Inevitably, the All-Ireland senior hurling final replay next weekend will take some of the limelight from the biggest day of the year for women’s football.
No matter the result on Saturday, Kilkenny can legitimately claim to be among the greatest Irish sporting sides of the past decade.
So too, though, can one of the counties at Croke Park the following day
Cork won their first All-Ireland women’s football title in 2005, and next Sunday will seek their ninth. The only other county to have squeezed to a title in that time was Dublin in 2010 – their opponents on Sunday.
The fullback line in the 2005 final was Bríd Stack, Angela Walsh, Rena Buckley. All three will line-out next weekend – as will Valerie Mulcahy (who scored 1-5 in that final), Briege Corkery, Nollaig Cleary, Deirdre O'Reilly and Geraldine O'Flynn.
And should we mention camogie?
Cork also have five senior camogie titles since 2005, so when we’ re talking about the number of All-Ireland senior intercounty championship titles players such as Briege Corkery (left) are going for, it’s not nine – it’s 14.
An amazing group.
PS It's great to see a sporting organisation recognise that some families have more than two children. When did it become acceptable (and the norm) to cap family tickets at two adults and two children?
One adult can bring up to four children on a family ticket to the women’s football decider, with the children’s tickets costing just a fiver each (an adult ticket is €25).
For Sunday’s hurling final replay, you need 10% club membership, 90% luck.
However, for Saturday's women's football finals, you can buy tickets from the women's football website or tickets.ie.
Mayo have won a football title!
Well, not the prize Mayo would have wanted at the end of another season of football, but Cillian O’Connor has finished the summer as the top scorer in the championship.
The star forward hit 5-36 during Mayo’s six games – though only 1-12 came from play.
Surprisingly, Donegal don't have anyone in the top five. When they last took home the crown, in 2012, Colm Fadden finished at the top of the hotshot leader board – with 4-32.
2014 SFC Top Scorers
1 Cillian O'Connor (Mayo) 5-36 (51)
2 James O'Donoghue (Kerry) 4-24 (36)
3 Shane Walsh (Galway) 1-29 (32)
4 Con Sweeney (Tipperary) 4-19 (31)
5 Conor McManus (Monaghan) 1-27 (30)
It’s a long way to Croker . . . but even longer way home for losers
Donegal and Kerry fans must be responsible for a new hole in the ozone layer.
Most travelling from the two counties to Croke Park would have come by car, with, say, Ballybofey in Donegal a 460km round-trip. However, if Declan Walsh and Stephen McLoughlin are your club-mates, and so you came all the way from Malin, another 90km can be added to the total journey.
No wonder Donegal have such a great record in All-Ireland finals. If you are travelling 550km in one day, you’d need to be guaranteed victory.
Still, their opponents had even farther to go (though at least Kerry supporters have the option of taking the train).
It’s more than a 600km round-trip from Killarney to Croke Park and back. If you are coming from Dingle, home of cousins Michael and Paul Geaney, then it was 700km to watch the game and drive home.
Fine, if you’re bringing Sam home too, but to lose and face that long journey home to Malin Head . . .
They said that? Twitter twaddle
Jonny Cooper @jcoops
RTE1 CrimeCall will show footage of the attack at 9.35pm tonight, please if anyone can identify him call @GardaTraffic 1800405060. RT
Niall McNamee @niallmc14
Donaghy, Peter Crowley's block and Aidan O'Mahony's performance have been the highlights
Ryan McHugh @McHughRyan
Devastated about the result yesterday just wasn't our day. Well done to Kerry fully deserved their win.
Paul Flynn @Flinto23
In fairness Donaghy was v good . . . well done to Kerry and enjoy the celebrations. Roll on 2015.
Steven McDonnell @Killeavy13
Congrats to Eamonn Fitzmaurice. He adapted a plan to beat an incredible system and came out on top. Well done Kerry & hard luck to Donegal.
Jack McCaffrey @jackmcc93
Someone had 121 grand on donegal
Paul Geaney @Geaney15
What a feeling this morning, the only morning I've every woken up with a hangover and happy to have it!! #UpTheKingdom #CiarraiAbu
Killian Young @killianyoung
Oh to be from Kerry!!!!!!
