Connacht’s cream rises to the top
Amy Costello with her sister Mia and Méabh O’Sullivan celebrating Padraig Pearses' County Junior A Camogie Final victory over Four Roads on Saturday in Ballyforan. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
A week on from the 50th anniversary of the famous Rumple in the Jungle, we take a close look at the six prize fighters aiming to land their own knock-out punch in the Connacht club senior football championship.
Corofin: Once the last two All-Ireland club football champions Glen and Kilmacud Crokes fell during the first circuit, the bookies immediately installed Corofin as the favourites to win the Andy Merrigan Cup as Kevin Johnston’s men know the Grand National course like nobody else. Not sure if it was arrogance or naivety but twelve months ago in the Connacht club final against St Brigid’s, they were caught cold and paid a huge price for taking their eye off the ball. They will not make the same mistake twice and have looked fairly secure throughout the Galway championship. Gary Sice won his 14th county crown as the Galway kingpins are laden down with talent in every line of their team. For two decades, they have dominated Galway, Connacht and the All-Ireland series which included a four in a row in Connacht from 2016 to 2019, and three All-Ireland club titles in succession. Having viewed the landscape, they will sense another opportunity has opened up but will be fully aware of what they face on Sunday in the quarter-final of the Connacht Club championship.
Pádraig Pearses: Six years ago during their maiden voyage in the Connacht club championship, Padraig Pearses created wonderful memories as they won in Sligo first day out, their travelling army of supporters took over Ruislip on day two before losing narrowly to a brilliant Corofin team in the Connacht final. Two years later in 2021, Pearses were back again and this time it wasn’t a novel or new experience, it was time to deliver as Pat Flanagan’s side took out Mountbellew/Moylough and Knockmore on route to climbing the provincial mountain. Three years on, Frank Canning’s side are back in the ring and having taken out last season’s beaten All-Ireland finalists St. Brigid’s, the current Fahy Cup holders are a major player in this year’s race. While they have a tough assignment away to Corofin, the Roscommon champions will not shy away from it as they relish a challenge. Padraig Pearses’ experienced players are in great form and if the young guns can survive in the Tuam jungle and emerge from the trenches with another famous scalp joining their list of victims, another glorious chapter waiting to be written.
Ballina: After securing back-to-back titles in Mayo - their 38th in total - and backboned by quality players David Clarke, Padraig O Hora, Sam Callinan, Frank Irwin, and Evan O’ Regan, Ballina are right in the mix for Connacht club glory. Last year, Niall Hefferan’s men were blown off course against Corofin, learning the pitfalls of a provincial journey after the harsh lesson received at the hands of the Galway champions in Salthill. Teams like Ballina who come out of their county for a second successive year have to target a shot at provincial glory, and haven’t climbed the Western summit since 2007. Despite being on the road, the draw has opened up for the Mayo championship with a trip to Ruislip this weekend to play North London, and if successful, a semi-final date awaits away in Sligo the following week. On current form, Ballina should be capable of jumping those two fences.
Mohill: As Corofin and Padraig Pearses go to battle on Sunday, Mohill will be quiet happy to sit back and watch them take lumps out of each other and with only a week to come down from the high of winning such a pressure cooker contest, Mohill will be waiting in Ballinamore like a sniper in the long grass. Twelve months ago, the Leitrim champions produced a brilliant defensive display against St Brigid’s but Eamon O’Hara's men couldn’t get enough scores to finish the job. This time round after winning a hugely exciting Leitrim championship that went all the way to penalties, O’Hara’s troops are battle hardened. If they are to take out a big side they will have to bring more to the table up front but there is no doubt in fortress Ballinamore, the Green and White are dangerous. Its twenty seven years since a Leitrim club reached a Connacht club final.
Coolera/Strandhill: Another side who have put back-to-back county titles together and will be hoping for better fortunes in the provincial series than twelve months ago when they were blown away by St Brigid’s. With two weeks to prepare and a successful Sligo replay under their belt against St. Molaise Gaels, and a home semi-final their reward for winning their domestic championship, they will not want to cough up another opportunity to test themselves against the best from another county. Their attitude and performance against St. Brigid’s left a lot to be desired as they lacked courage and ambition against the Roscommon champions. If they are just happy in winning Sligo then they have to have a serious look in the mirror. On the plus side, they have talented players if they decide to go for it but need to up the scoring rate big-time to make an impact from here on in.
