5 key GAA storylines as Leinster, Munster and Ulster final spots on offer

Saturday 23 November

Leinster SFC: Cuala v Tullamore, Parnell Park, 7.15pm – RTÉ 2.

Never mind the Cuala train, which will be heading in the direction of Parnell Park once again for this tie.

Consider instead the journey made by their coach, Austin O’Malley.

We aren’t exactly revealing anything that isn’t out there, but when you pull it all together it’s quite impressive.

He was a Louisburgh player who was an unused sub for Mayo in the 2004 All-Ireland final. That same year he began studying in UCD and won a Sigerson Cup, before adding a county title in 2006 when they beat St Vincent’s, 0-10 to 0-9.

Soon after he actually transferred to the Marino outfit for a few years before heading to St Patrick’s in Wicklow Town, where he hooked up with the Wicklow squad and won the division four league in 2012.

Altogether, he has won junior and intermediate championships in Mayo with Louisburgh, a Connacht junior championship, a Dublin senior championship, a Wicklow senior championship and three Connacht provincial championships.

Some haul! Now he aims to steer the Dublin side to a historic first Leinster final appearance at this level.

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Ulster SFC: Kilcoo v Scotstown, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 6pm

From Donegal Town, you go to Laghey Bridge. They through the picturesque Lough Fad Bog and onto Pettigo, crossing the county border into Fermanagh. Down then through Kesh with a left-hand turn and on through Ederney, Lack and crossing into Tyrone before negotiating the hellish traffic around Omagh.

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It’s down to Ballygawley along the hazardous A5 before Aughnacloy, Caledon, Armagh, Markethill… You stop short of Newry before winding your way to Rathfriland, and only then can you start thinking about Kilcoo.

At 176 kilometres, and roughly two hours 40 minutes, is there a bigger drive for any management in club football to undertake than Karl Lacey and Barry Dunnion to get to Kilcoo?

They have also added former Derry manager Paddy Crozier (Ballymaguigan, Co Derry, a mere 90 minutes drive away) to their management ticket.

The Down club, All-Ireland champions in 2002, are back on the Ulster trail, chasing a fourth final appearance in five seasons. They must try to take down a Scotstown team  who defeated them last year.

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Sunday 24 November

Munster SFC: Éire Óg Ennis  v Loughmore-Castleiney, Cusack Park, Ennis, 1pm.

Loughmore-Castleiney’s marathon club season continues. After the hurling setback last week against Ballygunner, they now switch to football mode in Munster by making the trip to Ennis. They take on a home team who have the benefit of a win behind them, Éire Óg coming good to overcome Limerick’s Adare a fortnight ago.

The intrigue here is whether the Clare champions have the capacity to push on and enjoy a statement semi-final win. This is their third Munster campaign in four seasons, the product of a period of local Banner supremacy. They put up a decent fight in 2021 against St Finbarr’s, and were left with greater regret in 2022 when they got pipped by a point by Kerins O’Rahillys.

On both occasions Éire Óg saw their conquerors ultimately sweep to Munster glory. Their ambitions have been raised by Clare wins, now they have a rematch with the team they overcame after extra-time in the 2021 quarter-final. Booking a Munster final spot would represent breaking through a major barrier.

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Leinster SHC: Castletown Geoghegan v Kilcormac-Killoughey, Mullingar, 1.15pm – TG4.

It has been a winter that has generated tremors across the club hurling landscape with major upsets and new teams emerging. Last Sunday, Castletown Geoghegan continued that trend by taking down a Thomastown team that sparkled in their Kilkenny final success and were tipped to go far in Leinster.

Niall O’Brien’s tally of 1-13 spearheaded the scoring burst that delivered a famous win for the Westmeath club. Seven days on they are back in Mullingar but this time they get the live TV treatment, have made hurling observers aware of what they offer, and placed Kilcormac-Killoughey on their guard.

No Westmeath club has ever participated in a Leinster senior club hurling final. Can Castletown Geoghegan break new ground for the county? They face a Kilcormac-Killoughey team bidding to reach the decider for the fourth time in their history. A young and talented crew – who saw their predecessors contest the finals of 2012, 2014, and 2017 – have ambitions to impress.

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Ulster SFC: Clann Eireann v Errigal Ciaran, Páirc Esler, Newry, 3.15pm – TG4.

It’s a figure obviously inflated by the outrageous success of Crossmaglen Rangers, but Armagh clubs sit second on the roll of honour of Seamus McFerran Cups in Ulster.

Cross themselves have won no fewer than 11.

But they hadn’t won one before Mullaghbawn, back when they had Benny Tierney, the McNulty brothers Justin and Enda along with Kieran McGeeney, landed one in 1995.

As if to spite them thereafter, Cross won 10 from 1996 to 2012, adding their last in 2015.

The other three came from Lurgan’s Clan na Gael, who went three in a row from 1972-74.

Now it is the turn of another Lurgan club, Clann Eireann, to attempt add their name to the cup. The curious thing is, they are coming up against Errigal Ciaran tomorrow. Despite the enormous interest in club football in Tyrone, they are the only side to have won the provincial title, in 1993 and 2002.

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- Compiled by Declan Bogue and Fintan O’Toole