1. Ballygunner glory tinged with sadness
Ballygunner beat Tallow in the Waterford senior hurling final on Sunday, on an emotional day for the club.
The Gunners are still trying to come to terms with the recent passing of much-loved club stalwart Paul Foley, and they honoured his memory in the best possible fashion by claiming a hard-fought four-point win.
Ballygunner now march on to the semi-finals of the AIB Munster club championship, and a clash with Cork champions Glen Rovers.
Despite a ten-point haul from Ryan Grey, Ballygunner had enough about them to get the job done in Sunday’s Déise decider, as their 16th man smiled down on them.
2. Farcical scenes in Westmeath
Clonkill claimed victory over Raharney in the Westmeath senior hurling final but it was the minor final that grabbed all the headlines.
Both clubs put on a united front and refused to play as they had a number of minor players who would also have been involved in the senior final that followed.
Lake County chiefs will now consider refixing the game but from the outside looking in, the optics are not good.
There is room on the fixtures calendar to get the game run off over the Bank Holiday weekend, which will then leave Clonkill’s seniors with a clear run to the AIB Leinster championship clash with Carlow kingpins St Mullins a week later.
3. Age is but a number
Mick Lawlor rolled back the years with a two-goal haul for Emo in Sunday’s Laois senior football final, and the 42-year-old forward shared his thoughts with us earlier today.
But for the winners of Saturday’s replay between Emo and Portlaoise, the prospect of a Leinster championship fixture with Palatine on Sunday looms large on the horizon.
A congested club fixture at this time of year frequently throws up problems like this, particularly when there are drawn county finals.
Unfortunately, Leinster fixtures-makers have precious little room for manoeuvre and Emo or Portlaoise will simply have to get on with it.
4. Local bragging rights for Commercials
The Tipperary SFC final threw up the prospect of a local derby between Clonmel Commercials and Moyle Rovers.
And Rovers looked set for a first title since 2009 as they led by six points in the second half.
But Commercials came roaring back to snatch a one-point win, a victory that sets up a clash with Newcastle West in the Munster championship.
It was a bittersweet Sunday for Commercials stalwart Eamonn Hanrahan, who was involved with the Dromcollogher-Broadford team beaten by Newcastle West in the Limerick decider.
5. Glory within touching distance for one of the country’s hottest forwards
Kerry club champions Dingle will be interested spectators when the Kingdom’s county final is staged.
If a divisional outfit wins the county competition, Dingle will go forward to represent Kerry in the Munster club campaign.
James O’Donoghue’s Legion will take on Kenmare District or South Kerry in the county showpiece on 1 November, with Dingle hoping for a victory for Legion’s opponents.
The second semi-final is down for decision next Sunday but O’Donoghue and Legion can sit back and relax for a fortnight before their big day.
6. Hectic schedule beckons for Cork champions
Nemo Rangers and Castlehaven will have to do it all over again following Sunday’s Cork SFC final stalemate.
And the winners will have just a week to recover ahead of an AIB Munster club football quarter-final against the Waterford champions.
Provided they get through that, the Leeside kingpins will have a fortnight to recuperate ahead of a semi-final against Kerry representatives Legion or Dingle, with the final fixed for November 29.
Should Nemo or Castlehaven go all the way in Munster, they’ll have played five games in the space of seven weeks, a gruelling schedule at this time of year as conditions get heavier.
