Donegal
Those around Donegal aren’t crazy about their club championship. The round-robin nature and lacklustre action has led to low crowds.
This Saturday at 5.30pm in Davy Brennan Park should have a decent crowd though when hosts Naomh Conaill face Glenswilly.
The most interested spectator however at his home ground will be newly-returned Donegal manager, Jim McGuinness, as he checks out the form of his former All-Ireland winning captain, Michael Murphy.
McGuinness has not ruled out a return for Murphy to county duty. He hit six points in their win over Dungloe last weekend, and five against St Naul’s in the previous game.
“I certainly wouldn’t be closing a door on him,” McGuinness said about a return for Murphy in an Irish Times interview, adding,” I imagine he’ll be as strong as ever in the club championship.”
Watch this space.
Kilkenny
We know, we know, ‘tis only the league and all, but!
Ballyhale Shamrocks’ record in Kilkenny is utterly dominant in recent times. They are going for six consecutive championships in a row.
In the last decade, they have won five Leinster titles. They have won three of the last four All-Ireland club titles. The other one? They were caught at the death by Ballygunner and the Ballad of Harry Ruddle.
So you’d imagine since Kilkenny lost the All-Ireland final, they have been building nicely for some local dominance?
Not so. The Kilkenny leagues reach their final round this weekend. James Stephens are hosting Ballyhale which just so happens to be a repeat of last year’s county final.
But Ballyhale’s form hasn’t come just yet. They lost the league opener to Glenmore by three points, drew their second against Erin’s Own, beat Graigue Ballycallan before last weekend’s loss to Bennettsbridge.
The season, you might say, starts now.
Dublin
It’s squeaky bum time in the Dublin championship this weekend as the final round of group games take place.
Dublin operate a four groups of four teams system, where – get this – just the top two go through to the county quarter-finals. How’s that for jeopardy?
Some years back, the Dublin championship was a sprawling affair, with no fewer than 32 senior clubs. Mis-matches were commonplace and they moved to a 16 team championship before it was adopted as national policy across the board.
The meeting of Ballymun Kickhams and Ballinteer St John’s in Group 1 will be televised by TG4, and is a case of the winner goes through, the loser goes home. Do or die stuff.
Elsewhere, reigning All-Ireland champions Kilmacud are still on course for the rematch the country wants to see against Glen, Maghera, already through to the quarter-final with a game against Skerries Harps on Saturday.
Kerry
There are a few nerds among us that would rank our ability to explain the Kerry county football championships to others as among our finest achievements.
Just to recap and simplify; the club championship is the big prize. If a Divisional side wins – a side made up of smaller club teams that are not competing by themselves at senior level – then the club champions go into the Munster championship.
East Kerry have won three of the last four county championships, helped of course by the Clifford brothers, but Kerins O’Rahillys went forward to play, and win in Munster.
Saturday’s final brings together Dingle, 2018 beaten finalists, and Kenmare, who lost the 2020 and 2021 finals. The duels and gunslingers are compelling with Sean O’Shea and Stephen O’Brien, up against Tom O’Sullivan and Paul Geaney.
Dingle’s hopes have been boosted and dashed in the last week. They have lost county panellist Barry Dan O’Sullivan through an ankle injury in the semi-final win over Spa, directly from a bad landing after the game commenced with the ball being thrown up.
However, help is arriving from as far away as Australia, with Geelong’s Aussie Rules star Mark O’Connor coming back with the full blessing of the club to play Dingle.
“Geelong Football Club are supportive of Mark and Oisin heading home to play for their GAA clubs and more importantly spending quality time with their family and friends in Ireland,” said General Manager of Football Simon Lloyd.
Waterford
Whisper it, but there are some now advancing the theory that Ballygunnar’s complete authority within their own county is to the detriment to the county team.
This Sunday they face De La Salle in the county hurling final in Walsh Park and should they win, it secures them a ten-in-a-row.
Such an outcome would elevate them above Mount Sion’s nine consecutive titles between 1953 to 1961.
And what are the chances? Well, their average winning margin this season has been 12 points. This happens to be their 23rd final appearance in the last 25 seasons.
Their dominance goes deep, too. Their minor team last weekend won the county title. Their seconds team reached the county Intermediate semi-final this year and had won it the year before; quite the feat for a seconds’ team.
They boast a galaxy of stars in Stephen O’Keefe,the bros Mahony, Barry Coughlan, the spritely Dessie Hutchinson and so on.
De La Salle are in their first final since 2019, chasing their first title since 2012. But they have quality in Jake Dillon, Kevin Moran, Jack Fagan and Shaun O’Brien, while Reuben Halloran scored 0-10 of their 0-19 in last weekend’s semi-final one-point win over Roanmore.
