3.15pm – Galway football quarter-final: Corofin v Monivea/Abbey – Tuam Stadium
The vacant Galway football manager role could soon be filled by a couple of different men with significant Corofin experience. Kevin O’Brien led the club to break all records and become the only team to win three consecutive Andy Merrigan Cups in the 2018-20 period.
Another candidate is Kevin Johnson, who is the current Galway U20 manager. He won the 2023 and 2024 Galway titles with Corofin.
It will be matters closer to home that occupy the Corofin faithful this weekend as they hunt down Tuam Stars’ place at the top of the leaderboard for the Frank Fox Cup, the Stars having 25 to Corofin’s 23.
Second favourites behind Moycullen to win it this year, they haven’t been beaten by Monivea/Abbey in championship football since 1992, which was the year of their sole title.
***
7.30pm – Carlow senior hurling final: Mount Leinster Rangers v St Mullins – Netwatch Cullen Park.
Advertisement
There is a familiar theme to this Carlow hurling decider, and yet also a twist. The pattern of St Mullins and Mount Leinster Rangers contesting the county’s hurling showpiece continues. Seven times in the last decade this pairing has been served up, including the final for the last three seasons. Mount Leinster Rangers are the reigning champions, while St Mullins triumphed in 2024. The meetings are not always nail-biters, the last decider that was won by a one-score margin between the pair came in 2019.
Novelty is provided by the Saturday night lights setting, a shift away from the traditional Sunday afternoon slot for this fixture. That facilitates live TV coverage on TG4, the 2021 final in Carlow was also covered live by the GAA BEO offering. The game pits Carlow county sharpshooters in opposition, James Doyle and Marty Kavanagh on the St Mullins’ side, while Chris Nolan spearheads the Mount Leinster Rangers challenge, scoring 1-10 for them in last year’s final victory.
***
Sunday 27 September
1pm – Donegal senior football quarter-final: Naomh Conaill v Kilcar – Fr Tierney Park, Ballyshannon
One door opens just as another closes, will be the attitude of Ryan McHugh as he gets ready to face Naomh Conaill at ‘The Rock’ in Ballyshannon this Sunday.
McHugh tasted the bitter tang of championship defeat on Thursday night in O’Neill Park, Dungannon. McHugh had been helping Tyrone club Carrickmore this season and was a visible figure after they beat Dromore in the first round.
However, after drawing against Donaghmore last weekend, they fell to what surely must rank as one of Carrickmore’s heaviest championship defeats, 2-21 to 0-10 in favour of Donaghmore.
Kilcar have it all to do in their Donegal clash against Naomh Conaill, last year’s champions who, since winning their first championship in 2005, have gathered seven further Dr Maguire Cups, and have featured in nine of the last 11 finals.
***
3.45pm – Tipperary senior hurling semi-final: JK Brackens v Moycarkey-Borris – FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles.
On Tipperary hurling semi-final weekend, the sense of opportunity is unmistakeable. Loughmore-Castleiney, the champions for the last two seasons, have been knocked out, and indeed the none of the last five clubs to have lifted this title, have reached the semi-final stage. Thurles Sarsfields, winners most recently in 2017, and Nenagh Éire Óg, four-time finalists since 2013, meet in the first semi-final on Saturday, but the fresh appeal is located in the second game.
It’s an all mid-Tipperary clash, Moycarkey-Borris chasing a first final appearance since 1984, and JK Brackens aiming to reach their first-ever decider. 2025 Liam MacCarthy Cup winners Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey-Borris) and Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens) will be in opposition, while the scoring influences of rising county star David Costigan (Moycarkey) and Lyndon Fairbrother, a former Tipperary underage All-Ireland victor, will also be key.
***
5.30pm – Down senior football semi-final: Kilcoo v Burren – Páirc Esler, Newry
Rarely can there be a case in any county where the roll of honour has been so emphatically dominated as in Down.
When Kilcoo won the 2009 Down championship, they were bridging a gap back to 1937. By that time, Burren were joint county Kingpins with Bryansford, both on 11 Frank O’Hare Cups.
As if woken from their slumber, Burren then promptly added another two consecutive titles, but then Kilcoo simply took over, winning every Down championship since 2012, with the exception of 2018, when they were beaten. The winners that year? Burren, of course.
