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Your GAA championship weekend review

Emotions were running high during an eventful couple of days at Semple Stadium and Croke Park.

WITH TWO MORE huge weekends of GAA still to come this month, it was the turn of the U21 hurlers and the country’s finest camogie talents to whet our appetites.

First up, Semple Stadium played host to Clare and Antrim as the Banner looked to make it three All-Ireland titles from five and Antrim, whose presence in the final was already an enormous achievement, hoping to upset the odds.

Banner prevail

Ultimately, it proved a walk in the park for the Munster men. A 22-point victory earned captain Paul Flanagan the right to lift the trophy — with what looks to be every man, woman and child from the county watching on going by this pic.

imageCredit: INPHO/James Crombie

Davy was there too.

imageCredit: INPHO/James Crombie

Check out Shane O’Donnell’s superb goal from a tight angle:

imageCredit: Balls.ie

Sister Act

In Part One of a triple-header at GAA headquarters, Kildare claimed a first All-Ireland junior triumph in 23 years. Susie O’Carroll, sister of The Journal’s own News Editor Sinead, turned out to be the star of the show for the Lilywhites with 2-2 from play. That’s her on the right.

imageCredit: Twitter/SineadOCarroll

One of the many perks of having a sibling on the team…

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Watch this space

They may have ultimately lost out to Galway in the Liberty Insurance intermediate final but Limerick could have a future star on their hands in 16-year-old forward Caoimhe Costello, who scored the opening point of the game.

imageCredit: RTÉ Player

In what was a thrilling encounter, Limerick clawed their way back to within a score in the closing minutes but Galway held out to make up for the disappointment of last year’s defeat in the final.

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Sarah Noone is bursting with emotion. Credit: INPHO/Cathal Noonan

One hand on the trophy

The main event saw the Tribe’s senior women clash with Kilkenny, where the highlight was this Ailish O’Reilly goal four minutes before half-time.

imageCredit: RTÉ Player

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Yes, yes you can.

If at first you don’t succeed…

Galway’s heroic back Therese Maher can’t contain her delight at finally winning an All-Ireland final after seven failed attempts.

imageCredit: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Captain's speeches may often get a hard time but Lorraine Ryan's was perfectly executed. She wrapped it up with:

We trained as friends, we travelled as friends, we hurled out there as friends and we’re going to bring the O’Duffy back across the Shannon as friends!"

imageRyan holding up the O'Duffy Cup alongside Aileen Lawlor and Micahel D Higgins. Credit: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Talking points

  • Sisters are doing it for themselves: Kildare ace Siobhán Hurley showed that anything her brother Sean can do, she can do just as well. Sean was part of the Kildare U21 team which swept to Leinster glory earlier this year and Siobhán showed her own prowess with five points in a brilliant player of the match display as Kildare bridged a 23-year gap to take the junior crown. With sister Eimear also on the bench it was a great year for the appropriately named Hurley clan.
  • Galway camogie is in rude health: To win one All-Ireland is good, but to win two in the one day is just something. Galway intermediates gave their seniors the perfect curtain-raiser with a hard-fought victory over Limerick in the second match of the day. A superb turn from Orlaith McGrath was capped by her appearance as a substitute in the senior final. Not a bad day at all.
  • Nerves can still play a part: It was by no means a classic in the senior decider but the fact that the recent powerhouses Cork and Wexford were both defeated in the semi-finals may have had something to do with that. Both Galway and Kilkenny knew this was a great chance to capture a senior crown, and the disjointed nature of the of the game betrayed the nervousness felt by both sides.
  • Two heads work just as good as one: It may not have worked for Liverpool with Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier back in the mid-90s but the Kilkenny management duo of Graham Dillon and Niall Williams seem to be able to make the dual-manager role work. While Kilkenny were denied a first crown in 19 years, with the magnificent work done at under-age level and Dillon and Williams' expertise, the Cats will be back.
  • Persistence pays off: Therese Maher finally got her hands on an elusive All-Ireland senior medal after sixteen years of trying and five previous finals defeats in an emotional victory yesterday. Can the Mayo footballers follow her lead next Sunday?

Comhgháirdeas

From one Galway girl...

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Marty loves a party

imageCredit: RTÉ Player

We got slightly worried when Darragh Maloney was called up as a late replacement for Marty Morrissey as the veteran RTÉ commentator was reportedly having  trouble with his voice.

However, he still managed to get himself to the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel for an interview with winning manager Tony Ward and captain Lorraine Ryan at Galway's celebratory function on The Sunday Game.

What a pro.

Next up...

It's the small matter of the All-Ireland senior football final. Many reckon this is Mayo's year but Jim Gavin and Dublin will have a thing or two to say about that.

imageJeff Moran take his support to new levels. Credit: Sean Conroy

What did you make of this weekend's action?

Galway double their pleasure with All-Ireland Camogie glory

The ‘Mayo for Sam’ campaign gains support from the bottom of the ocean

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