A history-making afternoon in Killarney. For the first time, operating as their own entity, Kenmare Shamrocks have booked qualification for the Kerry senior final. Previously players from Kenmare had contested Kerry finals as part of the district team – along with Kilgarvan, Templenoe and Tuosist. That combined unit reached the decider most recently in 2016, while they won titles in 1974 and 1987.
This semi-final success over North Kerry carried greater significance, propelling them into a final next Sunday against Dr Crokes, who overturned the Kenmare district team 10 years ago. The club side chasing a breakthrough will be guided by a senior star in Sean O’Shea, the supplier of eight of his team’s 15 points in their semi-final victory.
Can he be the latest Kerry player to achieve a long-sought after club title? Paul Geaney with Dingle in Kerry SFC in 2025, Paul Murphy with Rathmore in Kerry club SFC in 2026, the Clifford brothers with Fossa in Kerry IFC in 2026, have all established a pattern.
O’Shea’s brother Dara made a notable semi-final contribution, returning home last week from travelling in Indonesia to start at full-back after regular defender James McCarthy broke a bone in his leg.
Garvey's SuperValu Senior Football County Championship S/F
2nd Half 37:08 (67:08)
Full Time
Kenmare Shamrocks 0-15 (15)
North Kerry 0-9 (9)
COUNTY FINAL AWAITS !!! 🔴⚫️🔴⚫️🔴⚫️
@radiokerrysport
2. Cuala enter the conversation for Leinster and beyond
It was a difficult Dublin final experience for Castleknock, formed in 1998 and appearing in their second senior decider, as they fell to a remorseless Cuala.
Castleknock were savaged by a Cuala team that had Con O’Callaghan helping himself to 2-5, one of his goals coming from a penalty and the other converted from a penalty rebound.
Naturally, they become the favourites for the Leinster football championship and this makes perfect sense. The Seán McCabe Cup has been owned by Dublin clubs since Longford’s Mullinalaghta sprang their surprise in 2018.
Before that, Dublin clubs scooped up five Leinster titles from 2012 to 2016. It will be hard to ignore the claims of the 2025 All-Ireland club champions.
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Cuala's Cal Doran celebrates after the game. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
*****
3. Novel pairing in Galway senior hurling final
There’s a new challenger for the top crown in Galway hurling this year. Last January’s All-Ireland finalists Loughrea will be bidding for three county titles in-a-row against the Tommy Larkins club who have reached the senior final for the first time in 55 years.
Contesting their first semi-final since 1982 this weekend, Tommy Larkins battled through extra-time against Clarinbridge to end their wait for a final with a 2-26 to 1-27 win.
2017 All-Ireland winner Jason Flynn impressed with 0-13 for Larkins while twin brothers Éanna and Ronan Burke combined for 1-3. Goalkeeper Éanna scored what looked to be the winning point at the end of normal time after a colossal effort from inside his own half, while Ronan’s goal at the start of extra-time was a major turning point in the game.
Tommy Larkins defeated Loughrea in the opening round of the championship this year and will be hoping for victory again on the biggest day of all.
Loughrea also had a tricky semi-final to navigate as they trailed by three points coming into the final 10 minutes of their semi-final against Craughwell. But the champions showed their experience, rattling off seven points without reply to take control and progress with a 0-20 to 0-15 win.
MURPHY IN INJURY TIME 🚀
What a point from Eanna Murphy in injury time to give @tommylarkinsgaa the lead 🤩
📺Watch👉https://t.co/Zn4BXGADPo
@Galway_GAA https://t.co/r3RllOyePp
4. Rapid ascension for St Brigid’s as they win first Antrim title
If St Brigid’s hadn’t been founded by Tyrone native Conor McSherry and other blow-ins to the Malone Road area of Belfast, there is a high chance that one of Antrim’s greatest ever players in James Loughrey – who also played several seasons with Cork – wouldn’t have played Gaelic football.
Formed just 28 years ago, they have suffered all the usual insults delivered to clubs in affluent areas, but St Brigid’s have been creative and imaginative, sharing training facilities with the rugby club Harlequins and securing their own pitch in Musgrave Park.
On Sunday, they captured the Antrim football championship when appearing in their first final, against O’Donovan Rossa, winning out 0-21 to 1-16. Naturally, the chat afterwards was of what vintage of Dom Pérignon would be suitable for the afters.
First-time champions!
See @NorthSwitchgear Player of the Match JJ Higgins seal the victory over Rossa, reaction from JJ and his captain Ronan Boyle lifting the McNamee Cup.
