Compiled by Kevin O’Brien and Fintan O’Toole
1. Trilogy in Cork
In Cork the entertainment bar has been set high. Castlehaven and St Finbarr’s meet on Sunday for the third year in succession in a semi-final. Haven won in 2020, the Barrs won in 2021, in both cases after epic struggles that needed a penalty shootout to deliver a victor.
The scoring battle between Cork’s two sharpshooters will be key, Steven Sherlock scored 2-10 for St Finbarr’s in last year’s fixture with Brian Hurley firing 2-9 for Castlehaven.
This is a pairing loaded with potential. An added layer of intrigue is provided by the eight players who helped St Finbarr’s win last Sunday’s county hurling semi-final, five of them in line to play for the Barrs here while the three Cahalane brothers will now be opponents in Castlehaven colours.
2. Superclubs in Dublin battle for final place
The final four teams in Dublin football battle it out for a spot in the final this weekend.
The semi-finals will be contested by four massive clubs in the capital.
Kilmacud Crokes boast over 5000 members, while Ballyboden St Enda’s and Na Fianna both field around 175 teams across the grades and Thomas Davis consider themselves the biggest sports club in Tallaght.
Indeed, between them Crokes, ‘Boden and Na Fianna have won 18 county titles and three All-Irelands.
The addition of Shane Walsh to a forward line already containing Paul Mannion makes Kilmacud Crokes strong favourites to put together back-to-back titles for the first time since 2005. In the other semi-final Ballyboden are rated as the biggest threats to Kilmacud’s throne, although the emigration of Aran Waters and Robbie McDaid has weakened them.
Ballyboden are a physically powerful unit and they face a Na Fianna outfit littered with attacking class. Aaron Byrne, Brian O’Leary, James Doran, Conor McHugh and David Lacey will all take watching by the Ballyboden rearguard.
Thomas Davis will learn plenty from how close Cuala ran Kilmacud in the quarter-final.l. They’ll bring their usual organisation and work-rate in an attempt to upset the kingpins.
3. Shinrone’s big day in Offaly
It’s a decade since Kilcormac-Killoughey made their breakthrough in Offaly senior hurling circles, crowned champions for the first time. That 2012 success sparked something, they’ve won three further titles and contested two other finals since then.They have become a dominant force and regular stakeholder on county final day. For their opponents on Sunday, it is a different story.
Shinrone are chasing their first senior championship and have not contested a final since 1960. They will enter this decider surfing a wave of confidence, toppling title holders St Rynagh’s in the quarter-final and beating Belmont with a last-gasp goal in the semi-final.
4. Tyrone football heats up
Reigning champions Dromore disposed of Killyclogher in the first round and now take on 2017 winners Omagh in the quarter-final. The team seeking to win back-to-back titles for the first time in their history are also bidding to be the first club to do so in Tyrone in 17 years.
Tyrone have a wide-open championship and the quarter-final weekend is set to be another fascinating one. The other big tie on Sunday is between Errigal Ciarán and Dungannon.
The Canavan brothers and Peter Harte are among the Errigal looking to win their first title in a decade. Dungannon are the second-most successful club in the county and following their dramatic 2020 success, they were disposed of in the first round last season.
5. Big guns contest Laois and Westmeath deciders
The most successful clubs in Laois and Westmeath hurling are looking to add more silverware this weekend.
The back-to-back defending champions are facing Clough-Ballacolla face Camross, who’ve won a record 26 county titles.
Clough-Ballacolla made a historic run to last year’s Leinster final, yet Camross have plenty of history to draw upon even if this is their first decider in four years.
And in Westmeath the battle between Clonkill and Castletown Geoghegan will be of interest. Clonkill are back in a final after doing the three-in-a-row between 2018 and 2020.
Castletown Geoghegan will be determined to get over the line this time having been beaten in each of the previous three finals.