As things stand today, they have 23 Down championships, nine clear of Burren, but they might be vulnerable this year, as a previous defeat to Carryduff in the earlier rounds showed.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Tipperary novelty, Carlow under lights, Donegal tests - the weekend's key GAA club games
Compiled by Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole
*****
Saturday 26 September
The vacant Galway football manager role could soon be filled by a couple of different men with significant Corofin experience. Kevin O’Brien led the club to break all records and become the only team to win three consecutive Andy Merrigan Cups in the 2018-20 period.
Another candidate is Kevin Johnson, who is the current Galway U20 manager. He won the 2023 and 2024 Galway titles with Corofin.
It will be matters closer to home that occupy the Corofin faithful this weekend as they hunt down Tuam Stars’ place at the top of the leaderboard for the Frank Fox Cup, the Stars having 25 to Corofin’s 23.
Second favourites behind Moycullen to win it this year, they haven’t been beaten by Monivea/Abbey in championship football since 1992, which was the year of their sole title.
***
There is a familiar theme to this Carlow hurling decider, and yet also a twist. The pattern of St Mullins and Mount Leinster Rangers contesting the county’s hurling showpiece continues. Seven times in the last decade this pairing has been served up, including the final for the last three seasons. Mount Leinster Rangers are the reigning champions, while St Mullins triumphed in 2024. The meetings are not always nail-biters, the last decider that was won by a one-score margin between the pair came in 2019.
Novelty is provided by the Saturday night lights setting, a shift away from the traditional Sunday afternoon slot for this fixture. That facilitates live TV coverage on TG4, the 2021 final in Carlow was also covered live by the GAA BEO offering. The game pits Carlow county sharpshooters in opposition, James Doyle and Marty Kavanagh on the St Mullins’ side, while Chris Nolan spearheads the Mount Leinster Rangers challenge, scoring 1-10 for them in last year’s final victory.
***
Sunday 27 September
One door opens just as another closes, will be the attitude of Ryan McHugh as he gets ready to face Naomh Conaill at ‘The Rock’ in Ballyshannon this Sunday.
McHugh tasted the bitter tang of championship defeat on Thursday night in O’Neill Park, Dungannon. McHugh had been helping Tyrone club Carrickmore this season and was a visible figure after they beat Dromore in the first round.
However, after drawing against Donaghmore last weekend, they fell to what surely must rank as one of Carrickmore’s heaviest championship defeats, 2-21 to 0-10 in favour of Donaghmore.
Kilcar have it all to do in their Donegal clash against Naomh Conaill, last year’s champions who, since winning their first championship in 2005, have gathered seven further Dr Maguire Cups, and have featured in nine of the last 11 finals.
***
On Tipperary hurling semi-final weekend, the sense of opportunity is unmistakeable. Loughmore-Castleiney, the champions for the last two seasons, have been knocked out, and indeed the none of the last five clubs to have lifted this title, have reached the semi-final stage. Thurles Sarsfields, winners most recently in 2017, and Nenagh Éire Óg, four-time finalists since 2013, meet in the first semi-final on Saturday, but the fresh appeal is located in the second game.
It’s an all mid-Tipperary clash, Moycarkey-Borris chasing a first final appearance since 1984, and JK Brackens aiming to reach their first-ever decider. 2025 Liam MacCarthy Cup winners Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey-Borris) and Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens) will be in opposition, while the scoring influences of rising county star David Costigan (Moycarkey) and Lyndon Fairbrother, a former Tipperary underage All-Ireland victor, will also be key.
***
Rarely can there be a case in any county where the roll of honour has been so emphatically dominated as in Down.
When Kilcoo won the 2009 Down championship, they were bridging a gap back to 1937. By that time, Burren were joint county Kingpins with Bryansford, both on 11 Frank O’Hare Cups.
As if woken from their slumber, Burren then promptly added another two consecutive titles, but then Kilcoo simply took over, winning every Down championship since 2012, with the exception of 2018, when they were beaten. The winners that year? Burren, of course.
As things stand today, they have 23 Down championships, nine clear of Burren, but they might be vulnerable this year, as a previous defeat to Carryduff in the earlier rounds showed.
*****
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
club GAA Grassroots GAA