Dublin
One thing you are never going to be short of when it comes to the Dublin football championship is star quality.
Two weekends back, we got a reminder in the performance of Michael Darragh Macauley for Ballyboden St Enda’s in beating Castleknock in the quarter-final.
The former Footballer of the Year is not the most classic Gaelic footballer but he has always shown that personality goes a long way. Something he didn’t park as he made his way to the sideline to be interviewed after the game.
After telling RTÉ’s Damian Lawlor that they must be stuck in trying to make pundits out of his former team mates Jonny Cooper and Diarmuid Connolly, he looked ahead to the semi-final – they meet St Jude’s on Sunday at Parnell Park at 4pm, warning that they have went out to double-figure margins the last couple of years and that, “We don’t want our heads up our arses.”
Antrim
If there’s one thing Dunloy Cuchulainns know about, i9t’s dealing with the hype of county final day.
After all, they have been in five of the last six finals for the Volunteer Cup, known locally as ‘Big Ears,’ awarded to the hurling champions.
They won’t be there this year though, having been knocked out emphatically by Loughgiel last Sunday. All-Ireland finalists in January to being beaten in Ballycastle in your own county, that’s the appeal of championship.
However, they have the consolation of reaching their first county football final in several decades when they head to Corrigan Park this Sunday, minus their hurls. In the midst of time, Dunloy were a considerable football force, winning six championships across the 1920’s and ‘30s.
With nine dual players, they have been making steady progress in the big-ball game and won the Intermediate championship last year.
However, they face Cargin, who have been in eight of the last ten finals, with six titles. It will be some spectacle.
Tipperary
Two of the big dogs of Tipperary football meet at Ardfinnan on Sunday, when Clonmel Commercials and Moyle Rovers cross paths.
Despite being much-fancied prior to the championship, Moyle Rovers lost their first two opening games in the group stages and many thought that was it for the club of Declan Browne until an unlikely series of results put them back into the reckoning.
They pulled off a shock win over Loughmore-Castleiney in the last round when they were without Noel McGrath. Despite a difficult year it was their best performance to date and gives rise to the thought they can dig it out.
But Clonmel have shown themselves to be the team to beat, with star forward Michael Quinlivan in razor-sharp form.
Last year’s Intermediate champions felt they could give them a test the last day out, but were soundly beaten, 4-17 to 0-7.
Cork
If it’s semi-final time in Cork football, that means St Finbarr’s and Castlehaven must be due their annual meeting.
This is the fourth time the clubs have made up this pairing and, though it’s a tale well told by now, it still doesn’t get any less novel for the rubber-neckers who wonder how the Cahalane brothers get on against the club they play their hurling with. Last week three Cahalane brothers were on the Barrs side that lost to Midleton in the other code.
In 2020, ‘Haven won the semi-final on a penalty shootout on the night the country went into a lockdown.
That result was reversed a year later when Barr’s were the beneficiary of the shootout in ’21, and they added another semi-final win last year.
During that first shootout, during a heated exchange between rival fans, caution was urged by a figure in the press box, as the country soon going into strict lockdown.
“Miceál (Martin) would never do that,” came a response. “He wouldn’t do it on Nemo.”
Donegal
On Sunday, the most bitter of rivalries will renew in Ballybofey when holders Naomh Conaill meet last year’s final opposition, St Eunan’s, in the semi-final. The other pairing is Sean MacCumhaills and Gaoth Dobhair.
To set it in context, Kevin Cassidy said in his Gaelic Life column this week; ‘Let’s make no bones about it, these two clubs have zero time for each other.’
Last year, Rory Kavanagh was St Eunan’s manager and about to be named as the Donegal manager. That was until a bit of play-acting by a Naomh Conaill player led to Eunan’s forward Shane O’Donnell being disgracefully sent off.
Kavanagh withdrew from the Donegal job. O’Donnell and his brother Niall withdrew their playing services for the year.
It was the backdrop of the most disastrous season Donegal GAA have endured. And now they have to do it all again.
