WITH THE INTER-county season in the rearview mirror, the focus sharpens on the club championships around the country.
There were plenty of big name players involved on Sunday, where nine senior finals took place in both codes. Four of those have to be replayed after finishing in draws, three in football and one in hurling.
Palatine (Carlow), Aughawillan (Leitrim), Gusserane (Wexford), Baltinglass (Wicklow) and Glen Rovers (Cork) lifted titles in their respective counties.
Elsewhere there’s plenty left to sort out in counties like Kilkenny and Dublin, who made it to the business end of the inter-county calendar. Here’s the big talking points from today:
Four county finals end in draws
Sunday was somewhat of an anomoly, with four out of nine county finals couldn’t find a winner after 60 minutes. Football finals in Clare, Cavan and Tyrone, and the Laois hurling final all finished in draws.
The most dramatic draw was in Cavan, where Castlerahan scored an unanswered 1-3 in the closing stages to avoid a second-straight county final defeat.
In Laois, Rathdowney-Errill prevented underdogs Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton from a maiden senior hurling title. It was a game of the highest quality, with the sides finishing on 2-26 apiece.
Healy Park was the venue for the Tyrone SFC decider, where Tiernan McCann’s Killyclogher snatched a draw with Coalisland despite losing Gary Wallace to a red card with 20 minutes left. The sides were level ten times during the tie and Nathan Donnelly fisted over the bar in with a minute left to secure another day out.
Finally in Clare a Cathal McInerney free was required at the death for Cratloe to deny Kilurry Ibrickane the spoils in a 1-9 to 0-12 draw. McInerney top-scored for Cratloe with 1-5, while Keelan Sexton posted 0-5 for Kilmurry Ibrickane.
Patrick Horgan fires Glen Rovers to two-in-a-row in Cork
Patrick Horgan’s tally of 12 points (0-6 frees, 0-2 65s) lead Glen Rovers to their second successive Cork SHC title with victory over Erin’s Own. Horgan hit five straight points down the home straight as Rovers became the first team since Erin’s Own to retain the the top prize in Cork hurling.
Rovers looked in trouble with 10 minutes remaining. They shipped 1-4 without repay midway through the second-half, but Horgan had the last say and secured the victory.
Dublin’s All-Ireland winners back to action
The men who retained Sam last weekend were back in their club colours on Sunday. Dean Rock (1-9) and Diarmuid Connolly (1-1) had decisive impacts for Ballymun Kickhams and St Vincent’s in their respective wins.
There was some concern for James McCarthy, who didn’t return from the Ballymun dressing room after half-time. Philly McMahon and John Small also featured for the 2012 county champions.
Paddy Andrews had a lively afternoon for St Brigid’s in the loss to Ballymun, while Jonny Cooper’s Na Fianna exited the championship after defeat to St Vincent’s.
Likely All-Stars Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock) and Brian Fenton (Raheny) also progressed to the quarter-final stage of the competition. Stephen Cluxton’s Parnells were on the losing side to Raheny.
Big counties reaching closing stages of championships
Most counties whose championship extended into August this year are reaching the concluding stages of their championships. On the football side, we have a Corofin-Salthill Knocknacarra final in Galway, while Dr Crokes and Kenmare District will battle for honours in the Kingdom.
Crokes lost Colm Cooper and Fionn Fitzgerald to red cards in their 1-15 to 0-15 win, as a 38th minute goal by ex-Kerry star Eoin Brosnan proved the difference in their win over Dingle.
There were also plenty of big hurling sides on show in Kilkenny, Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick. The semi-final line-ups in Kilkenny became clear today as reigning champions Clara and last year’s finalists O’Loughlin Gaels both advanced. In Waterford, city powerhouses Mount Sion and Ballygunner will face one another in the last four, after both teams won their quarter-final replays.
Ballybrown bested Adare ( 2-22 to 1-18) to seal their passage to the Limerick hurling final, while Thurles Sarsfields and Kiladangan will meet in the Tipperary hurling decider. Sarsfields were comfortable 10-point winners over Clonoulty-Rossmore in their last eight clash, and Joe Gallagher bagged two goals in their 2-16 to 0-13 defeat of Killenaule.
Hurling Results
Cork SHC final
Glen Rovers 0-19 Erins Own 2-11
Kilkenny SHC quarter-final
O’Loughlin Gaels 1-16 James Stephens 0-14
Clara 1-24 Dicksboro 0-12
Laois SHC final
Rathdowney-Errill 2-26 Borris-in-Ossory Kilcotton 2-26
Limerick SHC semi-final
Ballybrown 2-22 Adare 1-18
Tipperary SHC semi-final
Thurles Sarsfields 1-22 Clonoulty-Rossmore 0-15
Kiladangan 2-16 Killenaule 0-13
Ulster SHC club semi-finals
Loughgiel Shamrocks (Antrim) 1-25 Ballygalget (Down) 0-9
Slaughtneil (Derry) 3-16 Middletown (Armagh) 1-12
Waterford SHC quarter-final replay
Mount Sion 0-23 De La Salle 1-14
Westmeath SHC semi-final
Clonkill 1-18 Castletown Geoghegan 1-18
Raharney 1-20 Lough Lene Gaels 1-13
Football results
Carlow SFC final
Rathvilly 0-12 Palatine 2-13,
Cavan SFC final
Castlerahan 3-8 Ramor United 2-11
Clare SFC final
Cratloe 1-9 Kilmurry-Ibrickane 0-12
Leitrim SFC final
Aughawillan 1-10 Glencar/Manorhamilton 0-12
Galway SFC semi-finals
Corofin 3-13 Mountbellew/Moylough 1-11
Salthill-Knocknacara
Kerry SFC semi-final
Dr Crokes 1-15 Dingle 0-15
Meath SFC quarter-final
Donaghmore-Ashbourne 2-16 Seneschalstown 0-5
Tyrone SFC final
Coalisland 1-13 Killyclogher 0-16
Wexford SFC final
Glynn-Barntown 0-10 Gusserane 0-11
Wicklow SFC final
Baltinglass 1-14 St Patrick’s 1-9, Aughrim - FT
Dublin SFC second round
Ballymun 1-16 St Brigid’s 0-13
Whitehall Colmcille 1-10 Skerries Harps 2-19
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