Sunday: Ballygunner v Mount Sion, Walsh Park, 2.30pm
The total dominance of Ballygunner is almost absolute across many levels. Their achievements over the past fortnight have been insane.
To list them, on 27 August they won the minor A Waterford title to complete a three-peat, their eleventh title in twelve years.
On 30 August, their second string won the premier intermediate title by beating Tallow’s first team, leaving the Gunners with the possibility of having two teams in the senior championship in 2026.
A day later, their third team lost the junior hurling final to Kilrossanty (again, their first team) by three points.
On the same day, their senior team stretched their unbeaten record in Waterford championship hurling to 65 games, going back to July 2015 by winning the county semi-final. However, it wasn’t that simple as, reduced to 14 men, they needed two late goals from Dessie Hutchinson to conquer De La Salle.
The task facing Mount Sion who are 12 titles ahead of Ballygunner in the leaderboard incidentally, is, well, mountainous.
Advertisement
*****
2. Armagh senior football championship
Sunday: Mullaghbawn V Cullyhanna, Mullaghbawn, 5.45pm
This game is a refixture from the original game on 24 August, which was abandoned after four minutes when Pearse Casey – captain of the Cullyhanna St Patrick’s club when they won the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2024 – collided accidentally with another player and soon was in difficulty.
The Air Ambulance was called and after a long delay, the correct decision was reached in abandoning the match.
While Casey’s situation was serious, he was fortunate in that there were a number of doctors present at the match who immediately were able to work with him.
The Cullyhanna club released a statement a day later that read, “We are delighted and relieved that Pearse is making very good progress and is receiving the best possible care in the Royal Hospital in Belfast.
“We wish Pearse all the best as he continues his recovery. St Patrick’s will continue to do everything we can to support Pearse and his family who are very grateful for all the kindness they have received.”
*****
3. Kerry intermediate football championship
Sunday: Fossa v Kilcummin, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 1.30pm.
Fresh from their appearance in the Irish Pro-Am on Wednesday at the K Club, the latest tour of Clifford brothers footballing tourism happens on Sunday when they meet Kilcummin at the semi-final stage.
Paudie Clifford’s goal last time out rescued Fossa against Beaufort. If they had have lost that game, there was an arrangement in place that the famous brothers were off to America to parade around Sam Maguire, but they have bigger fish to fry against Kilcummin, who last won the Fenian Cup back in 2018.
In the other semi-final, An Ghaeltacht with Brian Ó Beaglaoich have lost finals in 2019 and 2022 and face Killarney Legion, replete with former Kerry goalkeeper and now goalkeeping coach Brian Kelly and his defensive colleague Jonathan Lyne, while James O’Donoghue is still floating around the panel. That game takes place at 4pm on Sunday, at Milltown.
*****
4. Dublin senior football championship
Sunday: Ballymun Kickhams v Whitehall Colmcille, Parnell Park, 2pm.
The TG4 cameras will be in place in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon to witness a slice of Dublin senior football action. The live coverage and the high stakes for this last round group tie ensured the fixture had significance attached to it. That grew all the more with Friday night’s news that one of the players involved was set for a critical role on the Dublin sideline next season, Dean Rock joining Ger Brennan’s newly-assembled management team.
Rock lines up alongside players of the stature of the Small brothers, John and Paddy, goalkeeper Evan Comerford, and James McCarthy in the Ballymun Kickhams ranks. They drew first day out with Templeogue Synge Street before impressively despatching Castleknock by 11 points in their last game. Avoid defeat here and they’ll reach the knockout stages.
Whitehall Colmcille have their own leading lights in Cormac Costello, Lee Gannon, and Eoghan O’Donnell. A victory would propel them into the quarter-finals at the expense of Ballymun, after a win and a defeat to date.
*****
5. Clare senior hurling championship
Saturday: Ballyea v Clonlara, Cusack Park, Ennis, 3pm.
Quarter-final weekend in the Banner county, eight teams with ambitions of landing the Canon Hamilton this year all head to Cusack Park for their knockout fixtures. The schedule commences with a game bristling with potential. The 2021 and 2022 kingpins Ballyea face the 2023 champion Clonlara.
When the pair clashed last season, Clonlara ran out eight-point winners in a routine victory. Ballyea will be hoping to have regroup and arrive at this encounter in a determined state. Tony Kelly’s tally of 3-26 from the group stages illustrates his red-hot form. There’s a strong supporting cast in long-serving figures like defenders Paul Flanagan and Jack Browne, and forward Niall Deasy.