Video from Live Stream team.
You can watch it all back here: https://t.co/WWEklTTnpn
@Naomhbridclg https://t.co/1DCe3iKFke
'People said we wouldn't be back, we were finished as a club' - The Glen celebrate Cork hurling glory
McCurry lands injury-time two-pointer as Tyrone football final heads for replay
Con O'Callaghan stars as Cuala ease to victory in Dublin senior final
5. Ken Hogan strikes managerial gold again with latest Laois win
First-time senior champions in Laois hurling, The Harps club from Durrow and Cullohill – familiar spots to those that navigated the road from Dublin to Cork years ago – taking the trophy for the first time. They did it in some style as well, posting 2-23 on the board as they triumphed by 16 points. Ross Deegan and Justin Duggan grabbed their goals on an afternoon when they had nine different scorers.
No surprise as to the identity of the manager when The Harps made the breakthrough. Former Tipperary goalkeeper Ken Hogan embellished his managerial CV further with this latest accomplishment. He has previously won senior titles in Offaly when guiding Birr, Coolderry, and St Rynagh’s, while he steered Borris-Kilcotton to their first Laois senior championship in 2016, and has also enjoyed success with his native Lorrha-Dorrha in Tipperary.
His coaching sidekick is former Offaly forward Brian Carroll, a member of the Coolderry side that Hogan tasted Leinster glory with in 2011.
Big congrats to our own Brian Carroll who coached the Harps to their first ever county title in Laois https://t.co/pgQXuHO6C5
6. Reigning provincial football champions prevail again at home
The reigning Ulster and Connacht senior football champions have reached the summit again in their respective counties.
All-Ireland finalists St Brigid’s survived an extra-time showdown against rivals Pádraig Pearses to retain their Roscommon crown. Between them, these two clubs have accounted for eight county titles over the last decade.
St Brigid's players celebrate their Roscommon senior final win. Ashley Cahill / INPHO
Ashley Cahill / INPHO / INPHO
They contested last year’s county final which St Brigid’s won after a replay, and their 2026 clash was another thrilling encounter. Tom Butler scored a late two-pointer for Pearses to send the game to extra-time as the champions started to take control of the tie. An early goal from Roscommon forward Conor Hand helped push them into a five-point lead at the break. And by full-time, they were collecting title number 20 with a 1-25 to 2-16 win.
Scotstown players celebrate their Monaghan title success. Bryan Keane
Bryan Keane
Meanwhile in Monaghan, Scotstown continue to dominate as they completed a four-in-a-row, and have now won 11 of the last 14 county championships. Ryan Toole’s first-half goal helped Scotstown on their way to a 1-22 to 0-10 over Truagh in the final, while star goalkeeper Rory Beggan kicked four two-pointers. Max Maguire, Conor McCarthy and Kieran Hughes all found their range from the two-point arc as well.
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O'Shea inspires Kenmare, Cuala make statement, novel Galway final awaits
1. Kenmare make history in Kerry
A history-making afternoon in Killarney. For the first time, operating as their own entity, Kenmare Shamrocks have booked qualification for the Kerry senior final. Previously players from Kenmare had contested Kerry finals as part of the district team – along with Kilgarvan, Templenoe and Tuosist. That combined unit reached the decider most recently in 2016, while they won titles in 1974 and 1987.
This semi-final success over North Kerry carried greater significance, propelling them into a final next Sunday against Dr Crokes, who overturned the Kenmare district team 10 years ago. The club side chasing a breakthrough will be guided by a senior star in Sean O’Shea, the supplier of eight of his team’s 15 points in their semi-final victory.
Can he be the latest Kerry player to achieve a long-sought after club title? Paul Geaney with Dingle in Kerry SFC in 2025, Paul Murphy with Rathmore in Kerry club SFC in 2026, the Clifford brothers with Fossa in Kerry IFC in 2026, have all established a pattern.
O’Shea’s brother Dara made a notable semi-final contribution, returning home last week from travelling in Indonesia to start at full-back after regular defender James McCarthy broke a bone in his leg.
*****
2. Cuala enter the conversation for Leinster and beyond
It was a difficult Dublin final experience for Castleknock, formed in 1998 and appearing in their second senior decider, as they fell to a remorseless Cuala.
Castleknock were savaged by a Cuala team that had Con O’Callaghan helping himself to 2-5, one of his goals coming from a penalty and the other converted from a penalty rebound.
