Local GAA Championships

The Mayo county Championship is down for decider this weekend with Senior, Intermediate and Junior semi finals down for Decider

Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals, Sunday, September 26, McHale Park, Castlebar
Castlebar Mitchels V Knockmore, Ref: Michael Daly; Linesmen: Ronan Gurren and John Glavey. Throw-in 2pm- Winner Castlebar
Ballintubber V Shrule-Glencorrib, Ref: Vincent Neary; Linesmen: Ronan Gurren and John Glavey. Throw-in 3.30pm.- Winner Ballintubber

Intermediate Football Championship Semi-Finals, Saturday, September 25, McHale Park, Castlebar
Burrishoole V Kiltimagh, Ref: Kevin Connelly; Linesmen: John Boyle and Padraig Costello. Throw-in 4pm- Winner Burrishoole
Tuar Mhic Éadaigh V Béal an Mhuirthead, Ref: Ronan Gurren; Linesmen: John Boyle and Padraig Costello. Throw-in 5.30pm. Winner Tourmakeady

Junior Football Championship Semi-Finals, Saturday, September 25
Lahardane V Parke, Ref: Eamonn McAndrew IN KNOCKMORE; Throw-in 5pm. Winner Parke
Islandeady V Louisburgh, Ref: Martin Murphy In Westport: Winner Islandeady


Keen observers will see that all my winners are from West Mayo (Tourmakeady more or less is) This marks a switch from the power base from North to West. North Mayo footballers have let us down for too many years. If Football in the more finacially stable west Mayo we should see Mayo progressing to competing and winning an All Ireland final in years to come

Cavan Senior Final

Cavan Gaels v Kingscourt. The Gaels going for 4 in a row against a rejuvenated Kingscourt Stars side that looked destined for a drop to Divison 3 just a few short years ago. With the strength and depth of the Gaels squad and their experience in winning I can't see them being stopped. Kingscourt are a brilliant club that have really put a solid effort into improving, great to see them back at the top of both League and Championship.
Barry Reilly is Kingscourt's Star Man with Seanie Johnston leading the attack for the Gaels.
One Cavan Gaels official when recently asked about the fitness of Nicholas Walsh replied "Nicholas will not be fit to play until the Ulster Club Championship"

Cavan Intermediate Final

Drumalee v Drumlane/Bailieboro

Cavan Junior Final

Swanlinbar v Munterconnacht

Swad in their second consecutive final take on the surprise package of the JFC. Swad have strollled their way to this Final and will be keen to put last year's nightmare to rest (Goalkeeper sent off in the first few minutes, conceeded a string of goals and lost heavily) However Munterconnacht (some of you might remember them from the Powerade Ad in 2008) have put in some fine performances and anything could happen here. However if Swad can keep their cool, stop getting players sent off, and cope with the loss of the the suspended John Cunningham, they should have enough talent to win by 4-5 points.
Mark Cunningham has been in fantastic form for the Swad men and if they will have County U21 Midfielder Gearoid McKiernan back for the final after suspension the odds will shorten considerably.

Clare

Senior Hurling

Semi final stage

Clonlara V Cratloe....repeat of last years final and the last two county champion's, both teams full of the up and coming stars in Clare hurling and both play decent brand of hurling should be a cracking game.....

Crusheen V Sixmilebridge or O'Callaghan's Mills....Crusheen were defeated in the 2007 county final and lost a semi final replay in 2008, have been knocking at the door in recent years and have an excellent set of backs including last years under 21 captain Ciaran O'Doherty and county men Donal Touhy, Cian Dillon, Pat Vaughan and Gerry O'Grady(although he is playing 14 this year due to an ankle injury), they are probably lacking a real classy forward but are a tough side to beat...The Mills and the Bridge replay this weekend, two young teams on an upward curve, the bridge have been struggling since their last county title success early in the decade and only for Niall Gilligan they wouldn't have been far off dropping down to intermediate at times, they have been winning all before them at underage in recent years and have some handy young lads coming through although the current crop they have between 18-22 are nothing more than solid club hurlers at the moment....The Mills have been building steadily over the last few years but are inconsistent but play a fine brand of hurling with excellent support play and use the ball intelligently as opposed to the Bridge who still seem to be stuck in the's way of hurlin, knocking aimless high balls into the full forward line to compete for and using handpasses as a last resort etc.....Reckon the Bridge might horse them out of it in the replay but for the greater good of Clare hurling I would rather see the Mills progress


Intermediate is at the semi finals stage, Killenana play the Bridge's second side and Ruan play Clarecastle's second team in the other semi, it would look as though all signs point to a Killenana and Ruan final, Killenana have been knocking on the door for a good few years, lost the inter finals in 2006 and 2007 and the last two winners of the intermediate have beaten them in the knockout stages on their way to winning it, they caused the shock of the round by knocking out the red hot favourites for the intermediate title Eire Og of Ennis in the last round and will be hard bet between now and the end of the year, in Mark Flaherty they have an outstanding hurler at this level and has singled handedly won games for them....Ruan, yerrah I wouldn't know much about them apart from teh fact that Jimmy Smyth is from there

In the recession the Antrim football final, St Gall's V Cargin is on Saturday night, £10 admission, at casement Park.