North London Shamrocks: While it was historic to have won their first ever London SFC but as a Fine Gael politician famously said to the Green Party on entering government you are playing senior hurling now lads. While winning London saw their lotto number come up the Connacht club championship exam is an honours question for a student that only studied ordinary level during the summer.
As our Teaser ballot boxes closed, they were only opened during the American Presidential election. Last week’s teaser was: Can you name the only player male or female to win two All-Ireland medals on the same day? It was Cally Riordan who won an All-Ireland Junior and Senior camoige title with Cork on the same day in 1973 and first to cast their vote was Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis, with QPR Frenchpark, Mark Gilfillan, Kilmore, Michael Scally, Ballaghaderreen, Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis, John Croghan, Bundoran, Pat, Sligo, Mick Fetherston, Dublin, Luigi, Ballyhaunis, Paddy Boland, Youghal, Kevin Flanagan, Dartford and Michael Kearns, Clapham all having their names on the ballot paper.
*This Week’s Teaser. Can you name the last footballer from Tipperary to win a GAA All-Star? Answers by e-mail to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086-8356227. This week’s teaser came from Sligo.
Star Pupil: Michael Greene from the Lisacul handball club who won the U-15 B singles World title in Kilkenny.
Crucial win for: Shelbourne who won away in Derry to clinch their first ever League of Ireland Premier Division title since 2006 in dramatic fashion.
Must do better: One point from nine means Arsenal have lost further ground in the premier league title race Spot of bother: For the first time ever, no hurler from Leinster has won a hurling All-Star.
Weekend highlight: What a fabulous Friday night as an enthralling League of Ireland title race went right down to the final moment with Shelbourne piping Shamrock Rovers to the crown during ninety minutes of tension, drama, excitement, ecstasy and agony.
What a cracker: This well prepared dish ready to be taken out of the oven on Sunday suggests that Corofin and Padraig Pearses in the quarter-final of the Connacht club senior football championship will be hot, spicy and tasty.
Really looking forward to seeing the new stand in Tuam stadium which was officially unveiled on Galway SFC County final day and if the new build can replicate the same atmosphere as the old one then the famous old stadium will continue to rock. What a game to get for its first Connacht club encounter with two sides that have ambitions of winning the provincial championship.
Corofin haven’t tasted Connacht glory since 2019 as Padraig Pearses, Maigh Cuillinn, and St Brigid’s have climbed the mountain over the last three years. Five years ago, Corofin defeated Pearses in the final on route to winning the All-Ireland. Of their five Connacht championship games in their history, that is Padraig Pearses’s only defeat so they will travel to Tuam full of confidence. Come Sunday, evening another big team will be gone in a game that discipline, nerve, courage and conviction will decide the outcome.
*Verdict Padraig Pearses.
What a wonderful occasion for North London Shamrocks as they host the Mayo champions in Ruislip after winning their first ever London SFC title. After back-to-back Mayo crowns and the Sligo champions waiting for the winners in the semi-final, Ballina are in prime position to reach the decider once they don’t slip on any banana skin.
*Verdict:Ballina
CONNACHT CLUB IFC Quarter-final
This year’s Connacht IFC will be hard won as clubs with vast senior experience from the five counties are in the ring. Elphin will be all over this clash like a rash as Nigel Dineen’s men play the winners in the semi-final. Eastern Harps are a well balanced outfit while Melvin Gaels produced the comeback of the year scoring three injury time goals to snatch the Leitrim title from under the noses of Allen Gaels.
*Verdict:Eastern Harps.
St Barry’s get the popcorn out for this movie as the Roscommon champions play the winners in the Connacht Club semi-final. Ballymote are on the go for the third week in a row after winning the Sligo JFC replay last Saturday evening. Bornacoola are well rested since their County final success and had loads of time to prepare.
*Verdict Ballymote