Clonlara will be missing their talisman John Conlon but Ian Galvin is a strong attacking threat while Michael Collins and Diarmuid Stritch are rising stars up front that they possess.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
5 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
5 key games to watch out for in this GAA club championship weekend
Compiled by Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole
*****
1. Waterford senior hurling final
The total dominance of Ballygunner is almost absolute across many levels. Their achievements over the past fortnight have been insane.
To list them, on 27 August they won the minor A Waterford title to complete a three-peat, their eleventh title in twelve years.
On 30 August, their second string won the premier intermediate title by beating Tallow’s first team, leaving the Gunners with the possibility of having two teams in the senior championship in 2026.
A day later, their third team lost the junior hurling final to Kilrossanty (again, their first team) by three points.
On the same day, their senior team stretched their unbeaten record in Waterford championship hurling to 65 games, going back to July 2015 by winning the county semi-final. However, it wasn’t that simple as, reduced to 14 men, they needed two late goals from Dessie Hutchinson to conquer De La Salle.
The task facing Mount Sion who are 12 titles ahead of Ballygunner in the leaderboard incidentally, is, well, mountainous.
*****
2. Armagh senior football championship
This game is a refixture from the original game on 24 August, which was abandoned after four minutes when Pearse Casey – captain of the Cullyhanna St Patrick’s club when they won the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2024 – collided accidentally with another player and soon was in difficulty.
The Air Ambulance was called and after a long delay, the correct decision was reached in abandoning the match.
While Casey’s situation was serious, he was fortunate in that there were a number of doctors present at the match who immediately were able to work with him.
The Cullyhanna club released a statement a day later that read, “We are delighted and relieved that Pearse is making very good progress and is receiving the best possible care in the Royal Hospital in Belfast.
“We wish Pearse all the best as he continues his recovery. St Patrick’s will continue to do everything we can to support Pearse and his family who are very grateful for all the kindness they have received.”
*****
3. Kerry intermediate football championship
Fresh from their appearance in the Irish Pro-Am on Wednesday at the K Club, the latest tour of Clifford brothers footballing tourism happens on Sunday when they meet Kilcummin at the semi-final stage.
Paudie Clifford’s goal last time out rescued Fossa against Beaufort. If they had have lost that game, there was an arrangement in place that the famous brothers were off to America to parade around Sam Maguire, but they have bigger fish to fry against Kilcummin, who last won the Fenian Cup back in 2018.
In the other semi-final, An Ghaeltacht with Brian Ó Beaglaoich have lost finals in 2019 and 2022 and face Killarney Legion, replete with former Kerry goalkeeper and now goalkeeping coach Brian Kelly and his defensive colleague Jonathan Lyne, while James O’Donoghue is still floating around the panel. That game takes place at 4pm on Sunday, at Milltown.
*****
4. Dublin senior football championship
The TG4 cameras will be in place in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon to witness a slice of Dublin senior football action. The live coverage and the high stakes for this last round group tie ensured the fixture had significance attached to it. That grew all the more with Friday night’s news that one of the players involved was set for a critical role on the Dublin sideline next season, Dean Rock joining Ger Brennan’s newly-assembled management team.
Rock lines up alongside players of the stature of the Small brothers, John and Paddy, goalkeeper Evan Comerford, and James McCarthy in the Ballymun Kickhams ranks. They drew first day out with Templeogue Synge Street before impressively despatching Castleknock by 11 points in their last game. Avoid defeat here and they’ll reach the knockout stages.
Whitehall Colmcille have their own leading lights in Cormac Costello, Lee Gannon, and Eoghan O’Donnell. A victory would propel them into the quarter-finals at the expense of Ballymun, after a win and a defeat to date.
*****
5. Clare senior hurling championship
Quarter-final weekend in the Banner county, eight teams with ambitions of landing the Canon Hamilton this year all head to Cusack Park for their knockout fixtures. The schedule commences with a game bristling with potential. The 2021 and 2022 kingpins Ballyea face the 2023 champion Clonlara.
When the pair clashed last season, Clonlara ran out eight-point winners in a routine victory. Ballyea will be hoping to have regroup and arrive at this encounter in a determined state. Tony Kelly’s tally of 3-26 from the group stages illustrates his red-hot form. There’s a strong supporting cast in long-serving figures like defenders Paul Flanagan and Jack Browne, and forward Niall Deasy.
Clonlara will be missing their talisman John Conlon but Ian Galvin is a strong attacking threat while Michael Collins and Diarmuid Stritch are rising stars up front that they possess.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Armagh Clare Dublin GAA Gaelic Football Grassroots Hurling Kerry Waterford