Naturally, they become the favourites for the Leinster football championship and this makes perfect sense. The Seán McCabe Cup has been owned by Dublin clubs since Longford’s Mullinalaghta sprang their surprise in 2018.
Before that, Dublin clubs scooped up five Leinster titles from 2012 to 2016. It will be hard to ignore the claims of the 2025 All-Ireland club champions.
*****
3. Novel pairing in Galway senior hurling final
There’s a new challenger for the top crown in Galway hurling this year. Last January’s All-Ireland finalists Loughrea will be bidding for three county titles in-a-row against the Tommy Larkins club who have reached the senior final for the first time in 55 years.
Contesting their first semi-final since 1982 this weekend, Tommy Larkins battled through extra-time against Clarinbridge to end their wait for a final with a 2-26 to 1-27 win.
2017 All-Ireland winner Jason Flynn impressed with 0-13 for Larkins while twin brothers Éanna and Ronan Burke combined for 1-3. Goalkeeper Éanna scored what looked to be the winning point at the end of normal time after a colossal effort from inside his own half, while Ronan’s goal at the start of extra-time was a major turning point in the game.
Tommy Larkins defeated Loughrea in the opening round of the championship this year and will be hoping for victory again on the biggest day of all.
Loughrea also had a tricky semi-final to navigate as they trailed by three points coming into the final 10 minutes of their semi-final against Craughwell. But the champions showed their experience, rattling off seven points without reply to take control and progress with a 0-20 to 0-15 win.
*****
4. Rapid ascension for St Brigid’s as they win first Antrim title
If St Brigid’s hadn’t been founded by Tyrone native Conor McSherry and other blow-ins to the Malone Road area of Belfast, there is a high chance that one of Antrim’s greatest ever players in James Loughrey – who also played several seasons with Cork – wouldn’t have played Gaelic football.
Formed just 28 years ago, they have suffered all the usual insults delivered to clubs in affluent areas, but St Brigid’s have been creative and imaginative, sharing training facilities with the rugby club Harlequins and securing their own pitch in Musgrave Park.
On Sunday, they captured the Antrim football championship when appearing in their first final, against O’Donovan Rossa, winning out 0-21 to 1-16. Naturally, the chat afterwards was of what vintage of Dom Pérignon would be suitable for the afters.
*****
5. Ken Hogan strikes managerial gold again with latest Laois win
First-time senior champions in Laois hurling, The Harps club from Durrow and Cullohill – familiar spots to those that navigated the road from Dublin to Cork years ago – taking the trophy for the first time. They did it in some style as well, posting 2-23 on the board as they triumphed by 16 points. Ross Deegan and Justin Duggan grabbed their goals on an afternoon when they had nine different scorers.
No surprise as to the identity of the manager when The Harps made the breakthrough. Former Tipperary goalkeeper Ken Hogan embellished his managerial CV further with this latest accomplishment. He has previously won senior titles in Offaly when guiding Birr, Coolderry, and St Rynagh’s, while he steered Borris-Kilcotton to their first Laois senior championship in 2016, and has also enjoyed success with his native Lorrha-Dorrha in Tipperary.
His coaching sidekick is former Offaly forward Brian Carroll, a member of the Coolderry side that Hogan tasted Leinster glory with in 2011.
*****
6. Reigning provincial football champions prevail again at home
The reigning Ulster and Connacht senior football champions have reached the summit again in their respective counties.
All-Ireland finalists St Brigid’s survived an extra-time showdown against rivals Pádraig Pearses to retain their Roscommon crown. Between them, these two clubs have accounted for eight county titles over the last decade.
They contested last year’s county final which St Brigid’s won after a replay, and their 2026 clash was another thrilling encounter. Tom Butler scored a late two-pointer for Pearses to send the game to extra-time as the champions started to take control of the tie. An early goal from Roscommon forward Conor Hand helped push them into a five-point lead at the break. And by full-time, they were collecting title number 20 with a 1-25 to 2-16 win.
Meanwhile in Monaghan, Scotstown continue to dominate as they completed a four-in-a-row, and have now won 11 of the last 14 county championships. Ryan Toole’s first-half goal helped Scotstown on their way to a 1-22 to 0-10 over Truagh in the final, while star goalkeeper Rory Beggan kicked four two-pointers. Max Maguire, Conor McCarthy and Kieran Hughes all found their range from the two-point arc as well.
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Club Corner Cuala GAA Gaelic Football Galway Hurling Kenmare