THE next time we speak, it will be 2025. Santa will have been and gone, and the club championships will be over. So, it seems like a perfect opportunity to preview the approaching club championships.
In my recent columns, I have been giving out some predictions for the championships, and let’s just say they haven’t been going to plan. However, this is why the club championship is the best the GAA has to offer. More evenly matched teams, more shocks, and more surprises. It is practically impossible to call each game.
Whatever happens in the next month, it is sure to be a cracking way to start a huge year for the GAA in 2025. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry and peaceful Christmas, and here’s hoping for an exciting year ahead for the GAA.
Football
Coolera Strandhill (Sligo) vs Cuala (Dublin)
Dr Crokes (Kerry) vs Errigal Ciaran (Tyrone)
Four teams are left, and any of them could win it. None of them would have expected to be here at the start of the year. Now that it’s at their door, they all must realise how big a chance this is, considering how many big hitters have failed to make the latter stages this year.
In terms of pedigree, Dr Crokes are the exception. No team left has won the All-Ireland before or even appeared in the final. So, Crokes must be favourites and surely have enough history to fear no one. Tony Brosnan and Micheál Burns have been immense, and winning the Andy Merrigan Cup would represent a clean sweep of trophies and competitions in 2024. Pat O’Shea has given the famous Kerry club its belief back, and he's been described as the Pep Guardiola of GAA by his players.
Standing in their way of the final is a very talented Errigal Ciaran. The Tyrone champs have had to do things the hard way as well. In Tyrone, they were taken all the way to a replay in the quarter-final against Clonoe. They had to go through the Ulster preliminary round, and they have won every game in Tyrone and Ulster by the bare minimum. At the weekend, they lost to Carrickmore in the league semi-final, and although this was very much a second-choice team out, I still think this game against Crokes will be a step too far. I fully expect a game that will be tight and could go either way, but Crokes should have too much in the last 10 minutes for an Errigal team who have had a long and tough season.
In 2023, Coolera Strandhill didn’t give a great account of themselves against St Brigids. After winning their first Sligo Championship in 18 years, they probably enjoyed the celebrations too much and didn’t really think about St Brigids or Connacht. At the start of 2024, winning Sligo again and going deeper into Connacht would have been the ambition. However, winning Connacht and beating Pádraig Pearses was surely not on the script. One of the shocks of the championship, and I am sure that the celebrations may still be ongoing in the seaside town.
Cuala, with all their senior inter-county experience, are a daunting opposition. However, surely the Sligo champs shouldn’t worry. Cuala had never won a Dublin championship until this year. So, they too are in uncharted territory, and they too will be a bag of nerves. Although both teams are littered with county stars, the Dublin champs have some of the best players in Ireland at the moment. I see Cuala winning this and setting up a Dr Crokes final.
Who wins that final is a real tough one, and I expect a really good final. Crokes have genuine history with this competition and sometimes that history can get you over the line, or it can be a weight on your shoulders. It really is a coin toss for who actually wins it, but I have a sneaky feeling for Dr Crokes and history repeating itself.
Hurling
Sarsfields (Cork) vs Na Fianna (Dublin)
There will be a new name on the Tommy Moore Cup this year, as the final sees two teams competing in their first-ever All-Ireland Club Final.
What a year it has been for club hurling. Some huge shocks this year, and none bigger than Sarsfields beating Ballygunner in the Munster Final. Not many people would have given Sarsfields a chance against the All-Ireland favourites, including me, but what a performance from the Cork team. Even more impressive when you consider they haven’t even won their own Cork Championship this year. Imokilly beat Sarsfields this year, but due to being a divisional team, they cannot go forward in the club championship. So, Sarsfields are one win away from doing something that no club has done—winning an All-Ireland Club Championship without winning a county.
Something is happening in Cork hurling with three Cork teams competing in the Senior, Intermediate, and Junior championships. This is on the back of a successful year at inter-county level. So maybe, just maybe, Sarsfields could go all the way?
Na Fianna have quietly gone about their business in Leinster, which comes after somehow getting out of jail in Dublin. After a 63rd-minute winning goal stole victory in a game they trailed for almost the entirety against their rivals Kilmacud Crokes.
Once in Leinster, they would have fancied their chances, and after impressive victories against Clough–Ballacolla and St Martin’s, the Dublin champs took on a young and up-and-coming Kilcormac–Killoughey side. Now, that final was disappointing as the Offaly team just never got going, and when they did, it was much too little too late. I think the Dublin champs were there for the taking, and they just didn’t turn up. Na Fianna haven’t really been up against it for me, and I was looking forward to seeing how they dealt with pressure. I wanted to see them come through a test.
That test did come against Loughrea. However, for me, the Dublin champs did not pass with flying colours. The game was more about Loughrea looking undercooked with their long layoff and not up to match pace. The Galway champions led from the 11th to the 55th minute. On numerous occasions, they led by five points, and they missed a bagful of chances, especially in the first half with 10 missed opportunities for scores. Loughrea let Na Fianna stay in the game. They had the chances to put themselves out of sight and will be kicking themselves they didn’t. Then, in the last minute, AJ Murphy slotted over to put Na Fianna into the All-Ireland final.
Form usually doesn’t mean anything in these games, but maybe this one time it does count for something. For me, you have two very even and well-matched teams, who have no historic pressures or experiences to rely on. It really is going to be who wants it more on the day. I think form must come into it, and training for the next few weeks will be a nice place to be for Sarsfields. I fancy them, just, by two.
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