On Sunday, £10 admission we have the hurling final, Loughiel V Cushendall. At.....Casement Park.

SFC Final
Naomh Conaill (Glenties) v Na Cealla Beaga (Killybegs)

NC massive favourites for this one. They have been knocking on the door for a long time and with St. Eunans out of the way should win it. They did really well to beat Glenswilly (Michael Murphy and co) in the semi.
Then again, Killybegs weren't supposed to draw with Four Masters in the first game and beat them in the replay, so who knows what will happen.

It would be great to see a Donegal team make it to an Ulster final however it's hard to see either of these 2 teams getting past the first round (as has been the trend for the Donegal club champions).

Preliminary Round:
Sunday October 17th
Cavan Gaels/Kingscourt Stars(Cavan) v Naomh Conaill/Na Cealla Beaga(Donegal) (Breffni Park)

Quarter Finals:
Halloween
Dromintee St Patricks/Granemore St Marys or Crossmaglen Rangers/Cullyhanna St Patricks(Armagh) v Cargin Erin's Own/St Galls(Antrim) (Crossmaglen)

Stacks/of/teams(Down) v Ballinderry Shamrocks/Coleraine Eoghan Rua(Derry) (Páirc Esler)

Coalisland Na Fianna/Kildress Wolfe Tones or Carrickmore St Colmcilles/Omagh St Endas(Tyrone) v Roslea Shamrocks/Donagh St Patricks(Fermanagh) (Omagh)

Castleblayney Faughs/Contibret O'Neills or Magheracloone Mitchells/Scotstown An Bhoth(Monaghan) v Cavan or Donegal (Monaghan v Cavan - Monaghan venue. Monaghan v Donegal - Donegal venue)

Semi Finals:
Sunday November 14th
Armagh/Antrim v Down/Derry

Tyrone/Fermanagh v Cavan/Donegal/Monaghan

Final:
Sunday November 28th

crossmaglen and StGalls in first round should be a great game

Granemore aren't out yet

Seneschalstown and Skyrne in the Meath County Final this weekend. The Sheridan led outfit back once again looking for a third county championship in four years, a quite remarkable achievement and testament to the managerial ability of Damian Sheridan. Skyrne, somewhat surprise packages at this stage of the competition, but nevertheless a club with several chapters to themselves in the annals of Meath GAA provide the opposition.

The sides met last year at the Quarter Final stage with Seneschalstown convincing winners but Skyrne have improved since winning or drawing all but one championship match in 2010, the defeat coming at the hands of Wolfe Tones, a side Seneschalstown beat in this year's Quarter Final. The Yellow Furze men like usual, didn't excel themselves in the group stages losing twice but at the business end they always raise their game.

I suppose key to a Skyrne victory is the stopping of Sheridan duo, Joe and Brian. Together they provide a colossus-like target in the opposition danger area and with the lively Brian Clarke providing an extra threat, they'll surely be hard to contain. Still Rathkenny didn't make a bad fist of things in the semi-final and Skyrne will take heart from that. Midfield won't be a place for the faint hearted either with plenty of giants on either side. Meath goalie Paddy O'Rourke will probably prove to be a giant among giants though and his exhibition of freetaking in the semi final was a joy to behold. Ian Davis and Trevor Giles form a potent half-forward line and little Mark Battersby, certainly one of the smaller Skyrne players, is a tricky corner forward. The local media are all predicting a back-to-back title for Seneschalstown but it certainly won't be straight forward. Interestingly, in 2007 and 2009 when Seneschalstown were crowned champions, both Navan O'Mahonys and Wolfe Tones took them to a replay and its not at all unlikely that lightning will strike for the third time.

samin10 wrote:crossmaglen and StGalls in first round should be a great game

And Cargin could win that game.

GAA-Fan wrote:Granemore aren't out yet

i know but i really cant see Cross being beat. I know Granemore beat Ogs but i have never seen a worse display of shooting in all my life, Ogs hit 16 wides to granemores 2. Ogs were missing 6 or 7 from last years final team.

