Grassroots gossip: Talking points ahead of the weekend's club GAA championship action
Aaron Gillane of Patrickswell who need a draw to make Limerick's last six
Two weeks ago, Shinrone caused a sensation in the Offaly senior hurling championship when defeating a St Rynaghs side chasing four-in-a-row. As well as it being one of the greatest wins in Shinrone’s modern history, it also blew the championship wide open, especially when Shinrone were drawn against Belmont in this Sunday's semi-final.
The vista of opportunity for both clubs now is massive. Belmont have never contested an Offaly final. Shinrone have only contested the decider once, back in 1960. Belmont beat Shinrone well when they met in their last group game in August but after taking out Rynagh’s, Shinrone will believe that anything is possible.
Shinrone should have beaten Rynagh’s by more than just two points – they registered 13 wides and could have had a couple of more goals, especially when their tactic of playing high ball into their towering full-forward Ciaran Cleary proved so bountiful.
The Shinrone defence was also outstanding that day. It took St Rynagh’s 18 minutes to score in the second half while all four of their scores in that half came from frees.
Having topped their group, Belmont have had a four week break to prepare for this match but nine of their players (which will probably feature) lined out with Ferbane last weekend in the Offaly senior football semi-final, which they lost to Rhode on penalties after extra-time.
Belmont are still the form team but Shinrone will feel they have an added advantage now with their manager Trevor Fletcher having managed Belmont for four years between 2017-’20. Seven points separated these sides when they last met but Shinrone finished strong in that match and this looks to be a 50-50 contest. And one loaded with a golden opportunity for both sides.
In the dying moments of the Doonbeg-Ennistymon Clare SFC group game two weeks ago, David Tubridy got a goal to put Doonbeg ahead by two points, which the Ennistymon players protested vehemently against. Tubridy was borderline in the square when he palmed a saved shot to the net but those decisions are always difficult to make in the the Miltown-Malbay pitch because there is a patch of astroturf in front of the goal and the square is a metre outside that patch. After consultation with his umpires, the referee disallowed the goal, which turned the whole championship on its head.
A defeat for Ennistymon would have seen them in relegation but the win, combined with late events in the Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Clondegad match in Cusack Park, saw Ennistymon top the group, with KIB second, Clondegad going to a play off as the third team, while Doonbeg were plunged into a relegation battle.
It’s been that kind of a championship for Doonbeg, who have been really unlucky, losing all their games in the group by one score or less. They’ve also had to deal with the misfortune of losing Seán Conway, last year’s Clare U-20 captain and an outstanding talent, to a collarbone injury. Three of Doonbeg’s selectors, Kieran Mahony, Conor Whelan and Padraig Gallagher are three of the greatest defenders that ever wore the club or county jersey and, while Doonbeg have only been conceding an average of 1-8, they’ve only averaged a score of a shade above 0-9.
On Saturday evening in Cooraclare, they play a St Joseph’s Miltown-Malbay side, who were champions in 2015, 2018 and 2019, in a relegation semi-final, with the losers to play Kilmihil in a relegation final. It will be tight but Doonbeg, a traditional powerhouse and Munster champions in 1998, will scrap with every fibre of their being to remain where they feel they always belong.
When Round 2 of the Fermanagh SFC takes place this weekend, everything is on the line again. Similar to Armagh last weekend, and Tyrone – which kicks off next weekend – the championship is knockout. A straight shoot-out. One shot. No second chance. Certainly no back-door to try and escape through and survive for a while longer anyway.
It seems strange for Armagh and Fermanagh, two of the smallest counties in the country, to engage in such a format, especially for Fermanagh, who last played in the senior championship in the first week in June, when they were beaten in the Tailteann Cup. Armagh lasted a few weeks longer when reaching an All-Ireland quarter-final, but Tyrone were also gone in early June, over three and a half months before their club championship starts.
It may also seem surprising that the only knockout championships in the country (apart from the Kilkenny championship, which was played in April) are in Ulster. On the otherhand, Fermanagh operate a vibrant league, while Tyrone place a massive emphasis on league football.
The implications are also massive. The Tyrone Intermediate championship this weekend is stacked with talent; Niall Morgan, Conn Kilpatrick and Darren McCurry play with Edendork; Kieran and Hugh Pat McGeary and Frank Burns line out for Pomeroy; Conor McKenna and Michael McGleenan are with Eglish; Cathal McShane plays for Owen Roes; Ronan McNamee is with Aghyaran. Edendork nearly beat Coalisland last year, who reached the senior final. Pomeroy and Eglish were senior last year but teams can get relegated on league position.
That does put pressure on inter-county players with their clubs but club players are guaranteed a huge volume of games. At this time of the year, it’s all about the championship. But in Ulster, the league means a lot more than it does in most counties elsewhere around the country.
After Kildimo-Pallaskenry’s win against Blackrock last week, the team’s primary goal was still firmly on track - to secure a third hurling championship promotion in six seasons by claiming a place in the top tier of the Limerick senior championship. A win today against Garryspillane would also ensure a precious county quarter-final spot.
Kildimo-Pallaskenry are in pole position but the second group in the senior championship has proven to be absolutely cut-throat this year, with five clubs still in contention to climb into that top tier.
Blackrock are already relegated but the group of six is so tight that a series of results could see Kildimo-Pallaskenry, Garryspillane, Mungret, Ballybrown and South Liberties all finish level on points. A win for Kildimo-Pallaskenry over Garryspillane will confirm their promotion and quarter-final spot while Ballybrown can also secure a quarter-final berth with a win over South Liberties. Ballybrown’s bid for promotion though, hinges on Kildimo-Pallaskenry dropping points.
