk and Thursday evening chill that suggests success is a block, a tackle, a fetch under the crossbar or a percentage, maybe two, of practice away. If you’re pulling the car into training this week, the cannister isn’t far off.

Even with minimal spectators, finals are to be savoured for sure. They’re the occasions. Whether it’s on tv or on one of the multitudes of livestream, someone, somewhere will delicately place a snack on its haunches and exhale that this decider, under Sunday’s sun, is what the GAA all about.