Patrique, do you think Cargin will beat St galls? I dont

Cargin never perform outside of Antrim.

But they have half the Antrim team playing for them, Close, Scullion, Crozier, two McCanns and are a serious team.

Last year St Galls blitzed them in ten minutes, but I would not be putting serious money on the Galls to win.

patrique wrote:Cargin never perform outside of Antrim.

But they have half the Antrim team playing for them, Close, Scullion, Crozier, two McCanns and are a serious team.

Last year St Galls blitzed them in ten minutes, but I would not be putting serious money on the Galls to win.

yes but Galls have the best midfielder/half forward in ireland (kevin McGourty) and the best full forward in ireland in Cj McGourty and also half the fermanagh team.

great to see ucd getting beaten these i reakon it be another tight championship in dublin now

Well that's Granemore out.

Should be a Dromintee and XMG final.

samin10 wrote:

patrique wrote:Cargin never perform outside of Antrim.

But they have half the Antrim team playing for them, Close, Scullion, Crozier, two McCanns and are a serious team.

Last year St Galls blitzed them in ten minutes, but I would not be putting serious money on the Galls to win.

yes but Galls have the best midfielder/half forward in ireland (kevin McGourty) and the best full forward in ireland in Cj McGourty and also half the fermanagh team.

I went to the game.

Close enough first half with Cargin looking hungrier and maybe shading it, but behind 7-5 on the scoreboard as the Galls scored two late sublime team scores at the end of the half. CJ was quiet enough., only touched the ball twice in play, scored one and was fouled, which he converted, from the other. He also got booked for lying on the ground and attacking a Cargin man's knee and foot with his face.

At half time the large Cargin support were happy enough. "CJ's not doing a lot boy"

In the second half, great through ball, CJ rounds the keeper and suddenly there are 5 in it.

St Galls then after 40 minutes make a switch and bring on a bloke called Kevin McGourty. He quickly adds a point, then some great combined play offers CJ another chance and he wrecks then top corner of the net.

After that Kevin simply orchestrates the game, helped by O'Neill, Ciaran McGourty, Pollock and Niblock. Then can all dictate the game.

And Sean Kelly is wonderful.

2-13 to 0-10 in the end.

More importantly I bumped into our all star nominee, Winker, whoo assured me he is fit for tomorrow. Loughiel lost 6 finals in a row, and the semi last year.

I would love to see him win tomorrow.

However while Winker is the best hurler in Ulster Neil McManus is maybe the best player, and Cushendall would be favourites as they backbone the county side.

But if Winker avoids getting killed............................

fair play to St Galls, they will take some stopping this year again. Cant see them being beaten inUlster anyway

Clontibret vs Magheracloone/Scotstown in the Monaghan final in two weeks time, the latter two drawing in their semi this evening.

Another good win for Galls there tonight, will be hard stopped surely. A Cross-Galls tie looks to be on the cards for sure, that'd be a cracker.

It should be MMM, Cross should be good enough to win Armagh but they are really struggling at midfield. Cant see them going much further if they do win Armagh.

Has there been many Cross players retiring over the last couple of years sam? It's been a while now since I seen them play. Speaking of which, John McEntee was in the backroom team for Castleblayney last night, he scored some crackers against us a few years ago.

mid-mon man wrote:Has there been many Cross players retiring over the last couple of years sam? It's been a while now since I seen them play. Speaking of which, John McEntee was in the backroom team for Castleblayney last night, he scored some crackers against us a few years ago.

the biggest losses would be the twins, john donaldson, and johnny murtagh went to america. Also Francie and Oisin are well past their best. Should be good enough to get past Cullyhanna and then Dromintee but id say St Galls would be too good. The two mcentees will take some replacing for Cross

Aye them two boys won't be replaced easy, class acts. Donaldson was always very solid in defence too. Still a great group of players but Galls are on a roll and will be very tough needless to say. Assuming Cross win Armagh, it will be a rare case of them being underdogs in an Ulster game.

I thought the cage fighting thread was about the Ulster Club Champo ....

This year (just like the last 6 or 7) is Cavan Gaels' year!! I sincerely doubt that Kingscourt will beat them.

Interesting how for them Club is number 1. Seanie J being the only starting county player from the Gaels. I was looking at player profiles on their club Website lastnight and in "Ambitions" Only about 3 have mentioned success at intercounty, almost every answer is "Win a Club Ulster/All Ireland with Cavan Gaels"