However, if Kildimo-Pallaskenry and Ballybrown don’t do the business, the other three clubs can capitalise, where scoring difference will come into play. Although Kilmallock, Na Piarsaigh and Doon are already through to the knockout stages, the top tier is still wide open too.
Na Piarsaigh are already in the semi-finals and will be joined by the winners of tomorrow’s clash between Kilmallock and Doon. Patrickswell only need a draw against Adare to advance to the last six but Adare could progress if they win. So could Ahane if they defeat Na Piarsaigh.
Wide open.
Given the huge level of talent on board the four different management tickets in the hunt for the Mayo job last month, it’s no surprise to see those candidates being picked up by other counties in recent weeks. Oisin McConville, who was part of Ray Dempsey’s proposed team, has become Wicklow manager while Paddy Christie, who was part of Declan Shaw’s ticket is the new Longford manager. James Burke, who was also part of Dempsey’s set-up (and who was involved with James Horan) has joined Mickey Graham in Cavan as a coach.
Meanwhile, Eamonn O’Hara, who was on Mike Solan’s ticket, is still busy as Mohill manager in Leitrim. His side has a huge battle on its hands in Saturday's senior quarter-final against Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins, who defeated Mohill in last year’s final by two points.
Mohill came through a stern test last weekend against Aughawillan but they will need a much improved performance this evening if they are to progress.
Rosscarbery’s centurion
Where else could we start but with the Carbery Rangers centurion. Last Sunday week against St Finbarr’s, the evergreen John Hayes - we hope he doesn’t take offence to such a description - came off the bench in the 49th minute to make his 100th championship appearance for the West Cork club.
The journey - for it has been some journey - began in a 2002 Carbery JAFC first-round game against Gabriel Rangers. The contributor of two points that afternoon, he hasn’t stopped scoring since.
Across 21 championship seasons, during which the club climbed from the junior ranks all the way to the top of the senior ladder in 2016, Hayes has kicked a scarcely believable 27 goals and 451 points. His consistency and his worth to the club is further evidenced by the fact that he started all bar seven of those 100 championship games.
Tomorrow’s quarter-final against Nemo Rangers, should the 37-year-old see action, will be championship appearance number 101. And what better way to mark it than with successful passage to an eighth county senior semi-final and first in four years.
Staying below in beautiful West Cork, the Carbery division is making a first appearance at the quarter-final stage of the county championship since 2014.
For a barony of its size and all the talent contained within, eight years is an unacceptably long time spent away from Cork’s top table. Indeed, such was the division’s plummeting graph for most of that eight-year period that this season’s Round 1 win over Imokilly in early June was their first championship victory since May 2017.
Organisation of the divisional set-up and buy-in from players is much improved on recent years, while they are also benefiting from the form of two men - Brian O’Driscoll and Ruairí Deane - determined to earn recalls to the Cork football panel.
Having managed to secure themselves a quarter-final draw that doesn’t contain either Castlehaven or Nemo Rangers, this renaissance could well run for another fortnight at least.
But irrespective of whoever emerges from tomorrow evening’s Ballincollig-Carbery quarter-final, of which there is consensus will be the closest of the weekend’s three quarter-finals, can anybody make a plausible argument for there being a county champion that isn’t the Barrs, Castlehaven, or Nemo?
Moreover, can anybody make a plausible argument for a county final that won’t be contested by two of this three?
From very early on in this year’s championship, it was evident that the race for the Andy Scannell Cup was confined to three thoroughbreds. The openness that exists in the premier senior hurling championship, where more than half the 12 clubs rightly see themselves as viable contenders, just isn’t there on the football side of the house.
So, while a sense of inevitability might linger over a good portion of the championship, it will give way, we hope, to at least two cracking games at the tail end of proceedings. The first of those should be a third successive semi-final meeting between the Haven and the Barrs, the previous two instalments having required penalties, with the winners moving on to face Nemo in the decider.
Are we being premature in pinning our colours to the mast? Don’t think so.
We mean absolutely no disrespect to Mallow in so openly backing Castlehaven to come through the second of tomorrow’s quarter-final double bill.
For Keith Moynihan’s charges, this weekend represents bonus territory. The surprise package of the 2022 championship, there was nobody who called last year’s Senior A champions winning their first two group games, against Ballincollig and Valley Rovers, and sewing up knockout involvement with a round to spare.
Shane Merritt and Mattie Taylor make theirs one of the stronger half-back lines remaining in the championship, while further up, Ryan Harkin and Seán McDonnell have been holding their own in the top flight.
We are reminded of the sizable fright 2020 Senior A champions Éire Óg gave the Barrs in last year’s quarter-final. Over to you, Mallow.
Semi-finalists in both codes, St Finbarr’s stand as the perfect example of how two teams with a decent crossover of dual players can feed off each other from one weekend to the next. Any winning mentality is rarely exclusive to just one or the other, both reap its benefits.
The same, unfortunately, applies to a losing run. The rot will nearly always spread.
Tomorrow’s premier senior relegation play-off brings together two dual clubs who have struggled in the big and small ball this year.
Éire Óg, who have around eight players starting on both their hurling and football teams, last weekend staved off relegation to the Intermediate A hurling grade, while Newcestown, who have roughly 11 dual starters, finished bottom of their group in the Senior A hurling grade.
If a rising tide lifts all boats, then a falling one leaves them at a low ebb.
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